Award Time

THE BIRTHDAY FANCIES

Tomorrow (Monday March 2) will be the first birthday since I began my blog that I have really come to care about some of my fellow bloggers. If they don't post for a little while I wonder if things are okay; if they go away on holiday I think about whether or not they are having a good time; when they have problems I worry about them - in short there are many bloggers out there who really have entered the French Fancy consciousness (hark at her going all third person).

Now I know there have been a lot of awards floating around blogland lately and I'd like to add another one - The Birthday Fancies. Those that receive it do not have to blog about it if they don't want to; they don't have to tag anyone and get them to do certain things; you can put it in your sidebar - or not if you think you have enough clutter already.This is it on the top left; it comes from me to you and it means that your blog means something to me. There are lots of blogs out there that actually mean a lot but, just as in real life, the chemistry is better with some than with others.

They are randomly listed and where it is a joint award I have done it alphabetically. Some of you might wonder why you are inserted in one category and not another. It was quite hard to make sure that all my favourite blogs were included and that is why some of the categories might seem rather absurd. Please don't pass it on - it is just from me to you.


Best dog with a blog Henry

Best expat in the USA Mama

Best expat in Sweden Ladyfi

Best blogger in South America Cynthia

Best father of a son Steve and The Dotterel

Best father of a daughter Brother Tobias

Best mother of a son Hadriana's Treasures

Best mother of a daughter Lane

Best pharmacist* blogger cheshire wife

Best blogger who blogged straight after surgery A Woman Of No Importance

Best nature photo blogger Blu

Best blogger with insects in her fridge Lulu Labonne

Best black belt blogger justme

Best blogger with a cigarette Jenny Smith

Best GBF blog A Super Dilettante

Best blogger who I know won't put this on his sidebar Dumdad and The Accidental Fan

Best ex-expat blogger Carol

Bloggers who get so many comments how can they even read them nikki crumpet and willow


During my celebratory lunch today whilst at our favourite restaurant I will raise a glass to you all. Unfortunately it doesn't open on Mondays so I will have to go elsewhere for my actual birthday lunch. Two meals out at two beautiful restaurants two days running - we could never have done this in the UK, not without a second mortgage.

Below is a picture of when I was about half the age I have reached today. It was easier to keep it in the frame than take it out and scan it. Can you see the stain down my dress? Immediately prior to the photo being taken I had somehow managed to upturn a glass of cider down myself. Nothing changes - almost twice as old and still just as messy.


*the word 'pharmacist' is one of those words guaranteed to make us both go into hysterical laughter - well me anyway. It dates back to an incident when we had come to France on a house-buying reccy. I had been chatted up by a pharmacist in Normandy and then, three hours later when we arrived in Brittany and I saw a man smiling at me (who to my mind did look more or less like the Norman pharmacist), I said are you the pharmacist?. It might not sound like much of a funny story but the way Mr FF tells it, with interjections from me, make it the funniest story in the world. Yeh, like a man is going to follow me in a car from department to department. Well, he might have.