IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE AND THERE IS A PROBLEM!

It’s Christmas Eve 2013 and something has happened.

There has been a bad storm come across the Atlantic Ocean and caused chaos in the UK just before the holiday period. It has been pretty rough here too with very strong gale force winds and very heavy rain.

We were happily watching the problems in the UK on the Daily Telegraph web site when all of a sudden the internet ceased to function on my computer.

On setting out to see if the neighbours had a telephone service I noticed our telephone wire running from the supply pole close to the house had been re-routed around the sharp edge of a new electricity.... well it’s not really a pole, rather a junior pylon that has been erected during a planned replacement programme of electricity service in our area.

This junior pylon is right next to where its predecessor was located but just a bit nearer to our roadway. Consequently and maddeningly previously unnoticed by myself, this new junior pylon is in direct line between the spindly wooden telephone supply pole and our house. Our and only our, telephone wire has to negotiate this super new mini pylon and its even newer sharp cement edges. Even more maddeningly, the gales of last night and today have happily rubbed the said wire up and down the sharp cement surface sufficient now, to stop our phone working.

Of course like many maddening things, it is a bank holiday tomorrow, Christmas Day, and the nice lady at our telephone company I spoke to, from our neighbour's phone (all working nicely, thank you,) did say that she would report the problem straight away but it would take two or three working days to fix!

I’m just thankful that I live in France as Thursday is “Boxing Day”,  here it isn’t, it’s just another “working day”; working day one! Friday is working day two, so depending on how much other storm damage there is to fix we could be in with a chance of being back on line by the week end........ if we were still in the UK, when are the next “working days” after Christmas Day?

They could be the 2^nd or even 3rd of January!

Mind you, there is another alternative, while Ruth is looking the other way I could just get my extension ladders out and splice it myself, tomorrow...!

Postscript:

We were out visiting friends for lunch on Thursday (26 Dec), on returning we could see our phone was fixed. A bright shiny metal band had been mounted on the junior pylon and our phone line duly attached to that...all clear and working...

Within 1 working day....cheers France Telecom!

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MEDICAL DRAMA AND HELP BY NEIGHBOURS

Ruth, (my wife of 48 years) contracted shingles 12 days ago.
It actually began a week or two before with increasing fatigue and then erupted on Friday 1 November with a small "button" just like nettle rash close to her left eye.
   On the Sunday it became worse quite quickly and by Monday and the visit to out local Doctor, her left eye was closing and the eyelids inflamed. The "button" was by now a large eruption of oozing pustules and the rash was spreading across the whole of the left side of her head.

The doctor is very sympathetic and with one glance telephoned the local eye consultant surgeon for an immediate appointment. The local doctor then gave her a thorough examination, provided a load of medication and sent us to Saumur where all the local consultants have their premises.
  The eye specialist gave her eye a good look and pronounced that the inside of the eye was not infected although the insides of the eyelids were covered in small pustules of the infection. She wrote a letter for Ruth's local doctor and also provided medication and careful advice on how to proceed.       She also made an appointment for a check up in three weeks time.

On arriving at the chemist (pharmacy here in France) I was gradually joined by several neighbours and friends, (all French) who were seeking medication for this and that. They all proclaimed their distress and went to see Ruth who was sat in our car outside. They stated unanimously that she must see a 'conjourer' as the situation looked grave and certainly not good to look at!

Next morning (Tuesday) I visited one of the good neighbours who's husband ( the very first neighbour we ever met, on our first week end here in 2003,) is seriously ill. Her daughter was there at the same time and both of them insisted on making an appointment for Ruth with a 'conjourer' who they knew was very effective. My friend's wife came with us to show the way and make introductions. 'The conjourer' was an elderly lady of indeterminate age but most certainly in her 80's. She took a look at Ruth's face and eye and said the problem was advanced, it would take perhaps three visits to do any good. By this time (Tuesday afternoon) the eye was totally closed and the eyelids resembled water filled balloons. Within four hours of the lady beginning her treatment, the eyelids were noticeably less swollen and the eye was beginning to open!

That same afternoon our neighbour from next door, brought a supply of "special" water for me to bathe Ruth's head. She has continued to supply this. Also two more neighbours, both in their mid 80's who live across the road, came to see how Ruth was progressing. They had been waiting in the doctor's surgery the day before, and saw us briefly as we departed in haste for our rendezvous with the eye consultant.

Two more "conjourer" treatments later, and Ruth has her sight back although the site of the infection is gruesome still, but no longer progressing. It has stopped and under control.

The medication provided by the health service has been very good, particularly the drug specific to counter the illness called "zona" here in France. The health service in France is in one word "superb".  When you need help and treatment it is there and quickly. Everyone here is a "private patient" and treated with speed and care.

But, without the kind help by our concerned neighbours, for which we are most grateful, we both feel the situation, had it not been arrested quickly by the good lady 'conjourer', would have been far more serious. Her treatment was unquestionably effective and virtually possible to see the improvement as she worked. So life has even more surprises! Then to cap it all, the old lady is the mother of a popular local "boule de fort" player who I know quite well!
ends KS