weather
The good weather has returned now that all my visitors have left and the children are back at school. I would like to swim in the sea now that it is warmer but I have a back log of gardening to do. That's life. Decisions, decisions. Everyday poses so many options that I have trouble deciding what to do. Swim, garden, paint, write, eat out, shop, play music, visit friends? But I never forget that I am so lucky to be able to choose.
I have to get up at 5 o'clock tomorrow because I am going on a trip with the club to Le Puits en Fou. I hope it's worth it. I am the world's worst early riser. Will tell all next week.
Fest Noz
I think I wrote before about the term which means Folk Dance or Ceildhi, a word I have always had trouble spelling and with which no spell checker can help.
The last one I attended was at Jugan Les Lacs which as you can tell by the name has lakes nearby. The Fest Noz was by the lake-side on the local football ground and was attended by about 500 hundred people of all ages. It really is a powerfull feeling dancing in a circle with so many people exactly in step and moving in unison.
There were two bands, one of which was composed of two fiddles and a guitarist. The two fiddlers were young women and the guitarist was a young man. It's nice to see young people playing traditional music and the young man called the dances.
It was free of course. I seem to say that a lot but I have been so used to everything being expensive in England that its such a suprise to find that life does not revolve around money.
Which reminds me that I have to pick blackberries to thank my neighbours for their gifts of vegetables.
Fest Noz
I think I wrote before about the term which means Folk Dance or Ceildhi, a word I have always had trouble spelling and with which no spell checker can help.
The last one I attended was at Jugan Les Lacs which as you can tell by the name has lakes nearby. The Fest Noz was by the lake-side on the local football ground and was attended by about 500 hundred people of all ages. It really is a powerfull feeling dancing in a circle with so many people exactly in step and moving in unison.
There were two bands, one of which was composed of two fiddles and a guitarist. The two fiddlers were young women and the guitarist was a young man. It's nice to see young people playing traditional music and the young man called the dances.
It was free of course. I seem to say that a lot but I have been so used to everything being expensive in England that its such a suprise to find that life does not revolve around money.
Which reminds me that I have to pick blackberries to thank my neighbours for their gifts of vegetables.
Hospitality
I am still suprised and not a little ashamed when we are invited to our French friends' homes for diner. I hate cooking and when I confess this sin to my French friends they are not a little shocked. I do make an effort of course and always return their hospitality to the best of my ability but have far to go to reach their standard of cuisine. Our last meal out was at the home of Pierre and Annick . Pierre likes to play the accordion between the courses with Phil (fiddle) and Alan(whistle). As you can imagine if we begin at 8.00 pm as usual we rarely leave the table until 2.00 am except of course when a Breton dance tune is played and then those who can, leave the table to dance. All of the five courses are always delicious and all are accompanied by fine wine.
Visitors
Unfortunately for my August visitors they arrived the day the 'canicule' ended. The local Festival de Jazz was not affected. We enjoyed Dixieland, Samba, Salsa, African, Brazilian, Trad and Hot Club rhythms amongst others, all free in a variety of beautiful settings. One day the Festival came to my village and as it was my visitor's birthday the band played Happy Birthday for him. The same day we joined the walk to a nearby lake where we enjoyed our picnic to the strains of the same band. We then walked on to the main festival site exhausted after the 10 kilomete walk where we were renergised by some friends who met us for a birthday drink whilst we listened to three more bands.
My favourite by far was the big Salsa Band who had been to Cuba to learn the rythms and had the hundred strong crowd dancing in the street. I have never seen so much musical dexterity on my doorstep.
Full Life
I want to write up the last few weeks but feel rushed for time. so much has happened in my personnel life and in the world. First I have to say how I killed my computer. I dropped it on the floor and discovered that the screen looked rather like modern art in its scrambled form. I threw it on the floor again and left it there. Each time I walked near it throughtout the dayI jumped on it. The anger gave me the energy to move my painting equipment from my attic studio to my new studio in a summer house in the garden. As I was throwing the unbreakable items out of the window to save myself the three storied twisted staircase I thought, ' Mmmmmmm.' I took the laptop to the attic and flung it through the window and listened to the satisfying crash. It stayed where it landed for a few days and then I invited visitors to jump on it too which they did with relish no doubt thinking they would like to do the same to their computer but they are obviously not as crazy as me . Yet.
Full Life
I want to write up the last few weeks but feel rushed for time. so much has happened in my personnel life and in the world. First I have to say how I killed my computer. I dropped it on the floor and discovered that the screen looked rather like modern art in its scrambled form. I threw it on the floor again and left it there. Each time I walked near it throughtout the dayI jumped on it. The anger gave me the energy to move my painting equipment from my attic studio to my new studio in a summer house in the garden. As I was throwing the unbreakable items out of the window to save myself the three storied twisted staircase I thought, ' Mmmmmmm.' I took the laptop to the attic and flung it through the window and listened to the satisfying crash. It stayed where it landed for a few days and then I invited visitors to jump on it too which they did with relish no doubt thinking they would like to do the same to their computer but they are obviously not as crazy as me . Yet.
communication breakdown
I have been unable to blog for the past few weeks as my computer started to do strange things and in my frustration, as I had lost weeks of writing, I killed it.
My son tells me that if I have a new computer I must learn how to save things thoroughly before using it to write important documents. He's right of course but you know what it's ( correct vici ! ) like. Do you ever read the instructions to new equipment/self-assemble furniture etc before trying yourself.
I can't find the question mark on this computer which I am using in my local 'Cyber Commune'.
Having just checked my e-mails I discovered one from Wanadoo my provider to say that during the current weather of violent storms it would be best to switch off phone connections and live boxes. What's that about hindsight being a wonderful thing. Too late.
