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Original poster

Beware the Crepes of March!

999 replies

QueenQueenie · 16/02/2015 12:36

Well someone had to do it as my last post was number 999...

OP posts:
cremolafoam · 20/02/2015 09:37

Hi Emily and welcomen!
I have no less than 10 navy cardis.
I like my one from Uniqlo and a cashmere one from Toast.
The one I wear most often is plain round neck cotton silk mix from The Crepey boutique of WooloversGrin

I think the 5:2 was the most effective for me. However NOTHING has shifted this middle age bloat ( possibly caused by hypothyroid I suppose)

Herbs, just wanted to say that your week with ds sounds lovely.Smile

CV those boots are delicious. I wish I wasn't so short of arse, so I could wear similar . Gorge.

BD , hope you had a good rest. You really need it.Thanks

Blackduck · 20/02/2015 09:44

Hi Emily...

I'm with Cremo (and Herbs?) on 5:2 - works for me as I only have to be restrictive two days a week. I am also thinking about dropping alcohol for Lent (yes I know I should have started a couple of days ago..).

Cremo and everyone thanks for the good wishes - I am currently still in bed, will potter today and have a lovely birthday lunch to look forward to Sunday.

herbaceous · 20/02/2015 09:46

I tried low-carbing, and it didn't seem to work for me. But I fear I wasn't diligent enough. I thought that 'low carb' meant only one potato with my meal, rather than not even any sweetcorn or peas. The 5:2 is effective, but I'm being quite lazy about sticking to it. At the moment it's more like 6:1. What I really need to do is exercise, but sadly I'm lazy about that too!

herbaceous · 20/02/2015 09:47

Oh, and hello Emily! Your life sounds irritatingly idyllic - living in France, with a vegetable patch. Or it would be, if you had the ideal navy cardi. I third the suggestion of Woolovers - I got a lovely royal blue plain v-neck cardi for xmas, and it has become a 'wardrobe staple'.

EmilyAlice · 20/02/2015 09:54

Thank you all. Will have one more look for a cardie today then order from Woolovers. The cows won't notice if it is cashmere so I will probably go with a budget version.
French countryside is idyllic some of the time but terminally dull in winter and the veg garden is often known as the Gulag in summer. It is a healthy sort of lifestyle though and I love it when the family arrive all tired and stressed and go home relaxed and restored.

cremolafoam · 20/02/2015 10:36

Nothing in Monoprix Emily?
I know Monoprix can be posh or shoddy depending on town

NUFC69 · 20/02/2015 10:40

Hi, Emily, welcome. You will be happy to know that I am crepier than you by almost two years. Life in France does sound lovely. Oh, and I have 2 DC and 4 DGC, so snap.

Herbs, your week does seem ideal and how nice that DS is being lovely. DGS1 is also interested in anything to do with death since the demise of DCat. The other week he asked DH if he would be alive for DGS1's birthday.

Crem, the weight thing is definitely not easy with an underactive thyroid.

I will be back but we need to go out - DH is champing at the bit.

cremolafoam · 20/02/2015 10:50

Monoprix navy textured cardigan a oui.

EmilyAlice · 20/02/2015 12:04

Oh merci Cremola (golly I remember that). Just found a navy cardie in Next for £18 which will do fine. I never thought of Monoprix, but it is a 120km round trip to Caen.
My DD does 5:2 and I suspect it is easier when you are working but OH hated the idea (probably due to need for daily glass of wine) and we have a lot of time to fiddle with new recipes as we both cook.

Rosebag · 20/02/2015 13:08

Hello Emily !!

NU glad your DH is healing.

Tilly blimey! how fast was he driving? Shock Did you mean Km?

CV those boots made me think of a post this week by Bum40 about these brown suede bags with fringes...there's one or two just the colour of your boots...or very close...

herbs those fb photos are mighty cute....enjoy him and the nice outings before he gets big n 'orrible like mine, and look at you like you suggested poison when you invite them to go to the park!

I failed miserably at low carbing because I like carbs and I'm greedy. I don't do 5:2 because I have had to fast for religious reasons in my life and it feels too much like repentance and breast beating. All of these are just different versions of ' eat less and move more' ha ha.

My lot have gone home on various trains. I have done loads of clearing up and will go to the harbour restaurant for a carb laden but SW permitted jacket potato for late lunch and a bit of down time. We saw a fantastic dramatisation of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas at Chichester last night. Superb interpretation and acting.

bigTillyMint · 20/02/2015 13:43

Rose, he said 300+ miles but I think it was just under - he was doing about 80 so that would be about right!

Now back in rainy Blighty - grim on the A 20!

Hi EA, whereabouts in Normandy are you?

I haven't tried 5:2 or low carbing, but I think I may have to after this week!

Rosebag · 20/02/2015 13:59

Welcome back tilly I don't know if there's a motorway anywhere in the uk where you can go a steady 80 for more than a few miles without a snarl up along the way. I'm sure the A20 won't disappoint. That's amazing!

EmilyAlice · 20/02/2015 14:31

We are in Calvados, above the meanders of the Orne, in the Suisse Normande. Very beautiful scenery, 8km to the nearest shop, wonderful walks, lovely neighbours. The silence is profound and the nights so dark that you literally can't see your hand in front of your eyes. We have completely renovated an ancient farmhouse and a cottage for visitors and have made a large organic garden.
How long we will be able to manage it and what we will do afterwards is anyone's guess. If we were very lucky it might sell for enough to buy us a two bedroom flat in the south of England.....

bigTillyMint · 20/02/2015 14:42

No Rose, it takes us 5 hours to do the 200 miles to DMs!

EA that's a lovely area and sounds idyllic. We have just been staying with a couple who are now 71 (though she doesn't look/act a day over 60) who have put their 8 bedroomed gite in Haute Savoie on the market to downsize a bitSmile

EmilyAlice · 20/02/2015 14:50

Eight bedroom gite Shock I wouldn't fancy changeover day! Lots of people trying to downsize and sell round here. The elderly neighbours all manage though, drive to town and are a bit surprised when they meet another car, grow their veg, keep chickens and enjoy more than the odd nip of calva. The support network in the village is amazing, we are very lucky. When it snows, the person with snow chains goes to the pharmacie with all the prescriptions!

motherinferior · 20/02/2015 15:19

You had me at CalvadosGrinGrin.

On way home with DD2. Having consumed vast pizzaGrinGrin. Wonder if I can summon the resolve to get back to work; I usually work in a very regimented way so a day like this is v unusual!

beachyhead · 20/02/2015 15:43

Hello Emily,

I'm back - honestly two days of driving takes it right out of you. DD1 did well, I think. At lease she felt it went well, so if they don't want her, at least she put herself forward well. They all sat there drawing, while in the next door room a panel looked at their portfolios. There was a group interview where they discussed their drawing, what exhibitions they had been to and various other general topics.

We hear in a couple of weeks.

I genuinely don't think she noticed that her clothes stood out - I certainly didn't mention it beforehand (for fear of an upset!).

Anyway having a peaceful day here invigilating homework for ds.

Rose, dd2 is off to see the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas tonight - she's been taken by her friend. They are both 9 and I'm not entirely convinced she's old enough. Still we will see.....

I've been meaning to recommend 'Taken at Midnight' which has come up to London from Chichester. It's an amazing play and very powerful. Another one to look out for is Zoe Wannamaker in Stevie. Really lovely piece about Stevie Smith the poet. It's coming to the Hampstead Theatre and well worth it.

I'm having a sleepy day today and certainly an early night tonight....

We are off on holidays at Easter to Far East - can't wait. Then summer will be a weeks camping, for contrast purposes....

NUFC69 · 20/02/2015 16:00

Well done to DD, Beachy - I will keep my fingers crossed for her if that's where she wants to go.

Welcome back, BTM, I hope the traffic isn't too bad.

First holiday booked: we're going to Majorca for a week in April (after the schools go back). We have a two bedroomed apartment with our holiday club - DSis is making up her mind whether she and her husband are joining us.

I can't remember who was looking at Vietnam, was it BD or Beachy? Be warned that there is a £54 visa charge to add on to the expenses.

Rosebag · 20/02/2015 16:06

beachy they have significantly toned down the final scene of the stage version of The boy in...
It's far less harrowing than the film version after which I truly couldn't talk for hours. Should be ok don't worry.
We have tix to see Stevie at the Hampstead theatre quite soon!
Well done to your DD for getting through the interview !!

bigTillyMint · 20/02/2015 16:09

EA, they only invite friends and aside from a very full house at half-term, they aren't fully booked all the season!
And re snow chains, we didn't have to use ours at all - hooray! The weather was amazingly sunny all the timeSmile

Beachy, I love that she didn't realise she may have stood out - she is an art student, they are meant to stand out, aren't they?!Smile
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas - is it a theatrical version? The film had us all in tears (and DS distraught, though not as bad as Titanic for him!) hope your DD is made of sterner stuff!
And where in the Far East?

I read this while away - so inspiring. I hope to get the DC to read it too!

beachyhead · 20/02/2015 16:35

Off to see the orangutans in Borneo (with three days in KL for a spot of shopping and temples!)

I think they all thought they stood out but most of them had long hair, all black clothes and DM's (in black or ox blood!) So the fur coat, white DM's and wild bush of hair (plus a FULL face of make up complete with flicky eyes) was a little out there Grin

She was quite surprised no-one else had as much make up on.....

bigTillyMint · 20/02/2015 18:14

Oooh Beachy, that sounds fab! Both the holiday and your DD!

herbaceous · 20/02/2015 18:17

OMG Beachy. It has been a lifelong ambition of mine to see the orangutans. I just love them. And cannot bear what is inevitably going to happen to them. I hope you'll be avoiding palm oil for the foreseeable!

motherinferior · 20/02/2015 18:32

Speaking as another small grumpy redhaired South Asian primate, what's not to lurrrrrrrrve about orang-utangs?

DD1 has come back with her Topshop/New Look haul. It could be worse Wink.

lalsy · 20/02/2015 20:07

Hello Emily Smile

Herbs, your week sounds lovely - enjoy it! ds, dh, and I all did manage a skive to see Kinsgman this afternoon though - one of the most ridiculous films I have seen in a long time, highly enjoyable and worked up a fine martini thirst. I think I may adopt a new hobby of Trying New Posh Gins - no pitfalls there surely? Grin.

Glad you got to skive a bit too, MI.

Crem and Hatty, how are your dds doing? Mine is OK but looking forward to coming home next week (for a summer job interview). I think she is basically fine but it is all harder than she thought it would be (possibly because she put her fingers in her ears and sang lalala throughout year 13). She has been to watch a rugby match and knows the rules now (genes will out).