Soar-Dream-France

Our Heroes

Reminded that the bells toll today in the US and other parts of the world for the men and women who died to protect our freedom, I remembered the military men in our family.  Kat had posted many of their photos in the photo album of the Bourgeois Family Tree at www.ancestry.com, so I got busy printing and collaging this morning to share them with you here.  We are aware of service as early as the Civil War, but this collage represents WWI, WWII, the Korean War and service during occupation.  You will also note men in the Army, Navy and Air Force. In the top right hand corner, you will find a photo of Grandpa Bohland  where Grandma had written on the back "My Hero".  Our family heroes starting from top left to right are:  Uncle Bud Emme, Grandpa Ed Emme, Grandpa Hubert Bohland with friends, Grandpa Hubert Bohland, Uncle Ray Druss, my Dad-Larry Bourgeois, Uncle Jim Emme, Uncle Bud and Uncle Jim again.  That ship took Dad to the UK and the guy in the middle in front of the American Flag is Stew and Eric's Bruno.  He was too cute and way too patriotic not to be shared with you today.  So today we celebrate HEROES everywhere-Happy Memorial Day!

 

Living in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France, I am constantly reminded of the history of conflict in this place.  I've heard that the Gestapo occupied the Château during WWII, and the French Resistance was strong in the region.  I don't now if the barn had any role in these conflicts, but it looks like it could have been a good place to hide or come in for shelter from a storm on the road.

For Whom the Bell Tolls...

...or doesn't toll as the case may be.  Dali and I run into all kinds of interesting information on our morning walks.  The other day we discovered one of the part-timers heading home.  We stopped to chat a moment and a comment was made about an elderly gentleman in the village who had passed and that very few words were said at the service in the church.  I didn't know the gentleman or his family.  I would have wanted to attend if I had. But then I commented: "That's funny, I didn't hear the bells." The response was-"He wasn't a religious man, so they don't ring the bells." I thought about this all the way home.  I wondered if it was an issue of not being Catholic or just not religious in general.  I thought that maybe this is just what his family wanted, or even more importantly...maybe it was just what he wanted. I'm not Catholic nor am I a person of organized religion, but I am a believer. I'm holding out for those bells in my village church to toll for me when my time has come.  Better yet, maybe I could get them to ring them here in Cadrieu and Mont Brun and Saujac too! I guess we'll have to just wait and see. 

The barn is just as pretty in the winter as it is in all the other seasons.  In fact, sometimes prettier because you actually get to see it stand out from the foliage further. Maybe the barn needs a bell of its own!  I'm sure my friend Bennie would agree.

Mini-Meringues and...

Yesterday's mission into Figeac did not allow time for my usual leisurely red wine at my favorite Tabac between the Carrefour and the Bus Stop.  I had a prioritized list...French taxes special deliveried from the Figeac Post Office, Bank, paper for the printer, my list for the Carrefour and then on the side under "if time"-les Anis de Flavigny and Weldom for some hardware items. Weldom was the loser on this visit...partly because I was hungry and partly because I didn't have room to carry anything else in my bursting purple backpack.  After the Post Office, the epicerie with these les Anis de Falvigny that Kat and Tom love was too close to pass up.  I scooped these up and everyone in the store laughed-the woman behind the counter said: "Provisions!" And I said, "oui-pour mes amis aux Etats-Unis."  I almost forgot the bank before Carrefour, which would have been disastrous.  But I made a small u-turn and hit my favorite money machine at the Credit Agricole before I hot footed it across the bridge to the Carrefour.  When I finished, I was starving so I headed back into town a bit to one of my favorite Patisseries-La Panetière aux Saveurs d'Antan for a bus stop drink and snack.  At the counter, I had my Croque Fromage and my Orangina ready to check out, when I saw these darling mini-meringues.  I looked at the sign that said 15€ and almost choked.  The young man at the counter and the woman behind me laughed...no, 15€ per kilo...so my sweet little bag of mini-meringues was all but about 45 centimes! All this-in an hour and 30 minutes! The whole town of Figeac belly-laughs the moment I get off the bus!  Happy Saturday!

If you haven't already figured it out...Dali and I are pretty much together all the time.  She likes to come with me whenever she can, and most recently she's been doing a lot of hanging out with me at the barn and on the new pieces of land. Since so much of this is new to us, it is a little confusing for her from time to time.  She gets this look on her face that you see here of: "Okay, what now?" But no matter what, she always comes along.

Poppy Present

Had to sneak in this poppy present before today's regular post.  There seems to be more poppies this season than usual.  On the walk to the bus stop yesterday, I noticed clumps around every post and all along the road. There's probably a huge poppy post in our future!   

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden-But...

 

When I lived in New Orleans, the only roses that seemed to be happy on Columbus Street were the tiny tea roses.  Never in a million years, did I ever think I'd have a real rose garden in France right out my door to enjoy.  I brought the three new roses home over the weekend, thinking I'd put one in the rose garden and the other two somewhere closeby.  They were all just so pretty I wanted them close.  You guessed it...all three went into the now exploding rose garden on the terrace.  There are a few other things in there, but we've now added Summer Lodge, Eddy Mitchell and Black Baccara to the gang.  They are all very happy there. Each morning I go out and ooh and aah at all the new blooms, color surprises, spots where I know there will be blooms soon, touch them, smell them, shake the morning dew off them, and hope the afternoon sun isn't going to be so hot that they burn up too fast. Your barn shot for today is of one of the first rose purchases, with the barn and the Chateau in the background. And besides, I want to close with the close up below.  Happy Friday!

This post is in honor of my friend Arabella's friend/gardener Luc, who she's written to me about.  I figure anyone named Luc, who loves roses, gardens and is a friend of a friend of mine should have a post in his honor.  Thanks for loving Arabella's roses so much, Luc!

Looking at the World Through Rose Colored...

 ...OVERALLS! Okay, maybe hot pink is more like it!  I just had to share this photo from the catalog of my brand new overalls. I ordered them on-line from here in France at www.overallwarehouse.com and had them delivered to Mom and Dad in St. Louis.  So, in addition to the usual blue denim pair that hangs out in St. Louis waiting for my return, I can add this new pink pair.  This means I don't have to bring much back with me in the way of clothes this trip...more room in my sac à dos for all the light, small presents I'm picking up here and there. Mom and Dad actually called me the other day to let me know they had arrived.  Mom said: "I don't know Laury, they look pretty big and they are really pink...hot pink!" Knowing that she isn't really crazy about my overalls, she made me smile even bigger when she said:"They got here pretty quick, you could order MORE while you're here if you wanted some!" As much as I believe you can never have enough overalls, I don't look forward to hauling more back with me to France than is absolutely necessary! This is going to be a special pair for me.  Although I'm pondering wearing them home on the plane when I return from the states, I purchased them as my "special occasion overalls".  This summer we have many special fêtes coming up and I'm planning a very special event of my own for the end of the summer. A very HUGE MERCI to my friend Niels, the Bib Professor, who is my Overalls  Role Model and encouraged me to get this pink pair!

 

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT BARN Sun-LIGHT!

 

Lace to Stone and Pearls to Overalls

Feeling very romantic about this very clear view of the Lot from one of my three windows, I had all but decided to put the lace away for another day. That was until I went outside and the photo on the right is what I saw.  All three of my windows on the Lot looked cold, harsh and very unwelcoming; not the warm, sweet, soft, welcoming look I'm used to seeing when I stroll in from the mailbox.  The Chatette looked empty, and I wanted to scream..."No, we're home, we really are!" So, the lace goes back up today.  I was reminded once more how I love the contrasting textures of this home of ours, and how the lace coupled with wood, stone, tile, wool, quilting, etc. seems to make both more.  I love lace and stone. Maybe because it reminds me of my pearls and my overalls.

You've probably noticed that I've been writing a little something every day about the barn and sharing photos.  Part of it is because there are new discoveries every day, but the other part is that I'm going to make a special present for my Mom and Dad.  The barn wouldn't be part of our WE if it wasn't for them. Without internet, you can't share the photos and the daily progress over the phone in quite the same way I can share it here. So today's photo is especially for Mom, who told me how much she'd love to come over and help me go through all the old "stuff" in the barn if she could.  This is when I wish I had some ruby red slippers whose heels could just click both Mom and Dad over here.  I know they'd love it as much as we do, and like they've both said to me before..."ya Laury, but then we'd have to stay." I guess ruby red slippers don't do aller retour!

To Lace or Not to Lace

You live in the south of France...of course you have lace curtains on every window of your house! Or, do you?  In the throws of spring cleaning along with everything else, I've taken all of my lace panels down to be laundered while I clean all the windows.  Yesterday, I was taken back to the early days at the Chatette once more...before the lace curtains went up.  The windows here were bare for a good long while, as I figured out what to do and how things were going to get done.  I love the lace on the windows, but now I'm wondering if I might leave the three on the first floor bare to enjoy the beautiful view more easily as I cook, work and play Msr. Winkelmann.  I haven't quite made up my mind yet.  A little more wandering and pondering is called for.  I'll let you know what I decide and why when it happens.

This adventure is about more than "just the barn". On my way back to the Chatette yesterday, I jumped down from the train tracks into our land behind the barn to take a look around. It started with the walnut tree and went on to clearing weeds and vines that had totally covered this beautiful cliff.  I discovered shelves, places to sit, places for flowers, maybe even a place for a lantern or two, and I'm not finished yet. Then there's the walnut tree itself...but that's a story for another time.

 

The Great Sugar Debate-Cubes or Tubes?

During the 2007 visit of Kat and Tom's, Tom found these great sugar tubes that included all the teams in the World Cup.  Being the huge soccer fan that he is, I was sent on a soccer sugar search when they ran out.  Unable to find teams in tubes, I did find general soccer guys in cubes and mailed them to St. Louis.  I was on the hunt again last year, but alas, nothing remotely related to soccer.  Instead, Kat and Tom got tourist sites of France.  On the hunt once more last week, no soccer yet, but more sites and then these darling marionettes-Théâtre de Guignol from Béghin Say. They were so cute that I thought about getting another box at the Eco-Marche.  When I got to the aisle-the boxes with tubes were gone but I then noticed boxes of cubes.  My question to Kat where sugar packets are concerned was: "Are you and Tom Tube people or Cube people?" How about you?

 

I love this shot of the box of flowers I hung from the half door of the barn.  I took it standing on the ladder looking down from above.  This ladder (with a rung strategically missing near the top) is the only means of getting up to the loft in the barn. All these years, I've only had reason to go up to look around and take pictures near the front opening.  Now, I want to begin to walk around and get some things moved and down. But, there are holes in the floor and the beams are weak in places. I may be a bit of a risk taker, but I'm not nuts.  I may need spotting, or someone to pick up the pieces if I come crashing down! Plus, there are a lot of items that will have to be thrown or passed from the second floor down to the land, because there's no way any of it will make it down the ladder! There may be a field trip in our Monday Language Class's future!

Blooming Barn

 

 

Having spent most of yesterday avoiding doing the paperwork for my French Declaration of Income that's due at the end of the month, the barn and the garden were the beneficiaries.  Dali and I shared another beautiful, sunshiny day of digging, planting, potting, hanging, cleaning and organizing.  I'm planning on spending today out cutting the grass.  It took me all of 30 minutes before dinner to figure out my taxes.  I have almost all of my figures-and will be doing the dollar to euro conversion dance later this evening.  I could kick myself when I do this.  I've spent every day the last two weeks thinking that I "should" do my taxes.  All that wasted time and mental energy, when I could have just sat down, got them done and set them aside to fully enjoy this wonderful life in France and the new member of our we.