Christmas lighting

On the drive from the airport I was enamoured by French Christmas lighting and disappointed that there is none as yet in my village. However, the tree has been placed in La Place and awaits the usual boxes and foil ribbon! Next they have been tying evergreen to the gutterings etc but none in my street as yet! A Christmas star has been on my gate since the first day of Advent and perhaps I shall tie greenery and brightness to the guttering downpipes. I may even make an effort to put some sparkle into the room in case the three children, young enough to revel in the magic, arrive, which I am sure they will. 

The aller-retour journey to England was interesting and I made conversation with several people, sometimes checking if it was ok to talk to them!

At Cambridge I watched as a mother and father had an emotional farewell to their daughter. He sat next to me on the National Express coach. I commented that Goodbyes are never easy but he replied he couldn’t speak English very well, as he was French.  He was delighted, and I thought it funny that in England I was speaking French!  Their tri-lingual daughter had finished her studies and was working through Christmas with an online hotel booking chain!  On the return journey I saw some people who had travelled on the same flight as me last week.  Whilst waiting to see which gates were open for the planes I spoke to an English woman who lives in Ireland but whose daughter and husband live in UK and she has had to return frequently for skin treatment as she has been severely burnt on her legs and arms with a toxic skincare product by Baylis and Harding!  She said she will fight it all the way as three weeks after applying the lotion she is still severely burned and has been told is not just an allergic reaction. The lotion has been analysed by a toxicologist and confirmed as dangerous! Goodness!

I also am glad I didn’t travel on Friday as evidently computer technology crashed and all flights across England were affected!

I've returned with new thoughts, old thoughts, even the possibility that I could if I wish sell up and return to England and although the thoughts have been in my brain for several weeks, I have not yet made a decision. I feel I'm at an impasse but there is much to do before I go anywhere!

I intend to try and do better with the negative thinking that crowds my thinking whilst I live alone, and I intend to set a more disciplined agenda with timed alarms to alert me not to waste my LIFE TIME!  I don’t wish to be overwhelmed again with tasks…so will have to re-learn SMART and KISS approaches to work, rest and play!!!!!! I really need to exercise more and it isn’t enough to just cut out carbohydrates… because then I want to eat sugary foods or too many almonds!     So a rethink on diet and exercise regime is necessary to be punctuated into the daily timetable. I have to do it!

I intend AGAIN to try and prevent myself from thinking and scribing emotional outpourings, though the poems when they come do please me!

A replacement passport has to be applied for before I can again leave France and perhaps I really MUST try to visit other places by train and feel as if I am getting out and about. Christmas is coming. These days I never enjoy this festive season but will make a better effort.