Soar-Dream-France

Big Kids and Memories

 

 

Yesterday was our day for Jane and I to celebrate Christmas together before I head off to Paris tomorrow and then on to New Orleans on Thursday.

We had our very favorite breakfast brunch at the Pont D'Or Best Western in Figeac and then headed across the bridge to the Saturday morning market. The route to the market was crowded and full of sweet decorations for Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

Jane wandered the market for the things she needed and I decided to wait in the Sphinx with a coffee. It was a good decision for me. 

 

 

Jane finished up and we tea-ed and coffee-ed some more together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's always fun to people watch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also did some reflecting on our year past and what the year ahead might hold.

 

 

 

Returning to the car the way we came, some velvet-ish throws in front of a shop caught my eye. Ever since the beautiful, colorful velvet patchwork quilt of Mom's went up in smoke last year, I've wanted to find a throw that is as soft and comfortable.

 

 

 

Et, voila!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The price was right.

 

 

AND then this little chenille blue guy caught my eye when we went into the shop to pay. Besides...he's perfect. He matches the blue on the ceilings now at the Chatette.

I know I said Paris is a present to me...BUT, these two were perfect Christmas 2018 gifts to me to get me on the road to new life in 2019!

 

Happy Holidays and Happy Sunday!

 

 

Working at Christmas

 

 

There were a number of years when I was doing contract work that I found myself elsewhere in Europe during the holiday season.

Sometimes it was both Thanksgiving and Christmas and also Easter too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Christmas spent in Brunssum, Holland, I went with a colleague to Ghent, Belgium.

 

 

 

It was there that I took some of my very favorite Christmas shots to this day.

The kid in me was window shopping! Can't you tell?

I thought it would be fun to share them here with you today.

 

 

 

 

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

 

Happy Saturday!

 

 

 

 

To Be There

 

As I often say, sometimes timing is everything. Paying attention helps too. Yesterday evening I looked out the window to see the storm I heard brewing. Instead, this is what I saw.

Oh, there was a storm brewing alright...hail and all. But, what a beautiful moon trapped in the blue and surrounded by dark ominous rain clouds and those fluffy pink happy guys.

Maybe there's a message in here somewhere.

 

Happy Thursday!

 

 

 

Childhood Christmas Dreams

 

As a child, I used to dream about having a staircase where I could sit on Christmas morning and look down at the tree and fireplace that would be surrounded with all of our presents. We lived in a one-story, 3-bedroom, brick house in the north county suburbs of St. Louis. We didn't have a staircase.

I'd probably seen too many Christmas movies. I'd probably jumped around like a silly kid to Christmas Carols with my siblings too many times. Gene Autry and Burl Ives Christmas Albums still make me cry. And we won't even go into what happens to me when I watch Miracle on 34th Street or It's a Wonderful Life too many times.

 

 

Every time I come down the stairs here at the Chatette, I am that little girl again. Sometimes I stop. Sometimes I sit down. When I do, I lean my head into the spindles and I see the magic. 

Just this place in this spot is the answer to my little girl Christmas dreams.

I may be pushing 65, but you're never too old to realize that you shouldn't give up your dreams. You never know when and where they might appear!

I'm grateful when mine do!

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Rainy, Cold and Lots of Work!

 

 

Yesterday was a busy inside day for me, except when I was running in and out for logs.

I finally surrendered and made one big haul to get me through to this morning, and closed the shuttered door to the terrace. 

 

 

 

I'd done some cleaning up, made more peanut butter cookies, and did some "work" work to continue to promote and try to get ready for the workshops I'll be hosting in New Orleans during February.

I'm going to be working more than usual.

But I have a goal-something I've been talking about forever...putting a new roof on the barn. 

 

 

With the Chatette shuttered, rain pouring down, a big fire in the poele, and work finished for the day; I wanted to do something nice for myself. I wanted a treat!

 

 

What could be better than a bowl of pasta, warm baguette and butter, with a Cahors wine, and a good book beside the fire? Not much!

 

Happy Monday!

 

A Shocking and Challenging Surprise

 

Life is full of surprises! I spend a lot of my time in the summers here gazing up at the parapenters who lift off from the causse directly across the Lot River from me. Of course, I take lots of photos. These shots were taken from the other side of the river at the Belgian Cross when my friend Ron Mancoske was visiting from New Orleans.

 

To say the least, it is awe-inspiring.

 

After last weekend's Teleton, I discovered that I won a tandem parapente with our local expert, professional, and enthusiast, Eric Benevent!

The thought is exciting. I'm not sure about how brave I am? Maybe by spring time and my return, I'll have worked up my courage.

I keep telling myself...think of the photos, Laury!

 

Happy Sunday!

 

It Really is Christmas Time

 

The Christmas Tree from the staircase this morning was particularly pretty when I came down.

Yes, I sleep upstairs at night with tree on.

I love the light and enjoy getting as much of it as possible before the end of the season!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reminders of the season are everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expecting bills in the poste, I put off going to the mailbox until later in the day. Et voila...what a stash of cards and a special wedding invitation for June. I have a plan and a place for all of those cards. It made my day for sure.

 

I've decorated more this year than ever before...two trees, garland and ribbons on the posts and staircase, a Winnie the Pooh Entourage on the landing, gifts under the tree, and a fire in the new poele!

 

I've always said that this amazing place feels like Christmas all year long. This year, more than ever, I wanted us to be more Christmas than Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving Christmas Eve for Paris, means that when I return in the New Year everything will be as I left it. Christmas Magic will be everywhere.

And, I have some other magic in the making too. More on that another time.

 

Happy Saturday!

 

Team Cookie

 

 

Making cookies at Jane's turned out to be even way more fun than I expected.

I've made cookies here at the Chatette, but without a big oven and all the best tools it is more of a job.

Then, the wonderful ambiance of Chez Jolly and its inhabitants add even more to the "mix" (no pun intended)!

We'd talked about making cookies last year, but it just never seemed to happen.

Maybe we needed stages...last Friday we shopped for ingredients, cookie day we shared lunch, and then we got busy.

 

 

I had two of Mom's recipes that were my favorites-peanut butter cookies and oatmeal coconut cookies.

 

 

Of course, there are the conversion and ingredients issues that started with cups and Crisco. I've always improvised at the Chatette and we did the same Chez Jolly, but we also weighed everything so we'd have a guide for future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jane and I discovered that we are a good team...

 

 

...along with our 4-legged helpers!

 

We complement each other. She is happy to mix away and NOT get the spatula caught in the beaters, and I'm happy to get my hands icky with ingredients and rolling dough into balls for baking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm always learning some new wrinkle to British English.

 

 

Of course there is the old reliable "proper."

 

At one point as the cookies were baking and flattening, Jane said: I can't believe we're really making "proper" cookies.

I just laughed since I'd already mused on about proper coffee, proper fish and chips and so on.

But then when I was rolling balls of dough, Jane commented on their size and said that I wasn't "mean."

The only reason I knew what she meant was because I'd just finished reading C. J. Sansom's most recent book of the Shardlake series-Tombland. "Mean" refers to stingy or not generous.

 

 

Jane considered herself "mean" because her cookie balls would have been much smaller than mine.

At the end of our session, we had more cookies than we knew what to do with.

They were tasty and gorgeous and we were happy.

 

 

I packed up my share of the cookies and remaining ingredients to take back home. Walking out the door to load up into the car; a gorgeous, moonlit, lotoise night awaited us.

HUGE MERCI to Jane!

Happy Friday!

 

Wood or Cookies?

 

 

Sorting, stacking and covering are all part of this wood deal these days. I made a nice dent in it yesterday. but still have a ways to go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the progress in these photos. All that wood on the right is sorted and ready to be stacked.

 

There's a nice little path there this morning!

There's still a ways to go! Won't happen today though...off to make Christmas cookies with Jane.

Happy Wednesday!

 

Lumberjack or...

 

...Jill, Jane, Joan, Jean etc?

Dad and I had a laugh yesterday when I told him my 4 estaires of wood that I had been waiting on had been delivered that morning. I told him I was feeling like one of those lumberjacks. He said: Or more like a lumberjane! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was good to "giggle!" He also reminded me how I had a similar conversation with my friend Vann. When I told Vann I was feeling like Paul Bunyan, he very quickly said: you mean Paulette Bunyan!

 

I didn't think I'd have to order more wood this season since I had so much left over from last year.

Here I was, a few weeks away from the end of the year and I was almost out.

My four estaires are in their usual place. It's always a race to get thrown, sorted, stacked, and covered with plastic before it rains.

 

 

It's a lot of work, but I'm going to do a little bit each day here.

In the past, I'd haul it up to the covered terrace. This year, I just go down each day and get what I need. It doesn't feel like such a big job when I'm not hauling it all up the 10 stone steps at once.

 

 

I better get busy. I leave for Paris and then on to the states two weeks from yesterday.

I've teased that with the new poele au bois, double glazed windows, and roof insulation; the Chatette is warmer than it has been in 800 years. 

I'm not sure if I want to be a Jane or a Paulette today! I can tell you that I'm putting on my Grandpa Pidgeon's red long-johns, my overalls and my hiking boots to see how big of a dent I can make this morning!

 

Happy Tuesday!