Soar-Dream-France

Show Yourself

 

As I have been wandering around the Chatette these last few days, a lot of my focus has been on making us "more" beautiful for the holidays. I've been very hard on myself because I have stuff everywhere that needs a place that I just don't have right now. (That's a story for another time!)

 

 

 

Because I'm a planner and a forward thinker, it isn't easy for me to go with the flow and respond in the moment. If I'm not thinking hard on something and following my pre-conceived plan, I am often uncomfortable.

Those old shoulds are just swirling around in my head to the point where they can be immobilizing. Inertia sets in.

I like pretty.

I like meaningful.

I like neat and uncluttered, but that just doesn't seem to be in my immediate future. So, I'm going with what I've got.

 

 

 

Each of my "feeling into the projects," moments have brought grand rewards.

I love the way my now "inside" window boxes of geraniums have made us more beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love the way the antique school desk has been transformed into: a geranium resting place; a spot for Lola to eat her crunchies;

 

 

 

 

a spot to showcase my brother Jim's artwork;

 

 

and, how my photo holder from Evelyn holds many family memories and moments that showcase nicely against the stone.

 

 

When I came during 2006 to clear my head and make big decisions after Hurricane Katrina, I was very clear that I wanted to immerse myself in this place and the people.

No one of us does it quite the same.

I was very clear that I was not recreating New Orleans or the states here.

I was also very clear that I wanted to pay attention to what worked and didn't work in the village.

 

 

I tried to show myself by the things I did, said, and offered.

What I realize regularly is that participation is the most important and it is often the deeds that matter most. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think it's all worked pretty well for me.

Hopefully, I'm getting even better at it these days!

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

Feeling Home

 

With a fire in the fireplace, smoke from the Chatette chimney, and Lola beside the fire; I am very much feeling home as we ease into the holiday season with Thanksgiving this week.

Lots of special goodies from Thiriet have been ordered and arrived for me and others. I'm pondering exactly what I'm going to do decoration-wise for Christmas this year. I bought so much last year, that there weren't a lot of purchases for this season, just some pretty spools of ribbon and another few strands of lights. 

 

 

 

It's funny how it happens.

It may be when I'm sitting on the edge of my bed on a new morning, or when I'm upstairs reading from under a cozy  comforter with Lola in my lap; I feel these overwhelming feelings of joy, comfort, and gratefulness.

All the signs are there as long as I pay attention.

 

 

 

 

Recently, those feelings rise when I'm dealing with the fireplace. 

 

 

 

It seems to be early in the morning or late in the evening. I've finished stoking us up for the night or having re-arranged again to begin a new day.

 

After both, I sit on the arm of the sofa and just look at the fire. The other day, I found myself remembering how much I love the winter here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fire brings me the peace, comfort and a slowing down to life that feels comfortable and nurturing.

Lola and I have taken to sitting beside the fire on the sofa together again too.

Ah, the sweet magic and comfort of just this place.

 

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

Happy International Overalls Weekend 2021

 

This year, I've been a tardy girl for International Overalls Weekend.

To be honest, I'm always confused over whether it is the weekend before or after Thanksgiving.

I should know better by now! 

 

 

That opening photo says it all!

It was overalls, wood back in the meter long log days of 2009, cold November, and did an Irish Coffee and Cookies Overalls party here at the Chatette.

It was certainly memorable for me.

 

I found out how much other friends enjoyed it when we were having lunch after the village clean-up!

I do have some great photos and found myself wondering if I could pull another one off.

Maybe next year or the year after...

 

...for now, we're all doing a lot of living on memories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's hoping you'll enjoy some of mine to celebrate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy International Overall Weekend!

 

 

 

 

On the Waterfront

 

This is one of my all time favorite photos of me on the river that was taken by my friend Marina!

Seasonal life on the waterfront on the Lot changes often.

It is often the "stage" for many of the events of my daily life in the Lot. 

 

 

 

In fact, some might say that it's my front yard!

 

This is the spot that has most recently been excavated and cleaned up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is also where my full (or otherwise ) Moon River moon most often shows itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It may be: watching trees uproot as the bank erodes; noticing the difference in the view between the seasons; watching the river rise and wonder if we might be going to flood; making algae art on the stones; watching the tiny fish nibble at my bare toes; floating heart-shaped crackers; and my solitary picnics of Cahors wine, cheese, baguettes, salami and a fancy pastry.

 

But then there are the memories of:

lazy days with Marina and "rockin'" on the river with our water aerobics from time to time; hanging out with Dali; and, making magic with Wendy's kids, Matthieu and Sawyer back in 2004, when we watched the "swords" floating down the river and talked about how they would always be welcome here with me!

There's nothing like hearing a tiny 3 or 4 year old girl say "It's Magic" with a French accent.

 

 

 

The stage is set. It's been vacant for quite some time, but I have a feeling that there is about to be a revival in the years ahead.

 

 

Now, that will be something that I will be looking forward to whenever it comes!

 

 

 

Happy Saturday!

 

Wood if it Could!

 

For a girl who grew up in the suburbs and had no "outdoorsy men" in her life until much later; I had a very limited relationship with wood...campfires, and it wasn't my job to start them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009 was my first year using the open fireplace for heat.

 

That first year and many after, it was meter long logs.

 

Prior to that time, logs were photo opportunities.

Hiking with two guy friends from Tour de Faure to the Chemin de Halage and then back to St. Cirq Lapopie in '98, I remarked on a beautiful arrangement of stacked wood along our route.

 

 

Of course, I had to take a photo  (it now hangs with many others in our library at the Cadrieu Mairie).

 

 

My French friend turned to me and said: "I have lived here all my life, but today I see it through your eyes!" I don't think the wood would have excited him quite so much as it did me. Who'd have thought that ten years later I'd have amazing wood piles all my own. They still wow me.

 

Last year I paid the neighbor teens to hump the wood up to load it on the covered terrace and stack the rest below. My worker bees aren't around this year. Initially, it was overwhelming. Then, I reminded myself how much I love the wood and its natural beauty. I also loved the idea that my hands touched every piece of that wood. I let go. The wood sometimes speaks to me like the stone does.

As I mentioned before, it is particularly pretty this year.

 

 

Each log is often a work of art all its own. I have a trolly and a wheelbarrow. So far, I'm trollying up as many loads as I'm in the mood for each day. Whatever gets done is a success, and feels good. It's under plastic in the drive. It will be fine.

 

 

One of best parts of hauling the wood is that I have a little robin who joins me regularly. He teases me mercilessly and never quite allows me to get a good photo of him.

The other thing I love is finding interesting shapes. The other day, I found a piece that was heart-shaped on the bottom!

Just another present for me!

The sun is out. I was waiting for Pascal to give her some book marks (she's a collector and it's called a marque a page in French) and some important cards.

She was thrilled.

 

 

As I walked back into the house down the drive, my plastic was up. As I put it back down, my robin guy flew out from underneath! What a tease! With the sun out, I'm going to go trolly some more. Who knows, maybe today is the capturing my robin day!

 

 

Happy Thursday!

 

One Year Anniversaries

 

With the winter holidays upon us, I've been thinking back to where I was a year ago in my quest to make the holiday season here mine and special. 

I'm realizing just how many "firsts" there were for me last year.

I ordered my special Thanksgiving and Christmas meals from Maison Thiriet, and fell in love with them and their products. I'm on a regular monthly schedule now for my special items, but still go into Cajarc for the more everyday things.

 

 

I also began ordering on-line for more than just books. From on-line: I decked us up for the holidays in fine style; christened annual Advent Calendars from Bonne Maman; ordered my gifts for friends and family stateside; discovered very special French postage stamps; and, treated myself to a beautiful piece of sheet music that blended Beethoven's Fur Elise with traditional Christmas Carols.

 

 

 

 

I made hand cut ornaments for my new modern tree that I have now turned into a tree for all seasons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wrote special lyrics to a chosen Christmas Carol that reflected the story of the year to be included with a note to my very special "pandemic pals" and family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I confess, I also became addicted to Hallmark Christmas movies on YouTube!

 

 

 

Lola was the biggest first for me.

 

 

She didn't come to live with me until the 15th of December.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't believe that just a year ago she hadn't yet arrived to become a huge part of my life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every cat I've ever had came to me as a kitten and was usually what I would call more of a "mutt" kitty.

 

 

 

Lola was already 5 years old and I've teased that she is my "swanky" girl...sometimes feeling almost too swanky for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She has always been affectionate, but our attachment just grows and grows.

 

 

I knew she had me the morning I felt her resting her head on my wrist from under the covers and then patting my cheek with her paw when it was time to get up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not exactly sure what I will or won't be doing to make this year special, but I do know I will celebrate Lola's "gotcha day" in some special way. 

 

 

She is my very special girl!

 

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Where Do You Place Yourself?

 

Here at the table in yesterday morning's black and white photo from the banner of my FB page; I had one of those "epiphanies" I mentioned to my friends.

This table has been a place of epiphanies for me over the almost 20 years of here.

I am forever grateful that the table survived the fire, even though it was right next to other special items that exploded into flames and dissolved into ash. I still find glass and broken pieces of things outside, even though it is now four years later. 

 

 

 

This morning's epiphany began as I chose a rose photo for the banner that showed off the roses so beautifully against the stone. I immediately went to two backgrounds that  I often look for when shooting or thinking about a photo. Quickly, I realized that there were way more than two. 

 

 

Photo subjects aside, what about the backgrounds that enhance our lives? You are the subject of your life. Have you paid enough attention to what works for you? Have you paid enough attention to what feels good? You have choices, choices that are yours alone to make.

 

 

Obviously, no two person's choices will be the same. There are no right or wrong answers, only YOUR answers. And yesterday's answers may be different from today's. That's okay.

I often say that I live in a painting and my life is a movie. I laugh because prior to ALL of my adventures in France, I had a life full of noise and busy. As I eased into my "France Life," all that changed. I changed.

Today, I prefer the beauty, simplicity, romance, history and silence of this place. 

 

 

 

What would your answer be to my title question?

 

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

Catching the Source

 

As if my roses weren't pretty enough all on their own, every once in a while they take charge of the light, color, and objects that make them more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These shots from a year ago take my breath away!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So many memories, so much to look back on and remember!

 

 

Happy Monday!!

 

Sunflower Sunshine

 

While sunshine from the sun itself has been in short supply these last few days, looking back at some of my sunflower photos warms my heart and "lets the sunshine in!"

 

 

 

 

 

My photography and journals ground me and remind me that on those darker days, change will come.

There is always a "different" day around the corner!

I'm betting on brighter and sunnier. 

 

 

 

 

I even accidentally made up a word for those days that do...

 

 

...SHINGING!

 

 

Shining and Singing!

 

 

Happy Sunday!

 

I am Brilliant-Ha-Ha!

 

Many of you have offered suggestions, ideas and support as I sort through what to do with the addition that is tumbling. Just because I'm in a holding pattern, doesn't mean I'm not pondering and sometimes going to hell with myself.

 

 

I've run the gamut with ideas, and had pretty much settled on taking the whole thing down and only doing the bare minimum.

 

 

Today, I think I may have hit the jackpot. I'd been thinking about the electricity issue and the fact that I truly believe that there is another beautiful stone terrace there below all that soil which has been screaming at me to start digging and excavating again. That's when I thought, why not take the addition down as planned, but keep those stone corners in place and put a roof over the space. That way, I have a place for the electricity without much disruption and the stone corners can continue to support a roof and serve as storage.

 

 

Out working on the wood on the other side of the house...I remembered that most of what I didn't like about the addition was that it looked like it was just tacked on and didn't really belong to us. What could I do to bring it all together? Ah, what about putting a roof that would cover the lower terrace on the other side of the Chatette too. They could have the half-rounded tiles like the terrace on both sides, or possibly the same kind of tiles that we used on the barn.

Something about this feels really good to me. I want to sit with it a while and make some drawings. Of course, money is always an issue. So we'll see. 

I am such a "meant to be" sucker here. First, is my belief that there is beautiful stone at both ends of the Chatette and under all the cement in the tunnel. Secondly, when I first bought this place, I had an interesting dream that stuck with me.

 

 

 

There were lots of people in the dream.

Some were up on the cliff on the other side of the tracks.

Others were milling about on the road.

Then, there was a whole group on the lower terrace near the vernissage cave.

It was clearly a celebration.

We were clearly having fun.

 

 

 

But the thing I always remembered the most about this dream was the huge, colorful awning that came off the top of that side of the Chatette and made an even more gorgeous and welcoming space!

 

 

My wheels are turning. I know that I don't want something coming off the top of the Chatette and an awning isn't in line with the stone. But, what if there were matching roofs on each side of the Chatette that would make a covered terrace/patio for more social occasions and a covered terrace/patio that would have storage, utilities, and a smaller social spot? 

 

 

I will keep you posted!

 

 

Happy Saturday!