mint

Did no one enjoy the piece I gave a link to? I found it revealing how minutely Ernaux abserves all around her.  According to the link:  rien ne lui à échappé. After reading about her supermarket visits, I also started to note such obvious things as there being no clock.  How many times have I tried to find a clock to look at and how many times someone in the queue for the caisse has asked me vous avez l'heure? The sign of a great writer for me is someone who makes me look at things differently and think about what is behind the obvious.  Ernaux, with her careful observation and willingness to speak "as she finds", is what is so compelling about her writing.

I haven't read les Années but I have read, and own, la Place, which covers some of the same period of autobiographical details about her early life in Normandy and her parents' café /épicerie. What first drew my attention to her, quite a few years ago, was her description of a visit to a...wait for it.....supermarket! Here is a flavour: [url]https://bibliobs.nouvelobs.com/documents/20140408.OBS3045/quand-annie-ernaux-fait-de-la-litterature-de-supermarche.html[/url] My only "quarrel" with her is her admiration of the politician Mélenchon[:P]

On a similar theme, OH once found a plastic carrier bag of kittens, so small that they would not have been more than hours old. There were seven and no one, including the gendarmes, showed the least bit of interest.  In order to avoid further suffering, OH very bravely drowned them.  Me, I couldn't even look at them in the filthy bag. What it must have cost him to do the deed, I shall never know.  He never mentions it (he is vegetarian because he can't bear the thought of animals suffering in abattoirs and so on). Without doubt, we must be the cruellest of all animal species[6]

Norman, I'd really like your opinion of the soprano?

Top of the Pops tonight but very enjoyable all the same[:)] [url]https://www.programme-tv.net/programme/culture-infos/9999008-sonya-yoncheva-et-piotr-beczala/[/url]

Nothing to do with those social charges, would it?

Just HAD to open all your links and listen[:D]  This woman is an enchantress and I did say she had a SWEET voice, didn't I? The Handel, I know what you mean.......I still have the goose bumps......

Oops, haven't realised you'd posted more links but will deffo listen, if not later then tomorrow! [url]https://www.francemusique.fr/emissions/ete-classique-apres-midi/programme-classique-de-corinne-schneider-73973[/url] 14.26:  Placido Domingo and Sherill Milnes, need I say more?  Had to stop the car and listen.

Driving home from yet another kiné rv but I did catch a soprano with a sweet voice singing Mozart[:D] [url]https://www.francemusique.fr/emissions/grands-interpretes-de-la-musique-classique/giovanni-antonini-chef-d-orchestre-4-5-73912[/url]

Not sure if you liked her? She didn't get the prize for her heat but I am still betting on her being the "lucky runner up" and that she might well win the whole contest!

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1x_idd0jQU[/url] [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVHuhCJ0Zjk[/url] [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4sF2SbA__U[/url] [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxICxKN09vY[/url] Just a small selection of clips from this singer and I make no apologies for some of the earlier ones.  IMO, she has now matured into a supremely accomplished and outstanding singer.  She was in Cardiff Singer of the World tonight and, my goodness, her mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix, had me transfixed. Keeping it on topic tonight before the thought police pounces but I owe you an email.[:)]

Thank you for the links; I have now listened to them all[:)] Enchanting singing and, like you, I love it when a singer hits a note right in the middle; no messing about, as it were!  I do think that only the very best singers can do this consistently.  Where there is no vibrato, you do notice this more and I do understand what you mean by "mannered in this music". Dream of Gerontius is wonderful, maybe the best that I have heard and I have heard this both live and recorded many times.  So, thank you for posting that. Next I want to find you something about a Donizetti work that was performed last week in the Barbican but there seems very little information as yet on line.

And how do you like this?  Haven't been able to find anything as I couldn't get the sound to work.  Then Sue, dear Sue who knows all this techie stuff, has just explained to me what to do. So you are the beneficiary......[:D] [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpqIEi7K6pw&list=PLPbXc7LB8YeIrGNlIeTn13RturSLjp2v7&index=1[/url]

Enjoyable programme: I swapped Roland Garros tennis for it[:)] [url]https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/086912-000-A/soiree-baroque-italienne-a-versailles/[/url]

Double post, sorry, link didn't work properly.

[url]https://www.francemusique.fr/emissions/arabesques/orchestre-de-chambre-d-europe-4-5-72214[/url] From this afternoon, several items you will like.  But could you listen to 14.52hrs Anne Sophie von Otter.....ravishing!  Lots of other goodies but this was the one I heard as I arrived back after RV with ophthalmologue and shopping![:D]

Ugh.......using Opera so many apologies for the link, such as it is. Must sort out firefox, as described to me by pomme, and must do it pdq!

Oh b......., I was looking forward to your watching that and our having a discussion afterwards. Such a prodigiously talented musician and she brings a freshness to the music that I so admire. As compensation, here is a link to one of her concerts: [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hOLtf9RjBM[/url] In the film, she talks about her love of baroque music and William Christie and Simon Rattle talk about her wonderful gift as a musician. Looking forward to watching your link. Strangely enough, I didn't know about Elgar's work but I came across Newman's poem years before that when I accompanied a friend to a religious retreat. The things that live on in one's mind.............!

Can you watch this? [url]https://www.programme-tv.com/television/568774546/emmanuelle-haim-la-femme-orchestre.html[/url] It is fascinating and quite wonderful ....... 

[quote user="ericd"]..... Just a thought ..... have you considered those robotic lawn mowers?[/quote] Eric, OH seems to think a robot won't work because of the ground being rough, slopey in parts, full of tree roots, cailloux, etc.  Yes, I know, your average "garden" in the French countryside[:D] Have been round a few outlets today, looking at mowers and spoken to a couple of gardening professionals.  We have now more or less chosen though the Cub Cadet shop was not open today. The shop has a workshop attached and mechanic and so we are hoping that the servicing etc would be easily taken care of.

Thank you for all the answers and now I know which to buy[:D] Spider is right about our wanting a push itself mower.  Had a Husquvana ride-on in the last FLAT and large garden but, in this house, the garden is too fiddly in little bits and has a couple of steep slopes.  A French friend overturned her ride-on and cut off one leg and mangled the other!  Here where we live, there are a lot of gardens with slopey bits and a ride-on does not always fit the bill. Lehaut I have taken on board what you have said about battery maintenance.

My poor OH is finding that mowing the grass is getting increasingly harder.  As he doesn't want help with this task, we have decided to get a new mower. After whizzing round local shops and looking on line, we have narrowed our choice down to a Cub Cadet, tractée with big back wheels.  So far so good but, as is usual with us, we now have a small disagreement about pull-cord start or electric key start. I'd have thought it was a no brainer as it's only about 100 euros difference in price.  What OH says is (besides balking at the higher price), how does the battery charge and does it make the mower much heavier? Anyone know the answer to that? I spoke with a French friend today and he told me that I need to make sure that the  embrayage is separate from the vitesse.  In other words, the mower is capable of being stopped without it switching off altogether as, for example, when a neighbour passes by and wants to chat or you need to empty the grass box.  So, if this embrayage is independently engaged, perhaps the pull cord is not such a problem as you would only need to pull it once for each session of mowing? Any thoughts, please, gardeners? PS most of this "lawn mower specific" vocabulary is unfamiliar to me in either French or English and so I am having to use words I have heard or read.

Thank you fittersmate and nomoss.  I think I need a refresher course EVERY year for filling in tax forms! So I deffo owe you both one of these [B]

[quote user="nomoss"][quote user="mint"]After going into the tax office to argue for, and obtained, printed forms, I note, as said on here, that there is no box OP on the printed forms. Can someone tell me what it says beside box OP so that I can write the appropriate wording on the information section? Thanks. [/quote] You can download form 2042 here Box 2OP is near the bottom on page 3 [/quote] Thank you, nomoss.  This doesn't apply to me because we only having savings interest and no income from property anywhere

After going into the tax office to argue for, and obtained, printed forms, I note, as said on here, that there is no box OP on the printed forms. Can someone tell me what it says beside box OP so that I can write the appropriate wording on the information section? Thanks.