FRENCH FANCY MOVES TO KENT

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110261092012-01-25T18:59:51.359+01:00FRENCH FANCY MOVES TO KENTFrench Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.comBlogger3971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-43049519487493461132011-12-12T21:04:00.000+01:002011-12-12T21:04:39.945+01:00Out of all the dates I went on this year this was the worst

Now I am stopping to think about this man I am wondering why on earth I ever agreed to meet him. He'd sent me a few sexist jokes by way of an introduction and in fact my nickname for him became Sexist Joke Bloke. Nice enough on the phone, he managed to persuade me to meet him and his initial assignation destination was going to be The Happy Eater along the motorway. (mainly because he lived in

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-61055894876327305222011-11-30T09:59:00.001+01:002011-11-30T10:07:36.245+01:00Catching Up

Whoever thought I would become such a part-time blogger? Remember how this was my world for so long? It seems like it all happened to another person. I used to find so much to talk about, it was really like brain-dumping I guess and one day in the future, when I am much older than now, I will be heartily glad that I can look back at what I wrote on here for several years; let's face it, I

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-69463001546528276792011-08-03T07:16:00.001+02:002011-08-03T08:05:18.888+02:00So - here I come again...

Here we have an up to date shot instead of those from another era that are scattered hither and thither throughout this neglected blog. It is this picture on a couple of dating sites and I seem to be garnering a bit of attention really. You know the best thing about it all - that my mindset is such that I feel I could get involved with someone once again. For a while back there I just could not

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-15919150981385671642011-03-20T14:54:00.006+01:002011-09-15T22:39:29.230+02:00A catch-up

Isn't this rotten - I don't come and visit you (I've popped in here and there though) and then do a post after three months. I'm doing it as much for me as to reach out to you lot - in the years to come I will look back at my blog and remember how my life panned out, this is a dear diary really... It is now four months since Mr FF chose to leave He is living with someone else now and is very

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com61tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-44723433511166145022010-12-02T19:43:00.004+01:002011-03-24T06:04:50.378+01:00The end of a marriage

Mrs Fancy becomes Miss Fancy and returns to her original blog. Incidentally I have deleted my second blog -please remove it from your sidebar as it won't lead anywhere. Therapy through blogging commences...

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-43007107719125397572010-09-03T14:50:00.001+02:002010-09-03T15:07:34.694+02:00My new job

I think I rather muddled things with the details in my previous post of the cleaning job for which I inadvertently applied. Yesterday saw me going off to another care home in a beautiful Kent village about 20 minutes drive away (a much better journey than that to Tunbridge Wells) and this time the job was indeed for a care assistant. I'd not seen an advert - this was another 'posh' place to which

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-21522138336306042452010-09-02T11:46:00.007+02:002010-09-02T17:23:46.680+02:00Always make sure you know for what job you have applied - BREAKING NEWS, GOT A JOB

A lifetime of office/theatre admin work has made me want a real change. After caring for my father for a few years at our French house and enjoying the interaction, I've decided that I now want to move into geriatric care. I like the thought of being in a retirement home environment, especially one of those imposing old buildings set in beautiful countryside. It's not for everyone, but I still

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-23740296330838799262010-08-30T09:02:00.003+02:002010-08-30T09:27:11.962+02:00Kentish catch up

Because of not having a landline (we've only signed a six month contract at this house in case we are not that happy) we are on some mobile roving set up for internet access and I am on a limited amount each month. I only realised this when a screen came up the other day telling me I was out of internet credit. Mr FF had tried to explain this to me on the first day here but there was so much

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-15419955780315245202010-08-21T09:06:00.002+02:002010-08-21T09:14:13.848+02:00That's better

Oh people, it has been so difficult and I'll tell you why. About ten days before I was due to leave France for the UK I had a bit of a turbulent morning where lots of things went wrong, culminating in me attempting to do an Ubuntu upgrade - yes, even when it said 'this installation will take approximately 3.25 hours', it still did not ring those bloody warning bells that should have been belting

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-29016263557332031052010-07-25T14:02:00.004+02:002010-07-25T14:26:56.042+02:00Look out Kent, here we come

Yes, the Fancy household will soon be decamping to the county known as the 'Garden of England'. Lately I have been in the UK tracking down a rental house whose owner would take the two little bichons. It's not been easy - I suppose a lot of home owners think of dogs as huge, hairy wet, flea-ridden things. However, Misty and Poppy are the canine equivalent of glossy and sparkly bright young

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-2827174627753012092010-06-29T10:06:00.003+02:002010-06-29T10:24:13.527+02:00Back in August

Sorry everyone - I keep meaning to catch up on my sidebar and the posts I haven't commented on are growing by the half day.I am really an outdoorsy person at the moment - despite having fallen in the mud this morning and if there had been someone around to film it then I probably would have ended up on 'You've been framed' (I hate that show).I'm giving myself a few weeks out of the blogosphere to

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-5584553931312493992010-06-23T10:08:00.006+02:002010-06-23T16:53:58.715+02:00I picked up fitw's tag

Because I have been spending vast amounts of time tackling the really difficult border which has been ignored for about five years - the one knee deep in brambles, nettles and horrible big spiky things, I have been out of the zone for thinking up posts (mainly because I have been rather exhausted from all this gardening - but in a good way). I have done things I've never done before, hard

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-53214226092493331472010-06-16T11:11:00.005+02:002010-06-16T12:33:39.472+02:00Bagels, bagels and more bagels

If Mr FF went on that show Mr and Mrs and had to answer the question what has your wife missed more than anything since moving to France he would have two answers - the theatre and bagels.It is American Day at Lidl and I rushed there this morning and bought up as many as I could fit into my bag. If the sell-by date had been later than August I would have actually bought as many as could fit into

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-28777142723594060742010-06-14T10:31:00.006+02:002010-06-14T11:56:52.565+02:00'What I Said' by Phil

The next time you are beating yourself up for saying the wrong thing to someone just think about Prince Philip. Some of the following he has denied saying, but that's the thing when you are renown for saying the wrong thing - people just don't believe you, Phil the Greek.You look like you are ready for bed.."(On meeting an African leader wearing robes, date uncertain - reported to be in

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-6096924185620197682010-06-07T17:20:00.005+02:002010-06-08T06:55:40.739+02:00Scarlet's tag

Now being tagged has coincided nicely with me having nothing whatsoever to blog about. I mean there are things I could drone on or moan about, things I could share with you, but instead I'm going to stick to answering these ten questions:1.Do you prefer asking questions or answering themMy mother used to tell me that I talked too much and listened too little. She was right and now I make a

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-47947137210279570492010-06-01T08:27:00.004+02:002010-06-01T08:50:25.768+02:00Childhood crushes

When I was about seven my pop star of choice was Scott Walker of the Walker Brothers. His face was plastered over my walls, my pocket money was spent on the group's singles and I think it is fair to say that I was quite obsessed with him. As well as having incredible looks he also had that deep tuneful voice - even parents liked the sound that this trio made.Now my dad was in the music biz and

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-42220670152498803402010-05-29T16:24:00.005+02:002010-05-29T17:01:53.129+02:00Blog your way to fame - part 2

There is another blog which made the writer very famous but I bet not many of you here have read it. I know that I didn't read it when it was at the height of its fame. The blog is Nightjack and it has been the subject of a court case, when The Times tried to find out the name of the blogger behind it. It is a fascinating blog written by a detective and it went on to win The Orwell Prize last

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-1785057311027170282010-05-26T11:19:00.011+02:002010-05-26T11:38:59.226+02:00Blog your way to fame

What have these two women got in common? They have both written blogs that got read by the right person at the right time and they subsequently gained fame and riches. On the right is Julie Powell, the Julie behind Julie and Julia.On the left is Catherine Sanderson who is the blogger behind La Petite AnglaiseBoth blogs are still online, Catherine's is much more guarded now than it used to be,

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-60644141759513338192010-05-24T07:57:00.007+02:002010-05-24T12:34:44.515+02:00Hello

I come to you fitter than I have been for a long time. As an antidote to sitting poring over drafts and drafts of my final OU piece - the one that is used instead of the exam that most other courses insist on - I have been Sorting Out The Garden. My back - initially quite achy - is now quite a bit stronger and I have developed a love of actually being quite physical. I think my new mp3 player

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-46883596827599515392010-05-12T08:21:00.005+02:002010-05-12T09:51:13.693+02:00Not around much now for a couple of weeks

Please forgive me for not having been round to your blogs very much over the last few days. I'm at a crucial time in my OU studies - in three weeks time I have to submit my final piece in the Creative Writing course (A215) and this will be sent to my tutor and two examiners and will get me 50% of my final mark for the year.We have a choice of genres for this piece and I have chosen to do one of

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-58588187616888363482010-05-04T10:26:00.008+02:002010-05-04T11:05:21.999+02:00Film recommendations wanted

Sorry to keep going on about this film club but it is a novelty to be able to rent things again. We watched Borat yesterday evening and, as funny as I found it, I did think it went on a bit too much. I find Baron Cohen's humour best in small doses and I think the film format doesn't really work very well for him. I liked it best when he was just starting out in the UK and he went out interviewing

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-39572063450988430692010-05-01T08:41:00.002+02:002010-05-01T08:57:29.880+02:00I was tempted - and then I gave in

It's difficult sometimes. You mean to be strong and not give in but then something happens and that weak person within comes stumbling out.Yesterday, barely 48 hours after joining Glowria, my little white envelope was placed in the post box - the envelope containing my four selected films for the month (unlike a lot of online dvd clubs, Gloria send you your quota all at once - then on the 28th of

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-64278788938259760632010-04-28T17:37:00.003+02:002010-04-28T17:54:30.612+02:00Glowria here we come

One of the things we've really missed by living out here in provincial France is the chance to stay up to date with current films. As you can see from what I put on my profile...I love to watch films and because of the lack of Version Originale films in our part of France, we bought a projector and turned a wall into a 'movie experience'. I even rustle, fidget and chat a bit just to simulate the

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-53690885802369772142010-04-20T09:24:00.009+02:002010-04-20T09:57:50.275+02:00It's that time of year again

I'm in a bit of a stunned state this morning as a giant collection of plastic plant pots have just fallen on my head during my efforts to uncover some of the bigger ones. I now wish I had taken a bit more time to stack them in size order and not just hurl them on to the gardening shelves in the basement. In fact sorting out these shelves is on the todo list. Still, back to the subject in hand (

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-67954096390182743782010-04-17T09:31:00.004+02:002010-04-17T09:42:15.329+02:0010 sentences about Brian Cox

There is a new star on British television. His name is (Professor) Brian Cox. He is a particle physicist. He used to be in a rock band. Now he fronts scientific programmes. How to make women interested in science? Let Brian Cox front the show. He is married to this lady. At the moment they are quite a golden couple. She lives in London with their child and he lives in Manchester fighting off the

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-16797995434120424152010-04-15T11:08:00.008+02:002010-04-15T11:50:24.687+02:00Rapture

Isn't the word RAPTURE lovely (although, as with many words, the more I say it aloud the weirder it sounds). However, if we are talking weird, have a look at this site.The Rapture apparently means the gathering together of all Christians up into the air at the time of the return of Jesus. Now this makes no sense whatsoever - they would all bang heads or elbows or something.

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-38788264378982771642010-04-12T09:10:00.003+02:002010-04-12T11:05:47.995+02:00When I worked for a porno film producer

I mentioned recently that years ago I worked for a Camden wine company and my desk faced the street, which was quite a good way to waste time staring out at the passing people (I nearly wrote 'trade' then which would have been a bit dubious really). I was there for quite a few years; I hadn't long been driving and it was an easy car ride from home to there, lots of parking space in the yard, the

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-80748488533665653062010-04-08T11:13:00.007+02:002010-04-08T11:56:56.213+02:00Six good things

This is coming to you whilst I am full of that old 'joy of spring' stuff.Here we go, six of my current bestThe first stone is gone and there's a few more to go. Let's see how we are doing this time next year. After all I once lost four stone with Weight Watchers and everyone told me I had overdone it and I looked a bit ill. Yes, I do look gaunt, I agreed and thought I would put maybe half a

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-31570894347809143962010-04-06T15:25:00.000+02:002010-04-06T15:28:46.751+02:00Beyonce - must get the Y on a triple

I'm a bit shocked. I've just read that the rules of Scrabble have changed. You are now able to put proper nouns in - place names and celebrity names. Imagine - you are sitting there racking your brains to put decent words down and get the best possible score; you then see your opponent putting down Jedward* -with the J on a triple. You're finished.I filched this next image from that rag, The

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-27464983997263649692010-04-03T17:37:00.006+02:002010-04-03T17:45:06.121+02:00Our doctor's Easter message

We have a very sweet and caring doctor who is always sending his patients interesting emails.This is is latest: Losing a friend:This is a very touching story about life & death and the friends that we have.It's certain to stir up your heart and touch your soul.This email is one I could not afford not to share with my friends. I'm still choked up over it! Going to visit himm takes at

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-86392895842817902822010-03-30T17:47:00.006+02:002010-03-30T19:03:32.082+02:00Anonymous

I deleted a comment from my last post, left by a Newark, Nottingham-based person. I deleted it but that doesn't mean I haven't thought about it. He or she left the comment in relation to what I had put in one of my own replies to someone in the Comment Box.Now this is what I had putwell, one of the things that I think is important with netiquette - I know certain bloggers who blog an awful lot

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-71975697670116877492010-03-27T14:19:00.012+01:002010-03-27T15:18:56.194+01:00I have been a bad blogger

Well not so much bad as a bit ambivalent about the blogging awards that periodically circle around. I feel a bit guilty however that blogging friends who have chosen me out of many others are not then given credit for this via me doing a post. So here are two awards kindly given to me by Hadriana, up at that same said wall. What's more I am actually posting them the same day I have received

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-89210313345283959172010-03-24T10:18:00.010+01:002010-03-27T11:03:19.841+01:00Abbey Road

Come on - when you saw the title did you immediately think of that iconic image of the Beatles? I bet you did.My cousin used to live in a block of flats that overlooked that crossing and we had quite a good time leaning out of her window taking photos of the people taking photos of their friends . There is even a webcam so you can see The Crossing LiveI was born just round the corner from there

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-25312273240205997182010-03-21T09:36:00.008+01:002010-03-21T15:28:47.858+01:00My very own meme

This is probably a mix of lots of things from other memes, but in my own mind and memory I've never answered these particular questions. Apologies if indeed they are already out there.Lots of bloggers hate memes but I love them. An at-a-glance easy way to find out more about people - what's not to like? Okay, it is self-centric (is there such a word?) but isn't that why we all began our blogs? (

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-72726101764892382382010-03-18T09:12:00.004+01:002010-03-18T09:37:03.467+01:00A few random bits

At last I have read through the very detailed comments from my OU tutor relating to how I could have improved those poems - and thank you to everyone who also gave me feedback. She and I have also swapped emails about them and I feel newly determined and creative once again and ready to tackle the three remaining marked assignments - the last one of which will make up 50% of my final mark (more

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-86611710450295813752010-03-11T14:18:00.008+01:002010-03-11T17:37:01.102+01:00Are you a fan of Jackson's LOTR trilogy?

Made by fans of the film trilogy and put up on Youtube, this is worth a watch. Interested to find out more about how this film was made?Incidentally, there are lots of films on Youtube that are there perfectly legally and with full permission - you can find the full list here.And yes, for those of you looking at this on a little notepad (like me) - I am sacrificing my profile column for this big

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-49448874193545656502010-03-10T09:33:00.007+01:002010-03-10T12:21:33.882+01:00Why is it that

My hair never looks as good the next day as the hairdresser has made it look the afternoon before?On the mornings when I have early starts to make I am always tired?On mornings where I can loaf at home I wake bright and chirpy?On dog grooming days it always rains?They never have the shoes I want in my size - why do they not stock lots of small sizes?Our nearest branch of Sephora closed?Weeding

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-52223155446139275822010-03-05T13:10:00.006+01:002010-03-05T13:33:38.228+01:00I have a guilty secret

I don't even know whether to divulge this to you lest I lose all credibility. Oh, okay then. The thing is that I adore watching television programmes about Princess Diana. I recently caught part one of a bio-pic on some shlock channel; It used look-alike actors and I saw that the IMDB had rated this particular film about a 5 - yet I still watched it. One saving grace actually was that a very

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-70209477199966988162010-03-01T16:54:00.020+01:002010-03-02T09:52:48.627+01:00It's my birthday

I've never been alone for my birthday before. There have either been parents, boyfriends, friends, colleagues or Mr FF to spend the time with and give a vague feeling (well, not so vague on lots of occasions - I've always celebrated with gusto - don't you just love that word?) that a special day was being recognised.I'm meeting my m-i-l for coffee this morning, but that is the extent of anything

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-20844866964412513222010-02-26T15:53:00.004+01:002010-02-26T16:16:46.925+01:00Are you a gobbler or a chewer?

For years and years all you could hear my mum saying to me at the dining table was 'for goodness sake, eat slower'. I am the quickest eater imaginable and I really am trying hard to make my meals last longer. It is said it takes 20 minutes for the brain to register that the body has received some food and the longer you take eating this food, the more full up you will then feel. I'm trying to

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-68920022228836361562010-02-25T11:28:00.008+01:002010-03-27T11:05:41.306+01:00RIP Jean Flowers

I've blogged before about The Killers and how much I enjoy their music. They've been touring for what seems like years, promoting each of their four (yes, I am counting 'Sawdust') albums with full world tours.Their recent 'Live at the Albert Hall' got voted the best live DVD of the year - in short I think they and their songs are just great and I still remember when I saw them last July at the

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-18617388878337373762010-02-22T14:51:00.008+01:002010-02-22T18:14:21.589+01:00Paris old and new

It was quite odd being back in city life this past weekend. Normally I just go and visit the old buildings I love, but this time we also took in the financial centre of Paris called La Defense. The skyline around here looks more like Tokyo and I hadn't realised that there was indeed a modern side to Paris that dealt with Wall Street and Square Mile matters.After all this modern architecture (

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-65484785147968410472010-02-19T09:53:00.008+01:002010-02-19T11:17:56.507+01:00The nervous tummy of excitement

When you first fell in love and had to be away from your adored for a day, days, weeks - and you were going to be seeing them in eight hours, do you remember the little knot of excitement that gradually built up in the days preceeding your reunion? That is me today because I am off to Paris in a few hours.I've dusted off my Mulberry bag, not seen out of the cupboard for years, the Rocket Dogs

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-5201676394471015022010-02-14T10:10:00.005+01:002010-02-14T11:42:56.924+01:00Oh, who's that on a Sunday?

Spotting the florist on the doorstep holding - what else would it be - a bunch of flowersSont ceux pour moi?(Florist thinks - of course they are; why else would I be here with them)Yes, Mr FF has done what he always does - excels at those romantic gestures that women the world over hope for on the 14th February. When he used to send the roses to my office it was always with a feeling of loved-up

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-48077578005820055282010-02-11T14:51:00.006+01:002010-02-11T15:43:23.545+01:00The BBC did well with this programme

The Beeb, Auntie, British Broadcasting Corporation is known all over the world.It's come in for a lot of criticism of late, mainly for the vastly inflated salaries paid to some of its stars (although I am a Wossy fan and think it is a shame he has decided to leave; I don't have Russell Brand love though). Lately I have been watching quite a lot of programmes on its UK minor channel BBC4 and last

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-17593066715680723242010-02-09T10:49:00.009+01:002010-02-10T12:39:43.771+01:00It's that time again

The time has come for me to stop kidding myself that I can lose weight on my own. I used to be able to not eat much for a week and drop half a stone. It was something I would regularly do when I was about 20 and for a few years I managed to remain slim without medical aid. Then when it became harder to do that I went to one of 'those doctors' in Harley Street for injections and pills. When my

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-35596076211183941532010-02-03T11:45:00.003+01:002010-02-03T11:48:16.603+01:00Molly Potter's test shows that I am AR

Just when I think I am a free spirit able to amble around in a semi-sloppy fashion, practical but with slight hippy ideals I am woken up to the fact that I am in fact an anally retentive angst-ridden person who is too clean and organised for her own good (how Mr FF will laugh if/when he sees this).Want to try Molly's test to see if you are also an AR type person? You will find it here and you

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-27255904803269571812010-01-31T16:39:00.003+01:002010-01-31T16:48:22.740+01:00Does every family have their own special words?

When we were still in the UK I did a list of things to be done and forgot to type a space between the To and the Do - 'What's a todo (to rhyme with Frodo)'? Mr FF asked me. Since then of course that is what we have called it. When planning something involving a journey Mr FF likes to add 'wiggle room' - you know, those extra vital hours that are needed to make the difference between cutting it

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-37007352946073026842010-01-27T16:44:00.003+01:002010-01-27T16:57:38.199+01:00Bichon Jekyll and Hyde

Looking at this sweet sleeping Poppy bichon you wouldn't imagine that sometimes she can turn into a real Mr Hyde. This dog is the rescue dog that I have blogged about quite a lot in the past. She was badly treated for the first two years of her life and has a lot of 'isms'. One of them is that she gets very upset and hysterical when people leave. She loves them arriving and doesn't want them to

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-46029311176329584392010-01-21T13:40:00.004+01:002010-01-21T18:09:24.912+01:00Spammed!i

Haven't we all had a lot of spam lately. I just don't understand the mindset of these spammers. As if we would ever voluntarily seek them out after flooding our comment boxes with their rubbish. I'm still determined not to resort to word verification though. From what I can see in the blogosphere even people with word veri still get spammed. And what's with people who elect to have word veri and

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-22421419487062866572010-01-17T10:52:00.009+01:002010-01-17T11:39:16.057+01:00Yes, you can have too much of something you like

Since I blogged about reading The World According to Garp I have read nothing but other John Irving books back to back. The thing is that I think this might not have been a good plan. Just as I once ate five mangoes - one after the other - and can barely bring myself to eat this fruit any more, I am looking at the three Irving books I've yet to read with a distinct lack of interest.Isn't it a

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-28934496863814368632010-01-13T17:37:00.004+01:002010-01-13T18:09:46.811+01:00Keeping myself busy

I know I am very behind with visiting all you lovely people but it has been a conscious decision. It would be very easy for me - with Mr FF now in Paris- to sit here all day long, going from one blog to another and, indeed, investigating new ones. The thing is that I don't want to turn to the internet to keep me occupied. Instead I have been doing some OU course work - writing poetry (which I

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-56046200536196207942010-01-04T10:34:00.006+01:002010-01-04T10:47:54.039+01:00Stobbie versus Nobbie

On my way home from dropping the bichons off for their regular grooming session (every five weeks, poor little white dogs who stay whiter than white this way) I saw an Eddie Stobart lorry and just had to yell at the top of my voice STOBBIE. This will sound absolutely crazy to you lot over the pond but Eddie Stobart lorries (the Stobbie) and their French rivals Norbert Dentressangle (the Nobbie)

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-90253339767755901332009-12-31T13:38:00.006+01:002009-12-31T14:59:13.674+01:00I didn't want to end the year on a viral

We should all ring out the bells and celebrate this joyous day. I know it's not party time for New Year's Eve yet, but that is not why I am rejoicing anyway.I now know how to attach a toilet float, bleed a radiator and my chest of drawers with the drawer that I yanked on and broke has now been swapped with those belonging to Mr FF. My lessons in extracting the OU zip files via Windows - the only

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-21454747175058861462009-12-30T12:49:00.002+01:002009-12-30T12:54:13.597+01:0036m people have seen this - be one more

I bet - like me - you'll sit and wait to see how the bride will make her entrance.I've never posted a viral on here before but this made me smile

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-25203100151437740012009-12-28T18:12:00.003+01:002009-12-28T18:32:45.932+01:00Blogging about daily life suits me fine

A blogger whom I visit regularly - well his site anyway - thinks that people blogging about their daily life is quite dull. He prefers to deal with important matters in the world today and I like to read his views and also the comments that have been left. However, personally, I much prefer the inconsequential, la vie quotidienne*, the micro aspects that people encounter - their worries, hopes

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-36450128909779002712009-12-22T06:09:00.004+01:002009-12-22T07:19:05.450+01:00Me versus the toilet

Whilst Mr FF is spending a couple of days in Paris getting acquainted with his office and his team, ready to start there for real on 4th January, I've come up against my first hurdle. Every house has at least a couple of things that are not as straightforward as they should be. One of our little problems can be the toilets.First of all you have to realise that I am the least handy person in the

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-18135425924010480082009-12-16T16:15:00.004+01:002009-12-16T16:37:08.614+01:00Our lives will change in 2010

Remember when I recently blogged about Mr FF getting stuck in a lift in a London bank just before an important meeting. Well, that meeting was the second interview in a five interview process (two in person and three on the phone*) and, after about six weeks of waiting and wondering, we know now that he has indeed got the job. From the beginning of January he will be spending the week working in

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-34519983502210700892009-12-07T11:02:00.006+01:002009-12-07T14:49:59.526+01:00Habits

Sometimes I wonder if I suffer from a form of OCD because I do have certain habits that I wish I could break and find myself unable to do so. I suppose I shouldn't really do posts about the less desirable parts of me but say, in about 40 years time when I can no longer remember what I was like, this might be a useful aide-memoire to remind me of my younger self.My first ever memory of an

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-19003071733939658912009-11-30T14:17:00.008+01:002009-12-02T10:27:00.699+01:00A nice surprise

Mr FF had a nightmare day last week. He had to go to London for an important meeting which was scheduled for 7pm in central London and at 6pm, with an hour to kill, he thought he would pop into a bank and draw out some sterling('cos the Brits are so anxious not to join the Euro).The cash machine was on the first floor and as he had his laptop bag and overnight case he thought he'd take the lift -

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-58587734653954711242009-11-23T15:56:00.008+01:002009-11-23T17:15:10.270+01:00Christmas stuff

We've decided to more or less ignore the festive holiday this year. Out we will go on the 25th to a very nice restaurant - not our favourite Michelin starred one- but the one in our town (still gourmet but not in the same league) and we (Mr FF, his ma and me) will tuck in to food that I have not tired myself out making. Presents will not be exchanged, none of us have anything that we want or need

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-62472967079384770932009-11-19T16:09:00.006+01:002009-11-19T16:47:06.603+01:00Tweet

I've now joined Twitter three times and each time after about thirty minutes of sitting there wondering why I'm even bothering I then delete my account. The thing is it can stay active for six months after deletion - why would anyone set up a system where you had a six month breathing space in which to decide whether or not you wanted to pursue something. I hate it when it is so easy to rejoin

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-39406482315334316982009-11-15T11:48:00.003+01:002009-11-15T13:33:37.361+01:00Jim Haynes and After Eights

I was recently watching some rubbish or other on television and I happened to catch an advert for After Eight mints. How odd, I thought - that looks like Jim Haynes. So I turned on the volume (I always mute the ads) and yes, it was this well known name from my very early years. The point of the advert was that Jim always serves these mints at his Parisian parties and the guests just do not want

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-11074396758680251372009-11-10T17:22:00.005+01:002009-11-12T13:48:19.774+01:00A riddle - revealed (scroll down)

As part of my OU course our tutor set us the composition of a riddle.This is mine - can you guess what it is?I hold items with my holesI clank metallic, plastic, hard.I contain the plain mundane.Water washes mefrom my handles to my soles.I am tasteless but can be chicin Nigella blue.Are you bowled over by meREVEALEDEveryone who guessed a colander - you can all give yourselves a clap. Go on then -

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-79891750960528521712009-11-05T16:07:00.006+01:002009-11-05T16:32:53.202+01:00Out of blogging ideas

I just can't think of anything to write about. I blame my Creative Writing course - all my ideas are going into the book that I am planning. Did I say book? Well, yes; the other night I awoke with a great character in mind and then spent the rest of the night dreaming up exploits for her. Like all middle of the night ideas it did seem very splendid at 3am and then a bit ott by breakfast time. Yet

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-83158663847145391212009-10-28T11:59:00.006+01:002009-10-28T12:40:27.999+01:00Halloween - humbug

What a daft thing this Halloween trick and treat is. Getting children to go round to houses and cajole strangers into giving them sweets, when all year round they are told not to accept them from people they don't know. How to avoid answering the doorbell is to get yourself a brace of bichons who launch themselves at the door and then sound like the Very Large Dogs that they think they are.

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-30285944737198099742009-10-24T12:57:00.009+02:002009-10-24T15:26:25.515+02:00Bubble Buildings

Which is your favourite? The first is the (Pierre) Cardin Foundation in the South of France. When Mr FF and I had a holiday there a few years ago ,(rather more stilted in the old days, my blog posts),we could see this set in the cliff as we drove around Cannes. It looks like nothing you have ever seen before and you cannot quite believe your eyes.The second building is in Florida and its circular

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-79978341018721681182009-10-19T14:08:00.006+02:002009-10-19T14:37:28.501+02:00Protectionism

Now and then I get quite fed up about living in France. One of those times are trips to the chemist. You lot in the UK take so very much for granted*. You can buy things at supermarkets for which us lot have to visit the chemist or get on prescription. The anti-histamines available here are all the first generation ones that make you sleepy. I honestly do not know how the French person suffering

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-42852975625304030542009-10-14T10:18:00.008+02:002009-10-14T11:25:39.691+02:00The first meme I've done in ages

I've pinched this (with permission) from Jo over at Reasons to be Cheerful It is a meme with one word answers and even though you have to c&p and then remove the previous answers what else are you going to do for five minutes? Iron? Weed? Cook?1. Where is your mobile? bag2. Your hair? curly3. Your mother? dead4. Your father? ditto5. Your favorite food? icecream6. Your dream last night? ballet7.

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-35551807477370395272009-10-09T10:53:00.007+02:002009-10-09T12:39:56.677+02:00Thai girls and their ping pong balls

It was just after midnight in the French Fancy parental household about 25 years ago and the phone went. My parents were out and I answered the phone to find Fay Maschler on the other end. 'You've just won a competition', she said, a first class trip to Bangkok, staying in a suite at the Imperial Hotel. Well,imagine my amazement and surprise. It all came from a lucky dip 'write your name on a

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-27266248485635031712009-10-07T12:32:00.004+02:002009-10-07T13:38:32.303+02:00Odds and ends

These photos have nothing to do with my post but I just wanted to show you how an unwanted bathroom can be successfully transformed into a little library. We used to have our bookshelves up in the bedrooms because the downstairs rooms were not big enough to take them all; once we decided however that a quiet book room was more important than both being able to have a bath or shower in separate

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-75498371395307111492009-10-02T11:38:00.013+02:002010-03-27T11:05:41.309+01:00Brandon and Tana

Poor old Tana Munblowsky. Back in 2003 when she met this guy in a thrift store (we Brits call them charity shops) and she helped him put together some clothes for his new band to wear on stage, little did she know that he would become pretty famous and that one day in the future some of his fans would be posting horrible messages about her all over the internet.The guy was Brandon Flowers, the

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-88394441879941264902009-09-29T10:26:00.006+02:002009-09-29T11:44:50.881+02:00Yes, it is Henry in the photo - and his mum

I really do feel very loved in a bloggy way by 'knowing' all of the people who bother to stop by my blog, let alone leave a witty, pithy and caring comment. I mean there are hundreds and thousands of blogs out there and it is very hard to say what draws one to certain bloggers and their output and not to others.With the exception of willow, I try and steer clear of blogs with a black background

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-91298965678208413722009-09-25T10:13:00.002+02:002009-09-25T11:18:33.829+02:00and the treatment will be

I had a long session with our doctor a couple of days ago whilst he went through my x-rays. The good news is that there is no operation that could successfully be achieved and no referral to a consultant. We are going to do pain control and physiotherapy. I've got some mild painkillers for days when I'm not too bad and some cracking ones for bad days. They are tramadol, which is related to

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-1320599438168288672009-09-22T19:20:00.007+02:002009-09-22T20:23:19.604+02:00Diagnosed

My plane to the UK is leaving in three hours time but I will not be on it. I have changed my plans. Over the last few days I have thought how daft it would be to spend time in London when I am not in full health. My back has been playing up so much that I can't stand or sit for that long and life is not very comfortable. I doubt that I could even sit through a show at the moment.But I now know

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-4346728668609030672009-09-17T19:35:00.007+02:002009-09-18T06:41:39.012+02:00Aches and pains

Remember the Killers/ Springsteen concert I went to back in July when my back was killing me? Well it has not really improved since then - some days are good, some quite dreadful but the majority are just so-so. In fact the last few days have been so rough that I was tempted to cancel next Tuesday's London trip. I think a lot of it stems from not being able to sleep very well - when you have

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-13400359603186662122009-09-14T09:10:00.007+02:002009-09-14T09:59:17.109+02:00Off to London

I know it must seem a terribly hard to believe coincidence so soon after my dad's coins turning out to be sovereigns that have now funded my next OU course, to also disclose that a little while ago - completely out of the blue - I got a notification from a company that there was about £1,000 of unclaimed money from some share valuation or other (my dad dabbled a bit here and there and I've never

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-11630678491169928042009-09-10T09:24:00.013+02:002010-02-09T11:50:04.696+01:00Chunky calves and weeny feet

It's that time of year again - when a new pair of Rocket Dog boots gets bought - and how much easier it is for me now that Amazon UK have decided they can ship boots and shoes out of the UK.This pair is from the Jailer range and is called June Bug. Normally my calves slop about comfortably in my RDs, if anything the boots are slightly too roomy. With this particular design I had already read

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-76794108914963122162009-09-05T14:37:00.003+02:002009-09-05T15:17:30.261+02:00My next course

Over the last couple of months I've had a bit of trouble deciding what my next OU course was going to be. It will be the fourth in a series of the six needed for me to get my BA Humanities degree, two of which need to be at Level 3. I thought about the new Level 3 course beginning this year which covers Children's Literature - everything from Victorian fairy tales all the way up to JK Rowling.

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-22253168913480489872009-09-01T05:05:00.002+02:002009-09-01T07:44:37.938+02:00If your dog is on Frontline plus...

It's been bad times in our household lately. We have had - still got in fact - a flea epidemic. As you all know we've got two bichons and every month without fail I dab some Frontline plus on the back of their necks. They also go to the groomer every five weeks to keep them white and beautiful and those two measures alone should have been enough to keep them flea-free.However there has been

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-25969834453185547542009-08-26T10:30:00.005+02:002009-08-26T10:52:43.456+02:00I seem to be 30 years behind everyone else

Why have I never read The World According to Garp?. Written by John Irving (oh, I just realised we share the same birthday, albeit 16 years apart), this is an absolutely fantastic book. I should have known I would like it because one of my favourite singers - Al Stewart - wrote a song about it (available on a fans-only CD) and there was also a successful film starring Robin Williams (playing one

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-72256922519916429802009-08-21T10:49:00.006+02:002009-08-21T11:04:08.583+02:00Sometimes a vivid imagination is a curse

I have a phobia-I do not like buzzing insects. Years ago I got a bite from a mosquito and my arm swelled up very badly and got infected. The treatment at the doc's was not very pleasant and since then I've been very wary of anything that buzzes and comes near me. Bees are okay though - I like them and they look like velvet. Wasps are evil - I hate them. Mosquitoes are the worst of all.I have a

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-76337641627234712009-08-16T10:17:00.009+02:002009-08-16T20:47:21.816+02:00My favourite ever song

I'm one of those people that when I see a YouTube vid embedded into someone's post I seldom click on it - so why should I expect you to click on what is below? I've had many favourite songs over the years - Black Books by Nils Lofgren/ Darling Belle by the Incredible String Band/ Eastern Rain by Fairport Convention/ Only Living Boy in New York by S&G. However, I keep returning to this beautiful

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-28372213110354231762009-08-10T07:29:00.004+02:002009-08-10T09:00:30.372+02:00Exams - bleurgh

Remember how well I did with my monthly marked assignments for the recent OU course? All those plaudits you laid on me? The endless revision I did in the run up to the Paris exam. The high hopes that my tutor had that I would finish the course with a very high mark?Well, it all came crashing down when I got my result last week. I ended up with a 2.2 for the course and was devastated. I really

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-72309746095251157772009-08-01T17:24:00.007+02:002009-08-01T20:21:58.248+02:00Bloggy soggy weather

I think all this rain is upsetting things in Blogland because the weirdest thing just happened. I was leaving a comment on a fellow blogger's post ( Elizabeth's blog - About New York) and it came up with a differently formatted comment box. I duly posted my message and then, when it didn't appear (sigh), I did it again in a normal looking box this time. Lo and behold about an hour later the first

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-19151396150282098352009-07-27T15:32:00.010+02:002009-07-28T07:53:54.537+02:00Yes, I once stole.

I've already blogged here about one of my first jobs which was at the Royal Opera House. After I left there I went to a famous film company in Wardour Street and worked in the department which calculated 'distribution rights of films shown in the eastern hemisphere'. I actually realised I was out of my depth by the end of the second week when I could not really grasp what I was expected to do.

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-77203252963637151292009-07-23T12:54:00.010+02:002010-03-27T11:05:41.311+01:00Concert atmosphere and possible bad sound versus television comfort at home

I'm glad someone uploaded these from French tv - at least the sound ended up much better than it was for me. I should have stayed at home! Lesson to be learned I reckon - although then I wouldn't have seen (well, on a big screen anyway) the Boss.The next post will not be about The Killers or the Open University (scratches head at the thought of something else)

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-13623088364237863722009-07-17T12:07:00.005+02:002010-03-27T11:05:41.314+01:00The highs and lows of yesterday

Okay then, so we got to the concert yesterday - Vieille Charrues and I hobbled around due to the back ache (see previous post) and thought how mad I must have been. There was no way we were going to go up to the scrum at the first half of the concert area so we resigned ourselves to watching the stage action on the giant screens.I'd smuggled my camera in down my bra and we must have looked

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-14595844892565105692009-07-15T13:35:00.002+02:002009-07-15T13:53:21.862+02:00I'm a bit jinxed

I seem to be going through a very unlucky phase at the moment - last week I fell up the basment steps and my right leg is now covered in bruises and at the weekend I was out doing some shopping, decided not to get a trolley, dragged an increasingly heavy shopping bag around and finally felt something snap in my back when I hoisted the bag from the ground into the car. I've always had a bit of a

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-6935273529527086822009-07-07T10:00:00.005+02:002009-07-07T10:39:36.661+02:00Guilty pleasures

I might have given the impression that I am somewhat of a swot, head buried in books, at my happiest when planning and writing essays; anyone who knows me well knows this is far from the case. I have a secret pleasure - one that I am mocked for but I just can't help myself. I've tried to kick it over the years but something keeps drawing me back, sucking me in. I have to admit it - I am hooked.I

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-52614706563529886562009-06-29T14:26:00.007+02:002009-06-29T15:05:08.876+02:00A few things that are not connected at all

I've now got stuck into my first fiction book for months - it is A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book and, despite guessing - correctly I think - who is going to be pairing up with whom over its 630 pages of a family saga, it is a good read (despite an over-abundance of metaphors). One Guardian review said it had been over-researched, that Byatt had put too much of a factual nature into it (it

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-88902592263244725402009-06-22T17:29:00.009+02:002009-06-22T21:14:50.276+02:00These were my OU exam questions

A week or so after each OU exam they reproduce the examination paper on the course website for the students to agonise retrospectively about the questions and to discuss in depth on the various forums what they did wrong.These were the questions I elected to answer:Question 1Write a critical analysis of the following passage from Byron’s Childe Harold’sPilgrimage Canto III. The analysis should:•

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-62496650914575722062009-06-16T12:35:00.011+02:002009-06-16T19:37:13.748+02:00Back to blogging - throw away revision notes!

Here I am! I've missed all of you over the last three weeks. I've been popping in and out of your blogs, sometimes too tired to leave a remark but you have been in my thoughts.It's been a strange time really. I do not know why I have become so obsessive about this OU degree. But that is indeed what has happened and these last few weeks I have revised as if I had to take the most important exam in

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-71324281400119215032009-05-26T14:18:00.003+02:002009-05-26T14:59:41.411+02:00I'm taking a blogging holiday

It's becoming clear to me that I am indeed my own worst enemy. I'm not revising for my exam as diligently as I should be doing and I am messing about in Blogland a bit too much. There are now 20 days to go before I sit in last year's large hotel room in Paris with four other examinees and two invigilators. It is just like school exams - the paper face down on the desk, a huge clock showing the

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-28724900183997875182009-05-22T12:17:00.009+02:002009-05-22T21:13:00.277+02:00And so the week drifted away

This holidaying at home that we've been doing has been very very pleasant. It's not just been sitting under the gazebo eating barbecued food and drinking cider. Mr FF has transformed the second bedroom (he did the first and the third rooms last summer) from the original pink and green wallpaper that we inherited, into a room of off-white and lavender; he has also removed the green pastel

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-63911400382660489732009-05-18T12:57:00.015+02:002009-05-18T15:39:03.210+02:00Award time

I've got an award to blog about today but if you find any mistakes in this post blame it on the music that is blaring at full volume from very near to where I am sitting. We are on holiday at home this week and Mr FF has decided to decorate one of the bedrooms and the bathroom. Now, to save him the bother of changing CDs on a little machine beside him or sticking to what he is used to on his mp3

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-56791987249662195582009-05-12T16:27:00.006+02:002009-05-12T18:21:00.875+02:00In his own words

It is no secret that I've become a fan of Lord Byron since studying his life and works as part of my Open University course. When people are so very famous it is hard to separate the myth that surrounds them from what they must have really been like. Hyperbole abounds in much that I have read about him, especially the earlier biographies. I've almost finished a modern biography (published in

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-79281686421682124682009-05-08T09:50:00.014+02:002010-02-09T11:50:56.371+01:00What? Another pair?

If I had a penny for everyone who has said to me 'how can you buy footwear on line - how do you know you'll like it?' then I'd have (makes sucky breath through teeth) about 11p (wow!). I've never ordered a pair that either didn't fit me properly or that I didn't care for - until now.You see here the second pair of Rocket Dog boots that I recently ordered. They looked much nicer in the website

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-76384159112728874492009-05-04T09:53:00.007+02:002009-05-04T12:01:31.615+02:00Footwear - a thing of the gods

Here we are, my latest pair of beloved Rocket Dog boots. They look a bit lurid and 'skate boarder LA dude' type of footwear but you have to realise that not much of them stick out under my trouser/jean leg and my top half is usually in black, so a little bit of garishness is forgiven.When I used to have a proper* job it would never have occurred to me to buy this sort of fun item. I was the

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11026109.post-22039131273116050622009-05-02T11:47:00.005+02:002009-05-02T12:01:44.439+02:00Disappointment, counting chickens, call it what you will

Last night I received an email telling me that my application for the day revision course at Kings College had arrived too late and that they were now fully booked - which just goes to show - something, I guess. My view on it, now that the disappointment has eased somewhat, is that:a) I'm not in a position to waste lots of money at the moment anywayb) I would have been staying very far out of the

French Fancy...http://www.blogger.com/profile/04941577892849157015noreply@blogger.com30