I suppose you are all thinking, "that bugger Nick has done it again" aren't you?

I don't blame you.

Since Pen's mum's death, things here have been a little topsy-turvy and frankly, I don't know which way is up. Having been looking to try and complete my web course and write several stories or at least, keep up with Jamie and his problems, we have now decided to try again for France.

It seems that since the housing market crash here in Britain, the French market has dropped considerably - none of us Brits to buy their piles of stones I shouldn't wonder - it has meant that lo and behold, we might actually be able to afford to buy somewhere. Since we're no longer owners here, we can buy, but don't have to move immediately.

At least, that's the plan.

So, we have been looking and making contacts in the Charente area of France, which for the uninitiated, is slap-bang in Cognac country - you know, the expensive brandy?

Well, to cut a long story even longer, I have been trawling the internet for houses for sale, making and taking phone calls, putting pins in our Google Earth map and trying to find somewhere that doesn't need massive amounts of work.

Yeah, like that's going to happen.

We've booked holiday to a place in the Charente for the second week of June and hopefully will find somewhere we can call 'holiday home' - if not home immediately. It's a bit of a slog and it's the best excuse I can think of right now for why Jamie's problems haven't graced these hallowed pages.

You know the score, not enough hours in the day.

Still, having been led up or down a garden path with Jamie throwing an epileptic wobbler and storming off, I have basically had to start again with Chapter four, but I promise, great strides have been made, Jamie's a lot happier and I really hope that something will hit your computer screens in the very near future.

So with that and a fresh coffee, I'm off to write and will bid you adieu.

Hugs

Nick B