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Talking of Drug Usage in France...


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A chum was kind enough to draw my

attention to the vacuous Helena Frith-Powell pontificating in a

low-brow moron-baiting article in some bum-fodder named “Grazia”

on the subject of someone called Kirstie Allsopp who got herself into

hot water by saying women should always put their menfolk first:

“After living in France for 10 years,

I'm totally in agreement. French women always put their men first. I

remember one French friend refusing to breastfeed her first-born

because, she said, her breasts belonged to her husband.”

As generalisations go, this seems

pretty sweeping. In fact, I can't really square the notion with any

of the French women I know. Perhaps it's a generational thing:

practically all the women I know are under 45. Or – and I think

this more likely – it might be because la Frith-Powell knows only

women who regard getting out of bed in time to see the kiddies off to

school with the nanny before spending time with their personal trainer, having a

manicure and then a very small but very expensive lunch as being a

fair day's graft.

All the women I know (with a sole

exception) work for a living.

Anyway, while I wouldn't presume to ask

the ladies on the forum who their breasts belong to, I would be quite

curious to know their views (and anyone elses) on H F-P's observation: completely barking

mad or the voice of common sense?  [8-)]

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Neither. She is well versed in knowing exactly what kind of contentious, seemingly off-the-cuff, remarks are likely to get readers, both of forums like this and of pseudo-highbrow periodicals, huffing and puffing into their cheap French plonk. [:P]

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My breasts are mine, who I would favour with them at any given point is solely at my own discretion!

And yes, this great breastfeeding myth when 'what they do in Europe is quoted', I know a lot of french women who wouldn't or didn't, but never the reason. I do know the odd one who fed their baby though for months. Still it was not encouraged for more than a few weeks either, but as many return to work in weeks, the convenience of not breastfeeding, probably won out.

Do I look after my husband? I do. Do I feel a lesser person for it, nope, never have. I understand that our brains work differently and I don't moan about 'him not doing this that and the other with a few insults thrown in' as a lot of women do. Sometimes this whining to her other half and sometimes to anyone else who'll listen.  I like men, I don't care that their brains aren't bogged down with somethings that women's brains seem to get fixated on.

And men can run households, I know that, but men's brains always seem to me to get singularly focused on things, and if running a house is that, then they'll run it well. But I do understand that  many men do not instinctively focus on the mundanities of housework as it is bloody boring.

And if I like men, then I do not like boring men, I am always fond of 'odd' ones.

 

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[quote user="The Riff-Raff Element"]

A chum was kind enough to draw my

attention to the vacuous Helena Frith-Powell pontificating in a

low-brow moron-baiting article in some bum-fodder named “Grazia”

on the subject of someone called Kirstie Allsopp who got herself into

hot water by saying women should always put their menfolk first:

[/quote]

I think I might print, cut out and keep this

sentence for its exquisitely put description of a modern magazine.

wonderful!

On the subject of the quote about the

breasts belonging to her husband, that's an old one from years back. I

doubt whether many (or even any) women now, French or British 

would own it. More likely to be regarded with derision.

I'm

reminded of a song whose verse went:

Hey little girl, comb your

hair, fix your make up

Soon he will open the

door.

Don't think because there's a ring on your

finger

You needn't try any more

For wives should

always be lovers too

Run to his arms the moment he comes home

to you.........

I'm rather hoping we women have got

past that stage in our efforts to become equal partners in a

relationship. 

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Burt Bacharach sung by Jack Jones, a song I would sing when I was but a young young girl. If I update that song in my head, then it would be that even if married or living with someone, you both still have to try and cuddles etc are eternally important.
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Hey little girl, comb your hair, fix your make up
Soon he will open the door.
Don't think because there's a ring on your finger
You needn't try any more
For wives should always be lovers too
Run to his arms the moment he comes home to you.........

I was tempted to print this out so I could hang it on the kitchen wall as a little reminder for my beloved.

Then I thought about it again and concluded she would wrap it round a rolling pin and put it to good use........

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'For wives should always be lovers too'

Still if you cannot be that in the normal run of things, illness being an exception, really what is the point anyway. 

Now I realise that my weapon of choice, perhaps would be a baseball bat, I have never given it a thought before. I do know that I bake too much to mess up my  perfectly good rolling pin, turned by 'him'[Www]

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Breasts belonging to anyone else than the person attached to them, that always strikes me as terribly odd. Do men's testicles belong to the wives? Don't think so.

I might be contentious but to me, it is in the same category as a man saying "we are pregnant" when his partner is expecting their baby. Being pregnant is not quite the same as "going to be a father". Unless the womb is shared equally?

However, what I HAVE noticed in Frenchwomen my own generation (that is,  a bit older than 40-something), is that many, even in retirement, will adjust their timetable to fit in with their husband's. In a class I go to, which is great, great fun, if it is in the evening (for an hour, from 7.30 to 8.30), the only women who go regularly are the ones who live on their own. On two occasions now, (and even a third which is even worse, because the woman concerned won't even admit to it), two different women have said that they can't go because the husband doesn't like it, he wants her to not only provide his dinner, but also be there to share it with him when he comes home exhausted after some tournoi de pétanque. And god forbid that there should be anything clashing with his sacro-sanct annual repas des anciens combattants. His wife just has to be there with him, full stop, even when there is something she REALLY wants to do taking place that day.

My 85-year old neighbour said to me once "You are lucky that your husband lets you go out on your own!". Presumably,  her (now deceased) husband, would not allow it.

 

About HFP, the less said the better[6].

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NormanH, that is truly terrible. 

Nothing to do with me incidentally, every male in the house, manages to disappear things that  they had just put 'there' and it magically has disappeared in the intervening seconds. A hob sometimes gets blamed, even me, if, they are feeling particularly brave, as I am rarely the guilty party.

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[quote user="Will"]Neither. She is well versed in knowing exactly what kind of contentious, seemingly off-the-cuff, remarks are likely to get readers, both of forums like this and of pseudo-highbrow periodicals, huffing and puffing into their cheap French plonk. [:P]

[/quote]

Enough of the cheap, already! I'm paying €1,80 per litre at the moment.

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