Soar-Dream-France

Mom's Altered Birthday Book

Not long after I returned from Germany mid-May, Kat and I began talking about what to do to celebrate Mom's 80th Birthday. I've shared Kat's work with you before...it's exquisite, perfect, professional, thoughtful, and always chock full of sentiment. I began sorting through my own memories: times with Mom, ways I'm like Mom, gifts I received from Mom...all to send to Kat. Cleaning the guest room one morning, I walked past a hard bound book of Victor Hugo that I'd set aside long ago in case I wanted to make an "altered book". Basically, you take a book and turn it into a piece of art through collage, photos, ribbon, tiny objects,  and lots of glue sticks. I love books...to read. It was difficult for me to glue pages together, cut pages into fancy shapes and actually tear pages out of the book I was using. But, I got pretty good at it over time. I decided that I would make an altered book for Mom. My favorite French magazine Art and Décoration provided the beautiful photography of doors, windows, gardens, kitchens, bedrooms, castles, and other venues for my pages, and then I was able to make the doors, windows, shutters, curtains and other interesting places open to display photos that would be meaningful to Mom. There was not plan...I just did whatever I felt like doing and was moved to do that day. I made a page holder for Mom out of some beautiful pink satin ribbon-with a Lassus Cru Bourgeois wine cork, but then had to put a half an inch of pages together to make a secret compartment for it so the book would mail easily. The book made it in time. Mom loved it. Even though I couldn't be there, it brought Mom a little of France, me, Dali and Sam, and some wonderful memories and surprises. (It also birthed these new cards I've been making!)

Happy Eightieth Again Mom!  

 

 

Mom's Birthday Weekend

Since my Mom is celebrating her 80th Birthday this weekend, it seems only right that I do a little celebrating of her here too. I won't be in St. Louis to celebrate with her, but we've all been working hard to let her know how special she is on her special day. You already know that we're a pretty crafty bunch. Since I couldn't be there, I made something special for Mom. Then Kat, coordinated a photo/memory book for Mom between all of us...not an easy task with Jim in Kansas City, Tom in New Orleans and me in France. I've been making greeting cards this summer with magazines and photos to celebrate life, friendships, and special occasions.

I love this photo of Mom and I taken at Mike and Drew's, so it went behind the secret spot. Lift the ribbon, et voila! 

Cadrieu en Fête

This strange man appeared in the field near the bus stop, to announce our weekend of "Cadrieu en Fête". It wasn't till I got up close that I noticed the fire engine red socks he was sporting. With 2 events last weekend, I only made it to the one Saturday evening. I noticed we had professionally done posters this year, but the best was the go-cups...another nice souvenir of here for friends and family-not to mention sturdy plastic for drinks working in the barn, cutting the grass or out on the terrace. I managed a collection of cups, and then went over to see if I could just buy them empty, et voila-I now have a stash of 20 Cadrieu go cups. 

When the village young people came by Sunday afternoon, they were surprised when I told them that I wouldn't make the dinner that night. Two nights in a row seems to be too much for me these days! A "sieste" was suggested, but I told them that even a sieste wouldn't do me any good at this point!

Maybe next year!

 

 

 

Flowering Up

Flowers are always a good idea. With a new venue ready and waiting, I couldn't resist flowering up the wagon even if it's not yet in its permanent home. If you look closely, you can see Lucie kept me company while I worked. Today begins the serious digging on the inside of the barn. I seem to need to focus and have a goal to keep moving. And yes, there will be photos!

Riding Between the Raindrops

Saturday morning I headed into Cajarc on my bike. I thought I was on a mission, get in and get out-get all my errands done as quickly as possible and get home. I had my passport renewal to mail and SNCF ticket delivery questions at the post office, a euro check to cash and a few groceries to pick up. Two things got in the way of my goal: a ride down this beautiful road that eventually takes you to the river and a pottery market in the Cajarc town square. Taking this back road, the flowers were so beautiful I knew I had to come back on my way home. Then, I thought that maybe the people I bought my bird ball feeder from would be at the market...and they were so I bought another. On my way home, I stopped at Roux's and got 2 chocolatines, a creme noix and a caroc for the road or later. It was wonderful to sit beside the river, eat a chocolatine, watch the storm clouds rolling around and wondering if I was going to get wet. I crossed my fingers, I still had flowers up the road to capture on film. As you can see, I got it all. Believe it or not, it wasn't until I rode into the drive and got to the back door with the key in my hand that it started raining again. Synchronicity!

Stormy Weather

I rarely take photos through the windows of the bus. The ride home from Tour de Faure last Monday was an exception. This spot is a favorite of mine...the fields, the patterns, and the lone little building out there in the middle. The storm clouds rolling into the greens of the trees and the fields from above contrasted powerfully. I think it's been raining ever since!

On Our Way

Sunday was a day of spontaneous happenings around here. Greg came down to borrow a box to return some shoes that didn't fit to the UK. After we found something that would work, we sat out on the terrace, had a coffee, watched our feathered trapeze artists, and decided to go to the barn so he could see the wagon and the yogurt pots. I was still exhausted from the village fête the night before, but for some reason Greg was ready to try to move the wagon. With the wagon covered in yogurt pots and my writing nook set up at the door, we found ourselves  moving things and even removing things that I'd thought were pretty permanent. We were very proud of ourselves. Greg was in the front, I pushed the wheels from behind, and we were able to guide the wagon through the barn and up the little incline at the door, to roll a bit more and rest on the side by the train tracks. I really thought we'd need a team of people, but this duo worked really well. The next step is to roll it across the land in front of the lavoir over to the land that belongs to me so it can be set up in its permanent space. We're going to wait till Tuesday when another friend comes to visit to move it the rest of the way. There is an incline in front of the lavoir which means a much larger hill to push it up over to the land on the other side. In the meantime, I want to tidy the land a bit and see if I can find something for the wheels to rest on so they won't continue to deteriorate like they did in the soil in the barn. With the wagon and the wooden cross bar it was resting on removed from the barn-all I have is open space in front of me now. As Greg says: "Now you don't have any excuses not to be digging!" I've set the goal for myself for the summer to get to the end of the manger-about the distance I dug last summer; leaving about another third of the barn left to complete.

Holiness of Place

These yogurt pots are so pretty against the wood of the wagon. They're a bear to light, but once you do it's worth it. There was a feeling of "altar" and holiness of place, as they reminded me of the plastic saint votives that I often light when visiting Cathedrals. I'm trying to imagine what spots will be prettiest for placement the night of the vernissage. I've already got a list of 6 choice spots and I'm sure more will pop up over time. Happy Sunday!

 

Yogurt Pots a Plenty

Sometimes I can be out of control...evidence here, yogurt pots partout! After they dried, I had them sitting on the hearth of the fireplace. Varnishing them was next, and I just didn't want them hanging around the Chatette while they dried. So, I loaded them into my favorite purple back pack and off we went to the barn together. I discovered this ragged piece of farm equipment was perfect for drying, but there just weren't enough spots for the almost 40 yogurt pots. The barn worked well, they dried beautifully out of the way. (I have now added "beaucoup de" dripped varnish and hand prints to this poor pair of nasty overalls.) Yesterday I brought them all over to the wagon lined them up and lit them. As you can see in the photo below, they are quite special. I'll share the rest of these photos with you tomorrow.

Light in Your Eyes Happy

Yesterday's photo, and the three that follow here today, smacked me in the face when I saw them. I am obviously not at my best...once again, not prepared, caught in the act of the every day that is my life. What I saw may not be evident to you, unless you know me really well, and maybe not even then. During the years since the storm, a number of very nice photos have been taken of me...some candid, some staged, but each with a subtle sense of ghost. Elements of that tortured look remained and the light in my eyes barely burned enough to convince even me that it would re-ignite some day. How wonderful to look at these photos and say: "Look at me, I look really happy!" It makes me think of something that was said to me by someone I worked with earlier this year after I returned to a location I had been assigned in the past. "It's you. You're back. Where did you go?" And here I am. It's me. I'm back. I'm not always very sure where I went, but I'm grateful to be here, present, light in my eyes happy once more!

Happiness is having Dali and Sam with me-I tease that there's not enough room for a man in my bed...but I think you can see from the photos below that it's the truth!