Good heavens, Suzy, I'd have hoped they'd have been rallying round. Yes, there are nice and not so nice. My French lady is lovely as you know. There are two separate English neighbours - one without a shadow of a doubt would help me if I was, say, unable to chainsaw firewood, problem with the car etc. The other refuses even to acknowledge me (but then he doesn't like people generally).
Valerie,I was just going to write how nice it is to read about your neighbours,so often on here,there seems to be so many problems with neighbours....animals,trees,fences. I live in a small impasse so much friendlier than in a street.However 6 yrs ago when I broke my wrist and was in a plaster for 7 weeks,living on my own,the only person who helped me was my english neighbour,the others said 'on voulait pas vous déranger'.
Mostly, Peter. You ain't met one of my English neighbours (grimace).
Sounds great Valerie.
Yep we are a friendly bunch in the Hte Vienne !!
And a little p.s. to yesterday's fabulous lunch, I just came back from meeting the school van to find a little carrier bag hanging on the gate with bits and pieces of leftovers as a treat for the dogs. x
Aww, thank you Teresa - happy it gave you something to smile about over lunch.
I was dithering with the chicken idea because they'd be quite happy toddling around the garden and there's a corner a house could go in but then I mentioned it to the Irish mother ... oh dear. I got a resounding, "Don't you think you have enough work to do without mucking chickens out as well??" down the phone. It did make me think a bit as I already have to 'schedule in' when to chainsaw the firewood, mow the grass etc around the weather and various deadlines so I thought do I need chickens as well?
Valerie that's a lovely lunchtime read - thank you
... but i think you SHOULD get chickens - we have cats and dog and they get on fine with our very easy, very free range chickens. the cats and chickens keep an eye out for each other, the dog is afraid of the cats, but happy wandering after the chickens (he's a pit-bull-type)
chickens are so easy, such fun, as nosy as the cats, as funny as the dog
x t
Oh yes, my cats are boss in the animal hierarchy. All dogs bow down to the feline superiority. The sandwich is gone so I am now safe, much to the chagrin of the pooches who wanted some but got nothing. Hey, dudes, try dog food, plus I already treated you to raw turkey when I went shopping this morning.
I have a bull terrier, proper full on male (but he is afraid of cats), 30 kg of potentiel, and a big fat labrador who keeps him on the straight and narrow.
I hope it was I nice sandwich ;-)
I nearly choked on my sandwich reading that, I was laughing so hard (not about the chickens, but the neighbour and his teeth I hasten to add). Our biggest dog, complete idiot of a mutt who has been labelled a 'pitbull' because of his big fat head and is therefore the 'dangerous' one, does his utmost to escape the garden and goes to visit one neighbour's chickens. He gives them a sniff as though to make sure they're okay, which they don't even flap at, and then toddles off quite happily. Sometimes I feel as though I live in a twilight world.
I have two dogs and 5 cats, I did have two chickens, but next door's dogs got in and killed them. I confronted the neigbour. Ugly scene. He fell over and his teeth fell out. Strange
In a village in the Haute Vienne with cats, dogs and child. I did debate whether to get chickens as well but slapped myself stupid and said 'stop it'.
Where in France do you live?
Anyway, thankyou for a nice story.
At the moment, we need all we can get
Toby
Thank you, Liz. I think part of it is that she recognises my situation, as she's commented before on the work I do and the limitations on my 'getting out'. It shows great consideration on her part and I love her for it. Plus she's a cat lady and I have 3.
What a lovely story Valerie, well done for your participation. We have many French friends and neighbours who have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome and include us in village and family events. Take care both! Liz
It is a blessing, Zoe, as it is very easy to feel as though you're on the outside looking in sometimes, with people of all nationalities.
Thank you Marie-Antoinette, especially about my son. It's difficult sometimes being an only child as he doesn't have 'reinforcements' to go with him in the form of siblings so some situations can seem overwhelming but he got a gold star for his behaviour yesterday and actually responding in French occasionally instead of scuttling under the table to hide, lol.
Valerie , I am so glad you enjoyed your time there with the French neighbors, they invited you because they valued your friendship and that says so much about you and your son, you have integrated well in your neighborhood and they like you!! Congratulations!
Marie-Antoinette
Heart warming. We have plenty of neighbours like that here, it truly is a blessing.