OK, it’s Monday. How do I feel today?
Well, as one of my kind and empathetic blog buddies reminded me on Saturday, during a few stern pep talks, this is the “warts and all” blog so I will tell true.
I still feel like I have been punched in the gut.
I cannot watch the Brexit coverage without getting anxious and knotted. Everytime I see or hear anything French related I can feel myself on the verge of tears. Honestly.
I have ranted at my daughter (I have never before, in 39 years, ranted at this poor child)
I truly feel that at the last hurdle we have been dealt a sickening blow.
It’s not panic, it’s realism. I do not care a hoot whether this will devalue our French properties (we did not buy in France just because you get a lot for very little price wise) we did not buy as a property investment.
We invested in ourselves, in our wish to live in a particular place in a chosen country which we love and have huge empathy for. Where we are happy.
We are not indulging in a cheap second home with a bit of sunshine thrown in. This isn’t a fashionable accessory. This wasn’t a whim. This is our future. We can’t afford any more knockbacks.
OK I’m still ranting.
So, I dealt with it over the weekend by various distraction techniques;
I scrubbed the house, delivered furniture to the prettiest village in Buckinghamshire and followed Trev’s reliable base paint work by hand painting and waxing some pine shelves in a rather Swedish Country motif.
Started reading a fat art history book I bought ages ago . It all helped, but I am still profoundly unsettled. Literally.
Blog-sur-Aude 
I am understanding your government induced pain. We were dealt a few here as well. Most notably the ACA (aka: Obama care.) A good intentioned idea that was carried out horribly. I can honestly say it hasn’t helped even one person I know, and has certainly put our retirement plans on the chopping block. Might I say that having a (a few) good howl(s) about it does help to get it out of your system? I’m sorry. 😐
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I feel your pain, you know that – I share it. Of course I do. I have no answers to lunacy … if I did I would be an asylum director. What I do have is hope that with time we will pick through the carnage wrought by fools listening to self-serving liars and find a way to a solution. As for your project and your blog – take a leaf from the maquis de rèsistance and do not let the buggers grind you down. Which is not to say that you won’t feel – of course you will – but that you can keep doing what you are doing. And keep the faith. Please. Keep the faith. Because there are an awful lot of us out there who are just as stunned, appalled and body-blown and we have to keep going
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Thanks. Appreciated. Noted.
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Not to add to the gloom, but even prior to this latest insanity, I’ve often found myself wondering if we’re all witnessing the end of the Europe that we’ve lived our adult lives with…
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I agree with everything in your blog, still in shock but trying to stay positive. England has been turned upside down and we both feel that it will be even worse than 2007. Now much worse, well we can only wait and see. Has I say trying to stay positive and like you I have been focused on what I enjoy, which is this special village that we live in. We have just come back from a gorgeous luncheon, good food, sunshine, blue sky, bird song and conversation, what could be better. Keep your hopes up you will get there and please do not stop blogging
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Thank you all for your support, but I’m not at all sure where to go post wise next.
I can’t just use this as a forum to rant about Brexit, and I just can’t bring myself to post about a restoration project that I may have to give up on in a place where, as Brits, we may very well not be welcome any more.
I’m not talking about our French friends and neighbours, they can think for themselves, but I can’t face a groundswell of a fresh revival of the old Anti-English attitude some French folk have.
Incidentally, I am half Welsh with French ancestry on my grandfather’s side; so I’m not even b*****y English, though I was born in Lancashire.
This is hurting beyond belief
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So many of us feel exactly as you have described – let down, uncertain. Worse still, I feel that the confidence and happiness with which we bought our French house has somehow turned into a sick joke with my husband and I as the punch line.
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It’s true. I feel for everyone in our position.
We still don’t know what will happen now; it’s unprecedented.
I note, sadly, that the backlash has already started.
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Thanks for sharing. It is appreciated.
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Stay strong. It is a major set back, no doubt about that, but common sense and goodness generally come out on top and they will here too. It may take a while and it may take a lot of work but some form of balance will be restored. Just keep believing in and pushing for the good things.
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Please don’t lose heart, and keep blogging. You are very talented. I’m sure the French will help work something out for those who have already set up home and hearth in France. I will pray that there will still be opportunities for free movement and employ for the young people too, who are blameless in all this, like your grandson. Remember all that you have: health, family, safety, creativity, and beauty all around you. All the rest will sort itself out.
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What kind and positive sentiments!
Thank you
Gill
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I feel your fury.
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The NYT says the UK “Leave” leaders are looking for ways to stay in…not starting the clock on the two-year timetable. The uncertainty, however, is going to cause a lot of trouble in the short-term.
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I read the same thing in the Guardian. What a hoot and what were they thinking. Honestly, I think at the end of the day, you guys will be fine. It will be a bumpy ride but you’ll get there, maybe even in one piece.
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It’s been a bumpy ride from day one, so no change there. The question is, after ten years of clambering over one obstacle after another, how much more crap can I take?
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Gill I can’t say enough how sorry we are here too about the result. We feel gutted – am talking about Monsieur and myself who grew up with an affinity for Europe and an understanding we could both travel freely, live and work in other countries in the EU etc. Sliding doors moment but we came very close to moving to France many years ago before we came out to Australia instead. I have always felt more European than “English”, we both learnt languages and in my case have been studying German at night school for the past few years. I know there are other issues at play and am sure there are many faults with the EU bureaucracy but the whole manner in which this referendum was conducted was nasty, playing on people’s emotions and I am quite sure that many have no idea what lies in store for them. I truly empathise as I’ve been upset enough by this let alone people such as yourself who have plans for the future and don’t know whether they will be feasible or not etc. Our younger daughter came over nearly 2 years ago on what she thought was an EU passport (issued by Britain) and her plan was to get established then move across to Europe. She’s made a lot of friends in London from around the EU, Italians, French, Portuguese, Slovakians, Hungarians etc and half her friendship group will move on soon. No one is going to stick around to see what happens in a couple of years or so – most will go on to other countries especially Germany. Mlle herself has always wanted to live in Berlin and there are some distinct possibilities through her work (she’s in the music industry) so she is going to explore those options as she doesn’t want to stay in the UK now in any case. Of course she has options as she has an Australian passport too. I feel so sorry for everyone who will be deprived of opportunities – I cannot see this is in anyone’s best interests and am sad that divisions and separatism have won out over cooperation and harmony. Hoping wise heads will prevail in the subsequent negotiations but it all looks a giant mess at present. Excuse this lengthy comment but I really wanted to empathise and show support at such a horrible time! Take care X
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Thank you.
Well said. I wanted my grandson to grow up in a world where he can move freely and seize the opportunities out there. Where he could choose to be educated and to work anywhere in the European Union without having to jump through bureaucratic hoops.
I feel like the British people have taken a giant step back into a dark and uncertain age.
We needed renegotiations on the failing model, not to throw it all over in some kind of jingoistic groundswell of anti- inclusiveness. This works both ways people! We have just effectively alienated a disintegrating and divided country from just about everybody else.
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I wish this wasn’t true Gill but I fear it is – far from the great British revival put about in a wave of jingoism and blaming the EU for every problem under the sun, I think the result will be the complete opposite – as you say “a dark and uncertain age”. The power vacuum seems likely to be filled by a far right wing government who will further marginalise the poorer and less fortunate members of society (who thought they’d be better off out) and the UK, if it exists at all in its present form, will probably be a very isolated place from the rest of the world. Hopefully the negotiations will be amicable and an arrangement agreed like Norway and Switzerland have but of course concessions will need to be made on free movement of people and that was one of the main bones of contention for many “leave’ supporters. History and politics should be mandatory subjects at school along with psychology so that people can apply critical thinking and see when they are being led up a garden path into a very dark forest! Very sad to see the place in which I grew up and still have family ties, imploding. I really feel for the many decent ordinary folk caught up in these uncertain times and always here to offer moral support! Keep blogging too! 🙂
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