Working and Walking for the Téléthon

8.12.14:
The early(ish) starts seem endless at the moment. Today it was to meet up with Martine to go over the border for a long overdue appointment at the hairdressers. It was unusually quiet in Spain and the salon as being the feast of the "Immaculate Consumption", it was a public holiday. Unusually, I was disappointed with the cut I had as it seemed shapeless. Problem is, I can't really decide how I want it .... maybe it's not the hair that needs changed ...... answers are not needed on a postcard!
Christian, in the meantime was encouraged by his Mairie colleagues to go to the GP who decided that he has a chest infection and gave him antibiotics. He rested in the afternoon while Maggie and I went to the recycling with all the unsold stuff left from the Téléthon and that was finally that for this year. We've promised ourselves that next year we won't let ourselves be lumbered.
This evening Christian, in a need to escape his sickbed dragged himself out for André's belated birthday dinner. Also there were Michèle, Henri, Gilles, Martine, Michel (a sculptor who we knew by reputation but had never met) and Jean-Jacques. Needless to say, Nany did us proud; guinea fowl with preserved lemons for the main course. Christian's appetite is starting to pick up but it's plain to see that he's not on form. Shame that I forgot to take a photo.
Weather:
12°, Sun, cloud later and a few spots of rain


7.12.14:

Even on a Sunday, I was obliged not to linger too long over the papers as I had a meeting here with Annie and Geneviève about a grant that the Association would like to give a young person for travel abroad. Christian has still not recovered and stayed in his pjamas all day.
This afternoon, Maggie and I ruthlessly sorted through the stuff that was left from yesterday and then later on Jean and Françoise called in for a cuppa and catch up. Jean, too, has heart problems and he too has been finding it difficult to keep warm. The two of them don't look in too bad shape but not every picture tells the story as it is.
Weather:
10° , Tramontane gusting at 100km/h brought blue skies
Headlines:
Typhoon in the Philippines

6.12.14:
Up early again, especially for a Saturday; this time to set up our bottle stall, bric-a-brac and

accessories stand at the village hall. at the same time, there was also a hunters' breakfast (charcuterie, cheese, red wine and coffee) accompanied by a Catalan singer. Then there was the brass band playing fiesta music at apéritif time. During the afternoon, the British tearoom took centre stage with carols and music also provided by the Brits. What with a guess the weight of the cake, guess the date of the photo, sale of jam and chutneys, they made over just over 1,400€. For our part we took about 460€. Arrive home to find Christian, who'd stayed home all day,  a bit better but very tired.
Weather:
7°  cloudy, a few sunny spells, Tramontane strong

5.12.14:

Christian didn't have a good day today. Started shivering over breakfast and took most of the morning to warm up despite being on the settee wrapped in a duvet with a hotwater bottle. No lunch and slept all afternoon until after 5h30. During this time I went out to see balloons released for the Téléthon. Shame that a few of them burst on the recently installed Christmas Illuminations. Home for a cuppa and then back again for an hour as there was a dance show given by some of the young folk from the village. Tomorrow is the last day of fundraising for this year and it promises to be a long one.
Weather:
12° but feeling colder with the wind. cloudy
Headlines:
International Volunteer Day http://www.un.org/en/events/volunteerday/

4.12.14:
Another early start; this time to sell the things that we'd sorted and priced yesterday. Needless to say, the President didn't put in an appearance. I left, feeling a bit guilty, at 10am to go into Perpignan to meet Rowena. We ate well at "Les Saisons", talking non-stop. http://www.tripadvisor.fr/Restaurant_Review-g187156-d3373711-Reviews-Les_Saisons-Perpignan_Pyrenees_Orientales_Languedoc_Roussillon.html and in case you're wondering,

Christian  had lunch back at the restaurant with Jean-Jacques. The bit of shopping that I needed to do was less successful. Tried to buy a replacement case for my ipod but being 4th generation, it's well outdated! Then a replacement surround for a lamp diffuser which I broke last July before even using. apparently it, too is finished.
We didn't have much time at home together before Christian, went off to the Mairie for an evening meeting and so ended another fun - packed day.

Weather:
12° Chilly with light rain later on


3.12.14:

Up a little bit earlier than usual as the chimney sweep was due to come (it's an insurance requirement to have the chimney swept every year). Christian gave the Mairie a miss to wait in while I went to help Maggie and a couple of others sort out a load rub.... I mean stuff that members had donated for us to sell for the Téléthon. Back home with little enthusiasm to heat up lunch, Christian took pity on me and whisked me off to the restaurant that was open again after 2½ weeks. In the afternoon I walked with a group from another association up to a waterfall just outside the village that after all the rain was in full flow. We each paid 2€, which went to the Téléthon, for the priveledge and were fed tea and cakes at the end.
Weather:
13° Early sunshine, clouding over later in the afternoon
Headlines:
International Day of Persons with Disabilities http://www.un.org/en/events/disabilitiesday/

2.12.14:

Took me a goodly amount of time to distribute the association's bulletin as I kept meeting people and then ended up chez Jacques for a coffee. Arrived home to find all his papers but no Christian. That could only mean one thing ... he was at the bar ... and indeed he was with Jacques (another one), André, Nany and Jean-Jacques. Jacques, who's here from Colombia couldn't stay long but the rest of us had lunch. I had the most delicious calves' liver and Christian "choucroute". Here's Jade, a new client at the bar. She has the most beautiful smoky-blue fur but looks pretty sad, don't you think?
Saw Jean-Jacques again in the evening as he came in after the Mairie meeting for supper. Not that it was the usual relaxed affair as one of the other councillors dropped in later to offload about one of their colleagues. Over an hour and a half and two or three glasses of cava later, she left in better sorts and there was nothing left for us to do but go to bed.
Weather:
13° Overcast
Headlines:
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery  http://www.un.org/en/events/slaveryabolitionday/

1.12.14:
Weather:
14° Cloud with patches of blue sky from time to time.
Headlines:
World Aids Day http://www.un.org/en/events/aidsday/