Soar-Dream-France

Here or There?

 

I love this photo that Eric took of me on their front porch on Dupre Street. Louie kept us company as we sat more than the required 6 feet apart and continued coffee-ing ourselves to death. I told someone that I'm going to bleed coffee and look like an oreo cookie when this is all over-whenever that is!

This voyage or sojourn as it has become, began with the loss of Dad. Then I swung into having two house guests. Then in early March, it was workshop time on Columbus Street. So much for my plans to return to Cadrieu. I did have a ticket for yesterday that I canceled. 

 

I am here for the duration.

 

I am often asked by friends and neighborhood merchants who have become friends, where would you rather be? It's been an interesting question for me. I am grateful that I am in a place that is comfortable, surrounded by friends, and can do everything I need to do for myself easily because everything I need is close and reachable on my bike...groceries, drug store, bank and post office. 

As much as I would prefer to be at the Chatette in Cadrieu, I realize that it is probably best for me to be here now with this pandemic.

First, I believe that it is easier for me here. Second, I know that if I were in Cadrieu, I would be very worried about my friends and family here in the states.

 

With the absolutely tardy and bizarre response of our federal government to this pandemic, I've said before and I'll say it again: I am very grateful to our Mayor and our Governor who were weeks out in front of almost all others.

 

So, I am here, mostly at home on Columbus Street. I ride my bike. I read books. I play my childhood piano that is dead from Hurricane Katrina. I am doing some writing. I am studying my French. I check in with friends by phone and vice versa. I can see those friends here that I love so much at the requisite distance outside of the house. Y'all know me-I'm a kisser and a hugger...no more, or at least not for now.

 

 

I'm just taking it all a day at a time. I'm grateful for this place, wonderful friends and family, circumstances that make this less stressful than it might be otherwise, and my ability to turn lemons into lemonade. And, especially that Louie Boy!

Love to All!

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

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!

 

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!

 

Strange Days

 

This morning I opened an old photo file to get a favorite shot of my Dali Dog. Even though she departed in 2013, I feel her presence regularly. As with Sammie Cat, they both visit me and I still miss them so much. 

Low and behold, here were some of my poppy photos too. I'd hoped to share these and others on Monday as our village memorialized the end of WWI and also recognized our village losses in wars since that time.

 

 

As much as I love my life here and enjoy a very sweet and peaceful flow in Cadrieu, the strangeness of the states sneaks in. I'm concerned that it is reaching further into my life here. It's difficult not to pay attention when there is an obvious dismantling of our democracy at the highest levels of the land.

It is incomprehensible to me that the President of the United States is:

 

NOT FOR US!

 

He is only for his own personal gain and doing absolutely everything he can to support Putin.

Maybe we need T-shirts to make it clear to those many Americans who either don't understand or just don't care, This President is:

 

NOT FOR US

FOR HIMSELF

FOR PUTIN

 

Nothing about this is okay with me. All that said, I shall be watching the Impeachment Hearings even from France. Every American must be informed and care about what is happening to our country.

 

I shall step down from my soapbox!

 

It's Saturday!

 

I love this shot of me having fun in my overalls with my glass of wine, at the President, with my friend Rob. Rob took this shot of me and a few others while we were out running around. Some of the poppy shots were the best and most fun. This must have been around 2009. 

Marina took a couple of Rob's shots and had some additional fun with them. As you can see-her added poppy hat was all the rage. It brought giggles everywhere.

So today, here's to good friends, poppies, creativity, and overalls!

Oops...can't forget the red wine!

 

Happy Saturday!

 

Luscious Rushing Lavoir

 

 

I often say: who needs a water treatment when you have a lavoir close by?

One of the benefits of endless rain is a daily rushing lavoir.

As it overflows, it goes under ground to a channel that takes it under my property, under the road, and down into the river in front of the Chatette.

The water makes music that I sometimes go out to sit on the swing and enjoy.

Often, it's still raining.

 

 

 

Before the double glazed windows, I could hear the rushing lavoir all over the Chatette. Now, I can only hear from the piano room or when I'm outside.

There is so much special in this magical place. I hope you'll enjoy the photos. I've tried to get a little video to post here with no luck, but I think I will have success on my FB page.

Also, a little 2011 overalls from the lavoir for you-(photo by Evelyn)!

 

Happy Thursday!

 

November-2019 International Overalls Weekend!

 

 

WARNING! Don't be surprised if you see lots of overalls themes leading up to the official celebration this month of:

International Overalls Weekend-November 22, 23, and 24, 2019!

 

 

I try to do something to celebrate every year. Celebrations range from only wearing overalls all the way through to having a huge party wherever I am in the world. It's different every year depending on the circumstances and the mood.

 

 

At the moment, I can't predict where on the continuum of overalls celebrations we will fall.

 

 

Here's to a life in overalls!

Stay Tuned!

Happy Monday!

 

Ebbs and Flows and Moving On

 

 

One of the happenings that I have most enjoyed over the years of here was once we began what I came to call: "Wine at the Wagon!"

It took a little more effort than something in the Chatette or on the terrace, but it was worth it.

Going through some old photos, I don't think we've had a Wine at the Wagon since I left to return to the states in 2012 with Dali and Sammie Cat!

 

 

 

 

Returns home to Cadrieu between 2012 and 2017 were sporadic to the point that keeping up with everything on the other side of the tracks became much more difficult and daunting.

We are swinging back.

 

 

 

The new roof on the barn and her other internal forthcoming repairs have me on the move again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is momentum, but in the midst of momentum I have another return to the states scheduled in mid-December for a few months.

 

Hmmm, maybe it's time to re-evaluate that length of stay.

 

 

As much as our place has changed, I'm reminded about the ebb and flow of friends as well. We all respond to the needs and circumstances in our lives.

We each do what we have to do to make it all work for us. 

Finding that last bottom photo from a 2012 Wine at the Wagon, drove that point home hard for me.

There from left to right are Evelyn, Jean and Joan (and of course my Dali!).

 

 

 

By 2012, I was no longer able to look forward to Joan's regular holiday returns. She'd moved back to England by then. Jean headed back to Ipswich in late 2016 early 2017. Now, Evelyn will be returning to the states in early November.

So much change, and I'm not even going to describe all of our 4-legged children who are waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge these days. 

My return in 2017 was back to more full time here for me.

 

The fire that fall was another big event. Accepting change, loss, and being able to move on is so important. It doesn't mean that I don't miss everyone and do my best to keep in touch where I can.

 

 

I know that there are surprises waiting up ahead.

 

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

Perspective

 

It's one thing to see this photo above. It's quite another to see this photo on the right!

 

 

 

 

 

Being here while Didier works gives me joy and food for thought at many turns.

When I cut grass, I tend to keep my phone/camera in the front pocket of my overalls. I never know what I'm going to find as I make my way around what I've jokingly/lovingly come to call the "compound!" Yesterday was no different.

Even so, I almost missed a gorgeous photo opportunity on the river.

 

 

 

Had I not stopped and decided to walk along the road from one end of the property to the other to see what else needed to be cut, I'd have missed our fisherman in the morning sunshine with dancing diamonds everywhere!

 

 

I discovered that as I walked up toward Cajarc to get more photos, those gorgeous dancing diamonds that I love so much followed me.

 

 

 

One of the struggles that I have with shots like these is zooming and cropping means that the photos are blurry. I'd like them to be a little more defined sometimes.

 

 

 

I've surrendered definition for the beauty and almost artistic quality that these photos take on. (I confess, sometimes with various filters!)

 

 

We don't always have to be "crisp!"

 

 

Happy Saturday!

 

Multi-tasking Returns

 

 

There's something about having this work done for the barn roof that has eased my life back into what has always felt like the natural and cherished flow of here for me.

Snippets would surface for me from time to time, but I have generally felt stuck and sad and only really able to get one thing a day completed.

This year particularly, I felt like I was just kind of wandering around the place. I can see now, it was time I needed to feel and lick my wounds from the fire and so many other losses at so many levels of my life over the last couple of years.

 

 

Seeing the barn progress makes me happy. Having a day of multi-tasking again makes me almost just as happy. I realized the other day that my multi-tasking ability seems to have returned. I was beginning to wonder if it had been lost forever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I knew I'd had a great day when I managed to do a couple loads of laundry, make bread pudding, make fig jam, and begin some re-organization on the first floor. 

 

 

Deciding to keep some clothes in the big armoire downstairs was a milestone.

I didn't realize it until I put a stack of overalls and tights in the armoire.

I'd been avoiding using it.

 

You see, the last big armoire that held all of my most worn (almost all of my overalls) and most precious family things went up in flames. I seem to be moving on.

 

 

Progress continues on the barn. I seem to be making my own kind of progress too!

 

Happy Thursday!