Living and Gardening in Brittany

How strange that UK are closing libraries and here even the tiniest village is opening a library. The local town has a brand new mediatheque with six computers. The next village has just renovated their library, another has a new mediatheque with computers and a third has a brand new library. I am talking about villages with populations of  1/2 thousand. There is a paid area coordinator and the rest of the workers are volunteers. I am a volunteer. Open Day in St Vran Library

I seem to have avoided computer viruses since I bought this new laptop. Touch wood. But I haven't avoided the other type. Feeling exhausted at my age  always poses the question, 'Is it age related (like my macular degeneration) or is it a virus?' Consoling my urge to garden by browsing the catalogues. Now it is Wednesday which is market day and library afternoon and Breton dancing evening. I can't do all three so I have to choose.  Tonight there will be a Danish group of dancers and muscians.

Life is difficult sometimes especially when you are not well and you have 2 cordes of wood to stack but hey we are living in peace and feel safe and the view from the window changes daily. I really only have to worry about feeding the birds and the cats. Finished stacking the wood in between the showers. I have cancelled all regular groups this week so no gym and no dancing and no sauna. But it's quite nice listening to the radio and reading and playing on the net without feeling guilty.

Lovely sunny day today. I stacked some wood and cut more of the Pampas grass; when there is a big job to do I divide it in to parts and estimate how many days it will take me to do it. I looked at the pampas and saw a circle. I thought I could cut a quarter at a time. So I have done 2 quarters ie a half. I cut out out some of the dead wood from the Mimosa. the weight of the snow in the Winter broke some of the branches. I can't believe how tall it is and that I planted it. I must take some photos of the trees I planted to remind my self that trees do grow. Each time I plant something I feel sure that it will die. I never leave enough room for things to grow. I end up having to more stuff. that is not to say that things don't die.  I hope that the iris that I have divided from under the oak tree and planted in my new garden will be rampant. I finally divided some primroses too. could be a mistake because they are in flower but I guessed that florists make their mixed pots that...

Will I never learn? I have overdone it again and caught something nasty which has meant that instead of catching up with jobs I have been confined to couch and sleeping away the days and wishing I could be in the garden but not having the will or the strength. I have had to cancel three dance events and gymnastic and the library workshop which I promised to help with. I did manage to take some photos of my garden to show that spring can't be far away. Primroses and catkins and pussy willows.  Two cords of wood arrived too so now I have to spend time stacking that. I enjoy doing it but wish I could have more time in the garden. Still the weather is warmer so perhaps if I pace myself I shall be able to get a couple of days outside at the end of the week. I think I caught the bug at the library doing the poetry workshop in Merdrignac it was a brilliant workshop. http://mediathequemerdrignac.over-blog.fr/

When I was in the UK I couldn't wait to get back to my garden but I found that there were so many other things to do that I had only one day in the garden. There was the Monday bilingual meeting which is usually my friend Yveline helping me and a couple of other friends to speak French. Then I spent  half a day hoovering the library and wondering,' Why am I doing this when I hate house work and haven't hoovered my place since before Xmas'. (Still haven't).  I had to spend time planning the quiz, getting the questions ready and practising reading the French questions. Then of course the quiz itself. It was a great success and even though it was on Sunday afternoon, family day in Brittany we had 30 people. The winning team gave back the prize and the Pub donated 2 bottles of wine for the 2nd and 3rd teams. This week started with the Monday group going for a walk around the newly landscaped public gardens in St Vran, the next village. It is a really lo...