a long cold winter.

I've reopened my blog. I have had much to say and nothing to say... I shut it down because I had laryngitis of my writing voice.

Unlike many blogs I have read, I began my blog filled with excitement and hope and optimism about my coming adventure. Writing about my experiences, sharing the ride brought me great joy.

I struggled writing in the last year because I was struggling in life. I know I probably could have written a lot about all my challenges and received positive words of support. I have even, from time to time, written about a down point here and there. But when it came to the point where it seemed in staring at my keyboard, I could find nothing but personal turmoil and difficulty, I could only shut down for a pause.

At some point I may share some of the challenges which I think might relate to someone considering making such a leap as mind ... I might be able to give some tips to manage or overcome potential hazards.

Suffice it to say, sometimes we become so wrapped up in the stress and problem of the moment, it is hard to step back and look at the bigger picture ... it can become a matter of digging in to find make it through each day.

This blog of mine has always been a pretty open and transparent lens into my life. When I felt the only view I could give was through a strong filter, I decided just to cap the lens for awhile.

I hope to be able to get back into my groove here, write more and move to the next chapter. Not only has writing here given me great pleasure ... I have made some great friends and acquaintances simply from this site. I would hate to lose that future possibility.

à bientôt!

miam miam >>>

My life has become insane in regards to work and available time...work is infringing upon my dream a bit (another post entirely) and it is difficult to even find time to shop for food ... let alone go to market day and seek out the most beautiful that France has to offer.

but somehow ... just when I am getting discouraged about things, someone ... something ... hears my silent cries and poof! ANSWERS APPEAR~ like magic I tell you ... hee hee

So enter the Panniers des Roches (probably going to have to go back and respell that later) ... there I was in the shop (when am I NOT in the shop these days? but anyhoo) last Friday ... arranging things and this woman comes in for a look. we get to talking and she asks if she can put some brochures up about her business. I say sure, what's your business and she points across the street and says "des panniers" ... I ask what panniers and she explains that .... drum roll ....

her and her husband have an organic farm near Nontron (about 20 minutes up the road) and they deliver vegetable baskets to subscribers. I ask if I can have a look and we cross the road where they deliver to the local primary school every Friday. She shows me a basket for 1 person and it is chock full of the most beautiful produce!!! I ask the cost and she tells me 11 euros per week. 3,50€ supplement if you choose, where it rotates weekly between sweet and savory. You will get homemade cornichons...or confiture... or other yummy stuff.

I decided (in about 10 seconds) to give it a try. So today I received my first pannier. Here is what I got:

1. The most beautiful head of lettuce EVAH!!! (ok picture sucks but you can still see how massive it is.

2. Two large fennel bulbs.

3. Two GINORMOUS artichokes.

4. A bunch of carrots just pulled, dirt clinging (maybe 12 of them)

5. A paper bag of new red potatoes.

6. Fresh sorrel.

7. A large bunch of fresh radishes.

8. A recipe for a galette with fennel and new potatoes.

So. instead of feeling sorry for myself that I am too busy to go to market day every week (only now and then), I am celebrating the discovery of this enormous luxury of having amazing fresh organic produce delivered to my door every week for a paltry sum... I will still enjoy France's bounty and be able to cook some delicous and healthy food.

I am still one of the luckiest girls in the world. sure, my dreams have become a bit tarnished here and there ... or maybe it is just that I am working harder for them. but they are still there!!

ALL of it is gorgeous. and it was 11 euros.

life is cool.

the season has yet to commence and still, I am a bit exhausted! the shop needed some major clean-up and refreshing and this year I am doing more vide-greniers to generate more awareness of the shop and also more revenue ... but that old adage remains true about it being different if you are working for yourself and not someone else (particularly if that someone else is a huge corporation )

all in all life IS cool!

let me tell you about a guy I met. it all seems slightly coincidental. not long after I had painted over Salle de Vente on my door and replaced it with my overall philosophy ... a youngish guy comes walking up the road and, having read the new sign, sees Henry and strikes up a conversation. in English. american english.

I am in back in the garden and here comes Henry and this tall young fellow. "Kim, this is Tyler" .... hmmmm, tyler is my son's middle name. "I invited him to have an apero with us" ... (my favorite time of day by the way) Tyler is from California... ok curious, I go and grab three cold ones given it is a very warm day. how did tyler from california happen to find me?

well tyler is walking across Europe. he started at Berlin with the smallest bag imaginable for such a journey. no he really isn't like the myriad of 20somethings you see barely able to lift those huge backpacks. Tyler is early 30s in hightop converse and is walking/hitching his way to the southern tip of spain. he is a photographer. he is on an extraordinary journey which may last for life.

see, tyler graduated from prestigious Georgetown University and went straight into investment banking. tall and handsome, I can only imagine the tenor of his life back then. after a period of a year or two, (yup much smarter than me) he realized how pointless, how absolutely soulless this profession was that he chose and determined to leave. he remained a while longer, saving for his escape. and then he walked away. He loved photography and went to LA and got work there in the television and film industry. after some time, he left that to pursue individual projects. last year he was in morocco and lived with a berber family; photodocumenting their lives. he had some funny anecdotes to share ... including how eventually he bought a rickety vespa in morocco for 300 bucks and ended up riding it all the back from Morocco to London ... imagine the tales!

this year he is taking 3 months to walk across Europe ... and then will be spending several months back in Morocco, hopefully finding the family he was with and finsihing up his work with them ... with the goal of maybe doing a book about the experience. I am witholding his full name to respect his privacy at the moment.

he has his own internal "rules" for his trip ... no buses or trains or airplanes ... just walking or hitchiking. He hitches quite a bit and leaves it up to the drivers to somewhat determine his path. that is how he ended up being dropped off down the road from me. as long as it is comfortable, he takes a photo of each driver.

I ended up telling him my own escape story. he had lots of questions about living abroad. I confess I am surprised I didn't frighten him off xith my enthusiasm and ardor for France. after about 20 minutes or so, we invited him to stay with us. we shared a wonderful, impromptu meal and I finally left him and Henry gabbing on at midnight. I was too exhausted to do dishes, I had our first vide grenier the next day. we rose early and tiptoed out for the event, the kitchen looked like a war zone.

I had offered tyler the use of my bike to toodle around and when I returned, he was gone but the kitchen was spotless!!

tyler stayed 2 nights, enjoying our big guest bed and few comforts of home. he told us more about his life and his family and we shared more about life here in France. another coincidence ... tyler's sister's name is Paige. which is my middle name. and the middle name of my daughter. just sayin' ... by the second morning, I could sense he was getting the itch to go ... he declined offers of rides and help, I think he was longing for the solitude of his journey. he gave us a small bottle of wine, collected from another journey, as a token of thanks. later that day, I also discovered a small gift to me of delicious handmade soap. I pictured his small stash of goodies in his bag that he collects and then proffers as he moves along.

he shared with us he is seeking a way to leave the US and live abroad somewhere. who knows, maybe he will end up in Europe somewhere. his family sounds amazing and meeting him was a wonderful coincidence, a reaffirming coincidence that there are indeed other seekers out there, other crazy folks like me, stumbling around on the road less travelled ... trying to find our place in this world.

yes indeed, life is cool.

big day tomorrow!

finally ready to reopen The Bohemians!

after over three months in the states and just about 2 weeks back in France, we are there. Did a vide-grenier last week-end and focused all week on painting, cleaning, rearranging. Working from dawn to dusk with Henry to get it all together.

made a quick overnighter to the Tarn et Garonne to visit our friends from Raison d'Art and to gather some beautiful new art pieces by Bruce Anderson for the shop ... then made a beeline back to continue working on everything.

Today, I delivered Henry to the gare in Limoges and now, going to go continue arranging and preparing ...

soon I am sure I will have something more profound to share ... like my observations being an American in France observing the meltdown surrounding DSK in New York (Dominique Strauss-Kahn). for the moment, wow. Just WOW. that about sums it up!

xx

un jour typique ...

I often ask myself where my time goes, why even though I no longer have the corporate career, I never seem to have enough time. I was reflecting on this today, Saturday, where my day so far has been ...

rise at not the earliest hour (around 8:30)*
check email
get dressed for snow
take Bruno for a tour down into the village, lightly snowing
buy my pain au chocolat at the boulangerie
buy my local paper at the presse
stop in at the bar/tabac for a pack of cigs and a coffee, with bruno
bundle back up and continue my tour
check out the progress on the new restaurant and the renovation of another
muse on my way home re the fact Brantôme commercants are guarding their optimism, yay!
arrive home at 10:30
empty washing machine, start a new load and hang the clean laundry on the drying rack
go outside and gather kindling
stack kindling and wood near back door in preparation for incoming snows
measure fuel in boiler tank, call to order heating fuel delivery
head into boutique and start a fire in the wood/coal burner
remerchandise shop, moving all furniture and create new displays
sweep shop
dust shop
open shop, creating outdoor displays, light all the lights and candles, start music
sweep shop outdoor entry
heat vin chaud
place an update on the boutique's facebook page
go inside to prepare my lunch and return to shop to eat, browse the new elle decor
AND
write this blog. it is 12:30!!

after lunch I will be sanding furniture and awaiting (hopefully) a few visitors.

I still have a half-finished stack of administrative paperwork and christmas cards to finish and get in the mail

I have a list longer than both arms of boutique development tasks that seem to languish ... I am slowly chipping away at them but it can be frustrating as daily life, however enjoyable is always intruding.

yes I could forego my daily walk but sheesh !!! no way ... I'm here for a new life not the old one where the balance is ignored in favor of fitting it all in. this is what I remind myself ... the pace is what it needs to be, I am where I need to be, it will all be there tomorrow, and most importantly ... it will all get done, get done well, and in its own due time!

new record for me.

not sure but I think this is the longest I've gone with blogging (since starting that is). summer with visitors is physically and mentally exhausting!

I'm afraid I probably don't have anything too pithy to contribute...but everything is going swimmingly! hitting those vide-greniers with a passion, getting the new website populated with french treasures, laughing at updates from afar, meeting new friends, hanging out with old friends, finding new hidden spots to explore and appreciate ... surviving the heat wave and the thunderstorms ... catch-up gardening with a vengeance ... squiring around visitors ... pinching pennies ... welcoming loved ones home...trying to make more centimes ... looking forward to more visitors throughout the season.

no time to catch a breath, let alone write something pretty and witty and gay!

that small thing called inspiration that's been missing has also had something to do with it...but I'm finding my way back to my writing , slowly but surely ... and hope to be about these parts more regularly soon. bises!

je suis plat.

I got up this morning with the intention of making a tour of the area on my bicycle...an hour or so, before the heat really set in. It is, after all, Sunday ... a day meant for repose!

My neighbor Nicole decided to join me. I should have taken the broken valve on my tire as a sign, but decided to use her daughter's bike ... and off we went.

I had planned a not-too-stressful ride out to Bourdeilles ... the road runs along the river, it is scenic and a respectable 12km one way... it is fairly flat but with a few hills here and there to mount, use the low gears and feel accomplished when done.

Nicole is way more 'sportif' than I and, against my better judgement, I agreed to the 'petit tour de St. Julien de Bourdeilles' with a stop in at a friend's before our return.

3 hours later, on roads littered with higher and higher ascents ... I was back at home. Sunburned. Dehydrated. and very, very cranky.

I suppose I should be congratulating myself I made it. But I'm afraid I was 'un peu desagreeable' upon our return, and turned down the offer of a cold beer at a mutual friend's house.

After a cold shower and a power nap, I'm feeling a bit more myself. but jeez, how do I get myself into these pickles?!

flattered!

my blog was reviewed by A Taste Of Garlic this week and it was a charming, well-written piece that made me smile! By the end, I was nodding my head in agreement ... I think I just might be experiencing a touch of teenage rebellion ... post teen years, of course!

But I'd like to acknowledge the kindness and thank Keith Eckstein for taking the time to peruse my blatherings in detail and further share them with the world.

I confess, it was somewhat inspirational to reread some of my posts ... from the viewpoint of blogging, which I've slacked off on and yet has provided me much pleasure in the past.

The antics and recent drama with my blog, I confess, put me off some of my writing. But perhaps the pause was for a cause and, with adjustment, I can get back to rendering you all spellbound with my tales.

heh heh!

train saga ...

our visitors have been experiencing a series of travel casualties involving planes and trains and banking faux-pas. I've determined never to personally purchase tickets online nor recommend such to others except in situations where there is really no other option. of course, the past week's occurrences may have unjustly influenced me and with time I'll return to my casual, who me? nothing could go wrong attitude.

one guest's plane was late, making her miss her train. she had tried to buy some sort of insurance with sncf when she bought her ticket, but was unable to. as a result, she was provided no option other than to buy another ticket from Paris to Angouleme, which I believe was more expensive than her original ticket.

later, after spending literally hours plotting a week plus of travels from my house to Barcelona, on to Nice and then Italy ... due to an error on her bank's part ... the card she paid online with was captured in an ATM and could not be presented at the train station when collecting the tickets. SNCF had absolutely NO alternative to offer. And insurance HAD been purchased, but of course this particular scenario was not covered. "Oh, you purchased those online. you have to deal with them. And the insurance company isn't part of SNCF." No tickets were provided, although paid for. No trip could be taken. and No Refund could be given. tant pis.

by some miracle, when returning home from the Bordeaux train station, (yes, we drove all the way to Bordeaux to receive the above news.) and looking more closely online, we discovered that subsequent portions of the trip could be cancelled and reimbursed. so only the 1st leg (a major portion - Bordeaux to Barcelona) was lost. we think. still waiting to see what credit will be provided on the card.

don't even get me started on the many calls to 3 different agencies concerning the bank and the captured card. suffice to say, after hours of calls, the card has been recovered. fortunately this happened in a small bank branch in Brantôme, where they were willing to listen to what happened and hold the card vs. destroy it while we frantically sought out a solution.

so. in fear of a lost or stolen or confiscated card, I'm vowing always to go to the local train station to purchase my tickets. one less disaster to deal with.

oh and our visitors? they're off! but they decided to skip Spain altogether, quelle dommage. there's always next time!

Trip Highlight - Great Blues in Portland at Jimmy Mak's

who doesn't like to check out music when they're touring the United States? especially Portland Oregon, home of some terrific blues and alternative music?

Well, I spent a lovely evening at Jimmy Mak's in Portland. When I lived there, Jimmy's was in a dive-bar setting caddy-corner to their new location ... well folks, they've moved and their new venue is top notch. Large dining room with stage right there ... Dinner shows are the specialty and it is a fun way to spend an evening in Portland...Jimmy's gets some of the best jazz and blues headliners found in Portland.

Friends treated us to a lowdown blues extravaganza ... Bonefest All Star Band ... featuring the 'funk' of James Brown, Mr. Fred Wesley (trombonist and composer for James Brown, lead trombone player for Ike and Tina Turner).

The evening was a funky, soulful delight ... we arrived early and had cocktails and dinner. The menu there is actually not bad ... although I do believe the best plate ordered was their burger and fries! We had good wine as well ... to move us on into the rest of the night.

There was a great deal of showmanship on display, some band members entering from the back with their 'bones and adding some dance moves. The songstress for the night, Jada Amy, was a hot growling mama of a singer ... suggestive and whisky voiced.

It was an amazing evening, my french companion noted the acoustics and overall show as one of the best he's enjoyed. He even scored a poster off the wall for me as a souvenir. If you decide to go, I imagine your event will have such things available to buy, as oppose to 'nick'! lol and cd's too!

seaside.

we made our way to Seaside Tuesday. Monday night we had a spectacular evening with Kathleen and David. We went to a concert with some amazing trombonists and general bluesy funkiness. The main musician had played with James Brown...so that gives you an idea of the vibe. It was at Jimmy Mak's in Portland, known for their jazz and music nights...they have moved into a new location with incomparable acoustics ... an amazing night. Monsieur nicked a cool poster for me which I plan to frame when I get back...

once coastside, lots accomplished, many repairs on the cabin (merci monsieur) and yard clean-up (boy will I miss my little cabane once it is sold, zut) ... showing off the Oregon beaches ... cooking yummy stuff ... movies galore ... wine ... etc etc ... made our way back to Kathleen & David's ... but not before seeking out rabbit ... Jean Yves made a 'daube' last night that I think will be delicious.

This week-end will continue the work on the outdoor oven, visiting with friends and general merriment. à toute à l'heure!

knock knock. who's there? been. been who?

been halfway to france but now we're here!

so there I was ... at home ... still moving slowly because I feel weakened a bit these days, pahhh! just thinking about lunch when what do I hear but a knock at the door.

I open my door to discover Les Framericaines at my doorstep! I had one of those weird suspended in time moments. you know, where you're looking straight at something but it just don't register! Mr. & Mrs. Halfway to France were here, in person, just taking a chance that I'd be in and my want to pop out for lunch!?!

well, spirits have been quiet on the home front and, once I picked up my jaw and recovered my boundaries a bit, I happily accepted...and we spent the next few hours just yakking and toasting and mange'ing some deliciousness ... at one of my favorite little eateries ... the locals didn't know what to make of us ... 2 boisterous American women (one who glided from rough & tumble american english to perfectly accented french with ease) and 1 genteel Frenchman, lolling over each course with delight.

our rapport was instantaneous and we couldn't catch up fast enough! LesF's and I also did the requisite tour of my project/dump/work in progress maison and my boutique and the newly appointed ateliér! My house was caught (not surprisingly) in its usual state of deshabillé ... an embarrassing assemblage of unwashed dishes in the sink and stuff everywhere. Not exactly what one wants to present to visitors ... mais, tant pis. The first thing I did when they departed was clean the kitchen. (hangs head in shame).

but they were lovely sports about it ... not surprising at all.

We are planning a rendez-vous-redux when I get back from the states...I'm going to wander up their way and check out their scene a bit! fun, huh?

(oh and BTW, I'm still sick. apparently the germs will not be satisfied until they have invaded all of my nether regions. now I'm stuck with some intestinal ridiculousness. and I'm sick of saying I'm sick but I'm feeling a bit broken down by all of this. why me, I entreat ... Pourquoi mois???) le sigh.

hello. it feels like me.

man oh man, being sick is the pits. and I feel as if I've been ill for months. in reality it has been weeks with a few days interspersed where I felt a bit normal, got all cheeky and went gangbusters only to find myself relapsing into an even worse state than before.

this past week I've felt a bit more myself each day. I still have a nagging cough but it is diminishing (just coughed as I wrote that..heh). week before, I'd get up and make it halfway through the day...only to feel tired or dizzy and take to my bed again for the afternoon.

Jean-Yves and I have worked on the atelier this past week. now that the tenants have gotten their arsehole-selves out, and it has warmed up a bit ... I began the process earlier by moving all of the items in my house's old kitchen and sunroom areas to their new home in my other building. this accomplishes 2 things ... the old kitchen is now empty and swept and I can begin working on renovating that room. next will be the sunroom. Secondly, it organizes all of the boutique and furniture refinishing items into the 'atelier'. I have a second building attached to my house and accessible from the boutique. This is now a workshop / atelier and storeroom. It is a very large space with lots of potential.

So, once I got everything moved over there ... (this is that gangbuster thing I was mentioning) ... this week JY and I plotted out the arrangement. There was an ancient worktable/bench, same as the one I restored for the boutique. We moved that to create a workspace for him. He also has space to store his tools and various work items ... as well as the "coccinelle" (his beloved VW beetle).

He moved all of the furniture pieces into one area, stacked them neatly as they await their restoration treatment. He set up a table where we put all of the jewelry items for the shop. He also set up a shelf and storage area for my paints. Lastly, a spot next to the boutique door housing sacks, wrapping paper and display items.

Wednesday, on my weekly furniture scavenger hunt, I found a big old wood table (in addition to loads of project pieces) which will be delivered next Weds and will be set-up in the middle of the room for my painting projects. Oh, and we have temporary electricity for lighting ... permanent to come.

This will also house our new water closet in anticipation of our Salon du Thé activities. JY will be starting on that soon.

I'll have to snap some photos for flickr.com ... when I do, I'll give you a heads-up.

It is SO cool to have this space now set up adjacent to the boutique. It means I can be working and keep my eye on the shop and serve clients when they arrive. Last year, I had to be in the garden and it was really impossible to know if someone had entered or not.

In addition to all of this, mon monsieur installed new shower fixtures for me in the bath and repaired the water leak. This week he'll be retiling a bit and (fingers crossed) may even get the electricity sorted for me there before I electrocute myself in the bath. How lucky am I?

I have a little surprise, but for now it is a secret. I'm busting at the seams to tell all but for now it must wait ....

tootles!