Tuesday 31 December 2019

Cro's review of 2019.



2019 didn't begin well. It had only just started when our lovely Bok left us. It all happened so suddenly, and hit me very hard. The Vet' found a massive tumour on his Spleen, which sadly had spread to all his other vital organs; there was no hope. 

I'd taken him for his usual walk in the early morning and he seemed fine, then by late afternoon he was gone. It took me weeks to recover from the shock, and much longer to accept that he's no longer here; RIP my darling boy. Our local 'Cruella' who'd recently threatened to kill him must have been rubbing her hands with glee. I buried him at Haddock's alongside Monty and Freddie.


It's amazing the positive effect a dog has on one's life and well-being, and how devastating it can be when they're gone. With Lady Magnon away in Australia I suddenly felt very alone, and admit to having shed the occasional tear whilst out walking.

Towards the end of the month we also said farewell to two very good 'human' friends who we'd known for over 47 years; since we first came to live in our village. Mme P was a close neighbour, and Mme H our local chatelaine. We'll miss them both hugely; both almost became surrogate family after our move into the unknown, and I thank them profoundly in absentia for their tolerance and wonderful friendship.

On less important matters, the opening months of 2019 were dominated (for us Brits) by the whole bloody Brexit business. Just when you thought a mess couldn't get messier; it did, and at times it almost looked like civil war.


In mid-Feb, my son Kimbo arrived with a cardboard box filled with trouble; an 8 week old Border Collie pup that we named Billy. The last 10 months have been filled with fun, laughter, and countless mops and buckets. Luckily, with a young puppy in the house, good weather was a real bonus, and house training was able to start quite early. He soon understood what's what. He's turned into a lovely dog; the children all adore him.

July was stinking hot, whilst back in the UK they witnessed the resignation of Theresa, and her replacement by Boris as PM.

In August, just as the weather cooled to a more acceptable 25 C-ish, our guests arrived in droves, and chaos ruled. Billy was ecstatic, Lady Magnon was in heaven, and we all had a really great time. 'Family' became the most important thing for a while, and we had plenty of very special times. With the boys growing fast, such a 'cousin camp' may not happen again.

On the 'Good News' front, England won the Cricket World Cup, and two members of the English 'Ineos' (Sky) cycle team members, Bernal and Thomas, came first and second respectively in the Tour de France. Meanwhile in Summer's classic battle between England and Oz for The Ashes, the result was 'a draw' (actually, not a bad result). And out in Japan, England's Rugby squad came away with the very respectable Silver Medal in the World Cup, having been beaten in the final by S Africa.


Our 2019 growing season was a bit hit-n-miss. With the extreme heat and drought of summer, only perennials with deep roots performed well. Apples, Pears, Tayberries, etc, all excelled; whereas our Tomatoes, Aubergines, Peppers, Beans, and Courgettes, eventually just gave-up regardless of my daily watering. Luckily we have plenty of leafy 'greens' which have been seeing us through winter.

My 2019 attempt at wine vinegar making went exceptionally well, and I awarded my Vinaigre Cro an impressive 10/10. Ne'er mind!

All in all 2019 was a good year for the Magnons. Sadly our tiny hamlet is changing very fast, and has now passed the point of no return; what a shame. Someone once said that 'you can ruin anything by making it popular', and that person was right. We now feel as if we're living in some awful suburb, surrounded by constant building noise, and some very unpleasant people who think nothing of throwing stones at, or kicking, poor Billy. Very sad. We are probably the least affected by all the changes, but when we think back to how things were......

                              

However, Billy has survived, and grown well. He's a very active dog, and the children all adore him.

So, we now look forward to 2020. We've promised ourselves that we shall return to over-wintering back in Blighty this coming year. We'll see.

We wish you all a very happy New Year. May all your projects be successful, your larder be full, and your bank statement be always written in black. Cro xx

p.s. In case you hadn't heard, Boris won a landslide victory in the General Election (thank goodness), but Brexit has yet to be finalised.

37 comments:

  1. Happy New Year to you. It is nice to know that a year beginning in sadness ends up with a smiling Billy. Shame on people who would try to harm such a beautiful boy.

    We love reading about life in your corner of France.

    Julie and Poppyq

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every Silver Lining, unfortunately, has a cloud. Luckily our cloud is small in comparison to the pleasure we have in living where we do.

      Delete
  2. What a year for the Magnons! I somehow missed the good news about your vinegar, so am pleased for your success, haha! I wish blessings upon your 2020 as well, dear Cro! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was so looking forward to my own wine, but maybe next year will be better.

      Delete
  3. You're so right, places can be ruined when they become popular, changing forever the reason why it became popular.

    Can't help wondering why you would see fit to over-winter in Blighty?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Probably after Brexit we will only be allowed to live here for a few months each year. Details are still scratchy, but after 47 years here I refuse to apply for special papers to live in my own home.

      Delete
    2. You've been talking about over-wintering in Blightly since before Brexit. I also cannot think why you would want to do that. A horrible island winter climate of mostly damp and cold. Perhaps you should throw away the rose-tinted spectacles. No quiet roads, nowhere away from people.

      Delete
    3. I would happily spend the rest of my days here, but if they're going to kick me out for several months each year, I won't be that bothered. There ARE things I miss about England.

      Delete
  4. Wishing you a healthy and happy New year, Cro.
    Thank you for your blog. Most enjoyable!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for blogging for the year and being a good blog friend to me. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's been a total pleasure Rachel. Let's hope it continues. x

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Thank you Yael. Stay safe in the coming year; we shall be thinking of you. x

      Delete
  7. What a lovely phrase 'cousin camp' is. I have dozens of cousins, but a few of us were around the same age and spent a lot of time together when we were young. I recently met several of them, some after a gap of 50 years or so, and the closeness and friendship is still there. It's a wonderful gift to give children.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our bigger ones are now approaching their teens, and are changing very quickly. I doubt if quiet holidays in the French countryside will be to their taste much longer. They'll return later, when it appeals again.

      Delete
  8. Billy has turned into a lovely boy. Happy New Year Cro to you and all of yours. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. Yes, he's a really good addition to the family.

      Delete
  9. Replies
    1. Me too John; you're part of my unmissable daily reading.

      Delete
  10. Your year, which started out difficult, ended on a bright note with you being surrounded by your lovely family and a wonderful new companion to share your walks and days. Happy New Year, Cro, and May more good things continue to come your way in 2020.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I do hope my luck continues. Happy new year to you. Cro xx

      Delete
  11. Happy New Year to you and yours, dear Cro. You were the first person to regularly comment on my blog, and your friendship over the years has meant a lot to me. I hope 2020 is a stellar year for you! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you soon feel better, and Marco too. Let's all hope for a good 2020; we need some stability in the world. xx

      Delete
    2. Marco and I are both much better today. And I hope for a good new year/decade for us all!

      Delete
  12. Happy New Year! I lost my old pal, Zoey, about the time you lost your Boc. We both now have high energy pals to train us and keep us going. How wonderful! In the USA, we have our political woes, too. But I'll be starting seeds soon for the new garden, and the sun will continue to come up every single morning in the east. Time is too precious to waste on things I can't control (sometimes even too precious to waste on things I CAN control). Be happy and prosper!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am a die-hard optimist too. I wake happy and enthusiastic every morning. I can't see that ever changing.

      Delete
  13. Happy new year Cro. I always enjoy reading about your life in France. I'm sorry about the wine though a good natural vinegar is necessary for your pickles and chutneys.
    All the best for you and your family in the coming year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, shame about the wine. I shall try again next Autumn.

      Delete
  14. What a great 2019 year review! (both good and bad) I love hearing what is going on in your little part of the world. Hope 2020 is safe, healthy, and happy for you and your family.
    (And I too hope our world is a bit more stable this next year)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Other than the detrimental changes to our tiny hamlet, it was a good year. Now we need to make sure that 2020 is as good.

      Delete
  15. A very happy 2020 to you and your your better half.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Andrew. Our news bulletins are filled with the Aussie fires. Let's hope that better news is around the corner.

      Delete
  16. Happy New Year. Hope its a good one !

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a year you have had. . . Happy New Year to you and your family !
    gayle xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe 2020 will be a bit calmer, although I doubt it.

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...