Soar-Dream-France

More of Marina's Magic

Are you over poppies? Surely, not! And it doesn't make any difference if you are, because I have to share another one of Marina's marvelous creations with you. As you can see, we've been having some fun. It started with my face in the center of the poppy and ended with this beautiful poppy hat! Just perfect for a stylish girl in her overalls, don't you think? I love it. Marina keeps us all smiling with her photo creations. In the past, she's turned me into Mona Lisa and our friend Jean into the "Queen of Sweets"-as many of you who know her and have had her desserts can attest. I might be the queen of the Jazz Fest in this hat! I can tell you one thing, if you were trying to find me at the Neville Brothers close-out in a sea of hundred thousand people...I'd be easy to spot! Thanks for making us all so special and making us smile Marina! Your Lot River and your friends in Cadrieu are hoping to see you this summer! Love, Laury

When Less is MORE-Facebook Friends

How many times in one day do you post to Facebook?

I would like to encourage some of my friends on Facebook to consider the old concept "Less is More". There are some days when I receive close to 25 hits in a row from the same person-music-photos-quotes-causes. I don't understand this. What is the motivation? What do you hope to gain? I end up just scrolling through it to get to the end and not even reading what's been posted.

I care about my "friends". This "unfriending" stuff is not very appealing to me. But since my Facebook is "en Français" you are asked if you want to "retire" someone. I like the idea of retiring you, but still being friends. I hope that's possible. If it keeps up the way it has recently, I see some of my friends heading toward early retirement.

Oh, and by the way-I don't play games, do contests, or participate in chain letter type things-especially if they threaten me! Whew-that feels better! Happy Sunday Everyone!

Dog Trots Globe-by Sheron Long

 

Seeing Chula with the wind in her face at the market and on her many adventures between Provence and Paris, you'll know once and for all that La Vie en Rose exists for everyone in France. Chula is a perfect ambassador for our canine friends and family.

If you're not a dog person when you start Sheron's book; you will be by the time you finish. Chula is smart, funny, adventurous, mischievous, and sometimes manages to do things I would never even consider. I confess: I fell in love with Chula.

 Sheron's blending of photos, music, videos, and illustrations carry us along with Chula as she's out on daily routines that become  adventures and attends special events that anyone would enjoy.

 But, my favorites were the illustrations by Darius Detwiler. You just can't catch all these antics on film. Whether Chula is letting the cats know who's boss or sneaking a baguette out of a passing woman's basket, Detwiler captures the light-hearted grab and the canine pride perfectly. How dare they not sell dog biscuits at the local patisserie? I'd bet you might discover special "Chulas" dog treats coming soon!

 

 

Then, there are the moments you can catch on film. Dirty socks at a Paris gallery opening...Mon Dieu! But don't worry, Chula won't let that happen a second time!

 

By the time you finish Dog Trots Globe-you'll be ready for some French antics of your own! I can see it now...off comes that tie...off comes that leash...put those high heels in the trash can-we'll see you in France!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Dog Trots Globe is available in a variety of formats: print book (OIC Books and Amazon); standard eBook (Amazon and in the Apple iBookstore) and enhanced eBook with audio and video embedded (Apple iBookstore). The hardcover edition is available only in the USA. Images copyright by Sheron Long. All Illustrations by Darius Detwiler. For more information email: sheron831@gmail.com

 

And I Was Only Worried About the Birds

Even though Dali and Sam had moved down the train tracks to stay with Evelyn and Lucie while I was in Holland working, I've since discovered that "Chez Laury"-Restaurant and Hotel was open for business during my absence. When I returned we did discover a colony of field mice living in the underground box for the water meter, and evenings and mornings I would hear a knocking and knawing near one of the copper hot water pipes upstairs. It was just so cold that I figured someone was trying to get inside and get warm. I couldn't find them. No one came dashing across the living room floor or was found dangling out of Sam's mouth, so I just didn't worry about it. I didn't realize that they were having breakfast, lunch and dinner too!

Spring came with cleaning and dieting, and for me-mysteries solved. Spring cleaning upstairs, I discovered that every walnut in 2 duck baskets that I'd stashed in a box to store had been eaten. Ah, that was what that noise was about. But then dieting earlier in the week, I went into my stash of walnuts out in the addition. I vaguely remember that the wooden lid on the crate I was using was not completely closed. I'd closed it and just moved on. Opening it up last week, I discovered that the whole top layer of walnuts had been eaten too.

Oh well, on to more dieting and cleaning. And, Bon Apetit to all!

Hard Working Girls

Determining the gender of various animals is not one of my strong suits. Sometimes you just can't get close enough to tell for sure! When my friend Yves called last weekend there was a word in French that I just didn't get. When I said I didn't understand, he said: "chickens". Confused again. I thought chicken was poulet, but it turns out "hens" are special...they are "poules". Now, I can be confused in two languages!

The girls have been busy, producing way more eggs than Yves can use. It was sweet of him to share. He came over earlier in the week with these beauties. Everyone raves about "fresh" eggs around here, so I felt pretty special. I shared some with Evelyn, but then noticed something interesting about these...they are white. My first Easter here I hunted and hunted for white chicken eggs to color, but ended up getting white goose eggs from one of my neighbors here in the village. Hmmm, maybe I need to make a special request to Yves to get the girls busy for the holiday. We shall see. The 2 shots below are from Easter 2007-What fun!

Hooray for Hot Water Day!

After putting every umbrella up everywhere, I began to make my lunch for a wonderful respite in the sunshine. High noon on the terrace has been warm and toasty the last week or so. Before I got very far, I heard someone pulling up outside my window and went to check. There was my plumber-Pierre Pipart-backing into the drive. Pierre had come last Friday on very short notice, surveyed my damages from the freeze (with the consultation and oversight of Patrick) and got me to a place where I at least had water for the first time since my return from Holland. He told me when he left to check the hot water in the morning-well, every morning since Friday I checked-hoping a new hot water heater was NOT in my future. Evidently, Celine (his wife) had told him I'd emailed with the good news...no more leaks but the bad news...no hot water. He blew over to the Chatette before heading home for lunch, et voila...something was off at the bottom of the hot water heater. We were running hot in no time, and by his Saturday morning return we should be at full force all over the Chatette.

I was so excited I called all my friends. Evelyn wasn't home, but returned my call. She  hadn't listened to the message so I just invited her to a Hooray for Hot Water celebration on the terrace. In no time, she and Lucie were on their way down the tracks to celebrate with us. What better way to say hooray for hot water than wine, cheese, fruit, saucissons, french bread, chocolate and cookies on the terrace in the sunshine with good friends? It seemed quite appropos that while milking the last drops in the bag of red wine from the cubi for Evelyn, my first wine spill of the season looked like a map of France! At least it was on the table and not on me this time!

 

Giggling Girlfriends

This wonderful gal and pot were gifts from Stew, Eric and Denise while they were here to visit last September! Girlfriend came down with them from Paris and the pot was one that I'd picked up when we were together in a shop I love in St. Cirq Lapopie and said: "I just love this stuff, one of these days I'm going to buy some for the Chatette!" Et Voila! With all of us scrambling to get warm around here and looking for discreet places when nature calls, you have to wonder what girlfriend is up to. Every time I pass her in her pot I giggle! What do you think she's up to?

 

Patio Peeing to...

I'm grateful for a lot of things today. First, I'm grateful that I'm NOT a total girlie girl. Living with no water and fireplace heat requires a much stronger stock than that...no make-up, barely able to comb your hair, layer upon layer of clothes, with that easy access for calls of nature that overalls don't even afford. It's panty hose and dresses for peeing if you please! Sam just stays under the covers, but Dali and I are bonding even more. We head outside together when we get up in the morning. We both have our spots. She finishes first and always comes over to me. The other morning she kissed my nose. This morning it was as if she was standing guard just in case some wayward neighbor was wandering around out in the dark and spied me in a rather compromising position on my terrace. Considering an old boyfriend actually turned the headlights on me once when I was in the act, it would take a lot to get me riled up. I guess Dali is more protective than I realize. She wasn't there to protect me when SAUR, our water company, arrived yesterday. I teased in my pitiful French, that I am living like I'm camping-peeing on the terrace, peeing in the garden...and the sweet, handsome young French man with a blow torch to my pipes in the cave said: "Perhaps you can pee on the pipes tomorrow!" I am also grateful for my wonderful friends and the HUMOR of the French.

Enquiring minds want to know-these photos are all from a previous winter, but I think you get the "drift".

Wild for Wheelbarrows

During one of our spring time walks, I discovered this wheelbarrow waiting for action in one of my neighbor's yards. It wears its years well and could become quite an aritistic centerpiece-still useful. Two of the first words I learned in French were: Emprunter-to borrow, and Brouette-wheelbarrow. I was excavating the lower garden terrace and discovered I needed to be able to haul all that soil, grass, and gravel somewhere. I wandered over to see Patrick-armed with my: "Je voudrais emprunter une brouette." Miraculously, I made myself understood. (Patrick's wheelbarrow was just as artistic as Andre's, but not quite as colorful.) Later that summer of 2005, Jim and Joan came to visit. They took off on foot one afternoon to wander into Cajarc. As I was laying dinner out on the terrace later that evening, I saw it...my own very beautiful deep green wheelbarrow waiting for me there. They had wheeled her all the way home from Cajarc! What a treat-wonderful memories-and Huge Merci to Jim and Joan! My green girl is still going strong and getting regular workouts!

A Multi-faceted Limousin

Mon Dieu! There she is again with that damn camera of hers! Last time she was here she took a shot of my behind and plastered it all over the internet! She won't get another opportunity this time...I'm going to stand behind this tree, looking regal and show her my best! There, that's more like it! But then, that last shot was so much fun. It brought more people to see me and shows my great range: regal in portrait or mooning Limousin...I like the attention even if I already know I'm pretty special!