Soar-Dream-France

Pondering Paris and HOME

As I get ready to bus and train my way to Paris tomorrow for an overnight before I head to the airport to fly to the states on Friday,  I'm feeling rather Gargoyle-ish. I'm doing a lot of gazing off into the distance to try to figure out why I'm feeling off balance, uncomfortable, and at loose ends. As much as I enjoy seeing my friends and family, these trips are never easy. This trip should be one of the easiest in that Evelyn is here for Dali and Sam.  I've come to the conclusion that I just don't want to leave here. I just don't want to leave home.  I always feel like I have been yanked or wrenched away from here each time I have to go. I chuckled at a woman at an apero one night.  We were talking about my upcoming work contracts and she said to me: "I bet you're just dying to get away from here." I just looked at her and said: "No. I'd never leave this place if I didn't have to." And, therein lies my answer.

Big Girl Tunnel Travels

When I was a little girl growing up in St. Louis, our school had these huge cement water/sewer pipes on the playground for us. They were my favorite...maybe because you felt so safe inside and you could look at the world from a whole new angle. Then, if you sat on the top you could feel really powerful from on high and proud that you could actually get up there.  All my tunnel memories came flooding back one day, when I was in City Park in New Orleans.  There it was, just begging me to take this photo. When I finished, I sat inside hoping to be able to stretch my legs all the way out to the top of the tunnel like I did when I was a little girl.  Instead, I had to tuck them underneath me and then marveled at this site. From France, I can't stretch my legs, I can't even tuck them underneath me, but just seeing my ancient oaks and Spanish moss carries me back to memories of these special moments that used to be my life in New Orleans. By Friday evening-I'll be back.

Constant Companions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether it's keeping me company when I'm down by the river picking apples, or sitting in my lap at the computer as I'm writing; my Dal and Sam are constant companions. All the more reason to be so grateful that Evelyn and Lucie are here to help us out.  In the past, Dali would go up to Jean's to spend my  contract period with her and Rocky, and Sammie cat would go up to Christiane and Jean-Paul's to stay at their house.  Over these next two contracts that I'll be working between mid-November and early May, Dali and Sammie will be here at the Chatette-Home-with Evelyn and Lucie.  It's very difficult for me to be gone...period.  The most difficult part is that I'm away from Dal and Sam. Then, add in that this is not work where I can wear my overalls very often, if at all.  Debriefing my last work assignment, I was asked what was the first thing I would do to know that I was home again and I said: "I'm going to wear my overalls for the first time in two month and sleep in my own bed with my dog and my cat!"

Feeling the IS

Another Sunday in the Lot, looking forward to a day of humping wood, cutting the grass and an escape to my magical hideaway that continues to beckon me back.  It isn't like there aren't a million other things that I could be doing: pruning, continuing my digging in the barn, or finishing the grass.  But, yesterday afternoon I was back out and through my "secret door" that's not a secret anymore.  I wandered around the pool, looked at the stone, assessed whether some cleaning would be possible, and peeked through one of the tiny vine covered openings.  Through the vines, I could see "Il y a PLUS que des ANGES" staring back at me from the loft of the barn.  I leaned against the corner just above this patch of glowing light, and looked up at the Château from even further below than usual.  I rested there a bit, feeling this wonderful place, hoping that maybe as I begin to touch it in little bits and pieces it may speak to me like our barn did over the years.  Fortunately, I'm patient.  I don't expect answers immediately.  When you think about it, they're really not answers at all...just tuning into something wonderful, romantic, magical, historical and feeling the IS.

Dancing Thank Yous Among the Walnuts

Every morning since Evelyn and Lucie have arrived, we are off to walk Dal and Lucie down the train tracks and up through the village.  It's also walnut time.  It's been fun for me to see how much Evelyn is enjoying scooping these little treasures.  We've been emptying our pockets after each return, and lining them up on the credenza (filled with booze and candles) so they can begin to dry.  We think we've found a better strategy, that we may implement later this afternoon when we return from "making groceries" in Figeac. Although this darling little girl doing the "Thank You Dance" arrived from my Dad to say thanks for his birthday goodies; Dali and Sam and I are doing the thank you dance for Evelyn and Lucie.  Without them and their help, working my upcoming contracts would have been a much more difficult to impossible proposition.  Huge thanks to Evelyn and Lucie...can't you see us doing the Thank You Dance?  Now, we just need a tutu! 

Both Sides Now

 

 

 

 

I'm always up for mysteries and seeing every day things from a new angle. When I finally got close enough to the area behind the lavoir to take a peek and shoot some photos, the shot on the left popped out through that sun-lit opening on the photo above.  It's always fun seeing the Chatette, and I was able to better visualize the relationship of our new discovery to the lavoir on the other side that I see every day.  You're looking at the roof of our daily lavoir on the other side. Add in the shot below, you can see what it looks like from both sides. Happy Friday!