Soar-Dream-France

Thanksgiving or Just Thursday

 

I don't know what Jane and I were looking at during my 60th birthday party at the Larribe's, but we were clearly having fun. We always do. This shot always makes me smile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

So when Jane suggested a Villefranche run on Thursday, I decided that since it was Thanksgiving in the states I wanted to do something in line with gratitude and friendship.

 

We had some chores and errands and hit our usuals...the Deco Troc and the Recylerie! Now, that was a shopping rush.

 

 

I'd already told her that I wanted to treat her to lunch at the Leclerc. It's much more upscale than our usual McDonalds stop, but it was Thanksgiving and I already knew what I wanted.

 

We did pretty much like we always do...apero, nice meal, wine, and dessert. Jane had magret de canard and I had the salmon brochette that I love.

Dessert was creme brule and chocolate mousse-shared "entre nous." Jane was so sweet, she even asked for me if they had turkey. I'm sure you know the answer to that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We came close to enjoying our usual two hour
lunches. I looked behind Jane and the restaurant was empty. She told me there were a few people behind me, but not a lot. We tease all the time that we are the first ones in and the last to leave! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a great way to spend Thanksgiving. Jane suggested next year we do a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner at her house, and she'd even make a pumpkin pie.

 

 

I'm game already!

 

Happy Saturday!

 

 

Our Last Fall

 

I have often said, and still believe, that when you are thankful and grateful for what you have...what you are supposed to have will come to you.

I have always tried to live by that-to feel the grateful and to feel the enough.

Even in the midst of the gratefuls and enoughs, there are still these times of sadness and overwhelming loss.

 

 

 

I know it's always there right below the surface, but I mostly put on a happy face and move forward as gracefully and gratefully as I can. I do. I try not to wallow. But, as I sometimes look through old photos that sadness is always very close.

You see, yesterday was also the two year anniversary of the fire here at the Chatette.

As you can imagine, the biggest loss for me was losing my Sammie Cat.

 

 

It hits me from time to time, but these last few days the tears flowed freely as I was looking through old photos for some specific Thanksgiving shots.

 

 

 

It's when I look at old photos and realized that everything and everyone is gone, that I have the most difficult time.

So today, I want to share a few photos with you.

In most of them everything is gone. In others everything is gone, except me.

 

 

And for that, I am most grateful.

 

Happy Friday!

 

 

Grateful All Year Long

 

This is a place that makes it easy to be grateful all year long. I have so much more to say about that on this day today-Thanksgiving-but, I'm on the run today to Villefranche with my friend Jane. It's an opportunity for chores, errands, and a chance for me to let Jane know how grateful I am for her. I'll be back with more over the next few days, but for now I leave you with the spirit of gratefulness!

Do you see her!

Happy Thanksgiving AND Happy Thursday!

 

 

Paint Brush Tips

 

As the leaves fall and the color begins to wane, I welcome the appearance of the yellow paint brush tips. Tall, straight and thin, I love the yellow tips on these trees. I almost expect them to jump out of the ground and begin painting swaths of yellow everywhere one more time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I find them walking home from the bus AND sitting out on the front stoop, as I did here recently! I often sit on the stoop and feel the "enough" of my life.

 

 

Wouldn't you feel the same if you had a view like this everyday out the front door and windows of your home? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THIS...is just enough!

 

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

One Word: Plastics!

 

I love this shot of our Dad, with Jim and I. Dad never ceases to amaze me. I was telling him about some plastic recycling issues and what a champion my friend Jane is on that subject (as is the whole country of France). Dad is in charge of trivia at Hidden Lake and is our own personal trivia guru. "Film Buff" is a description  that is accurate, but doesn't do Dad justice...maybe film "guru!"

As I was telling him my milk bottle epiphany brought on by Jane last week, he asked me if I remembered the movie the Graduate? Of course, I did. What I didn't remember was when the father of the girl Dustin Hoffman was marrying gives him a piece of one word advice: "Plastics!" We agreed about how much had changed since that recommendation was made. 

 

I'd asked Jane to bring me a six pack of milk. The bottles I get are plastic and come in groups of six. I told her the brand, but did think that she was not going to be happy buying those "plastic" bottles for me. Sure enough, she arrived with the right brand but in card board cartons instead. I confess. I wasn't really happy. but after lunch I compared the packaging and contents.

 

Everything was the same, except the packaging AND the expire date. The boxes will last until spring of 2020 after my return from the states!

 I've committed to card board milk containers from now on. I teased Jane...I'm a convert! It seems like a small thing, but if everyone used paper over plastics whenever we can, it could make an even bigger difference!

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

Last One Standing

 

For those of us who are aging and are still fortunate enough to have one or both of our parents still with us, I find that a close relationship can get even closer. Although Mom passed in 2016, Dad is still with us.

I may be in France, but my daily morning conversations (his morning my afternoon) with my Dad in St. Louis have brought us even closer than we were when I was growing up.

We talk about health. We talk about loss. We talk about how much we love each other. We talk about times when Mom visits.

We've also talked about what it feels like to be "the last one standing!"

 

Of course, Dad has experienced it more than I have. 

 

 

Earlier this year when my friend Gaynell passed away, I was walking up the steps thinking about our time together. We became even closer during Hurricane Katrina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of Gaynell's dogs were gone.

 

 

 

Sammie Cat and Dali were gone. Vann was gone, and now so was Gaynell. I realized that I was the only one left of these loved ones who gave me so much. I actually said outloud:

 

It's just me.

 

 

It was a strange feeling to feel for the first time. It is something that each and every one of us face as we age. I miss my gang now, but I wouldn't trade a moment that we shared. I'm glad I could talk about it with Dad. It is still a:

 

Happy Friday!

 

Yesterday-Today-...the Rest of My Life

 

Looking for a photo I never found yesterday, I stumbled across these photos I took of the barn not long after I returned from the states in March of this year.

I've been meaning to put the then and now up against each other at some point. Et, voila!

 

 

It is an eye-opening exercise. This new roof was a bittersweet thing because I loved our girl just the way she was. but knew if I didn't repair the roof we would eventually lose her all together. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe it's about old life and new life? Or, maybe old France and new France? As difficult as this was for me over the years, the biggest issue was the money. 

 

 

 

 

I'm sure you've heard the expression: "Put your money where your mouth is!" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to borrow some money so that I could:

"Put my money where my heart is!"

 

 

I'm glad I did.

 

 

Happy Thursday!

 

A Little Light Art

 

One of the things I've written about before was how I wanted to use the beauty of this place play naturally with light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've shared some of those constructions with you in the past.

This week I had fun with using the light AND the dark to bring out the very natural beauty of this place at other times of the day.

 

 

 

Feeling good here again is important to "us" after all we've been through. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are coming back around.

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Memories, Elections, and Gratefulness

 

Waking up in France yesterday morning to find out that John Bel Edwards was re-elected Governor of Louisiana made my day. It's no secret that I take my voting and activism seriously, even from here. Sometimes, it's easier. With unlimited calling to the states, I can call the appropriate people to let my stands be known on a variety of issues. And then, there are those times when I call to say thank you. I like saying thank you. 

 

 

So often people say: "I'm just doing my job!" I usually respond that so many people are NOT doing their jobs these days that I'm especially grateful when people do their jobs and also go above and beyond. Saying thank you goes a long way. I have another thank you plan in the offing that I'll share another time.

Celebrating the election and already enjoying memories, I decided to push another favorite food memory for lunch. I love fried cheese sandwiches. They are also warm and toasty during colder weather! It's unusual for me to have sandwich bread, but Evelyn had left me with some and I'd just purchased some more of my Laughing Cow "orange" cheese. Et Voila!

 

What a treat!

Happy Monday!

 

A Candy Kind of Sunday

 

 

Licorice has a personal kind of magic for me.

It transports me to my childhood in St. Louis (Dellwood to be exact) when every Sunday we'd be in the Rambler Station Wagon heading to south St. Louis to see our Nannie and Papa.

They spoiled us.

 

 

 

We knew when those rectangle white Famous Barr cardboard boxes came out, that there would be special treats for us and Mom too. That box of M&Ms didn't last long. Nannie always bought a special box for Mom full of licorice. It's not exactly like the licorice in the photos, but pretty close. That's when I learned to love licorice.

 

 

Haribo makes these gorgeous licorice mixes here in France.

Every time I get a bag of these "Zanzigliss"and start in on them, Mom joins me.

It carries me to all the times that Mom and I shared licorice together.

It also conjures up the wonderful memories of our Sundays.

I can see Mom and Nannie in the kitchen on Maze Place working on getting dinner together. Meanwhile, Papa is in his chair beside the TV with a Falstaff and smoking a cigar or pipe.

The rest of us are on the sofa directly across from him.

Those were the days!

Missing Nannie, Papa, Mom, and those Sundays of simpler times.

 

 

Happy Sunday!