One week in, counting my hats and blessings, among other things

Silly hats for story time 

One week in, counting my hats and blessings, among other things

 

If you told me it was the 29^th January today, I’d have believed you, as it’s been so busy, I can’t believe the new year is only just over a week old.

 

I do love a hat (as these silly photos from the library last year show) and I seem to have worn many different ones this week, the first one being my accountant hat. This is not one I feel overly comfortable wearing these days, but one I have to dust off each quarter end to prepare the company figures for our French accountant. I’m pleased to say it’s almost ready to go back into its hat box once again. 

My bear hunt story time hat

On Tuesday I got to put my full-time Mum hat back on as Ed came home to spend the week with us. This hat is one of my old favourites, slightly weathered and worn in places but always a pleasure to wear. I have to admit though, it slipped slightly yesterday, as when Ed left to go back to Poitiers, I packed him off with lots of fresh vegetables and some sensible tins, but totally forgot the galette des rois that I’d bought for him and Pearl. This frangipane filled, puff pastry delight, eaten in France for the Epiphany is always a family favourite here.

 

On Wednesday and Thursday, it put a big smile on my face to wear my village volunteer hat once again, as it hasn’t had much use since Covid-19 hit. It was my turn to open the library on Wednesday, where I also trialled a French vocab session with an English friend, and on Thursday our little team folded, stapled and delivered the first village magazine of the year.

 

My Queen's story time hat

On Friday it was the turn of my supportive wife (and translator) hat as Adrian had his first outpatient cardiologist appointment, following his week in hospital last year. With the current Covid-19 situation being seriously scary here in France, we weren’t sure I would be allowed to accompany him in, but aside from scanning our vaccinations certificates at the main door, there were no restrictions. This was just as well as I also have a Niort hospital tour guide hat, so knew exactly where we needed to be, which was more than he did. I had all the paperwork ready and did most of the talking, right up to delivering him safely to the nurse and cardiologist who would supervise his bike stress test. I then sat outside and lost myself in an adventure book (cycling in the Pyrenees) while he pedalled away as if his life depended on it. 

 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, cycling doesn’t stress Adrian out, it relaxes him, so it was no surprise to be called back in and told to take him home and not to bring him back. They had never seen anyone produce such high numbers, or be in such good physical shape, and the cardiologist has cancelled his follow-up appointment that was scheduled for later this month and doesn’t want to see him again. This was brilliant news to start the new year with. I’m used to hospital visits as a translator, but it’s been quite a different experience with it being for Adrian, so I’m happy to leave that hat to one side for now.

 

My clowning around story time hat

I’ve also been fitted for a brand new hat this week, my census agent hat. In France, all communes of under ten thousand habitants carry out a census every five years and employ an agent to ensure all the households get the information required to complete the questionnaire. I’ve attended my first training session and started making my way, by bike, around all the roads in the village, checking off house numbers and letterboxes on my list. The great thing about the census this year is that for the majority of households, all that will be required of me is to drop their unique access code in their letterbox later on this month. The only direct contact will be with those who don’t respond in the allowed time, or those who can’t use the online system. This will be the first time a census has been carried out since Covid-19, so minimising the amount of contact, will reduce the risk to us all. This new hat seems to fit quite nicely and is turning out to be an interesting one to wear.

 

My cycling helmet (with warm hat underneath)

Then there is my trusty cycling helmet that has accompanied me to the Mairie, to the library and around the village whilst counting houses. I never go out on the bike without it, even if it is only a few kilometres around the village, which is about all I’ve managed each day as there has been so much going on.

 

With a new mini-job to keep me out of trouble, an unexpected week with Ed and a healthy husband, it’s been a good start to the year. 

 

Do you have a favourite hat you like to wear? 

Book review of The Presidents Hat by Antoine Laurain

The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain is set in 1980’s France and mainly in Paris. It dips it’s toes into the French politics of the time (but only a little), when accountant Daniel finds himself eating in the same Parisian brasserie as Francois Mitterrand. Daniel’s excitement about his proximity to the celebrity diner is nothing to when he discovers the President has left his hat behind. In an instant he makes the decision to take the hat, an action that will change many things for many people.

I love a book where the story is a journey that twists and turns as different characters arrive, events occur and then things move on, often unexpectedly. This was one of those books. Pure imagination and great storytelling that brought the characters to life and left me wanting to believe it could have been a true story. In addition to the feel good factor, there are tasty treats too as being a true French novel there are many great descriptions of the brasserie food and especially the seafood platters and crisp white wine served with them. This book ticked many boxes for me.

The President's Hat has been brought to us in English by Gallic Books who kindly sent me a copy to read and review. It is available on Amazon in both ebook and paperback format.

Hat chat

You rarely see Queen Elizabeth II without a hat and I have to admit I’m quite partial to my hats too. I may not have the selection available to Her Majesty, but I have a cunning system of changing the scarf on my summer hat to better coordinate it with whatever floaty dress I happen to be wafting around in – versatile and resourceful, that’s me.

An artist has spotted a photo of me in my summer hat and has kindly asked for permission to paint it. Wow! In just the same way the commissioning of a new Royal portrait always warrants space in the press, so I just had to tell you. How exciting! If you want to see the photo it is over on the ‘France et Moi’ page here. Tomorrow will see the launch of the new French Village Diaries Friday feature ‘France et Moi’ where each week I will be talking to someone interesting about their love of France. Some, like me have made France their home, others have fallen in love from afar, but always treasure visits. We will be discussing regional food, cheese, patisseries, wine, cars, the language, favourite places and basically all things French. It has been great fun for me to set up so I hope you enjoy it too.

Now back to hats, and I have some sad news. Much as I like my summer hat it is my winter hat that I love. I don’t like being cold and uncomfortable so winter dog walks see me carefully attired, yes, I am the sort of person who tucks my gloves into my coat and then securely tightens the Velcro cuffs. There is nothing worse than the wind whistling in my ears so my hat has become my trusty winter friend since I bought it in a mill shop in Ireland, just before we moved to France in 2004. This week I lost my hat! Our village is not a big village, but somehow between leaving the library on Tuesday and walking the two roads to home I managed to loose it. I have retraced my route three times, checked the wheelie bins on the road, but nothing, my faithful friend has gone. I can only hope it will be handed in to the Mairie or Boulangerie and we will be reunited soon. The look on Ade’s face when I put on the replacement (that used to be Ed’s many years ago) spoke volumes, so I think I may need a shopping trip soon. My poor hat, I miss you my friend.

My favourite hat