High and low

It's amazing how the first word from my friend J, the first hello at the Comédie this morning when we met up, sent all my money worries scattering from my head like shards of a glass the falls on ceramic tiles.

We didn't do much of anything today, but I nevertheless managed to forget my worries, forget my stress and just soak up the pleasure of being with J and M, two amazing, wonderful and delightfully normal people, with whom I most definitely feel more comfortable than I do with anyone I know here.

We met at about 11.30, bought a picnic, bought a postcard at the Musée Fabre (Frédéric Bazille's portrait of a girl at Méric, overlooking Castelnau village), walked a little and took the tram to the Domaine de Méric. We picknicked and chatted, the children played and excavated and made cement and collected sticks.

[D came at about 2 pm and chatted with them for a while - as we'd arranged - but of course I was hideously uncomfortable, as I always am in his presence. But he left after about an hour, so that was cool.]

We took the tram to Odysseum, the children had icecreams, we went to Decathlon and bought goodies, the kids had hot dogs in IKEA, and then we parted company, till tomorrow, when we go back to their place for our last day together.

The girls and I got home, and I found two cards from M (my other friend, in London) in my letter box, and that cheered me even further.

It was a good day, really. And, best of all, we're going back to J and M's holiday rental tomorrow for our last day before they leave.

Of course, real life sneaked its way back in, as it is wont to do: money worries plague me virtually all the time (except when I'm with J and M), D phoned tonight and is once again making noises about me refunding him his 25,000 € and I have so much to do that I'm not coping well at all.

But the four kids get on well - really well, even - and the weather is good, and the girls and I are off to Italy soon and it's summer and yeah. Life is definitely good in bits!