We were eligible to apply for coverage under the French health system after three months. Clay did so, of course, but the French bureaucracy is not known for speed. However, we were both recently accepted and I recently received my Carte Vitale in the mail. We've been paying for doctor visits and medications out of pocket, but the costs are so much less than in the U.S. that it's been barely more than we'd have put out for a co-pay back in the states, and often even less. With the coverage evidenced by the Carte Vitale, we will be reimbursed for 70% of the costs in most cases, and we've recently signed up for a "top up" policy that will cover that remaining 30%. It seems not unlike the arrangement of Medicare Parts A & B, plus the Medicare supplemental policy that I had in the U.S. after retirement. However, the top up policy that covers both Clay and me is costing less than I was paying for Medicare Part B and the supplemental Part N that covered me alone. I'm in the process of dropping those policies because it makes no sense to continue paying for them.
And then there's the food. I've eaten more varieties of cheese in the past eight months than I've had over the course of my entire life. The cheese sections in stores are huge. I've always made quiche but now it's my standard breakfast most every day. Clay picked up our first piece of Le Creuset cookware on an after christmas sale. That's significant because I really mourned the loss of my cast iron dutch oven and the other cookware that we left behind. Our copper All-Clad arrived on the pallet, however, so that and the new Le Creuset have helped me get over that loss. One of the first things I made in it was carbonnade flamande, a Flemish beef stew made with beer. It turned out very well and I'll definitely be making it again.
In other news, spring continues. We had some cooler weather last week but now it's warming up again. Trees are leafing out all over. Bailey and I are walking more than ever and I think she's enjoying it more than ever.
I make a quiche at least once a week, cut it into 5-6 pieces and have one for breakfast most days.
It's a great size for soups too.
This is carbonnade flamande in the making.
Harold (or maybe Harriet) the heron.
Mistletoe seems to be rather common here. Some of these balls looked huge.
The bluebells are wild and they show up randomly throughout the woods on our walks.
Downspouts on an old building.
Bailey likes going to the water's edge but she does not go in, and I'm glad.
Squirrel spotting.
Playing with other dogs on our walk.
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