Irene's Swimathon - Monday 1/4/13-Friday 5/4/13

Like a duck to water, I will be swimming a total of 10 hours (2 hours each day for 5 consecutive days) at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley to raise money for a charity close to my heart. My husband, James, has recently been diagnosed with Acute Myleoid Leukemia and is currently undergoing intense chemotherapy treatment in the Beatson. I want to give them something back, for the wonderful care they offer, so please donate to this worthwhile cause. A little goes a very long way to give all patients a tranquil setting to escape to. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. So please dig deep and donate now.

A Play, A Pie, A Pint at Oran Mor - Thursday 20/3/13

Elaine Dick and I went along at lunchtime to Driving Manuel, part of the Oran Mor a Play, a Pie and a Pint season. For just over a tenner, it is amazing value for money - Today's play was the true story of killer Peter Manuel, aka The Beast of Birkenshaw. Excellently acted by Andy Gray & Callum Cuthbertson, the play kept you on the edge of your seats with suspense. The quiche and pint of Guinness went down a treat too (Elaine had her first ever pint of lager!!). We then both visited James at the Beatson for an hour - he was pretty tired today as his bloods are down at rock bottom and tonight he was given a transfusion. His consultant is very pleased with him, so hopefully that is a good sign. Dinner in Chinatown rounded off a very pleasant afternoon in great company.

Domino Wizz James - Monday 18/3/13

James has finished his first round of chemotherapy and now it is a matter of watching and waiting to see how his body reacts to it. His immune system is very low now and he will be closely monitored for infections, viruses and fevers. Once his bloods return to normal, provided the chemo has worked, he will get out for 10 days and then he goes back in for round two! He is feeling a bit tired and breathless, but overall so far, I think he has coped well. Fingers crossed it stays that way. This afternoon, for a change, he beat me at Uno and tonight apparently he fleeced Mel & Patsy at dominoes for £20!! I hope they played in the day room and not on the ward as I reckon there would have been a lot of shouting!! My good luck must have rubbed off on James - Last week I ended up £200 in profit after 4 days racing bets at Cheltenham and Six Nations Rugby at the week-end.

Side Effects - Monday 18/3/13

This is the slowest movie I have ever seen, god, talk about depressing!!! The last 15 minutes actually were very good and it had more twists than a curly wurly, but it took a very long time to get going. Would I recommend it, definitely not!

Oz The Great & Powerful - Thursday 14/3/13

After visiting James at the Beatson today (he looks well and was having some blood transfusions today as his blood was low), I went to the Imax at Braehead to see Oz The Great and Powerful. The story was very weak, and the acting not up to much, but it was beautifully filmed, and almost as good as a Tim Burton movie with 3d special effects that were out of this world and had me dodging them in my seat!! Finlay the monkey was terrific, as was China Doll, who had great attitude, despite looking like Judith from Eggheads!

Sprinter Sacre - Cheltenham Hero - Wednesday 13/3/13

Congratulations to Sprinter Sacre, Trainer Nicky Henderson and Jockey Barry Geraghty on winning today's big race at Cheltenham - what a display of absolute perfection. The 1/4 odds on winner romped home easily. Thanks to Coral the bookmakers offering an idiot price of even money, to attract new customers, my £20 has become £40. Apparently they have lost over £1m for their marketing ploy!

Good Luck James - Tuesday 12/3/13

As most of you already know, we are about to embark on a very difficult time in our lives. James goes into the Beatson tomorrow for 4-5 weeks intense chemotherapy for recently diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. He will then have a 2 week break at home in the UK, and then, subject to the first course of chemo working, have a further 4-5 weeks in the Beatson. Fingers, toes, and everything else we can cross, are crossed, for the best possible outcome. We very much hope to be back home in France June/July to enjoy the Summer. Thanks to everyone for their good wishes and a huge thank you to Louis Perrette and Daniel Namur for looking after our house in France. Merci Beaucoup.

Valentine's Day/Week-end - Thursday 14th-Sunday 17th February

We had a lovely Valentine's Day on Thursday with a Bucks Fizz breakfast and music from Les Miserables throughout the day, then in the evening, we went to La Fontaine Restaurant in Chassy and enjoyed a delicious Valentine's meal of Foie Gras, Tournedos of Duck, Cheeses and Chocolate Fondant. Superb value at 83 euros including a good bottle of 1er cru wine from Santenay. Friday, as I had enjoyed the movie Les Miserables, so much, and James was really enjoying listening to the music from the film, I suggested we went for the week-end to Chalon Sur Saone to the cinema, so that James could see it too - the bonus being they were showing the Version Originale in English with french subtitles. The hotels in Chalon are very cheap, so we decided rather than drive back in the dark, to stop over at the Kyriad Hotel and enjoyed Saturday night in the Irish Pub drinking pints of the black stuff after the cinema - brilliant night. A McDonalds on the way back to the hotel just rounded off the day brilliantly.

Having a Crepe! - Shrove Tuesday 12/2/13

We had our annual Crepe tossing tonight and James decided not to do any tossing as he dropped his last year on the floor! We both managed to eat our way through 2 each - The crepes were very tasty with bananas and maple syrup and a sprinkling of fine sugar. Yum Yum.

Well done Scotland - Saturday 9/2/13

Congratulations Scotland on a fine rugby match this afternoon against Italy, well done boys......bring on the Irish!

Total Whiteout! - Saturday 9/2/13

What a wonderful view from our windows, the snow is just beautiful, a lovely welcome back to France from Glasgow.Hopefully there will be enough to make a snowman perhaps tomorrow.....

Les Miserables - Thursday 7/2/13

I saved the best film until last this week. What an amazing production and story set in France at the beginning of 1815 and culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris, the movie follows the lives and interactions of several characters, focusing on the struggles of ex-convict Jean Valjean and his experience of redemption. The singing throughout the movie was wonderful and with such a stellar cast including Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe, it was totally brilliant to watch on the Imax screen. The child actors who played Cosette and Gavroche were unbelievably talented and in no way did the 3 hours drag by, you are drawn in from start to finish. Superbe, Vive La France - I half expected Susan Boyle to appear singing 'I dreamed a dream'!

The Impossible - Wednesday 6/2/13

Went to see The Impossible tonight, just me, a packet of wine gums and some paper hankies! The movie was excellent - starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts, a true story about the Tsunami that hit Thailand on 26th December, 2004. The film was very realistic and heart-wrenching, about a family who were one minute, celebrating Christmas Day letting off Chinese Lanterns and torn apart by the tsunami, the next. First class acting, especially from the boy who played Lucas, he is a star in the making. Glad I took the hankies - such a weepie!

Stormy Weather! - Tuesday 5/2/13

Glasgow is experiencing some very strong winds, rain, hail and snow this week and it is only Tuesday! Last night whilst visiting my Mum in Cumbernauld, I thought I was going to get snowed in, but thankfully the main roads and motorways were clear. A good excuse to visit the cinema again for the rest of the week! Tonight I saw the recently released Flight, starring Denzel Washington - The story of an alcoholic pilot with a drug addiction, who saves the lives of 96 out of 102 passengers on a flight and is hailed a hero, until it is discovered that he was high on cocaine and booze during the flight. The story follows his 'destruction' of himself and his judgement day when he overcomes his demons. A very good movie, a little bit slow at times, but overall most enjoyable.

La Nuit de Robert Burns - Friday 25/1/13

We had a superb Burns Night with our lovely neighbours Daniel and Noelle, listening to music by Eddie Reader, Eriskay Lilt and Andy Stewart. After a glass of pink fizz and some olives and onions as an aperitif, we moved to the dining table and James said the Grace before the meal. We had prepared it in French too, so Daniel said Grace in French and then we all enjoyed traditional Cock-a-Leekie soup (I used an American recipe which was delicious), Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktails complete with vodka in the sauce, Haggis, Neeps and Tatties - we all had a drink of whisky from our Quaich, then we finished with Scottish cheese & Oatcakes and Tablet, Fudge, Macaroon and Shortbread. We were all very full after our meal and James decided to take a photo when I had my mouth full of Shortbread - thanks James! Daniel and Noelle were very keen to come back next year, and the year after, and the year after that.....and they took their little menus away with them so that they could tell their children what they had to eat! We promised next year, James would bring his kilt from Scotland and wear it.

Venice Simpleon Orient Express - Thursday 17/1/13

The cold weather has suddenly come here in France and we are experiencing snow and freezing conditions of up to -11 during the night - weather for staying indoors and playing with your new train set up in the loft with your woolies on! James has been busy for the last couple of days, building a table up in the newly floored loft space to take his new Venice Simpleon Orient Express train set, complete with Pullman carriages with little window lights. The attention to detail is amazing.

Life of Pi - Wednesday 9/1/13

Well, that is my 'film feast' over for the week with Life of Pi at Cineworld tonight. Despite having booked for the '3d' version, the movie wouldn't work, so we were escorted from the cinema and either given a refund or there were 50 seats left in the '2d' version which was just about to start. Luckily I was 2nd in the queue for the refund and managed to get a seat. The movie was stunningly shot in India, it was almost like being on a live safari watching the different animals from the zoo on the big screen. The story was very simple with a lot of hidden depths, about a young boy called Piscine (Pi) who travelled with his family from India to Canada by boat with their 'zoo' of animals in the hold, on their way to find their fortune in Canada by selling the animals and making a new life for themselves. Unfortunately the ship sinks in a violent storm and only Pi, a zebra, a hyena, Orange Juice the Orangutan and 'Richard Parker' the Bengal Tiger make it into a lifeboat. The story follows their survival (or not for some of them)and their 'meeting with god' and combatting their own demons. A very different, unusual story and I have no doubt the book will be 10 times the film. There were very scary moments when I was on the edge of my seat with my hands over my eyes, but I won't spoil it for those who still have to see it. Thoroughly enjoyed it and the rest of the movies this week.

Quartet - Tuesday 8/1/13

Just back from the movies again......this is a great time of year for good movies! What a heart-warming, beautiful, moving story Quartet is with quirky humour and endearing personalities. Thoroughly enjoyed it. It tells the story of oldies who all still have a bit of get up and go growing old gracefully in a retirement home for the 'musically gifted'. What a great idea, retirement homes for specific occupations or hobbies where everyone has something in common - way forward or what! Fabulous cast of 'older' actors who can actually act - Tom Courtenay (OMG he is so like our neighbour Jean Francois), Maggie Smith, Pauline Collins and Billy Connolly were all excellent, especially Mr. Connolly with his usual 'Scottish' sense of humour. There were too many well known faces to mention them all, what a cast list and just a lovely, uplifting story. When Maggie Smith said to Tom Courtenay ' Fuck You!', the man in front of me almost fell off his seat with disgust, it was hilarious, not that we condone bad language.......

The Hobbit - Sunday 6/1/13

Went to see The Hobbit in the Imax at Braehead on Sunday afternoon. The story was still as far-fetched as I remembered it from reading the book in High School, but the cinematography, scenery and 3d effects were absolutely amazing, especially in the fight scenes. Ian McKellen was superb as Gandolf and it wasn't until the end did I realise that Ken Stott was one of the dwarves, I recognised his voice, but couldn't place his face.....I should have know right away with his big nose! The make-up was brilliant and it was well worth the £14 price for a seat and 3 hour viewing. Would I buy it on DVD, likely not, but on the big screen it was fab. Nice to be back in Glasgow for some understandable entertainment!

Loft work at La Brulerette

The last of the major work has been completed on the house and we have our loft space totally cleaned up. 'Bert the Builder' and 2 helpers did the work just before Christmas and they cleared the old insulation which had almost disintegrated from the loft (what a dirty job that was...), bagged it and took it away and then we had them re-lay new thick insulation and then floor the majority of the space in sturdy plywood. What a difference it has made to the space, you can almost eat your dinner now up there! Bon travail Bert & co., Merci!

Up, Up and Away! - Wednesday 2/1/13

At last, we had a perfect almost wind-free evening to launch our New Year french lantern. Amazing, as you can see, it reached great heights!