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Sam has been by my side throughout every step of this getting ready to go process. She's helped with the tax information, held down the lease for the new apartment tenant, and even kept a look out the side window to let me know if any visitors were arriving. I often wondered if she too was dreaming of seeing Paris from Columbus Street? It won't be long now.
From Mom and Dad's front porch, everything is blooming. These redbuds through the iron heart plant hanger just looked so pretty in John and Theresa's yard next door. Mom's got daffodils, dogwood, and everything is green, green, green, after this very cold winter.
There's always a strangeness in departure for me. As much as I'm looking forward to getting home, these departures are always bittersweet. When I left France almost a year and a half ago; I had no idea it would be this long before I returned. Now, I'm returning with a life that continues to ebb and flow and shake out as some new incarnation regularly.
It looks like so much "fun" to others. They sometimes snidely say things like: "oh, tough life." I might make it look easier than most, but the reality is...this is hard work.
One thing's for sure, it makes no difference where I am in the world...the love and support of my friends and family carry me on a sweet magic carpet to where I'm supposed to be. The send offs are always sweet and poignant. More on those another time. I hope you'll join me on this magic carpet ride! Happy Monday!
...on the blogs, as I get organized today to be ready to pack up the rental car tomorrow and head north around noon.
Sammie cat and I will be making a pit-stop at Mahogony Oaks in Covington for hugs and kisses from Mike and John, and then we'll be spending the night just outside of Jackson with with Glenn and Bill. On to St. Louis on Sunday. We have a Wednesday departure for Paris, with plans to spend Thursday night in Paris the evening of May 1. We'll be catching the train home on the morning of May 2, having a coffee with a friend at the Melchior in Cahors and then on "our" bus to take us home to Cadrieu.
There may be chance to write along the way. If I can I will, but we shall see. Happy Friday to all!
...the focus was on Sam. With so much to do between now and a Saturday noon departure, I must take things a day at a time or risk being totally overwhelmed and immobilized. So far, so good. In the morning, Sam had her vet visit for her health certificate to travel. Since Louisiana no longer has a USDA office to approve and stamp the documents, it all had to be faxed to the USDA in Mississippi for approval. Once approved (and they were very nice and very speedy), I Fed Exed it to the Mississippi Office. They should have received it yesterday, will stamp it, and return it in the self-addressed return Fed Ex envelope. I think we should have it back by today or tomorrow. We shall see.
Dali is ready. She' resting in her black velvet bag. I have her crematory certificate. Just to be sure, I called the TSA. I got a woman on the phone and explained to her what I was doing. I asked if the velvet bag and certificate were all I needed? Interestingly, she would not confirm that the velvet bag was acceptable, only that the problem is when the containers are metal. I had to laugh.
Another step closer, here. Once I have the stamped certificate in my hot little hands I'll feel a lot better. Close out appointments this morning, a last class tomorrow morning, and then I have Thursday afternoon and Friday to get us together with no interruptions. We shall see!
Last year, I was back living in the hood and was actually on Columbus Street for Jazz Fest. I revived many old habits: parking my friends in the very long driveway, after the fest parties, and wandering the neighborhood on foot or by bike. You don't really want to travel any other way during those two weekends, when parking becomes a premium and hundreds of thousands of people pass through our neighborhood.
On my bike one morning last year, I spied this guy on the porch. My friend Carol tells me (and others) that I can strike up a conversation with a brick wall. I should add dummies to brick walls. When I passed this guy I said: "Good Morning" and kept on going. It wasn't till I passed again the next day, that I realized I was saying good morning to a dummy. Oh well, it's better than not saying good morning at all. And besides, I always meet the most interesting people.
...with a spectacular bouquet (and/or a glass of Cahors, as the case may be)! It's hard to believe that this birthday was 10 years ago. I'm going to be lucky enough this summer to celebrate 60 at home in France!
Happy Easter to All!
It only hit met yesterday, that tomorrow is Easter. With the end of semester and getting ready to drive to St. Louis a week from today, it just isn't on the top of my list this year.
I was reminded in my 'oh it's Easter' moment, of last year's Easter dinner party here on Columbus Street. The shot above is a little blurry, but it's the only shot of most of the gang that has Nadine in it. As you can see, everyone was having a good time. Nadine had brought cupcakes with plastic Easter Egg Rings on them. Everyone found very creative things to do with their cupcake favors. I'd made marinaded pork tenderloin for dinner.
Nadine pulled me aside and said that she didn't eat pork. I immediately remembered all those chicken breasts I'd been boiling for Dali those days. Nadine very sweetly looked down at Dali and asked her if she could share her dinner? Of course, the answer was yes. Nadine was a wonderful note, card and letter writer. I cherish all of the snail mail I've received from her over the years.
Much of it is at the Chatette, so I'll get to take a little trip down memory lane with Nadine when I return too. After the dinner, Dali and I received a very nice thank you note from Nadine. She teased about "taking the dinner" right out of Dali's mouth. Truth be told, we had way more than enough chicken for everyone at the party if they'd wanted it!
Dali and Nadine...Easter memories of my chicken girls. Missing you both at Easter, and always.
One year ago today, Sammie cat and I lost our Dali. She was always by my side, and will be coming home with us on this trip. She's more ready than I am. All she has to do is wait and rest in her black velvet bag that Stew made for her. I'm already preparing myself to walk into a Chatette sans Dali.
Communicating with some friends in Cadrieu who have just lost their cat and their dog within a very short period of time; I was reminded once more how these sweet, loving, unconditional spirits weave their peace and joy into every nook and cranny of our lives.
An ode to all of our four-legged loves!
After the last morning of workshop prior to my departure, lunch time found me waiting across from Tulane to catch the St. Charles Streetcar to Canal Street to make my connection to the Jackson/Esplanade bus home. It seemed a lunch time of long waits yesterday, but it was a beautiful crisp day and I was able to enjoy being outside after talking for three hours.
As if that weren't enough, I struck up a conversation with my lone fellow back of the street car traveler who sat across from me on the back bench seats. (I'd seen her smile when I asked a tourist with children to please pick up her stroller that was very unsafely blocking the aisle.) I never did get her name, but on that short ride from Tulane to Napoleon, I heard about her work in the schools and as a sitter with the ailing and the elderly. We talked about our dogs that we both missed, and then we talked about where we lived. We are neighbors. She lives on Ponce de Leon. We talked about the neighborhood. She'd even seen me on my purple bike riding down the street on my way to see my favorite dog!
These are the riches of this life in New Orleans. I leave you with a shot of that favorite dog of mine. And, not only is she a big-nosed dog...look at those paws!
Getting ready to hit the road again to be gone for an extended period of time, brings many emotions and an aha or two along the way.
Monday morning I woke anxious with a million things swirling in my mind. Wanting to calm the swirling, I did what I do that I know works; I got on my bike and took a spin through the neighborhood and on to City park.
The Peristyle roses were in beautiful bloom, there were iris in many other spots besides the Sculpture Garden, and when I turned around after a shot or two...the two great geese I'd passed turned out to have a couple little goslings hidden somewhere who decided to pop out and say hello.
Stopping to take the close up of the rose at the beginning of the post, I felt like I feel when I'm taking close-ups of my roses in my rose garden at the Chatette. It took me a minute for it to hit me that it's just not the same. And , therein lies one of the major differences of my life in Cadrieu and my life in New Orleans...in Cadrieu I feel the mine and in New Orleans I feel the ours.
Ah, were it only with the roses.