Survival!

There is a site on Internet called Survive France,a discussion forum for English Ex-pats where they share their problems and less commonly, their joys in their new life in the hexagone. Now, I am not running down this site, it`s a good one, but usually I feel a twinge of irritation at the name. I prefer to think of myself as flourishing here and would prefer to see the forum called `Thrive France` or something similar!

   However, I must admit that for the last ten days, life here has been a matter of survival, of sauve qui peut.. There has been more snow than we have seen in our ten years living here, and worse, the temperature has descended into the bulb of the thermometer. Our bedroom grew so cold that we decided to abandon the first floor entirely and just inhabit the kitchen and the lounge, making up our bed on the futon, which we bought this year with such an expedient in mind. This worked well up to a point, but it`s scarcely convenient and it does mean we share our bed with several of the cats who also find the cold a bit trying. See the photo above.
   Heating has had to be beefed up with an extra paraffin stove and a gaziniere to supplement the wood-burner which is usually adequate.
    Still, better days are coming soon and the temperature has risen today, the snow is melting at last, and we can look forward to life being pleasant and not just an endurance test. Spring WILL come. Vive la France!

    Bye for now, got to walk the dogs.