French Market

When we last checked in with our heroine, she had just returned from a lovely walk in the French countryside.  A few days later the group went to the Saturday market in Revel.

In looking over my photographs from France I discovered I took very few of the wide picture.  So here are some close-ups of the market we went to.

 The Revel market is held underneath and around this structure.

 These houses surround the market.

 Flowers to plant

 Vegetables for salad

 The image of the French countryside

Not only are these radishes absolutely beautiful, they are very tasty.

I bought a package of seeds to plant in my garden next spring!

 Around the outside of the market vendors sold wonderful things like vintage linens.

This delightful woman had beautiful linens at reasonable prices.
Her website, in French, is also delightful.  If you google baroque brocante, you will be able to get an English translation.

A couple of these pretties from her stall came home with me!

Note to Readers:  I am experimenting with a new layout and have sized my photos extra large.  Please leave a comment if you like this or not.  I'd like to hear if you can see the whole photo, etc.  I have a wide laptop screen and they show up fine to me, but I'm not sure how they will look on your computers.  Thanks, Marilee

New Year, New Blog

I have to confess, I started my blog to become famous.

Oh, and to make friends and become a star of the pretty pink section of the blogosphere.

Funny!  It hasn't worked out that way!

Seriously, it's no wonder this blog has not always been a source of contentment for me.
I mean, really!  How could it be?

But what to do?

 

I love to journal.  I have done so since I was a teenager.  I haven't read those journals in years but they are all packed up in a box labeled "Marl's Schoolwork."  I thought the label was boring enough that prying eyes would not stumble upon my very personal musings.


 For my personal journals I write about what is bothering me; things I want to change about me and other people; family members I would rather never see again, or since never seeing them again is probably impossible, how best to deal with them.  I work things out by writing and often it helps me become un-stuck. It's really private stuff.  Not what I would share with another human being.

So with this as my usual manner of writing, when I started my blog I didn't exactly know how to be myself.  And I had no idea how to become a star, which truth to tell is not being myself either.  I have read of blogs where the artists only tell of the good things in their life.  That sounds wonderful and I applaud that.  But it sure isn't my writing background.  I know how to write research papers.  I can make a killer annotated bibliography on any subject.  And I know how to write all the secrets of my heart.  But how to find the balance of informative & personal.  How to let me shine through?

 

Three years from when I started his blog, I have given up wanting to be a star.  I want my blog to be as great a source of satisfaction to me as my personal journals, but of more interest to those who read it.  To that end I decided to write a MISSION STATEMENT!

 

 
 When I told my husband his immediate comment was "San Juan Capistrano."
You probably need to know him and some details for this to make any sense.  

image c. Gavin Arts.  

San Juan Capistrano is the 7th of the California Missions founded by Father Junipero Serra.   It's always been my favorite, a beautiful structure and quite romantic.  And every year on March 19th the swallows return to build their nests.  There's a song my mom used to sing to me about it.  Tommy de Paola has written a beautiful children's book about the swallows returning.  And my husband is quick witted & punny and makes unexpected connections.  San Juan Capistrano was his was of saying, "oh, you want the readers to return" . . . just like the beautiful swallows!

So my new & updated purpose in writing this blog is to share the magic and beauty I see everywhere.  To provoke thought or laughter with a healthy sense of the absurd.  To inspire the people who come here.  Not to take myself too seriously and to give more than I expect to get.

A big thank you to Tara Frey, who's book has truly inspired me!

Frey, Tara.  Blogging for Bliss.  New York: Lark Books, 2009.

One Little Word

One Little Word is a concept and a class with Ali Edwards.  2012 will be the second year I have signed up for the class and as the old year ends and a new year begins it is fun to look at the word that shaped 2011 and watch as my new word shapes 2012.

 Celebrate was my word this year.

And what a year of celebration it was.  2011 was my year of soixante.  Apparently in french this is the end of decade numbering; the next decade is soixante-dix, etc.  It is a pinnacle not an end!  This was pointed out by a dear young woman I met last summer in France.  Her mom is my age and she is my daughter's age (this kind of stuff matters to me!) and it was a joy to spend time with her.  Her take on age and numbers was refreshing and helpful and after that I just stopped worrying about the number!  I also loved being in a country where women of a certain age are admired and revered and not ignored.  Wonderful to see how much the French admire the wisdom years of living bring.
 

I have worn this Lisa Leonard necklace all year.

It has been a reminder of the word.  And sometimes it has just been a secret that even little things are worth celebrating!

So what is in store for 2012?

 

It chose me and it's perfect!

 I actually thought my word for 2012 would be "Create."  I bought a new Lisa Leonard necklace and everything.  But as I was talking to a friend about the whole "one little word" concept, it became apparent that "Abundance" was my word for the year.  So to the necklace I added a charm I got at Silver Bella and now wear it to nudge my creativity.

 

Title Page

One Little Word notebook.

As I wrote to a friend, who is also taking the course, 2012 is going to be all about being expansive in all aspects of my life:  Creativity will certainly be a part.  So will finding the funds to put a new, badly needed roof on part of our house!  I look to see abundance of spirit, creativity and peace as each month I delve a bit deeper into my word.

If that sounds like fun, join me on the journey. 

Have a Very Happy New Year!

Soreze, France

Having spent all our cash on books in Montalban, the next afternoon we headed to Soreze which has an ATM as well as beautiful architecture!

 

 

I wandered the town by myself.

Discovering the church grounds . . . 

 

 

 The public garden & park, 

 

 

 

and finally joining up with the group.

An outdoor cafe for refreshments was were we all met up.  It seemed so part of the day I didn't even think to take photos.  Oh well.  Imagine a table with espresso cups and Orangina glasses.

Soreze is not far from La Cascade, so a few of us walked back.

After all the rain it was lovely to be outside.

Shopping For Books

Our heroine is having a heck of a time getting the trip to France posted.  It's not like there are a lot of followers of this blog, but for those who are being patient, thank you so much.  Today, we venture out for a glimpse of one of the field trips the group took:

  Note the raincoat Kelly is holding.

We may have been in southern France, but the beginning of our week was perfect weather for ducks!

Up the mountain to Montolieu, the book town.

  One of our projects specifically called for a book to use as our canvas.  Plus even the most ordinary of books here would be in French and pages would be so lovely for our other projects!  

 

I found a wonderful book with letter press printed woodcuts, an almanac of the year I was born and the find of the day --  a cashe of papers and letters. . . I'm not sure I would have discovered the cache if the shop owner didn't speak perfect English and had been married to a woman named Merrily.  Serendipity!
 
I had wandered off by myself into Librairie Lattitudes, a shop specializing in books on history & exploration.  I wasn't really that interested in these topics and he certainly didn't have books to cut up for art projects!  But the shop had a great feel and we spoke the same language!  I found a couple books I could afford.  He seemed to approve of my choices and we got talking.  He asked my name and laughed when I told him.  I don't know what made me ask, but I wondered if he had paper for sale -- written documents, letters, that sort of thing.  He went in the back and brought out a plastic grocery bag full of stuff:  Letters, ration coupons, an old book, etc.  It wasn't the sort of thing he usually sold, he had gotten it from an estate sale locally.  The lot wasn't elegant and some of the pieces were quite worn; I didn't look at it very carefully, but it felt like a good find.  So I said I would take it, and was there an ATM machine in town.  No, but he would gladly take US dollars and the transaction was complete!  It still makes me smile to think of the fun I had talking with Michel.

 

After that lovely experience and also since I was out of cash, I wandered around til I found my friends at this cafe.  Of course as soon as I shared my finds half of them went off to Michel's shop to see if he had any other wonderful bits.


It was a great afternoon and we all found things to use in our next projects.

Garden, Unexpected!

 The garden, put to bed.

Weeds removed, mulch applied, quiet expected.

But look closer.

What are those roses doing on October 25th?

My crazy garden, or maybe I should say, crazy New England weather is so warm that all my roses:  Golden Showers climber, Jacob's Coat climber and the pretty pink hybrid tea my son rescued from the nursery's toss pile are all blooming -- like crazy!

Leaves changing beautiful colors has not happened in our yard.  But we've got roses -- that's magical!

Our heroine will return to continue the tale of her France Adventure soon.  Seems her friend's passing was more upsetting than she realized and it has taken this long to get her equilibrium back.