Soar-Dream-France

Gun Jumping!

 

 

 

Yesterday, I was sure I was done with blogging for the duration of my travels...or at the very least would be on hold till I got to a little more stable location. How wrong could one person be?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a day of an urgent wire of cash to the bank account in France before departure and scooping up the rental car, I triaged my packing stuff and settled into the sofa with my book till bedtime.

There was a knock at the door.

 

It was my friend Ida Daniel. We'd been trying to connect ever since she'd gotten into New Orleans for "the season!" I'm sure you know what "season" I'm speaking of. Ida is a member of the Nyx Krewe and rides in the Nyx parade. Nyx is solely a women's krewe. Many of the Women's Krewes have signature handmade throws. Nyx's are purses. They are not just any purses...they are specially hand made.

Ida was barely in the door when she began telling me about my "treasure!" She had made a Nyx purse just for me. In no time, we were hugging and crying and I was almost a big puddle on the floor. 

 

Ida mixed more Magic in one fell swoop than I could mix in all the years I've been trying to be here and feel more comfortable.Her purse joined New Orleans, Cadrieu, the Chatette, and Columbus Street. She had memorialized Sammie Cat AND my overalls. I was touched beyond belief.

We talked about Sammie Cat and she told me how upset she was when she read about her loss, and added: "And, I'm not even a cat person!" I continue to realize just how much my sweet Sammie Cat became alive through the blog.

She really was Sam the Star!

 

We sat on the sofa and caught up for a couple of hours. We had a lot of catching up to do! You see, I hadn't seen Ida since we worked at City Hall back in the 80's. We have many mutual friends, and we must have said: "New Orleans is a big little city," more than once. We too, have reconnected through Facebook. And so, I have my perfect Magic Mixer to guide my ever-changing and evolving life in these two places of my heart.

 

HUGE MERCI, Ida...

Happy Mardi Gras!

 

 

Stories...

 

...in the shadows!

 

Happy Monday!

 

Puzzle Pieces to St. Pierre Toirac

 

 

St. Pierre Toirac is only one of the many charming villages that can be found along the Lot River AND on my bus route into Figeac.

I took this opening shot from up in the hills just behind the village in April of 2005. It was the beautiful blooming pink plum tree in the middle of all those buildings that had caught my eye.

 

 

 

But, our focus on that October Monday was on the ancient fortified church that also stands out in this photo.

The Bruces and I were doing our usual wander through the village, and we do wander.

We'd already been to Figeac and Faycelles, and had planned to make our last stop in Larroque Toirac before heading home.

 

Near the fortfied church, I discovered some rain kissed flowers that sparkled in the sunshine, along with some very interesting chickens. Of course, I couldn't resist a series of photos. Graeme joined me at one point and then the woman that lived in the house came out to greet us. 

En francais, Madame Simone offered to tell us about the l'eglise.

And, we were off!

 

Between Pat and I, we were able to maneuver the French pretty well.  Madame Simone spoke slowly, which helps me. I'm always the one looking frustrated and asking: Parlez plus deucement s'il vous plait?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm hoping that between Pat, Graeme and I; we will be able to put the pieces of our memories together the way we did our French. (I know I wrote about it in my journal, but that journal is in the apartment in Cajarc at the moment.)

 

Before we went in, Madame Simone shared that she had lived in the village for some 50+ years. She was born in Larroque Toirac.

She showed us a well to the Lot, and told us about how their statue of the Virgin Mary had been recently stolen. I believe that she sat in the alcove window in the photo on the left.

 

 

 

 

 

Now the door in the back of the church remains locked.

 

 

We continued our wander around the outside of the church with Madame Simone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is always when I wish my French were better. She had so many wonderful stories and history to share, but I know I still missed a lot.

 

These days I don't know whether to blame it on my French or on my memory.

 

 

I'm counting on Pat and Monsieur Honey to fill in the pieces!

 

Happy Sunday!

 

 

That Special Human Touch

 

When I wrote about getting ready for company yesterday, my post stirred lots of memories and reminders for the bloggers in Pat Bruce and I.

Pat posted this favorite photo above of one of our most memorable pit-stops on our wander through the Lot Valley.

I was waiting for her to write about it first.

She was waiting for me.

Niether of us have written about this place and our special visit, with a very special guide in St. Pierre Toirac...Madam Simone.

 

 

 

The sweet richness and love that she shared with us was priceless. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come back tomorrow for some of the rest of the story!

 

Happy Saturday!

 

Getting Ready for Company

 

I'd forgotten that I'd taken all these recent photos of the upstairs of the Chatette. I'd done a lot of cleaning as I was getting ready for our visit with Pat and Graeme. As much as I love this moody one at the opening of this post, I  very much  cherish all of the rest of these as I reflect on where we are today after the fire.

 

 

Ah, the memories!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took many of them from the second floor looking down.

 

 

So, a little tour of the Chatette for you from the beginning of October. 

 

 

I've decided to take a "less is more" approach.

Of course, there are things we need and will get.

I don't just want to fill us up for the sake of filling us up. 

 

 

 

 

As I've said before, just my empty, beautiful, Chatette set in that gorgeous scene is enough for me.

The magic remains.

 

 

 

 

It's immortal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So is Sam!

 

 

Happy Friday!

 

 

Reading, Writing, and...Roses

 

Best not forget the coffee and "'rithmatic!"

 

I didn't realize until I sat down to do the paperwork for the workshops, that I had really been working pretty much non-stop.

It began the week heading up to the first set of workshops on 1/26 and 1/27 and continued straight through this past weekend when I finished up on Saturday evening.

I've enjoyed rediscovering the many facets of C-Street and am beginning to feel that the magic I needed to make here is finally coming together after all these years post- Katrina.

 

 

 

But, the bigger piece (which is huge) is truly being able to melange this magic between C-Street and the Chatette. It is happening. As my sweet Dad has said to me...so many "C's!" It really is a bit mind-boggling when you put it all together-C-Street, Chatette, Cadrieu, Cajarc and Cahors! It is my very rich life!

 

 

I'm watching the puzzle pieces of all these places come together in a mad swirl of twisting and turning and settling in, not unlike the whirls and swirls of my beautiful roses. For now, it makes sense.

I treated myself to roses at the end of each workshop series. This weekend is not only the weekend before Mardi Gras, but it is also the weekend before Valentine's Day.

 

 

My wonderful $8.99 Canseco roses that have been opening so beautifully and nurturing me along, are going to be twice the price. Hitting the road from here on Mardi Gras Day, it's probably best not to invest at this point. But, I'll have to have one more treat to myself before my March 7 departure!

 

Happy Thursday!

 

Related articles

Soar-Dream-France: "C" is for More than Christmas

Soar-Dream-France: Looking to the Light

Soar-Dream-France: Dark Departures

A Golden Path to the Moon

The Floating Window

Just a Little...

 

...SPARKLE!

 

The Fairy in the Roses

 

When I first bought the Chatette and was able to be there for longer and longer periods of time; I felt the magic. I coined the phrase: Immortal Magic once we were living there full time. Magic comes in many forms. 

I laughed when many of my British friends said there were fairies in my garden.

 

 

 

I'd already felt them so it just made it all more fun for me. On one of my returns to New Orleans, I'd sent some pictures of my New Orleans garden to one of these same friends who then said: "Laury, you're not going to find any fairies in that garden!"

He seemed to be right, so as time went on and I was back in New Orleans more and more; I began to import my own fairies. These fairies AND angels came to live here from 411. Our peach girl in this post was a gift to Mom. She hung on the dining room curtains.

 

 

 

Once Mom passed, it seemed only right that she should come to Columbus Street and live with me. On this last return to the Chatette, I thought about bringing her along. Considering what happened, I'm glad she stayed here.

 

 

She's become my "Fairy in the Roses" from time to time.

She looks right at home.

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

Missing the Lot

 

I'm finding today that I'm really missing home.

 

As it gets closer to making plans to return, I know I'll be returning to the apartment. I don't know how long I'll have to be there.

I'm realizing that I need to find ways to feed my Chatette Lot River addiction while in Cajarc.

It's a very different view of the same river.

 

 

 

Even though I've captured it before, I've never spent the kind of time with it AND in it the way I do at home.

 

 

These shots have me pining away for the Lot of the Chatette...very different than the Lot of Cajarc.

I want to learn to love them both.

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

Related articles

Soar-Dream-France: "C" is for More than Christmas

Soar-Dream-France: Dark Departures

A Birthday of Favorites

Memories and Moving On

A Golden Path to the Moon

Enough

 

The view out my front windows and from my front porch step on the Lot is spectacular. While my drives back and forth across the Causeway for work and visits with friends have been a different Monet painting every day; my Lot views channel Monet, Dufy, Gaugin, Cezanne, Utrillo, Pissaro, Renoir, Van Gogh, and many many more.

It is the blessing of virtually living in this painting that I call home every day.

 

One of the early days after the fire, I'd been back to the Chatette. I'd played Moon River on my Monsieur Winkkelmann and decided to just sit on my too high front step before I locked us up again. I gazed at the Lot from my burned and battered Chatette and said outloud: This is just enough.

I have this. It is enough.

 

I remembered some of those last walks around the village and along the Lot back to the Chatette before the fire. The beauty, splendor, and magic still take my breath away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Join me on some of those last walks through the village and along the Lot home to the Chatette.

I'm sure you'd agree.

 

 

 

 

I live in a painting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My life is a movie.

 

 

 

 

 

I am wealthy beyond belief.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling enough!

 

 

 

Happy Sunday!