Monday, September 7, 2009

Those Rentrée Resolutions

Wow, the Rentrée is proving very busy! As well as school for three of us, we have workmen on the patio roof! Apologies that I'm not blogging much at the moment, either as a reader or a writer...

Anyway, I said I'd let you know a bit more about my resolutions. I'm going to list them on my sidebar so that I keep them in mind!

I need to watch the French news regularly, both to improve my French and to keep in touch with national and world events - somehow having headlines on the internet or even by email doesn't seem to work for me.
The cycling is something I've been doing for more than a year now - I cycle with the boys to school and then I go on and do a tour round the local coutryside. It's great for my fitness but also to remind me of the blessings of living in France. Unfortunately, my journey to work takes me through some of the most uninspired outskirts of Toulouse, and if I'm not careful it begins to appear to me that I exist on a series of industrial estates and motorways. By getting out on the bike, I see the country lanes and learn more about the rural history of our town.
I've kept a spiritual journal, or prayer diary, for about 15 years now, I guess. The books have varied in size and content, as I sometimes think I should buy a very cheap book to show I'm not swayed by fripperies, and sometimes I decide to get a really special notebook to indicate the importance of prayer! Just goes to show, it probably doesn't matter... In some volumes I've just written, sometimes I get all creative with coloured pens, while some of the books have lots of newspaper cuttings pasted in and annotated. It's an important way for me to get the right focus my life, but I need to make an effort to keep it up - the less you spend time on reflection, prayer, study etc, the less you feel you need it...
The resolution to avoid committments if I haven't the time to do them properly is going to make my blog just a little different. I've felt bad recently that I've not been able to pay proper attention to following up tags and awards, so I've reluctantly decided to make the blog tag and award free for now. I shall keep the lovely awards that people have given me on here for a while, and then I guess I shall have to delete them or the announcement: 'This is an award and tag-free blog' will look a bit silly! Please realise that I am really grateful for the pleasure and recognition your awards and tags have given me, but that I just don't have the time to follow them through properly this year.
Please don't forget to sign up for my Rentrée Giveaway! The button's to your left...

PS - I was actually trapped in a Vide Greniers yesterday evening! The stuff of dreams, or of nightmares..? More to follow...

12 comments:

karenshopes said...

You are right, you and I do have a lot in common,
I keep lots of notebooks too with all kinds of words, inspiriations and bits and pieces.
Karen

Unknown said...

I wish I could bike where I live! It's just not that safe- people cannot drive! But when I go to the beach I'm planning on biking lots. :)

Pomona said...

France is a very good place to buy notebooks! I have always loved their stationery - ever since I was a teenager visiting penfriends, many years ago. Good luck with your resolutions - it is good to start the new year with new resolve.

Pomona x

Serenata said...

I have posted my goals, but your idea of putting them on the side bar is a good one. I might also hunt out my lovely journal I started earlier in the year and see if I can get back into it.

Glenda/MidSouth said...

I have not been on a bicycle in so long, I doubt I could ride, but riding one around where I live would not be safe. I also made my blog award free a while back. I really appreciated them, but it became very time consuming and it was very hard for me to pick and choose who to pass it on to, and did not want someone to feel left out. Hope you had a great weekend.

Lululiz said...

My French is not very good, as I just don't spend enough time out there yet, but I love watching the news, and do so EVERY DAY first thing in the morning on France2's breakfast show and quite often in the evening as well, the proper long news, when my darling DH and DS are not watching a dvd.

Hah, do you really think that teeny weeny PS has gone unnoticed and uncommented on? Up to your old tricks again, sigh, TEASING, waaahh, when you know that I have just come back from France and miss it and the vide greniers. Humph. Totally not nice making me wait another whole day before we get to hear the story.

Michela said...

You've all my simpathy for your choice to have a "tag and award free" blog! Well..looking forward to a French test in a few months! ;-)

A Bun Can Dance said...

Hello Floss
Gosh, you are brave to have the builders in when you are busy working too!
I loved reading more about your resolutions, they are all very sensible and grounded and I think, they'll help you enjoy more peace and belonging. I enjoyed reading about your Spiritual Journal. I've kept a Gratitude Journal for over 10 years - it's based on the idea in Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Now this Journal is so much a part of my bedtime routine and I love writing it. It may be a special momento for my family one day! Let me know if you want to hear more about the idea!
Have a great week and I hope all is going well at school. (I've not started any Supply yet this term... still in holiday mode!)
Denise x

Poppy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Poppy said...

Sorry, my English is bad at the best of times, but that comment really was bad. What I was trying too say was, I would love too ride my bike more. And I never seem too remember too do tags or awards, so I don’t blame you.


Have a lovely week…love Lou xxx

Cal said...

You sound so busy. Glad you can take the time to cycle though. A lovely idea about the Spiritual Journal - it must be a way of really focussing your thoughts and reflections on higher things.

JuanitaTortilla said...

Your resolutions/goals are inspiring me somewhat. I want to learn and improve my German, so I should find a way to listen to it more. (With the help of internet TV, maybe.)
And since I've now learned how to cycle, I find joy on being out and about on it. But not on streets with cars and pedestrians though. Still a no-no for me.
I have also gone slightly award & tag free -- simply filing them under the category "Awards'N'Tags" for future reference. I wonder one day if I will ever run out of "weird / funny / honest" things to say about myself with all these tags and awards flying about!