It’s been a pretty weird year so far, hasn’t it?! Some elements of the lockdown have been quite positive I thought, some obviously not.
Catharine and I have both been lucky enough to be able to work from home mostly for the last few weeks but I imagine this is not the case for many of you that need to generate an income.
How are getting on?
Fine 
“all things considered” 
More to the point, how are you? And the poorly elbow?
All well here thank you.
I should exercise more but…
Thank goodness for WhatsApp.
The good weather always lifts my ‘mood’ 
Thanks for asking.
Being retired and in good health makes it easy, though I miss my weekly sessions at the piscine. Being allowed to get back on the beach is nice, but the water is a bit too cold right now!
Madame is busy sewing masks for the Mairie. She complains that sewing black fabric makes it unnecessarily difficult. I suggested she could hide slips of paper in th masks saying “I am kept in confinement and do not get paid for my work. Please inform the United Nations and the International court of justice!”
I find plenty to do in the garden.
We live in Manche, one of the least affected parts of France, but also one where there is as yet no immunity. So we feel it is important to be careful and still visit our local supermarket only once a week. We make our own bread.
It would all have been much harder without the Internet, that enables us to stay in touch with our widely separated friends and family.
Survive France is, as ever, entertaining distracting and informative, for which I am truly grateful!
Sounds like something out of a Chinese Foxconn facility Mike.
We are fine here in the Clunysois. We have been ‘promised’ a landline in a month!
It is a beautiful day and the hoopoe is calling away.
I do get down sometimes, I would love to have someone else make a meal and wash up.
Jim makes the sandwiches for supper, but it’s not the same.
I am lucky that we have the pool, but then having a bad back swimming is the best exercise
for me and I have to swim on my side, Indian style as the French say.
One of our favourite vignerons has just sent us a letter, they are open for business and our favourite wine has just won a Gold Medal, so we had better go and make sure we have some in stock in case the family can come at the end of August.
We try not to think what is happening to our pensions, but take each day as it comes and be thankful that we live here, have the garden and the chickens and my friend is now officially the new Mayor, so perhaps we will have more happening in the Commmune. We now have a system where the Mairie can contact us by e-mail if they need to tell us anything. You would have thought that was the least thing they could do, but apparently, some of the old folks did not like the idea. They probably didn’t have computers or smartphones anyway.
I think all of us have our ups and downs, but it is certainly much better when the sun shines and you have kind neighbours who bake you cakes and bring you huge bowls of cherries.
I believe there’s a cure for that these days Jane
Why on earth would you want it, ask Vero?
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Yo have gone too far this time Peter.
You are crass and insulting and it is about time you self isolated!
Not funny Peter 
just tedious.
Sorry Jane, I was just responding to @John_Scully’ bit of waggery. I know you love the place. 
Thanks for the apology @Peter_Goble to @Jane_Williamson and thank you for deleting the post but like @vero said…
You seem to be trying to singlehandedly turn this entire site into a pastiche of a Carry On film.
I am getting numerous complaints so can you please STOP IT!!!
Just send your jokes / comments as direct messages to the person concerned and all will be well 
Thanks.
What is somewhat concerning to us is that we are liking this a bit too much…we are fast becoming wanabee hermits (can you have two hermits in the same hermitage?).
We have adapted to a very peaceful existence, and while I’m pleased to have my pilates class back again, we seem to be able to manage fine without restaurants, cafés, cinema, concerts and more of a social life. We are now having tea with friends now and then, but nothing bigger.
Apart from some returning families who we like very much, we are really not looking forward to having our peace invaded by gite guests. If they all cancel I’m not sure I care!
There is a word ‘jeudredi’ not knowing which day it is, as they are all almost the same.
Sorry I didn’t mean to like this post I meant to like Cats one below
Sorry Jane, I’m sure you’re very happy there and it’s a lovely place, but it does sound a bit like an illness…
Now I’ll never know what you wrote 
Glad to see not much has changed in the weeks since I was last on here! 
Still here in the UK, furloughed from work but that means house nearly decorated ready to go on the market just three months later than hoped. We had to cancel our visit in April, obviously, and still unsure when we’ll be able to start looking in earnest, other than online.
Looks unlikely we’ll be able to sell in the UK then find and buy a house in France before the end of 2020 so our only chance of establishing legal residence under EU law seems to be a long-term rental. Might turn out to for the best as at least we’ll have plenty of time to find the right house for the next adventure!
Keep well everyone.
