And here I go again - and, what a disgrace, I hadn't realised until I signed in that it's been almost a year since I put anything on here.
Too busy to blog - or maybe too lazy? I've composed an amazing number of items in my head, but they've never made it to the page here. I've also added many a comment or commentary on the dreaded Facebook - maybe it's quicker and easier when you type stuff in there. There's more urgency about it and no need to be so critical and review what you've written like on here. I'm not on Twitter and don't intend to go there, not just because my phone is ancient, but because I have a life! All too tempting to publish your thoughts for all to see.
So, rather than a review of the last year's events, just some of the latest. We are now all set for the winter. Winter and the weather are a serious matter here. It's a very rural area, with practically no public transport (near by anyway), quite high in altitude and quite hard winters, so watching the latest weather forecast is an important highlight of our evening! So, the wood for our ancient woodburner in the living room arrived about two months ago and that took a good day to barrow in to the woodstore, the chimney has now been swept, the oil is in the 4,000 litre tank in the cellar, candles and tinned food in the cupboard - oh, and wine in the cellar as well! The weather turned fiercely to winter a few days ago, with heavy snow over a few hours, but that has fortunately all melted here in the village, although you can see it all around on the high ground. It is however very cold, but we are prepared for the long haul ahead. It wasn't like this when we arrived two years ago. We were then lulled into a false sense of warmth and sunlight with good weather until the end of November when the curtain came down and winter came in.
So, apart from hauling wood and arranging cupboards, what have we been doing recently? Well, we are now members of four almost exclusively French associations - local community groups (plus a gardening group and we volunteer at an English library - quite a busman's holiday). The first association we joined was Les Collectionneurs de Treignac (Treignac Collectors' Club and more of that later), and two groups in our village here - Les Artistes Chambertois (Chambertois artists, even though I'm not an artist), and we were asked if we'd like to join and help set up another group Les Heures Musicales en Monedieres (Musical hours in the Monedieres - our local mountain area). We also joined a group in the next small hamlet Soudaine-Lavinadiere which has a vineyard and an fabulous archaeological dig going on on the site of a medieval abbey).
With my vast experience of community groups - friends will know what I mean by that - I was determined to be involved but not take on any more committee roles. Yesterday, Saturday, was the meeting to set up the music group and it was also Harry's birthday. The music group would organize the annual concerts of professional musicians which take place in the church or community centre every summer. The meeting was at 2.30 (to give everyone time to get over their two-hour lunch break which is practically sacrosanct in this rural area) in the Mairie. There were half a dozen people there - a couple we knew already, including one of the deputy mayors who had asked us to join - and we adopted a new constitution, with all the paperwork well organized and the meeting well conducted with no philosophical discussions or disruptive conversations. Then we were all invited to one of the local bars for a 'vin d'amitié' - literally a wine of friendship which is often offerred after meetings, official ceremonies such as the Remembrance Day parade, the New Year wishes meeting. Somebody pointed out that all the bars and cafes were closed (very rural France - not very commercially minded, especially once July and August are over) - but then two bottles of local Correzian wine were produced and a bottle of Chambertois cider. Harry's health was toasted and for the next good half hour we enjoyed sampling the local wine and listening to and trying to join in on a good bit crack. We have always been made very welcome and included and I think people appreciate you getting involved in local life in this way. But, so much for me refusing to take on any role! I was persuaded to become assistant treasurer, which I was assured would not be in the least bit onerous - I've heard that one before.
So, that's one meeting under our belt. On Tuesday we have another meeting of the artists group to form an association. The last meeting reminded me of many an experience in County Durham - a meeting of 12 or so people, with two or three people having their own separate conversations and meeting all the way through. I must make sure I get the right translation of 'Can we have one meeting please?' before Tuesday.
© Marie Tyler, 2013
