Soar-Dream-France

An Everywhere Kind of Joy

 

 

So many things give me joy from here. Frankly, here is joy! I guess it kind of goes along with the feelings that I have about this being a place of the spirit of Christmas all year long! You can probably guess some of what gives me joy, since I often photograph it! Photography brings me joy. At one point, I thought I'd set out to make a list for myself of the things that bring me joy. But then, I'd have to think way too hard on it and it wouldn't come to me naturally. During these times, I'm grateful that I don't have to work hard at remembering and finding the joy of here.

Of course, you know my roses bring me joy.

I seem to be stumbling on joy all over the place these days.

I do confess to feeling the need to plan a bit to reach holiday joy this year.

 

 

I'm finding that in the holiday planning, small joys appear. Sometimes it's those memories from the past that are even more profound these days.

 

 

 

 

Thinking about Christmas mail, I decided to go to the LaPoste site and see what stamps I could find to make my snail mail home that much more special. Here, I hit the joy jackpot...very special postage stamps!

I love stamps, especially when they're Notre Dame and Beethoven!

Beethoven was a wonderful find-handsome and colorful!

I'd seen these Notre Dame stamps advertised in an article that Kat sent me from one of Dad's Linn Stamp papers.

 

Both arrived today.

 

 

The likeness on the web-site did neither of these gorgeous stamps justice. It's a lot more fun writing about these than writing about masks, just for different reasons! 

 

So, I'm ready for snail mail and I have plans.

The stamps aren't the only joy I plan to share this year.

I've decided to make it a year of joy and gratefulness...with extra joy and gratefulness to be shared!

As I'm writing here, I'm realizing that creativity is one of the things that gives me the most joy.

The joy in the doing.

The joy in completion.

The joy in remembering my friend Sister Ann. 

 

Sr. Ann was a wonderful friend who I came to know through my HIV/AIDS work in New Orleans. She was also a watercolorist in Jackson Square and a School Sister of Notre Dame (SSND). She often did retreats and workshops.

I'll never forget the time that she said creating brought us closer to God. Now, I'm not a religious person, but it made perfect sense to me.

So, be warned...there's going to be a whole lot of creating going on!

 

Miss you so much Sister Ann!

Happy Thursday!

 

Waking Up...

 

 

...to reviewing my life this morning and feeling a focus on everything that has changed or "gone wrong!" It was that being hard on myself kind of place...not doing enough, no energy, being happy to just sit around and read, being less social and on and on. I ran through the: getting old; feeling old; getting depressed; being anxious; and, before I could go any further I stopped myself. (During Katrina I used to literally throw up a red stop sign in my mind's eye?! )

I was giving the virus a pass.

Once I realized that, I could stop being so hard on myself and make that reality check...I have a reason to feel the way I do. We all have a reason to feel the way we do. Once again...let's do our best to be good to ourselves during these surreal times and uncharted waters. 

When I used to do workshops and staff retreats, I liked to use this photo of mine to get everyone to relax and focus before a guided meditation.

It worked then and it's working for me now. What works for you?

Happy Saturday!

What a Place to Hover!

 

 

As we all try to sort out our lives with this pandemic, I am constantly grateful that I am in this place. There is a peace in this place that is indescribable.

It leaves me speechless regularly, but I still try my best with my photos and words.

 

 

Yes, I'm in France. Yes, it is wonderful. But, it is just my little spot on the Lot that is my heaven on earth. I have learned over time that I must protect "us!" It can be very easy to muck it up if you're not paying attention.

 

 

I believe that we are heading to MORE heaven these days.

 

Since I began these pandemic times in New Orleans, it is difficult not to compare the two. While I was in New Orleans, I realized that my life in New Orleans was becoming more like my life in Cadrieu...more solitary. I have a very "people-y" life in New Orleans. That changed during the pandemic. I found myself: doing more projects; sending more cards and letters to friends at special times; ordering on-line; and,

finding small joys easier.

 

 

 

 

Even so, being in the middle of the insanity of the United States and all that was happening day to day and sometimes moment to moment; I experienced a hyper-vigilance around all safety. That, lead to continuous stress. Doing the simplest of activities required major preparation to be around people. Sometimes, that meant that I was just as happy to be alone. It felt like everything was hanging and uncertain.

Here, I live relatively stress-free. Oh, there are things to be done and decisions to make, but here I know I am safe.

 

There are still the concerns around the virus, but I always felt that I could do my best with that regardless, and I still do.

 

I still feel like we're dangling. Really, the whole world is these days. Everything feels uncertain. I tried to put it into words with my sister on the phone the other day. We agreed.

 

We are "hovering!"

 

I mentioned that I couldn't be in a better place to be hovering.

From my hovering, I feel like I have a very safe place to land. I believe that it will be a very gentle landing for me from here.

As I watch all that is going on in the states and chat with family and friends, we agree about the hovering.

It's the landing they can't be sure of. I see gentle for me. They see crash landing for them.

You'll notice, I have lights and life n my tunnel. 

 

 

Let's hope it is a gentle one for the world!

Happy Monday!

 

 

Hanging Hearts

 

This will forever be a favorite shot of mine, a heart in the trees hanging over Mahogany Oaks.

One of the hardest things about the pandemic for me was not being able to get over to see Mike and John, the same way that I could get over to see Stew, Eric and the Dupre Street gang.

 

I wasn't going to ride my bike across the Causeway! 

 

 

Even so, I was grateful that Joan and I were able to get over to hang out at the tail end of the Mardi Gras Season this year.

We sure did have some fun and make some memories.

I was also grateful that I was able to get over prior to my August departure.

Where there's a will there's a way...most of the time.

With all the change everywhere brought on by the virus, it can be hard to find a way even if you have the will.

 

The bottom line is that very little about any of this is in our control AND it can change in a heart beat.

 

 

 

I am very grateful that my will to get home to Cadrieu was rewarded with a way to get myself here. That doesn't mean it was easy. Each step along the way could have meant a return for me.

Fortunately, I am here.

My sister, Kat, and I speak regularly. She always says how happy she is that I was able to get back. Yesterday, as the insanity in the states continues we talked about how hard it is to "hover!" I told her that I really feel like I am in the very best place I can be if you have to be hovering. From here, I can envision a gentle landing at some point.

We agreed.

From the states these days, it looks more like a crash landing, than a gentle one.

 

 

 

I wish all of us a very sweet and gentle landing from our "hovering" no matter where we are in the world.

 

 

Happy Thursday!

 

Being Good to Ourselves

 

When a friend of mine saw the photo above, he said: "You must really enjoy your own company!" I thought it was an odd comment. But, after I thought about it for a bit...he was a person who couldn't be alone and always had to be surrounded by people. He probably never gave himself a chance to find out if he enjoyed his own company or not. I had to ask myself: "If you don't enjoy your own company, how can you expect it of others?"

Part of enjoying your own company is spending time with yourself.

 

For me, it has to be quality time that removes the distractions and barriers, of which there can be many. Growing up in a home where I was NEVER alone, I very deliberately decided that I was going to learn to be alone when I moved to New Orleans to go to graduate school in 1976. These days I tease, I got too good at living alone! I do love it!

Part of enjoying your own company also requires that you know how to be good to yourself. What makes you happy? What makes you smile? What is enough for you? What feels special?

 

 

That doesn't mean that other people may not be the answer to those questions. But during these pandemic times, our challenge is to find ways to nurture ourselves, feel good, and sometimes work to construct the special for ourselves.

With the changes that the pandemic has brought to all of our lives, nurturing ourselves has become even more important. And now, with the virus second-waving and increasing all over the world, how are we going to nurture ourselves through the winter and the holiday season this year? 

 

 

It's time to start planning!

Happy Wednesday!

 

Feeling Friends Always Close

 

This is absolutely one of my favorite pictures of Eric and Louie.

As you can see, both are photogenic. Many people were lifelines for me while I was in New Orleans for an extended period of time this round, but Eric, Stew and the 4-legged crew on Dupre Street were number one on my list!

Coffee or Cocktails...

Black and White or Color...

 

...they helped me to remain positive as all of us are trying to hold the thin threads of our lives together the best that we can!

 

 

These days there may be 5000 miles and an ocean between us, but we are in good touch and haven't missed any important events or happenings on either side of the pond.

 

 

Today is just to say-HUGE MERCI to Eric and Stew, Louie, Sweetie and Stripe for so truly helping me to hold myself together during those surreal times. And, they still are.

Happy Monday!

 

Hope Against Right

 

 

Today, I'm struggling from over here in Cadrieu.

Before I went to bed here last night, I discovered that the FBI in cooperation with state and local law enforcement, had thwarted  the possible kidnapping and harm to Michigan's Governor, Gretchen Whitmer by extremist, right-wing militia groups.

In and of itself; it is scary.

Scarier still, is that there are additional unidentified states on this list. 

 

 

 

 

So, I sit here this morning remembering that this is why I left. From everything I was seeing everywhere in the states, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. I often said to family and friends, I hope I'm wrong. Apparently, I wasn't wrong. This, not the virus, is what drove me to do everything I could to get back here as soon as possible.

It was not the easiest, but it was the very best decision for me. I'm grateful to be here for many many reasons.

 

 

I have so many feelings about these other unidentified states on the list. There are many more reasons than just the Corona Virus to be staying home these days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From here, I can see the forest for the trees...or maybe I should say the forest AND the trees.

 

 

I hope I'm wrong!

 

Planning Our Hearts Out

 

Yesterday, I posted a profile frame on FB around my photo that said VOTE-Have a Plan. 

As I looked at that frame, I thought it was suggesting that we needed to have a plan of action for after we VOTE in case the man who currently occupies the White House loses and refuses to leave.

I've been so focused on this possible horrendous breach of our democracy, that I lost sight of the fact that many Americans are having to go the extra mile this election and even have to have a plan to just be able to VOTE PERIOD!

We have to be planning poor fools these days. 

How quickly we forget...

 

...I had my special plan for voting too!

 

 

So, here we all are with our plans to vote, plans for the results, and plans for what may or may not happen depending on what those results may be.

In New Orleans, they've already been threatened by 6 hurricanes this season.

No wonder we're all stressed out!

So much chaos...so many unknowns...everywhere!

Living with the Corona Virus adds many layers of planning for all of us.

Just leaving the house requires extra planning and protections.

 

 

 

Now, with winter and the holiday season upon us, we're being advised to evaluate our Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays closely as travel and family get togethers are considered. This is where the triage of priorities goes into motion. What are you willing to risk to be with family and celebrate?

For me, I''m on my own here in France, as I was in New Orleans. I am fortunate to have friends in both places, but what about the holidays for me? While Thanksgiving was always a big deal with my family, I tend to focus more on Christmas. This year, I'm already pondering and planning what I'm going to do so I can do my very best to make this a special holiday season here, in spite of all of the insanity!

I have ideas! I'm usually pretty good at making things special when I'm on my own. And besides, it's really only up to me. That doesn't mean that things can't go wrong...but I'm getting excited about all that I can do between now and the holidays to make these times special. Or, should I say, MORE special?

 

 

 

I hope you will join me on my holiday planning journey into MORE SPECIALNESS! And then after all that planning, we can curl up by the fire with a good book, some chocolate and a glass of Cahors wine!

Happy Thursday!

 

The Importance of Our Vote-Challenge

 

I believe that everyone should vote. I vote religiously and have rarely missed an election. I always make sure that I am set to be able to vote my absentee ballot from France, and that all my paperwork is in order in New Orleans to do so. I always stop in at the Registrar of Voters to double check. I knew my paperwork was about to expire at the end of the year, so I went in expecting another 3 years. Glad I went. I discovered that now, you can only be certified for one year, not three. I'm set, but it had me wondering how any others could get caught short if they didn't know that laws or policies had changed?

 

 

I am appalled at the efforts to discredit our voting system and the blatant and disgusting efforts to dismantle our United States Postal Service. In the past, I NEVER had any concerns that my absentee ballots would not arrive in  New Orleans. When I saw mailboxes being driven away on the back of trucks in the states, after I arrived in France this August; I immediately began to think about what I could do to protect my ballot and my vote. I explored a number of scenarios to ensure my vote would be received. I settled on going with a private overnight delivery provider who would deliver my ballots in New Orleans in around 3 days. 

It is worth every bit of the 68 euros that I have paid to ensure that my votes get to New Orleans in plenty of time AND will be counted. This could be the most important vote of our lives!

I challenge each and everyone of you to do whatever you have to do to make sure that you will be able to vote and be sure that your vote is counted. It may require a little extra time, money, research, and just plain energy and leg work; but it is URGENT during this election!

 

Happy Friday!