Soar-Dream-France

The Path of Creeping Water

 

It's been raining so much that I haven't really been outside, except to get wood and mail! Yesterday, Yves came to "consult" on exchanging train tickets and other life lessons! I always go out to make sure there isn't any traffic coming when my friends are backing out! 

 

 

Waiting in the road to get Yves out, I looked over the wall to the river and this is what I saw. I was shocked. I haven't seen the river this high and fast in a long time. We are definitely at the "inundation" (flooding) stage. I even had moments of the Muddy Mississippi flowing through my mind! 

One of the interesting things about all of this is the path the water takes.

 

 

It starts up in the hills, comes down through the reservoir to the lavoir, flows from the lavoir under the property between myself and my neighbors, to the channel you see that flows it to the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything is overflowing at the moment. I can now even hear the lavoir rushing through my double-glazed windows!

It makes me some sad, because I can see that some more of our riverside trees are going to be swept away. They seem to be dropping like flies!

 

 

Happy Sunday!

 

Big Kids and Cookies

 

Yesterday Jane and I headed to Figeac to celebrate Christmas together before I head back to the states on Tuesday. We had our favorite breakfast buffet at the Pont D'Or Best Western and then headed to the Carrefour for a few necessities and on to the Recyclerie where Jane had a return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My gift to Jane was breakfast buffet and cookies, but when I got over to the book section Malcolm Gladwell's the Tipping Point screamed Jane's name. I'd read it and learned so much that I thought Jane should have it.

I didn't really need anything, but I figured tins for next year might be good. Then, I saw him at the door. He certainly stood out in the "clown" collection and he had to be mine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turns out he wasn't the only one who made my day. Jane had been telling me about a "Paris" doll she had as a child that she loved. Yesterday, she gave her to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This girl is so much fun...even though she is particularly special, she has found a home and is happy to be out and having fun with everyone else.

It's hard to believe it's Friday and I leave on Tuesday morning to catch the bus to Cahors for the train. Jane is going to come for coffee and run me to the bus stop...one last a bientot for us on Tuesday!

 

 

 

 

Happy Friday!

 

 

New Ways-Adaptability

 

 

I am continuing to be wowed by the various stages of light, dark, clouds, moon and river that happen right in front of the Chatette on a regular basis. It seems to just keep coming, I realized this morning that these new double-glazed windows that I have left curtain-less,offer more moon on my own Moon River than I've ever seen before. I am in moon heaven! I am left wondering if my "moon" Mom may have something to do with this!

Although I'm on my way very early this morning to celebrate Christmas with Jane over our favorite breakfast buffet at the Pont D'or Best Western in Figeac, I had to share these shots with you before we go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This may actually be a better routine for me in the mornings. I've had the habit of MSNBCing myself in the morning and then blogging. I think I like blogging first better!

 

Happy Thursday!

 

 

Last Batches?

 

 

Yesterday was peanut butter cookie day here at the Chatette. I made two batches: traditional with the fork criss-cross and then the  thumb prints with chocolate and strawberry jam. I had to improvise on the Hershey Kisses. It was a little sloppier looking, but just as good.

 

 

Pretty plates on the buffet at the end of the day. Tins today, before I start pulling cookie presents together for delivery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the moment, Jackie Kennedy is in hog heaven sitting on the cookbooks and surrounded by the wafts of peanut butter!

I shall return.

Happy Wednesday!

 

Dancing Diamonds of the Moon

 

Taking a break from watching the Impeachment Inquiry in the House Judiciary Committee, I wandered into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. I needed the coffee less than the "Irish" I was going to put in it and the whipped cream topper. It wasn't quite dark, but getting there. When I passed the middle window, I stopped in my tracks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I often write about my sunshine dancing diamonds and and my Moon River Moons, but this was different.

 

 

 

The moon in the light blue sky reflected a swath of swaying silver that exploded into dancing diamonds right in front of the Chatette.

It was so special that I got my coffee going and grabbed my camera.

Just when I think there is no more left to love and discover in my place of "enoughs," something like this happens.

 

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

Winning!

Under the weather a bit on Saturday evening, I didn't make it up to the Mairie with my 24 raffle tickets to see if I'd won anything. I let Christiane know that I wouldn't be going. She sent an email to tell me I'd won two things! What fun-I'd planned to go up today to pick them up, but they arrived yesterday with Christiane's knock on my front door. 

 

 

 

 

I never expect to win anything, but each year I've bought tickets I've won something. It's fun.

I love this year's goodies and believe that I've won the charcuterie "coffre" from Soulie's in Ambeyrac before! The "petite plante" of jade is so pretty and perfect!

I even love the wrapping!

 

What a fun way to start the holiday season AND a huge merci to Christiane once more!

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

Building a Collection

 

This season I find myself building a collection of Christmas Cookie tins. I didn't really expect to be enjoying this cookie making so much, AND I needed a place to put them.

Oh, I do have plastic containers, but tins are so much more fun. Some I've bought, some were gifts, and some came full of store bought cookies all their own.

The treat there is I get to eat all of those cookies in those tins before they are ready for the cookies of my very own.

 

 

I've told you the pecan ball story already. That batch in the photo above is the result of my "ball surrender!" I made rolls and then cut them into standard, more uniform, round cookies. And then, you see the results of my almond strip efforts. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If I say so myself, they are excellent, very pretty and easy to make. Almond strips were my Mom's favorite Christmas Cookie. She had a special recipe that I believe she got from Nannie. My sister may have THAT recipe, but this recipe is NOT it!

 

 

 

We shall see when I get back to St. Louis, if Kat can produce it for me. Otherwise, I'm still good. I also realize that as much as I can't duplicate the cookies from my childhood, I really can't duplicate those experiences either.

The closest I'm coming is feeling Mom (and sometimes Nannie too) very present all the while I bake. The memories bring them here. Mom sometimes made 25 different Christmas Cookies and she had tins for all of them They were all fun and pretty.

 

 

Some she'd brought back to the states with her from England (kind of like me)!

 

My tins are just as pretty and actually have more of a French flavor! One in particular that was a gift from Jane, made me smile. It's one of the silver tins of sites of France that have chocolate in them during the holidays. This one is Chateau de Chantilly. It looked like all the others I'd seen, until my magic almond strips were laid in on top of tin foil...et voila. Look at those lights and reflections!

 

 

Happy Christmas Cookie and Memory Making!

Happy Sunday!

 

Cajarc Chores

 

I was on a mission to Cajarc on Thursday. I'd decided to get my flu shot before I headed back to the states AND I had a rather nice chunk of euros that I also wanted to get in the bank before I headed out.

Departure is still about 10 days away, but I'm really trying to check stuff off so I'm not running (or riding) around like a maniac at the last minute.

If I learned anything in all of this International  travel, it's that departing well is important to me. 

 

 

 

 

 

It was fun to get my first flu shot in France at the Pharmacie! I did pretty well with my French...probably better than at the bank. I tried to be ready in advance with my deposit slip, but they threw me a curve when the ATM did not allow for the denominations that I needed.

I was back to square one, BUT I am covered for roof checks and other charges that will occur when I'm stateside!

 

 

 

As much as I enjoy seeing friends and family, it's always hard for me to leave here. There won't be many views like these on my bike rides to do errands! Believe me, New Orleans is NO VACATION! There is so much to do and catch up on, but it's necessary!

 

 

Happy Saturday!

 

Moody Morns

 

 

The morning mists have been settling in here in the valley along the Lot. Right out my front door here at 2399 Route de la Vallee, we are transformed. While this is a color photo I filtered to black and white, the rest are just as they were taken.

 

 

 

The mists here really are magic.

It's easy to feel the power you cannot see and the romance of forgotten times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Friday!

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Wonders

 

While I can wax romantically about the colors of fall and the greens of summer and spring, winter is full of wonders that you just can't see during other seasons. I never gave it much thought till I came to the Lot Valley to live more full time. All that green and color hides some beautiful sights and buildings. These too, take my breath away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This spot in the photo above is a favorite of mine.

 

 

 

I've shot it before. You can't see it on the other side of the river in "high foliage" seasons. It spoke to me again when I got out on my bike earlier in the week and headed toward Montbrun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hadn't planned to ride all the way there, but it was such a pretty sunshiny day that I just kept going.

 

 

On the way home, I stopped for a few of these photos that I'd consider "winter wonders!"

 

 

I leave you with another "winter wonder" shot that I took ages ago on the path between St. Cirq Lapopie and Bouzies I filtered it a little magically!

 

Happy Thursday!