It seems a very poor show to moan when mates are going through seriously bad times
Posted by contentedsouls on 05/11/2014
….so I’ve tended to shut up but, I guess, life doesn’t work like that long term. Take this as a warning (now I know that Les has pulled through) that I’m about to have a whinge. Everything I do has to be without putting pressure on my right arm so I can only take one dog/rubbish bag/shopping bag etc. So most of the jobs in my day have to be done twice. As my mate Brian Holt quoted from Andy Capp, “ don’t struggle with that bucket of coal – make two journeys”. Then I ate some dodgy pate and had 24 hours of deli belly and now, I suspect, a cold.
Pete and Sal are coming out from Norfolk to meet us for dinner in Reims Friday evening for the weekend, and I have now been cleared to drive the boat, but with caution. There is, of course, no way we can do 168 kilometres and 120 locks between now and Friday evening. Thank goodness we have monumentally great mates; one of which, whose boat is a lot nearer to Reims, that are willing to lend it to us for the weekend. If you are wondering why we don’t just book into the same hotel as Pete and Sal, I couldn’t agree more – nothing would be more wonderful, but that is the price you pay for pets and there is no way we can meet with French requirements to book 2 dogs and a cat into French kennels at such short notice, so it’s a case of making the best of my bad job. It’s rained solidly for 24 hours and the dogs hate it – they just won’t go out and do the necessary until they are 
desperate – desperate is currently middle of the night/early hours and we are both very tired. OK, that’s it – enough whinging…sorry!
We have had lots of sunshine and the Mutts and I have enjoyed the walks when he’s not sleeping to build up energy to wake us during the night.
(sorry, I’ve jumbled the pictures again). We have booked a passage up through the lock tomorrow to leave MR in the marina – goodness, will I remember how to drive the boat after 4 weeks?
We had a new neighbour tonight – first boat movement we’ve seen in days – lovely lines.
Sorry to grumble, but if I don’t where is the honesty in the blog
contentedsouls 
Linda Gifford-Hull said
I think that you should write how you feel in a blog so don’t apologise!
Linda
NB Mary H
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contentedsouls said
Thank you Linda – sometimes you want to moan, but you know you shouldn’t as others have real problems. Always a delicate balance!
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Jaqueline Biggs said
Oh bless your heart Jill–you are totally entitled to whinge. We really don’t realize how damn difficult life can be without the use of both arms and hands. As for Deli Belly or any other kind of bad belly–flu belly, salmonella belly, lactose intolerance belly, etc. please invest in a good bottle of apple cider vinegar. Organic if possible. When you feel the first twinges of bad belly, mix 1/4 tsp. of Apple cider vinegar with 6 ounces of water and sip slowly over a period of 10 minutes. Wait 30 minutes and repeat. You will feel the apple cider “push” the toxins down into your large intestine and out it goes without extreme distress–just a feeling of coolness and relief.
I had a friend in the Peace Corps who was posted top Africa. I convinced him to take a bottle of Apple Cider vinegar. He said it actually saved his life. It really does work.
Les is doing fine and as for whinging girlfriend, I could tell you a story about an American trapped on a train from Euston on a Sunday evening that was packed nut to butt (remember that phrase–it will come in handy; I cannot whinge without it) with standing room only. The American who is older, and has a very short fuse for rude children and permissive parents, and who is not fond of dogs found herself sitting between two crying babies on one side with a parent who ignored them the entire time, only to have visited upon her, a group of five overweeningly proud cows with dogs under their arms. The had come from a dog show where apparently mixed breed mongrels were the choice of the day. On the women squeezed with their canines who were not pleased to be treated like back packs and purses and who began to whine and bark. One of these women made the mistake of sitting on the other side of me and her dog’s tail slapped my face repeatedly. She has been the recipient of the American laser eye of death and said U.S. citizen is now soused with 500 ML of Rose under her belt! Take good care of you darling!! Miss you both,
Jaq (and LesXX)
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contentedsouls said
Bless you both, just keep hanging on in there. I do love it here but there is nothing to compare with bumping into your cut mates. Started to meet new friends but they go ‘home’ for winter – Australia, America, Canada, etc. XXX
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