Soar-Dream-France: April 2016

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April 2016

April 30, 2016

Sleeping Barn Beauties

One of the many things I wanted to do after I bought the barn back in 2010, was sleep there. The dream was actually to get the barn in good enough shape to be able to sleep up in the loft. We're still not there yet, but I couldn't wait. Once I'd excavated my way all the way down to the beautiful stone floor...I carried a single mattress and box spring down the tracks and got Dali and I set up to spend the night. I had a lamp and my coffee pot. I'd brought my journal. It was going to be the first of what I'd hoped would be many more.

Dal and I watched the sun set over the Chateau and lavoie and finally fell asleep about 9pm.

By 11, my eyes and throat were burning and my nose was runny. No matter what I did, I couldn't get comfortable. I walked around. I went outside. I suddenly felt better. I'd been working in the barn for a long time and had never encountered any of those symptoms in all that time.

Every time I laid my head down they would return. I grabbed Dali and decided that it was time to go back into the Chatette and just surrender...back to our own bed for the rest of the night.

As you can imagine, I was quite bummed about all of this. Then, the aha hit. Not only had a been escavating the floor of the barn and all that soil; I'd disrupted centuries of compacted manure (fumier) from the various farm animals that had probably been living inside of our barn.

City girl that I am, that thought never crossed my mind. Of course, everyone in the village had a grand time with this story. After the vernissage that summer, I mentioned to the mayor at the time, Madame Gentou that I had slept out in the barn and discovered a problem with "fumier". She and Simone and Auguste Lacompte burst out laughing. Then, Madame Mayor said: "Why, when you have the Chatette?"

It was fun being the crazy American that night. For me, it really doesn't matter. I just want to be close to the history, romance and magic of our place.

You just have to take a little "fumier" along the way.

Posted at 01:12 PM in Fabulous Friends and Family, France Life, French Funnies, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 29, 2016

Stone Withdrawal

New Orleans is not a place of stone. At home, I am surrounded by stone. Ever since I was a little girl, I needed to "touch" the rocks and stone. It began in Nannie and Papa's driveway out in the country with Mom, and carried on throughout my life. Is it any wonder the Chatette called my name, and I listened?

I've been gone too long. I'm desperately missing the stone of home. I need to touch it. I need to kiss it. I need to feel its strength, power and the endless history that it holds. It's everywhere. It speaks to me.

Not only do I have garden work to face during this tease of a trip this summer; but, I already know there is much work that is going to need to be done with the stone. I'm going to get my touching, kissing, and feeling again wish.

Ah, but the stories that will rise to the surface once more!

All of these cleared areas that you see in these photos will need to be cleared again, pruned and manicured. When I left during the summer of 2014, I already knew that the lower terrace was going to need to be dug and cleared again too. If I don't stay on top of it, all that mud and soil rushes back. I'm guessing that everything will be covered up again.

I'm ready.

As you can see, rewards await!

Posted at 12:41 PM in France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Overalls and More, Photography | Permalink | Comments (2)

April 28, 2016

Room to Dream

From Cadrieu to New Orleans, it has been such a treat to have Niels and Bodil with me wherever I am in the world. I seem to be surrounded by a pack of "walkers". There are walkers and then there are "walkers"-those who set out to cover long distances with specific destinations in mind that are long term to the point that it can become a way of life. Niels and Bodil are part of that pack! So are my friends Pat and Graeme and Miek and Guy.

I like to walk. I've hiked the Grand Canyon. I have favorite hikes around Cadrieu, Tour de Faure, and St. Cirq Lapope. Jean and I hiked to the top of Montsegur. I still dream about how much I want to someday hike Macchu Picchu in Peru.

-A-Top Montsegur-photo by Jean

Grand Canyon Back-drop

But, I've never set out to walk a particular path or trail that would mean staying out overnight. Friends have walked portions of the Route de Santiago de Compostella. I've talked about it many times with them. Many of the St. Jacques pilgrims walk in front of the Chatette and take a respite in Cajarc. We are very near, or on that road.

When Niels told me that he and Bodil were planning a walk from their home in Denmark to Montaillou, France, which would bring them right in front of the Chatette; I was thrilled and puzzled. I had to ask: "So, you are planning to walk all the way from Denmark to Montaillou. Isn't that the town that was one of the main Cathar villages?"

The answer to both of those questions was a rousing-

"Yes!"

With new-found space in my life, I had room to dream. I immediately looked at the distance between Cadrieu and Montaillou...3 hours and 27 minutes by car-south between Toulouse and the Spanish border. I know the area. This is the area where the trains stopped running for me during 1996.

Tarascon-sur-Ariege Tower, Cross and Patisserie

From La Tour de Carol, to Aix les Thermes to Tarascon sur Ariege; I was plopped into the Pyrenees and Cathar country for 5 unplanned totally open days. Very unprepared, with nothing to read in English and only my travel journal; I headed to the librarie where I was told the trains bring the papers-No IHT for me! So, I spent my days up on the bluff above the Ariege River shedding a few tears, writing letters and postcards home, journaling, and reading travel brochures and books about the Cathars because they were the only thing I could find in English. As you might expect, there was an epiphany or two or three!

View from the Top of Montsegur

The wheels are turning. I've already jokingly (or maybe not so jokingly) mentioned to Niels and Bodil how much fun it would be to join them for the leg between Cadrieu and Montaillou. Of course, I'd be welcomed. At the most, I would join them. There are a lot of possibilities in between, but at the very least I will be welcoming them for a nice respite with Sammie Cat and I at the Chatette.

The thing is, this kind of walking is not something you just do. It requires you to be in shape, have good shoes, have a team and positive attitude, be prepared...and, really be able to let go for an extended period of time. Most of those pieces would be easy for me-but...

...how would I recharge my camera?

When I get back from St.Louis in mid-May I'm thinking about seeing if Eric wants to walk in the mornings with me. My friend Ron is an early bird and a walker too. I'll add a number of hikes to my list of priorities for my time in Cadrieu...I need the "hill" and causse practice for that elevation that you can't quite get below sea level in New Orleans.

The dream is perking.

The Magic of Montsegur

Posted at 01:34 PM in Fabulous Friends and Family, France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, New Orleans THEN, Overalls and More, Photography | Permalink | Comments (2)

April 27, 2016

Another Door Will Open

Yesterday's post opened up an amazing conversation with my friends Niels and Bodil. My friendship with Niels began around my post about being a girl of "pearls and overalls" back in 2009. Our love for overalls brought us together, and since that time we have celebrated overalls internationally throughout the years. Not only that, but Niels and Bodil have come to Cadrieu AND New Orleans!

I am always talking about trying to get to Denmark to see them. I've been barely able to get myself to Cadrieu, so you can imagine Denmark is difficult at the moment.

Niels shared some plans with me yesterday that would bring him and Bodil past the Chatette in Cadrieu in the not too distant future. They blew me away, but got my wheels turning. It's amazing to me what you can consider when you make space in your life...it appears another door is opening!

Just a tease today, I'll be back tomorrow with MORE!

Posted at 12:40 PM in Fabulous Friends and Family, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Overalls and More, Photography | Permalink | Comments (3)

April 26, 2016

Frencher than French-Bikes and Backpacks

I know we have fresh flowers all over the world, but fresh flowers in a backpack or on a bike always scream FRANCE to me. It makes no difference how I'm travelling or where: it isn't unusual to find me with flowers in my bike basket or spilling out of my backpacks. (I'm already on backpack number two.)

Hands free is important to me, so backpacks and overalls are essentials in my life. It's part of that "feeling free" thing that I cherish, as well as living "simply" in an uncomplicated life that has the luxury of paying attention to the natural flow of the universe!

As much as I've strived for that here in New Orleans, living a hands free life has been a challenge.

I have my grape jelly girl and have moved on to my electric blue backpack after my purple baby bit the dust early on in our return to the states. I've stuck to my promises to myself of no car and no television, and have surprisingly been able to continue to make that work.

As much as I love my overalls and do where them, the high heat and humidity of New Orleans does not make them the pleasure to wear that they are in Cadrieu.

And so, as I get ready to head home for my two-month July-August tease that will carry me back permanently in 2017; I celebrate the modicums of success that I have had translating home in Cadrieu to feeling home again in New Orleans.

Posted at 03:20 PM in France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Overalls and More, Photography | Permalink | Comments (5)

April 25, 2016

Shades of Green and...

...Porch Lizards!!!

This guy dropped in to say hello to us on Dupre Street yesterday afternoon. He fit right in with the rest of us lounging porch lizards who were happy to just be there among friends and not in the throngs of the crowd at the Fest. His green with the texture, patterns and sunlight through the leaves in this shot, took my breath away. Simple pleasures away from the FEST-they're the BEST for me!

Posted at 12:24 PM in Fabulous Friends and Family, Mélange-ing Magic, New Orleans NOW, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 24, 2016

Never Really Waiting

When a former student had called and wanted to get together yesterday, I knew that there was no sense trying to do anything remotely close to the hood. Where to go? She lives uptown. I live downtown. The Outlet Mall at the Riverwalk seemed the perfect in the middle kind of place. There was a very good chance that there would be NO crowds and she could actully find a place to park her car. Of course, I was correct.

We were meeting at the main entrance in front of the Hilton Hotel at 1pm. Dodging traffic, bikers, pedestrians, and honking pick-up trucks; I headed out of the hood on my usual teaching route. No sooner had I hit the Lafitte Greenway than the traffic stopped, there was parking everywhere, and there was hardly a soul to be found.

It was a comparative ghost town.

I arrived at the Hilton early. I settled in, but decided to get out the camera and have some fun. One of the big things I learned from Eckhardt Tolle's Power of Now is to enjoy the moment...you are never really waiting-at least you don't have to be!

I got in my share of people watching and wandered around in an area that I rarely frequent. I was surprised to find Winston Churchill there, and discovered that we actually have a British Place very close to our Spanish Plaza.

The International Trade Mart that has been a landmark for forever had a surrealist touch to it, and the red riverfront streetcars made it all the more special in some poignant kinds of ways.

Meaningful and Refreshing!

Posted at 05:35 PM in Fabulous Friends, New Orleans NOW, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 23, 2016

Homage to Mr. Percy

Missing Mr. Percy in a really big way!!!

Shortly after Christmas last year, our neighborhood lost a grand man, a wonderful neighbor and friend, when Mr. Percy Lyons passed.It was hard not to look for Mr. Percy out in the street yesterday. Talking with Ms.Verna and her sister Louise out on the front steps and flower box, we agreed that we may not be able to see him standing out there on Columbus Strreet "in the flesh", but we are feeling him everywhere.

That was when I remembered taking these photos last Jazz Fest. I promised Verna I'd send them to her, and have. It took a little digging to find them, but here they are!

And so as we head in to the second day of the season, the spirit of Mr. Percy is everywhere. He knows how much we all love him and are thinking about him during these times of sharing in our hood. Wave that sign high, Mr. Percy! We want to feel you MORE!