Mom is moving to France - Part II

The story so far:

Irene, Mrs. Lupin's 83-year-old mom, now alone, shaken by her husband Bob's loss and her clashes with the healthcare system, has bravely decided to expatriate herself and come and live with us in the South of France, proving that, even at her age, one can embark on new adventures. This move is being chronicled in this series of diaries:
Mom is moving to France - Part I

For background diaries Lupin Exodus and Healthcare to Bob, see links below fold.

The story continues...

As told in the previous diary, a month ago, we had gone to Los Angeles to help Irene file her application for a long-term visa with the French Consulate. We had benefited from some help from our local (French) Congressman.

The good news is that, last week, we were advised by the Consulate that Irene's visa had been granted, and that she can now move to France, starting November 1st.

In the meantime, Irene was very lucky to be able to sell her house at a reasonable price (no mean feat in California, these days) to a former colleague of hers, without an agent. The escrow is scheduled to close on October 30th and we are, of course, keeping our fingers crossed.

We are returning to California to help Irene with her move: the moving company is coming on the 29th, and various bits of furniture etc. need to be sold or disposed of before then.

On the French side, we haven't been idle: we are buying Irene a very nice village house only three doors down from our house. She will have the ground floor apartment (about 700 sq ft) for herself -- stairs would be a burden at her age and in her condition -- and we'll rent the other three apartments. Even with the renovation work, local subsidies (which cover about 40% of the budget) and rent support make it an attractive proposal from a purely business standpoint and will help supplement her income.

We expect her to be able to move in late January; in the meantime, she'll stay with us.

Irene is very excited at the thought of embarking on this new chapter of her life. She knows that she can rely on us to make transition very smooth. After three months, she will be eligible to join the French healthcare system, which will mean another saving. Currently her Blue Cross payments are taken directly out of her pension.

The only bad news about all this is the dismal US$ to Euro exchange rate which is "killing" us as a significant portion of our earnings are in $$ -- and so is Irene's pension and SS payments.

We're preparing to return to the States this week, and are keeping our fingers crossed that all will go well. If it does, we'll all be back here by November 2.

The adventure continues.

----

Background diaries:

Our "Lupin Exodus" diaries from late 04-early 05 describe how, just after the reelection of the Butcher of Crawford, the Lupins decided that enough was enough and moved from LA to Southern France:
Lupin Exodus - Part I
Lupin Exodus - Part II
Lupin Exodus - Part III
Lupin Exodus - Part IV

More recently, from last June to August, I chronicled how Bob, the 70-year-old husband of Irene, Mrs. Lupin's 83-year-old mom, passed away from liver cancer -- and some of the truly awful experiences generated by the healthcare system.
Healthcare to Bob - Part I
Healthcare to Bob - Part II
Healthcare to Bob - Part III

Blog.

•  Tip jar for words of encouragement etc.

  by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 08:55:43 AM PDT

  •  Any advice on how low income people can get the

    hell out of here, if need be?

    by Goodbye Kitty on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 08:58:21 AM PDT

    •  it's hard to quantify

      Obviously I'm not going to post personal info on the net, but Irene has a small pension + SS plus some investments, and we are not wealthy by any means either; in fact we took quite a cut in income by moving here, but the savings made up for it. We also have what I would call a "modest" lifestyle.

      If you're not a EU citizen and you can convince the French that you have independent income, which is of course the tricky bit, because they won't let you look for a job here, then you can live reasonably well in the boondocks, just as you would in the US, with real savings in healthcare and some other fixed costs (like insurance).

      I don't know if this answers your question.

      by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:07:04 AM PDT

    •  It's Not Likely Unless You Have Some Kind of Hook

      We have a home craft business that qualified for Canada, but then my aging mom had to come live with us, and we can't get her in so we stopped the application.

      by Gooserock on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:15:39 AM PDT

  •  Bonjour, I just read your series and would say

    congratulations on getting your mother over too. Sounds lovely.

    I lived in Paris, stayed in Normandy and Brittany for a few months each and would move back in a flash.

    I need to sell my business and my house though. My youngest son is graduating from college in June and maybe I will have a few more questions for you.

    Salut.

    by Brahman Colorado on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:09:34 AM PDT

    •  asdf

      Thank you. Feel free to contact us through the blog and/or the personal site (see sidebar to the right); if we can help we'll be happy to.

      by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:15:47 AM PDT

      •  Thank you.

        I have friends in Marseilles who want us to come. I never been to the south of France, so I should visit first.

        by Brahman Colorado on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:29:11 AM PDT

•  I'm glad to hear things are going well

  I'm glad to hear things are moving along so well for your mother-in-law. It sounds like French Immigration people move far faster than Canadian ones. Somedays waiting for Immigration Canada is like waiting for Godot.

  I also feel your pain on the weak US$ even being in Canada because for the first time in like 30 years the CDN$ is stronger than the US$. I have them both as well.

  I look forward to the rest of the journey diaries as I loved your last set about your own person exodus.

  by Eckhart1234 on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:06:45 AM PDT

  •  French immigration

    Yes, French immigration really performed well.  I had lowish expectations, based on our initial approach with the Consulate, but I was wrong. I have to say, the "Député"'s intervention really helped with the initial interview, and the officer was extremely sympathetic to the notion of moving our old mother to France. After that, I never doubted it would go through; I just didn't know how long it would take. They tell you between 2 or 3 months. In our case, they took a month.

    by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:11:35 AM PDT

•  My wife is fluent in French

  I have trouble with English  :-)

  And she is a specialist in aspects of American cultural history, although she does know something about African history and culture.  Me?   I teach US Government.    Hard to see how we would survive anywhere besides the US.

  There were times in my past when I considered other places.  I worked for a company one of whose founders had gone off and founded his own company based in Switzerland, although he lived in Munich.  He would have been delighted to make the arrangements to have me come work for him, and I consulted to his clients in Paderborn Germany and Toulouse France.   I loved visiting Leaves in England while she attended Oxford, and back in those days - as with my friend in Munich - my computer skills (mainframes, COBOL) gave me a transportable skill.

  I guess I feel obligated to continue trying to make a difference.

  Perhaps as close as I ever came to leaving as that I seriously considered becoming a monk on Mount Athos in Greece circa 1983.  For the previous two years my personal spiritual father was the abbot of Simona Petra.  I visited him that summer, and laid my concerns before him.   He pondered in silence for a while and then told me that while I could be an excellent monk, my life had been a preparation for marriage.   He instructed me to return and marry Leaves (whom he had never met), telling me that while I had a sensitive soul she had a more sensitive one, and that I needed to defer to her.  Wise words in many ways -  we got married in 1985.  I regret that I have been too stubborn to defer as much as I should, an occasion of much sorry I must admit.

  But here we are, bound together in a dysfunctional nation, each in our own way attempting to make a difference.

  Each of us must make the choice appropriate for the individual.  I do not criticize yours.  Pardon my long-winded reflection.

  Peace.

  by teacherken on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:11:34 AM PDT

  •  thank you muchly for the good wishes

    In our cases, the decision to expatriate ourselves was driven by a multitude of reasons. In random order: the disgust we felt at US policies; wanting to leave LA; being over 50 and self-employed, we could barely afford healthcare costs anymore; the desire for a more modest and ecologically sound lifestyle; our pessimistic outlook for the near-future in the US; our love for the South of France and all things French in general; etc. etc.

    In Irene's case, with Bob being 13 years younger, we never thought that she would outlive him. But with no direct family close by and her physical condition, we really have no choice but bring her here. (We would never consider placing her in a home.)

    by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:23:56 AM PDT

•  Goodluck with the move!

  I stayed in Europe, Germany and Italy, over the last year on study abroad programs. I might move myself one day, hopefully to Switzerland! Anyway, I think she will enjoy the new atmosphere!

  And really talk about the dollar dropping. I left all my money in dollars. When I first arrived in Europe the exchange was at 78 euro cents per dollar. When I left to go back to the US it was 73 euro cents and now it's dropped below 70 euro cents per dollar! I wish I had put all my money into a European bank.

  by Progressive America on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:11:37 AM PDT

  •  Barring Knowing Something Specific

    I'd think a 50-50 split would be prudent.

    We've just sold a house and must park the equity for 6-9 months while we rent and figure out where to go from here.

    We plan to put (at least) half of it into a foreign currency money market acct. although we're totally ignorant about how to evaluate institutions that offer them. All we know is our local bank doesn't.

    by Gooserock on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 09:19:10 AM PDT

•  Congratulations

  on being having a belle mere willing to emigrate! My mother, who is now 87, just won't travel anywhere overnight anymore. Fortunately, she lives in a retirement community that she likes very much and which she can afford.

  My husband and I live in the northwest of England most of the year and in the Lot for several months in the summertime. I love both countries and am glad I don't have to choose between them! Marriage to an Englishman makes me an EU resident and so I benefit from the cultural norms of universal healthcare and through my husband a state pension (of my own)! It may interest some of you to learn that a British friend of mine who lives with his American wife in Florida discovered that his wife was also eligible for a British pension of her own, even though she has never lived nor worked in the UK!!!

  A few years ago, my husband and I considered returning to the US, which we did for a while to look after my parents while they decided what they wanted to do and where they wanted to live. Both of us have health issues, however, which make this impossible for any but short-term visits. It is difficult for me as I have family on the East and West Coast and it would be helpful to them if I could be closer to them. So we are trying to figure out how to bring them over here --

  It breaks my heart to see my country in a state of deterioration. Teacherken, you are so needed to encourage and to teach what we are supposed to be about. Without dedicated teachers like you the country will become lost, a damning footnote in the history of the world. But still, I would love to have you for a neighbour!!

  by Kathie McCrimmon on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 10:06:53 AM PDT

•  My sistter has lived in France many years & loves

  it.  She lives in Uzes, in the Provonce region. She returned to US for a brief period after her husband died, but was unhappy. She now "thinks" like a European, and was appaled by the waste in America and the inaction of the citizens for solving problems.    

  by drmah on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 10:15:47 AM PDT

  •  asdf

    Subjectively, in our case, things began to sour in 2000. Some of it (well, most of it) was Bush-derived, but life in LA became increasingly difficult as well.

    Just last month we were caught in traffic jams on the 10 fwy at 5 in the morning. For like 100 miles. What kind of life is this?

    Where we live it's 20 miles to the nearest traffic light and we complain when we see more than 3 cars on the road.

    But we were very happy in LA for 20 years or so.

    by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 10:51:31 PM PDT

•  I am so jealous

  Happy for your mom, :), but still jealous. I've had a French music CD playing all morning, and just this week decided to spring for French lessons from Rosetta Stone immersion CDs. I doubt I'll ever make the move - no money. It won't hurt to learn another language even if I don't get to go.

  by OLinda on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 10:41:11 AM PDT

  •  asdf

    Funnily enough, Irene has purchased the Rosetta Stone course and has begun to refresh her French. (She learned some way back when at university.) I was very impressed that she was able to have a small, very basic but proper exchange with the immigration person.

    by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 10:48:08 PM PDT

    •  I've been using

      the Pimsleur system, and find it the best of any of the tape or CD lessons I've found.

      by Mnemosyne on Tue Oct 23, 2007 at 07:48:46 PM PDT

•  Live well! n/t

  by Bob Love on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 12:18:45 PM PDT

  •  thank you! n/t

    by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 10:46:26 PM PDT

•  Congratulations

  on getting so much accomplished!  I am happy for Irene.  It sounds just wonderful.  

  Best wishes for the packing and move, itself!!  

  by cfk on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 01:12:17 PM PDT

  •  thank you! n/t

    by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 10:46:11 PM PDT

•  Benvenuta in Europa, Irene...

  from a new neighbor in Italy!

  by Donna in Rome on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 04:24:11 PM PDT

  •  thank you!

    I only know the Tuscany region, but it's beautiful.

    by Lupin on Sun Oct 21, 2007 at 10:45:55 PM PDT

    •  If you ever happen to come down this way,

      let me know!

      by Donna in Rome on Mon Oct 22, 2007 at 02:47:16 AM PDT