Tongue in Cheek

Brother Mathew and Brother Mark's Birthday

I bet they thought that since I was traveling I would forget to mention their birthday on my blog. Will guess what! 

Yeah two brothers on the same day. Though they were born two years apart.

I am the oldest, and only girl in a family of four boys:

 

Guys galore.

Marty, Mathew, Mark and Zane (Sounds like Mathew, Mark, Luke and John... I guess that would make me Mary.)

 

Did you know he bought this helmet at the brocante? Brother Mathew who loves the brocante, look how happy he is that I mentioned it!)

Happy Birthday Mathew (49) and Mark (47)!

 

 

Up, up and Away

 

 

We are off... two nights in Paris.

Then to Thailand, where we will stay for three weeks.

Then to Hong Kong for a few days, where we are invited by a fellow blogger, Irina.

Next we will fly to Yangshou for five day, before going to Shanghai, to see Chelsea.

At the end of the week the three of us will go to Beijing.

I hope to post daily... though in China it might prove impossible.

Maybe less possible than Sophie (our house-sitter) letting Stinky Cat inside our house!

 

One suitcase.

One back pack holding my computer and camera.

One empty suitcase to carry back treasures.

Hope you will follow along with us on our happy trails!

 

Views of the French Countryside

 

Views from the TGV train's window.

The French countryside flashed by.

Castles, bridges, towers, ....landscape that changes with the seasons.

 

 

 

 

As we rode along from the south of France to Paris the sun light poured through the clouds, giving us a spectacular show.

 

 

 

Dark to light, grey to bright.

 

 

The land toiled, the trees beginning to bud, a hint of green, spring was calling in the air.

 

 

Thank you for the many imaginative "how I met you" stories. Holy cow are you guys good. Weaving in bits of blogs passed: I-beam, Dumpster Diving, Youth Group, the Monastery, Willows, Brocantes, Dancing.... impressive bunch you are. And again why do I do this to myself, picking one nugget is not as easy task when the pot is full of gold.

Jackie's story was utterly amazing. A scarf will come your way from China.

 

Getting to Know You

My cousin Angela wrote on her Facebook How she would like her "friends" to comment on her page about: How they met her. But she wanted them to make up a story, a **LIE**. She added, "That's right, just make it up."

I found that so funny, and knew I had to do it on my blog too. So tell me a "lie" about how you met me, inventive, creative, teasing, outragous, simply stated... let your creative tales unwind.

Tomorrow I will pick a winner or two and send the winner a scarf from China. Because after all I met you while hitchhiking on the silk road.

 

Weed Salad

My friend Annie makes weed salad.

She gathers the weeds in a field.

Weeds.

She eats them.

And tells me, "..they are good for you, high in vitamins."

Weeds that I walk on without given them a thought.

Bitter weeds.

 

Weeds with names such as:

Salade de Chasseur, or Hunter's Greens in English.

Fenouil, or Fennel's first shots. Not to be confused with older, later in the season's more substantial growth.

Pissanli (I won't tell you what that sounds like in French... oh dang I have to tell you... It sounds like Peeing in the Bed!) better known as: Dandelion! Bitter is what it is!

And the fourth cutie weed... Much to my shame, I forgot its name.

 

I went over to Annie's yesterday to cut her hair.

Entering her kitchen there was an overwhelming garlicky aroma.

Annie told me she had made her Weed Salad. I tasted her weeds before without seasoning, and it was not my favorite. Annie reassured me, "...I know you don't like my wild salad...."

"You mean weed salad?""

"Yes, but you should taste it with my vinaigrette!"

"Is garlic the main ingredient?"

She laughed, "Can you smell it?"

Annie collects the weeds, then trims, washes and seasons them:

Olive oil, salt, apple vinegar and a fist full of crushed garlic.

I love garlic. I have heard the the reason escargot tastes good is because of the butter and garlic. Weed salad falls in the same catagory. The garlic won me over.

Annie was happy that I am now a fan of her weed salad. I'll never walk on a weed again without my tastebuds watering.... well, that is if garlic dressing is close behind.

Socks with Sandals.... Why Confucius?

 

 

French Husband informed me that we are taking one suitcase for our trip to China. One as in, one dinky shared suitcase. I informed him that we were not on a motorcycle.

He held up one finger. He has a thing for traveling lightly. And somehow even though deep down I would like to travel with ten suitcases, or at least more than two pairs of shoes... the challenge he draws is a fun game.

 

 

One suitcase for six weeks.

Traveling light has its benefits, and two pairs of shoes is more than enough. French Husband will wear sandals the entire time. I told him that this is the rainy season in China, and that maybe he should reconsider the sandals.

 

(Photo Source Miuccia Prada.)

He told me he would manage with socks and sacs (The French word for plastic bags.)

Oh the joys of traveling with a man who isn't fashion conscious.

I looked-up "socks and sandals" in the Urban Dictionary and read it to him:

"A footwear combination worn only by the fashion-challenged."

"If it's hot enough for sandals, it's too hot to wear socks. If it's cold enough to wear socks, it's too cold for sandals."

Note:

Favorite places to go antiquing coming, and photos of Stinky Cat when I see him and have my camera at the same time.

Where to go Antiquing in France

1.

Where to go antiquing in France? If only I had a dime for everytime someone asked me that question! There is a site on the internet that I use to find out about antique fairs in France. It is in French, so I thought today I would break it down for you. Most French antique fairs happen on Saturday or Sunday. Though others do happen during the week as well.

Below you will find the link and how to undertand it below.

First - Click on the link below:

ANTIQUING IN FRANCE

------------------------------------------------

Calendrier des Manifestations

Calendrier des Manifestations • Février • Mars • Avril • Mois suivants

Vente aux Enchères

Vente aux Enchères • Février • Mars

Petites Annonces

Petites Annonces • Consulter • Passer

Notre Bibliothèque

2.

 

- On the "Where to go antiquing in France website", the first thing you need to do is click on the sign that says:

Calendrier des
Manifestations

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

3.

- When you click on it, it will open up and look like this:

Calendrier des
Manifestations
• Février
• Mars
• Avril
• Mois suivants

The first three words are MONTHS. Starting with the present month. The last series of words says: Mois Suivants which means = Following Months. Click on the month that you will be in France or the month you want to go antiquing.

------------------------------------------------

4.

Choisissez votre région

 

When clicking on the month (mois) you will come to the page above. Next click on the region of France where you will be, and or want to go antiquing.

Paris is in "Ile de France".

When you click on the region of your choice a slew of towns, cities with fairs, brocantes and antique markets will appear in order according to date. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.

An example of what that will look like is below:

[Haut de page]

DIMANCHE 20 FéVRIER 2011 (Sunday 20 February 2011)

04 (04)			CERESTE (entre Manosque et Apt) (Cereste town between Manosque and Apt)
			GRAND VIDE-GRENIERS BROCANTE - sur les Places di Village - 8h à 18h - Extérieur - Entrée gratuite 80 exp. (Professionnels + Particuliers + Habitants + Association) Tel : 04-92-76-66-55 - 06-79-83-12-55 ORG: "LIFRAT"

First it will have the week day (I have listed each item in red alongside of the French text so you can see where and understand the listing better.)

Then the area code number of each region of France, 04 is the area number of Cereste. Then it will have the town or city's name, in this case: Cereste (when a town is small it often will say which two larger towns it is in between.) which is in between Manosque and Apt.

GRAND VIDE-GRENIERS BROCANTE  (Description of what type of antique market.) Large Garage Type like sale literally Grand Vide-Greniers Brocante means: Large Empty out the Attic Brocante (please do not let me explain that word, God I hope you know me by know.) - sur les Places de Village (Where it is located. Usually in the center of town, or large parking lot, or nearby field.) - 8h à 18h  (The time of the market. It always starts earlier then listed.) - Extérieur  (If it is outside or inside.) - Entrée gratuite (How much, if anything, it costs to enter.) 80 exp. (Professionnels + Particuliers + Habitants + Association (This part means: How many dealers are signed up, and what type of dealers will be at the fair. In this case every type of dealer will be there, Professional, plus small weekend dealers, and people from the town, since everybody is allowed to sale at a vide de greniers if it is in their hometown.) Tel : 04-92-76-66-55 - 06-79-83-12-55 (The phone number in case you need to call.) ORG: "LIFRAT" (The organizer of the fair.)

6.

Now do you want to know: My favorite antique markets in France? 

A dime please! Well, I will list them.... but first we've gotta strike a deal....let's see now what can I ask for such delicious information???

OR would you rather that I take a photo of Stinky Cat?

Going to the Brocante

Sunday Morning:

Woke up not so early, that is what happens when one goes to bed far too late.

That was the first strike against going to the brocante two hours away.

Second strike came when the sky was grey outside when it was suppose to be a bright blue... Well at least in my books it was suppose to be blue.

But when one has the brocante bug biting, and one knows the bug will not be satisfied because one is going away for awhile.... Getting up late and a grey sky cannot detour the desire.

 

 

The Drive:

Was not promising. It had the air of a disappointing brocante day.

Though the unexpected beauty of the trees casting shadows on a foggy canvas kept us driving on in awe, and wonder.

 

 

The Brocante:

When we arrived, a light rain did not stop me from getting out of the car. Vendors were packing up, I hunted at record speed. And found a toile de jouy panel that made my wet wool coat feel nice and warm.

Fifteen minute fortune so very worth the long drive and lack of sleep.

I called Sophie to see how her brocante day had gone... She was at one three hours away, though closer to her home. She said, "I arrived at six in the morning to find the brocante was replaced by a circus/carnival.... school holiday's delight."

I didn't dare say I find a toile du jouey panel. Well not yet that is.

Oh the trials of the passionate brocanteurs.

How was your weekend?

 

 

Winter Flower

 

 

 

 

Take it slow.

Find something good in everything.
 

Hold it close, while honoring the joy you receive from it.

The Color of Friendship

 

The color of friendship what is it?

Petals in soft shades of light, with hints of character in the raw earthy toned roots.

When I met French Husband years ago he asked me, "How can you love so many people?"

His question struck me as odd... "How?" I asked, "I suppose that is a result of growing up in a large family in a small town. I never knew any differently."

Often when I write my blog I think of my family, my friends... those I love. They are no longer nearby.... an ocean separates us.

Blogging keeps me in touch. Over the years the circle of friendship grew. I am daily amazed by the power of blogging. How connected it makes me feel. How the circle grows, connecting, caring, bringing together... the world is small and the heart is large.

Yesterday Kate wrote this comment (below) it struck me.... not only because of the infamous orange armoire but because we are all looking for the connection, the dot to dot, the symbols, the color of friendship, the key to loving. Life is full of messages, and today I am thankful for hearing one of them.

ic

"My heart stopped for a moment when I read this post! Paint the orange armoire?! NO! Perhaps I should explain myself. Let's go back a few years ago when I, flipping through an issue of Victoria magazine, literally swooned at the sight of an amazing orange armoire in the midst of a beautifully simple (yet elegant) kitchen.

I immediately tore that page out of the magazine (don't worry, it was my own copy) and put it in my LOVE IT file. I would add to and edit that file periodically, but my love for that orange armoire never wavered. It wasn't just the armoire, it was the whole composition of the room. Somehow over the years my LOVE IT file got misplaced, but I never forgot my favorites.

Fast forward to this past November, my beloved father had just died two weeks before after suffering through a long illness for five years, and I had just returned to work (I work part time at an antiques store). I was pretty raw at this point, but needed to get out of the house and try to think of something other than how sad I was. As I was wandering through the store to see what treasures the owner had unearthed, I saw a stack of old magazines. I picked up the one on the top of the stack, casually flipped through it, and there it was. MY orange armoire. I sat. I smiled. Then I read the accompanying article and........Wait! I know this woman! She's a friend of mine!

Every morning, while I drink my coffee, she tells me a little bit about her life. She shows me photos, she makes me laugh. I've even purchased a couple of her brocante finds. What do you know, all this time that orange armoire was living with her! With YOU! Such a seemingly small discovery (my long lost orange armoire and the fact that it's yours) brought me a little joy at such a sad time in my life. This time I didn't tear the page out of the magazine. Instead, I'm keeping the entire issue, for there is far less chance of me misplacing a whole magazine.

So, paint it? Obviously, I love the orange. I really do. If, however, an aubergine armoire would make you smile, then why not? I'm pretty sure I would tear out a picture of that one, too. Thank you for making me smile."

Kate.

 

 

The color of friendship what is it to you?