Shock news and it is not good variety

Thursday 28 May 2015

Sunny 25 degrees

Terrible shock when I opened my emails this morning.  Wished I had stayed in bed.  My US buyer told me that her husband had decided he no longer wished to purchase in France. The poor lady has battled with the French administration since October of last year.  She has suffered the worst snows that Massachusetts has known since records began.  She has gathered donations for her project, started a website for the pilgrim house she wanted to run, been over here twice and now, five weeks before signing, the bxxxxrd says he wont move and he wont let her sell the US house and especially, distressing, if she goes, their 10 year old son stays with him in the States.  The poor woman's life is in ribbons.  She says staying in the house with him is agony.  She has cancelled the sale in the the States and is now going to be obliged to cancel over here.  She has already divorced once for mental cruelty.  This may be curtains for this relationship.

The penalties are substantial - agency fees plus ten percent of the purchase price as penalty.  Also, the seller has the option of forcing her to continue with the sale.  More than 30000 euros.  I hope the seller doesn't give it to his parents because the father will just drink it away.  What a sad story. 

Went down town and met with former buyer for tapas, coffee, shandy and chat.  She told me about her ex husband and treated me to lunch.  OH, for all his faults, and after many years of us knocking the edges off one another (metaphorically speaking!) is honest enough to speak his mind and courageous enough to try new things - eventually.

Came back home and threw things into cupboards and discovered the set of keys containing the front door key have disappeared.  The last time we had them is when we came back from Spain and unloaded the shopping.  I wonder where on earth they have gone.  Perhaps they are hiding with the handle to the shed, also mysteriously vanished.

My elderflower cordial is a bit thin so I boil it up and it goes the colour of urine.  Lovely.  It tastes better though.

Make chilli.  Feel depressed.