Soar-Dream-France

I'm Really Rich!

Don't go getting all excited about the title of today's post!  No I don't have any money to loan you. I'm scraping by these days by the skin of my teeth as it is. Regardless, I'm one of the richest people I know.

I find it amazing that people who are on the outside looking into someone else's life, are so quick to jump to conclusions and assumptions. I have worked hard and struggled financially my whole life. At my 30 year high school reunion, a former classmate asked: "social worker...house in France-what part of this just doesn't fit?" When I've met friends of friends or family of friends, I've become "the one with the house in France."  But the comment that riled me the most was: "She must be rich."

I've learned over time that most people just don't get it. I've often been in the right place at the right time and have rarely turned down an opportunity.  Some might call me a "risk-taker", but trust me...each risk I have taken was fully calculated.  Some might call me "lucky" and certainly have, but I've come to understand that much of what comes to us in our lives, comes to us because of who we are as people.  Comments like those discount our very core, our essential selves.  They discount how hard we may have worked and also discount those situations where we have received support from family and friends.  In my case, my parents have been there for me in incredible ways-especially after the levees broke in New Orleans. So give some thought before you're quick to judge or make assumptions about others.  As for me, the next time I hear one of those comments that riles me up so much; I'm going to stop and say: "You know what, you are absolutely right.  I am rich.  But I'm not rich in dollars and cents. I'm rich in experiences, romance, magic and an incredibly large life that continues to be full of surprises around every turn." I am REALLY RICH!

A Bientôt Evelyn!

Having had a month with Evelyn here, it wasn't very easy to watch her head out in the direction of Cajarc after I got her out of the driveway safely. It was lots of hugs and kisses and tears.  I'm not very good at good bye's and always make a point of an a bientôt with people that I care about.  I don't know if Evelyn was the best person to pilot "Mélange-ing Magic", mostly because she was so easy and we discovered that we had so much in common.  Then again, she may have just been the perfect person.  We mélange-ed a lot of magic while she was here and shared a lot as our lives traveled on parallel paths but not necessarily in the same direction.  The most fascinating thing for me, was that during the time that Evelyn was here at the Chatette...many dangling things in my life reached a head.  Was there something about having Evelyn here that pushed these danglers around a little bit for us?  Evelyn has a special energy all her own that made a difference in our lives.  So, I will have big things to share with you here over the next month or so.  I am mindful that there is more to ponder and feel and will be sure to do so before I share these biggies in my life with you.  So, A Bientôt and a huge MERCI Evelyn!  Dal and Sam are waving their paws and you can be sure that the "gang" below says come back soon!

Special Storefronts Abound

I love storefronts in France.  I first fell in love with the many storefronts in Montmartre in Paris. I was thrilled to find just as many beautiful and interesting storefronts in the other villages and towns, large and small, in other parts of France. As you can imagine-they all scream "take my picture". I am always happy to oblige.  (It's much better for me when the storefront screams "take my picture" than the other call I've been known to heed: "Buy me, Laury!") Sometimes it works well, like with this frame store in Villefranche when very few people were around.  As much as the shop owners are grateful for the crowds, all they do is get in my way! Do you have a favorite storefront somewhere in the world? What makes it your favorite storefront?

Oh So French!

One of the nice things about having Evelyn here, is that we are both photo crazy.  We can walk the streets of Figeac together, hike the towpath between St. Cirq Lapopie and Bouzies, wander the market in Cahors, and hang out in the Cathedral in Cahors and not worry that the other person is getting impatient with our picture taking...we're both shooting something every few steps or so!  I often beg off with friends so I can be on my own and take the photos I want with no distractions.  That wasn't necessary with Evelyn.  I knew we were going to do well together that first Saturday she was here, when we were wandering the streets in Figeac in and around the market.  We'd wandered down a side street, when I spied this arrangement of figurines in a very crowded Brocante window.  They looked oh so French.  I couldn't resist.  It took me a few minutes and some contortions to get this shot.  When I turned around to look for Evelyn, she was further up the street taking a shot of her own.  We just met up and kept moving.  This morning, we had an a bientôt coffee for Evelyn here at the Chatette with her new friends in Cadrieu.  The two of us were running around on the terrace with our cameras and I said:  "Evelyn and I are crazy women, we take photos of everything in our lives all the time." No one disagreed. Everyone smiled.

Someone's Keeping an Eye on Us

Our lament over the last week or so of Evelyn's visit has been "Where has the time gone?" It seems like only yesterday that we were counting down the days here to her arrival, and now, tomorrow she returns to Toulouse to spend the night and then catch her early morning flight on Monday morning.  It's been wonderful for me to have Evelyn here-she's just fit right in to the natural flow of our lives.  We will miss her.  Today, Evelyn took me to lunch at one of my favorite places Le Claux du Belvezet in Toulonjac.  They have this incredible hot sea food salad called the Oceane...scallops, asparagus, varieties of mushrooms, tomatoes, endive, and other greens.  We were a little early so we stopped in the tiny village of St. Croix where it was very difficult to get a nice photo of the church that we drove out of our way to see.  I found a friend though, who satisfied the photographer in me. 

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

Tomorrow, my Mom and Dad will be married 56 years. Good thing, since I am 55 years old!  We had a big party for them in St. Louis to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.  It was my job to write the piece that went in our local newspaper.  I would like to share that with you and them today, to say HAPPY ANNIVERSARY from France!

Those of us who love Larry and Helen Bourgeois celebrate the 50th anniversary of their marriage that began on September 26, 1953 in Souldern England.  This St. Louis girl and New Orleans boy began their life together in Syresham England and returned to St. Louis to raise their four children.  A stay at home Mom with endless causes, Helen has a heart big enough to hold the world.  A tireless supporter of his family, Larry is an expert on movies and sports and tells the best stories in town.  We celebrate our parents, grandparents, "outlaws" and friends as we are reminded that even after 50 year they are still singing Happy Birthday duets for us and writing "I Love You" to each other in the snow.

And so, Happy 56th Wedding Anniversary Mom and Dad!  Love, Laury

 

A Little Something Different

I couldn't tell you what I do, but people frequently ask me if I have used a special filter, "photo-shopped" or adjusted my photos in some way.  Yesterday I had a friend who stopped by and saw my photos from last year's vernissage-A Woman's Place-that no-I just took them with my 35mm camera with black and white film and had them developed at Walgreens in New Orleans.  How un-photographerish can you be? I'm generally very  happy with the photos I take and adjust them very minimally-maybe reframing-maybe turning them to black and white or sepia.  I did discover this treatment in my Hewlett-Packard program earlier this year, and have used it a few times.  I've discovered it is only this pretty with particular kinds of shots. I particularly love this shot above, taken on one of my morning walks with Dali.  Hope you enjoy it too.

The Sheltering Spirit of Hidden Places-Michel Kelly

Having promised to share Mike (Michel's) beautiful descriptions of these two photos with you-VOILA! You have to see them side by side to appreciate his special architect's eye and writer's heart.

(Right) I shot this photo by placing the lens of my camera through a small, high opening in an iron entrance gate.  The overhead flash illuminated the darkness of a hidden cavern that I could not see with my own eyes.  Much to my surprise, the photo captured the hidden glorious gothic carvings and colorful painted murals inside.  What stories do the murals tell about the family resting inside?  The illuminating white light of the crucifix window in the back wall magically glows high in the nearby darkness.  This photo captures the sheltering spirit of christianity in this sacred space.  I wondered when last, if ever, this hidden treasure was photographed.

(Left) I shot this photo of the underside of the barn roof, since Laury suggested I climb to the loft and look around.  The hand-made structure of the place immediately caught my eye.  The way we build today, with perfect dimensional elements mass produced by factories, make efficient spaces but they are devoid of character and locality. In stark contrast, the hand-hewn wood rafters and collar ties of this barn speak of a by gone era, and perhaps the fabric of the Cadrieu community that built this barn long ago. In the hand-crafted details there is the decoration of simplicity.  I can picture a community coming together to build this unique structure in a way that no longer exists.  Built of local materials, by local craftsmen, perhaps the structure they built mimics the structure of the Cadrieu Community.  The stronger members support the weaker members.  The hand-made clay tiles represent the uniqueness of Cadrieu's individuals coming together for a greater purpose.  In this way, the irreplaceable ancient barn is a sacred space for the Cadrieu Community for the unique sheltering spirit of this place transcends time to present day.

Many Merci Ladies

Our first stop on our trip to Villefranche on Sunday was at the Chapel of 13 Stones.  It's easy to see from the road, but tucked away so that it's difficult to tell exactly where it is if you don't know the way.  (Of course, Christiane did.)  Chances to be grateful abound for me.  This tiny Merci Lady was waiting for me inside the Chapel.  Even though she was a tiny Merci Lady for a tiny Chapel, it is always a HUGE MERCI for me where thanks and gratefulness know no bounds.

A Different Villefranche de Rouergue

Once September arrived, everything changed.  I joked about closing down Club Cadrieu before Evelyn's arrival, but was shocked to see: how empty Cahors and Figeac were, the color popping out on the trees on the causse, the drop in temperature, and so much rain.  It seemed to happen overnight!  Yesterday I went with Greg and Christiane and Jean-Paul to Villefranche for an organ concert in the Cathedral.  It was the weekend of "Patrimoine" (Heritage) that happens a couple of times a year in France, when there are special events everywhere and many monuments and châteaus that are usually closed are open and free to the public.  Although the concert began at 5, we left Cadrieu by 2 and saw a few other sites in and around Villefranche.  My only trips to Villefranche are for the Thursday morning markets, so you can imagine the glaring difference in the square in front of the Cathedral.  It was also Sunday and everything was closed, so even the promenade around the square looked like a ghost town.  I love classical music in ancient churches, and this concert was no exception.  But, I most enjoyed our hike up the tiny circular steps to the belfry and ramparts at the very top of the Cathedral.  I went camera crazy, which most of you know can happen in the commonest of experiences...this was uncommon.  Worried that I was going to drop my precious camera on the stone steps, I zipped it up in one of my pockets.  Here I was protecting it, and it became a prisoner in my pocket when the zipper stuck!  I panicked, but Christiane came to the rescue and I was able to capture the photos I'm sharing with you below.