Daylight savings

Our petit chat was soooooo confused today.  We switched time zones (well, we ditched false time).  His brekkie came out as scheduled, then Andy changed the clock on his feeding machine.  So..the wee blight was extremely out of sorts all day.  He doesn't understand a change from daylight savings to no daylight savings.  All he was after was his lunch (at 11am).  And his dinner, frankly didn't pitch up on time either.  Poor wee guy.  He soldiered on as cats do,  had a sleep.  Cat nap "they" call it.   Ours sleeps like the dead.

Thank god the wee guy doesn't have to cross time zones and travel.  He would not be amused AT ALL.  (but, we aren't particularly OK with that either and we know what's what.  Time zones suck).

Anyway, he's so cute.  He knows his timings does our wee blight.
Very smart is our little Nudgicles.  For a cat. AND he's just a wee baby after all.

He tries to open the doors, he reaches up and gives it a good old try, even from the side table outside out bedroom, he tries.   He's very very smart is our little Nudge... (well not really but we live in hope 😔)

Lieu Noir with spiced crust, cauliflower and pea puree, celeriac courgette and leek dauphinoise.

 Black Pollack/ Atlantic Pollock/ Coalfish/Saithe/Coley... The name here is Lieu Noir.  It's really good value for such an incredible and sustainable fish.  Cod/haddock like with it's succulent large flakey meaty moist textured lobes but cheaper.  AND more sustainable.

We dusted it with a thick crust of spice ( turmeric, ginger, coriander, cumin, a good garam masala, kashmiri chilli, sweet paprika, fennel seeds salt) and cooked it in butter, finished with lemon zest.  Served with a spiced cauliflower and pea puree.  AND a gorgeous little side of simply cooked celeriac, leek and courgette (a little milk, salt and pepper).  It was sublime.  We would roast tomato next time to give a sweet acidic note but this was delicious and being a knock up.  It took no time.....just drawing on our spice knowledge.  Yum.

While I was cleaning up the cat went to bed,. On my side. The wee guy is so cute.  But, it'd be nice to get into bed!.

Lieu Noir with spiced crust, cauliflower and pea puree, celeriac courgette and leek dauphinoise.   

Nudgles....  He's Andy's mate.  

Getting our new Carte de séjour

Yay!  Today we have them in hand, for another year. We celebrated with pork fillet cooked on high heat in our amazing pan, than rested.  With roasted fennel, celeriac, onion and apple. Along with a leek, fennel and cauliflower puree.  Some extra liquid came out of the puree but it tasted very good indeed.   Not a pretty dish. Star anise and sage were the flavour points.  Very very scrum.  To top off a super awesome day.   

Our Visas

We collect our new visas tomorrow in Chaumont.  There was the weirdest delay.  I had my notification to collect my visa 10 days ago and Andy's only arrrived  today.....finally.  Whew.  We were getting a little concerned because we applied at the same time in the Chaumont office.  It goes to show how busy France is with visa processing.  Mine was done first, 15 minuets later Andy's was completed.  We are in rural Chaumont but the central office in Paris processes everything  and a 15 minute delay means over a week.   It'd be a bit of a head scratcher if we didn't get our visas right now.

So, we will pop into Chaumont tomorrow to collect our new cards, for another year.  Which for us seem to be easily renewable until we decide to leave, but who knows.  We've lived visa to visa for decades now and never ever take it as a given.

Update on this......new visas collected.  in at 0830, out by 0845.  Love this place.

An autumn evening in Siggie...

 These photos are not great.  But anyway, ....

Andy's Prostate

Andy had rising PSA and some issues with other blood tests.

We went to a specialist in France, in Dijon. He had the worst digital test ever.  It was disgusting.  The guy just shoved his big fat finger up there (with a glove of course) but seriously?  It reminded me of getting a pelvic ultrasound in Dubai when the (female) radiologist was trying to shove it up my bum. "wrong hole"😲 I screamed and took that wand and did the job myself.  Hmmmmm

Anyway we had a fabulous night in Dijon, but a not so fabulous specialist visit, especially given that the receptionist repeatedly had all Andy's details wrong including date of birth and name.  We completely lost confidence and had no idea what to do (and Andy's bum hurt a LOT after that harsh examination...I mean, WTF???).  Their only conclusion would be prostate removal anyway and the thought of him going into a slightly unclean hospital started to give me the shivers.

I was a little frantic so I went online and found a clinic first in Freiburg, Germany but they didn't return my calls and didn't do the treatment I was after anyway.  I found a clinic in Frankfurt who does a very very calibrated, focused treatment.  No prostate removal (if there was cancer).

So up we popped to Frankfurt for his first MRI.  (with a coil, fun times).

Yes a few spots showed up.  So we returned for a full 3D mapping biopsy MRI which entailed an overnight stay in hospital and general anaesthetic which our medical insurance agreed to pay.

This showed 3 areas of cancer.  So.  We went back for Nanoknife treatment which again involved a general anaesthetic plus a unary catheter for 2 weeks.  The medical insurance suddenly wobbled.  BIG TIME.  It would appear they slipped up allowing us to go to this clinic in the first place as it's considered 'experimental '.  Finally they OKed it but only because they had to, we were far too far down the track.

We went back to FRA.  I had a huge issue myself.  I'd damaged a rib cartilage and had repeated blood noses.  We had to go to an emergency hospital as it was Sunday, in Frankfurt, the day before Andy had go to the clinic so that we could try and sort out my blood noses.  It was a really really REALLY ghastly time because I couldn't rely on my own body as my nose was bleeding randomly like crazy until I felt sick and faint. I'm not a feel sick and faint kindof gal.

Soooo............

We finally were directed to a Sunday emergency hospital open in Darmstadt.  We only had to wait 20 minutes or so until we saw a great specialist.  He tried to cortorise it but that didn't work so he plugged it with special stuff which was removed 2 days later.  I therefore had to do all my Frankfurt stuff and be really brave for Andy with plugs up my nose, watering eyes, a headache you wouldn't believe.  Trying to drive with that up your snoz in a foreign city....with your husband in hospital....hmmmm not the best .  I managed to get an appointment with a private clinic during Andy's surgery which timed with the 48 hour period the plug could be removed.  So I went, had them removed.  She was very VERY Germanic and thought I had big issues going on up my nose beyond my bleeds, suggesting a CT scan in 4 weeks time etc etc.....she gave me a spray and plugs just in case my nose bleeds randomly.  To spray 3 times, shove up the plugs and call emergency.

Anyhoo..... I was so very nervous about my nose.  Andy was in surgery.  It was what it was.  We had no idea what I'd do if my nose bled in the night, when Andy was in hospital post surgery and I was in our booked apartment.  Who do I call in Frankfurt?  So, Andy had a brilliant idea which gave me some sleep (but maybe not him) that, if I have a nose bleed I call him, he buzzes the nurses and viola! His hospital can get someone to me!!!!   So he didn't take any medication the night after his surgery and left his phone on just in case I called.  That's a husband for you.  THAT'S MY HUBBY. He had to take more care of me than me of him that night.

We made it through the night thank f...ing christ.  I managed through the night and to drive to the clinic no nose bleeds. He had his post op MRI.  We had our rundown of the catheter.  How to clean it, how to change the bag after a week.  How to remove it at the end of 2 weeks. The day after Andy's surgery.  Honestly he was keeping up with it better than me because I'd had my nose stuffing removed the afternoon prior and my head was scrambled.  I drove home, back to Sig.  It was far better we were home that first night with the catheter et al.  I can't imagine trying to keep everything so scrumptiously clean in an apartment or hotel.  It was a damn good decision.   Andy was SO OK on the drive home (the day after 3 hour surgery).  The catheter was a drag for 2 weeks.

He removed the thing 2 weeks to the day after surgery.  Very very cleverly too.  I was so so stressed about the removal of the catheter I almost blacked out and was sick (as previous, I'm not a black out and sick kindof gal).

So far so good with his recovery.  So far so good with mine.  No nose bleeds. My chest is still sore.  Andy's still peeing a little blood and has a bit of pain.  Nothing like the fallout from complete prostate removal.  Gotta say, my guy is a trooper.  No complaints.  It just happened during a time when I wasn't up to scratch which seriously pissed me off.  But we managed.

So, no exercise for us for a bit but we cut back so haven't put on weight. In fact throughout this Andy has lost a couple (and we have continued to enjoy our vino).  What a funny old few months this has been.  All coming right now.  WHEW!!!!!!!

When push comes to shove we rely on each other so completely and when one of us isn't up to scratch and the other isn't either it's scary.  Andy really really came to the party for me when he was in hospital after an extensive surgery.  There's nothing worse than feeling isolated and alone.  I am extremely thankful that I have a loving partner at my side and I don't underestimate that.  For one second.

Autumn 2019

I have not posted anything on this site for ages.  I've become so very lazy (mostly because the bloody platform makes it so very cumbersome to upload photos so, if I can't be naffed uploading photos I don't get inspired to write on my blog!

We have been living in France properly for almost 2 years.  It's been a bit of a journey.  We were caught up with the cars coming over initially (sounds crazy but it took stupid time).

We have the Porsche, gave away my beautiful Passat in perfect condition with 35K on the dial.  😒😒

We are learning French.  It's taking some time TBH.  Fanny from down the road comes at least once a week and we do our study every morning and sometimes every afternoon.  It's hard because we don't have the practice of language.  We do need to just try more ourselves.  I'm completely embarrassed about my lack of French so I tend not to try at all.  My bad.  Andy's more brave.

Our little cat is awesome. He's so healthy and lovely.  We love the wee guy.  We simply do.  He sort of makes our life here complete.  He makes it a home when we know nothing about anybody or anything  (apart from our awesome neighbours).  We have an automatic feeder and lots of water available (and kitty litter boxes) so we can go away for a week and the wee blight is OK.  He's spoilt so he's better off here than in a cattery.   He is scared shitless in a cattery.

This autumn we are cooking stuff very very simply.  Spicy tandoori chicken cooked over veg in the oven/on the fire.  Mexican spiced smoked chicken (cooked over veg in the oven/on the fire).  Cauliflower cheese with veg !!!!  Yum scrum.  Topped with onion, 36 month aged comte and sage from the garden.  (YUM).  Even simple pasta (paccheri) stuffed with smoked chicken with all sorts of veg in a great heavy bottomed (expensive yes but I've had it for many many years, It's a life time item) pan so it caramilises but does not stick (not a non stick pan, so you get the full caramel flavour of the sauce).

We bought 1kg of chipotle chilli online because we love that smokey flavour with everything.  It cost 36pounds but I couldn't source chipotle as cheap as this.  (Oh and we went to The Hague, we found an  INCREDIBLE asian supermarket and couldn't resist buying a 500gm bag of star anise for 9 euro).We adore star anise.

We travel within Europe BUT if there's a great spice supermarket we are in heaven.  We've brought back all sort of things.  Kaffir lime leaf (only recently have we done this as if they aren't fresh they don't travel easily.  Fine frozen but keep them cold or very dry.  If they start to sweat they taste off.  Freeze them when you get home).  Lemon grass in bundles.  Our good friends Chryss and David brought us a bunch of lemon grass when they came to visit from Dubai.  We had COMPLETELY ran out. OOPS!  They gave us a huge bridge.  The thing about lemon grass vs kaffir lime leaf is that lemon grass keeps rather well.  Even if it's not as dry when you freeze it, it'll keep in the freezer. Kaffir like curry leaf needs a very dry product before freezing successfully.

I digress.  I haven't taken to this blog for many many months.  I get bored with photo uploads hence these are words only.

I'll try harder to take photos, wait for them to download etc....😠

However, for now I need to document our time here in France.  We won't be here forever.  But it's incredible and we will look back on this time as a sweet spot in our history.