13th December to 20th

Life continues with Dave painting, doing a couple of commissions, me working with both crystal and sno station now and getting as much skiing in as possible . In need of some snow, the slopes are becoming a little worn. Brevent opened on the weekend but unfortunately the savoy lift right behind our flat which would transport us up to the bubble up the mountain isn't so its a good walk up the hill!! All helps with fitness I suppose! Only a few runs open but enough to keep us occupied.

Christmas do with crystal on the Tuesday, lovely meal at the Jekyll and Hyde pub. Then on the Thursday had a mountain safety session with crystal which was followed by a sledge down the home run at grands montets. Absolutely brilliant. Luckily some fresh snow had just fallen. Very pleased that although by far the oldest in the group (most people could be my offspring) I was the second women down and about 5th overall. Not that I have any competitiveness at all ha ha(though I bet others not aching as much the day after, one doesn't bounce the same at 50!)

On the Sunday we went to see the chambelles, a local group of women doing a cabaret of Christmas songs for charity. Really good and I went with Sophie to see them again in the church on Thursday doing carols and some more Christmas songs, really good and getting us into the Christmas feel.

Continue to meet up with Julia for French lessons, she has a gorgeous little flat, full of character. We are so determined to improve especially as she wants to work as a vet here potentially. Met Lisa (hobb's mum) who is fluent who guided us too. Also asked us to cat sit over Xmas in taconnaz so off we go again on 22nd. Invite to Sophie's for Xmas day which is actually pretty close to taconnaz. It is lovely here and looking forward to skiing on Christmas day in my father Christmas outfit, but do miss the girls, kids and family at home, will be less homesick when it gets to January though as we remember the grey months ahead in the UK.

Back in Lancaster at he John O Gaunt

http://youtu.be/P6k3BNG9ypc

Missing the Thursday afternoons in the Stone well Tavern and Monday evenings in the John O Gaunt Pub....

2nd December to 12th December

Monday saw us returning to the studio. A bit sombre as some sad news from home, at times like that it would be nice to have a transporter system so you could nip and give someone a big hug. Settled back briefly as we then got a call off dawn asking for a blaze sit for 10 days. So Tuesday saw us packing up again into the middle of town to look after the big fluffy boy. Busy the rest of the week with dog walking, preparing his food and doing a bit of cleaning in the apartment for dawn and also 4 hours cleaning for Susie on top op evening work. Had cleaning training with sno station on the friday as well which gave us a good idea of what to expect from the seasonal work. Decided to drop those hours to 12 a week to ensure skiing time adequate. Just me and a group of young Aussies. Never mind it being little England here, its little Sydney!!!

Watched our first ever 3 d film, Dave had to wear glasses on top of glasses, not a great look!!!

Film night Friday at Sophie's, hunger games first one in readiness for when the second one is out in original form here. Then skiing all weekend at me grand montet. Not too bad conditions though slid down on back twice on home run on sat but better on Sunday. Able to Skype home a few times and with free calls to landlines in UK good to be able to chat to those at home.

Le grand montet open from now on so managed to ski twice this week. On the tuesday saw dan snow filming on the slopes, may end up on the one show in the background,  Iwas a little uncool!!!! The christmas lights went on in town too!! So pretty.Started work with sno station and have about six hours this week. Seems OK. Have found a lady from Keswick to meet up with to improve our French, Julia. Going to try at least twice a week over a coffee.

Dave continues to do his painting, using the studio as a studio. Snow scenes looking nice.

Skiing in Switzerland

A few more paintings that I've managed to complete.http://www.art2arts.co.uk/figurative-art/portrait-paintings-drawings/parasols-and-surf/prod_18030.html

25th November to 1st December

Kitchen size of ournstudio

View from back door

View from front verandha

Beautiful sun set

Dave toasting Dave farren with a nice cup of tea

Sofas the size of our studio ha ha

Hobbsy warming to me!!!

Dave's new oakleys 

Quiet day Monday, Dave worked and I got the studio in order (doesn't take long!!!) French lesson Tuesday morning, dawn came along this week so that will mean lots of practice together when she returns from the UK. Dinner at there's in the evening, last time to see blazey boy before they head off to UK. Packed gear on Wednesday and then headed to Lisa and miles's to cat sit Hobbs. Chalet in a beautiful spot with great views of the snowy landscape, especially as the sun sets on the aguille due midi. Shay and onya from next door  popped round on the Thursday night for a couple of Guinness's and glasses of wine. Nice weekend though do appreciate where we are in relationship to supermarkets/skiing areas and buses as its a cold 6km cycle in for these !! Temperatures have been as low as -12 this week. Sunday saw us off to the grand montets ski field in argent here, beautiful day and some nice skiing, though Dave having to master his new long ski is, but getting their. I found some bargain Oakley sunglasses on cham social for him too in the week, so at last has spent the birthday money given to him by my brother John, wendy his wife and my mum. I half hoped he wouldn't like them as I would then have kept them!!

It looks like we haven't done much this week but Dave has worked most of it, and done the painting and I have been cycling up and down the valley, shopping etc, working and lining up some adhoc cleaning work for next week too with Susie who I cleaned for in the first couple of weeks here, so that should take me on to starting with sno station in the season proper. Got a video evening lined up too with Sophie and Megan, the first hunger games in prep for watching the second one at the pics when they show it in English and joining their book club too. Going to be a busy winter very soon!!!!

Painting in Chamonix

Finally got some painting done, here in Chamonix. Aiming to get a few paintings in the local antiques shop that also happens to sell original artwork too.. 'Living the dream' again!!

Art for sale

18th November to 24th

Shattered on the Monday, needed a snooze before going to work, had been a busy weekend (and not as young as we were!). Tuesday Dave off to work with tom whilst I went to French lesson. Really nice couple of French women running it at local creperie, with 4 of us English speakers. Polly, a seamstress, really good, given me an aim for the end of the season! Promptly went to library band picked up some learning literature. Realise need to get back to learning as well as speaking I that all opportunities.

Wednesday and Thursday, loads of snow. Realising how it does affect the ease of getting around. Went to work OK on the wed night on the bike but then had to get bus to les bossons on the Thursday to go for dinner at Megan's. Made for a dash back for the last train, not easy in 10inches of snow. We have now got our ski passes for the season, feel like a local. Means all public transport is free, handy.

Big walk with Blaze on the Friday from les tines back to chamonix. Unbelievably pretty and Blaze as adorable as ever. Knows that when he does the ball trick he has to flick it higher when in deeper snow. So clever!

Shopping day on Saturday, again much more difficult now it has snowed. A tad treacherous on the bike, but managed. There was a plan to go skiing again to vernier with Iran and dawn, but dawn a bit under the weather so just went for a lovely walk with Blaze, up behind Chamonix. Stunning and really quite warm in the sun, snow starting to thaw, good forecast for the week ahead, so might get some more cycling in. Off to chalet in taconnaz on Wednesday, to Hobbes (cat) sit. Dave just has another day with Tom to work, he has really enjoyed it and maybe will mean the odd bit of work over the winter, so all good.

View from le balcony never ceases to impress me

How do I resist these I never know

BLAZE!!!!!!

11th November to 17th

What a delightful time we had till Wednesday looking after Blaze. The apartment was great with its wide screen telly for watching some movies of the vast selection Ian has accumulated, and testing the hoover that Hoovers on its own (see video below) but the best thing by far was the gorgeousness that is Blaze. Even Dave the most adverse to dog person I know, loves him and played for hours with him and his squeaky ball on the verandah, and didn't even mind when he woke him up in the morning, with his doggy nose inches from his human one!! So cute. We were like new parents, videoing his cute ball trick (see below) and just generally fussing over him. Lots of walking, lovely. We miss him but dawn has promised me I can walk him whenever :-)

Positive paintings news. Dave sold two paintings on the art2art website (of his muse on the beach). Initially when Dave googled the buyer and found out he was in a Wiltshire cricket club I got mixed up between Mike Grier (the buyer) and Mike Brierley the ex England captain, and got very excited that I would be adorning the walls of such cricket royalty!!!! He also sold one in Nigel's (brother-in-laws) shop in Morecambe, so all good. With more potential joinery in new year and the bits that are coming up next week finances looking good on Dave front. He has art plans for the winter here too that he can't wait to get stuck into.

Snow again on Friday which made for a snowy cycle into le bossons for Dave's last shift with Miles and mine to taconnaz with lisa . Magical commute back for me. So pretty whatever the weather. Popped to see Simone (Dutch fellow French learner) and she has located some French women to talk with regularly on a Tuesday at a local creperie so that is brilliant news, the only way you to really get this language mastered I know. Looking forward to next Tuesday.

Saturday, after 2hrs at crystal cleaning the windows, a job i was not looking forward to, but with my raclette not too bad at all, went for potentially the last cycle of the season with Megan up to the col de montets. A great cycle and good photo opportunity. Then a mad dash to the Jekyll and Hyde pub for second half of rugby. Valiant effort by England but also not enough for the mighty all blacks. Watched amazing film, Harvey Milk, brilliant performance by Sean Penn, and then just as nipping out for quick pint with Megan et all got call for skiing in Verbier on Sunday! With Ian.

So up bright and early. Great days skiing. Not many lifts open but enough for the first day of the season and not too busy. Bit of a faff sorting out my bindings made worse by taking the wrong bubble and ending back down in the deep valley below (very irritating for me but surprisingly appeared to be very amusing to Dave and ian! ) Fantastic weather and new racing skies that I was really quite nervous of (even le patron of the ski place that sorted my bindings out was asking me if I was a very good skier as I have these skies! He must have thought I was something special as he waived the charge!) But they were fine. Certainly firmer than I am used to but feel they could improve my style for that, hopefully ha ha.

Evening in watching one of the about 1000 movies we now have on a hard drive that Ian has given us then to bed, two tired ski bunnies (or perhaps 2 tired grisly leader rabbits like from water ship down!!!!!)

Self hoovering

Dave's last cycle in to work 

Commute home in winter wonderland

Snowy col