Sheri a.k.a. Ze Mean Belgian Frog

sheri.Information

sheri.Journal

A WARNING: Dear Guest! Don't gnash your teeth everytime you meet a spelling or a syntax mistake! English is not my first language! So, please, be clement and keep in mind that, beyond the form, it's the content which truly matters!

You are intrigued by my personality? My sheer sagacity? My broad, shrewd, swift mind? The pertinence of my words? And you want to know more about me? I suggest you click on the three following links:

[Sheri - A Brief History]
[Sheri's Pictures]
[Sheri's Articles]

[Sheri's Page]
[Maison de Stuff]

A ride

Posted on 2008/05/08 17:25:28 (May 2008).

The more I listen to the news, the worse it gets. Genocides, murders, child abuses, rise of prices, corruption and so on. I'm tired of it. Tired. I feel like an old man who's been round the world and, sicken of it, finally decides to retreat on a remote estate where he would spend the rest of his days, growing his garden with passion and stupefying himself with wine.

Here, in our appartment, situated in a quiet area a little outside Vienne (40 km south of Lyons), I feel good. I realise that you don't need much to be happy. Sure I'd like to have more money. Who wouldn't? But what I already possess is enough to ensure felicity as I conceive it.

I have a job which offers perspective. A lovely wife. A bright kid. Another one who's "on the way". I have a well provided wine cellar. I have time to read. And I have time to write.
All I need now is a young mistress. You know, to give it a bit of spice.

The pics were taken on the way which leads to my in-laws. I like riding my motorbike, using tracks whenever I can. It instils a sense of freedom. And I must say, the surrounding countryside is pretty nice. Not like Italian Tuscany, of course, but pretty nice on the whole. When I stop amidst the fields, I'm always moved by the silence. Just the wind sweeping through the crops.
You see the sheep? T'was funny shooting them cose they seemed to deliberately turn their back on me.

Plus j'écoute les nouvelles et plus j'ai le sentiment que les choses dégénèrent. Génocides, meurtres, pédophilie, hausse des prix, corruption et ainsi de suite. Je suis fatigué d'entendre ça. Fatigué. Je me sens comme un vieil homme qui a fait le tour du monde et qui, dégoûté, désire acquérir une propriété isolée pour s'y retirer et finir ses jours à biner ses parterres, un verre de vin à la main.

Ici, dans notre appart situé un peu en dehors de Vienne (à 40 km au sud de Lyon), je me sens bien. Je réalise qu'il ne faut pas beaucoup pour être heureux. Bien sûr, j'aimerais avoir plus d'argent. Qui ne le souhaiterait pas ? Mais ce que je possède déjà est assez pour m'assurer la félicité.

J'ai un job qui m'offre des perspectives. Une épouse adorable et belle. Un gamin intelligent. Un autre qui est 'en cours'. Ma cave à vin est relativement bien fournie. J'ai du temps pour lire. J'ai du temps pour écrire.
Et j'envisage de prendre une maîtresse, histoire de pimenter les choses…

Les photos ont été prises sur la route que je prends en moto pour aller chez mes beaux-parents.
J'aime les chemins de campagne et je les emprunte à chaque fois que j'en ai l'occasion. J'éprouve toujours un sentiment de liberté. Je dois dire que la campagne environnante est belle. Ce n'est pas la Toscane, bien sûr, mais elle est belle. Quand je m'arrête au milieu des champs, je suis toujours ému par le silence. J'aime entendre le vent et voir les céréales onduler sous sa coupe.
Vous voyez les moutons ? C'était amusant de les prendre en photo. J'avais le sentiment qu'ils me tournaient délibérément le dos…

Comment 1

I am actually planning to get a motorbike myself! (well together with Chiara)... :D

Posted by Lox at 2008/05/08 20:37:17.

Comment 2

Ah! Excellent!
The News and general state of the world I fully agree with you about, and in the job I do, which involves meeting a lot of these "type" of people I see it very clearly every day...

May we come and live on your country estate too? :)

As for the motorbike - great idea! As you know I had a similar bike myself once, years ago. These days though I just walk.

Posted by Nigel at 2008/05/08 20:53:19.

Comment 3

Nicely put Sheri. I can definitely relate to that desire to get away from it all.

Although I do think the sentiment that the world is getting worse and worse is a lot more to do with perception than anything else. Compared to the second world war or the middle ages (diseases, absolutely no human rights etc) we're actually in a very safe and happy period of history.

Have you seen Bowling for Columbine? The message there is that the powers that be (through the media) basically want us to all be afraid all the time because it's a way of controlling us all. So all you ever hear about on the news is murder etc. Sure, terrible things do happen in the world, but for the most of us we have a very fortunate existence.

Posted by John at 2008/05/08 21:44:43.

Comment 4

I totally agree with you, John. If I were given the choice, if I were given the possibility to go back in time, I wouldn't.
The "remote estate" is a metaphor, meaning that I'm sick of the media, their sensationalism and the biased vision of the world they convey. As a result, I no longer watch TV, nor listen to the news on radio (except briefly in the car).

Posted by Sheri at 2008/05/09 07:07:19.

Comment 5

Funny how all of you, men, reacted to everything in the entry but the mistress thing...!

Posted by Mrs Sheri at 2008/05/09 07:10:47.

Comment 6

Cose they all have one, honey...

Posted by Sheri at 2008/05/09 07:26:24.

Comment 7

Ha! Mrs Sheri - there's no hidden agenda - we all know Sheri is only joking! :D (Joc won't let me have a Mistress anyway...!)

Posted by Nigel at 2008/05/09 08:40:35.

Comment 8

John, I agree with your comment regarding "bad things". Some years ago Alex had her bike stolen whilst she was a trainer for young cyclists. She reported it to the police, and as luck would have it, the policeman she reported it to had occasion to stop a cyclist - Alex's bike! The case went to court and when we were sitting waiting to go in, the policeman said to Alex to meet someone like here an ordinary "good" teenager restored his faith in the youth, because all he ever saw were villians.