Soar-Dream-France

A Work of Art

 

 

Even though I bought the Chatette in 2002, the barn behind us belonged to the neighbors who were rarely there.

I fell in love with this beautiful, ancient, falling down, stone barn and "divined" it to come to us.

Eventually, in 2010 it did.

I have always said that it is a work of art in and of itself. 

 

 

 

With the impending new roof work to begin in September, I've been trying to capture as many beautiful photos of our barn as I can.

At the moment, the roses are in just the right spot to highlight their soft, delicate beauty against the beautiful stone and the sliding and tumbling roof.

I leave you with a photo of the barn that was taken back in 2002.

It will always be a favorite of mine.

 

 

You can see why I gave the barn the name: La Grange Dentelle-The Lacy Barn. It is a magic place. More on that another time.

Happy Friday!

 

Precision and Pretty

 

For the last 17 years since I bought the Chatette, I have had an address with NO numbers.

I took the address off the official paperwork from the Notaire's office on the day I signed.

There has been on and off debate over all these years about what address I should use.

Now, I have a new address that is exact:

Laury Bourgeois

2399 Route de la Vallee

46160, Cadrieu FRANCE

 

We were even given numbers for our homes AND new street signs to mark the new changes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cedric got mine up for me the same day he helped me with my photos.

 

 

On the way home from French yesterday, I found all of the new street signs along with other beautiful views.

 

 

It's nice to have a number. It's nice to have a location that is specifically designated. Beyond the "nice" is the need to be able to get deliveries easier, that some official bodies require a number, and for emergency vehicles to be able to find us as quickly as possible.

Hooray for progress!

Happy Thursday!

 

Tunnel Vision

 

 

When I think of tunnels, I am my usually Pollyanna self and I focus on the light at the end.

 

 

 

Today, I am struck NOT by the light, but by the tunnel vision that is damning American women. Today, I focus on the American women who live in Missouri. Within the next 72 hours, it is possible that the Planned Parenthood Clinic in St. Louis Missouri will be forced to close. This is the last Planned Parenthood in Missouri that remains to provide pregnancy termination services in Missouri. If a woman in Missouri chooses to terminate her pregnancy there will be NO services available in her state. I grew up in St. Louis. This hurts my heart.

 

 

If you are someone who considers yourself pro-life, I implore you today to look BEYOND the abortion issue. Planned Parenthood certainly offers pregnancy termination services, but abortion is only one of a whole list of services that Planned Parenthood offers.

STOP to think about those women who come to Planned Parenthood for free or affordable: pregnancy tests, birth control, mammograms, pelvic exams, tubal sterilizations, and many other services that will also go away if this program is closed down.

Where is the care and concern for all women? 

War on Women! You Bet!

I will step down from my soapbox now.

 

Stoning

 

 

The stone has always spoken to me here.

It makes no difference if I'm hunting rocks along the river, digging up dirt down to the beautiful stone on the floor of the barn, terraces and tunnel, or...

...just enjoying my gorgeous roses and other flowers with the stone as a backdrop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love stone and it loves me back.

 

 

 

 

As I pulled the back terrace together in the flower department yesterday, I enjoyed the play of the flowers with the stone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texture and contrast...strong/soft, sturdy/fleeting, soft/hard, and so on.

I especially love the barn as a backdrop for our last summer together.

 

 

 

I've always loved it just the way it is.

It has always felt like a work of art in and of itself.

September will arrive bringing new and different.

It may be more modern and not quite as pretty, but the barn will live!

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

A Very Super Sunday!

 

 

It wasn't till I sat down to look at my photos from yesterday, that I realized just how much Jane and I accomplished. On the way to the vide grenier at Tour de Faure, we stopped for a few groceries and cash for me. I've learned my lesson.

 

DON'T go to the vide greniers without cash.

 

 

I've missed many an amazing deal when I was low. Plus, when they are benefiting the village school it's nice to have a little extra in case I want to give a little more.

 

 

 

We arrived in Tour de Faure right as everything was starting. Notice that table in the back right corner of the top photo...I bought my most favorite item there!

After the vide grenier, it was over to the patisserie and then home to Jane's for lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love going to Jane's. I enjoy visiting with whatever family is around.

 

Those 4-legged children are all so photogenic!

 

 

From there, we were off to the school in Seuzac so Jane and Sidney could vote. Yesterday was the vote for the governing body of the EU. They voted. I snapped a few photos.

 

 

Interestingly, Jane and I got all the way back to the Chatette before we realized that we hadn't made it to the nursery in Tour de Faure this season as planned. We checked it out on the internet and it was the last day. We were both game, so off we went back the same way we'd come. 

 

We sneaked in our seasonal flower purchases in the last 5 hours of the sale! Whew!

 

 

What a day! What bargains! What fun! What great friends!

Can you guess the favorite and price from the photo below?

Happy Monday!

 

Patience Pays

 

Many of you have joined me in my journey to pay attention to the new and changing Chatette after the fire.

A big part of that journey has been taking my time and feeling this amazing, beautiful, historic, romantic, and magical place in the new and different. I had decided on gifts for me, but I realize now that they are gifts to US and our WE. I wanted some New Orleans. I wanted some Cadrieu.

The New Orleans part began when I saw this photo that Roy Guste had taken of Spy Boy Dow.

 

I knew I had to have it!

 

Spy Boy and my little Guste girl in black and white had journeys together of their own. They were purchased last summer of 2018. Stew, Eric and I went to pick them up at Roy's studio during my 2019 return. Roy wrapped them in a tube for me to take on the plane, and they came home to Cadrieu with me. I framed them.

 

 

 

Yesterday, my neighbor Cedric came to help me finally get them up.

I'd guess it was close to a nine month journey, and worth every step along the way.

I confess, I thought getting Spy Boy up may have been a problem and I'd have to choose another space, but it worked and as you can see both are perfect.

 

 

Hooray for Cedric!

 

 

It's been fun to look at all the angles from different places around the Chatette. While I waited, I imagined many views and often walked around the Chatette to see how it would look and feel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've teased that this is now my "Roy Guste Wall!"

 

Last night I got my last shots from upstairs. Stairs and banisters and light made gorgeous even more interesting. 

 

It wasn't until this morning that I saw a surprise that I'd pondered, but didn't expect to see affected so perfectly.

Cedric actually got Spy Boy placed so that he rested on the morning banister shadows!

Huge Merci to everyone who helped me make this happen along the way:

Cedric of course,

Roy, Dow, Stew and Eric.

 

 

Happiest of Sundays to ALL!

 

Stepping Out and Up

 

Today is a big day for me here at the Chatette. I've made arrangements for big events to happen here this morning. You may be able to guess what from the photos I'm including in the post. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of late, the sunshine has once again provided me with natural art to enjoy.

 

We are coming together slowly, step by step. It's good that my snails have taught me patience over the years of here.

 

 

In the midst of this process, I'm learning a little more French too.

I've always said "pas a pas" for step by step but then called steps of a staircase a "pas!"

Talking with my neighbor this week about some projects he could help me with around here, I learned that the step to the staircase is a "marche!" 

Enjoy mes marches!

Happy Saturday!

 

 

Days of Wine and...

 

...Roses AND Baguettes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Friday!

 

Comey Columbines

 

Are you politically engaged?

During these times, really all over the world...I believe that it's important that we are. It's important to know: who we are; what we stand for; and, if we are on social media, it's important to know how we want to portray our best selves.

Disappointingly, that is NOT always the case.

For me, it's always been important to do more than talk the talk, but to put it into action and walk the walk.

I've come to be able to be politically engaged from France through YouTube.

 

I've learned so much.

Without television, I've found myself purchasing many of the books and authors who I see regularly on MSNBC. Commentary is one thing, reading it all yourself in black and white is something else.

My first plunge into these readings was Jame's Comey's book. I was returning from my Ipswich visit last April and found it on the shelves at Heathrow on sale.

 

I really wanted to see if I could learn more about him, and maybe understand more about what was going through his mind and actions around Hillary Clinton's emails.

I still don't like what he did, but his explanation of the whys did make some sense to me given my political and law enforcement background.

Comey became a little more special for me last spring. I was looking for a book to press columbines in. They are so beautiful and I'd taken to making cards to send.

Purely by accident, they became my Comey Columbines. 

 

 

 

 

 

Since then, I have books by Malcolm Nance, Michael McFaul, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton gracing my new beautiful bookcase. Maybe I should try Clinton Columbines for equal time and continuing the alliteration.

It's a giggle for me in the midst of very serious business. Humor can be one of the best defense mechanisms.

 

 

Especially when it is so difficult to take the high road these days.

 

 

Happy Thursday!

 

Blessings

 

Sitting down to write this morning, I was full of the many blessings in my life.

I spent part of yesterday trying to decide what I wanted to send to Gaynell's family, since I was in France when she passed. I'd gone back through old posts that then carried me back to my old singed journals. I'm realizing that the posts are the bones, but my journals are all the rest of the body and the skin that holds it all together.

I'm so grateful that I saved them after the fire.

Gaynell was a blessing.

I walked up the steps to bed last night, playing over all the times and memories of our friendship with each step. At one point it hit me, just how many are gone. It seems to be an even busier other side for me these days.

Today I celebrate the blessings of love, family, friendship and very open and diverse lives!

Happy Wednesday!