Lunches and Medicine

 

I went to the NEDWA lunch yesterday - the North East Dordogne Women’s Association.  This started out as a multi-national organisation but is mainly English speaking.   We meet up once a month for lunch and there are also other meets on offer – book clubs, sewing groups, cookery classes, outings and the like.  The Association motto is “Women making a Difference”.  At one time I thought that we weren’t making a difference to anything except our waistlines but I’m now prepared to admit I was wrong.  It is good to meet and chat and exchange news. 

 

 We all try valiantly to speak French with varying degrees of success.  Many of us aren’t fluent and may never be, and it’s good to talk in our own language rather than pick our way through a dictionary.  Some of the older women live alone and I’m sure the meetings are a God-send.  

In one overheard conversation, two women were clearly revelling in speaking their mother tongue.  One said to the other, "I really need one of those thingys," to which the other replied, "Yes, I know exactly what you mean".

The most awful news I had yesterday was that our doctor is shortly leaving the local practice.   Registering with a French doctor, Mike and I were awed by the luxury of half hour appointments with very thorough examinations.  Mike has varying health problems and is constantly referred for different treatments and tests.  The usual question put to him is, “When was the last time you had this done in England?”  His usual answer is, “Never”.   Dr Fraize has been known to telephone a specialist as Mike sat in the surgery if he feels unable to deal with a problem himself.   We both know he is the best doctor that we have ever had and we cannot imagine how we will replace him.