rumor

Rumor has it that a train will one day soon pass this way.  Poppy puts the warm bed to good use, grinning orange.  

(Smiling)

Smootches!

Un Bouquet Extravagante

I love peonies ( les pivoines, say pee-vhw-ons. I know, it's not easy.). I've tried to get them to grow in my garden back home, with no success thus far. They always have great varieties in the market in France in the Spring. These don't have any scent, but they started as intensely pink balled buds and watching them unfold has been très amusant.

Drenched

From The Night Before's rain, the roses at our spiritual center are resplendent in the morning light.  

Au Coeur de la Forêt

This walk starts just outside the restaurant À la Prise d’Alzeau which is in the forest up on the Montagne Noire near Saissac. We walked along the river Alzeau, one of the sources of the water for the Canal du Midi. The variety of fresh, new green was satisfying in a way that complemented the delicious meal we had just finished at the restaurant.

Garden Girl Tea

Creativity.  Feminine.  Powerful.  Friendship.  Support.  Excitement.  Inspiration.  Two colorful cups, a pot of tea  + friends = an hour well-spent!  Gail and I send love, and are looking forward to you sitting with us, after planting 213 tomato babies!

Bénédiction des Arbustes

You know me, not a big church-goer, but I do like me some gregorian type chanting in a cavernous cathedral from time to time. A hankering to listen to some singing got Stacey and I down to En Calcat yesterday on what just happened to be Palm Sunday. Around here people bring branches from home to be blessed, boxwood being the preferred branch type and olive a close second.

When I was a catholic school kid, the church provided palm fronds at the end of the mass that had been blessed during the service. The French country approach seemed more "grass roots" and participatory. The place was packed. We ended up in backstage seats, i.e. on the benches set up in the area back of the altar for the overflow crowd. Amazing for a catholic church out in the countryside.

The chanting was purt good, too.

Dans la Forêt

The three ladies setting out for a walk in the woods. It was warmer than it looks in this photo. We had just come out of the restaurant into the shade of the woods. It was a glorious Spring day and the green of new growth was all around.

Past, Present and Future... again!

She looks so much like her Mama did at this age it startles me!  She has filled the ceramic pot with charcoal from the ashes, planning to embellish her chalk art on the sidewalk (which she did!).  We had a very busy and productive day, painting, drawing, talking, fixing and eating things which go with peanut butter, AND taking a walk down to see the horses!  Yes.  I call it a good day!

Two Hundred and Sixteen

216 happy little tomatoe plants say, "Good Morning N2!!!  Soon you will be home to plant us!"  What are we thinking, Little Friend?  Two hundred and sixteen.  Hmmmmmmmmm.  ((smiling))

Into Dramatic Flowers Today

The Callas are bursting out everywhere.  Love the landscape of them.  xoxoLC

Une Soirée de Pizza et Bière

The pizza man brings his oven in a van to the parking lot around the corner on Wednesday nights. Last week Peter and Anne came over from Durfort at 6 pm. We ordered up our pizza and ate it at one of the brasserie tables with a glass of their good Belgian Leffe beer. This is a ritual worth repeating.

Dentelle Verte (Green Lace)

In the warm evening I can almost hear the delicate unfolding

of the leaves on the allee of platane trees around the corner.

Perfection

Coming out of my Spring "grunge" to find the Camillia in full bloom, even the fallen blossoms are perfect. As I have said before, this is my favorite pink.  Perfection.

La Porte Ouverte

It has been so warm the last couple of days that I've kept the bedroom door open in the afternoon. Glorious sunshine!

Vol d'Oiseau

Birds eye view of Toulouse and the Garonne River, which originates high

in the Spanish Pyrenees, heads north through Toulouse and then hangs a left,

and flows west emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Bordeaux.

Marché à Revel

The market is even more delicious when the sun is shining as it was on Saturday.

Tapas Bar

This is a place on Calle Lagasca, just down the street from my hotel, that I have been passing for years. I ate at three tapas bars on this visit to Madrid, but have yet to try this one. La próxima vez!

Summer Dream

They're up, and have been transplanted (Thank you, Jolee!) to the sixpacks.  Jolee is grumbly about "...the old fashioneds.  They just are harder to start."  And it appears to be true, they are smaller and less leafy than the others.  I am going over in a few moments, in between laundry loads, to talk to the babies.  I believe they need some encouragement.

Petit-Déjeuner à Madrid

Writer's breakfast Madrid: tortilla española (eggs and potatoes w/ no flour) and café manchado (literally "stained coffee" the stain referring to the milk). After staying in the

NH Lagasca over a 14 year period, I just discovered this cafe cater-corner from the front

of the hotel where all the locals from the Salamanca go - the men for café y burros (large churros) and the women for café y pan con tomate (toasted bread with ground

tomato paste). So much better than even the full buffet at the hotel.