Tongue in Cheek

Pouring it Out

            

Mademoiselle Cruet sat on the chair and bared her heart. Endless words untangled her thoughts. Snippets of the past poured out, and waterless hopes began to bloom.

Photo: French antique cruet with painted flowers.

The Ribbon

               

Their romance was that of a young girl's dream- love letters, candle light, tenderness and many midnight rendez-vous. Swooning under the moonlight, she tied their dreams, side by side amongst the stars.

Their heads had been in the clouds, and her heart in his hand, but their feet were well planted. They knew that love had more to do with letting go, and moments like this of holding on.

...and as the moon passed around the world a thousand times, and the days came tumbling one after another, attempting to tarnish their glow. That was when she took his hand and lead him under the midnight sky. She put his hand next to her breast, untied the ribbons from the stars, believing that they would become roots.

Photo: Vintage love charm glowing under a rhinestone star.

Memories

Even without color there is still the scent of rose.

photo: Roses growing wildly outside.

The Love Affair

Photos: Sacha this morning claiming his love affair with my home made Cinnamon Cherry jam.

Cinnamon Cherry recipe:

Five pounds of cherries

Five pounds of sugar

Three teaspoons cinnamon

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Pit the cherries and put them in a heavy pot.

Sprinkle the cinnamon over the cherries.

Pour the five pounds of sugar over the cherries.

Cover the pot with a lid.

Let the sugar soak, melt into the cherries. This takes several hours. It is best to let it set out over night.

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When the sugar has naturally melted into the cherries, take the lid off and put the pot on stove. Turn the heat to medium high. Bring it to a steady boil. Stir often. Then turn the heat to low and stir until the jam thickens.

The jam is ready to put into the sterilized jars when it ripples off the spoon's edge.

Ladle the HOT jam into the sterilized jars. Tighten the sterilized lids on to the jars immediately, then place them upside down on a wooden counter. Leave them set overnight.

Collecting Odds and Ends

            

When the urn was younger she did what was expected of her. She stood outside and held plants. More often than not the people passing by, praised the flowers that grew from the plants she held. She knew her role and she was happy.

And in that happiness she looked around-

and discovered that life was full of surprises-

and that being a planter was just the tip of the iceberg.

You can be whoever you are, and more importantly, those odds and ends you gather, can bloom the prettiest flowers.

photo: French antique garden urn tipping her iceberg and blooming anew.

The Interview

            

                                   (Photo: A detail on a vintage 1920s illustration.)

Blue has asked me to share in an interview.

1. Corey, you live in France. You have a French husband. If you hadn’t ended up there, with him, where would you be today?

Probably, standing in line somewhere in San Francisco talking to myself. Dreaming about living abroad. Wishing on stars. Eating burritos, and thinking up new ways to cheat at cards.

Teasing aside, I have no idea. I have never been a goal oriented person, nor someone who thinks about the, "what if..." I make most of my decisions "spur of the moment," and seldom look back.

               

(Photo: Antique sculpted face, carved above the window of my neighbor's facade.)

2. What is your one daily ritual for inner peace that you HAVE to do…will you share?

As a young  girl I kept a journal and dreamed of being a priest. I started to go to daily mass. Then I lived in a monastery. Which lead me to work for the Catholic church. When I came to France I belonged to a spiritual dancing/yoga/Tai Chi/energy healing/meditation
group. After which I started a blog.

Inner peace is easy to obtain when we are healthy, happy, at peace with ourselves and surrounding. I admire those who have inner peace in the middle of a personal battle. Inner peace in the face of darkness takes a hell of alot faith and courage. I hope if ever I am pushed against that sort of wall that I can claim I have inner peace.

               

                (Photo: My hand print, when I was a child, at the bottom of the front steps, of my childhood home.)

3. Your dad just turned 80, and must have a lot of life wisdom under his belt. What are 3 distinct qualities you share with him?

Spontaneity.

A kind-heart,

and an appreciation for red wine.

               

(Photo: A collection of two hundred year old things. Found at the French antique market. White iron-stone "pot de creme" cups on a serving tray, a book of hand-written music, an hand-woven linen sheet, and an hour glass.)

4. Do you listen to music? If so, what do you listen to.

Blue, This reminds me of the question on "American Bandstand." My answer echos their's, if it has a good beat and I can dance to it, any music will do, any period of time, style or place. I am not a music buff. I seldom hear the words in music. I like it all...except heavy metal, or the sound of bickering, or fingernails on a blackboard.

               

(Photo: Old fashion roses.)

5. One thing you would change about the world.

That each person felt loved.

Thank you Blue for the interview.

Picking Cherries and Hugging a Tree

I am in a tree.

Picking cherries.

Tomorrow I am going to make jam.

The first kiss of knowing,

summer is around the corner.

photo: Mr.Porte's cherry tree. I love this tree!

The Bookshelf

In our home there is a hodge podge wall made up of mix-n-match stones. These stones are stacked together with dirt, and have stayed in place for over three hundred years.

The other walls in the house have been covered up with sheet rock, only this one remains untouched. This stone wall often stared at me. It was big, heavy and made the room feel like a cave.

Whatever I put in front of that stone wall seemed to be gobbled up. Its massiveness was unsettling to any stick of furniture. Yet I didn't have the heart to cover it up.

When I found this not so old piece of furniture it was canary yellow with gold trim. Putting it mildly it was very ugly. When French husband saw the movers bringing it in he looked at me like I had flipped out. He said nervously, "I know it is going to look better, once you do... what you do... whatever you do... right?" I scratched my head and said, "I hope so."

"Corey, please tell me you measured it before buying it?"

"You know I never measure anything." I smiled as he shooked his head.

photo: 12 feet x 12 feet, painted grey blue, 1970s book case. Filled with finds from the French flea market. Click photo to enlarge.

Yesterday Came and Went...

           

Before the sun had a chance to shine, my cousin Julie, woke me up saying, "Corey, I thought yesterday was today!" I looked at her through my sleepy eyes and said, "I'm thinking it is still night-time. What are you talking about?"

Julie explained that she had her days mixed up. That her flight was leaving from Paris in a few hours. I rubbed my eyes, looked at the clock, and calculated the time. The airport in Marseilles is over an hour away, plus we had the morning rush traffic...and she had to find a connecting flight to Paris. It would be close but we might make it.

After a wild goose chase and a very expensive one-way ticket to California, Julie didn't catch her flight and would leave a day later.

We decided to do some retail therapy.

         

Due to Julie's oversize suitcases, I drove French husband's car. Since I borrowed his car I thought I would wash it, and fill it up. Wouldn't he be pleased! Julie and I acted like high school girls at the car wash, or maybe I should say I was goofing-off. When I went to put gas in the car, I forgot that it was French husband's car and thinking it was mine, filled it with the wrong gas. Instead of diesel I put in regular.

On the freeway going home the car started spitting and sputtering. I screamed, "OH NO NO NO!" Hitting my forehead with the palm of my hand, I let out a few choice words... (more than a few actually.) I realized my mistake because it was not the first time I have put the wrong gas in the wrong car. French husband was going to be reassured of my flakiness, and have another reason to practice zen breathing.

I called our car insurance. When they heard my accent they assumed I was in the USA and connected me to a phone operator in the States. The operator asked what State I was in? I said, "The state of distress..." When she didn't laugh I added, "I am in France."

Confusion was the name of the day.

Seemingly hours later, due to evening rush traffic, the tow truck came.

Julie looked at me and we started to laugh. The day felt like a strange dream. It wasn't funny, but we refused to let it get to us. The bottom line was we were okay. Money lost but nothing more.

Photos: Old toys spotted at the French flea market.

Note: Julie caught her flight this morning, and French husband is draining the car and wishing he was flying instead. I need to bake a cake for him, fill it with the right ingredient...a ton of chocolate.

French Decorating Skill

French Hammer and Hips...oh!

"No no no, that hammer belonged to my Grandmother, that is why I know it is mine." Says French husband.

"Okay, it was your Grandmother's hammer, but I like it and I think it has my name all over it. And anyway, what's yours in mine and visa verse, right?"

Hanging pictures is a knack you either have or don't! I have it, and French husband...well he has more important gifts. It makes sense that his Grandmother's hammer should be mine.

"Give Corey a hammer and the whole house changes. I don't know how anything stays up, because she uses nails the size of a pin as not to make holes in the wall.

Nevertheless, she is the, "Queen of my hammer," she can drive a nail anywhere!" French husband says with admiration in his voice.

Honestly, I always thought he admired my hammering skills...until I saw this vintage image...maybe he admires my hips, more then my hammering? Oh my!

Note: Re posting today. Due to the fact that my cousin Julie mixed up her dates to catch her plane back to the USA. She thought she was leaving tomorrow, and in fact she lives NOW! Aurevior!