conques

Another snapshot of summer warmth.
A day trip from our home base in Luc, Aveyron, a hamlet of maybe 24 people.
I loved the cathedral St. Foy (not so much the windows by Pierre Soulages).

I loved the details of the stonework.

I loved wandering around the medieval town.

 

 

I loved the time with Mamie. It was very hot and steep for her, but she was a good sport, always.

 

 



I loved the patient streams of pilgrims coming and going from every direction, like lines of ants, with their backbacks and walking sticks. Someday I'd like to walk that route with Minou.

minou & me

The boys, p'tit minous un et deux, have requested to not be visibly present in this space.

Minou has made no such request.

He is such a cutie.

 

 

Sometimes a little silly though...

 



 

senanque

I look back with pleasure on the pictures of last summer at Senanque. We took a day trip through windy roads on a very, very, very hot day from Lattes to the lavender fields of Provence, a place my mother particularly wanted to visit during her time there. It was so lucky that thanks to the weather, the blooming season was late and we were able to enjoy the purple fields.

 

 

Besides filling my eyes with the colors, what I remember most from that day was the fact that we had not one but two ice cream stops, one of them for lavender ice cream (it was good, but the chocolate noisette was better), and that we were rationing water by the end of the day despite the eight bottles we'd brought for the five of us--it's difficult to find free drinking water in France. I also remember the Japanese tourist who was sitting in the shade of an olive tree, painting a beautiful landscape of the abbey at Senanque.

 

 

we ate cake

What do you do to celebrate a friend's birthday?
It doesn't take a lot of money...I prefer the pleasure of spending some time together.
My long-time friend J. (we were roommates in Beijing many, many moons ago) had a birthday recently.
Somehow it's all too easy to let months go by without getting in touch.
So we set to baking, then loaded up the car and drove north for a visit.
Here is what her birthday cake looked like on leaving home:

It was beautiful...and edible. But you can probably guess what happened. Both the nasturtiums and calendula wilted during the drive. I didn't take an "after" picture; I took the sad looking flowers off as soon as possible. Luckily I had prepared a plan B:



The almonds and chocolate chips actually added a lot to the texture.

We had a great overnight visit (though we missed p'tit minou un who opted to stay home--older teens can do that sometimes). We went for a walk and saw a "street lending library" where p'tit minou deux scored a vintage cookbook, we played with the lost then found kitten, we talked, we ate delicious enchiladas, and we went to the zoo the following day.
It was a good time with good friends.
Amazing how the little ones grow (her son is seven now).
And the cake was so good that we made it again for Grammy Minou's birthday, with even more chocolate chips. Mmmm...

up & down

I have been driving up and down the freeway...

This morning I was up bright and early, all ready to poke people and get poked myself,
looking forward to some IV skills retraining in the big city of Portland.
Feeling excited and just a little anxious...

A spaghetti of concrete freeway bridges and a bright red sun rising in the hazy autumn morning sky. Fires in the eastern part of our state are very evident in the valley.
Dusty urban brick buildings and cars, cars, cars (and cyclists) first thing in the morning.

And...surprise! Class canceled. Jump back in the car, back down the road, back to work.
Disappointment: I was all ready and anticipating!
Relief: my forearms are intact.

I had a great evening visit with our friends the Yurt People, but I am so, so, so disappointed not to have the evening to spend with my dear friend and Public Health Goddess H.

It was fun to surprise the family this evening, though. "Mama? What are you doing here?!"

dear departing daughters

Two friends of mine, amazing women, mothers, and nurses both, just said goodbye to their only daughters this week. The late-teen daughters set off around the globe on adventures in two countries, one in Asia and one in Europe. One daughter will be gone for one year and one for four years, both to study.

Both my friends are so excited for their daughters, proud, worked to make this happen. It's a testament to their parenting that their daughters have become the smart, confident, capable and inquisitive young women that they are, heading off to explore the larger world and realize their dreams. But it's hard. The daughters are dearly missed.

Now, I don't happen to have any daughters, myself. But I am a daughter, and I remember setting off on my own study abroad adventure many years ago. I remember the dismay in my mom's face as she said "China? Are you sure?...Will I ever see you again?"

But she let me go in the end, with encouragement, love, air mail envelopes (no internet then) and long underwear. Thankfully, my friends and their daughter now have Skype and email, as well as long underwear. And always, love and encouragement.

packing, clothing, traveling gear

I 'm sure you are all wondering how my light-packing experiment went on my recent Trip to France. I tried to take very few items, mostly things that I had been gifted by M1 or Mamie, and that would combine well together. Did I end up with too much? Not enough?

I took one carry-on small rolling travel suitcase (not sure of the dimensions, but you know the type--small enough to be stowed in the overhead compartment on a larger plane, large enough to be stowed in the cargo hold on a tiny plane) and one carry-one "purse", really more of a messenger bag/satchel, borrowed from my friend K. that had a million useful pockets.

I had hoped to avoid the messenger bag, but was called upon at the last minute to transport two bike helmets in the other carry-on, so that two safety-conscious kids could ride borrowed bikes in France. No mama is going to argue with that. It did take up a chunk of space in the carry-on, leading to leaving the laptop at home (which I have to admit was very relaxing) and putting my notebook and novels into the messenger bag. It was great--I had no room for the large & bulky laptop! I had every excuse not to participate in online study activities while in wireless-access airports, leaving me completely free to walk around, scribble in my journal, watch people, and read novels (Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is amazing).

It was ironic that I had been concerned about not taking enough clothing and ended up not wearing it all. I had one pair of pants, three short sleeved shirts, two skirts, three dresses, two long sleeved shirts, and a hooded long cardigan, plus underwear, a swimsuit, a pareo, two pairs of sandals and light jogging gear. (I also carried a toiletries kit and a first-aid kit). It was more than enough. The only issue that I had was not taking one change of warmer items. It was chilly and rainy everywhere except in the South, so when my mom and I went travelling in Brittany, Normandy and around Paris I wore my pants and cardigan daily. I didn't have time to wash them out, and was worried that they would be offensively stinky by the time I got on the plane in them. Nobody complained, so it was probably OK, though it felt great to throw them in the wash immediately on returning (and so strange to step out into a hot, hazy, 90 degree Oregon evening after leaving a 62 degree Paris).

I had been told that taking the first-aid kit was probably overkill--p'tit minou un stated flatly "We don't use all this stuff at home, why would we there?" However, both anti-constipation and anti-diarrheal meds came in handy, as well as anti-inflammatories for knee pain, arnica for bruises, tweezers for splinters, bandaids for blisters, antibiotic cream for infected earlobes, and acetaminophen for headaches. Ha! Nurse Mama Minou knows best! But in the end, it was p'tit minou un's foresight in bringing an enormous roll of moleskin for blisters that saved me from (an) exercise in agony. I went running without socks one very hot and sweaty day, and developed a blister the size of a silver dollar, just in the right spot to be continually rubbed raw by my other pairs of shoes, on the arch of my right foot. If you are planning a trip with a lot of walking, I urge you, take moleskin--it could make the difference between limping around in miserable, snappish, teeth-grinding pain and enjoying yourself.

I am a little embarrassed that despite my best efforts to resist clothing temptation, and leaving the bike helmets and a couple of novels and magazines behind, my carry-on was harder to close coming back than it was going. This was partly due to bringing back boxes of cookies for gifts, but also because M1 again opened up her closet and gifted me with clothing too beautiful or interesting to refuse. (Merci M1!!) Also, one day when Mamie, my mom and I were wandering around downtown Montpellier with a couple of hours to spare, we went to check out the "Soldes" in Etam (this was in the period where big sales occur in stores all over France). Mamie ended up gifting me with a long-sleeved black t-shirt for the decent price of 5 euros (about $7.00) that ended up being part of my daily cold-weather wear up north. So again, lesson learned--even if you think it won't be cold (or hot), either have enough layers or take a change of clothing just in case.

I obviously have more to learn about packing lightly. Any tips to share?

home

Hello--I'm back! And I will have pictures to share with you once the photographer of the family returns next week.

Pictures of green rolling hills dotted with stone walls and cows in L'Aveyron, pictures of beaches and palm trees and pink flamingos and busy city squares from L'Herault, lavender fields and old villages from Provence, and many, many pictures of family members contentedly eating and smiling and swimming in rivers and showing off their new pocketknives from Laguiole, or not-contentedly hiding from the camera.

I had such a good time with family, with my amazingly smart, bighearted and generous sister-in-law M1, my lovely and creative mother-in-law Mamie. I enjoyed seeing my boys at home in France, correcting my language errors, guiding their Grammy around the streets of Montpellier, showing me how to take the new tram line, instinctively knowing the cultural do's and faux-pas (note to self: do not approach people with cute dogs and ask to pet them), remembering favorite foods and activities. It was special to have Minou share his history and memories with us in a place he still knows like the back of his hand.

It was also an amazing gift to have four days just with my mother, to travel together and visit new places and have an adventure. We stayed in Rennes, ate delicious Breton crepes, visited the Mont St Michel, had a day in Paris where we were scammed (phooey!) by an unofficial taxi driver but then motivated to figure out public transportation (which we did well), and took a train to Chartres to explore the cathedral.

It was hard to come home, because of a combination of no longer being on vacation and leaving Europe
 (with Minou and the boys still there).

I miss my boys. I can't wait for them to come home.

I'm anticipating the strangeness that they may feel, cultural readjustment. I jumped back into work, which was much easier than I anticipated thanks to my very interesting job and great co-workers. Jumping back into the student routine was much harder, a little repeat of last term's angst. And the jet lag! I can never remember which direction is supposed to be easier to travel (does anyone know?) but I found it much harder flying home, east to west--of course that could be because I was flying back to a schedule, versus to being on vacation and taking naps.

Anyway, my plan is to stock the fridge with all those good ole American classics (at least our family classics) that they know and love--burrito fixings, tofu dogs and nature burgers, cheddar cheese. And to be all caught up on schoolwork (sigh...) so that I don't have that stress interfering with their much-anticipated homecoming. Speaking of which! Back to the plan for the day.

i'm leavin' on a jet plane...

Floor swept.
Fridge empty.
Bag packed.
Passport copied.
 Mr. Bubba to the dogsitters.
Chicken and cat care in the bag.
Laundry done (washer broke) for housesitters.
Five cartons of eggs given to friends and neighbors.
Snacks and journal and books packed.
Alarm set for 3:15 a.m.....

Off to France in the morning!
To see Minou and my beloved boys...and a taste of forgotten adventure.

I'm so, so, so excited. Not sure if I'll be able to sleep, but I'd better try.

monday morning goodbyes

Off went the minous this morning. So early it was almost still the night. I miss them already.I can't wait to be reunited, across the ocean, in a few days. It feels unreal.
But our connection is real. More real than separation. Love is most real.
I'm sniffly and sick today. For the past few days. Feeling tired and achy.
May my loved ones travel safely.

springing

It's the time of year that seems to inspire blogging creativity for me.

A brief disclaimer: for my sweet family members (you know who you are, and I'm glad you're here!), permission has been withdrawn by the teen/tween boys around here to share images or information. They are seeking online privacy in this forum (at the same time I have no doubts establishing their presence in other online ways, but of their own choosing), and I need to respect that. So if you are hoping to catch a glimpse of how much shorter Minou and I appear each day compared to our offspring...sorry!

Nevertheless, I am a Mama. It's not all of my identity by any means, but it is a deep and central and vital part. So Mama Minou I will remain here, and it will be hard to avoid sharing parts of my life that relate to mothering and parenting. It shifts as we head into these different years--stage by stage all along of course, but it is interesting to have these glimpses that their time at home is sadly not forever.

Minou and I have had moments lately of looking at each other and thinking "Only x more years...." and not sure how to understand all the many emotions that accompany that. For the majority of our (many) years together, we have been PaMa MaPa Minou. We will need something new to share. We have started to think about volunteering more in the future--we were both glad to help in a cold weather homeless shelter kitchen these last few years, but the evening and very early morning hours didn't feel right when leaving our own little (?) minous at home. Also, be still my heart--Minou said casually the other day, as he picked me up from work, "Maybe our trip (this upcoming summer) will be the start of many more travels together".

For the moment, we are sharing a new (renewed?) commitment to healthier eating and trying to reach some fitness goals. For tech-oriented Minou, the helpful tool has been a free online fitness tracker that lets you input food choices (even scanning bar codes) and exercise, and helps set calorie and weight goals. I say, whatever works! (it's called myfitnesspal, if anyone is curious).

Other goals--continue to learn and grow in my community health care position, try to get the garden cleared out from last fall (sigh) in time to plant for this spring and summer, prepare for a very, very exciting trip TOGETHER this year to visit our family in Lattes, and dear to my heart, create more space at home. More on all those later.

To be continued....

What are your goals, plans, and dreams today?

Travel

Where would you go if you could travel to anywhere you wanted?

From early childhood, I've been fascinated with reading and learning about different cultures. As a child, I used to pore over coffee table books about other countries and regions, and loved meeting and hosting international students, something my mom did regularly as a "Friendship Family". I always imagined that as an adult, I would travel a lot or live in another country. I am often surprised that I ended up spending most of my adult life living in the small city I grew up in (despite its many attractions).

However, although I haven't travelled as much as I dreamed of as a child, working as an ESL instructor was  a little like travelling without leaving home. I was also lucky to study for 6 months in Beijing during my undergraduate years and travel quite a bit in China at that time. Talk about culture shock!

Minou is from France (Southern France--it's different, he would add) and we were  fortunate to spend almost a year living there together with G1 when I was pregnant with G2. I have some difficult, mostly fantastic memories of that year, and some great stories. (Like the one with our obstetrician sipping espresso in her red minidress 10 minutes after catching G2...) I'm happy that my boys have had some travel experiences they can remember as they went to visit Mamie, M1 & M2 the last few years. Just to know that somewhere else, people are living differently from the way you know and do yourself, and at the very same time, is an important lesson.

I've been saying for a few years that when I turn 40, I'd like to take a trip to a country I've never been to before. I'm not sure if it will really work this year, both for financial and practical reasons (I miss that academic vacation schedule, and am now the primary breadwinner), but I have started a savings account labelled "Travel" and try to put a little money in it each month. Someday it will be big enough for a plane ticket!

So...where to go? It's fun to daydream about it. I went to the travel section at the library the other day and randomly pulled travel guides that called to me off the shelves.

Where would you go if you could take a trip and money were not an issue? Another country? A region nearby? How about with real-life budget constraints?

Ireland 2007

Since my last post about traveling daydreaming was accidentally deleted, here are some pictures of a traveling dream come true: a trip to Ireland with my mom in the spring of 2007. Let me add that I had not travelled in many a year; I had never been away from my boys for longer than a night before this; and I was (ridiculously) terrified to fly around the world without them and be away for almost 2 weeks. This trip came just after or before the new law requiring American passports to visit Canada or Mexico. I needed to renew my passport, and service was a little backed up. The passport arrived by Fed Ex at 1 pm the day before I left; my mom was already in Dublin. Whew!

I loved Dublin, the historic sites we saw, the fish and chips we ate and the Guinness I drank, but my favorite part of the trip was the time with Carol and John on the Dingle Peninsula. They picked us up in Cork, and we spent three days with them overlooking the ocean. One day we took a small motorboat out to visit the largest of the Blasket Islands. They are at the westernmost point in Europe, no longer inhabited, and imagining the isolation that the residents must have felt during winter storms was awe-inspiring. I forget when the last residents moved to the mainland (maybe the 1940s?) but it was after the death of a youth on a night the doctor was not able to make the crossing.

We also had an amazing stay with an extremely talented, generous, mystic storyteller, Anne Farrell. She had never met us yet invited us into her home, swapped stories with my mother and other Irish storytelling friends, and introduced us to some of the nature spirits of Ireland--the hawthorne trees living in her garden. If you are ever searching for a Celtic storyteller, allow me to strongly recommend her.

This trip reawakened my passion for traveling and the awareness that all over the world, other lives are going on, cities bustling, other ways of being exist....I know it sounds obvious, but it shocks me every trip, and makes me muse about the choices many of us have. It also was the first time I had been away just as "me" since having children. I desperately missed my boys, but had a wonderful time. I met so many kind strangers... from the Lebanese Muslim I sat next to on the airplane, who asked me to tell him the time so he would  know when to pray, to the taxi driver who told me that "All the Irish have a story to tell," to the Czech couple in in our Dublin B & B...everywhere. If you come across a lost-looking stranger, remember how much conversation and kindness is appreciated!

Where in the World...?

Can you guess the location/country that certain family members will soon be visiting? Extra points if you recognize the region...