Week-end .....

Of my blogs, this is the most difficult to write.  It used to be the easiest.  Actually it may have been the easiest when I only had ONE. It's the uncensored, pure-me blog... not about culinary adventures like 365 French Days, and not about shopping at brocantes and selling vintage (my day-job).  It's the one that feeds the writing passion and life passion and as I said in my last post, it is now that one that suffers pro-longed absences when life gets too busy.  That is how the balance is tipping these days, and I have chosen to make a concerted effort with 'French Guy' to remember to tilt it back a bit now and then.

 Starting with this weekend.

Spring is teasing us and this week we were out in front of our petit-home and planning, building (and un-building!) three large planter boxes that will be on our gravel front 'yard' to grow a few veggies and flowers this summer.  Out current situation is that we have a big 'jardin de gravel'.....lots of gravel, very little green....  Last summer we started to carve out a few areas and fill small places with dirt to put in a few annuals.... this summer, our 3rd in France...much, much bigger plans.

I am hoping we won't get a freak late season frost (or snow!) because I just cleaned out and re-planted my little herb box/table that is under my kitchen window.... so far so good.  This weekend I'm hoping for some sun to place and set up the boxes and make a trip to the beach down the road to 'borrow' some large boulders to make a border for another spot.

'Petite Fille' is in her element when she is outside, we have found out.  We went shopping for Mommy/Daughter Aigle boots -- I got classic black and she got cheerful yellow!  There is nothing more adorable than a one year old waddling around in rubber boots!

True to it's name, this is my 'road of life' blog.  The road is good.  Life is good.  Ma vie en France, although still a lot of work, is becoming a better fit everyday and I find myself looking forward to days ... and to weekends.

I wish you a sunny and anticipation filled spring-like weekend too, mes amis!  

A bientot!

Home ...

This may be the longest I have been absent from this blog, in a very long time!  I have been working hard ... projects keep coming up, life is buzzing and spring is coming .... maybe.  J'espere.

I did this little project a while ago; a creative and symbolic effort.  I bought these letters and decided to cover them with words and make a 'word sculpture' for the mantle in our dining room.  I thought about it ... I could have used any letters to spell any word and it could have been in English or French. I chose the word 'Home' because home has been an elusive concept and a constant lamentation since we up-rooted and re-planted ourselves here in France.

As you know, it's been harder for me than perhaps it should have been.  Call it the curse of timing.  I wasn't ready to leave 'home' and I wasn't ready to find it here.

Things have changed slowly.  There are now very few things standing in the way of happiness here ... standing in the way of true 'home'.

The word sculpture -- an English word, each letter covered in French words (a paperback book of poetry was sacrificed for the project.) is a constant visual reminder to me that finding home is completely in my control even when I am overwhelmed with the sense that leaving home was not.

We make a home out of a time and place.  It is at first only a shelter, then we fill it with things we love and soon after with people we love.  Finding it is actually not that hard after-all.  

It is right there, we just need to see it.

Happy 'spring-day' mes amis.  Thanks for waiting around these last few weeks for me to come back!