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.

my morning...

rose for a walk in my garden ... dogs at my heels. weeded maché, picked a potful of fresh green beans, puttered in the tomato plants. Brilliant sun, blue skys, masses of birds singing.

grabbed the bike and headed to the boulangerie. The petite madame is now friendly with me and asks what I am looking for. "Je cherche pour un pain paysan". "Deux minutes, madame!". I look into the rear room to see monsieur unloading fresh loves from the enormous old brick bread oven. She brings me out a warm round loaf. She nods approvingly as I sort out my centimes and get it right on only the 2nd try! (why do I always fail to have my glasses here?).

pedal home, prepare a fresh coffee with beans from Corsica that I bought at yesterday's market, steamed whole milk and cream, and a snip of vanilla bean from my trip to Africa.

grab my volume of La Bonne Cuisine (the original companion for french home cooking, written by Madame Saint-Ange in 1927 and translated by Paul Aratow of Chez Panisse fame ...) for some morning reading and inspiration.

look at the clock ... it is 9:01.

bon week-end!

an old family tradition ...

yesterday, JY was out in the garden doing his manly thing that the manly men do here in France ... when he spied something.

He came into the kitchen and requested scissors. I obliged and he asked me to follow him back outside.

He showed me 2 wheat plants randomly growing in back. He carefully counted out 13 stalks of wheat and handed them to me, then proceeded to count out 13 more.

We returned as he told me that every year, as a young boy, he watched his mother do this very same thing. He told me firmly that it was necessary to hang these stalks of wheat near the front door, and this would bring abundance and prosperity through our doors. He smiled as he told me and it was obvious he believed it worked!! but it must be 13!

We then went on to our task of going to the dechetterie to dispose of our load of work schmutz that had accumulated. While there, I found 3 really cool chrome barstools in perfectly good condition, a woven rattan fateuil, 2 table bases that can be used for the restaurant, a cast iron-back for the fireplace with a really interesting relief (these are trés cher at the vide-greniers), and a big lot of chromed tubular poles that we can use in the atelier.

Now, while this isn't money directly into the bank account, it certainly is money not leaving!!!

that blé is bringing the bling already!

nice week-end in Paris ...

Jean-Yves invited me for an extended week-end visit with his family in Paris. We left Thursday night (Jean-Yves, Etienne, and me) ... the drive was fun ... we stopped at MacDo's in Limoges (blech) and then pushed on up. Around 11:00 pm, I took the wheel (about an hour outside of Paris) ... and was told to follow signs "Lille".

When he woke up an hour or so later, he claimed we were lost! and the car was doing weird things ... a light went on which indicated electrical difficulties (well, it seems to be sparkplugs...or really that the car needs a tune-up and I'm negligent!!) ... so after lots of muttering and chuckling and car-sputtering, we rolled up around 2am.

JY's mom lives outside of Paris in a small suburb town, Chambly. It is actually pretty quaint. Beds were made up for us and we collapsed after kisses all around. shattered!

Friday arose around 8:30 a.m. JY's mom arises early to care for her youngest daughter ( injured when she was young ) and so since my bed was a futon in the open kitchen, the smell of coffee awakened me.

Like most family gatherings I'm familiar with, despite the best of intentions ... no one really got their act together until around 11am. We were up ... but with everyone juggling or taking turns with showers and make-up and coffee ... ( and the fact that I was sharing a chair with JY and he upset the table with the coffee onto my new white jeans and I had to soak and change!) well ... you get the drift, the usual antics.

We wanted to head into Paris to check out the wholesale district ... drove straight there and found a park. As we were hungry AND it was lunch hour (shops firmly shut) we decided to eat first. JY headed for a jewish restaurant he knew but alas, it was no longer there. We settled for another brasserie that was decidedly ho-hum. After that, we wandered around the shops ... disappointingly it was an endless stream of low quality Chinese imports. I bought just a few items and we left.

Since last week-end was Noémie's birthday, we wanted to find her a gift. We went to Carrefour and the surrounding mall. I found some blank music disks ... Etienne hung out in the games section of each stop we made ... we got her some Gucci perfume and Etienne bought an orchid for his Mamie. (sweet!)

We hit some other game stores for the petit monsieur and then made a tour of some other spots. JY took me by the town he had lived in when married and we saw his old house, etc. We then headed back and spent time at Yvette's (JY's mom). Saturday and Sunday were spent lazily visiting, preparing lunches and dinners to eat on the terrace, playing volleyball with Etienne in the garden, heading to the grocery store with Yvette, welcoming various family members who stopped by to see the prodigal son and grandson. I got to know his mom and daughter better as well one of his aunts who is staying with Yvette, recuperating from surgery for a torn Achilles tendon. Many of the folks I met were in their 70s but robust and vital. Sunday, because we share a love of flowers in the garden, Yvette took me around the yard and made cuttings or dug up root samples of some very pretty specimes in her yard. I am so Stoked! I have already dug a new bed and placed them. Plus she gave me one water plant and I filled the bassin to commence with my water garden. And I have some seed packets she brought out that will be sown next.

The drive home was also not bad. JY and I were chatting about various things and he asked me about a comment I made while there ... to the effect that he was nearly perfect (lol). He asked what I would change about him since he was not perfect. I hemmed and hawed because .... well because I'm not good at the old honest expression of feelings thing. then I managed to get out that I would change our 'amities' ... he protested that he was my friend, that we were friends, that he wouldn't change that ... I told him I have a bad habit of not expressing my feelings and that I didn't want to do that with him ... that I wouldn't want something to happen to me and I hadn't been honest ... and that I wouldn't want to change that we were friends, or change our friendship ... but I wish we were more ... or I would like more. (mind you, I really don't think this is a big news flash for him ...) He listened without judgement but with understanding... I didn't expect a response ... some big outpouring of emotion or anything. I just wanted to say it. I also didn't say much more, although I'm probably feeling more.

It is a struggle because I don't want to do anything that changes our friendship or pushes him away because of my feelings ... so it is a tightrope. There are days that I know I must be terribly annoying because I feel like a teenager and put on a good pout ... without going into all the reasons why or other details ... suffice it to say, I'm glad I said what I did. and after I got home I sent him a text and thanked him for listening so well.

but all in all, it was a terrific week-end with a dear friend. le sigh.

obla di, obla dah

weeks slide into each other lately ... we just keep on chipping away at our project, doing the frenchified sidestep around obstacles encountered and then sashay on forward a bit.

still futzing with changes to my carte de sejour. After getting a letter in the mail from friendly prefecture man telling me I needed to obtain an attestation from my bank and bring it on down, I went on over to the bank and submitted my request. The not-so-friendly madame told me it would take a week or so and I would get it in the mail. After 10 days, I went back to the bank and lo/behold, the manager typed something up on the spot. I proceeded to the prefecture, which was closed.

Next day, got up and drove back to the prefecture (each trip is about 30 minutes one way. gasp, that's long in frenchy-time!). Got my number, waited my turn, presented my papers and was told no, the letter was insufficient because there was not a balance (soldes) on there.

sigh.

Back to the bank for an appointment I already had regarding an internet fraud on my account (another story!! gasp). Whilst there, I informed mr. manager that I had given his colleague a copy of the Prefecture letter and thus when I returned ... I hadn't provided him with a copy and thus the letter was incomplete.

Well, he retyped the letter with today's balance. Which was over 1,000 euros off the mark due to the internet fraud. And he said he couldn't change it. Because those amounts had yet to be reimbursed.

sigh.

When I discussed my fear that the quoted balance would appear too low, JY was in agreeance. So now, I must return to the bank next week and request a new letter (3rd) and return to the prefecture (5th) with my new letter.

Hopefully (but highly unlikely) that will complete all the documents for my dossier to change my status. we'll see.

In the meantime, we've placed our first order for merchandise for our new little business, "The Bohemians".

I've posted new pics of our work progress on the flickr account (sidebar link) ... it is coming right along. Tonight we are driving to Paris for a day of shopping (Friday) for the shop and a day of visiting (Saturday). Home Sunday.

Next week we commence with working on the floor of the shop. It is cement and I have a painting idea. JY is dubious. But hey, nothing different about that exchange of ideas! lol.

I also FINALLY have not one but TWO new lawnmowers. Guess who found them for me! ha.

One is super heavy duty and one is just heavy duty. One has a Honda Motor and the other a Briggs & Stratton (?). Both are considered "trés bien" by monsieur and the two were 160 euros.

I spent today being pulled around the huge garden by the super heavy duty lawnmower, much to the amused entertainment of Jean Yves.

I've been sick with a cold and therefore cranky. Today's garden performance didn't help. I passed on lunch and retreated to my room for a good sulk and a nap.

la la la la, life goes on.

go figure! Jean-Yves gives me another beautiful gift!!

I made a big screw-up on Monday, while left to my own devices with the atelier project.

Ya see its like this. JY has the world's biggest collection of tools, gadgets and machinery known to mankind. well okay, maybe only know to me. but still.

funny enough, even though he has now known me for 10 months, he obviously believes I have an automatic command of all said paraphernalia. so, in an effort to please him, I pretend I do.

for the last week, I have been working on the atelier windows. I've done the entire project nearly on my own (after some quick demos from monsieur) ... and ... well maybe I've gotten a little cocky.

week-end before last, I embarked upon sanding and painting the exterior forged metal frames. Involved in doing this project was this weird aluminum ladder that JY has. It is weird to me because it is not just one piece but two, and can be manipulated from being just a long ladder thingy to a pyramid or triangle shaped ladder thingy.

I used it as a long ladder, leaning braced against the outside wall near the roof. I worked merrily along my way and successfully reached the halfway mark of my project. Then, during the end of last week the ladder was put into usage on the inside. JY flipped and folded and made it a triangle ladder, insisting it was more secure for me to use this way. I sighed and grumbled to myself because I liked MY way. I thought MY way was better. harumph.

Fast forward to Monday and my goal of finishing the other half of the exterior windows. I was a bit on overdrive, feeling confident and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of this project. Monday was hot and windy. (queue drums of doom). There I was, struggling with this triangular ladder thingy, dragging it along on the uneven surface outside, each time I mounted it would sway and shake and I felt very insecure 6+ feet in the air with a bowl of bordeaux colored paint in one hand and my brush in the other. The wind would blow sprays of paint down my arms and legs and I was convinced I was headed for a tumble.

Deciding I didn't care what he thought about the ladder, I was going to return it to MY superior way of doing things, where the ladder remained immobile propped against the side of the building. I descended the ladder, put my things aside and began trying to figure out how to flip it back into the shape I had used. Keep in mind, when fully extended this ladder is easily 18-20 feet long.

Well I got it back to one long piece, hooking the 2 pieces together and kept it at about 12+ feet long. I got it airborne and began gingerly trying to put it in place when along came a big gust of wind and ... boom...I lost control and 2 window panes broken. Cassé. shattered. It all happened so quickly, I was quite shocked by the turn of events. I cursed and cried and stomped my feet and decided to quit this whole stupid neverending project. leaving everything at the side of the road, I made for the house and had my hissy fit. I smoked a cigarette in an attempt to calm down a bit and then decided to take a look at the interwebnets to distract myself.

Bringing up CNN, I saw the breaking development banner alerting me to a downed passenger jet with 230+ individuals. That jerked me right back in to old reality ... nothing like a twist of tragic fate to remind one how inconsequential 99.9% of our indvidual life's irritations actually are.

I gave myself a good talking to, brushed myself off, picked myself up and got back in the race. Or at least went back out there and finished my painting job, tidied up and calmed down. I worried the rest of the day and evening about JY's reaction. He had warned me about taking care, and also about the correct use of the ladder. Not to mention that now a major project which was to be finished by Monday would require steps of rework...Re-remove the broken glass and mastic, Re-measure the panes, have the glass cut, re-install new panes, re-install the putty, wait for it to dry and repaint it all again. A good day's work at least.

le sigh.

To make matters worse, when he arrived Tuesday...he arrived bearing gifts! Check out the bicycle I am now in possession of! She's a hot and sexy little black number (who needs a little black dress with this beauty?) ... absolutely brand new, absolutely just my size, with smoothly shifting gears, a comfy seat and even a swish basket.

My heart sank. I babbled, you may want to put that back in the truck after I tell you my bad news. What bad news? with an alarmed expression. I hemmed and hawed and then blurted out "J'ai cassé deux fenetres hier!!!" .

Kim! C'est pas grave! J'ai pensée ils etaient quelques chose plus mauvais ...

He didn't bat an eyelash, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at my concern.

Work continued, we now have some very artistically done red walls, a grey poupon ceiling and other stuffs in the works.

For my part, I have a terrific new ride that I buzzed about on yesterday and today ... J'ADORE!!!

J'ai la chance! il etait mon hero!

Montravel!

I found a really good cave in Perigueux. A few weeks back, I went to one in the centre ville, in search of JM Rhum. I had bought 2 bottles there before, and just cracked the 2nd so it was time to restock.

They were out! but I was directed to another cave on the outskirts of Perigueux in Trelissac. Now THIS was a really great find.

They sell vin du pays (I've read about vdp and how one can just bring a jug/s and fill up on the cheap) ... also loads of wines from all over the country ... and alcohol ... and other stuff.

Plus le monsieur was very helpful, listening to me describe the type of wines I'd like. When I described my favorite white wine, a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Marlborough region ... crisp, dry, fruity ... NOT sweet ... he directed me to 2 wines he thought I'd like.

I bought a couple of each. Tonight, I opened the first one, a chilled appelation de Montravel ... Chateau Roque-Peyre. It has the description "subtilite, crispness ... 2007".

It isn't exact, but it is quite reminiscent of my favorite and very good. Oh, and cheaper than my favorite, coming in at under 5euros a bottle.

It is the little things in life, my friends.

I can't wait to go back and try the vin du pays. I left with 4 bottles of white and 2 bottles of rhum.... so next time will have to do!

i kind of have the hots for Sanseverino ...

I drove to Angoulême last night for the Fête de Metisses ... I guess the best way to describe it is a 'world' music festival ... It was staged along the banks of a river at the Parc Bourgines. In addition to music, there were a large variety of food stands with delicious ethnic cuisine, and loads of performers ... drummers, gymnasts, dancers, etc.

I had debated on whether to go ... it is on all week-end but last night Sanseverino was the headliner. I tried to buy tickets online, unsuccessfully, and so then couldn't decide if I should drive there (I'm about an hour from Angoulême) and I am completely unfamiliar with the city, having only been to the train station and even then, Jean-Yves took me.

So anyway, back and forth back and forth, and then I decided what the hell, the worst that would happen is it would be sold out and I'd still knock around the festival. I was kind of tired, having worked most of the day ... but I bucked up, showered-up and went for it.

Well, first of all let me say that Angoulême was way bigger than I knew, probably 3 times the size I imagined! It is nothing short of a miracle that I found the place. But, contrary to other bloggers I've read, making one's way around in France is fairly simple if one just 'breathes' and applies a little common sense. I didn't have a detailed map but I had gone on Google and looked at the position of the park relative to where I'd be entering the city ... and jotted down some of the main roads' names. And public places and directions towards them are always very well indicated in cities. So I just followed the signs where I saw Bourgines and eventually, concert promoters had also installed signs for the event and I made it there easily.

And once there, I not only was able to get a ticket ... but instead of 34 euros it was 23 euros. Online it had been noted that 23 euros would be available for students, unemployed and a variety of other categories which did not apply to me. But that is still what I was charged ! yay!

I had time to eat before the concert started and there was a great meal on offer adjacent to where the concert was. the 10 euro repas was a delicious fried fish filet with ragouille sauce (kind of like the african version of salsa), curried beans, white rice and pineapple for dessert. Washed down with a 2euro beer, it was terrific! oh and there was also french bread and a bottled water included. !

While I ate, I watched a group of african tumblers perform along with drummers. these guys were gymnasts who did the whole pyramid forming thingy ... as well as african dance ... quite entertaining!!

there were three acts on Friday's main show ... the first was a rock guitarist with an african musician who played a variety of instruments which I have no idea about ... but produced extremely danceable music! 2nd up was Rosenberg Trio (they are manouche style guitarists, in the genre of Django Reinhardt, well 2 guitarists and a bass player) ... also amazing and with a large following. Final act was my crush, Sanseverino . (that link coincidentally presents Sanseverino along with one of the Rosenberg brothers ... !)

I've seen (and written about) him once before. Jean-Yves took me and Johnelle and we had the most amazing 3rd row seats in a smaller, more intimate venue. Last night there were about three times as many people. And the set up was a huge open area adjacent to the stage, with stadium style seating in the back, raised ... not benches though (thank god) but chairs)... I got a seat in the first row of the stadium seating, which was far more comfortable but less 'view-worthy'.

Each act was on for at least an hour, including encores!!! I had forgotten how long concerts in France can go on. If you are going to see the main act, never assume the openers will only be on a short while. My experience is each act has a following and gets a considerable amount of performance time in AND encores.

The concert began at 8:30. It was after 11:00 before Sanseverino was introduced. He was just as amazing as the first time. and yes, I descended from my perch, got close to the stage and danced and drooled.

Must be something about Italian frenchmen these days. They really get me going. meeeeeerrrrraaawwwwwwwRRRRRRR!!!

lol.

l'Aveyron

figured I'd better get something going about my trip to meet Notre Vie Juteuse et sa mari before I go there again (maybe in the coming week)!

Alisa and Bruce kindly invited me over for a vist, WITH chiens, week-end before last ... and being on and off in the doldrums a bit (actually, maybe mostly just a little lonely some nights and week-ends ... ha) I accepted.

The drive was lovely and it was interesting to ride for great stretches of time and see nothing but trees and valleys. I think I mentioned it ... a lot of France's countryside is very rural and sparsely populated. but it was very pretty and my hosts met me at a tiny hamlet so I could follow them home.

They live in the countryside without neighbors nearby and it did seem a hike to arrive. They have rented a pretty country house, with pool, and have set up shop with bikes, their two dogs, adopted cats and chickens (although the chickens have since moved on ... read Alisa's blog for the scoop).

It was heartwarming just to sit and hang out with friendly folks ... from my perspective, we clicked and had a lot to comfortably chat about. I felt like old friends, having braved similar experiences ... I marvelled at how far we've come in the less than a year its been since we began corresponding.

I arrived with my tortilla press and masa (!) and we cooked together ... which I always enjoy. Alisa whipped up her famous chicken under a brick (only under a very heavy pan) which comes out amazingly tender, juicy and with a sumptuous crispy skin. We had that, guacamole, homemade tortillas and gobs of red wine.

The next morning, Bruce arose and made coffee and then popped out for some of the biggest croissants I've encountered. NO LIE - these suckers were the equivalent of 2 normal sized croissants. AND they were delish.

We spent the day explorin, visiting their favorite village (now added to MY list of favorite villages), St. Antonin. Pictures just mostly don't do these charming villages justice. St. Antonin embraces the river Aveyron ... with pretty little bridges, quirky winding alleys that empty onto oddly shaped places (plazas) and a variety of architecture capturing the epochs the village has existed. One thing (of many) that was interesting ... the Batiments de France brigade has left St. Antonin alone, I spied lavender and chartreuse shutters ... none of those boring 3 color palettes here. We had a lazy day ... there was a vide-grenier on and we dawdled our way through ... I picked up a few treasures and Bruce visited widely with many of the vendors. It was a cool approach --- the townsfolk used their street level garages or sidewalks to place their items for sale so you got a peek into many of the houses, which was fun.

Later Saturday evening, we went to a birthday party for one of their friends. In another petite village, the party made its way up and down a narrow street in the front of the birthday boy's house. One fellow was in charge of a huge paella pan (kind of like a paella BBQ) and it made enough to eventually serve the many guests.

Sunday was another vide-grenier day ( we hit two) and it was fun to check out other villages and pick up a few more things. We finished up with a nice lunch in St. Antonin and then I headed off for home.

My dog Louis had a grand old time when I decided to experiment with reactions to the chickens. His animal instinct raged to the surface and if I hadn't have been so quick ... he would have had a chicken dinner. We saw the blood lust in his beady little eyes! the coop sat up on the hill ... and every time he went outside he tried to nonchalantly wander that way.

All of the dogs got on well ... it was a relief to go to dog-people's house ... they were so cool and laid back about the 4-legged visitors.

Well, I'm probably headed back soon for another quick visit. I hope I get to host them (at least for the day) before they head off for California in August...and I'm crossing all available digits that their dreams become reality and they return for a new life. I'd love to have such great new friends nearby ... what luck!

new photos are up!

well folks, I've been working my fanny off and have been pretty worn out. Got some new photos up on flickr (check box in sidebar) and more to take...today is the start of a long holiday week-end here, everything is closed today ... I'll be in the atelier working on the windows.

I will take some photos of those ... finally recharged my camera ... the project has been tedious but will save us a lot of money and I've learned another new thing! The windows have forged iron frames (I think my previous owner made them), they are quite rare now so we want to save them. Once the work I described earlier is done, I will be painting them a Bordeaux red (the frames). et voila!

My project list for the week-end, in addition to the windows ... is to garden and possibly strip my kitchen floors and finish painting the bathroom and hit some vide-greniers on Sunday and vacuum and mop my stairway and upstairs and ... well, the list is long long long!

all of this will fall by the wayside if I get a call from Bruce and Alisa to hop on over to look at some of their potential projects!

more to tell you soon, including my visit to l'Aveyron, a fun music night with Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby in Perigueux and adventures with the prefecture!

coming in for a landing.

what a week. what a month. what a year... HA!

well, about the week. after all of the previous ruckus, we got down to business Thursday and Friday and put in two amazingly productive and satisfying days.

Wednesday was a bust. It is usually our least productive day because it is a half-day and JY spends the afternoon with his son. So no big projects are ever scheduled then. Couple that with another rollercoaster bump for monsieur with the ex and I was the productive one. Tuesday we had made a list of materials and we were planning to venture to Perigueux Wednesday morning to buy them. After he was unable to do so, I decided to go for it. I went and retrieved the list and then we ended up dawdling a bit... (ha, quelle surprise!) and when I looked at the clock it was 11am. ZUT! BricoDepot closes at noon for 2 hours and everyone is unceremoniously dumped in the parking lot ... tough luck for you! JY says - eh, 30 minutes there and 30 minutes for the list - ça suffit!

I drove like the proverbial bat and got there at 11:40! Merde! I had no intention of trying to converse in French or translate anything; I grabbed a Brico boy and surrendered the list. Even so, I had to phone JY three times. Miraculously, I got out of there with everything! we're talking, meters and meters of electrical cable, 'interrupteurs' and 'prises' and 'boites des receptions' et 'porcelaine' et et et !

Come Thursday we were able to commence work with everything so that was amazing! In the atelier are really magnificent windows, hand forged metal with long narrow panes about 2 meters high. (Check out my flickr box to see) The sad news is that many of the panes must be removed (broken) and nearly all of the putty stuff (mastik) holding them in needs to be replaced. This is a job for Michelangelo! the putty is old and dry and hard as nails. It has to be coaxed out with a hammer and chisel, all the while taking care not to break the windows that are good. but it ALL must be removed so that the new stuff will adhere properly. Three quarters of one wall has these windows. what can I say. it will be good for my arm muscle definition, no?!

JY has been installing a new electrical system. I'm trying not to drive him too crazy on it; but I've insisted we think of the future and avoid rework. So we have enough light and electrical supply for an operating room! bwahahahaaaaa!

We quickly returned to our lovely rhythm, we laugh and joke and work our butts off, all the while the iPod or his cassette player (don't get me started) is keeping us entertained. We have the same taste in music as well as having introduced each other to new sounds. So we always have something in the background. If we don't, you know we are in a not so good period. Today we listened to Sarah Vaughn, Louise Attaque, Aretha, Amy Winehouse, Otis Redding, Jacques Brel, Sanseverino, Pink Martini, Carla Bruni, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, to name a few.

Thursday we ventured into town for lunch. JY asked me what I felt like, and I said whatever - just something good. Well we decided to try a new place and we spent 26Euros and it was shit. really. a crap buffet cart for the entree (there was some questionable charcuterie, cubed beets and rapee, and some weird pea salad) and the plat du jour was overdry chicken and powdered potatoes. The wine was good. what a disappointment!

Today I made lunch. It ROCKED the house! Ha! I made a spicy lemongrass fish curry with veggies and rice. We also had Boursault cheese and bread, and the most amazing strawberries from the Perigord, finished up with coffee and chocolate. No wine, but we started with a rum aperitif and radishes picked the moment before from my garden. man, was it good.

then back to work! finished up with a chat about a trip we are planning to Thailand the beginning of the year. we'll see, one thing I know about this life is that it can change in an instant.

but for now, je suis contente. and trés fatiguée. So I'm off for a hot bath. after which I may upload a few new photos of everything for your viewing pleasure.

Next up, I've just GOT to tell you about my fun trip to the Aveyron to meet Notre Vie Juteuse and her husband. It was such a blast, I do wish we lived closer than a 3 hour drive ... but I can't wait to go again and the countryside is lovely.

roller-COASTER!

my life is like ... a rollercoaster, baby baby. my life is like ... oo, ooh, oo oo!

you'll have to do with that since I couldn't find the play-a-vision button and none of you ever watch those YouTube videos, now do you? DO you? (just in case, I might throw one in here...)

so. I have had a hell of a few weeks. I've been up and down and over and out ... and I know one thing! (yes I guess this is a musically influenced post, it is shaping up that way...) (( in fact, my writing has always been that way. I sit down and see what transpires, just run with it. that applies to non-fiction and fiction equally! no wonder there have been so many times when I've totally lost the plot ... hmmm .... ))

but anyway. each time I find myself laying ... flat on my face ... I pick myself up and get - back in the race!!! that's MY life. My motto has always been, 'keep showing up'. sometimes it takes me a spell longer than others.

I also confess that I can overreact. every twist, every turn seems so life-altering. this I think is due to my severe case of arrested development. you know how WE know so many teenagers do really stupid shit like kill themselves because they think that life will not evolve? that this is THE most important thing that will ever occur, and they just cannot go on.

well, I've had a touch of that all my life. part of it is because so much really awful shit happened to me before the age of 21 and I think it imprinted me for life. I mean, like all those impressions of bad things and bad people led me to expect rinse and repeat ... and probably those expectations helped me attract that reality.

ok, enough with channeling dr. phil

for once in my f'g life ... some ups and downs have not led to my expected finality. they have just been ups and downs. but a fun, gut wrenching ride.

We have amended our plan for a full on restaurant to capitalize on everything we have completed thus far and incorporate some of the temporary projects we were considering. So, we are looking to have a really cool atelier with a salon du thé and bijouterie (jewelry, accessories, gifts). There is considerably less red tape with this approach, we don't have to do a full kitchen etc. and have all the materials pretty much ready to stage. Maybe a week or 2 of work to finish the space and we can probably be open by the end of June.

This means (hopefully) a small income stream that can build ... and we can then complete the restaurant plans in winter and open that in Spring!

So it wasn't a flake out. And how insulting of me to have even gone there, given everything that Jean Yves has done for me and with me to date. I wish I could find the way to purge myself of my dubious past .... sigh.

but I'm back in the queue for my next ride! bring it on, life, bring it ON!

mindless rambles ... uncertain conclusion

I've written a little about wars and their different impacts ... particularly contrasting French and American realities...

as I was driving to NotreVie's in the Aveyron yesterday ... which meant driving west to east for 3 hours through amazingly green, hilly, peaceful and sparsely populated lands ... my mind wandered and wondered at the lack of people here ... and really throughout France.

Of COURSE there are people. It just seems that a land that has been here so long ... so rich in history and beauty and consequence ... should be more densely populated.

and then I started reflecting on the heavy price her people have paid, most recently in the last century ... when it comes to war. I questioned (in my head of course because who else do I ever have to talk to? well okay there IS Louis and Bruno and they WERE in the car with me ... but no, it was in my head) whether the loss of nearly an entire generation of men in the first world war has had a lasting impact on France's overall population. and made a note to follow up on the query soon. what do you guys think?

yeah you'd have to be here I guess to understand what I mean about the lack of people and populace. and it could just be my impression. but it is more than just being a little slower. and even when I go to the cities, which is where the younger generation has shifted to ... in contrast to other great cities I've been (NY, LA, Nairobi, SF, Mexico City, Madrid, Milan ... a few) ... there just is not the same density. I did find an interesting piece in wikipedia on French demographics that confirm a large dip in population pre-WWII, but also points out that France's baby boom surpassed other nations and was even referred to as France's "miracle". but not so much that it got them far beyond a recovery stage in terms of population!

so ... I'll get back to you on that with more. But since this is a week-end of war remembrance in France, I let my mind wander in a topical manner. If my ruminations are substantiated, it seems appropriate to remember how devastating and profound man's inhumanity to each other can truly be. May 8th is Victory Day in France. Normally I'd crack wise about what really WAS the victory to be had. frankly I think the French have achieved a victory of sorts through their heavy losses of the century. I admire their solemn determination in avoiding war and its costs. One thing that rankled me in the states were the constant references to French cowardice when it comes to war. Common sense is what I'd call it. sigh.

and while I benefit from the graceful greens, the solitude and beauty of these undulating hillsides ... the peaceful habitude... I'll also give a care to the price that was paid for them.

bloggess summit ...

well okay. maybe bloggess visit.

I'm excited to be driving to visit Notre Vie Juteuse et sa mari in the Aveyron this week-end.

That makes another blogger willing to help me shake my blues (Amy Rigby has done so in the past ... )

I've realized I need to invest a little more time in building community here if I am to survive. Thus far, my year has been absorbed with house renovation and then straight in to atelier renovation ... which means my life has nearly completely centered around that and a large percentage has also been focused with my partner for completing those efforts. I haven't had much social balance and I think that has also heightened the effect(s) of any changes with that primary relationship I've formed. I really don't want to get into all of the various complications this could potentially create.

Suffice it to say, I need to mix it up a little more. and that might shake up ALL the puzzle pieces and help them fall more easily into place.

or not. who the hell knows?!

one thing is for certain, I still feel pretty rudderless in comparison to my control freak existence in the U.S. Some days I am good with the ambiguity. others it is crushing.

I'm sure there are lessons in all of this for me. until I've grasped them, there is always red wine and JM Rhum.

and blogger visits! yay! Notre Vie and hubby have graciously offered to host me and the doggy fellas for a couple of nights! there's even a party on Saturday that I can attend! yay again! keep your digits crossed for us that this pretty weather holds ...

she lives.

yes, I'm here ... been going through some ups and downs and sideways...no excuse for not blogging except sometimes you just don't feel like talking.

JY had some life turbulence last week which set us back plus the one week of school vacation ... the reality is we can't see a way clear to get our café open this season. What with the logistics of inspections and paperwork, and the remaining renovations ... we probably wouldn't be open until August or later. in the meantime, the small matter of income looms ... so, we have begun to formulate plan 'b' which means continuing to work on the space, creating some side work for ourselves ... and being ready to open with a bang next season.

I'm disappointed for several reasons ... one, it is hard to adjust when you have something so firmly wrought in your head. and a routine created around that. but one must adjust. so one will. my hope is that we don't get too sidetracked as is wont to happen in these situations...

well. there is of course so much more to the story. but I'm a bit too down to relay it all at the moment...

on a happier note, the sun shines. we have a week of good spring weather facing us. hopefully the garden will take advantage of it.

more soon.