Well the finger is finally better thank heavens, well the hand is, actually, so hurrah! Got a bit to catch up on, as although we've not been that busy this week, I seem to be really busy. Last week was a good week - full Fri, Sat and Sun lunch, which was great. This week has all gone quiet, but I remember this period in the Dordogne - we had usually just got back from holiday and these few weeks before xmas is like everyone has locked themselves indoors, saving themselves for the festive season. So we shall just grit our teeth and hope the festivities start soon.

Last week turned incredibly cold - and we had loads of snow. All the mountains around us are covered in snow, and we couldn't move the car for a couple of days as the slope outside our house was too treacherous and icy. The ski resorts are all opening early by about 6 weeks, they've had so much early snow. It's a bit warmer this week thank heavens and it is safe to move the car again! However, it became apparent that the bathroom that leads off our bedroom was not being adequately heated by the bedroom heater. the towels weren't drying, it remained damp after our showers and became a generally undesirable place to go in. So we bought a radiant heater for it last Tuesday and the difference is really profound - not just in the bathroom, but the bedroom feels warmer as well. So that was a success. I've got the heating going full blast and the house is toastie, but I muxt say I'm dreading our elec bill! I suppose it makes up for it in summer when we don't use heating or the dryer at all.

Metro phoned and they finally have our tables - hooray!!! so we shall go and get them on Tuesday. Dave has been working on the dining-room-in- progress and is ready to do the flooring now, so we're almost ready to order the rest of the tables - probably should order them now to stand a good chance of getting them in the first few months of next year!

We've had to make a decision about xmas. Should we do it, or should we not? There is a family who live closeby who have been badgering us for a decision as they want to come out for xmas dins. There is also a group who want to come in the evening. I can't tell you the angst the festive season causes us. It was different every year in the Dordogne - some years it was good, but some years it was dire, and if there aren't many people who go out for lunch, it is a bit lacking in atmosphere for those that do! Anyway, we have grabbed the bull by the horns and have decided to do lunch but not the evening, so have quelled the urge to go skiing instead. We have gone for a pretty traditional English dinner, so I don't know if we'll get any French interested, and we shall do it xmas eve as well as xmas day lunch, as the French celebrate more on the evening of the 24th. We now have 2 tables, and I only posted it yesterday, so I'm hopeful that it will be fun. We shall make the dining room look suitably festive, and if Dave's not careful, I shall dress him up in a santa outfit.

The plaque induction has gone off for repair, sniff sniff, I miss it! The local repair place has lent me an electric hob - slow! - but have just informed us that they won't repair it and that we have to take it to Perpignan where they will repair it under guarantee. We had kind of assumed that the guarantee would be invalid since the electricians had played with it, but the local place seemed pretty certain that they would do it. They say it is an electronic card that is faulty, which would let the electricians off the hook, but cost about €350 to repair, so it is worth investigating the guarantee angle. We shall take it to Perps on Tues (we're going to busy on Tues!), but I hope they're quick.

So I think we're up to date and hopefully I'll have a bit more time to blog now that the xmas menu is planned. Let's hope there is something to blog about!