Too many back stabbers!

I know it's a bit off track but I just need to let off a bit of steam.

Why is it that there is so much back stabbing, name calling and childish behaviour over here, do people have nothing better to do than moan and winge about people and make life difficult for us, it's like being in school as an 8 year old, "i'm telling on him", "i'm not speaking to him cos he speaks to someone else".

Did we not come here for an easier way of life, a more relaxed attitude, I thought we were all here for the same reason, to get away from the crap in the UK, beginning to think we made a mistake.

Rant over.

Here Fishy Fishy Fishy!

Is it fate? Is it destiny? Is it in the long term plan that has already been mapped out for you? Is it what you make it? Do you flip a coin? Do you just go for it?

Life is all about the decisions you make and the path you take, you always want to do it but never do, or do you?

I like my fishing and have loved France for many years, never thought for one minute I would end up living here, thought about it, but never really believed it. I've always been one of those people that think but never act, but a change in lifestyle put all that thinking into perspective, and being with someone who changed my life and way of thinking made it all a lot easier for me.

I'd been with Sue for 4 months when we decided to have a holiday here in France, 2 weeks of bliss, silence, and doing nothing, and we made the most of it. Nice lake, nice house, and some lovely weather set the stage for a great holiday, little did I know that the owner was an Immobilier and Sue had already mentioned to her that I had, in the past, been interested in buying a place over here.

We were taken for a day out to have a look at a couple of houses and were quite surprised at what you could get for your money, just wish we could have had more money, but we didn't. The first house was a lovely manor house, big 5 bedroom thing, very nice but a tad over our budget, not that we had a budget but we could never afford this place. The second house was more our size, nice little cottage in a hamlet, the last house in the hamlet infact so no-one would come pass us.

Could I really do it? could I really buy a place in France?

We both loved the cottage and sat down at the end of the day and talked about it, but that was just me, I talked about it, wanted it, but never thought I could do it. For a laugh I said "Ok, when we go fishing tomorrow, if I catch my record size fish then we'll buy it" I knew it wouldn't happen so wasn't too bothered, Sue said "Ok then" she seemed a little keen to me.

The following morning came and off we went, 16LB Mirror Carp to beat, would it happen? 12 hours later, and still no fish, obviously wasn't meant to be so we started to pack up and go to bed, that was the point when fate stepped in, just as we were packing up, my float went for an excursion across the lake, I jumped up and hauled it in, it was a nice size, but was it big enough?

17LB 2OZ oh dear, I was happy because it was a new personal best, but was I prepared to act on catch of a fish???

Well with the change of life I had been thrown into, now was the time to be brave and confident and stand by your decisions. We sat down in the house and had a chat, if we could raise the deposit then we'd do it, Sue knew she could get the deposit but didn't tell me, it was only when we came back to the UK and she got it sorted pretty quickly that reality started to draw in.

We made the phone call and a month later we were back in France signing the compromis de vente, and 3 months later we were back picking the keys up, it was ours, all ours, and now the reality of putting all that talk into action was going to have to take place.