Soar-Dream-France: August 2017

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August 2017

August 31, 2017

Village Talent-New Artist: Genevieve Baux

One of the things that I love most about doing the vernissage in

La Galerie dans la Cave

is discovering talent in my friends and finding new artists in the village. I realize that I might not have discovered Genevieve's beautiful photography, if we hadn't become friends on Facebook.

Remembering some of her photos, I asked her if she would like to show some at the vernissage. We went back and forth a bit, but ended up choosing two that I think we both love.

You'll see her photo: Cafe, The, ou...on the main front wall above and to the right.

Her second photo: Le Chat "Paris"...can be seen in the first slot on the wall to the right of the window.

I've known Genevieve for almost 15 years. She and Andre were some of the first people I met in the village, because they were good friends with my friend Pauline. Fifteen years is a long time to take to discover talent in one of your friends. I'm glad I asked. I know Genevieve is already thinking about next year, and now taking some of her shots with a mind to the future vernissage! I'm excited!

This has been a year of new and different in so many ways: new artists, new work, and we may be heading toward being even a little more professional in the future.Don't miss tomorrow's post on our second "new artist"-Patrick Schlumberger-SHUB. You won't be disappointed!

Happy Thursday!

I leave you with a full shot of Genevieve's- Cafe, The, ou...

Posted at 08:00 AM in Art, Fabulous Friends and Family, France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 30, 2017

Essential Surfaces

Although most of the pieces in La Galerie dans la Cave are hung, there are still some pieces that need a place to rest. Below/Beside the window, you'll find four pieces, and a visitor that needed such a spot.

The first two pieces on the table are: Le Four du Lot, and Le Panier d'Andre, both by Andre Baux. The next piece is: La Maison Mosaique des Oiseaux, by Patricia LaRoche.

You'll also find on a wooden stand beside the table: Rosier Rose, by Patricia LaRoche.

Both Andre and Patricia are long-time residents of Cadrieu.

I cherish their friendship and am always pleased when they participate in the vernissage each year. (I'll tell you more about our visitor on the floor in a later post.)

We have so much talent in Cadrieu!

Tomorrow I move on around the cave to our "new artists" from the village this season, starting with Genevieve Baux!

See you tomorrow!

Happy Wednesday!

Posted at 08:44 AM in Art, Fabulous Friends and Family, France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 29, 2017

Transformation

It seems only right that you should see the transformation of the cave window-before and after. I love this small, below the road window, but it continued to be a problem for us with this vernissage. The inside shutter frequently blows open and we saw that the pieces displayed there were going to need more light.

So, I ended up spending some time pondering how we could protect the art, light the art, make a pretty space, and not have any nasty extention cords hanging around. If you look at the photo above, you can see our solution. I was able to run an extenstion cord from the upstairs window of THE SPOT, and put a lamp outside between the bars of the window and the roadside wall. Open the inside shutter and hang the lace, et voila! I was pleased with myself!

The night of the vernissage it all came together just right.The two pieces that were shown on the window ledge were from left to right: Les Fleur de l'Amitie by Brigitte Deully and Plateau Jardin by Patricia LaRoche. Both are village artists who returned this year. HUGE MERCI to Brigitte et Patricia. It really was very pretty, wasn't it?

Tomorrow I'll tell you about the pieces you see below the window!

Until then...

Happy Tuesday!

Posted at 08:43 AM in Art, Fabulous Friends and Family, France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 28, 2017

A Day of HUGE After Vernissage MERCIS

After my day of recovery with After Eights yesterday, TODAY I thank everyone who made this year's vernissage possible. There is a lot that goes in to making an event like this a success. Fortunately, I had lots of help from the ADVANCE Advance Team, the Advance Team, the consultants, and the day and evening of the vernissage team.

Of course, you can't have a vernissage without les artistes. They make having La Galerie dans la Cave possible: Returning Artists-Andre Baux, Laury Bourgeois, Brigitte Deully, Patricia LaRoche, and Joan Parker-Bourgeois..New Artists: Genevieve Baux, Partick Schlumberger, and Les Soeur Ridgley and Black. After today's thank yous, I'll be sharing the work of each of our village artists over the next few days.

The ADVANCED Advance Team will always be a spotlight on just one person and friend, Patrick Larribe. Patrick and Josianne built and installed the lighting system for me in the cave, and every year Patrick is with us to honcho the hanging and placement of the art in the cave. This year was no different. HUGE MERCI to Patrick again and again for his tireless and loyal commitment to always helping me make this come off.

This year's Advance Team-included Patrick Larribe, Evelyn Jackson, and one of our newest artists, Patrick Schlumberger. Not only did Patrick S. (or SHUB) help to hang and arrange his artwork; Patrick arrived early the Saturday morning of the vernissage and cleared the rest of the terrace dirt and brambles for us! An even HUGER MERCI, for something that really does feel like above and beyond the call of duty to me!

And then you have the consultants who helped out at varying points in the process. Annemarie Kremer and Gerard Niet were invaluable translators for me and convincers that we could work hard to make modern uniform style match with a wide range of differnt.

After I rearranged some, Evelyn came down and gave the thumbs up and Jane Jolly helped me with some of the pieces that needed to be placed, as well as grocery shopping, After Eights and the placement of lace and light in the window so you couldn't see the extension cord!

Jane came over early to lend moral support and get us set up to take donations to do a little for Helping Homeless Hounds in Figeac, with some artwork of her Mom's and Aunt's on offer.

Visitors came and went. Patrick S. was an amazing helping host in the cave. By 10:30, the hard cores were left with Patrick, S. Nadja, Jane, Yves, Antoine and me. It was wonderful to sit, visit, ponder the evening and bask in the glow of new and old friends.

Saying my HUGE MERCIS with the beautiful flowers below, from Andre and Genevieve Baux-Merci Encore!

Happy Monday!

Posted at 09:47 AM in Art, Fabulous Friends and Family, Food and Drink, France Life, French Funnies, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 27, 2017

After Eight

One of the things that my Brit friends turned me on to was these wonderful thin mints in chocolate...After Eight! I'd decided that I wanted to have some for the vernissage evening so when Jane and I went in to the Carrefour in Figeac for the BIG SHOP I was on a mission. Running down the candy aisle with 4 worker bees stocking the shelves, I couldn't find the After Eights. So, I turn around and say: "Avez-vous Apres Huit?" All four looked at me puzzled. I go in to my explanation en francais, and still ??? When Jane arrived I asked her to see if she could find them. She did. She held them up and everyone burst in to laughter. I didn't get it then, but I got it last night. I'm retelling this story at the vernissage "en francais" to Yves and Antoine. They too, burst into hilarious laughter. I don't get it again, but then they tell me. To the French, they are just After Eight...no need to translate! I went to all that work and felt like a fool, when all I had to do was ask for exactly what I wanted-After Eight!

I will be back sometime soon with a post about the vernissage.

Happy S unday!

Posted at 11:44 AM in Fabulous Friends and Family, Food and Drink, France Life, French Funnies, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 26, 2017

Ins and Outs and Safe Places

The last couple of days have been busier around here than usual. Running in and out of the Chatette to get tools, cleaning stuff, trouble shooting lighting, and blowing and washing down the terraces; Sam has been wearing her bells so I can keep up with her and know where she is.

She can be pretty predictable, so when I couldn't find her anywhere in the house after having some open doors where do you think I looked? I found her in the kitchen cabinets. She was chased to her safe place by all those loud noises of blowers, lawnmowers, and then blowing the electricity when I cut into Evelyn's nice long cord.

I was able to go over and reset the electric, but once inside I discovered that a number of plugs on the floor from the kitchen to the piano room no longer worked. I went down to the cave and flipped the circuit breakers, but no go.

Fortunately, all of the high electric and the electric that is needed for the vernissage is working!

Whew!

I've managed to rearrange the kitchen, move my command central computer/internet to the kitchen too, and we're working it until I can get someone to come and help next week. We have what we need for now.

Sam just rolls with it. I try to use her as my role model!

But, you won't find me in the kitchen cabinets!

Happy Saturday!

I leave you with another little Sam-imation!

Posted at 06:07 AM in Fabulous Friends and Family, France Life, French Funnies, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 25, 2017

Home Stretching to the Vernissage

You just have to know that your day is going to be a good one when the suns rays blast in to the Chatette and share light and orbs of color everywhere!

I confess, yesterday morning I was prepared to "blow" both terraces, but when I went outside I saw another spot where I wanted to clear the vines off the stone near the door to the cave.

As you can see, it's worth every bit of the work that it takes! But, I am running out of time and must prioritize. While I was de-vining and de-brambling and sorting through the arrangements in the cave one more time; one of my artists came by to bring me some information he promised.

AND, he offered to clear the rest of the terrace floor for me on Saturday morning. Those of you who know me well, know that it's difficult for me to ask for help and sometimes to take it when it's offered. But, he convinced me.

Knowing I have Saturday help, I could go on to thinking about other things as they surfaced in my feeble brain...lighting the window, curtains for the window, pulling the weeds outside of the window, how I'm going to be able to light it, dealing with this moth infestation, and getting the program together for the evening of the Vernissage!

And YES, the sunshine even manages to sneak its way over the knee-high stone wall and get into the cave! I'm also pretty proud of my own handiwork.

TGIF, and I leave you with some more sneak peeks to be seen on Saturday night.

Posted at 07:18 AM in Art, Fabulous Friends and Family, France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 24, 2017

From Gold to Green

Realizing as I write this post, our mornings are the colors of the rainbow. Gold on Tuesday rolled in to an overcast green on Wednesday. Each is just as pretty as the next or the last...just different.

Yesterday, I was off again on my bike into Cajarc to mail some birthday and thinking of you letters to the states. Dad, of course, and then it is my friend Barbara's birthday at the end of the month. Timely? We shall see! It's always a challenge from over here for me.

It makes no difference if I'm coming into Cajarc's circular Place du Foirail by bike, car, bus or on foot; my heart always catches in my chest. It's such a pretty town and couldn't be more strategically placed for me and my life "sans voiture" in Cadrieu!

With grass to cut and more, it was a very quick in and out trip for me. I still had time for a quick pit-stop and my favorite spot along the Lot on the way home and a wave to my lettuce/tomato man as he passed by in his truck. That trip in on my bike took less than 45 minutes.

I left around 7:20 so I'd miss both buses on the road, and was home before the first set of bells chimed 8.

Ah, these many moods of home along the Lot between Cajarc and Cadrieu!

Happy Thursday!-

Another vernissage tease

for you below!

Posted at 06:53 AM in Art, Fabulous Friends and Family, France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 23, 2017

Going for Morning GOLD

Yesterday morning's Chateau Gold was only the beginning of a golden morning that carried me straight into Figeac with Jane. We'd planned to head in about 10, grocery shop, have lunch together at McDonald's and then come on home. Jane's 7am call to say: "we're both early birds, let's go now," was a gift.

Look what we would have missed!

Gold Everywhere!

Heading in early gave us a chance to enjoy the petit dejeuner together at the Best Western-Le Pont d'Or in Figeac (appropriately named the Bridge of Gold). We had a leisurely breakfast with a pack of ducks floating below and the sun sneaking in through each of the three archways of the pont. What a treat, to be able to have a leisurely breakfast buffet together in a gorgeous setting of gold, reds, and blues.

We both felt spoiled!

It was another chance to share our friendship and ponder the meaning of life at many levels!

It's a giggle and was a day that reflected our lives...one extreme to the other: breakfast at Le Pont D'Or; florist run; shopping at the Carrefour for the vernssage; Aldi for some special items; AND, mini hotdogs at McDonald's for lunch!

I can see you smiling already!

Time for me to knuckle down to get the Chatette, Cave, Terraces and Garden ready for Saturday's vernissage. We're actually coming along very well already...I'll share a little preview below.

Happy Wednesday!

Posted at 05:24 AM in Fabulous Friends and Family, Food and Drink, France Life, Just One..., Mélange-ing Magic, Photography | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 22, 2017

Bully Butterflies?

I've taken shots of this guy (these guys) before when one was resting on a lampshade inside the Chatette. Many of you commented on its beauty, and I concur. But, there is a HUGE BUT in the midst of these guys who are probably some kind of moth.

Do you see how many there are on these buddleia flowers?

I'd never seen them around here before. When I arrived I saw a few and thought how pretty they were with their delicate wngs etched in gold. When I arrived I also found this:

my boxwoods ALL DEAD!

It's very sad for me because these boxwoods were gorgeous. All of them surround the lower terrace and are going to have to be removed. My jungle tamer showed them to me when I arrived and mentioned "les petites papillons!" Now, I know exactly what he meant! I've got a lot of work for him this fall ..boxwoods, encroaching buddleias, split plum tree, leaning walnut tree, and on and on.

These guys are the talk of around here at the moment. Everyone seems to have them. Everyone seems to be losing these "arbustes!" They are also swarming at night.

You really do begin to feel that they are taking over, to the point where it seems that they are chasing away the other many varieties of butterflies that we have hanging out with us during these summersI'm told to spary the boxwoods with bit of bleach and water. I'm too late for that.

Pretty as is pretty does, until they start killing your shrubs. I've been wondering if the buddleias will be next? As Evelyn said: we have so many and they just keep reproducing, maybe that's not a bad thing. We shall see!

Happy Tuesday!