“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” Famous quote from Albert Einstein

Of what then is a cluttered handbag a sign, I wonder?

Just wondering though because I don’t actually have a problem with my bag or my mind. (Just as people in an AA meeting don’t have a problem either until they are forced to say “My name is…and I am an alcoholic”.)

My revelation came last week at a supermarket cash desk of all places. My shopping had amounted to the princely sum of € 50.32 and as I was paying by cheque I was asked for two pieces of ID. Not one but two – understandable of course, having to identify myself twice as after all this was an enormous amount of money for a few bits & pieces and if you’re a leading supermarket chain you can never be too careful.

High viz salmon pink purses are indispensible for easy location in a crowded environment!

The two required pieces of information were unfortunately not conveniently at the top of the bag thereby necessitating an indiscreet & full  rummage around in its cavernous bowels.When I failed to locate the passport & driving licence within the first couple of minutes Emma joined in the search, muttering away to herself in French & drawing enormous unwanted attention to the intestinal condition of my poor handbag cum holdall.

With two people now unable to find the necessary documents I was beginning to panic that I may well be forced to empty the entire contents out on to the cash desk. I smiled apologetically at the evergrowing queue and grovellingly asked the cashier if she would accept my carte vitale (social security health insurance card) instead. It was in my high viz large salmon pink purse which was relatively easy to find 😉

Now if I were in Scotland this would be the point when I would have expected a humorous remark & some easy banter to ease my obvious embarrassment but no, this is France (maybe best not to make such sweeping statements) my local Carrefour and instead I got a steely glare and a straight “No” along with some very loud drumming of her fingers on the cash desk catching the attention of the people at the end of the queue who up until now had been blissfully unaware of the reason for the hold up.

I was just about to admit defeat and leave ( first having of course humiliatingly replaced all the unpurchased items back on their respective shelves myself as this is outwith the remit of any of the staff’s job descriptions) when I spotted the burgundy edge of my passport sticking out between a carry out menu and a pair of pop socks. Crisis averted and another life lesson learned.

“My name is Elena and I have a cluttered handbag.”

some of the contents of a cluttered handbag

Here we go….

• Paint sample charts
• Two lipsticks
• Mascara
• A nice bundle of pens (probably why there are none on my desk)
• 14 individual packets of sugar
• 5 wooden coffee stirrers
• 1 large notebook
• 1 small notebook
• Wallet with store loyalty cards
• Tourist information leaflets
• Some receipts
• Empty wallet for car registration papers (wrote off the car last January)
• Two cases for reading glasses
• Only one pair of reading glasses
• 2 cheque books
• Small calculator
• Cleaning cloth for computer screens (for the reading glasses)
• Takeaway menu for a Chinese restaurant in Brive
• A paper clip
• Measuring tape
• 1 pair of pop socks (I don’t wear pop socks so they must be Emma’s)
• Broken light bulb (need to match a replacement bulb)
• Collectors booklet & stickers for supermarket promotion
• Roll of sellotape
• Small piece of electric cable (??don’t ask,no idea)
• 2 wrapped boiled sweets
• Sample tube of moisturiser
• Camera
• Money off vouchers
• Perfume samples
• Set of house keys
• Loom band snake (bought for €1 when some of our enterprising young guests held a charity loom band sale – must have fallen off the keyring)
• Big high viz salmon pink purse
• Passport
• Driving licence
• Dust, crumbs and other unidentifiable debris

loom band snake, this year's latest craze

Well, I suppose that’s me well on the road to recovery….first stop, I’m off to buy a much smaller handbag, but one still big enough to home the high viz purse.

Next stop,off to have a good look at my desk…..

Well here I am again with yet another fantastically fast 6 weeks having somehow just disappeared…either I’m really getting old or I must be enjoying myself way too much. Given the two choices I’m telling myself it’s the latter! It’s all been a bit of a blur really but here are the headlines in no particular order….

Cat & Kitten News ( yes, ok, I know I’ve taken far too many photos !)

Since my last post all 5 kittens have found new homes!! The first two to leave went to Emma’s singing teacher who named them Romeo & Juliette 😉  and the third one,now called Indra, went to a girl in Terrasson. With two left and Mum, Poppins (we have now finally given her a name!) getting increasingly agitated being kept indoors I took her for the op…she was just back a couple of days when someone enquired about the kittens. Amar persuaded the family that two would be much more fun than one and told them I would drop them off in half an hour. Yes I should have been jumping for joy…a perfect success story for my marketing plan!

But I was devastated. I’d got very attached to these last two, especially the littlest one and had almost got myself mentally prepared to having to keep them. Still, got to think of the greater good – I reluctantly handed them over and cried all the way home & then some! Last I heard they were named Jenny & Supette (pronounced sue-pet) and doing really well. So that’s that – kitty chapter closed. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and feel privileged to have been there for them but once is enough. Never again. Stray cats take note – you will not get fed here so don’t bother stopping by.

Meanwhile Poppins is still here,busy worming her way into the hearts of many of our guests and managing to get lots of attention while still giving Miss Molly a hard time…I am fast becoming an expert on feline aggression. This is not quite as endearing a subject as bringing up kittens and I am now doubting that this will have such a postive outcome – we’ll see.

La Tour De Genèbre

Work up at La Tour de Genèbre has been advancing…. ..it’s all about the little details now and that takes as long as the big stuff although much more enjoyable for me. I’d much rather be rooting out lovely linen and quirky decorative pieces than discussing U bends and angle grinders. 3 of the bedrooms are now very much taking shape which is so satisfying after months of dust & rubble.

This is the downstairs ensuite bedroom which was recently used as the backdrop for Emma’s latest song recording ,Stay by Rihanna. The video turned out quite well I have to say and well worth a watch & listen 😉 !!          You Tube video here!

This room also has an ensuite shower room and walk-in wardrobe!

And at long last there’s water in the pool! The decking still needs finished off and the stone wall still has to be built, hopefully next week but hey,it’s filled!

The main gate has been fitted and the kitchen is in except for two pieces of worktop which haven’t arrived. Lots of paint colour mistakes which has been more than frustrating but it’s all heading in the right direction!

Local Events

In July & August there seems to be a sudden surge of things to do which we don’t see at any other time during the year! Night markets come to life, themed picnics and candlelit gardens spring up out of nowhere and there is a definite Summer buzz in the air…pity that this year the weather has been a bit unpredictable. Sadly we’ve not been out & about that much this July due to work at La Tour but we did get out to the Bastille Day celebrations. We went to Terrasson as usual – an Italian theme this year which appealed greatly to my Latin roots! A little point ‘n’ shoot camera set on Firework mode was never going to capture the wonder of this fantastic display but I did manage to get some “interesting” shots… all from behind the head of a rather large woman who rudely pushed her way in front of me and then proceeded to invite her other half to join her … luckily he was polite enough to decline leaving the little patience I had left intact!!

We’re hoping to get out a bit more in August …there’s so much to do here it would be shame not to!

A bientôt!!