funinheidiland: THE REST OF JANUARY AND LIVING IN A SMALL VILLAGE

Well the mild weather seems to be over, we have had heaps of snow and cold, wet weather, so much so that I seem to be spending most of the winter inside. On the odd sunny days we've managed to get out for a walk or two.

Samuel going up on the pulley

Kids going over us

I went Nordic skiing with Sam - 4km we managed.

So it's been nice to get out every now and then but I made the mistake of going to see an Osteopath for my IBS. Incase your wondering I B S is Irritable Bowel Syndrome which I was diagnosed with in December, I think the doctors get to a point they don't know what to do with you anymore so they diagnose you with IBS and say it's life long, good luck and off you go. So I decided to seek alternative medicine, as I was sick of spending at least two days a week next to the loo at home. And it worked, well it eased the problems but it's giving me such a painfull back I've been walking around for 10 days in a hunchback position. I think now I prefer the IBS at least I know what I'm dealing with. A sore back is a mission.

IBS's main culprit is stress. Since pulling out of my little business in August I seem to have had crushing self confidence problems and stifling anxiety attacks to the point I just don't want to leave the house. I thought I was getting over it having signed the business over to a new partner, but NO. I saw my old partner in the bakery and all the questions came rushing back, IS IT ME. Well we'll see. The new partner is at the business all the time ALONE with no site of her so it seems history is repeating itself. Still need to convince myself though.

France is a lonely place in winter if you don't work. I have been perusing the job market but if you don't have perfect French writing skills finding something is really difficult. I also need a babysitter on the weekends and Wednesdays which would take over half of my salary so in the long run probably not worth it. I don't have many friends here having burnt one of my last bridges with the neighbour due to her hellish child I just can't handle anymore, it now leaves me one less friend. I have a friend in Le Bettex which is a 20 min drive from here but it's great to chat in English and feel not French for an afternoon. Little escapism never hurt anybody. Summer is easier with the river close by, lots of walks to do, cycle paths open and of course there is the BBQ. In the beginning snow is fun but it's starting to get old after four years. Anyway on the bright side in Winter there is still shopping, cinemas and the indoor pool.

I still find myself addicted to food shops, I love the variety, people take it for granted here, but you get 100 different types of cheese, dozen's of yoghurts, cold meat cuts from all corners of Europe, fruits from exotic countries and I could go on. This is a Chinese Pomelo, huge thing, a cross between a grapefruit and an orange. It's delicious, not juicy but dry, a mission to peel.

Snow can be absolutely mesmerizing though. I took these pictures on one of my walks through the woods on the way to fetch my youngest from school.