Soar-Dream-France

Missions, Meetings and Moments

 

I was on a mission when I hopped on my bike to head into Cajarc yesterday. La Poste and the Intermarche were it, and I only had an hour or so before everything closed for noon lunch. I spent an inordinate amount of time in La Poste filling out paperwork to send something to the states, that left me with only 30 minutes to get to the Intermarche and scoop the essentials. 

 

 

It was that spontaneous stop at Besse for their chocolate chip cookies on the way home that shook me loose. Shoving my bag of cookies into my backpack, I thought that I didn't have to rush. Even though the skies were a little threatening, I don't call my Dad till 14:00h France time. I began to wander up rues I hadn't traveled in ages.

I love not rushing.

I love off-season.

It's a luxury to be able to wander and soak up a place you love in a way that you haven't been able to do for a long time now.

 

 

I first "met" Cajarc that same summer of 1998, when Stu: took me to lunch in Marcillac-sur-Cele; we came down from Grealou to Cadrieu where I first saw the Chateau and what would years later become my "Chatette;" and, on the way back to Tour de Faure we stopped in to see some friends of his who had an antique store in Cajarc.

Join me over the next few days as I share my wander in Cajarc that still makes me pinch myself at every turn.

 

 

 

It's what happens when you live in a place that is full of history, romance, magic, and stories that has become home in your heart. 

 

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

 

 

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Soar-Dream-France: To the Terrain-Flowers by Jane

From Terrain to...

 

 

..the Chatette, Jane's flowers have a special life of their own once they arrive and move in with us! This big bunch started its journey from the terrain, to the car, to the basket of my bike; so I could make sure Jane didn't get whacked by flying voitures as she backed out of my drive. 

What do you see in my basket?

 

 

 

 

If you look closely, you'll notice the flowers, my scarf, and a jar of Jackou's tomato sauce...lots of tomatoes this season. I benefit from those tomatoes too!

This bunch made three bouquets and a solitary vase for a zinnia that kept one of Andre's creations company. 

 

 

 

One went to the fireplace.

 

 

Another, zinnia full-went to the chair side table.

 

And last but not least, one went to the center of the window round table.

 

 

Poor Sam, she didn't know what vase to hit next for one of her favorite activities...drinking from the flower bouquets!

Happy Tuesday!

 

Bread-Besse Artisan Boulanger

 

I don't usually buy my bread at the Intermarche. but the other day, I remembered Evelyn saying she buys her bread there.  She also mentioned that it comes from Besse. I tend to go to Lagarde or Roux for my breads and sweets, but decided to give Besse a try after I bought a very pretty baguette at the Intermarche. It just so happened that their deliveries were in process when I arrived. 

 

 

 

The Baguette Epi that I bought for 59 centimes was different.

I would go so far as to say that it was beautiful.

I hadn't even planned on getting bread on that run in to the Intermarche on Friday morning, but I couldn't resist.

Do you see what I mean?

 

 

I confess that I enjoy all the warm baguettes that I bring home. It wasn't till I got home with this one that I realized I had a real treasure in my backpack! It was: easy on the eyes, soft and flavorful inside, artistically done, and crispy on the outside. It also seems to have stayed fresh longer.

This, will be my baguette of choice from now on.

 

Happy Monday!

 

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A Slow Reddening in Place

 

It's no secret that I am so happy to be having my first fall here in five years. As I've been watching the vines crawl over and up the front of the Chatette, I've been thinking "it never did that before!" When in fact, it has, but I just wasn't here to see it. I went back to look at the photos of the vine that Evelyn sent to me last fall, et voila! It has done that before. The difference is that I wasn't here, so the shutters were closed instead of open.

 

 

I have just one spot of bright and brilliant red at the moment. It seems even more special and pretty in this very moment! But, the rest of the red is on its way!

 

 

If you take a peek here, and then look at Evelyn's shots below; I think you'll get the picture!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just can't get over that red! We're not there yet, but it's easy to see it's coming. It was fun to look back to Evelyn's shots because I can also see that the vine was making it's way to the tunnel last year. This year it's there and finding its way inside a bit, so I'm looking forward to what we're going to look like soon.

 

 

For now, it's petit a petit. Each step along the way is as pretty as the next. It teaches me to enjoy them moment and each tiny step along the way! What a difference just one piece to a puzzle can make...here, the difference between an open or closed shutter! 

Huge Merci encore, to Evelyn for always keeping me up on what was going on around here at the Chatette and in the garden when I wasn't here to see it.

Maybe I'm the "Just One!"

 

 

 

 

Happy Sunday!

 

Le Chat de la Charette

 

One morning a couple of weeks ago, I was making Sam's breakfast and my first cup of coffee. Looking out the kitchen window there was this cat who in the dark could have been Sam. I turned around and she was still on the kitchen counter...none too happy, but still there. The hissing and spitting began inside beside me, but this guy wasn't budging. Then he headed over to the ledge outside of the evier sink and I had Sam hissing and spitting and hanging from the inside screen! I got myself together a little later when he was still hanging out on the terrace.

 

 

 

We wandered down the train tracks together...and I mean together-I looked like the cat pied piper or something. He walked right along with me, sometimes circling my feet, and was just lovey, lovey, lovey. No one knew him.

He was very thin and looking either hungry or horny, or maybe both. Sam's an old girl who detests other cats...maybe he was hoping to turn her into a "cougar!" He has not been neutered.

I've given this collage to Christiane to post up at the Mairie and she said she might do an email blitz.

 

 

 

 

I'm hoping he has a home and is just visiting us for a nibble from time to time.

He does come and go and hasn't tried to move in, so that's a good thing. I leave food and fresh water for him under the wagon so it's semi-protected. 

He is such a lovey boy. He listens well.

I'll keep you posted.

He's also a pretty photogenic guy. 

 

 

 

Happy Saturday!

 

To the Terrain-Flowers by Jane

 

Throughout the summer, I have been sharing photos of Jane's beautiful flowers with you. She began calling them "Jam Jar" Bouquets (with shorter stems) and worked with a mutual friend during the summer to sell them at some markets nearby in Tour de Faure and St. Gery. Saturdays and Sundays she'd usually be running out to prepare and take her bouquets to be sold.

A number of us have commented that there really aren't any flowers at the Cajarc market. I'm hoping that she considers Cajarc for next summer season.

 

 

 

The season is relatively short here for tourism. I was surprised that it's really only a couple weeks in July and then all of August!

I hate to say it, but I'm happy when the tourists go home. The Intermarche, the traffic, and unending events can be a little overwhelming at times.

I got good at working around it all.

 

 

 

 

September feels like heaven at the moment.

 

 

Tuesday was the second time that I had been over to the terrain with Jane. The last time most of the flowers had been picked and bouquet-ed up, but this time was a different story. All the color, texture, pastoral scenes, and progress that she and Sidney have made on this project astound me.

It is a beautiful place.

Friends, flowers, and stones make me happy!

 

 

 

I'm thinking that next summer I'm going to talk to Jane about planting a flower garden similar to this but smaller, of my own. I don't really want to sell them, but maybe I could be a "back-up" garden for Jane. 

I'm just going to keep pondering on in to next season and see where it takes us. 

 

I leave you with a bit of a flower collage to enjoy.

Happy Friday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dejeuner Days

 

Hard to believe that this photo above was taken in April, 2005! Twelve years gone now, and it is the only photo that I have in all these years of Jane, Yves, and I together. 

A lot has happened during those twelve years, but one of the things that hasn't changed is how much I love going to their home and spending quality time. 

 

 

 

 

 

It wasn't unusual for me to catch the bus over...stay for lunch, stay for dinner, and STAY the night!

There were times when Chez Jolly in Seuzac felt like a second home. I certainly feel at home there...

...always!

 

When Jane called and said "come have lunch," I couldn't resist. There would be four of us: Jane, Yves, their friend Jacku (sp?) who I'd met once before, and I. I rifled through the wine supply and chose one for lunch and one for them to save for a special occasion. Jane came to scoop me up. In the past, I could have taken the bus over and stopped in Seuzac. With this new company ownership, not only has the schedule changed...but, Seuzac is no longer even a stop. I'd have to get off in Cajarc or Larnagol! 

 

 

The table is always beautiful. The food is sublime and sometimes just a bit of an adventure for me. Tuesday's lunch menu began with melon, tomatoes from the family terrain,and bread. In between, there was something I knew was a mystery to me. Turns out, I tried the pickled "snout," but wasn't terribly excited about it. I wasn't expecting crunchy bits, but I managed fine. I didn't need seconds though, and you'll note that there is no photo. 

 

 

Next up-Choux Farci (cabbage stuffed with ground meat), more tomatoes, more bread, more wine, a sweet taste of goat's cheese and lots of fromage de Cantal.

All of this followed by coffee, dessert and cognac! 

Into our dessert course, it was 14h and it was time for me to make my 7am CST call to Dad in the states. 

 

 

I was just a little drunk when I got Dad, but we got to giggle about it and talk about trivia questions for his event that he is in charge of and is having today. I promised to ask my friends for questions and ran back on in because it began to rain...harder. I didn't care at first.

Then, it was just a drizzle.

 

 

 

What scenes to be standing in to talk with your Dad in the states!

 

 

Back inside, I gave the report the best I could en francais...Jacku was heading home. We said our a bientots and then Jane and Yves and I talked trivia, customs, fast French and English, and cleared the table.

We're a couple of lucky girls. Yves did the dishes while we headed off to visit the terrain and look at all of Jane and Sidney's hard work. This is also the location of what I've come to call:

 

Flowers by Jane!

 

 

So, this is NOT the end of this story. Come back tomorrow for more!

Happy Thursday!

 

 

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Unanswered Prayers

 

 

Today is another one of those poignant birthday days. You can call it a birthday in heaven. You can call it a lot of things, but the fact is that every year on this day I stop at some point and think about my friend Vann Yates. Now, that doesn't mean I don't think about him at other times. I do.

 

 

It's even easier from way up here at the Belgian Cross.

 

 

He would have been 60 years old today. It's a big birthday. I couldn't let it go without mention.

Plus, last November on my driving tour of the southeastern quadrant of the USA; I was able to stop and visit with Vann's cousin Sherry and her husband Glenn.

 

 

I needed to "see" Vann and lay eyes on him one more time, as we'd promised each other we'd do. As much as I was looking to fulfill that promise; I was also hoping for answers. Those questions were left unanswered and I walked away with many more questions.

Back in France, I believe I've found my answers to both.

 

Above all, I've come to realize that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans; Vann was my "happy guy!" He was always able to rah-rah me no matter what. 

 

 

I still laugh today at how often he'd quote Hank Williams Jr. to me, in person in New Orleans or over the telphone from Cadrieu:

 

"I like happy, I don't like sad...,"

 

Now there's another part to that line that some of you may know, and some of you may not. I teased him about it all the time whenever he'd give me just this much. If you don't already know it, I'm sure you can look it up or find it somewhere.

 

Joyeux Anniversaire to my always "happy guy," from France.

 

Chateau Cloud Capturing

 

After a few intense days of grass cutting, I always enjoy taking a break and wandering around so I can look at my handiwork. From the road above the barn, I can look down and see if I missed any spots.

I can also make decisions about areas that are just impossible to cut because of so many rocks!

 

 

This last round, I wandered a bit up the road where I had just finished the last bit. I looked at the windows in the Chateau and wondered why in the world they would have two different kinds of glass?  Silly me!

Upon further inspection, I realized that what I was seeing was the reflections of the clouds. I zeroed in and had a little more fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It really was a spectacular sky!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nature's Creativity!

 

I leave you with a fun shot of me from this summer's event at Chateau Cadrieu. They seem to be doing this picture frame thing all over the world.

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

Life, Light, Color and Warmth!

 

Closing the door on La Galerie dans la Cave for now, I have other things to keep me busy and arrangements that need to be made to carry us into fall and winter en France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the moment, it's the front of the Chatette and the fireplace that have my attention.

 

 

 

 

If you take a peek at the front of the Chatette, you'll notice the vines that seem to be running amuck on the front and into the tunnel as well. My first reaction is, cut those suckers down, but then I remember that with the coming of fall those suckers become a beautiful red! They are aslo doing something I've never seen them do before; they are sneaking into the doorside window and accentuating the tunnel. As you can see from these in and out shots:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's going to be even more beautiful as time moves on. Imagine full on red, with snippets of green ivy here and there!

 

 

I've decided to let it be for now, so I can enjoy the beauty of the color against the wood and stone, and then yank those suckers out before winter sets in fully.

 

 

The next time you see the fireplace aglow, it will be sporting real fire-not just these lighting treatments that I use to help me enjoy the fireplace all year long.

Don't get me wrong, they're very pretty and I love what they do. But, it is their turn to "move house" and find another spot around the Chatette to express themselves. 

Today, my chiminey is going to be swept so we'll be safe AND have our certificate for the insurers. I've ordered our wood for this winter and won't be humping those meter long logs up those ten back stone steps this year.

 

 

 

Five years on here, I have now caved and compromised on humping 50cm long logs up those steps instead.

Ah, the compromises and realities of the years taking their toll.

The real joy for me this season has been enjoying comfortable routines and activities that I found myself missing the last five years when I was stateside.

I am here. It all feels comfortable and just a part of the natural flow of our lives in the Lot.

 

Happy Monday!