Soar-Dream-France

There's a New Restaurant in Town

Dali and I were making our way up the hill behind the Chatette this morning and ran into one of our regular "neighborhood" cats.  This fella walks up and down the hill between Christiane's and Josie's where they both leave milk, crunchies and water out for him.  It wasn't till we were coming back down the hill and made it to the traintracks that I remembered, his benefactresses are both in Scotland for the next 10 days.  I wonder if he has any food?  All bowls were empty. Fortunately, I have an extra self-feeder.  Got Dal home and went back with an almost full self-feeder of crunchie cat food.  I thought I could just put it inside the gate and go, but no.  It's never that easy.  Patrick had put a lock on the gate.  I looked around for openings, but finally spied these terra cotta roofing tiles (something else that I covet every time I pass). I was able to move some around to make the side walls for a little shelter, and put the bottom of a window flower box drainer over it with another tile on top to hold it in place.  That way, there's a little roof on the shelter so his food doesn't get wet.  I wasn't sure if he'd come and then if he came, he'd like it, but I think our new restaurant in town just got 5 Stars!

Evelyn is leaving the states today-she will be here tomorrow night around 5ish! You might hear Cahors wine induced giggling from my terrace tomorrow evening regardless of where you are in the world!

To Vege or Not to Vege!

I guess you can tell by now, that I had a lot of fun photographing my display of fruit and vegetables collected for my workshop participant, Dorian.  Frankly, I'd rather photograph them than eat most of them.  (Or in the case of the plums, collage them!)  I snuck a few wild blackberries, which were sweet and juicy and found myself nibbling on the tiny tomatoes from Jean-Paul and Christiane, as if they were cookies.  Then, there's that tiny little cucumber who is just too cute to eat.  The vegetable basket is pretty empty this morning, since many of them are on their way to Montpellier in Dorian's sack lunch.  It was a great workshop day yesterday, and when we were finished, we still had time to squeeze in St. Cirq Lapopie before the sun went down.  St. Cirq Lapopie is always a good thing...and Dorian agreed. HAPPY SUNDAY! ONE DAY TO EVELYN!

Baskets of Our Fruit and Vegetables

In preparation for today's workshop, I wanted to be able to offer some of the delicacies of my own garden here at the Chatette. The plum tree is bursting with plums and the wild black berries that are growing on the side away from the road are full, sweet and haven't turned in to hard little nuggets like the ones on the road in the sunshine.  I should have been doing my favorite thing, vacuuming up dog hair, but instead I had the time of my life taking photos of the fruit from the yard and the vegetables from Christiane and Jean-Paul's garden.  I can't grow them but I can sure take pictures of them!   Tomorrow I'll share more of the vegetable shots with you.

Prêt a "Party"

The most frequently asked questions about "the" birthday yesterday were: "Will there be chocolate?", and, "Will there be cake?" Thanks to Jean, we had both, with the lagniappe of fresh raspberries from her garden.  Jean is the queen of desserts...among other things!  So, I thought you might enjoy the before, during and after cake shots above! Jean also brought a vegetarian quiche, and I put together a tuna poorboy, a ham/salami/swiss poorboy, potato salad, tomatoes, and my famous deviled eggs.  I felt like "have party will travel", as I pondered getting everything up the hill.  That purple backpack of mine is incredible.  I was pretty sure I could everything in it, including 6 wine glasses, paper plates, napkins, salt, pepper, mustard, plastic utensils, table cloth and beach towel.  That left me with two free hands-one for the cooler of mint green tea and the other for the "cubi" of rosé wine. It worked.  What better way to spend your special day, than lounging around the pool with some of your best girlfriends: relaxing, catching up, celebrating, and sharing the quality time you just don't get in a party of 25 or more.  As everyone was getting ready to leave, I decided I just didn't want to rush.  I stayed behind, butterflied in the water, watched the sun slipping through the trees, and was grateful for the moments of this wonderful life, wonderful friends...another year gone, and another year to look forward to.  I got the pool closed up.  I loaded up the backpack, then cooler and cubi in each hand. I thought I was "prêt", even if I was a sight!  But then, Christiane and Jean-Paul were in their garden as I passed.  They asked if I wanted some vegetables-so...add a huge white plastic bag full of tomatoes, lemons, zuchinni and cucumbers. Here are some birthday booty and prêt a "party" shots to share, and Mon Dieu-3 Days to Evelyn!

Celebrating Well Through the Years-2002

55 today, and looking back over the years of some pretty incredible birthday celebrations, I'd like to share the sweet story of my first birthday celebration here in Cadrieu in 2002.  Pauline Carstens was the first person I met in the village. We soon became fast friends since Stu took me up to meet her right away.  She was living here full-time with her son Gaston.  We sat on my terrace together and had chocolate in February, lunch in April, and then on my birthday we made plans to celebrate.  I had always wanted to ride on the Schmibilic-a tour boat that ran on the Lot, so we went down to Cajarc together to catch it.  It was fun to pass in front of the Chatette and their house, where Gaston was at the window waving to us as we  passed by on our way to Mont Brun.  (I got one of my prettiest shots of our "hood" on that day.) I had no idea there was a surprise waiting for me back up at their place.  While we were cruising on the river, Gaston was slaving away.  He made my birthday cake...chocolate cake iced with Nutella!  As I told Gaston-"48 today, and you are the first man who ever made a cake for me on my birthday!" It was an unforgettable day for me. Since then, there have been many more that Pauline and Gaston have been a part of.  This afternoon, I will be going up to the Spinks pool to open it up. Jean, Jane, Pauline and her sisters who are visiting, and I are going to have a picnic poolside to celebrate.  Another great birthday! I'm feeling very well-celebrated and loved in the Lot! And-4 days to Evelyn!

Montmartre Moment

The minute Kathleen sent me this photo of the Bumper Cars in Montmartre, I knew you had to see it too.  She has so many beautiful shots from their Paris-Cadrieu-Paris trip of 2007, that I can promise that this won't be the last one I'll be sharing with you.  Happy Wednesday and...5 Days to Evelyn!

Vernissage Looming-Work to be Done

After a day of power pointing my little heart out yesterday, I invited Jean to come down and have dinner with me.  The nice thing with Jean is, if I get to the end of my work I can call her up and say "Do you feel like coming down to have a sandwich or something, with me...nothing fancy!" It's nice to be that comfortable with your friends. I've been known to even greet her at the door in my slippers.  It gave us a chance to chat about the vernissage coming up in September and to share some of the photos that have come in from my friends and family stateside, who have been to Cadrieu.  I have invited everyone to submit a favorite photo of their time in Cadrieu with a blurb about why it is their favorite.  They will hang under the title: "Cadrieu Through Their Eyes".  What I lack in quantity, has been made up for in quality. My brother-in-law Tom sent the top left photo as his favorite for the opening.  He was up at Jean's picking and digging so she could plant 3 new trees on her property.  The second one I chose to include with it, because he was doing the same for me here at the Chatette. I told Tom my plan when we spoke this weekend over the phone, and that the village people are going to say: "Look at that, he's on vacation and all these women have him doing is working while he's here!" I knew the deal was cinched last night when I showed the 2 shots to Jean.  In her wonderful English Ipswich accent she says: "Poor fella!" Tom's working hard photos are getting me psyched to work hard on the vernissage next.-6 Days to Evelyn...and here's another shot from one of their visits to Cadrieu that I know is a favorite of Kat and Tom's.

Closing Down Club Cadrieu

 I tease all the time, but it's true...six weeks out of every year we go into what I've come to call our "Club Cadrieu" mode.  It begins in the middle of July around Quatorze Juillet and lasts sometimes into the first week of September, around our Labor Day in the states. This is the time of year when our friends who are "part-timers" return, and those of us who live here full-time kick into endless apero parties, dinner parties, village fêtes, pool parties, rockaerobics on the river, and a million other activities that would make you think we were living in some kind of a swanky resort!  One of the many treats of this Club Cadrieu season for me, was getting a chance to take a ride to Cajarc on the river with Bob Spinks, Ron Spinks, and Greg.  (Not only did I get the chance to get a lot of great photos, but I wasn't complaining one bit about the male to female ratio!)  We docked in Cajarc, and Greg and I went off to the Presse for some folders, while Bob and his Dad headed to the bank and the grocery.  We met back up at the President to soak up the atmosphere and the company of good, old and new friends.  One by one, our part-timer friends are returning to whence they came, always bemoaning the fact that we are living here all the time and they aren't. I watch the sadness creep in as last days loom. My heart breaks. I know the look. I've been there and I hope never to return. 7 days to Evelyn!

 

Birthday Booty Box Arrives

I love getting snail mail here at the Chatette.  When I spent that first summer in Tour de Faure, snail mail was pretty much it for me, because I wasn't connected to the internet and phone calls were very expensive. (I even made mailing labels for all of my friends and family!) My early part-time years here at the Chatette were pretty much the same. Now that I am very well connected and some of the novelty of my living in France has worn off for my friends, my mailbox is lonely and I find myself pining away for more snail mail.  Friday began one of the weeks when I get part of my snail mail fix for the year...the week before my birthday.  The first batch of 4 cards arrived on Friday and then yesterday, 2 more cards and my birthday booty box from Mom, Dad, Kat and Tom. The boxes are always fun, because I never know what little surprises my Mom is going to stick in.  I shared some of them with Jean over dinner last night, and she teased that Mom wants the Chatette to be as full of "collectibles" as their house on Elizabeth!  One of my favorite gifts in the box, was this shot of Dali and I, that Kat had taken when she and Tom were here in November of 2007.  I have lots of shots of me and us, but I particularly love this one because it's just us, doing what we do, and living our everyday lives. And, if you look close under all those sweaters and scarves, you can see...I'm doing it in my overalls.   8 Days to Evelyn!

And the Winner is...

The winner of my blog feedback contest, who as you can see, was chosen by Dali this morning, is...ARABELLA PEREZ!  Arabella will receive a set of four Camembert Cheese Top Coasters and a one page 2010 Photo Calendar designed especially for her.  Although Arabella is our grand prize winner, everyone else who participated will receive a special Mélange-ing Magic Calendar for 2010.  So, Arabella, Niels, Evelyn and Anne: please send me your snail mail address (or reconfirm it with me), so I can get everyone's prizes out soon!

As most of you have probably noticed, I have tried to incorporate comments and feedback received as we went along in the process this week.  My favorite comment came from Niels who said that the black background made him feel like he was "watching a movie of my life"! I've often said that I feel like I live in a painting and my life is a movie, so Niels's comment cinched the black background for me. 

I have one more question for my contest participants about the layout.  Although this layout allows for the 10 photos in the third column on the right, it doesn't allow me to organize the sidebar on the left with the items in order of importance.  Are the photos worth giving up the choice?  Let me hear from you-I can go either way.  Congratulations Arabella! 9 Days to Evelyn!-And, merci Dali!