May Day

This is what it says for today in the itinerary for the bike ride:
Cienfuegos. May Day Rally. The group has a special invitation to join thousands of Cubans taking part in May Day celebrations, one of the most important events in the Cuban political calendar. A truly inspiring event. 
So now they are more than half way through their cycling, having completed 3 days. Vicky phoned me after the first, and longest, day on Sunday. "I made it! and Debby and I were in the vanguard!" The vanguard? In my ignorance I'd always thought that was at the back, something like the guard's van on a train. Obviously not, by the exultant sound of Vicky down the (not very clear) phone line. She'd been so sure she'd be bringing up the rear. 

Anyway, today is a day out of the saddle celebrating in Cuban style. Hope she has some pictures. My camera has taken umbrage at not going to Cuba and stopped working. Vicky recommended this camera repair place but all I've done so far is get a quote. So, I'm reduced to taking pictures on my phone, like most of the population these days.

I've had a busy week, considering I wasn't expecting to be here. Offchurch Garden Club on Monday, interesting evening with Brian Ellis from Avondale Nursery, near Coventry. He always has good growing tips sprinkled among whatever he's talking about.We succumbed to 3 plants, a geranium, a bizarre persicaria with arrowhead shaped leaves (normally I would just pop downstairs from the office and check its name, but not 'popping' anywhere at the moment, especially anywhere involving stairs) and a japanese anemone that I think was best in show at Chelsea a year or 2 back. I had hoped to take root cuttings from it but doesn't appear to have enough roots yet. But the main result of the evening was that John and I started to mull over ideas of completely redesigning our 'front garden' It's only been there 5 years but we designed it originally as a backdrop to Roz and Jamie's wedding, at which it was lovely, but its not turned out to be what we'd originally intended, and now we think we'll start all overt again. If I'm still blogging when we get around to it, I'll let you know! 

On Tuesday I had (almost) all my hair off. I had planned to do that before going to Cuba, it was one of the things I hadn't got around to. I asked John to take some 'before' pictures:  

contemplating the 'out-of-control' garden

my selfie!

but took my own 'after' ones 

not the easiest thing, taking a picture of yourself without looking at the camera.

I took a photo to the hairdresser that I found on the internet when I googled 'short hairstyles for over 50's' It was of Jamie Lee Curtis and I said that's how I want my hair. He covered the face on the photo and asked if I still liked the hairstyle. What did he think I wanted - a total revamp?? Ah well, its quite literally a weight off my mind.

Tuesday evening was one book group, having read 'Dominium' by C J Sansom. Not the right book to read in my slightly depressed state of mind, but it sparked a lively debate about pacifism and whether war is ever the best way to proceed. I even brought the peace scarf and opposition to Trident into it.

And Wednesday evening was another book group (yes, I know, thats really too many but... its just a pity they meet on consecutive evenings) at which we discussed 'A redundancy of courage' by Timothy Mo. I'm afraid I hadn't read much of it myself as I couldn't face another book about man's inhumanity to man, war and barbarity. This one is a fictionalised account of what happened in East Timor (or Timor Leste, as I understand its now called) and was chosen by Sylvia, who's son lives there with his Timorese family. That she could tell us that so much of the book was an accurate account of the last 40 or so years makes it almost more difficult to read. So much brutality, murder, warfare, torture, starvation.