saturday shenanigans...

got up early...rode down for a croissant to have with my coffee. Next I put the coat of grey paint on the ateliér floor and looked at my watch ... 9:40!

cleaned up the kitchen, showered and futzed around on the 'puter for a bit. Decided to head into Perigueux...went to the garden shop and picked up some "hormone de bouturage" ... basically it is souped up fertilizer for when you take starters for plants. I'm putting together a little foraging kit for my bike (a small spade, plastic bags, water and maybe the bouturage stuff). It is supposed to ensure your 'slips' will turn into plants. I'm scavenging stuff for my garden on bike rides, cos buying plants is $$ and I'm cheap!

I also got some citronella candles for the garden and seeds for planting. Riana keeps us posted on what's good to plant ... so next I'm going for fennel, chicory, chinese cabbage ... and I bought a packet of flower seeds that butterflies like!

From there I hit the trocante (thrift store) but nothing good and it had a funky odor today, so I beat feet quick.

Then I visited a new grocer that my friend Ruth told me about, it is called le Grand Frais. I was impressed by the freshness, quality, and price !!! they seem to specialize in produce and fresh meats, not a lot of canned stuff. They also had a fairly good international section so I got some stuff. But one thing I was really happy about, they had potted herbs, big ones ... 2 for 3 euros ... so I picked up thyme, rosemary, sage and basil. The only herb I've gotten to grow from seed is coriander (cilantro). So I'm going to give these a go.

Also stocked up on dried beans, some herbs and spices.

Then I bought a dozen jelly jars and some paraffin. My neighbor brought me a big bowl of plums, their plum tree fell over and they couldn't eat all of the fruit. So I'm going to make some preserves.

It was a fairly warm day today and I've discovered there is music at one of the brasseries in town tonight. I may mosey down in a bit for a glass of wine...

Or I may just mosey out to my own garden...kind of lazy after the heat and all that running around.

this close!

Well I think we are moving in to our final week before opening! This week the floors were (nearly) finished. All installation is complete, today the sealant was applied to the cement floor and the wood floor received its first coat of paint. Tomorrow I will apply the other colors ... Next week will be devoted to finishing touches and arranging our items for sale. We would be delighted if we opened on Friday.

What a transformation has occurred in four months with just the two of us as workers. Sandblasted walls, repaired windows, new floors, new electricity, new plumbing, insulation, new ceiling, paint, artwork, custom artisanal touches abound ... the property has provided us with countless materials we have salvaged, repurposed and reused.

If the boutique is fun and successful, we will just move it to the stone garage and move forward with the café as well. Two businesses!

I'm very proud of us, our strong partnership ... our great complicity ... how sympatico we are.

Oh, yeah ... these are our signs thus far. My fantastic cousin Nate provided the artwork and I translated it into a handpainted sign ... whatcha think?

(check out the flickr link for more photos of the transformed ateliér) ...

it's been a good few days ...

the weather has been absolutely sizzling ... and there have been daily water fights to prove it! lol. but we've still managed progress, at least in the mornings ... nearing lunch we're huffing and puffing 'il fait chaud!' 'erhhh...j'ai chaud' as we work at half speed.

we caved the other day, we had to drive off to a town where JY has some of his gear stored at a friend's house. one hour each way. by the time we arrived the morning cool had dissipated and the sun was blazing. we loaded huge timbers on top of the truck, and a load of goodies inside (cool old iron stove/heater for the atelier, to name one). then we drove the hour back to Brantôme and unloaded. by this time we were glistening. We decided to rendez-vous at a nearby swimming hole (he rounded up his son) and we played hooky for the afternoon. It was too sweltering to consider anything else.

In spite of the heat, we've managed to get close to done. There's the wood floor to install in the entry area, final electricity and lighting touches ... and arranging of the wares. But we think maybe the end of the week? we'll still have lots of details to get in place (signs, etc.) but ... Wow! we've come a long way baby.

Today we may work in the afternoon and then I'm thinking of going to a night market in Nontron with an African theme. It is the 10th year ... and it sounds like it will be cool. Night markets are like day markets only darker ... HA, well also more elaborate because there is music and sometimes a theme! but also food and stuff to buy.

Tomorrow probably vide-grenier hunting. Last Sunday I went to a great one in Perigueux and found some cool stuff for displaying product in the shop. Two old suitcases ... well one is more like a trunk with wooden hangers, etc. and an old iron hanging scale. and loads more. so who knows what tomorrow will hold!

the garden is leaps and bounds, tomatoes are this close to begin ripening and first wave of radishes and green beans have passed. Now I've sown more radishes, plus spinach and mesclun and turnips. And flowers are doing better too! Especially now that I've eliminated the rash of pokeweed that had invaded my entire bedding areas! sinister, that!

life's generally not so bad. pas mal!

Fatigante.

I've been told by mon monsieur that the lyrics to this song describe me... it is by a group we both love, Louise Attaque.

Fatigante:

Blanche, fraîche, le matin, elle est douce, tendre, elle est sereine. Elle est excellente. Elle dit:
"Ce soir, allez, on va danser." Ce soir, au matin, couchée, elle est désespérante. Elle dit toujours
"Bonjour" comme ça. Elle dit toujours "au revoir" comme ça. Elle dit toujours "je veux ça ça ça"
Elle est fatigante. Elle a de la suite dans les idées. Elle te dit "bonsoir à demain" mais quand
Elle danse, belle, franche une reine elle est pour moi tout ça pour moi un ange qui tourne
Autour de moi et pourtant elle dit toujours "bonjour" comme ça, elle dit toujours "au revoir"
Comme ça, elle dit toujours "je veux ça ça ça". Elle est fatigante, oh, elle est pour moi. Elle dit
Toujours "bonjour" comme ça. Elle dit toujours "au revoir" comme ça. Elle dit toujours "je veux
Ça ça ça". Elle est fatigante. Elle est pour moi, fatigante, intelligente, intéressante et attirante,
Négligente, excitante, désespérante et attirante, pas très galante, souriante, affligeante et
Rassurante, désobligeante, énervante, sur la bonne pente, un rien méchante, surprenante,
Menaçante, militante, parfois charmante, très importante, très très changeante, imposante,
Suffisante, elle est pour moi, fatigante... elle est pour moi.

I'm told the fact that I am somewhat fatigante is not necessarily a bad thing. I am dubious. mais, j'accepte!

If you want to listen to the song, click HERE.

tendresse ...

whilst in Paris with Jean-Yves, I greatly admired a tree in his mother's garden. We laughed about my guess of the name ... "Jacaranda" ... which had somehow captured my imagination recently when reading a book. For some reason, I convinced myself it might be this tree. The tree was very lovely, smooth barked with leafy, fern-like foliage. It provided great shade, but also a pretty view.

His mom didn't know the name. She hauled out garden book after garden book to help us search. We had no luck. She urged us to take a specimen of the branch to a local garden shop to assist. We left with lots of great plants and cuttings, but forgot this one.

fast forward to last Monday. Jean-Yves left for the bricolage store. He returned and unloaded the items he bought for our project. And then he went back to the truck, and returned handing me a small pot with a plant in it. He beamed proudly.

"Now I know the name, too!!! Albizia!!". Yes, he had found a tiny version of the tree I loved, bought it and brought it back to me. In the states it is known as the silk tree, monkey pod or mimosa tree and you either love it or hate it. In some U.S. states, it is considered quite invasive and requires careful tending. It has unusual flowers, is extremely fast growing as well as profligates at will. It is a sub-tropical plant but has done well here.

I was SO touched by this simple act. Later in the morning, we walked the large garden together, selected a spot and he planted it. It is so small, he also planted a 6' tall bamboo stake so I, Miss Maladroite, wouldn't mow it over. We chatted how it would mark my first anniversary here and how we would sit together under its shade in the future.

Love it.

randonnée!

I received a newsletter from the mairie detailing the goings-on in Brantôme...in addition to the usual stuff (budgets, town committees, births marriages deaths...there was information on an upcoming 'randonnée' organized by the Dordogne Conseil de General. I asked JY to read this and discuss to make sure I was getting the drift...



So what it was was a perfectly organized family and citizens event ... launching in Brantôme and culminating in Bourdeilles. It offered biking, canoeing or walking a trail. But when I arrived, I realized it was so much more ...

I rode my bike down to the park to see a large trailer stacked three high with canoes. Another trailer held a large supply of bicycles ... good bikes, mind you ... in all sizes.

A couple of tables were set up and 2 good looking young fellows milled around in shorts, greeting people and chatting. We started in french, but as soon as my accent was detected (as well as my crappy french, I'm sure) some english was added. At first the fellow couldn't figure out what I needed since I had a bike. I told him I needed to know the process, since I was alone. He corralled the other fellow ... who told me there was a route to Bourdeilles and I could go with him if I waited. A few more pleasantries and then I thought to introduce myself. I screwed that up royally ... (realizing I haven't had the need to present myself in a long time...) the first part (je me present) went okay but then I said Je suis Kim ... DOH! what's the first thing we learn in french class 101??? not je suis ... je m'appelle ... sigh. well, he didn't skip a beat and we continued on.

As I waited, Guillaume returned and handed me a pamphlet prepared for the day. It had the course marked, stops marked along the way and questions for the kids about the history and what not . He then told me that all of the visits (a chateau, separate large gardens, a famous mill, etc) were free!

We commenced and I noticed that the route was marked about every 100 yards or so ... we went on paved roads as well as a little bit through field and mud! flat terrain and uphill! 11 plus kilometers, one way. Most of the participants utilized the equipment provided and were given a bus ride back to Brantôme after reaching the destination. Since I used my bike, I turned and retraced the route ... so that was 22 plus kilometers for me ... and being a novice and a non-sportif type, that was pretty damn awesome!

After I got home, I showered and went back to Bourdeilles for a night of music. 3 bands in their square, and dinner facing ... All in all a fun day... yes, I do love my new bike!

life is like quicksilver ... translucent and momentary ... what if he is the one ... what if I am his one ... what if we miss each other ... if we slip through each other's fingers ... like water cupped for a moment that evaporates before someone thinks to place it in a vessel for safekeeping ... fragile, temporary, uncertain. je vis.