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Post by Kimby on Jun 14, 2019 14:19:57 GMT
Fortunately they didn’t claim they were “owed” them for repayment of costs of caring for your mother...
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 14, 2019 14:42:22 GMT
They were the only two things that were not "owed" according to the family court order. The city of Paris wanted 62,000 euros when she died since she had been on welfare, so everything in her room was confiscated. I know that things like clothes go directly to the trash (as they should, almost certainly), but there was also a little refrigerator and a new television. "Those are not worth confiscating -- they are destroyed," said the administrator. Sure they are. (But I don't mind at all if somebody got them.) "Sometimes, there are some valuable things in the rooms." "Like Madame Soutine?" I asked. "I suppose she is gone now." "Oh, you knew Madame Soutine? She died last year. Yes, the city sent someone immediately to take the paintings, which were very valuable." I hope they end up in one of the municipal museums. For anybody who wasn't around when I first mentioned her father, here is the thread that I made about Chaim Soutine.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 14, 2019 20:49:38 GMT
After a three year battle, my mother's nursing home finally broke down today and returned her rings to me. Was the missing pendant ever found?
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 14, 2019 21:44:33 GMT
No, the little golden heart disappeared forever, as did the bottle of Chanel No. 5. When she died, even her valueless purse had disappeared from the drawer where I had put it. This is totally normal in nursing homes and hospitals, which is why everyone is told to not keep anything of value in such places.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 14, 2019 23:10:54 GMT
Kerouac I am happy for you that they eventually returned her rings to you. It is sad that they take everything. I do not think they do that here, in fact, they give the family 24 hours to remove the TV, dressers, recliners that are allowed in the rooms. They will try to accommodate you past the 24 hours but not by much, they will warn you that they will have someone come in and take everything. There is so little space in our nursing homes that they, unfortunately, have to be strict about this as there is always a waiting list.
We received all the forms for Mr. M's surgery next week, they were quite specific about leaving jewelry at home and not to bring any valuables at all into the hospital.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 15, 2019 0:25:41 GMT
I do not think they do that here, in fact, they give the family 24 hours to remove the TV, dressers, recliners that are allowed in the rooms. Oh, the reason they confiscated everything was simply because I managed to get my mother on "welfare" the last few years and did not have to pay anymore. That's because I had retired and my brother was unemployed (briefly but I didn't tell them how briefly). Since the care fees were close to 3000 euros a month (in other words 100 euros a day), the "debt" to the city rapidly built up. So when my mother died, the city tried to get anything that she owned back to cover the amount. Luckily, there was absolutely nothing left in her name. I never thought I would get the rings back, but when the court decided what to take, it said that the rings in the safe should be returned to the family. They were in the safe because she had pulled them off one day and thrown them on the floor. The problem was that I did not have an "inheritance certificate." That was because of all sorts of administrative problems that were insoluble due to documents that they wanted from the United States that were unobtainable. Among them: adoption papers by my stepfather, death certificate of my biological father, marriage certificate for my mother's second marriage, death certificate of my stepfather, etc. -- all of which required on official translation (very expensive). My last letter to them asked how many years they would keep the rings in the safe since I was the heir and they would not give me the items. "Perhaps after my death, my own heirs will ask for these items but how could they possibly get them since they don't speak French and could never provide any of the documents that you want?" And so they finally understood how stupid it all was.
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Post by mich64 on Jun 15, 2019 1:59:08 GMT
Thank goodness they finally understood. I am glad that the Court decided that the rings should be returned to the family. I understand that Government nursing homes do need funds to operate and that is why they try to recoup something.
I am not positive, but from what I understand, our Government care facilities expenses are covered by the Province if a person is unable to pay as well. But I think they do take a portion of ones monthly CPP, Canada Pension Plan, that Canadians receive after age 65, (but you can apply and receive a reduced amount at 60) and from their Old Age Pension Plan, another monthly amount that Canadians apply for when you turn 65. But, they do not take personal belongings in your room.
We are in the process of completing Power of Attorney's, Living Will etc.
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Post by questa on Jun 15, 2019 4:03:58 GMT
1945, wet and stormy night, my future husband was 5 and his brother 3. Father driving, Mother in front passenger seat. Tram approaching at full speed but Father steers to avoid it when a child runs out to signal tram. Father forced to run headfirst into the path of tram. He was killed and Mother went through the windscreen and was in a coma for 6 weeks. The boys were not injured.
When Mother was still in hospital she asked for her 3 diamond rings. They had been checked in but there was no record of them checking out. This was the major hospital and the rings were extremely valuable. A search was carried out by an independent company and all staff and patients interviewed...no rings or even any suspicion.
Forward to late '50s. Mother had become a top businesswoman. My city was home to a very skilled clairvoyant who was widely accepted in the community. Mother had decided that her rings had been stolen and went to consult "Mr Brown". What follows are scattered bits she told me.
There was no hocus-pocus, he just showed her to an old lounge chair and he sat across the room in another. He said 'you are grieving a loss,' she replied 'I lost my husband some years ago'. He said 'but it is not a person you grieve, it is something that has been accidentally destroyed' This stunned her because no-one had thought of that. He said 'I can sense turmoil and fear around you but you can't feel it. There are many people there and they are busy coming and going. A small object is given to one who takes it to a small room and puts it on a counter.There is blood on the counter. Another person enters the room and some cleaning paper is put on the counter covering the object. Both leave the room and another person comes in with more cleaning paper. As she starts to clean, the small object is caught in the paper.It is clear for me to see the object wrapped in the ball of blood-stained paper being dropped into the bin. [My mother-in-law was crying as she was telling me this and I couldn't ask the questions I had]
She told "Mr Brown" that the object was her rings.He agreed but his thoughts were that the rings had been tied together when they had been checked into the locked cupboard in the big room.
M-i-l was still sad, but much better than before,I think she hated the idea of someone else wearing her rings.
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Post by whatagain on Jul 4, 2019 19:25:25 GMT
Phew. Well I decided to post about some thing I did that deserves to say it means a lot. I went home and mowed the grass. I already did it yesterday to please my wife then stopped because my arm ached from the recent surgery. My wife continued but I had decided to finish it today. Just to please her. The power of love is incredible. When I think I could have watched tv.
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Post by questa on Jul 5, 2019 2:51:33 GMT
Just think of all the good Karma you will receive.....
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Post by whatagain on Jul 5, 2019 21:12:21 GMT
A woman according to my heart. Thanks. Well mrs whatagain was pleased.
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Post by rikita on Jul 5, 2019 21:23:00 GMT
sorting through all my stuff, including checking my cds to see which are still working (and copying them down on the computer, though i'll have to see if i put it on an external drive soon, for space reasons) - listening to some of those old cds wakes lots of memories ...
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 15, 2019 20:56:10 GMT
Oh, this should be interesting.
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Post by Kimby on Jul 15, 2019 23:55:32 GMT
I hope your guests’ standards are up to your own!
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Post by questa on Jul 16, 2019 1:20:53 GMT
That must be my communist side. To let other bathe in my swimming pool. But please don't eat my caviar ! Whatagain, I just love your expressions and word pictures. Here is the test...will you let the hairy skinhead drive the Porsche?
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Post by kerouac2 on Jul 25, 2019 18:20:42 GMT
I received a delayed invoice for the wiring that was done for the electric shutters and openers on my new attic windows. 505 euros. Ouch. Then I took a look at my bank account and saw that I had just received a transfer from the government for 690 euros. "Crédit d'impôt." I have no idea why, but I'm happy to have it.
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Post by bjd on Jul 25, 2019 19:02:14 GMT
Maybe the insulation in your roof got you some money? The government is pushing people to insulate and save energy.
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Post by rikita on Jul 29, 2019 19:38:28 GMT
had decided to only take one hair brush on our holiday - the one a. prefers, so one that is very soft, even though i prefer one that is hard ... now, being back home, it is a joy to be able to use my hair brush again ...
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 3, 2019 17:03:47 GMT
I received an unexpected phone call from an old friend. We have known each other for 30 years. Back then, I saw him quite often because I felt so sorry for him. He was basically homeless, half of his teeth had fallen out and he was dying of AIDS. He knew that he had no future, so he did really bother about working or other such useless things. Can it get much worse? I fed him regularly, sometimes he slept on my sofa, and then there was the hospital. I went to see him when he was in the hospital and I sometimes wondered if it would be the last time. But he was so optimistic. I have never known a more optimistic person. Then things started getting better. He got new teeth, his life got back more or less in order, and we lost track of each other most of the time -- perhaps a sign of life every year or two. Luckily he had other friends far more generous than me. He lived in an apartment on top of a fabric warehouse for years, free of charge, because his friends considered him to be the watchman.
Finally he left Paris for his region of origin (Metz) and actually went back to school. For the last six years he had been the chief financial officer of the Bugatti high school in Mulhouse. Today he phoned me out of the blue (while waiting for a train) to tell me that he was moving to Strasbourg where he has been named the chief administrator for exams for all of the professional high schools of the Alsace region.
According to everything they told us, this guy should have died 25 years ago. I am amazed at medical progress, even though I am quite sure that he is still taking about 20 pills a day.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 3, 2019 18:44:23 GMT
That is good news Kerouac, he's certainly turned his life around. Do not underestimate the importance of the role you played in his recovery. Your generosity helped him to remain the optimist that he was. I'm so pleased for your friend.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 3, 2019 19:37:38 GMT
Actually, the thing that really saved him is almost certainly that he became obsessed by AIDS research and was a member of one of the principal associations in France. He talked to me constantly about the latest discoveries and treatments and made me translate a lot of the English language research for him. He became so involved that he went to conferences in Canada, South Africa, Brazil and Australia (but not the United States which forbade entry -- maybe still does -- to anybody who is HIV positive). Frankly, I became almost as versed as he was in all of the terms and other such things although I have forgotten just about everything over the years since I was not personally concerned. I think he could have become an AIDS research doctor if he had wanted to, but he started out as an art student. (which is how I met him, through a mutual friend who met him in art school -- oddly enough, both Mossie and whatagain have met her over the years)
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 3, 2019 20:05:30 GMT
Wonderful story! He would be an exceptional person to have achieved all he has, even without all the illness and obstacles. Still, as Cheery points out, the leg up you gave him, along with those of other kind souls who helped, was really instrumental in keeping him on his feet.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 3, 2019 20:40:50 GMT
Anyway I told him that now that he is living in Strasbourg I might see him more often since it is very easy to go there from Paris. We did see each other last year for the first time in ages when he made a brief trip to Paris.
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Post by questa on Aug 4, 2019 1:11:44 GMT
Your Friend had the best treatment possible...good friends and good mental attitude. So many people just roll over, face the wall and die. I can understand how multiple rounds of chemo or radiation can lead to quiet desperation, but there are so many medical conditions that are treatable if not curable now. Your friend's story should be told far and wide to encourage the importance of friends and positive thinking. Well done, K2.
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Post by lagatta on Aug 4, 2019 13:08:29 GMT
How far east does the TGV est go nowadays?
Yes, wonderful news about your friend.
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Post by kerouac2 on Aug 4, 2019 13:57:28 GMT
The TGV goes all the way to Strasbourg, only 1h45 from Paris now. Of course farther east on TGV high speed tracks but on different ones are Cologne and Amsterdam (by Thalys).
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 4, 2019 20:46:17 GMT
Tescos, not my usual supermarket, sent me vouchers £12 off this week, then £8 off our weekly shop after that for the next 3 weeks. I suppose that it's designed to switch our loyalty from our current favourite supermarket (Asda...which is owned by Walmart!). Don't think that it'll work..
Jeff popped to Asda today to pick up our dog's favourite food...knowing that I was disappointed with the amount of jam I got from the blueberries the blackbirds didn't pinch...she got me 2 kg strawberries to play with. I have vast quantities of jam sugar to use up and lots of jam jars lined up ready to be filled. I thought that was quite sweet of him.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 10, 2019 15:46:31 GMT
I'm sitting in my living room enjoying the scent of the honeysuckle blooming at the entrance to my driveway. It was planted when I moved in here and has been a constant source of pleasure ever since.
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Post by cheerypeabrain on Aug 10, 2019 15:47:48 GMT
Oooh....honeysuckle is one of my favourate floral scents...
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 10, 2019 15:49:32 GMT
Yes, even though it is sweet, it's clean and fresh, not cloying.
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