"We love what you're doing here"

[Annpan]

My Brother visited me at the weekend and out came that phrase that haunts me these days... "We just love what you're doing here"

Now, they cook their own food from scratch much of the time, they grow herbs on their window sill (albeit supermarket bought) The rest of my family likewise, one sister has a small apple tree and some rosemary in a pot (amongst other things) another sister grows raspberries... I don't see there is much of a difference between how they live and how I live...

I am lucky that my family is interested but I do feel like I am some kind of Living Museum piece when I see my family, and some of my friends (I don't have many friends... so it's not a big problem...lol) We often stand in the garden for a long time, while they ask me questions about solar hot water, or carrots and onions in the same bed.... they browse through the 'ish bible asking questions about almost every page... "Are you doing this?" they ask....


Does anyone else have these experiences? or is it just me? Should I start charging an entrance fee at the front door and do talks every hour by the raspberry canes?


Of course I do get a smug glow from being told that my lifestyle is admirable

[pumpy]

Hi Annpan, yes we get the same sort of reaction all the time, even from people in the villiage who have the same opportunity to do like-wise. ( & then buy their veg,etc at local T***o & complain about the prices!). We have friends come to stay from London occasionaly, they envy us (while thinking that we are a little odd!)........ the usual comment goes along the lines of "i would love to live this life, but i'd find it too quiet". We are often looked on as a bit weird,also, because altho' we have a T.V. we hardly ever watch it. (some bloke asked me if i watch 'deal or no deal'....when i said no, never, he then proceeded to tell me all about the previous nights episode) Are we odd? Nah!

[MuddyWitch]

We do charge...cos we open our garden for charity

But, yep, we are 'the odd couple' too

MW

[theabsinthefairy]

That phrase is usually followed by

"this is amazing - but I couldn't do it"

well - why not? And there never seems to be a big answer just lots of short excuses.



But yes - we are considered odd, not just by the english people we meet here, but by the local french too - apart from the standard why on earth would you move to the Auvergne, which is considered to be the back end of beyond by most french people, but also why would you want to make life so hard on yourselves.

For the french locally who are only just welcoming modern plumbing into their homes, the concept of taking a step back is utterly inconceivable.

Monika

[invisiblepiper]

The growing part is quite new for us - always had herbs and tatties - and the apple trees - but I am considered 'weird ' by some for such crimes as-
making jam and preserves
making cards
buying in charity shops - (you should see some of the reactions to That! )
recycling where possible
asking for things out of skips
The list could go on - trouble is - I think we are just the same as everyone else!
Know how you feel Annpan and everybody!

[becks77]

If we are all doing all the ish and there are so many of us.......isn't it the "others" who should be considered "odd"?

[JulieSherris]

No, Ann, you're not alone - my MIL is always commenting on our lifestyle - we get the 'why would you do that to yourselves' (spoken in a 'I feel so sorry for you, tone of voice ) to the 'but it's such a primitive country' comments.....

And from friends who live over here, but more in the towns, they're fascinated, interested, but always give you reasons & excuses as to why THEY couldn't do it....

And then... there's the folks 'next door'.... a farming family,they keep sheep, cows, horses, chooks, ducks, geese & turkeys.... 15 siblings, the eldest is 35 - farming is all he knows, BUT.... he thinks it's amazing that we are going to be eating our chickens - 'do you know someone to kill the chickens then?' he asked.... Yes, said Andy - ME!
We told him yesterday that we're getting rabbits in for meat & he nearly fell over
He was was fascinated with the raised beds being built - he'd never seen that before..... and he loves that I've made a herb garden.... I haven't, I just weeded the one that was already here & added to it!
Then he went away amused by his english neighbours to round up the cows & calves for the night....

Mind, if we're odd, then bring it on - I LIKE odd!!

[Masco&Bongo]

We get that as well, and we're not even as 'ish as you guys here!

At work, I get asked a lot of random questions about growing things, or chickens/ducks and dogs...

People tell me that they can't believe I do what I do and have a full time office-based job (neither can I some days)... the fact that by the time I get into work at 9am, I've already done 3 hours 'work' (walking dogs, feeding and cleaning out the chickens, ducks, rabbits, cleaning duck pond etc); and that I grow my own veg....

People come to the house and are very impressed with the veg garden, orchard and bird pen; but in the same breath they say how lovely and great it is, they say we're weird for living somewhere quiet and not going out clubbing etc.

The first thing one friend (who lives in the centre of Manchester) said when she first visited was "But what do you DO all the time?" She couldn't believe that we would choose to live somewhere that has no pubs, clubs, cinemas, fast food places/takeaways etc (it's a little coastal village made up mostly of retirement age people, and we're 29 and 30 respectively).

[Rosendula]

I wish I was odder No, Annpan, finally we have found something we differ on. But it's all down to circumstances. Family, as you know, are not my strong point When I told my parents I was getting an allotment my father's face was a picture of disgust. He could never accept the fact that I did the gardening at home - digging is man's work and Richard was apparently the laziest person on earth for 'letting' me do the digging while he looked after Katie. Anyway, you know enough about them to know that they would never admire anything I did. Siblings? Well, I have a sister but haven't talked to her for years due to the fact that she is so much like my father I found her too stressful. I haven't seen my half-brothers since I was a child and have never met my half-sister - they gave up on my parents years ago. I talked to an uncle (married into our family) at a wake back in 2007 just after I had taken on the allotment, and he was very positive about it which was nice.

Friends? Well, I also don't have very many of those, but those I have are the most positive people in the world and have inspired me in many ways, changing my attitude from a negative, self-deprecating person into a more postive whatever it is I am now . All have 'can do' attitudes, and although they are really pleased that I do what I do, they don't do it because they tie themselves up in so much charity work, sometimes in other countries. Other friends are those I met at the allotment, so like-minded and like-doing.

Neighbours aren't a problem. They're gradually cottoning on to the fact that I have an allotment and that's why I go out in a muddy coat and wellies, but many of them have had allotments in the past and given up only due to age and/or health, so they understand. Other than that, I don't have anything too visual - being in a council house I can't do the solar panels or anything like that It didn't go down too well with a few of them when I planted fruit bushes in the front garden, but I didn't get complaints from anyone on our block, just strange looks.

Keep up the good work, Annpan.

[Millymollymandy]

I'm just normal because everybody round here lives like this. Well no actually I'm not quite normal because I don't kill and eat my (pet) hens when they stop laying, but the concept of pet hens is unheard of in France. There isn't actually a French word for pet - the closest, which applies to cats and dogs, translates as 'companion animal'. I don't think you can really use it for ducks and chickens, least not in a way a French person would understand. And in any event my neighbours hang them up and slit the throats of their chickens and bleed them to death, which I find rather . They've never heard of wringing their necks.

[thesunflowergal]

The growing part is quite new for us - always had herbs and tatties - and the apple trees - but I am considered 'weird ' by some for such crimes as-
making jam and preserves
making cards
buying in charity shops - (you should see some of the reactions to That! )
recycling where possible
asking for things out of skips
The list could go on - trouble is - I think we are just the same as everyone else!
Know how you feel Annpan and everybody!

I get this too!! I have had coments because-
We use the washing line to dry our clothes
Made all of our own baby food
I ride my bike, with the kids in a trailer

I think some people just like to made silly remarks sometimes

[mrsflibble]

but I am considered 'weird ' by some for such crimes as-
making jam and preserves

yep me too.

making cards

same for me, and i make msot of sophs summer clothes, and i crocheted most of her jumpers last year... "you MADE it? why?" erm... 'cos I enjoy making things.

buying in charity shops - (you should see some of the reactions to That! )

you should see the reactions and recoils from other preschool mums when they find out soph's funky dresses and tops are mostly made out of curtains, sheets and old shirts from charity shops!! it's like mental-hippy overkill, not only are they home made they're second hand in the first place!! i got her a lovely skirt from Scope this morning, and myself some snazzeroony jeans. theyre nearly new and both items only cost me £3!!!

asking for things out of skips

not had the nerve to do that yet, but I am kicking myself for not asking soph's school about some of their chairs they had in their skip last week. i reckon sorted the right way they'd have looked lovely in my garden, but i didnt have the nerve to ask!

i also get questions tinged with both admiration and slight disgust when I am crocheting on the bus. mind you, i am no longer the nut-magnet on the bus cos i am often the most nutty. BUT i'm not the only person who crochets on the number 100 bus route in basildon lol!

[theabsinthefairy]

Oh - I've thought of another one!

''Ohh - aren't you clever'' - said in that condescending / patronising way guaranteed to drive you up the wall.

[thesunflowergal]

I also get lots of funny looks and coments because I quite often carry my lo in a sling on my back!! Ooooo so weird lol

[Milims]

Picture the scene:
Two teenogres sitting either side of the kitchen table, one with his feet in salt bath, and both reading happily. Boy teenogre looks up and says to mum (making dinner from scratch) "isn't it lovely and quiet?!"
Odd? Bring it on!!! Tell me I'm odd and I'll run over your toes with my tartan trolley!