Soar-Dream-France

So Many Lavoir Memories

 

With just finishing up a big birthday at the end of August, I continue to find that I am experiencing time differently.

As I've been watching the unfolding of the new lavoir project here in the village; there is a looking back in the looking forward to what the future may hold here in just this spot.

By the time the work of the moment was finished, I had over 700 photos, videos, and animations.

 

I made a USB key for both Christiane and Xavier.

 

 

Christiane asked me if I had a photo of the lavoir before the archway stone was removed.

That light bulb went off.

I had many, but where?

Truth be told, I have more than 22 years of lavoir photos that portray the lavoir's rich life way before this recent work began.

 

 

 

I had to go back and look. I found photos sprinkled throughout the years, but most fell after the Barn became part of our "we" in 2010. 

 

 

Part of the reason for that was having the barn brought me over to that side of the tracks more often AND, the barn brought along some parcels of land when she came to be with us.

Some of that land was right beside the lavoir.

I was driven to take care of it all the best I could!

It always felt like we belonged together no matter who owned the land.

 

Going back through all those photos took me places I hadn't been in a long time and to feelings I haven't felt in what feels like forever.

 

 

It's time to take a look back with our eyes to the future.

I hope you'll join me.

 

 

Happy Saturday!

 

As the Tournesol Turns!

 

It's Sunflower Sunday. Join me on a little journey back into how the tournesol turned in my life here in the Lot, since I bought the Chatette back in 2002.

These first shots are from 2008. The one on the right was one of my Mom's favorites. If you look close, there are even sunflowers on my dress. My pal, Joan took that shot. We had lots of fun that day, running through Monsieur Faret's sunflower fields in Saujac, directly across the river from me. 

 

For a while, I could count on sunflowers out my front windows every other year.

They were a rotation crop, mostly for oil I believe. And then, it stopped.

It meant you really had to go on the hunt.

 

 

It was kind of like the full moon out my window. It's just there. One day, the sunflowers would just be there. I miss them being easily in my life.

That's what made yesterday's sunflower field discovery between Tour de Faure and St. Martin Labouval so special. I'd been missing sunflowers. Then, I noticed these off the road on the left on the way to Jean-Luc's. I thought I might stop on the way home. I'm glad I did.

I ended up pulling over and stopping short enough that my grocery bag slid and fell. When I stopped at the corner of the field, the heads of the sunflowers were NOT looking at me. Maybe they were angry since it had been such a long time since I stopped for them. 

 

 

 

I scooped a few angry and ignoring shots and then thought I'd head to the other side and force them to look at me.

I got back in "Mikey," but we opted for an adventure instead.

 

 

 

It looked like the road would take us to the river and I could take that direction instead. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It began with sunflowers. We were joined by horses and lovers.

 

 

 

 

And, the valley provided a pastoral and gorgeous backdrop...

 

 

...to this amazing life in the Lot...

 

 

...in sunflowers.

Enjoy!

 

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mom!

 

I didn't want to let today get away from me, without marking what would have been 93 years for Mom. This is one of my favorite pictures of Mom and I. I confess, it feels like a million years ago.

While she is with me here every day, she never made it here in the flesh, just in spirit. It's the same for Dad. But, That's okay! I'm sure they're up there celebrating together, talking about their good old days and telling all their stories.

We are a story-telling clan.

 

But, Mom did make it to Paris. Every time I see this shot of her in Montmartre on our '96 trip together, I feel like she's still waving at me today.

I'd like to reach out and give her the biggest kiss and birthday hug I could. She knows! 

So, Happy Happy Birthday in heaven today Mom.

We're still loving on you and hugging on you from France. Maybe it's time for a rousing round of Moon River.

Love you always, Mom.

 

 

The Last Time I Saw Columbus Street...

 

 

...I was closing the door to my home of 42+ years that was holding on to my childhood piano for me.

It was the last days of April, 2022.

 

 

 

I'd just spent six weeks in the states closing up Columbus Street so I could get it ready to put on the market to sell.

 

To this day, I still wonder how it happened.

 

 

Today, July 15, 2024, is the two year anniversary of the final act of sale on Columbus Street...July 15, 2022.

It's been a chock full two years, and without a return to the states.

I've been back and forth about a 2025 return, but I'm still not sure.

 

 

 

I've been in the middle of all this thinking, planning, and teasing my way through the shape of our world today.

It hit me that it would be my first return with NO Columbus Street.

It feels a little strange.

Kind of like after Katrina when my sister said to me:

"You don't have a home in America anymore."

Today, it's even truer than it was then.

 

 

But what a home I have!

 

 

As my tarot card reader Otis Biggs used to say: "You've found your place in the sun!"

 

 

It truly is heaven on earth!

 

We Thought They'd Never End

 

 

So much about here is paying attention and timing. Being in a valley, surrounded and hugged by so much nurturing nature; wows me constantly. This photo on this particular Sunday morning epitomizes it!

Jane called this morning so she came over and we had coffee together out on the terrace. I teased that it reminded me of "the good old days" of earlier times for all of us. On those days, Jane, Joan, Jean, Pauline and I, were often out in that same spot on my terrace as summer was beginning. What a way to start those summer and holiday days!

Happy Tuesday!

 

A Long Time in Coming

 

The progress here and getting back to my blogging are both a long time in coming. 2024 is 22 years of here for me, or as I like to say: "us," me and this place. The evolution and change are staggering. As of late, I have spent a lot of time looking back AND looking ahead. The richness of here is such a gift. I never had any doubt that this is where I wanted to be.

Once I sold Columbus Street in 2022, I was finally able to focus on this place and "us" 200%. Surprisingly, it wasn't as easy of a transition as I had always expected it to be.

 

 

 

In fact, I didn't expect there to be a transition at all. It's been "interesting," to say the least. For the first time in forever, I didn't feel torn between two places AND I actually had enough money to be able to do the things I wanted to do here and not to have to worry.

It was (and is) wonderful.

Even in all that "wonderful," I found myself: wandering around; feeling a little lost; and, not doing things that had been part of my routines.

 

Sometimes, I found myself not doing things that I always loved. Blogging was one. Playing piano regularly was another. Even walking and bike riding seemed like too much effort.

 

 

Now, I'm seeing all the pieces of the past, the now, the future, and how all those old pieces and new pieces fit for me and our "we" of here. 

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

Snail Lessons Learned

 

I've known ever since I bought the Chatette more than 20 years ago now, that I would have to do something about what I came to call the "addition." The addition had been separating from the Chatette even before I bought it.

 

It always looked to me like it had been slapped onto the house and didn't really fit.

 

 

Back in the early days of here, it was on my list of things that needed to be done, but was not at the top of the list. That was the list that began in 2002 and was thrown to the wind when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. The former friend/contractor who was working for me here, was also working on Columbus Street after the storm.

 

 

To make a very long story short, he walked off the job in New Orleans in 2007. 

 

 

Every time I looked at the addition, I was reminded of being left high and dry, friendship betrayal, and almost financial ruin.

It hurt too much.

The projected plans for the addition were set aside.

Since then, I avoided dealing with the addition at all. I used it for storage only.

 

 

 

 

 

In the meantime, it separated more and the roof was beginning to cave in.

By the end of 2019, it was serious. It had separated further, the roof caved in more and the floor was destablized.

It was dangerous.

 

 

 

You may be wondering what took me so long: my Dad passed; COVID hit; and, Hurricane Ida hit New Orleans. Any money I'd set aside for this from Mom and Dad, had gone to cover roof damage on Columbus Street during Ida and to paint Columbus Street. It took me finally selling Columbus Street during July of 2022, to have enough money to make these decisions and do some other work around here.

 

When the demolition began on Tuesday, I was a little weird.

 

 

It was such a long time in coming.

I knew the barn would be more visible.

But, there was no way to know just how truly "opened up" we would become.

By going back, we were going forward.

I was also letting go of the negative energy that swirled around this brick and mortar.

 

 

I was elated.

I knew we had done just the right thing.

I had paid attention to the communication with "our" place.

When I'm still in the silence, I listen and the stone speaks.

I've learned that even in the most heart wrenching and breaking times, the soul and magic of the centuries of this place never let me down.

 

 

Patience is required.

 

Truth, Justice and the American Way

 

 

This morning, I had the laptop on because I was going to be facetiming with my brother Jim who lives in California.

We always schedule.

You see, there is a 9 hour time difference.

His 9pm call in California on a Monday night is a 6am call for me on my Tuesday morning.

 

It works for us.

 

 

 

After we finished, I decided to leave the laptop on.

I knew I had some projects to do AND I've begun a "French with Fred" course.

I am doing it daily.

I can work at my own pace.

It's definitely part of everything being more France for me, and improving my French is important to me in the

 

NOW!

 

 

 

In the meantime, I was looking for some photos and stumbled on these. The before the fire shots always grab my heart. These were taken during the few months I was able to be here during 2016. Sammie cat stayed with Mike and John. I continued on, but ended up looking from that point in 2016 forward and into 2017. I stopped way before the fire, but Sammie Cat and I were here together permanently by then.

 

Seven years later, it sometimes seems like yesterday and other times a million years ago.

So much struck me.

First, we all looked so happy in earlier 2016. Little did we know that our whole way of life would be upended in the next election. That election continues to define all of our lives, and the world, to this day. I looked back, feeling the feelings I felt from then through the photos.

 

 

During those times: I was taking care of taking my social security early; I took my road trip through the south eastern quadrant of the US seeing people who are important to me; I returned New Orleans to be on time to serve as the foreperson for a very important trial; it was important to me to go to DC for the Women's March in January; and by May, I was ready to be full time in France.

 

I knew I needed to sort out my life in Cadrieu from France, as BREXIT was unfolding. 

 

Secondly, the loss. It began with Mom, and continued on: losing Sam in the fire; stateside friends and friends from here over time; Dad the first of 2020; COVID; and then, selling Columbus Street and Mike's departure a year ago this month.

Last, but certainly not least, was the realization that I had lived life by a set of core values and beliefs that:

 

 

all people are basically good;

truth prevails; and, 

in striving for justice for all.

 

Long before scrolling through these photos, I knew I no longer believed.

 

 

 

This ultimate loss took hold in 2016.

 

 

It doesn't mean I've given up. It doesn't mean I don't care. I have always been someone who walks the walk. I just don't know what to do anymore.

 

 

Where is Superman when we need him?

 

Or Wonder Woman as the case may be?!?

WE NEED THEM BOTH and MORE!

 

 

This Melody-Cette Melodie

 

When all my goodies arrived last week, I asked everyone to guess what was the first song I played? I'd given it all a lot of thought. Afterall it has been almost six years with no music here besides me and my Monsieur. So many memories and feelings are tied up in our music. I could go on and on, and I might at some point, but today it's Julien Clerc and This Melody that have center stage. They were my first choice for our new music in our New Book of here...the second twenty years!

 

During 2010, I was in the process of buying the barn. I wrote about the barn here on the blog regularly. I still do today. At the time, it made no money sense, but made all the love, passion, romance and immortal magic sense in the world to me. The barn and this place speak to me.

 

 

One of my friends, Jennifer Borel, sent me the email above and attached this song. It was such a great gift. I loved it so much that I made this collage to include in the "Barn Book," that I'd made for my Mom and Dad. They were never able to make it here in the flesh. Their barn book has since returned to me. They visit in spirit regularly.

 

 

This song makes me happy. It makes me think of all of the life, love and living that I have crammed into this place of my heart. I am loved back. I'd often sing it to the barn. I'll put a YouTube selection for you in the FB post.

 

 

 

We are back.

 

 

 

We are Cette Melodie!

 

The Bibs Professor and Bride Return

 

There are so many things that stir the memories. I knew Niels and Bodil were planning to come in September, but we hadn't finalized it all. They had both been during the late summer of 2012. Here we were talking arrangements for 2023.

 

 

When I was confirming that the bus was the bus to Cadrieu, Niels wrote: "I still remember catching the bus in the early morning when we were leaving the last time!" I wrote back:

 

 

"Isn't it great we have so many wonderful memories to share?"

 

Niels and I became friends through our blogs. Both overalls enthusiasts, we had a lot in common. He and some other "enthusiasts" began International Overalls Day that was celebrated at the  end of November 2009 for the first time. It eventually grew to International Overalls Weekend.

My village still talks about our first overalls celebration here that November of 2009.

 

 

Niels and I became fast friends. Once he and Bodil came here in 2012, we became a trio and even faster friends.

They even came to New Orleans to celebrate my first New Orleans International Overalls Day.

 

Having that International Overalls Party on Columbus Street was a big deal for me.  Almost everyone wore their overalls. It was a chance for me to make new friends and reconnect with the old. I remember telling John that having that party made it feel like Columbus Street was being reborn after the storm. It was important.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, with the return of Niels and Bodil, I am having similar feelings about the Chatette. Each visit made by friends and family, brings new life and more magic that we've so needed to be able to feel again since the fire and the pandemic.

 

 

 

We are coming back around.