Chez Bouclier: Happy New Year

Doesn't time fly by? We've had an eventful few weeks since our last update.

Dylan's Christening

We were delighted to be able to go to Dylan's Christening on 1st December. It was held at the parish church in Uppermill where Jennie and Ian got married, and afterwards a reception at a nearby hotel. Jennie and Ian had invited lots of family and friends so it was great to be able to catch up a little with so many people we've not seen for ages - too many to list - as well as closer family we see as often as possible. Here are a few pictures:

At the font in church

At the hotel

Charlie engrossed with a game

Aunty Kath having a cuddle

Christmas and New Year

We returned to the UK again at Christmas, first a quick visit to my mother in Swanage, who is still going strong, though not quite as strong as when we took her home there in summer. Then up to Manchester to see Jennie, Ian and Dylan again; Peter, Lianne, Jack and Tommy - great meal out at Chiquitos in Ashton UL; Dorothy; and Jeanne's sister Christine with Jay, Charlotte and Francisco - and another meal out. Charlotte and Francisco had just flown in from Dubai, where the temperature was in the 40s centigrade, so Charlotte was frozen despite being well wrapped up.

On the Monday we drove down to David, Lynne and Charlie's to spend a few days over Christmas with them. Dorothy came down with us, Jennie, Ian and Dylan came down the next day and Lynne's mum and dad - Dareen and John, and her brother Duncan, his wife Andrea and their daughters Rebecca and Sophie were all with us for Christmas day, Christmas dinner and stayed over. David and Lynne definitely need their big house at such times. Lynne did brilliantly with the Christmas dinner and Jeanne and Dorothy made three dozen mince pies which disappeared very quickly. We took a few bottles of our own wine over, as well as some 'proper' stuff, to help lubricate proceedings. Overall it was a great Christmas - one of the best we've had. Many thanks to everyone who made it so.

We returned home Friday / Saturday 27/28th, only to go off again on Monday 30th to stay with friends in the Creuse for a gala New Year event. A very pleasant and peaceful few days.

Our new Moggy

4th January is Jeanne's birthday and this year her present to herself was une chaton - a kitten - said by the owners to be about 4 months old, a month ago. They called her Papuche, pretty much the equivalent of Kitty in French, but we decided she'd have to be a British cat with a British - or at least international - name, so we settled on Dusty (after Miss Springfield, and her coat is a rather dusty tabby / colour mix). However we took her to the vet yesterday and he told us her race is European (no surprise there) and her 'robe' - her coat markings & colour - is "Isabelle tortil tabby". So, we thought, perhaps we should have gone for Isabelle / Issy/ Izzy for her. Anyway the vet also said she was only about 3½ months old now, judging by her teeth, so it's too early to have her spayed, tattooed or chipped, so she just had her first vaccinations. She now has a veterinary 'dossier' - the French love their dossiers. Here are a couple of pictures of her.