Ready to Go

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go! If all proceeds as planned, the next blog entry you read from me will be posted from the Lot, deep in the heart of France. The trickiest part of getting from here to Laury's will be finding my way from the airport at Toulouse-Blagnac to the autoroute, the A20/E09. Laury's emailed me easy directions from there on. Of course, I will find my way. The only anxiety I have is doing it after a long flight, 2 stops, and suffering from jet lag! Please stop back for updates on my adventures in the Lot and beyond...

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence."

Henry David Thoreau

Happy Anniversary, Life Flight

I attended my final work-related duty yesterday afternoon. I am now officially ON VACATION! Yippee!! The Life Flight crew and I hosted a celebratory open house in honor of Life Flight's 30th anniversary this year. We did a 2-hour 'come have hors d'ourves and visit with old friends' gathering at the Science Center. There were about 50 people who wandered in and out. It was fun to see former crew members, dispatchers and EMS personnel who have made Life Flight so special through the years. It was difficult to get a good photo of the commemorative sculpture that Air Methods presented us with. It's clear, and I had to lay it on a solid color background so you could read it. Our theme for the day was '30 Years of Success Through Teamwork' to honor not only crew, but also all our EMS and rural hospital partners who begin the care of the patients we transport.


After the open house, I attended the simple and elegant outdoor wedding of the daughter of one of my nurses. I've known the bride, Holly, since her mom and I were flight nurses together back in the mid-80's. She is a very special young woman...bright, personable, enviornmentally-conscious and probably the only person I know with a PhD from Yale! (almost...she just completed her thesis defense) The fact that we share a birthday especially endears her to me! The ceremony was held at the Simon Estes Ampitheatre with the Raccoon River flowing quietly in the background. It was as perfect an Iowa day as you will ever experience...warm, clear, no humidity. In all, a perfectly pleasant day to kick off VACATION!

Tomorrow....France!

A Virtual Gift

I received a virtual gift today...this mystical painting by M. Jacques Lefebrve-Linetzky. You may remember that I put a link this week to his website on my blog post about Eugene Fidler. It was his thank you for linking you to his art. I was as thrilled as I would have been opening a real present! The painting's misty colors echoed my foggy brain this morning, clouded by so many things on my 'to do' list. M. Lefebrve told me he had a poem by Robert Frost in mind when he painted it. So in honor of that:

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

I pulled out a lovely book of poetry "Sweet and Bitter Bark: Selected Poems of Robert Frost" to find this poem for you. I'd forgotten I had this beautiful book full of poems illustrated with the paintings and photographs of such diverse artists as Van Gogh, Derain, Vlaminck, Steiglitz and Streichen, Man Ray and Monet. So actually this virtual gift has pleasured me twice. Once with its mystery that makes me think of the road of new life opportunities I hope to find in the Lot, and secondly by re-connecting me with even more wonderful art and the words of one of my favorite poets.

Merci beaucoup, M. Lefebvre!

Could I Be in Provence?

I squint my eyes and view the landscape. Could I be in Provence? Look at that sea of yellow out there. Is it spring-blooming rapeseed? Summer-blooming sun flowers? The photo above was taken yesterday as I walked Lucie. The smaller one to the right was taken along a Provencal country road in April 2007. Can you spot the clue in the Iowa photo that tells you straight-away that you are in the Midwest and not in Provence??

There, a bit left of center, is a tall, slender stalk of grass silhouetted against the clear, blue sky.In this close-up you can see that it is a lovely example of the American native prairie grass called Big Bluestem. It's also known as 'Turkey Foot,' for the distinctive pattern of the upper seed heads that resemble a wild turkey track. My walk yesterday was not through the French countryside...but soon it will be! 8 days and counting down to my month in the Lot.

Corrections and Connections

First, the correction. In a previous blog post, I shared information with you about the artist who painted these pictures, Eugene Fidler. I gathered that information from the Internet and while it was correct, the conclusion that I drew from it was not. Eugene was married to a woman named Edith during WWII; they lived in Roussillon using false identity papers to protect them from the Nazis. The conclusion I drew was that the Edith Fidler whom I know as an artist and ceramicist in Provence was that Edith Fidler who was Eugene's wife during WWII. Now, here's the connection...I recently found out that she was not that woman! Last weekend I received an email from a woman, Catherine who lives in Nice, France. She corrected my mistake. The Edith Fidler of WWII was HER mother; the Edith Fidler whom I know was indeed Eugene's wife, but his SECOND wife. Catherine had been searching the Internet for references to her father and came upon my incorrect blog entry. Tres confusing that both of Eugene's wives had the same first name! Catherine and I exchanged a couple of emails, and she most graciously consented to let me tell this story and use her email. Here is some of the information that she shared with me:

"Fournier was the name that my parents used in the war, when they were hiding away from the Nazis, having left the Riviera in a hurry. They had forged documents that looked just like real ones, they had been provided by the mayor of their home village of Mougins. Of course it was convenient to have the same initials.
Everything else had been made up. This ID saved them. When in Roussillon, they worked together, as my mother was also a ceramicist at the time.
I have written a biography of my father (also in English) that I hope to be able to publish some time. I'll keep you posted, since you seem to be interested"


Another thing she shared was this link to her husband's website, lefebvre-linetzky.

I love these connections; they give me little shivers every time they happen. Without the wonder of the Internet, I would never have had the opportunity to correct an error and to meet someone who shares my passion for art, Provence and history! And I am certainly interested in Catherine's biography of her father. Put me on the list...I'll definitely buy a copy.

Seeking Nice Person(s) or Family to Love Me

Wanted: nice person(s), reliable with a caring attitude to fill my rooms with laughter and love. Must be willing to live in one of the most fun cities in the world, be interested in jazz, Mardi Gras, and good ole Cajun culture. I'm close to the action, reasonably priced, and available. If you are seeking someplace to live in New Orleans, LA, my owner would love to hear from you. You can learn more about me and see my picture by clicking here: Columbus Street House.


PS...I'm for rent, not for sale. Contact lauryab990@hotmail.com

Tales from Provence

Sitting on the terrace at the Cafe de la Poste inspired much of my journaling in Provence. While my travel journal holds knick-knacks from Paris, it holds the essence of Provence...its stories. I'm puzzled why writers flock to Paris to write their novels. To me, Paris is much too frantic for careful contemplation of stories, ideas, great philosphies. I'm much more at ease and creative in Provence. My travel journal illustrates this perfectly in this entry from September 2005:

" Later...down the narrow stone-lined street Hugo stumbles and lurches forward. Silhouetted against the bright mid-afternoon sun, he stops for a moment to regain his balance. Tall and lanky by provencal standards, he wears boots, old work pants, and a red plaid, long-sleeved shirt. "Merde, but it's hot!" he mutters to himself. Neither clothes nor Hugo have seen soap and water for many weeks. His leathered and tanned face has seen the stones of the street many times, though--bruised and scarred, he could be the victim of a beating rather than the bottle. Every day it's the same...Hugo steps into the cafe for 'une petit cafe au lait.' Hmm...one glass of the rouge would clear the cobwebs from his cloudy head. One glass of the wine leads to several glasses of cheap pastis. Soon, it's mid-afternoon--no food, no work, and now, no money. Into the coolness of the village, Hugo makes his drunken way. "Chloe at the boulangerie...maybe she'll give me a croissant from yesterday's delivery. Perhaps Jules has a plate in the restaurant kitchen. Perhaps... I can't ask maman anymore." Ah, a doorway, a shuttered house, a place to rest. Hugo sinks to the threshold and...sleeps.

I wrote this sipping a glass of rose at the Cafe remembering a sorry-looking man I had seen earlier in one the villages we visited. A sad reminder that even in glorious Provence there is human sorrow, failing, and tragedy. I'm glad I have remembrances of both the glitz and glamour and the gritty stories of France.

Cafe de la Poste in Goult. Where inspiration happens!

Travel Journal

Somewhere in my emails back and forth to Laury, I must have mentioned that I journal...and have pretty faithfully for several years She commented on that and I had to confess...I have a daily journal, a spiritual journal and a special travel journal that holds all my memories of my previous trips to France. It's filled with my musings as well as mementos of my trips. You know...metro tickets, flyers from concerts, tickets to exhibits,labels, business cards, etc. As I leafed through it looking for pages to photograph, I was struck by the fact that most of the little knick-knacky things come from Paris. Guess that's where all the action is!

Paris is where I had my first taste of sheep's cheese...so yummy. I peeled this label off my favorite kind.

Admission to the Pompidou Center....

A concert at the Cluny Museum and an Easter Monday concert at St. Germain-des-Pres church.....

What else do you do with used metro tickets besides put them in your journal? Hey, I should check my passport to see if I stuck any unused ones in there!

Slipped into my purse as surreptitiously as possible after I removed it from around my napkin at Le Procope...didn't want to look like a total tourist!!

Tomorrow I'll share the Provence side of my travel journal with you. Please come back!

Two Precious Babies

Becky sent me an email yesterday with photos of two of the most precious babies I know. This is Miss Marley. I haven't met her yet, but I will in late October. Trav and Becky will be in San Diego to attend a wedding (Travis' half-sister, Jessica) and I used my frequent flyer miles to get there too. We'll all stay with my brother, Walt. He and Debbie are always so gracious to let the whole clan crash there. Debbie and I will watch the babies while Trav and Becky attend the wedding. Works for me!! The only down side of this trip is that even tho I had beaucoup miles, to get there on the day I wanted to arrive, I had to buy more! So my free trip ended up costing $200. Every cloud has a silver lining...I get to fly the long leg of both going and coming home in business class. Call me spoiled!

This is Parker...Mr. Ham-bone! What an outgoing little guy he is. Every picture Becky sends me, he's got the biggest grin going. This photo looks like it was taken on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. I'm excited to get to spend a long weekend with both of these little people. Stay tuned for more Grandma blog posts come October!

They Arrived!

No photo here today...you have to click over to Laury's blog for that. My 'babies' arrived in France, safe and sound. And I know they are in good hands. 19 days and counting down until I fly to France. I am as excited as I can be. Can't wait to meet my new friends at Chatette...Dali, Sam, the Winklemann and of course, Laury!

The Last Piece of the Puzzle

This afternoon I put the last piece of the puzzle in place for my trip to France. Whew...what a good feeling that is! I had yet to arrange pet and lawn care for the month I'll be gone. I asked one neighbor thinking her college-age son might be interested in house-sitting; he goes to school in Missouri, so that didn't work. I left a message for another young man that I heard might be available for the month; he never called me back. I checked at my vet, and they would take Lucie for the month; very expensive plus I was afraid she'd come back to me a psychotic mess! Today I asked my neighbor, Laurie Jones; she and the kids said "Sure, no problem!" So Lucie will stay with them, and they'll come down a couple times a week to feed Sissy and scoop her litter box. They will also mow for me a couple of times while I'm gone. It's a paying gig, of course, even though she said they'd do it for nothing. I'm happy to pay them. So, now all I have to do is pack my suitcase...which, BTW, is already out, open and partly filled with the necessities for my month in France. I am totally psyched!

Furlough Monday

It's Furlough Monday (doesn't have quite the ring to it as Furlough Friday, does it?). This morning, Lucie and I walked at a county conservation park called Jensen Marsh. I snapped a few photos to share with you....

When A Door Opens....

A friend and I were talking this week about life and how frustrating it is when it doesn't seem to be heading where we want it to. He commented as we ended our conversation saying "doors haven't closed for you; the right one just hasn't opened yet, but it will." His comment has had me thinking a lot about doors the past couple of days. Today a door opened....but not the right door! It doesn't look like a door that will get me anywhere close to where I want my life to go, so it's hard to have faith that it's the right one. Not having any other viable options, though, I said 'yes' and walked through it accepting the challenge that it offered. It was the right thing to do....for now.







For everyone who made a guess about which photos went to France: I chose the shoes and the hollyhock. I really love the Eiffel Tower photo, and if it hadn't been so dang expensive, I might have sent all three. On the positive side, keeping the Tower means I can hang it at Red Bell Farm. Not all bad!

Euros

I bought euros today for my September trip. Aren't they pretty? American money is getting more colorful, but I still love euros the best. The down side to this loveliness is that it almost makes them feel like 'play money.' You know...the kind you got in your Monopoly game. And that makes them 'way too easy to spend! Here's another down side...when I paid for them, the Wells Fargo guy slowly shook his head and gently informed me "This is the worst exchange rate I've ever seen...they're at 1.51 dollars!" No sense doing the mental calculations...it is what it is. And as I told him..."You don't go to France to save money." Sigh~experiencing France is worth whatever it costs.

Send Me! Send Me!

These are the three finalists in the "I want to go to France and be in Laury's vernissage" contest. All three have been matted and framed. As you read this, two of them are winging their way across the Atlantic...the winners! I'd love it if you'd guess which two you think I sent! Let me know why you think your choices should be the winners. I'll tell you which two I sent in Friday's blog post. The next time you see these images, I will be taking their picture as they hang on the wall in Laury's cave. That thought simply takes my breath away!

Paris to Cuba

It's no secret that I love Paris. I also love Parisian music...bistro and cafe music, tunes of the bal musettes, accordian music, Django Reinhardt jazz. In fact, I've got a Parisian music CD playing right now. I also have a secret fascination with Cuba...bet you didn't know that! I think it all began with the Cuban missile crisis. That's about the first real piece of news that I remember from growing up. What is this place called Cuba that is suddenly such a big threat to us? I was intrigued by the whole Castro/General Batista/Che Guevara thing. They all seemed like 'bad boys' and bad boys were so much more interesting than the boys I knew! And then in the late 1990's I met my favorite Cuban, the cardiologist I worked for in Boulder. A superb physician, an outstanding human being...Cuba surfaced again in my life. When I saw this CD advertised on Kristin's blog, I knew I had to have it. It came in yesterday's mail and I'm not disappointed. Parisian jazz flavored with the spice of Cuba...some trumpets, a marimba. I'm dreaming of Paris and the Seine and hot Havana nights.

If you click thru at 'Parisian jazz...' you can listen to each track on the CD. While I love them all, I'd suggest you try #1 and #9 to start. Enjoy!

Surprise!

It's been an unseasonably cool summer in Iowa. In fact, July may have set a record for the coolest on record. That's fine with me...I love the coolness. Open the windows, turn off the AC, pull up a blanket!! I'm all about almost any weather that isn't hot and humid. However, there is a downside to this cool summer. My tomatoes are just not ripening; they NEED hot, humid weather. As I finished up my walk with Lucie this morning, I thought I'd check my plants to see if anything at all was happening. As I suspected, all I found were medium sized and small hard, green tomatoes. Oh wait...there's one that's starting to turn yellow...and there almost hidden under some bottom branches...these two beauties! Surprise! So tonight it will be some Iowa sweet corn and my first bite of luscious, homegrown vine-ripened Iowa tomatoes. Life is good!