Just getting myself back together after having been laid up in bed for the better part of two days. Had the most horrendous flu-type symptoms which started in the night before Easter day, in agony all over, I am not exagerating, did not know what to do with myself, on top of which I got a migraine. Managed to drag myself out of bed to see the girls open their chocs and witnessed their egg hunt from my bed, which was done around the house instead of in the garden. This meant that we did not have the planned easter lunch with my folks, so the Lamb and the pudding went into the freezer and Adrian had a large portion of prawn cocktail to himself last night. I think we'll be having it all at the weekend instead, which will be interesting - the girls have never had lamb, Adrian's not had it since he moved in with me and I can't remember the last time I had it - probably about 20 years ago and I seem to remember not liking it much, but I thought I'd give it another go.

Georgia has also been ill - she had a fever at the end of last week for a couple of days, but that went, although she still wasn't 100%, then today she's gone quite bad again, even had an afternoon nap which is unheard of. I was told the other day that measles is currently doing the rounds so I keep checking behind her ears and inside her mouth for spots, which annoys her somewhat, but paranoid mother and all that.... She had her jabs, incase you're thinking I didn't do that, but I had the jabs too and I still got measles and whooping cough, so I know they're not 100% effective.

Having a bit of a do with the washing machine that I ordered back in early Feb that had a 30 working day delivery on it, well 45 working days later and it's still not here. After numerous unpleasant phone calls and broken promises on the company's part, I have today cancelled the order, only to be told that the refund will take, guess what? - 30 working days.... Then I found a french consumer site on the net and basically loads of other people have had the same problem in non-delivery of goods, then they've cancelled and then they've had problems with refunds not being paid, so it doesn't look like it's over yet. So somehow we have to find some money and go and get a machine in a local shop, which are expensive but with hindsight what we should have done in the first place.

We've had our first guests in of the year and the next lot are due on Saturday. Spent hours spring cleaning the cottage, they get so mucky over winter and all the local wildlife population seem to think they have squatters rights (well, this is France so they do actually - long story, won't go into that here).