Soar-Dream-France

Daytime Pumpkin Fun

 

Finding fun and friends are easy in the fall in Cadrieu. And, if you can't find friends-you can make your own. That first fall in France, Jean had a huge, gorgeous pumpkin that she let me have to enjoy for a while before I carved him up. He made such a great still life on the dining room table regardless of whether he was carved or uncarved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saved the seeds to dry for following seasons and to give to Kat and Tom to try to grow back in the states. I like happy pumpkins-we were quite a fall pumpkin couple that first year. Between the pumpkin and other fall delicacies, we seemed to be celebrating the season often and well.

 

 

 

Alas, here in New Orleans there are no pumpkin patches surrounding me like they do in Cadrieu. Pumpkins (and walnuts and rosehips for that matter) mean going to the grocery store and struggling to bring one home on my bike. I could ask for a ride...who knows-I still might? Till then, I'll savor the pumpkin memories of Cadrieu falls gone by.

 

Rolling in Rosehips

 

 

 

Aren't they pretty? All along the traintracks and beside the barn, my wildroses bless us with flowers in the spring and summer and rosehips in the fall. Unlike the ease of the walnuts who are delivered from on high, these babies need sturdy gloves and sometimes a pruner!

 

 

 

I'd say they're worth it, wouldn't you?

 

 

 

 

Aside from their beauty, with a little work you can make yourself an amazing tea. My years of running the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival with a foot high styrofoam cup of rosehips tea, made this fall activity a must.

 

 

 

Once you've got your beauties gathered, you must bake them in the oven for a while. After they've baked, they go into a pot of boiling water.  After they come to a full boil, you dump the pot through a strainer into a favorite pitcher(s)-et voila...pretty, tasty, rosehips tea! 

 

 

 

 

I've always thought that the closest thing to rosehips tea outside of Cadrieu and the Jazz Fest was Celestial Seasons Red Zinger. After a scorching summer drinking lots of herbal teas, my friends and I fell in love with hibiscus tea that was being served all over the neighborhood. 

 

 

 

 

What a find when looking at the Red Zinger box of ingredients, to discover that the top two ingredients are first: hibiscus, and then, rosehips!

We may not have any rosehips close by to be picking, but you can be sure that there was a lot of Red Zingering on Columbus Street this summer. 

Some of the fun of being here in New Orleans for a while has been finding these bridges between home and here.

 

 

And, isn't it pretty?

Happy Sunday!

 

 

Walk of the Walnuts

 

Walnut trees and walnuts abound in the Midi-Pyrenees region in France. Furniture, eau de noix, pastries and many other delicacies are treats. It's an even bigger treat when all you have to do is walk out your back door and scoop up more walnuts than any one person could need, with enough left over for friends and even neighborly creatures!

 

 

Walnut gathering didn't really get into full swing until we were full-time French girls. We started small. Our needs were small at the time.

 

 

 

But, as I began to enjoy walnuts and honey, walnuts and fig with foie gras, walnuts with Cabecou and Rocamdour cheeses, candied Christmas walnuts with Mom's recipe, and sometimes just au naturale...I was really grateful for the walnut trees that became "ours" when we bought the barn in 2010.

Buying the barn brought a bevy of gifts and surprises our way. The walnuts were only the beginning of the many yet to be discovered!

 

 

 

And so, I sit this morning on Columbus Street in New Orleans pining away for a walk down the tracks scooping up walnuts for my pretty basket. They'd need a little time to dry, but there'd be more than enough left over from last  year to carry us along until the new ones dried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evelyn joined in the fun during one of her first stays. Winters brought lots of fireside walnut cracking and goodies.

 

 

We can't wait to be back in walnut action.

You can bet that I'll be doing the Happy Walnut Thank You Dance!

Happy Saturday!

 

Cadrieu Color

 

 

This time of year, I'm always missing fall at home in Cadrieu. The color makes a spectacular backdrop to fun fall activities. Of course, photo ops abound, but I miss the fall fun and even getting ready for the winter.

As I lay the groundwork for getting back to Cadrieu, I'll especially look forward to fall color and fun. I'll share more of the fun with you over the next couple of days.

 

Happy Friday!

-Enjoy some Cadrieu Color!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City Living

City living has its ups and downs, and then every once in a while there are grand surprises.

 

 

With a changing neighborhood and more cars that need parking spaces, I am finding that I need to define our drive more clearly. It isn't unusual for me to come out and have someone parked in the middle of our drive. I don't have a car, but I have tenants who do. Even with three of us here, we use only one parking place on the street. With a new owner next door, and new couple about to move in to the other side of her double-we can expect at least one, maybe two more cars who need on street parking. We already have two cars from one house on Bayou Rd. that park on Columbus Street regularly. As my French friends would say, it's about to get very "interesting".

 

 

 

A number of people have suggested that I start renting parking spaces to my neighbors who might need them. I've considered it and still might, but there's a lot to think about. At a $100 to $150 a month for a possible 4 spots, maybe I don't have to think too hard!

On my bike to a meeting in the Bywater yesterday, I admired my handiwork. It felt good to have it done so I could focus on the possible work projects that were ahead of me while I rode.

 

 

 

At the corner of Columbus and Derbigny I noticed my sunflowers again. Unlike the fields of home; these guys were solitary, but just as stunning. I promised myself to try to remember to come back for some shots on the way home. Et, voila! What a bright spot in my day! I'd never have stopped or returned for these sunflowers shots, if I'd been in a car. Slowing down and paying attention paid off.

 

 

 

Enjoy these sunflower surprises!

 

 

 

When Friends Come to Cadrieu

 

 

When friends come to Cadrieu, each visit is as different and unique as they are. During the summer of 2009, one of my visitors was Jan Robert. Jan and I became friends through my friend Carol Miles. Jan had a little jump on knowing my Cadrieu friends and neighbors since we'd all been to a celebration at her house when I brought them to the states with me in 2008.

 

 

 

 

Jan and I had a few fun-filled days together that were just enough Cadrieu and just enough New Orleans to make it even more fun. From Figeac, to St. Cirq Lapopie, to the Belgian Cross; we bussed, we relaxed, we hung out with friends, we partied, and yes...Elvises were in the house.

 

 

 

 

I'm hoping that as I'm back home in Cadrieu for longer periods of time, my visitors will begin coming again. I'm shooting for summer of 2016, but in 2017 Sammie cat and I will begin our 9 months in Cadrieu and 3 months in the states. 

 

I hope you'll enjoy the photos of Jan's visit. It's a trip down memory lane for me.

 

Any 2016 or 2017 takers? And...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...We Would Love to Have You!

 

 

 

Making Room and Moving On

 

Mom's acceptance that it is truly time to sell the Elizabeth Avenue house is bittersweet in many ways. It is the end of an era for our family, and a true sign of moving on in a really big way. It's really been up to Kat and her husband Tom, to take care of everything...with help from each of the rest of us from time to time. Factor in the Ferguson pieces, and there's a whole 'nother layer beyond the moving on that makes this even more difficult.

And so, the first step is to figure out what to do with everything that is still in the house. There have been meetings with Auction Houses and others who have expertise in these things. Kat has been very good to get lists from all of us and to be very tuned in to what is important to Mom. There are just some things that she would like to stay in the family. So, Kat and I are working on that piece.

There are two things that scream Mom and Dad to me. For Dad it's stamps and for Mom its dolls. I've already brought quite a few dolls to New Orleans, and some of my own very special ones have already joined me in Cadrieu.

As my decisions about my own life have changed, I am more able to bring things to New Orleans. Different from when we departed Cadrieu in fall of 2012; I now know that I won't be selling Columbus Street and will be in New Orleans for some portion of every year. There will be a place for me and my stuff. This decision made bringing my childhood piano here an easier one. Now, I can also help out with a place for other things that seem to be important to Mom.

I will always remember how before my move to France after Katrina; Mom took every doll that I brought back to live in the basement on Elizabeth and repaired, painted, and redressed each one. Dad said that she'd turned the living room into a veritable "doll hospital"!

It looks like more dolls and other treasures will be making their way to Columbus Street once more. Fortunately, we know we're going to be there AND if there's not room we'll make some!

 

 

 

Perfect Picnic

 

Remembering an Easter Sunday hike along the tow path between St. Cirq Lapopie and Bouzies, where I continued on up into the hills to make my return. I'd been wanting to stop at a spot I knew at the top and have a little picnic. What's a picnic without red checks and your favorite Cahors Wine-Château Croze de Pys?

 

HAPPY SUNDAY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles

A Birthday of Favorites

Memories and Moving On

Soar-Dream-France: Somewhere in Time and Space

A Golden Path to the Moon

Rounding

 

 

With Thursday morning free, I got on my bike and blew through City Park. I wandered a different route than usual and rounded out a morning of fun with memories of France and my childhood. Carousels and Ferris Wheels-what could be more fun and stir the moving memories?

I don't think the Ferris Wheel is always there, but our City Park Carousel is a favorite. I never quite seem to make it there for photos when it's open, moving and there are screaming children having fun.

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday was another quiet morning, but lots of chances for some fun photos. The Ferris Wheel lights were still on and popped out a bit. I could only think that they'd have been even more brilliant in morning darkness. Hmmm-maybe a return trip.

 

 

 

When was the last time you had some Carousel or Ferris Wheel Fun?

 

Happy Saturday!

ENJOY!

BUT...Don't rock the seat!

 

 

 

 

Moving Magic

 

Nothing like sitting with your brother at the President in Cajarc while he writes postcards home. TODAY is the day that Jim and Joan will be packing up and beginning their treck from Kansas City to California. It's still a little difficult to wrap my head around. Even though we didn't connect that much when I was in St. Louis, it's still a much further distance and feels so much HUGER in my mind.

 

 

 

So today, Sammie Cat and I are sending all the magic we can muster from New Orleans, Cadrieu, Cajarc, the Belgian Cross, Ferguson, Figeac and Kansas City; to carry Jim, Joan, Sky, Azure, Flint (who will be with friends for a while), and all the helping friends easily along their way on this new journey. Love you guys-Safe Travels!