14 June 2013

Much ado...

...about not very much, when all is said and done. Yesterday, we got two pieces of good news.

First, in our mailbox we found a copy of the letter that the cardiologue in Blois sent to my primary care physician, detailing the results of my recent heart monitor (Holter electrocardiogram) exam:
Le holter ECG est plutôt rassurant... Il n'y a pas d'autre traitement à donner chez un patient asymptomatique...
Our friend Jean of A Very Grand Pressigny came over for lunch yesterday.
Walt made a ham & asparagus tart, with green asparagus this time.

And then I got an e-mail from the couvreur with a quote for the roof repair over the kitchen. He says he will need 40 euros' worth of materials (slats, screws, etc.). The labor will cost 245 euros. With all taxes included, the total comes to about 305 euros. Ouf !

Maybe by autumn our kitchen will be back to normal, or even better than before...

Because the roofer is a professional building contractor, he can charge the value-added tax at a lower rate than the full 19% we pay at retail — his rate is about 7%. We his customers benefit from that.

A rose in the yard

For his two exams, by the way, the cardiologue in Blois charged me a total of 175 euros. About 70% of that sum is reimbursed by my French national medical insurance.

22 comments:

  1. What a (double) relieve! So glad you are OK and that the quote for the roof is 'reasonable'. Is it from the guy we saw last Thursday? Hope he can come and do the job soon. Martine

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  2. Hi Martine, yes, it was that man — the one CHM dubbed "Haricot Vert"...

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  3. That tart was so delicious, and a work of art, too !!

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  4. That socialized medicine is awful. Can you imagine paying only €175 for two visits and a few tests with a specialist and, in addition, being reimbursed 70% of that by a government program? At least, if it were in the States, you would happily pay ten times that amount, if not more, to make sure that insurance companies get a nice return on their investment which has nothing to do with your health!

    Glad M. Haricot Vert will be able to do the job at a reasonable price. Still, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

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  5. So glad to hear about the good Holter results, Ken. Good health really is everything.
    (Continue de manger bien et de faire un peu d'exécise avec Callie dans les vignes tous les jours. Ça va te faire du bien!)

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  6. all good news! on all fronts...and that tart is slayin' me. wow. but i've been puzzling over your white vs green asparagus. white asparagus is much more labor intensive to grow (as i understand it) so i'm surprised it is more common there. glad you are well.

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  7. Hi OhioFarmGirl, I'm not sure people in France are comfortable doing things the easy way. Pourquoi faire simple quand on peut faire compliqué ?, as a friend of ours says. There must be reasons for this preference for white asparagus. I'll do some research.

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  8. That's excellent news :-)

    and indeed the tart is beautiful

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  9. Great news!! I'm happy for you.
    Maybe I should freight my roof to France for repairs when it acts up again.
    Live long and prosper Ken.

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  10. Hooray for the good Holter results!! Sandy & I will be joining you in France very soon. Visas approved, movers coming next week, apartment in shambles. You've been an inspiration for years. We couldn't have reached this point without you.

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  11. Hi Mary R., what region of France are you moving to -- if I may ask. Best to you.

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  12. Your good news is our good news! Hoping the leak will finally be fixed.

    When we lived in Cincinnati we had a retaining wall that collapsed due to a mud slide and severe rains. Our house was endangered as well. Every time it rained I thought the worst. I imagine the continued rain is doing the same for you. You'll sleep better when the leak stops.

    Like the photo of your china cabinet and chest.

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  13. We're about to settle in the Gironde, Aquitaine. Our little town is Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, about an hour east of Bordeaux on the TER. Sweet retirement--I can almost taste it!

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  14. You have such a comfy home Ken. I am glad the roof will be fixed, your ticker is OK and your chef (and gardener) is amazing!

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  15. Mary, that is a beautiful area, at least as I remember it. Montaigne is one of the greatest French writers and his château is very near Sainte-Foy. Have you seen his tower and library.

    Nadege, LOL. Walt just came in from mowing the back yard. He did it this afternoon because it is supposed to -- guess what! -- rain again tomorrow.

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  16. Ah, great! All great news :) As always, that ham and asparagus tarte is GORGEOUS, and I know it is delicous, too. Beautiful photo of your home, too :)

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  17. Ouf pour le bon résultat post le port du holter ! Et ouf pour le toit !
    Bises
    Mary

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  18. Oui, MJ, tu l'as dit -- ouf ! Je vais voir le cardio une dernière fois, dans 15 jours, pour l'épreuve d'effort. Merci pour tes commentaires l'autre jour aussi. Bises...

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  19. Yes, chm, my Dr. charges $187 just to see her, any tests are above and beyond that! I am so happy to be on Social Security now, and I only pay $25 to see my Dr. and mostly $15 for tests, plus the $105/month to the government to have that opportunity!
    So happy for you, Ken!
    Fabulous-looking tart Walt made for you both!
    Hooray you finally got a roof bid!

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  20. Hoorah for your good news, Ken! Echoing Evelyn...your good news is indeed ours.

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  21. So good news all around. Bravo!

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  22. Congrats on the health issues and that is a beautiful tart. Impressive!
    Jeannine

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