Soar-Dream-France

Angels Appear

 

  This has always been a place of angels for me. Right here in this very spot, the spirits dance with the history, romance, boundarylessness, and timelessness that has always created the eternal magic in this place.

Yesterday, when I got off of my call to Dad...my painter had gone outside to make a call on his cell phone and was coming up the back steps. (Cell reception inside the Chatette is almost non-existent.) I'd wanted to show him how pretty everything was now and how different it was from when he was here earlier in the year working so hard with his team. 

 

 

He commented on how beautiful the pie-shaped piece of garden is and then said: On y va...and we walked down the tracks over to the barn, lavoir and wagon. Then, I decided to show him the reservoir too.

 

 

 

We'd spoken about how the "espirits" moved in this spot, so it was no surprise when he noticed my sign from the first vernissage in the barn: "Il y a PLUS que des ANGES."

There's a song by Diamond Rio called: I Believe. One of the lines that always grabbed me was: There are more than angels watching over me.

Voila...There are More Than Angels was the theme that first summer vernissage for our barn in 2010.

This is a living, breathing place. We've come together in amazing ways over time.

 

 

 

 

I believe that there is a power I cannot see that is moving in this place and guides this flow to our lives here. 

 

I'm smiling because sometimes this is the way the angels work in my life.

 

 

I began to write this post thinking about the "angel bird" that appeared and glowed on the terrace in yesterday's afternoon sun. 

 

 

Yesterday I thought there was one angel. This morning I'm reminded that one may show itselff, but there are always more.

Wishing you the presence of angels in the flow of your life.

Happy Saturday!

 

Another Step Closer...

 

...to finished in the living room. There are times that I really do feel like I'm flying by the seat of my pants. I love my painter. He does amazing work, cares about what I think, and comes when he says he's coming. When he finished the carpet installation and most of the work on the doors at the end of April, we thought that early to mid June he'd be back to do the extra work for me of painting the wood between the beams in the ceiling of the living room.

With the new floor for the upstairs mezzanine, the bare wood beneath looked out of place. 

 

 

 

At the beginning of June I began emailing. Monsieur Azzabi let me know that he was in the middle of a job, but would get to me as soon as he could.

I'd write every so often, but no date was yet possible. With the Monster Meuble arriving on Tuesday that will be in the living room...he'd written that he'd be here before then.

Yesterday morning I wrote: furniture coming Tuesday, we don't have a lot of time between now and then.

He wrote back: I'll be there today and he was.

 

 

 

 

I barricaded les deux freres in the kitchen. It worked better than expected even though they weren't particularly happy about it. They let me know at the top of their voices that sound much larger than they are!

Yesterday's first coat is gorgeous. He'll be back soon for the second coat and some wrap up to be done on the doors from his last visit. 

Living with it all a bit last night...this may have been one of my BEST decisions.

The ceiling looks higher and the mezzanine seems to just float on a cloud! It's also interesting to see the play of light and shadow on the same color of blue.

 

Each spot in the Chatette is different from the others and different from itself, depending on the time of day or night! I love it!

 

Happy Friday!

 

 

My Rainbow GIrls and Boys

 

With these two brothers running around and exploring the Chatette, I often hear them before I see them. I've tried to "brother proof" as best as I can, but these guys are kittie superheroes. As tiny as they are, they: escaped the barrier from my bedroom the first night; are up and down the staircase in almost a single bound; squeeze into the tiniest of places; and, scamper up when you think it would be impossible!

 

Yesterday, I heard them in the piano room before I saw them. I looked in all their usual spots. I knew they were there, but I couldn't find them.

They seem to like to tease me. I heard a little meow and looked up.

Voila...there they were hanging out with my smokey turned rainbow girls of Mom's. All I could see were ears and eyes!

It definitely feels like a game of hide and seek with these two. At first they were just trying to get away from me, but now they are playing with me!

 

They are getting better at not running away from me and seem less afraid. I try to scoop them up whenever I can and give them hugs and cuddles for a while. They seem to like it and relax a bit, but then they're off to more superhero adventures. 

I don't know if they've figured it out or not, but when they are with the Rainbow Girls or on the evier by the wood basket...it is easy for me to scoop them both and have cuddle time.

 

Happy Thursday!

 

 

Les Deux Freres-Fostering for Figeac

 

Our time together here at the Chatette last night began under my bed. Try as I might, these two tiny brothers did not want to join me in my bed for some shut-eye.

About 2am, they made their great escape.

 

 

 

 

 

I watched one of these little stinkers just walk around the corner column of the bannister to get to the other side and avoid the accordian barrier altogether.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both of them are smarties for sure!

It's summer and the refuge in Figeac is already full.

 

 

 

Everyone has been saying that almost all of the refuges are full and much earlier than in previous summers..

 

I'd offered to help out with fostering if they needed anything since they were full. San asked me how I felt about kittens.

When we spoke there were three litters of kittens looking for a foster home.

These two sweet little guys came my way yesterday afternoon around 3pm. Aurore and Renee brought them to me and helped make location decisions and get them a little settled. I'd already given a lot of thought to how this might work, and so far we are doing fine and feeling our way.

I will be posting about these sweeties from time to time and will have special photos and stories up on Facebook.

 

These guys will be available for adoption through the Refuge at Figeac.

I'm excited . Stay tuned!

Happy Wednesday et Bienvenue a les deux freres!

 

International Beer 101

 

I have never been a big beer drinker, but I find I enjoy a cold beer in the summer sweltering heat much more than any wine.

I learned to drink beer fishing with a former boyfriend (now friend) at a friend's land in O'Fallon, MO. Of course, it was some variety of Anheuser-Busch beer. From there, it was Dixie's at the Napoleon House in New Orleans from time to time. When I first bought the Chatette, there was a Belgian Beer tasting in Cajarc that was fun. After Hurricane Katrina, I found myself drinking Heinekens with my debris removal man at the end of long hot days.

 

I find myself drinking more Heinekens here in France. They stir memories of my debris removal man for me. I've even taken to buying a big can to stash in the frige when I'm in the mood. All this time, I thought it was a German beer. Wrong!

 

 

On Sunday, sitting with my friends at the Bar d'ete, I discovered for the first time that Heinekens are Dutch. Annemarie and I had a conversation about how Heineken would be pronounced in several languages. Gerard explained that the Heineken Brewery is in the heart of Amsterdam. I was shocked!

 

It was a fun beer education for me. 

Happy Tuesday!

 

Barn Beauty

 

 

On my way to the poubelle and then on up to the Mairie to help set up for the Bar d'Ete with the Comite de Fete yesterday, the barn stopped me dead in my tracks. When all that grass is cut over there it's a great short cut up into the village!

Yesterday it was the barn with the beauty of the buddleias against the geraniums and the texture of the wood.

Coming and going...I had to take some photos.

 

 

That color combination sucked me in!

 

 

This is the reason that I have buddleia all over the property. There are so many pretty colors and it brings the butterflies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can sit on my porch swing with my book and a kir, and watch them all day long...mostly in the height of the heat and sunshine.

 

 

 

Now, that doesn't stop me from cursing them when it's time to prune and then to majorly cut back in the fall. 

 

 

I'd say it's worth it, wouldn't you?

Happy Monday!

 

Fiber Optics Fun

 

While I was laundering my little heart out and hanging out on the terrace with the butterflies on Friday, a huge production was happening on the road in front of the Chatette. Earlier in the week they'd been down by Evelyn's. Friday was our turn.

I've seen a lot of roadwork in my day.

This was special because they are in the process of laying new fiber optics for us for phone, internet, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nobody is going to be stealing these cables from beside the train tracks.

They are laid in a trench UNDER the road and very artistically done!

 

 

 

These guys were amazing. They had an incredible system and never seemed to stop.

The only thing more amazing than them, was their equipment...more  multipurpose monsters for sure.

 

 

They'd trench, lay the fiber optics, sweep all the road refuse up into this piece of equipment that then blew it into the back of a huge truck bed. Another truck came behind again and cleaned more while beginning to fill in the trench! Incroyable!

 

 

Nothing like looking out your high window and having a workman staring back at you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of waving, smiles and photos going on.

 

 

 

Another benefit to having this work done was no to SLOW traffic. We have speed demons that are very dangerous in this long, flat stretch of road...traffic was alternating and often stopped.

Coming home from Cajarc on my bike yesterday-their blue machine was still up on the side of the road controlling traffic. Hmm, wonder how much one of those costs?

We could use one all the time!

 

 

It is rare to have a finished product that is so pleasing to the eyes. Our New Orleans work crews could learn a thing or two from these workers! (I won't mention any names!)

By the end of the day on Friday, they'd gotten as far as the bend in the road and stopped. With yesterday a holiday and today Sunday, I don't expect to see them again until Monday. 

Huge Merci to our Artisans de Fiber Optics!

Happy Sunday!

 

Quatorze Juillet-A France FIrst

 

Here I am with another Quatorze Juillet en France a Cadrieu! I struggled some here with what to write and what photos to use today. Usually, my French Flag would be up on the door or a window to celebrate the day AND the France/Croatia match on Sunday for the World Cup.

There is no longer a flag to be found at the Chatette. ALL of my flags were in the huge armoire that went up in smoke. BUT, I do have photos! Instead, I'm resurrecting a post from the archives. I wrote this post from New Orleans in 2013...

 

...just a little wistful then and now, don't you think?

 

 

7/13/2013-Celebrating Quatorze Juillet en France takes on many forms. During 2005, an impromptu apero party had a pack at the Chatette to celebrate.

 

It was one of those parties you never forget...old friends, new friends, young people, old people, French flying, English flying, wine flowing, Ricard pumping, and for me-feelings of belonging. I'd arrived that summer in June, planning to be there through October.

 

Most of my time had been spent excavating the lower terrace. As I stood on my ten stone steps, showing Yves Jolly my handiwork, he looked at me and said: "Perhaps, you stay."

 

Little did we know the prophecy in his words at the time. 

 

 

Jane and Yves, with me at the President this summer!

 

 

I know, I'll never forget them-or that special Quatorze Juillet moment in Cadrieu

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Joyeux Quatorze Juillet-2018

 

                                                                                                                                                            

                           

                     

Kirs, Beers...

 

...and, pastries! I'm laughing because there is clearly a pattern here. Jane and I are dangerous. We start out with the best of intentions: a little market and a beer before heading back to her house for lunch with Yves.

One beer became two. It's right at this point every time, we get hungry.

We have established a pattern.

Here we were at La Pause with a box of pastries I scooped at LaGarde's for my contribution as an after lunch treat.

But, Jane preferred savory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, a special request to the staff et voila...

 

 

 

...a plate of charcuterie at which to pick and two more smaller beers that I can't recall the name of for the life of me.

 

Our pastries remained in tact and made it back to Chez Jolly.

 

 

No need for lunch. Yves had something without us.

We'd been beered and charcuteried-up.

What could be better than a coffee and fancy pastries shared together with wonderful friends?

About the kir?

 

 

That was something cool, pretty and all iced up (and, oui-I finally have ice cube trays) for a hot afternoon at home.

 

Happy Friday!

 

 

Continuing Gratefulness

 

This shot of St. Therese of Lisieux at St. Cirq Lapopie is one of my favorites of her. As you know, I have many that I've taken over the years in various spots. On a recent errand run into Cajarc, it was time again to make my visit there at St. Etienne and thank my saint.

I did what I always do. I lit my candle and took a seat. It's still empty and quiet enough before the high tourist season to grab grateful moments. I've had many sensations in those quiet moments of breath and heart beats that make St. Therese so special to me.

Back when I first bought the Chatette, I'd come to her to be grateful. I did what I always do, but this time felt different.

 

 

I could feel my beating heart stronger than usual. It was as if it was beating outside of my body and not in. I haven't felt that feeling in a long time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remembered it this week as if it were yesterday, not almost 18 years ago. It stays with me. I know there's a message!

 

 

The ongoing gratefulness continues.

Happy Thursday!