On the Loose in Toulouse

Exploring a new area, especially in Europe where history mingles with everyday life, is like eating a rich dessert.  You lick your lips in anticipation and once the treat is before you, you savor every bite.

We landed in Toulouse during the latest French air traffic controllers' strike ahead of our original schedule as flights were cancelled, we were rerouted (in our favor) and tense moments at our Frankfort layover had us doubting we would ever get there that day. All went well in the end but Marty and Kathy's luggage didn't arrive for several days.

While Bob and our friends dozed their jet lag away, I couldn't bear to do the same so I grabbed my camera and headed out. And I savored.

I think I am at my best when I can see new things and touch history at the same time.  I love the shutters on the tall windows overlooking the narrow streets, the patina on bronze statues and the smooth grain of wood polished by centuries of hands running across it.  I love the dip worn into marble stairs and the waviness of the scenery when viewed through old leaded glass windows.  It is all good and I am glad to be here to enjoy it.

Tray Bien

It was fun to make a special serving tray for the library's exhibit and fundraiser.  Faux-painting the surface with layers of subtle colors, finding just the right mix of collage materials and watching the design evolve as I selected one element and removed another. 

I wrapped the handles with copper wire and beautiful, earthy beads, tucking in the sharp ends of the wire so they would not poke.

I can't remember how many there were on display but each was more creative than the next.  They raised a sizable amount for the library fund which was nice.

Summer Winds

It has been a tumultuous summer.  The ups are now being savored and the downs released to the winds where possible.  Illness has stricken family and many friends.  It is hard to take it all in.  My heart hurts for their suffering.  There are times when I reach for the phone to call someone I haven't talked to in a long time only to stop a hair's breath away from the dial because I am afraid to find out something traumatic about them, too.  I call anyway and, yes, the news is a mixture of good and bad.  It is what it is and I know we will all live through it as best we can.  

I find quiet places and cherish the moments of contemplation and peace.  A beach facing the expanse of the Atlantic ocean offers a soothing rhythm.  An island on our lake offers blueberries and solitude.  The cottage in Rhode Island shared with good friends is a welcome diversion.  As we sink our toes into the sand of East Beach, the coolness deep under the hot surface reminds me that all of nature consists of layers of intensity.  I attempt to ebb and flow through my conflicting feelings as nature directs by its example.

Beach Angels

Lake Erie waves rush ashore just like the mighty ocean does and you can only see Canada on a clear day.  No salt spray here.  My grandchildren wiggle toes in the sand and giggle when the waves chase them toward shore.  Treasures are found among the rocks.  Sand towers melt away as the waves rush in and surround them.

Thinking Inside the Box

Naumann Architektur, Sweden

When I saw pictures of this project online, I was amazed at the simplicity of the solution.  It is genius.  The ancient, fragile exterior is preserved.  Inside is a new home.

How nice it would be if we could just put a new interior in our bodies when they become frail or diseased.  Woosh - new veins, new organs, stronger heart. Unlike a building, though, our skin is part of the whole and will not last hundreds of years or thousands.  We dwell in a house for such a brief time and it will go on without us sheltering another family and then another.  How fortunate we are to be part of that cycle.

Full Days, Peaceful Nights

June whizzed by in a flurry of activity.  In the midst of it all, there was time for reading (just finished The Journal Keeper by Phyllis Theroux), get-togethers with friends and a myriad of projects from gardening to painting animal panels for our pontoon boat.

My family came to visit for the 4th of July weekend and I worked feverishly to get the panels done for the boat parade.  Our theme this year was a zoo or wild animal park.  Once started, they moved along and I like how they came out.  When we rode around the lake, the kids on shore loved the cartoonish giraffe, elephants, monkey and other animals.  Just the reaction I had hoped for.  It was so much fun!  The parties at the cabanas were great - lots of good food and music - the band was rocking!  Two nights of spectacular fireworks viewed from the boat and the shore enchanted us and a lobster feast on Sunday had us savoring every butter-drenched morsel.

It is quiet again and I wandered the house this morning, picking up pillows and linens in our living room/weekend dorm and washed two big loads of towels. I wish they were still all here so we could do it again.

Italian Dreams

Frances Mayes wrote a new book recently and I have been savoring it. Like her other books, Every Day in Tuscany gives me a glimpse into what it would be like to live in Italy. What bliss!  What food!  What wine!

I love to travel and Italy has a special place in my heart. A sense of dolce vita pervades my mind just thinking about sun-drenched hillsides and I am transported to a region of the world where family and relationships are more important than things. My connection with Italy is intimate. I feel it in my soul. I would move there in a heartbeat if I didn't need to make a living. What struck me as amazing as we poured over our photos from the last trip is that we have only been on Italian soil twice. Twice.

Then why does it feel like we have been there countless times?