Died and gone to heaven

We have waited all summer for a bunch of holidaymakers like the ones we have here at the moment! Happy smiling faces wherever you go. Children laughing and playing nicely without wrecking the place. The wine tasting last night was well attended and everybody was listening at the appropriate moments (you know how important that is to DH) whilst chatting pleasantly in between times. The three or four teenage girls organised themselves to babysit the younger ones although they only met one another on Saturday. It's now Tuesday and we've suffered no abuse whatsoever. After cancelling the last few barbecue nights due to total lack of interest, we're now already taking orders for this Thursday night, and it looks like even the vegetarians are coming and at least four have already ordered the leg of lamb to be cooked specially for them. This feels like the old days and I feel like I've died and gone to heaven! Now why isn't it always like this?

A Night on the Tiles

Last night, our dear friends, Kevin and Sheila invited us to a birthday party at their complex of gites about half an hour from here. It was brilliant to be able to pretend to be on holiday at a gite complex for a change! He had live music, the weather was superb, we had too much to drink and didn't want the night to end as then we had to come back to reality! Happy birthday Sheila, I really hope the top I bought you fits, just cut the bows off if you don't like them!

Back to bloody reality! As I'm writing this, the French people who are staying in the gites -9 in a house that sleeps 6 are welcoming yet another group of their friends onto the site. They were all four of them prepared for their day by the swimming pool. I daren't tell DH since it might give him a heart attack. They all go tomorrow, so I'm just ignoring it. He's still asleep, so he might not notice.

We have a whole new lot tomorrow - 7 gites to changeover. It fills me with delight to know that one of the new arrivals has sent me an email asking about a "dongle" - I had to look it up on the internet, I've never even heard of one! Dunno if I can get him one, but I sure can't wait to meet him - not! The weather forecast is for 35 degrees, stormy and thunderstorms in the evening - just as the little darlings get out of their cars! Can't wait!

Hey-ho!

As if all this isn't enough, and obviously it isn't, the "Flying Dutchman" turned up here Wednesday out of the blue. He just happened to be "in the area" - he lives 2 hours away. I haven't been wrong-footed like that since the last time he wrong-footed me! Maybe he thought it was impolite to drive on by - Mark, in the unlikely event that you are reading this, next time, just drive on by. I'm fussy about who I give coffee and beer to and DH hasn't got over the disappointment (and probably never will) - we're expecting the liquidators (or whatever it is in French) to be here by Christmas.

Better get on with sorting my bedlinen - we've got 27 beds to change tomorrow!

So, what are you doing today? My day can only get better (as soon as the hangover lifts - the tea ain't working!)

We're having too much of a good time - help!!

Well, why do you think the wine tasting last night didn't finish until 4 am? Working backwards, how, on a busy changeover day did we end up falling into bed at 2 am full of Pimms? Sunday, our coffee morning with all the new arrivals finished up with several bottles of champagne and a good part of a bottle of cognac (mixed together, if you please!) in the garden for the next SEVEN HOURS!

Our children, not to mention dogs and cats are being fed at odd hours (if anybody remembers - good job they're capable of getting their own! - at least the kids and cats are, poor long suffering Woody has to wait!)

Yes, those of you in the know may have realised, our very good friends (and customers) from Ireland are here. Good job it's only for a week, I'd be dead if it was any longer. Orange and lemonade for the rest of the season, I promise, God!
The culprits (this is a photo from last summer)

Another scorching day in prospect, and I'm dehydrated to begin with! At least it's good 'craich'!