We went to the nearest town on Sunday, to take part in the Santa parade. Here we are - the little blue Santa on the far left is Miracle Boy, then me in the background, as the Norwegian Santa (Nisse), and you can just see #5 Brats red hat on the other side of me. I took some pics with my cell, so maybe there’s a proper photo of her too. This was in the local “netpaper” today.

The number for today, December 3rd, is 96 416. Below 100K.

This will very likely change back to far above very soon, so I thought I’d post it here, so I can go back and bask in it when times get rough…

Oh- and I’ve had another job interview. Well, two, actually - one yesterday and one today. For another work-at-home job. About half time. I will blog about it if I get it - that is, if I have time to blog at all, there’ll be extensive training that will probably start some time next week. Half time means that my contribution would make a difference to the family finances as well.

Cross fingers, please. (with this cough I’ve been having, you can leave the crossing of thighs to me…)

I’m no math wiz, but I can make a quick assessment of what a certain sum of Norwegian Kroner is in Euros, Pounds, Dollars or whatever, and I can actually tell you what your change for a hundred will be if you’re paying 78. Just like that. Most kids nowadays can’t. It’s not their fault. They’re born with a cell phone in one hand and a remote in the other.

They’re learning things now that we’d never heard of in my day, and I hope these things somehow compensate for what they’re lacking in what I would call general, practical knowledge.

Oh, God, I’m old.

We’ve arranged to pick the children up 2 miles from here with the tractor and trailer, that we’ll fill up with straw and thick rugs, for a regular tractor safari. That’ll bring them here for a great big bonfire where they’ll all barbecue (burn) their own sausages and whatever else I can think of that can be barbecued (burnt) on a stick… I’ve rallied the troops, so I’ll have some help with the treasure hunt and other activities afterwards. As for the sweets/cakes and things, we may have to go indoors for those, but if we have sunshine, the whole she-bang can happen outdoors.
So - what we don’t need is rain.

There is a Plan B, of course - it’s November, after all - but it would be so much fun to be able to stick with Plan A.
The other Birthday Girl (#4Brat, Friday) will be celebrated at the same time - able-bodied relatives are coming for the barbecue as well, and the less able-bodied ones will come for dinner later. So Saturday is more or less accounted for…

#5 Brat opened one present before going to school today, and she was quite excited about what the rest of the day may bring. It will certainly bring a spunge cake with marzipan, which is what she wanted, and cauliflower soup and pancakes for dinner. (Don’t ask. It’s her favourite, and the rest of us can always have a fried egg later…)

Saturday will be #5 Brats first Birthday party featuring lots of children (up until when she started school, we’ve had family dos with the family kids and adults together), so she’s in heaven…

My father is selling his property in the South of France.
Oh, no, he’s not moving back up here, he’s too fond of the climate and of the French way of life. He’s bought himself another property in the area, since they’ve increased the number of horses, and need more space.
If you want to see the realtors prospect, it’s here.
As for me, I thought I’d put out some pics of my own - some from the property itself, and some from the area. Actually - the estate agents’ pics are better and there are more of them, so just click any photo below if you want to see more.
The Lot-et-Garonne is within spitting (pun intended) distance of the Bordeaux wine region, and has some fine wines of its own, there are medieval historic sites nearby, and the local food is to die for, both for the gourmet and the glutton!

This is the pool house - both it and the pool have been upgraded since!

The library/ dining room/great hall.

The houses - you can see the inner courtyard.

The “grotto houses” in the Perigord.

Bonaguil Castle, just a Sunday stroll away.

It’s a lovely place, with just the right amount of privacy (it’s all enclosed), and with room for horses. (Stables, a workshop, plenty of fenced outdoor space). The gardens are lovely (it’s more like a park, really), with fruit trees galore, and there is quite a lot of woodland as well. There are 2 large and 2 small apartments/houses, and one can start a bed-and breakfast right away, or just move in with all the family and still have room for guests.

So - do you know anyone who’d like to make the move? No renovation necessary, just pick up and move in. No floral wallpapers anywhere - the kitchens/kitchenettes are newly renovated, and so are the bathrooms. And - the owners just have to vacate - they don’t need to buy somewhere else first…

Under a harvest moon, what do we find around here… I have to reminisc, as harvest season is more like August in these parts. By November, everything is dead and more or less frozen.

A trip into the forest in September may yield these beauties though!

These are gherkins and beans from our garden in August…

And here are some physalis or chinese lanterns - September, and strawberries - July:

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The circle of life… can’t wait for that time to come around again!