#2010’smusic

[theretirementstory]

28/04/2024. Good morning from Paris, the photographs this week will be looking back to when I visited the railway museum in Mulhouse, in March 2022. Oh to have lived in a time when rail travel looked like this, I would love to have had a trip seated in a compartment like this.

I am writing this from Sainte-Antoine hospital where my treatment should have started yesterday, unfortunately, when I arrived a nasal swab identified a respiratory infection and so I am receiving treatment for that first. I have had a CT scan today and the doctor reported that all looked good.

I spent a full day in the hospital in Troyes on Monday, I had to have a transfusion which was supposed to be platelets but my blood test revealed that the platelets were ok but that haemoglobin levels were low so that was the transfusion. Then sitting waiting for the taxi to arrive for the return journey all eats into the time away from home.

I also had a telephone call from this hospital advising that instead of arriving on Thursday I was to arrive on Friday, the reason being that Friday was originally to put a PICC line in, however, as I already have one there was no point in arriving a day early.

I had visits from Nadine, Monique and Anie all wishing me well for the treatment. Darcy in America messaged to say they are coming back to France and can’t wait to see me when I get home. There is a long way to go before I arrive home again but I am taking it all one day at a time.

I am sure you know by now that my garden means a lot to me, so I was disappointed that the iris hadn’t started to flower and I will miss them again this year. The good news is that the ten primulas I bought way back in February have all been accounted for, yes even though some looked almost dead they benefited from being pushed into pots or the potager. I have now potted them on into bigger pots hoping that when I get home they will have grown more.

I am sad that there are no beans, peas, lettuce, beetroot, tomato or strawberries planted this year. I really enjoyed tending to those plants and even though there were not lots of the produce I felt proud to have grown it. Never mind when I get home I may be able to get some produce started.

“The Trainee Solicitor” has had a new lease of life, as another member of staff joined the team and this meant he could be away from the front desk and upstairs doing his own work. What a change there was in him. Unfortunately the new staff member only works part-time so he did have two days on the front desk!

“The Reconnect Navigator” must have “broken in” the DM’s as I haven’t heard of any more damage to her feet. She has had some new aspects to her work but all in all faces up to the challenge.

“The Photographer” and “The Jetsetter” had a day in London. They were going to the theatre in the afternoon but walked for miles taking in sights too. It’s interesting that I would willingly go to Paris for a day and yet when I lived in the UK I would not have entertained going to London for a day. The journey takes roughly the same amount of time but London is not a place I find welcoming which I do with Paris.

Looking to the music this week, I have found (one) of my favourite songs by The Rolling Stones its “Miss You” from 1978.

The second song is back to 2010, yes just round the corner of your mind, it’s by Maroon 5 and it’s “Moves Like Jagger” ft. Christina Aguilera.

This photo shows the cutlery, crockery and the silverware from the Presidential train. How refined!

So I wish you well for the week ahead and “inshallah” I will be back again next week.

[theretirementstory]

It has been a cool damp week but this morning the temperature is in double figures so it’s warmer than it has been for a few days.

Unfortunately last evening, with the rain falling, it was wet both inside and out as the rain was coming through my dining room ceiling yet again. I am praying for some dry weather so that the couvreur (roofer) can come to repair the flashing and 🤞put a stop to the problem once and for all.

What a Saturday I had! Monique came to visit, having had bronchitis she had stayed away not wishing to pass on her germs. She arrived with a beautiful bouquet of flowers, white and green chrysanthemums, red gerbera and beautiful green foliage. We had a lovely two hours catching up and she asked if I had heard from Jony (the Syrian man who I met on the French course). I hadn’t contacted him since January and I decided to send him a message. We had a lovely exchange of messages and have agreed to meet up, in Paris, for a coffee. Of course that is after I have had my diphtheria, tetanus and polio vaccines again! When I woke this morning, I remembered that around this time it would be Jony’s birthday so sent him a message, he has just replied saying he was 50 last Monday 😊.

I received a call from the hospital, not the call I was expecting, but this one was very welcome. I was asked to go to the hospital the following day to have the PICC line removed from my arm. Now I know this tube had to go from my arm into my chest but I hadn’t expected it to be quite as long as it was! Anyway out it came, totally painless, and I lost this appendage which had been with me for six months 😳. While at the hospital I mentioned to the doctor that I hadn’t had a call about the radiotherapy. Apparently, they had had a problem with the equipment but he rang through and was told I would have a call that week. Sure enough Friday they rang me and I start the treatment on Monday at 8:30a.m. That’s an early start for at least three days I know of next week, anyway it’s a start, I look forward to ticking off those 18 days 😊.

This weeks look at songs which mean something to me, are a bit more up to date, well if you can class 20 years old as being up to date although there is a newer one too, just 11 years old 😂😂. At one time I had the CD’s that these songs were taken from but son’s who borrowed them from me, somehow failed to return them and most possibly have “mislaid” them means that I am no longer in possession of the CD’s. Which is a shame as in the case of the first one, there are so many songs I could have chosen, thanks to the songwriters, usually the unsung heroes behind the chart toppers.

So first is “Positively Somewhere” from the album Reason by Melanie C released in 2003.

The next song is “Drive By” by Train from the album California 37 released in 2012.

As always I hope you like my choice of songs, if you do, why not listen to the albums.

My gorgeous grandchildren are with “The Daddy” again this weekend. Today they are going to a birthday party, a new friend “Rory” has his birthday and the children are so excited about it. There is going to be a bouncy castle and all the other delights for children now. Have fun everyone.

“The Trainee Solicitor” had some good news at the end of the week, it looks as if he is going to get his own office and his own files to manage, which will really boost his training. He has been quite stressed lately, not knowing which hat to don, receptionist, secretary, solicitor, firefighter, tea boy (ok the last one was a fib) but you get the idea. It looks as if he will have a clear idea of his role and will be dealing from start to finish on his own files.

“The Ex-Graduate” had to deal with a day at work with hardly any customers, so that involved a lot of back breaking cleaning jobs to be done! Days off in the colder damp weather meant curling up with a book, not a bad idea there girl, although I am busy stitching up items for the Christmas Sale.

I have almost finished writing the Christmas cards so then it will just be a trip to the post office to send them off. I made a dozen mince pies for the freezer, ever hopeful I can eat one or two over Christmas. The meat for today is in the slow cooker and I am looking forward to pork, potatoes, carrots and courgettes. I will have to make sure I am not hungry this evening as I was told not to eat anything in the morning before my treatment 😩.

Now I really must get these items stitched up and ready to pass on to Claudine (who has been standing in for me at the knitting group) then perhaps the last Xmas cards will be written and I can settle down with a book 😉.

The photos are the colours of autumn and the vines on the hillside in the village of Fontaine.

À bientôt!