Woke up at 6.30 and went down and made myself a cup of tea, lit the stove and fed the cats. We're having a lie in today as it's Saturday, so meditation is not until 8. I did not light the fire in the salle a manger. Soren did it later.
Feeling a bit ranty today. Tired. I've twisted my right ankle and also have planta fasciaitis in my right heel, which is a bit disabling. Want to sort out my journey back to England. Living here very different from Sweffling; much more of a 'community' - the discipline of the rule, living with relative strangers. I am not free to do as I please, at my pace, in my time. I think I could manage living here in my caravan, if I can make it reasonably comfortable - heat, water, a bit of power, a compost loo - and out of the way. Andrew talked yesterday of having a caravan park in the stable / farm yard, where the Edspace is, and my heart sank a little. I don't think he'd have a problem with me living in the woods. Paint the caravan green or brown. Get an awning. Make a chair. And I need to regulate the amount of work I'm doing. Definitely a day off tomorrow. Try and go to mass somewhere nearby. Andrew said he might come.
I need to get the all clear from Laurence i.e. am I acceptable? If not, I've rather burnt my boats.
Wanting to control, organise, tidy up. Andrew is a bit of an old woman, but perfect for the job - kind and gentle, and a bit diffident and ineffectual, everything takes forever and involves lots of talking. Why hasn't he got the electricity sorted out? He needs to shout at someone. Trouble is, who? And language is a problem. I'm surprised by how happy I am operating in French all the time (no choice with Jean Christophe, which is good) and how new words seem to stick - scie, pioche, pelle, gravier, toile. Must start my Babbel course.
Nice to talk to Aden yesterday morning.
Things I'm not doing: drinking (or even thinking about it) - lunch with Marie Dominique et al the first day was a bit tricky, and not having wine at supper with Andrew and Delith - they've stopped, not sure if on my account. Soren doesn't drink either. Reading. Going for a walk. Quiet time on my own (apart from smoking). Writing (apart from this). Proofreading Stuart's book. Meditating (I'm asleep or thinking of lists of things to do / buy, mostly).
Donald Trump has read, or is a perfect exemplar of, Hannah Arendt's "Politics and Truth" (The portable Hannah Arendt, present from H). All about 'fake' news and propaganda. The Americans have truly poisoned the well over the past 70 years.
The importance of chamber pots and the need for glasses larger than 33ml thimbles.
Realised the answer to my electricity supply issue to the Edspace was simple - 120m of cable + male and female plugs. My heart sank when Andrew said M Ruel had told him he would 'have an ESTIMATE from the electrician on Monday' and maybe actual electricity to the Edspace by the time I leave. We went to Castorama after lunch to get the cable and plugs. Andrew forgot the facture for the sink so we weren't able to get the sink base. Inspected the gate house on our return (20 kms mile marker stone outside, to Poitiers by the old road presumably). A large crack top to bottom down one gable end - a large oak 5 metres away is my guess - and needs re-roofing, otherwise good. Needs repairs and decorating. No bathroom / loo. One sink downstairs. Has electricity and water. Andrew wonders if we could take it off M Ruel and do it ourselves.
Coffee in bed before med. Soren is fixing the water heater. As well as a blacksmith and stove builder, he is also a master potter.
Day off tomorrow. Lovely. Right foot much better after a day not wearing my Greek boots. Andrew and Soren and I going to mass at Lusignan tomorrow at 11.
I have booked my journey back to England and feel hugely relieved - not because I want to leave here but because I want to progress things and know what I'm doing - and that means getting back to Sweffling and sorting the caravan / my things out ready for my return. TGV to Paris Charles de Gaulle on Tuesday, maybe go in to Paris to see Belle, overnight at the airport, early flight to Gatwick with Easyjet, and train to Kelvedon on Wednesday morning. Should get there by 11:51. Might see if I can airbnb in Paris, but I have to make a very early start to CDG Wednesday morning. Gate closes 6:45 am. Easier / cheaper to lurk in the airport. Have a treat meal, or see Belle, or both.
Got the leccy bits and connected it all up and tested OK. Nice evening with the others. A bit tempted by the thought of a nightcap after supper, standing outside with my fag and coffee. The creeping effect of France, or feeling comfortable and happy, or drinking NA biere blonde at lunchtime and before supper. Andrew and Delith finished off the vin (NOT the vin rouge, as Marie Dominique pointed out - all vin is rouge unless it's white, rose or sparkling which are reserved for special occasions). I think Andrew wants to go to lunch tomorrow at Thierry's bar in Marcay. Get some baccy.
First day for nearly a week when I haven't felt totally knackered. Interesting piece by Bill Bonner about how the US isn't really growing at all. Most counties are actually in depression - GDP growth is mostly growth in government spending, and double counted. The danger of averaging.
Feeling a bit ranty today. Tired. I've twisted my right ankle and also have planta fasciaitis in my right heel, which is a bit disabling. Want to sort out my journey back to England. Living here very different from Sweffling; much more of a 'community' - the discipline of the rule, living with relative strangers. I am not free to do as I please, at my pace, in my time. I think I could manage living here in my caravan, if I can make it reasonably comfortable - heat, water, a bit of power, a compost loo - and out of the way. Andrew talked yesterday of having a caravan park in the stable / farm yard, where the Edspace is, and my heart sank a little. I don't think he'd have a problem with me living in the woods. Paint the caravan green or brown. Get an awning. Make a chair. And I need to regulate the amount of work I'm doing. Definitely a day off tomorrow. Try and go to mass somewhere nearby. Andrew said he might come.
I need to get the all clear from Laurence i.e. am I acceptable? If not, I've rather burnt my boats.
Wanting to control, organise, tidy up. Andrew is a bit of an old woman, but perfect for the job - kind and gentle, and a bit diffident and ineffectual, everything takes forever and involves lots of talking. Why hasn't he got the electricity sorted out? He needs to shout at someone. Trouble is, who? And language is a problem. I'm surprised by how happy I am operating in French all the time (no choice with Jean Christophe, which is good) and how new words seem to stick - scie, pioche, pelle, gravier, toile. Must start my Babbel course.
Nice to talk to Aden yesterday morning.
Things I'm not doing: drinking (or even thinking about it) - lunch with Marie Dominique et al the first day was a bit tricky, and not having wine at supper with Andrew and Delith - they've stopped, not sure if on my account. Soren doesn't drink either. Reading. Going for a walk. Quiet time on my own (apart from smoking). Writing (apart from this). Proofreading Stuart's book. Meditating (I'm asleep or thinking of lists of things to do / buy, mostly).
Donald Trump has read, or is a perfect exemplar of, Hannah Arendt's "Politics and Truth" (The portable Hannah Arendt, present from H). All about 'fake' news and propaganda. The Americans have truly poisoned the well over the past 70 years.
The importance of chamber pots and the need for glasses larger than 33ml thimbles.
Realised the answer to my electricity supply issue to the Edspace was simple - 120m of cable + male and female plugs. My heart sank when Andrew said M Ruel had told him he would 'have an ESTIMATE from the electrician on Monday' and maybe actual electricity to the Edspace by the time I leave. We went to Castorama after lunch to get the cable and plugs. Andrew forgot the facture for the sink so we weren't able to get the sink base. Inspected the gate house on our return (20 kms mile marker stone outside, to Poitiers by the old road presumably). A large crack top to bottom down one gable end - a large oak 5 metres away is my guess - and needs re-roofing, otherwise good. Needs repairs and decorating. No bathroom / loo. One sink downstairs. Has electricity and water. Andrew wonders if we could take it off M Ruel and do it ourselves.
Coffee in bed before med. Soren is fixing the water heater. As well as a blacksmith and stove builder, he is also a master potter.
Day off tomorrow. Lovely. Right foot much better after a day not wearing my Greek boots. Andrew and Soren and I going to mass at Lusignan tomorrow at 11.
I have booked my journey back to England and feel hugely relieved - not because I want to leave here but because I want to progress things and know what I'm doing - and that means getting back to Sweffling and sorting the caravan / my things out ready for my return. TGV to Paris Charles de Gaulle on Tuesday, maybe go in to Paris to see Belle, overnight at the airport, early flight to Gatwick with Easyjet, and train to Kelvedon on Wednesday morning. Should get there by 11:51. Might see if I can airbnb in Paris, but I have to make a very early start to CDG Wednesday morning. Gate closes 6:45 am. Easier / cheaper to lurk in the airport. Have a treat meal, or see Belle, or both.
Got the leccy bits and connected it all up and tested OK. Nice evening with the others. A bit tempted by the thought of a nightcap after supper, standing outside with my fag and coffee. The creeping effect of France, or feeling comfortable and happy, or drinking NA biere blonde at lunchtime and before supper. Andrew and Delith finished off the vin (NOT the vin rouge, as Marie Dominique pointed out - all vin is rouge unless it's white, rose or sparkling which are reserved for special occasions). I think Andrew wants to go to lunch tomorrow at Thierry's bar in Marcay. Get some baccy.
First day for nearly a week when I haven't felt totally knackered. Interesting piece by Bill Bonner about how the US isn't really growing at all. Most counties are actually in depression - GDP growth is mostly growth in government spending, and double counted. The danger of averaging.
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