Learning All The Time

I had a thought to myself earlier today.

And the thought was this:

When we sold our business last year I wanted a complete change: lifestyle, work, living, socialising, friends (having some)... everything.

Well, I've certainly achieved that and in bucket loads.

We moved from an apartment in the middle of a bustling city with two small balconies, underfloor heating, a hermetically sealed environmemt, bins right outside that were collected every week, not knowing the people in the apartment opposite nor below... bars, cafes and a twenty four hour Tesco's a ten minute walk away.

At Fon du Bourg there are four houses - ours and the three gites - two acres of gardens, three swimming pools, certainly no underfloor heating (but quite a few drafts), the bins are two kilometres away and the nearest supermarket seven kilometres... and we have loads of friends, too!

Now, I have to say that these changes to my lifestyle (which I really love) do come with... I hesitate to say 'price'... but there is an investment to be made and that investment is in learning, for both Richard and me.

Richard, first:

Richard (and I) has worked in an office since 1986 and so the physical aspect of looking after two acres and four properties is not lost on him.  He's always been fit but he is learning about different parts of his body: his elbow is sore after using the push mower to mow some banks, his knees are sore from polishing floors and his thumb is sore from a metal flake he got in it.

(Actually of all the things he's complained about he says the metal shiver in his thumb kept his awake longest!)

Aside from the aches and pains which he hardly ever mentions except maybe ten times a day he's also learning to decorate, garden, a little plumbing, and mechanics.  Yesterday he put together our new push along petrol mower, added oil and fuel to it and, to his enduring surprise it worked!

I know Richard is loving it, too, although I must admit that when he has to stick his head inside a sump to make sure the automatic pump is on I do shudder just a little... mostly because there's quite a lot of scuttling when he takes the lid off!

As for me, well, yes, I have to admit I am learning lots, too.  I'm learning about gite bookings, decoration, interior design and colours.  I've learned to rub down and paint furniture - something I would never have had the confidence to do back in the UK.

I'm also learning patience - french administration can be a little, ummm, cumbersome.

It's also fair to say that we've had to plan ahead domestically a bit more - shops, including the largest supermarkets don't open on Sunday afternoons (sometimes not at all and sometimes not on a Monday!)

The last thing I've learned (and the best) is to take five minutes even when I am really busy, just to look about and to 'see' things.  The view, the warmth of the sun, the colours of the spring flowers, even the sound of the cows in the byre at the bottom of our road.

It sounds a little, well, whimsical I suppose, but I still pinch myself every day just to make sure I'm not dreaming and to remind myself of how lucky we are to live here.