4 Dec 2014

Christmas 2013

11 rue des Voconces, 26110 Nyons, France. 0033 475 264460. famillefigures@orange.fr

December 2013



Dear Family and Friends,



doesn't time fly! As usual we grumble that the summer got a little bit too hot and the winter is a little bit too cold, but there are beautiful things in every season. We're enjoying watching the slow motion firework display as the leaves on the hillside and the river bank turn up their tones as they turn up their toes. We're still in the same flat – mercifully having to move got delayed again. I've managed to get rid of my huge collection of cardboard boxes that took up so much space. I'd been living in constant anticipation of having to move. I've enjoyed making a place to live, not just a place to dump stuff and sleep. :-)



We celebrated Ruth's 30th this year. We like celebrating. In June I was grumbling that someone had got the Tour de France on rather loud on their TV, then discovered it was actually happening just down the road from us. We watched from our balcony and saw it happening live. Well, actually we saw the circus that goes by first, but Joanna missed the cyclists whipping past because she was enjoying watching the TV helecopters going overhead. She won a helecopter ride at an airshow once and has been a fan ever since.



This year has been a bit more stable helper-wise. We've 3 hours a day from the local authority but had a lot of difficulties with our old agency. Two changes of agency later (we're on to helper N°40!) we've now got a much more settled team who've been able to get to know us and our needs and who are much less judgemental. We even, believe it or not, have a helper who lived in the UK for 27 years and speaks fluent English – with a Welsh/French accent! With our M.E. having settled into a chronic but stable phase, the girls have had the strength to be able to get to know the helpers a little bit too. We miss friends Byron and Sondra who came to visit a couple of times a year, but our loss is Mongolia's gain.



Tommy and Ginger, our faithful fluffy friends, keep us company. They do hugs when we need it (except when they got fleas, yuk!) and keep us entertained. We've had the help of someone who lives locally to walk them morning and evening since Easter – yay! And yes, in the pic Ginger has a banana peel on her head. Daft dog. Tommy is attempting to smile to cadge more dog biscuits, or any thing really.



Ruth still repairs dolls when she's up to it; for a while she was doing a couple of commissions a month for re-roots – she's world famous in a very very very small circle. Joanna was able to do some crochet and made me leg warmers and a lap rug for Ruth. The forum she ran has had it's day and youngesters use other media now, but it was great fun while it lasted and will be the last one of it's kind to close. I've carried on learning embroidery this year and I got the sewing machine out for a few months till I blew it up. I also love the ME parents group on Facebook.



Wishing you a very happy Christmas, and all God's blessings for the coming year.

Love from Liz, Ruth and Joanna. XXX



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