I don't mean to beat a dead horse (or a dead box of wine as the case may be), but Friday at the Chatette turned out to be very like my Friday's in New Orleans. I'd come to the end of my favorite box wine, and channeled Eric.
Tear open that cardboard. Yank out that plastic bag. Milk it for every last drop. And then what do you do if you don't have back up? Pull out one of those very nice bottles of Cahors, to enjoy! Miss you Eric-wish I could wave my magic wand and have you, Stew and Louie Boy transported to Cadrieu! Happy Weekend!
While I've joined my friends in bemoaning the dearth of "greeting cards" (a la the Hallmark variety) here in France; I remembered yesterday just how stunning the postcards and notecards can be. In fact, I've chosen to send some of them as my best birthday and holiday wishes to family and friends. Now, they do require that you put a little extra effort into your message...no slapping "Love" and your name on these!
I have a couple favorite spots in Figeac for cards, so I stopped in at one on my wander yesterday and scooped a couple to send into the battle zone in St. Louis. I made sure to bring along my French stamps to the states, and a few fancy French ones for good measure. They always add a little spice and color to the envelope, plus we are a family of stamp lovers! Nothing like sitting at the PMU with your cappuccino with "chantilly" and writing cards home to family who you really do wish could be here with you.
So, today's post is a little tease to Kat and an experiment! One of her cards has been mailed in Figeac. The other will be mailed at the post box at the Cadrieu Mairie-any bets on which one will get there first! Send a card to someone you love today!
When we are in New Orleans or St. Louis, Sam is an inside cat. There's no reason for her to have her collar on, and besides, it leaves a nasty groove on her sweet little neck. The collar came out at certain times...we were going to the vet, going to St. Louis in a rental car, or on our way to Cadrieu. It had gotten to the point that the minute she heard that bell she was off, running away from me and hiding somewhere.
Now that we're in Cadrieu, Sam can be an outside cat when I'm around. She is very good-she stays in the back of the house, in the barn, wanders the train tracks, and generally lolls around in the sun on the terrace. She gets her exercise in and in no time she is curled up again inside...worn out...snoozing in the faux leather chair until it's time to share our shrimp.
Now, when her collar bell rings she runs...to me. She sits on the bottom step, looks up at me, and lets me put it on her before she goes outside. She also knows when I call her, it's time to come in and comes running. How sweet to see my Sam running up the rails of the train tracks and flying on to the terrace.
Over this past weekend, I discovered an old "door-friend" in Tour de Faure. The photo I took of this door back in 1998 was a very popular one.
A number of friends wanted to buy it. Payment enough was knowing that they loved my work and it hung in their homes and/or offices. I had this shot enlarged to 24x36 for Carol Miles and she had it framed. Images of doors can be very useful in therapists offices.
This feels like drastic change. The stark, unkemp, bareness of today feels sad in comparison to the manicured, flowering, natural displays that surrounded that original shot from 1998. Places are like people. They flourish and shine with a brilliant glow when someone loves them...it shows...they are loved.
If you haven't figured it out by now, I love barns. It makes no difference if they're made of wood or stone; I'm always drawn to the patterns, textures, history, and meaning- laden lives that each one has had.
We passed through the Lagarrigue Barn on our way to look at 3 of Jean-Luc's 4 bee hives. Although I was excited to see the hives and learn more about bees and honey, I couldn't resist getting shots in the barn. I realized that I'd only always passed in front of the barn, but had never been inside or out the back. First time barn fun for me!
Having been back just three weeks now, it's been interesting that there are things that I know are here, but had just not been able to find. It began with my Paris coffee mug. I found it along with all my other pretty coffee mugs in the small hutch in the kitchen that holds the microwave. The biggest and longest puzzle was the screen that I usually put in the window above the medieval sink in the living room. I'd looked everywhere and even enlisted my friends in pondering possibilities I might have forgotten.
As you can see, this is a favorite spot of Sam's. She particularly likes sitting on top of the CD player. Usually it's fine, but when it's playing and she hops off all the music stops!
Seeing her enjoy herself so much in that spot the other morning, pushed me to look for the screen one more time. I returned upstairs to look at the spots where I had other screens. One screen for the upstairs loft bedroom was behind the purple sleeper sofa. I'd left it there because it was damaged, but I took another look at it thinking I could fix it and it might do in a pinch...et voila-there it was...tucked inside the damaged screen. I scooped it out and cleaned it off. Sam and I were back in business! Happy Weekend and may you have all good luck and patience in finding lost things!
Leaving the states, I wanted to carry a little love and support along with me that I could hold in my hands. I brought 2 cards from Kat, and my sweet goodies from John and Mike. Upon arrival, I magneted them to the side of the refrigerator. Moving some things around on these red, hanging pie-safe doors, made some extra room et voila...a still sweet, even prettier and more visible presentation of the love and support in my life. Every time I pass between the living room and the piano room it makes me smile! Wishing you easy moments of love and support and always smiles!