Take nothing seriously - except for licking the bowl!

"Our lives are not as limited as we think they are; the world is a wonderfully weird place; consensual reality is significantly flawed; no institution can be trusted, but love does work; all things are possible; and we all could be happy and fulfilled if we only had the guts to be truly free and the wisdom to shrink our egos and quit taking ourselves so damn seriously."

- Tom Robbins

(quote found here)

In the midst of work and painting and housework
There are always gentle reminders of this.
Mind you, I have to fight to get the bowl now!
*giggle*

Making time for surprises

Now I'm sure you'll all agree that there are some surprises that we could all do without.

Just ask my Libellule who, after an uneventful week of hurtling down the ski slopes in her usual fly-by-the seat-of-her-pants manner, missed a step on the way down to the car as we were leaving.

Libellule skis the same way she does everything else in life: most often on one leg and almost always looking in an entirely different direction to where that one leg is pointing. She's a bit prone to noticing everything else going on around her, except for what she's meant to be concentrating on. Anyway, each year it is a miracle that we don't end up in some obscure A&E, 6 hour's drive from home!

... I knew it was just a matter of time...

The silver lining?
We had a great afternoon together painting her cast
and writing the names of her favourite horses on it.
(would you call your horse CRACK??)

The more inconvenient ones notwithstanding,
one of the things I love most in the world are surprises.

Surprises are even better than anticipating the arrival of a much longed for event, person or object. Ma petite Libellule is well known for her charming propensity to notice the most exquisite cloud formations especially while we are doing her homework outside, and it is always her who spies the first spring rose, secretly picks it, brings it inside, and chooses a small hand made glass from the cupboard to display it in. All to surprise me!

Surprises come in all shapes and sizes..

Like these gorgeous pieces of glass that Lili from Fearless Nesting found while she was out on one of her regular beachcombing excursions. You should visit her blog to see the treasures she makes from all of these surprises.

Yes...
Surprises are definitely things I love the most.

So when Jamie asks us "What do you wish to make time for?" in her Wishcasting Wednesday this week, I guess I would have to say, 

"I wish to make time for creating more surprises and inventing ways to surprise more people!" 

I love surprising people! 

When they least expect it...

I guess that goes without saying ;-)

Watch out ...You might be next!!

It'll be all white!!

From this perspective ... 

high up the mountain path that leads to La Colette

(Old chapel St Pierre, where Pokemon and Libellule were Christened)

It's all white 

as far as the eye can see.

From the back yard...

To the neighbour's place

Lucky we didn't need the lawn mower!

As I arrived late to the snow fields 

(between working and property negociations)

I thought I would take a closer look at all this white.

And all I could find was

COLOUR

In all its contrast and splendour.

Nothing is ever as white, or black, as it seems!

(Mmm - I love the rosehip syrup my MiL makes 

- looks and tastes scrumptious on FROMAGE BLANC

But we only get the syrup if we pick the rosehips OUCH!)

It seemed there were more adults on sleds than kids!! 

Anyway - sledding is thirsty work so I thought it time for a little mulled wine ...

in an ORANGE cup none the less!

Mustard, mayonnaise and Ketchup

The primary colours!

From my vantage point in the café I 

couldn't miss this fella sweeping  his roof and 

talking to his sweetheart at the same time...

Then Libellule's orange helmet

Loved the aqua blue snow machine
(not that it was in use this year!)

Pokemon passed his 2nd star in royal colours
(I think I am just about at 2nd star level but he is faster than me)

Libellule was a gold star!

And on the way back up the 4km track 

to that well lived and loved old farm house at 1700m altitude,

with its rough wood floors, worn through hundreds of years of use,

and no heating system other than an old wood stove...

I realised that for every thing to be all white.

It wouldn't be the same without a bit of colour to 

pepper its pristineness.

That's life! 

That's The (Human) Spirit ...

Are you all still here? More to the question, am I all here? 

If you remember rightly from Wednesday's post (what I hope was Wednesday's post as I'm clearly not here to check), I am currently galivanting around skiing and signing the final sale of La Fontiane, our house in Provence. All going well of course! And, skiing aside, between petrol strikes, incompetent real estate agents, bullying pseudo buyers and  very dodgy property lawers, to the eye of the average Ange, all is most certainly NOT going WELL! 

But let's not be pessimistic ;-) 

We're not BEATEN YET!

There is always a solution. One requiring resolve (even if I'm shaking on the inside I'm not meant to show it, right?), determination, stamina and  arming myself with large doses of a keen sense of humour, to this day not readily available over the counter in chemists across France. Meredy - can one administer your blog intravenously??? I have been asking myself this for the last week or so... Sigh. Not to worry! I have a secret weapon anyway. I have in fact spent the last few weeks incognito working on this piece...

 ...in order to steel my resolve and boost my will.
It is inspired by Helen Keller, sitting up there at the top of the page, a woman who continues to inspire the entire world through her example of staunch courage, integrity and resolve in the face of many odds (OK - we'll  choose to ignore her initial terrifying temper tantrums cos all kids go through them, and she never got any of Meredy's rainbow cake to help her feel better... n'est ce pas?).

As she (Helen, not Meredy) so astutely said:

No Pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars

Sailed to an unchartered land, or 

Opened a new Heaven

to 

 the

human

spirit

This is for Elizabeth Avedon, another inspiring and talented woman.

Now - full of optimisim - I say see you Samedi 

because all will, of course, be well!

'Now don't you worry about that my goodness gracious me ;-)'

PS I am surely missing your blogs immensely as you are reading this and will be back to dropping round as soon as I am home and equipped with an unfaltering and dedicated internet connection... In the old farm house at 1700m altitude, we are just lucky to have a heated room, a bathroom and lighting!

Something thrilling every day...

"YOu're going skiing?" you say. 

"Up to the French Southern Alpes in a tiny village called Allos?
My my, that sounds WONDERFUL!"

And of course it will be fabuleux to catch up with my sweet messmonsters and watch them whizzing past me as I feebly cry out, 'Wait for Mummy! Don't go so fast! DON'T BREAK A LEG!'

... IF, I ever actually arrive!

You see, there are nation-wide petrol strikes happening in France. Now don't you worry there possums. I'm well used to it by now. In any given year there are at least 4 or 5 country-crippling transport strikes that take the French population and any one else vagabonding through the French countryside hostage. However, other than a lot of indignant hot air blowing and general grumbling at the inconvenience, plus a bit of finger wagging to emphasise the exasperation level, your average Frenchie would never forgo their constitutional right to strike - even if that means watching struggling small businesses go under while big multi nationals and or public sector companies complain about poor pay and health benefits etc, ad infinitum. Yes - Strikes are almost a national sport in France, bringing out the same fervour and animosity in the population that other countries save for Rugby matches and your average Olympic games events.

A good transport transport-halting strike happens (nearly always at holiday time, most often Christmas) at least once every year, when it will get the most media attention and of course, have the greatest effect by leaving families stranded in other countries or cities. Of course, this can have the secretly coveted side effect of providing extra days off work but leaves hotels perplexed as to how to cope with emergency double bookings, and hand waving, irate non-French speaking tourists like 'Strines,' Kiwis and ...Markins!!

 I believe some strike attempts were thwarted this year as snow and ice stopped nationwide, indeed international travel before resident strikers even had a chance to whip out and polish last year's slogans... This has obviously left them strike-deprived and I'm most surprised they aren't off on worker's compo because of it!! But ... as it turns out, conveniently in time for me to pop off skiing, they're back in force with a vengeance!

So, as you read this I will be somewhere in the middle of a 5h + adventure, amusing myself immensely with the petrol gauge on my trusty little car. But you all knew I LOVED adventure, didn't you!! This time, fate may throw me together with some other lovely people on the side of the road somewhere; or if I'm luckier, in the comfort of a petrol-depleted gas station. People who, like me, will not be able to fill their car up and move along to their desired destination. I meet people under the strangest circumstances so I am most curious to see how this is going to turn out. An adventure it will be none the less !! I know I will make it to Aix en Provence on the car's current level but after that ...Where? Mind you, there are worse places to be stuck in than Aix! Maybe I could hitch from there to Jeanne's deluxe Provence spa and health retreat!!

Of course there are many thrilling things to do in France other than wagering bets on how far your car can get on a tank full of petrol. The above image offers yet another example!
 Now get your specs out possums, or click on the image to make it bigger because one vintage American magazine has seriously confirmed my theory that something even more thrilling than wearing a haute couture Chanel gown into Ladurée happens in France Every. Single. Day. Strikes notwithstanding! Of course, I do not imagine that chiming out '11pm' at the top of the Eiffel Tower every evening would be quite as thrilling after a month or so (you know, a job's a job after a while ;-) as driving into the sunset with a clear destination in mind but never in fact knowing where you may end up... or who with... But that depends entirely on what constitutes your 'thrill' criteria then doesn't it?

I'll let you know my personal verdict on that when I get back ... if I ever get back!

So just in case ... I mean, you never know... I had better tell you about THIS!

For ephemera lovers and artists everywhere ... LaWendula at her blog Woven Letters hosts a wonderful theme-based paper swap every month in which I have taken part twice. This month I was lucky enough to be paired up with Jennifer Black a very talented mixed media artist from Texas who creates the most amusing and delightful cards from her original artworks. Amongst the HUGE envelope of 'stuff' that she sent me - the above pieces were just three of the pages she had added. There are other ones that just cracked me up just as much that, if I ever make it back to Toulouse, I promise to share with you.

Now, thanks to Jennifer, I know that wherever I am between Toulouse and Allos I will never really be alone. We will all be together.  Listening in awe to that lovely little man thrillingly chiming out 11pm for the whole world to hear from the top of the glittering Eiffel Tower...

Why, I may even chance upon some Markins!!

Paint my Love ... yellow!

"You know, the more I think, the more I feel
that there is nothing more truly artistic 
than to love People."
Van Gogh

I know I wrote this not long ago...
when I made my first attempts at painting Brismod's
favourite quote.

But I think Mr Gogh is seriously onto something there so 

I'm bringing it back.

Along with the 'final product.'

Nothing like positive reinforcement...

to chase away the winter greys.

(I'd say blues, but blues don't bother me ;-)

I mean, someone who used such cheery colours

Must truly have loved people...

Do I normally paint yellow?
Oh my lordy wordy wordy no!

Never! 

I mean EVER!

I'm a blue and white only girl - 

spattered from time to time with a little orange 

and just maybe a dash of red. 

But never yellow. Funny that.
(Maybe it is due to the time that, in some weird burst of 80s glee, I bought myself a canary yellow indian cotton top and skirt. My gay flat mate's only comment at the time was, 'Honey, if you insist on making me wear my raybans  inside ...' Well... I could take  my sunshine somewhere else so to speak ;-)

So no, No yellow since then!

Yet it still most lifts my spirits.

Thanks for the challenge Brismod ;-)

This is the coffee cup I found inside the 'paint my love' tin...

So another designer obviously shares the convictions of Van Gogh
and Mme Fun & VJs

Hope you don't mind wearing your sunnies inside!

What effect does colour have on you?

Coffee anyone?

Inspirational Invictus

 William Ernest Henley, was a real life inspiration,
who reputedly inspired more than one not insignificant other ...

From the age of 12 Henley suffered from tuberculosis of the bone which resulted in the amputation of his left leg below the knee during either 1865 or 1868-69.According to Robert Louis Stevenson's letters, the idea for the character of Long John Silver was inspired by his real-life friend Henley. Stevenson's stepson, Lloyd Osbourne, described Henley as "..a great, glowing, massive-shouldered fellow with a big red beard and a crutch; jovial, astoundingly clever, and with a laugh that rolled like music; he had an unimaginable fire and vitality; he swept one off one's feet". 

And then ... if another man can spend 27 years in a prison cell, on an island, FORGIVE, and go on to lead his country with dignity, whether he in fact read 'Invictus' or not... Well - I think there's something in that for all of us (Chenille) don't you? ;-)

Original			Traduction littérale
Out of the night that covers me,     Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be     For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance     I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance     My head is bloody, but unbow'd. Beyond this place of wrath and tears     Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years     Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate,     How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate:     I am the captain of my soul.			Depuis l'obscurité qui m'envahit, Noire comme le royaume de l'enfer, Je remercie les dieux quels qu'ils soient Pour mon âme indomptable. Dans l'étreinte féroce des circonstances, Je n'ai ni bronché ni pleuré Sous les coups de l'adversité. Mon esprit est ensanglanté mais inflexible. Au-delà de ce monde de colère et de larmes, Ne se profile que l'horreur de la nuit. Et pourtant face à la grande menace Je me trouve et je reste sans peur. Peu importe combien le voyage sera dur, Et combien la liste des châtiments sera lourde, Je suis le maître de mon destin, Je suis le capitaine de mon âme.

Sanitized

Bon. C'est fini??? OVER IT NOW!

('bacteria denied access'  zone)

Victory belongs to the most perservering!

Napoléon Bonaparte!

As the house comes out of a veritable quarantine battlefield for the second time this winter just in time for two weeks school holidays I hold clear this image in my head!! 

Looking around I can see the housework, the 100 page report I have to edit, the 5 lamps I have to finish, the three artworks for the winners of my competition which are awaiting their final brushstrokes, and the hearts I wanted to paint and post for Valentine's day ... 

But victory is nigh! 

Like Napoleon, this little warrior shall not be beaten by the dreaded lurgy.

Yesterday I decided it was time to show my bronchitis just who's boss.  After pelting it with essential oils and a good dose of copper, I forced it onto my mountain bike where we battled it out in an hour long ride through ice and snow. I came back clearer in mind, if not in body...ONYA Napoleon. Nothing like a bit of Corsican Toulousain sunshine to strengthen the troops' morale!

And who would not appreciate a bit of English sunshine?
(especially the English ;-)

Look! I got some from Jeanne at  A Collage of Life.! 

~Sunshine Award~

'The Sunshine Award' is "awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world." 

My instructions are as follows: 

1. Post the award on the blog.
2. Pass the award on to 12 fellow bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees in a post.
4. Let nominees know they have won this award by commenting on their blogs.
5. Share the love and link to the person from whom you've received this award.

Jeanne, I'm sincerely touched. This is just the day when these supportive awards really do some good for the morale. I have also been the lucky recipient of another from Faerwillow at Serendipity, but I will have to save that for another moment as there is rumbling from up above which means the messmonsters are preparing their comeback  in force... No time to lose! Finish this post before the small stuff are upon me!

Right then, instead of nominating 12 other bloggers (Hehe I love to change the rules of a game and as I'm pretending to be Napoleon today, I invoke my right as divine Emperor to do so!) I'm going to suggest you go straight to the 'followers' on my side bar, and take the time to click on 12 avatars that you don't already know. 

Why?

Because those that are 'beside me' for my journey bring me sunshine every day - there's nothing like knowing people out there love you enough to 'enlist' to listen to your ramblings...

Behind every avatar there's a real person. Maybe someone who could bring you some sunshine. Now let your own heart guide you ... 

'MAMAAAAAAAAN!' 

'MUMMMMMMMMMMMMY!'

As I rise, still coughing and hacking, to the battle cry from above, I wish you this: 

May you find the strength to perservere and win your own battles today also!