Tuesday, July 10, 2007


Were to begin?? Not even worth putting a title to this post since I'm just going to write about all sorts of stuff. It's been awhile and I've just haven't been up to writing much lately although there's certainly been things to post about. Let's start with the most recent. They can just wipe the month of July off the calendar here in France. This is my 8th July in France and just about every single one has been miserable weather wise. This current one being no exception. While my home town of Chicago is sweltering in the heat, I'm wearing sweaters, socks and turning the heat up in the morning. It's been cool and rainy here for the last few weeks. It's the strangest thing, the month of April here though was beautiful, go figure!What a way to start off summer vacation. As it's been raining literally non-stop for the past few days, the kids have been inside. Board games anyone?? They certainly are appreciated right now. But it's summer!! What the heck is going on?????
This past weekend we did thankfully have a couple of nice days of warm, rain-free weather and we took advantage of it to get the lawn mowed and the neighbor's hedge trimmed on Saturday. On Sunday we went to a town about 30 minutes from here to watch a baseball game, yep baseball! And they played the game on a regulation baseball field. I've just added some pix to my Flickr! account so feel free to take a look. It really was a sight to see. I kind of had a "Field of Dreams" moment thinking: if you build it, they will come....
The game was played by the local baseball club and a group of American high school kids who are on a tour of Europe. This group of high schoolers was from Georgia and next weekend there's a group coming from Wisconsin. We're going to try to make it to that game as well. We arrived too late for the game this past weekend, actually they started the game 2 hours earlier than scheduled since the Americans arrived earlier than expected. But it was still worth it just to see the field, kids were able to play on it. They really enjoyed it.
In other news, it's been just about 10 days since my mother-in-law came to stay with us following her kidney surgery. It's gone extremely well. First her surgery and recovery in the hospital went very well and since she's been with us, she's improved a lot. Luckily we've got a bedroom and full bath downstairs so she's got her "own space" but she's always with us which is fine. She's a wonderful person and we get along great. She's enjoyed being with the kids and even when they get crazy sometimes running around here, it doesn't bother her. When she told the hospital staff she was coming to stay with her son and his family, they said it was very rare, that she was very lucky to have family who was willing to take her in. Apparently most people don't do it. Many elderly people who need some assistance after surgery to get back up on their feet go to rest homes. My next door neighbor just assumed my MIL would go to a rest home or maison de repos as they say here, and when I said she was coming here, she was shocked.
I didn't even think twice about it, but I guess I'm looking really good as a daughter in law right now. Well, it's been very easy, toughest part has been putting on these stockings my MIL has to wear for a month following surgery. They're to prevent water retention and they're super tight. She's not able to get them on by herself so every morning I go downstairs and put them on. She needs to wear them all day. She seems to like my cooking as well although she's not very picky I must say. All the same she does compliment me so it can't be too horrible.
I know the situation of a MIL and DIL living together under the same roof amicably is quite rare so if your jaw is hanging open right now in awe, go ahead and feel free to close it. I guess I won the lottery in the MIL dept. I have no complaints. I could really say the same in the husband dept too but I would have to have a few complaints!!
The care she received while in the hospital was wonderful. They removed her kidney after finding a cancerous tumor. This is major surgery by any one's standards and I was amazed at how little pain she suffered. They did an excellent job in pain management. She also of course was not shoved out the door. She was in for 10 days and by the time she came here, her pain was minimal, nothing an extra strength Tylenol couldn't take care of.
It reminded me once again how good the medical care here is in France. I've had a few experiences here with hospitals, from my pregnancies to the surgery Kevin had as a baby, the girls in neo-natal intensive care for 3 weeks and I have nothing but positive things to say. Sure there are always a few moments or instances that could have been better but overall, my experience has been excellent. I've read a little about the new Michael Moore Documentary "Sicko" and as one living over here I can definitely confirm all the positive remarks made about France's health care. It can't be beat really. They've got a great thing going here.
It's nice to have some down time as it were now that the kids are on summer vacation. I really had a hard time keeping up with the blog these last few months as it seemed like there was always something going on and I just didn't have the energy to write about it. For a while there, in June, I was online a lot looking up info on the school system in England. There's a family in the girls' preschool who is moving to England. The husband is being transferred there. So the mom was asking me if I knew much about it, at first she thought I was from England (common mistake)I offered to look stuff up online about the town they were moving to and then an English lady who actually lives here in town, gave me info on a website that has data on the different schools. So I was able to find out which schools were better in various towns. I spent quite a bit of time on it really and then wrote it all out to give it to the mom. Her English is basic, it's her husband who knows more English but it seems he's so busy with work, it's up to her to figure out a lot of the stuff. It'll be quite an adventure for her, as for the whole family, they have 3 kids ages 7 and under and are expecting their fourth! Delivering a baby in a foreign country! She's also not very used to looking up stuff online. She doesn't use the computer much and I tried to gently explain that it'd be good if she did because it'll come in handy.
Last but not least, before the year is out I'm sure we'll be getting a new computer. Our printer is busted, it lasted 7 yrs without a problem, so no complaints there. Luckily it broke down once I had finished teaching. I had used it a lot finding activities online for teaching english that I'd print out. And now, to get a new printer, we'd have to update our computer system since any new printer wouldn't be compatible with our "dinosaur" of a system we've had for the last 7 yrs. So might as well update everything at once. I still occasionally have the problem with the keyboard freezing up or not being able to type. That slowed down posting as well!
Finally, I'm writing out lists for our upcoming trip to Chicago. What to do list, what to buy list, who to visit list, where to go list, it goes on and on......
Can't wait to see Chicago in the summer! We're certainly not seeing summer in France right now! Unless of course you count that beautiful sight at the top of this post! :)

2 comments:

Jennifer said...

Yay, you're back! :)

And you're going to Chicago? Lucky you!! What a fun city.

I'm kind of in a funk due to this weather. My husband told me that "they" (the weather experts) predict the rain to last all through July. But it's supposed to be warm this weekend, so there may be some reprieve.

I miss my Ohio summers!

Madame K said...

Howdy neighbor,

I love Chicago. I took my French husband there in May and now he loves it too.

And indeed, rain rain go away.

Glad I found your blog.

A bientot.