Soar-Dream-France

In the Shadow of the Barn

 

Holidays are always a little bit different for me in France. I always try to find a way to make them special, even it I'm on my own. As I described Christmas on my own in Paris last year, I realized that from Thanksgiving to Easter I was working for many years away from home and got very good at making each one special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday evening's dinner invitation was so much fun.

 

 

My little chick at the top was one of that dozen that I contributed to the evening. Making my way down the hill in the dark with my phone/flashlight, I realized that a Sunday Easter picnic would be fun. I have a couple of favorite picnic places, and could easily throw late lunch/early dinner into my backpack with a bottle of wine and go.

 

As the day progressed, it looked like picnics weren't going to happen. I knew that for sure after my second trip to the poubelle beside Eddy and Helen's house.

 

 

 

 

 

Taking some pix of their place, the gorgeous lettuce of Jackie and Yannick's, and on the construction road home, I was plopped with a few big drops.

 

 

 

 

So, how about Easter with the Barn this year! That would be fun. A little table inside...all very pretty and colorful.

By the time I was ready to take everything down the tracks and out to the barn, it was raining pretty hard AND it was getting chillier. 

Instead, I made a few dramatic flower arrangements and pondered.

 

 

 

I decided that I'd eat on the covered terrace from the swing and gaze at the barn from there.

It would have to do, and did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I began with a little guacamole inside while I wrote a bit in my journal and did some cooking for into this week. 

 

 

 

 

Then, it was off to the terrace with my dinner of stuffed meatloaf, baked potatoes, applesauce, salad with beets and mushrooms. 

 

That chocolate bunny will live to see another day, since other chocolates and cookies made a fine dessert all their own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a special place.

 

 

 

I love having so much pretty, romantic, historic, and so many CHOICES to make my holidays, days and my life special. What could be better than Easter in the shadow of my barn, lavoir and Chateau with my bittie birds singing in the rain?

Happy Monday!

 

 

 

One More Summer Together

 

This is the first shot that I ever took of the barn that led me to call her: "La Grange Dentelle!" Over those eight years from 2002 when I bought the Chatette, to 2010 when I bought the barn, I would: sit inside the barn; sometimes kiss her beautiful doors;  talk with her; and, generally divine her to come to us. And, she did.

When the barn became part of our "WE," I knew she needed a new roof then. I tend to live on a wing and a prayer financially. These years together with the barn were no different. Every time I looked at the roof was bittersweet-I loved the beauty of her roof, but knew every year that she needed a new roof. Every year I asked myself how I could pay for a new roof when the reality has been that just last summer I finally paid off the last remaining bills from Hurricane Katrina.

Putting this together financially has been a struggle, but an important one. I love our girl. She speaks to me just as she is. 

One day during 2017 when I was particularly despondent about the roof and the ongoing lack of money to do anything about it, she spoke to me as I was heading back to the house from the lavoir. When I stepped up to the train tracks with tears in my eyes, there was a voice/an overwhelming feeling of: don't worry; it's okay; and, the money will come. The message was so strong that I came in and wrote it in my journal. I hoped it would be true. I try very hard to trust the universe when it speaks. I've learned to pay attention to these messages.

So, last night when Monsieur Feres told me he wouldn't be able to start on the roof of the barn until September; I was initially disappointed. I'd labored over how to make it happen financially now for quite a while, but none of that goes away. September it is.

And besides, I may not be quite ready yet. At the moment, I am happy to be savoring another summer spent with my love just the way she is.

By September, we'll both be ready to move on.

Happy Thursday!

 

 

Without

 

This is a view you could never have seen during all of the 17 years of me and the Chatette.

One of the things that needed to be done whether or not I was able to piece together the money to put the new roof on the barn, was the removal of the huge walnut tree.

The walnut tree damaged the barn roof, leaned across the tracks and was quickly coming way to close to the terrace roof and the roof of the Chatette.

 

This view without the walnut tree is amazing. I hadn't even noticed it until I tried to capture the fruits of my labor with the staircase on film in the shot above!

 

 

Sometimes, less is more!

Happy Wednesday!

 

 

From the Archives: Nannie's Hands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holidays have different feelings and depth of meaning depending on the family.

When we were growing up, Thanksgiving was our big holiday that we spent with our Nannie and Papa.

Today, I share a post from the archives that speaks to memories, holidays, and holding those we love close...

 

...even when they're gone.

Happy Thanksgiving.

 

From the Archives

1/8/2012...Even though my Mom often tells me that I have her Mom's eyes, I've always felt that I have my Nannie's hands. I look down at my hands when I'm writing, working, or playing the piano; and I see my Nannie's hands.

I feel her touch.

I wear her band of diamonds that Papa gave her when they got married.

She wore it on her left hand, but I wear it on my right. It often captures the light and brings Nannie close.

She is never very far from me.

She is especially close today.

 

 

 

 

I'd guess she feels closer to me today, because she (and many others) would be welcoming Uncle Bud.

It reminds me of a Thanksgiving when I drove up from New Orleans to St. Louis. I'd stopped to stay with Uncle Bud and Fran when they were living at Lake Wawanoka near Pevely, MO. We had a very nice meal and visit together.

 

 

There was lots of talk about family, stories, and history shared.

I went to bed remembering that Thanksgiving was always a huge holiday for us with Nannie and Papa. I loved her turkey, lace tablecloths (that are now at the Chatette with me) and especially her shrimp cocktails. 

Very early the next morning, a tiny girl hugged her Nannie, with her head in her lap. Nannie patted my back, brushed my hair out of my face, and I hugged her tighter. A tear fell on my pillow that morning...another Thanksgiving shared.

 

I Want Some Red Roses...

 

...for a Blue Lady. Mr. Florist take my order please! 

 

 

This first line to the tune Red Roses for a Blue Lady ran through my head all the while I was choosing my Canseco roses, paying for them, and carrying them home in my bike basket. A little further on it goes: "I hope these pretty flowers chase her blues away!"

 

 

 

This was one of the first more popular tunes with a very basic arrangement that I learned back when I was taking piano lessons as a child. I still have the sheet music-it's in the vernissage cave with all the rest that had been more safely stored. I'd sent over 30 pounds of sheet music to the Chatette for my Monsieur Winkelmann in 2006 and when Jean returned to Ipswich during 2016 I inherited a lot of her sheet music too.

 

 

My Monsieur is a very special guy (piano is masculine in French). My sentimental and meaningful quotient is off the charts here for this inanimate object that comes alive at my finger tips and the finger tips of many others! He supported me, held my sanity together, and loved me back when I was still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

 

I love him. At the moment, we are on a long road together. When I think of him I'm blue. Along with the Chatette, Dali, Sammie Cat, the Barn and St. Therese of Lisieux...we had what I liked to call our "WE!" 

 

I will not surrender my Monsieur Angelus Winkelmann!

 

 

Come back tomorrow for the rest of the story!

Happy Friday!

 

 

Wandering Well

 

 

Although Vicki and I had started our road trip off yesterday morning with plans to go to Calvignac and wander around in that beautiful place we'd captured from the distance the day before, it was not to be. Oh, we got there, but the mist and a huge cloud had settled on that part of the valley making impossible to see the village or even the side of the road. It cleared as we went higher. Then, we'd seen a sign for Limogne as we were climbing up and up and I remembered that there is a Sunday Morning Market there.

Et, voila!

 

 

 

It's a small market, and a fun thing to do on a Sunday since it is close to Cadrieu. I've gone with friends many times in the past. Some of you may even have joined us!

After our wander through the market and some hot-spiced wine,we stopped in at the Tourist Office.

 

 

 

 

 

There was a Lotoise scene in a room in the back, and when I asked about it we discovered that it was part of the "free" museum upstairs.

 

 

The museum honored life in the valley at the turn of the 19th century. We went on up, where I discovered LOTS of the same kind of old farm equipment that had come with the purchase of my barn. 

 

We then pit-stopped outside of Chateau Cenevieres to see what their hours were to return on another day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From there, we wound our way back toward Cajarc and took some shots of home from Saujac before we headed up to the Belgian Cross and its magnificent views.

 

Vicki had packed a nice picnic lunch for us, so Vicki, Lucie and I also had our lunch up there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way home to regroup, we found a corral of donkeys and had to stop for photos!

 

 

 

Home by 2pm on a Sunday, with thoughts of continuing on to a couple other spots...we ended up cozy by the fire with a glass of wine (or two or three), nibbles interesting conversation and happy to just be planted for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

What a nice way to spend your Sunday!

 

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

Little Treasures

 

 

Sometimes in the midst of all the hard work that is required around here to keep us beautiful and moving forward, I find some little treasures that makes me stop. Of course, I have to take a photo. It also makes me even more grateful for this very simple, close to the source kind of life that I am able to live here in Cadrieu.

Just this sweet little leaf on the terrace table during a break in moving wood, et voila!

 

 

Prettier than a broach you might pick up at Tiffany's!

 

 

 

I bet if I had those rain drops in diamonds, I'd have enough money to put a new roof on my barn.

 

One can dream, huh?

 

 

 

 

Wishing you a day of simple pleasures and finding gratefulness and value wherever you look in your life.

That, is true wealth!

 

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

Thinking Back to the Barn...

 

 

...Dali pops up again and again. She and Sam were right beside me all the way, as I worked and struggled to do what I could do with the newest addition to our "WE" back in 2010.

Seeing that dirt on her nose again made me smile. She was my big-nosed, big-pawed girl for sure.

 

We miss her every day, but she's never very far away.

 

 

I know she'll be even closer today as I work out in the barn and begin to finally give it more attention this season. Take a peek at the stone in that photo of Sam above. Imagine it covered in a foot of soil.

I spent a lot of time in my overalls that summer of 2010, out in the barn digging up all that soil to get to this beautiful stone underneath.

 

 

I have lots more to do, but it will get done. 

 

 

It just feels so good right now that I am able to pay attention to my loves here that have been neglected in my absence. On to the day...overalls and more.

As I'm sure you can imagine, some overalls looks are more chic than others. Then, there are those that are down right disgusting, but necessary. These overalls photos are of the last category. Caps, masks, and overalls...but, we got the job done!

 

 

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Between the Chatette and the Barn...

 

...Train! After yesterday's post, I knew I had some more train photos that would give everyone a much better idea of just what the train in between looked like! This shot below was taken head on from under the covered terrace and really gives you an idea of just how close the train came.

 

It's a little blurry, but I just got too excited!

 

 

Then, there was the day that Stuart stopped by with his daughter to do a couple things he'd promised to fix, and there they were: the SNCF track people coming along to check the condition of the tracks and to clear them if necessary

 

 

Come back tomorrow for another piece of our past that is no more!

Happy Saturday!

 

Le Chat de la Charette

 

One morning a couple of weeks ago, I was making Sam's breakfast and my first cup of coffee. Looking out the kitchen window there was this cat who in the dark could have been Sam. I turned around and she was still on the kitchen counter...none too happy, but still there. The hissing and spitting began inside beside me, but this guy wasn't budging. Then he headed over to the ledge outside of the evier sink and I had Sam hissing and spitting and hanging from the inside screen! I got myself together a little later when he was still hanging out on the terrace.

 

 

 

We wandered down the train tracks together...and I mean together-I looked like the cat pied piper or something. He walked right along with me, sometimes circling my feet, and was just lovey, lovey, lovey. No one knew him.

He was very thin and looking either hungry or horny, or maybe both. Sam's an old girl who detests other cats...maybe he was hoping to turn her into a "cougar!" He has not been neutered.

I've given this collage to Christiane to post up at the Mairie and she said she might do an email blitz.

 

 

 

 

I'm hoping he has a home and is just visiting us for a nibble from time to time.

He does come and go and hasn't tried to move in, so that's a good thing. I leave food and fresh water for him under the wagon so it's semi-protected. 

He is such a lovey boy. He listens well.

I'll keep you posted.

He's also a pretty photogenic guy. 

 

 

 

Happy Saturday!