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Passions. When I was young, it was riding my bike. When I was a young woman it was praying in the monastery. Later it was dancing. Boy did I dance. I met Yann. My first year in France Yann and my home had a minimalistic look due to lack of funds to decorate. As a mother, it was my children. And... Read the whole entry... »
How to recognize the brocante bug: The person infected with the brocante bug usually is not in bed sleeping on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Their homes have a certain look about them. A person who has the brocante bug usually stops the car if they see an old table leg, or a... Read the whole entry... »
- Memories of Scones Before I Ever Went to Ireland
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 ...Read the whole entry... »  Views of the Day
 2019-02-16 22:21 UTC by
French la Vie
A love letter from a child to her parents in 1848. In the mid-1800s love letters were written to loved ones, especially between family members on New Year's Day. Children would write to their parents and grandparents, husbands and wives to each other, parents to their children. Usually, a beautiful lace-like paper was used with... Read the whole entry... »
Louis Rossignol (1694) was a master calligraphist. "Not all calligraphy is the same. In fact, this form of artistic handwriting can actually fall into a number of different styles. Essentially, there are three main of calligraphy: Western, Arabic, and Oriental. Within each... Read the whole entry... »
Visual Monday
2019-02-11 20:26 UTC by
French la Vie
In Memory of Mike
2019-02-10 22:17 UTC by
French la Vie
 This morning the brocante market did disappoint, it rarely does, but today it exceeded my hefty expectations it was off the charts good. If money grew on trees and a chateau or two were at my disposable they would be full this evening. The colors, textures, variety, period pieces, the wealth of history surrounded the brocante... Read the whole entry... »
- Memories of Scones Before I Ever Went to Ireland
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- willows95988.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451cb9a69e2010536912086970b-popup
- amazon.com/o/asin/1581807872/tongueinche04-20
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 Twilight in Cassis
2019-02-09 19:08 UTC by
French la Vie
Twilight in Cassis. What a sight to make one oh and ah. And every time I see Cassis I sigh, "Beautiful!" Cassis anytime never disappoints, especially at twilight. What place do you never tire of seeing? 
Nearly Five Months
2019-02-08 20:40 UTC by
French la Vie
Chelsea sent me this selfie from inside an elevator after work. Nearly five months, she has passed the halfway mark.
Hello Little Grandson. 
A Boy or a Girl
2019-02-07 22:48 UTC by
French la Vie
Before I tell you whether Chelsea and Martin are going to have a boy or a girl I must say that I loved the comments from all of you kindred spirits! I love being part of this community of natural goodness. I will respond tomorrow about hair color, aging, becoming a grandmother, turning 61... wow... Read the whole entry... »
Underneath this dyed blond hair is a head full of salt and pepper hair leaning more towards salt than pepper. For about a year I have been toying with the idea of letting my hair go natural instead of dying it every three and a half weeks. I have read about people who have transitioned from dyed hair back to their natural color. Not an... Read the whole entry... »
The Baby to Be
2019-02-05 20:47 UTC by
French la Vie
How to show your mom's blog friends that you are nearly five months along? After work, in the elevator, lift up your sweater, take a selfie. On the 7th Chelsea and Martin will find out the gender of the baby, well if the baby is in the right position to see that is. Want to guess? Chelsea has had four dreams... Read the whole entry... »
A Birthday Video
2019-02-04 21:36 UTC by
French la Vie
61 years ago, my parents, George and Dolores brought me into this world, at the best time a person could live and I am most grateful for that gift. Barbara sent me this Birthday Video a little comedy set to Mozart. Enjoy ! 
Soup on a Cold Day
2019-02-03 19:48 UTC by
French la Vie
Homemade vegetable pesto soup. Oh isn't soup the best on a cold day? Especially a freezing day like today. Of course in the summer I will sing the praises of chilled soup, but for now... Shallots, leeks, carrot, celery, potato, green beans and vegetable broth with pesto added at the end, then... Read the whole entry... »
- Memories of Scones Before I Ever Went to Ireland
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If you come to Provence take time to be, time to let Provence get under your skin and into your heart. Provence is a place to wander aimlessly, to taste the countryside, to soak in the sounds and to follow your thoughts until they are just a mountain of softness and valleys of delight. Provence is spread out like a quilt... Read the whole entry... »
Sixty and Counting
2019-02-01 22:01 UTC by
French la Vie
Becoming friends with aging. Yes. Accepting it for what it is. Embracing history as a prize. Not thinking ahead, nor behind. Well, that is a goal. Holding the sag, the wrinkles, the extra weight, the thing called post-menopause as an achievement. Letting beauty be where beauty is. But when I saw two, not just one,... Read the whole entry... »
Standing outside the Cassis Home I waited for the kitchen cabinet maker to arrive he was running late, I rubbed my hands together wishing I had worn gloves. While I waited I saw a truck not too far away with a man sitting inside looking as if was waiting for someone, could he be the kitchen cabinet maker I wondered?... Read the whole entry... »
Looking across the table Chelsea and Sacha sat talking to Yann. I thought, "They are grown up, they are adults, they are no longer children." For the first time, I saw my children as adults. It was an odd observation. Just like that, they no longer looked like nor felt like children. I have heard it said that... Read the whole entry... »
While having dinner with our friends from the States I asked French Husband to put some music on so he connected his favorite channel and Charlie Brown's theme song came on. Giggling I said, "Oh that is a Snoopy's song!" French Husband gave me a puzzling look as he read the name of the song on his cell phone, "No it... Read the whole entry... »
If you were to meet a young artist, a portrait painter who lived in Verona, Italy, and if you were into filming... *Elenacarta on instagram  
Chelsea and Sacha during lunch. Sacha bought a beret at Maison d'Emperuer to take back to Seattle, he said, "I am French so I should show it."
Chelsea waiting for Martin to join us at lunch. The Moroccan restaurant where we were to have lunch, ... Read the whole entry... »
- Memories of Scones Before I Ever Went to Ireland
- amazon.com/o/asin/1888387556/tongueinche04-20
- amazon.com/o/asin/0451525426/tongueinche04-20
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Sacha, his childhood friend and like a son Fabrice, his girlfriend Emily, Chelsea and Martin. With Yann as the photo painter trying to be a Rembrandt painting.
 
The moment the four of us gathered (Martin comes tomorrow and the baby in June) it was as if not a second had passed, everything seemed familiar, in place, natural and good. We talked way past breakfast and onto dinner. Later Yann and Sacha stayed by Chelsea's side to feel the baby move for the first time. Oh, the comfort of loving... Read the whole entry... »
Pre- Reunion
2019-01-24 22:22 UTC by
French la Vie
Preparing for the arrival of the three I love: Cook favorite foods- Check. Put fresh sheets on the bed- Check. Turn up the heat- Check. Flowers- Check. Make sure everything is just so... At that point, an idea came to mind, "Why not move the armchair in the house-next-door to Sacha's old bedroom,
... Read the whole entry... »
I am in full baby mode now that Chelsea is four months pregnant. My train was an hour wait. Instead of reading, or having lunch I found myself walking towards the baby boutique to indulge in the inevitable baby clothes. Oh my it could be worse than my addiction to the brocante. I for one never thought that could... Read the whole entry... »
The morning sun could not penetrate the coldness that was left behind from the hours of darkness, this morning it was 26 Fahrenheit. It has been colder. In Paris, a blanket of white greeted Yann who had a meeting there. Though he missed Chelsea as she flew to Poland for her work, I am sure it was colder than... Read the whole entry... »
The Cassis Home is in a building from the 1900s in the center of Cassis, but the stone walls date further back, possibly the building was two dwellings that merged into one. Part of the interesting discoveries made when renovating an old place comes from underneath the layers of previous renovations. Point in question is when we... Read the whole entry... »
Late in the afternoon, I said goodbye to Chelsea to catch the TGV back to Provence. As the train traveled through the countryside with the scenery flashing by accentuated with the setting sun my memories of Chelsea as a baby came to mind. Sweet Chelsea. My first born. My ten-pound baby. My little girl now becoming a mother.... Read the whole entry... »
- Memories of Scones Before I Ever Went to Ireland
- amazon.com/o/asin/1888387556/tongueinche04-20
- amazon.com/o/asin/0451525426/tongueinche04-20
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 The Baby Bump
2019-01-19 21:28 UTC by
French la Vie
The Baby Bump. Chelsea is four months along. Nearly at the halfway mark. She never has felt sick, a bit sleepy, but other than that she feels good. Next month they will know the gender. The baby is due around June 15th. Of course, I am going to have a guessing game later on. Chelsea dreamed that she was having... Read the whole entry... »
 If I took every quilt I have ever seen from the French brocantes and laid them out they would cover France from head to toe. Can you imagine how beautiful that would look from up above? The women and maybe a few men who over the hundreds of years have created a national treasure with their handiwork,... Read the whole entry... »
Becoming French
2019-01-17 19:39 UTC by
French la Vie
 (Photo French Flag found on Pinterest no link was available)
I did it! Nearly, eighteen months ago I applied for my French citizenship. Yesterday, in Nice, I had an interview with the immigration authorities. I was anxious that I might not answer something correctly and be told I wasn't accepted. To be safe I read... Read the whole entry... »
Blogging Detail
2019-01-16 22:59 UTC by
French la Vie
Hi! Some of you have mentioned that you are having problems seeing my blog, or having trouble leaving a comment can you please respond to the follow: For the readers still having commenting issues, could you have them That way we can work with them directly. ... Read the whole entry... »
Guess what I got?  
Usually, after going around a brocante several tours I start to look at smalls. They never disappoint with their purpose, meaning and evident stories worn proudly for everyone to see. Honor medals are easy to find, usually given by an organization, the city or country. This one with a young girl playing music to a dear was from... Read the whole entry... »
Chelsea is four months pregnant. Not showing just thick around the waist. Chelsea feels great and has not been ill a single day, lucky Pup. They hope to find out the sex of the baby next month. Shortly after she was pregnant, and when I say shortly after, I mean probably the day she was pregnant though they did not know that... Read the whole entry... »
At the brocante where objects have a way of finding me an early 18OOs collection of, One Thousand and One Nights,' seduced me by the royal blue book-jackets with gilded lettering. Gently opening them perfectly intact engravings, and words that evoke mystery. "Prince of True Believers, what-so thou want-est, Hundred golden pieces,... Read the whole entry... »
- amazon.com/o/asin/1888387556/tongueinche04-20
- Memories of Scones Before I Ever Went to Ireland
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If I did not have such a great team to work with I would never agree to step in and project manage such an undertaken of Cassis Home. Plus if Ching and Gary were not good friends of mine and if they weren't one hundred percent behind every decision I make I would never be doing this. But since the "Team" is behind me and creativity is... Read the whole entry... »
 The small details of how we live our lives measure large. Isn't it true that we can have a feeling about a person in how they shake your hand or look into your eye? Wouldn't you agree that... Read the whole entry... »
Recently, I found several French postcards in souvenir booklet from the 1900s. What caught my eye was that the cards were in series, extra charming, depicting the language of love in unusual ways such as the language of love in stamps. Depending on how one would stamp an envelope for example if the stamp was upside down it meant, "Believe... Read the whole entry... »
Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. ... Read the whole entry... »
2019-01-09 14:00 UTC by
French la Vie
Do not try to save the whole world or do anything grandiose. Instead, create a clearing in the dense forest of your life and wait there patiently, until the song that is your life falls into your own cupped hands and you recognize and greet it. ... Read the whole entry... »
A glorious winter morning, crisp clear, sunny we did not need a coat while sitting at an outdoor cafe along the port with a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice and a croissant. A Wannabe Friend came along with soulful eyes that spoke gently without saying a word. I smirked, not in a mean way, but as to say, "Out of all the people... Read the whole entry... »
Wet seaweed full of sand I gathered up, admiring the texture and subtle colors, remembering as a child how I could hardly stand to look at it, let alone touch it. With seaweed in... Read the whole entry... »
I bought a baby basket bed for the baby who is loved beyond measure. Years ago I sold a napkin ring with bebe engraved on it which means "Baby" in English, yeah now I want to find one of those, plus a charm like the one I sold above as well. I guess you could say I have baby brocante on my mind... Read the whole entry... »
- Memories of Scones Before I Ever Went to Ireland
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At the beginning of renovating this apartment, we were faced with the same issues that we had when we renovated ours in Cassis. The apartment is on a few levels, There isn't a yard or garage to store or work on things, The apartment needed to be gutted which makes the renovation more like creating a new home within existing walls. ... Read the whole entry... »
My friends Ching and Gary bought a place in Cassis and asked me if I would help them design it into a place of their own. I have worked on a few renovations for Yann and I but never for someone else. As much as I love creating spaces, design and the challenges of renovating an old place I was afraid of mixing work with friendship. After... Read the whole entry... »
Just in case you are wondering what I have been up to ... My friend Ching and Gary bought an apartment in Cassis they hired Golden Hands Rene to do the renovations and asked me if I would guide them with the numerous decisions they need to make. The first part of renovating is removing that which is not needed or wanted. When... Read the whole entry... »
Your Theme Words
2019-01-02 17:33 UTC by
French la Vie
Words to set our sails, to help us find our way to aim for in our day to day lives. "Intentional is my word for this year. I want to live my life intentionally instead of fumbling through it from one crisis to the next. I want to live, love and be loved intentionally s ... Read the whole entry... »
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