Place Igor Stravinsky

It's hot and humid in Iowa, and I'm 'jonesing' for Paris. What better place to cool off and pass a Paris afternoon than right here at Place Igor Stravinksy? Nestled between the Pompidou Center and the 8th century Eglise St. Merry, the contemporary fountain is a favorite place for school groups to eat lunch after field trips to the Pompidou and for Parisians and tourists alike to cool off in the noonday sun. I always plan my visits so I can have lunch at the creperie on the corner, grabbing an outdoor table as close to the fountain as I can. During one winter visit, I watched homeless people wander along side the church, each claiming a step or a doorway to huddle in and depositing sleeping rolls and bags of clothes to claim their spot.  Last September I observed a young woman dressed in dance leotards throwing multiple colored balls in the air while jumping from a chair. A professional photographer captured image after image as she repeatedly jumped and tossed, jumped and tossed. I have no idea what that was all about, but it certainly kept me entertained while I ate as did the very well-behaved French children and their teachers eating sack lunches on the fountain steps. Ah Paris...always something to intrigue!

Fruits of the Season

It's the 'dog days' of summer...hot and humid. Me and the dog are lyin' low in our cool, airconditioned house. But the sultry heat is absolutely no reason to not enjoy the fruits of this season. Yesterday's trip to the Farmer's Market provided both food and friendship. Here's a photo of the food part.You haven't truly lived until you've lunched on luscious homegrown, never refrigerated Iowa tomatoes and melt-in-your-mouth Iowa sweet corn. A sandwich slathered with my friend, Karen's apricot/raspberry jam and a tall glass of iced tea completed my meal. Life is good even if the weather isn't!

Meet Me At The Market

Elizabeth and I have been trying to coordinate schedules and get together for weeks. My schedule has been relatively commitment free, but hers.... Since the end of May when she left her post as assistant rector at St.Timothy's, she's been searching and interviewing for positions and has been called to be the rector at a lovely church in northern Iowa. She's spent two weeks studying as one of the elite Canterbury Scholars at the Canterbury Cathedral in England. She and her family spent almost two weeks in Italy....doing Rome, Florence and Tuscany. She's found a place to rent in her new town, put her house in Des Moines on the market to sale, and shuttled her teen age son back and forth to football camp at his new school. Whew! just thinking about her whirlwind summer makes me tired. So, when we finally confirmed a date to meet and go to the Farmer's Market this morning, I was very excited. We bought a few things, but we spent most of our morning catching up over coffee at Java Joe's. I heard fabulous stories about the Cathedral and her colleagues, many of whom came from countries where women are considered second-class citizens and are certainly not ordained. She likened it to falling down the rabbit hole in 'Alice in Wonderland.' Every time male clergy would give her that 'You're really a priest?' look, she'd say to herself, "Yes, I am the real Alice!" I listened to her describe wonderful moments of worship in the Crypt, sacred prayer at the Thomas Becket shrine, and being allowed 'inside the walls' to see places tourists never see. I followed Elizabeth and her family through Rome as they searched for the four churches of Dan Brown's 'Angels and Demons,' as she worshipped at the Anglican-Episcopal Church in the shadow of the Vatican, and as they all ooh-ed and aah-ed over the Sistine Chapel. I vicariously wine tasted with them in Tuscany and fell in love with the story of their innkeeper, a single woman who refurbished the inn and fell in love with her landscaper in the process. So much to talk about, so little time! Luckily, there's email and I know the way to her new town. Next time we must 'do' photos!

Friends Along the Way

When I read Laury's blog post over at Soar-Dream-France this morning, I was immediately reminded of this fine fellow whom I met one day last September. A visit to Rocamadour was on my agenda having seen it in my Eyewitness guidebook to the Dordogne and Southwest France. Finding the pilgrimage village wasn't a problem; finding a good place to park was, however. I pulled off on the first gravel road I saw and sure enough, it led me to a huge parking area that was mainly for RV's and trailers. It wasn't close enough to where I wanted to be, but this guy standing near the fence lured me out of my car for a quick photo op. I wanted so badly to stroke his soft muzzle and scratch that special place between his ears, but he was having none of it and backed away from the fence when I reached out to touch him. Do you think it's too much of a stretch to imagine that this donkey might be related to the one that traveled with Robert Louis Stevenson across this area in 1879?

You're going to laugh. Today I went to the library to return "Twelve Sharp" and check out the next book in the Stephanie Plum series, "Lean Mean Thirteen." I knew they had it; I saw it on the shelf my last visit. Zut alors! It wasn't there. I pulled every Janet Evanovich book from the shelf. I checked both before and after her section, thinking maybe someone had stuck it back in the wrong place. Nothing, zero, zilch... no #13! How unlucky is that? I walked away incapable of choosing "Fearless Fourteen" which was there. Muttering "I just can't read them out of order," I continued to browse. After wandering up and down the aisles and talking hard to myself, I returned and plucked "Fearless Fourteen" from its place. "Each book stands alone," I reasoned with myself. "You can read #13 next time around." With a sigh, my defeated, neurotic read-'em-in-order self checked out. As I walked thru the hallway to the library's exit, I glanced at the books for sale. If the library finds itself with duplicates of books (they receive donated books all the time), they put them on sale, cheap, to raise money for the library. Right there, front and center, was #13, a bargain at a buck for the hardcover copy. I stopped; I pondered. Should I just buy it? NO! that's absolutely neurotic. So, Lucie and I continued our town chores...getting gas for the mower, picking up a dozen farm-fresh eggs at the feed store, and mailing bills at the post office. All the while, #13 was calling my name. Finally unable to resist, I drove back to the library and bought the sucker! As I paid the librarian, I confessed my neuroses. "I just can't seem to read them out of order," I moaned. She commiserated with me..."Me neither," she laughed, "number thirteen must be checked out."

"And by the way," she added as I opened the door to leave, "we have her latest, #16 on the 'new books' shelf"

"No way," I shot back,"you can't tempt me. I've got three more to read before I'm there!"

Yes, I am neurotic!

Click here to purchase #13 or any of Stephanie Plum's adventures.

Say It With Flowers

How do you say LOVE? At last weekend's Cursillo, it was said over and over with flowers. This huge cross completely covered with flowers was a love offering to all of us at Saturday's dinner. It filled the room with love and joy and beauty. It lifted everyone after two days of intense study and discussion.








Flowers and candles decorated the base of the cross.

Each of us received our own little bouquet as we entered the cafeteria-turned-love feast. I brought mine home in a plastic water bottle; the rose and one of the yellow daisies are still sitting by my bed. (Okay, they're ready to go to the trash, but I hate to part with them!) Iknow that cut flowers are such a luxury...and a waste, right? They just wither and die as all these did by the next afternoon. But in the moment of their glory, don't they just scream LOVE?

Letters, We Get Letters...

We get lots and lots of letters! During the long, busy days of my Cursillo weekend, there was at least one break for 'letters.' While the facilitator read letters from literally all over the world written by other Cursillo communities in support of our weekend, personal letters were delivered to each of us. These are a sampling of what I received....letters of love and support from friends at St. Timothy's. The very first one I opened was from the young woman whom I mentored through her Confirmation process! She's spending her summer in Baltimore having surgery and doing physical therapy to lenghten one leg which is a bit shorter than the other. I received a card from her all three days! Do I need to tell you that each one brought tears to my eyes? Every card and note was personal and special to me. I feel truly blessed by care and friendship I received.

PS...unless you're as old as I am, you might not know that the title of this entry and its first sentence are from the Perry Como Show theme song. He got letters requesting songs; I got letters of love!