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Imagine sitting at that second window from the left, gazing out at the Lot and Cahors as you enjoy a wonderful lunch. You're with one of your best friends, one of your best bottles of wine, and one of your best views. Here at "Au Fils des Douceurs", Evelyn and I lunched prior to my departure for this work assignment. I hope you enjoy the luncheon photo collage below.
It is only right that this has been a week of the moon. Have you ever "made the moon"? I have. You might ask: "And how do you make the moon?" You throw pillows on the floor and cover them with a huge sheet. Voila-instant surface of the moon for tiny first time space explorers. Once again, we're never too old to learn new things or find pleasure and excitment in something quite so simple and fun. When I told my family and friends that I made the moon this week, I got a variety of responses and lots of giggles. But then Evelyn, my parents and my brother Tom all mentioned that Saturday night was going to be the largest full moon in a long time-20 years sticks in my head but I don't know if that is exactly accurate. Let's just say it was big. So, I went out to cap off my week of the moon with hopes of catching a couple of photos. I did, and was able to watch this huge, glowing moon travel from the other side of the building and continue across my window on its way to setting this morning. It won't be quite so large tonight, but I hope it's just as clear so I can keep the curtains open again and enjoy the path of the moon making its way through my life. I love the moon no matter where I am, even from beyond my own moon river in the Lot.
HAPPY SUNDAY!
Feasting with a view is easy to do in the Lot. My first 'merci lunch' with Greg looked out at St. Cirq Lapopie. My second with Evelyn, looked out here onto Cahors from the river. There is a third merci lunch coming up with Christiane when I return at the end of this assignment. I'm looking forward to the next feasting view that carries us to savoring our meal, savoring our friendships, and huge gratefulness. Happy Weekend!
Wandering around in Cahors has been a favorite past time of mine. It began when I first came to look at the Chatette, and was staying there with Stu and Mad. I'd discovered this wonderful, circular fountain with a different dog face on each spigot. On my last visit to Cahors, Evelyn and I were together when she pointed out the faded color on the noses of each of the dogs. The faded color looked to have been so perfectly applied, it was difficult to tell if it was defacement or intentional. I can only imagine how this beautiful fountain could have looked more "interesting" with each nose of a different color.
Even though I am missing home and spring...I know that the poppies will be waiting for me when I return in May. I hadn't noticed this poppy painting in the metro stop the last trip, so I'm now wondering if they change them up or I'm just not paying proper attention. So, while my plum tree is blooming, my roses are sprouting, and my budlheas are beginning; Paris poppies remind me of what will be waiting for me when I return home on the tail end of spring in the Lot.
Many of the photos I stop to take in Paris, I take because they remind me of friends and family. This window display called my name. My Dad loves Wonder Woman. When Linda Carter played her on TV, his words were : "That's my girl!" I recently told one of my colleagues that she was "Wonder Woman", as I listened to all she had to do and accomplish in a very short time...not to mention that she used that golden lasso to get my wayward box to me here in Germany. It's wonderful to have so many Wonder Women in my life. It appears from these photos that there is a line of Wonder Woman make-up available. I don't see Wonder Woman worrying too much about make-up, but who knows? Maybe if we put it on, there'll be this 'POW"-a twirl-and we'll turn into Linda Carter-outfit and all! Or, maybe it's just enough to know that we are all Wonder Women in our own way, and make a point to celebrate that every day. Cheers to all of the wonderful Wonder Women in my life...and, you know who you are!
All locked up and not quite ready to begin another Paris day, I found a favorite set of red and black chairs peeking out at me from inside this window when I did my morning Montmartre wander last week. Posting anything about Paris forces me to mentally scroll through the long list of people in my life who love her. You know who you are. I must confess to focusing more on Evelyn though. You see, when I return to Paris from this work assignment-she will be coming to Paris to catch her return flight to the states for the summer. She'll be training. I'll be planing. We are going to share a couple of nights and a whole day in Paris before she planes to the states and I train and bus home to Cadrieu. Paris brought both of us to France-we love her. So, don't be surprised if on a Friday or Saturday the first week in May-you find us sitting at one of these tables soaking in Montmartre in all her glory. I know I'll be glowing with gratefulness for my wonderful friend and the opportunity to share Paris together. Even if it's just for a day...this time I'm not just passing through.
...is another man's treasure, or so the saying goes. I guess you could say the same about photos and why we take them. This trash called my name: "Laury, photo please." It sat on the street, tucked into the corner of St. Etienne in Cahors on market day. It was that pink plastic that got me...along with the contrast to a beautiful ancient stone corner.
Each trip I take for work provides some new adventure along the way, but I'm always pleased with myself when I realize that I continue to learn and grow in the process. Last trip to Holland, Facebook didn't like that I was elsewhere. They don't like Germany any better than Holland. Too much aggravation is required to fix anything until I return home, so I hope those of you who like to communicate with me only through Facebook will resign yourselves to getting a standard email from me rather than a FB response. If not, then you'll just have to wait until I get home in May. One of the best lessons learned from last trip-put all that technology (that by the way is working this time) in something that rolls. I have my lap-top, netbook and travel printer all in that red rolling suitcase that fits easily into the over head compartment on the plane. It rolls nicely on the sidewalks of Paris, collapses easily to carry up and down the metro stair cases, and absolutely made this trip an easier one. No one believes that this is how I pack for two months away. It works. Good thing, or I wouldn't be able to assist colleagues who haven't learned the art of packing light. I leave you with a pansy parade from the Saturday market in Cahors. Happy Sunday!
Sitting down to write at the end of my day, the sun is slipping under the building tops out my hotel room window. I'm not facing the park this round, but I didn't let that get in my way of getting out and enjoying it on this beautiful spring day. I wasn't the only one. These beauties laid a carpet of lilac all along both sides of the path to the main drag where I do my shopping. I found everything I wanted to make the hotel room feel more home and special...violet roses, deep purple hyacinths, a throw to snuggle under when I sit in my chair to read or watch TV, two big beautiful wine glasses for my Cru Bourgeois, a cannister for my coffee, and on and on. I'm settled. On my way home and loaded down, I looked at the reflecting pool to my right and saw what appeared to be a statue of a bird. When I checked it out for a photo, he moved. He got out of the water, shook off, fluffed out all his feathers, and paraded around the pool ledge as big and straight as you please. I'd have liked to believe it was just for me, but two other ladies were down by the edge on a bench and were enjoying him too. We exchanged smiles and I went to work with my camera... a spectacular way to top off a shared sunshiny afternoon with the locals.