Realize All That You Are And More

Preface : sorry for the spelling errors, my computer only speaks French.
(Said with a mouth brimming with bread and cheese) I am sorry I have’t had a chance to write more frequently, (chew, chew) but I have been gorging on bread, cheese, chocolate and (gulp) wine.

Yellow, butter sun rises
Twin chimnies, tangled smoke streams linger
Brighly painted barns and hidden lake shore benches
Cold frosty pastures, with breath still warm
We talk and laugh and realize that friendships are the best when the world feels like it’s falling
Good food and great company is the ticket to a happy heart
Play now and forever remember your dreams
Be sponantious, stick your head in the freezing , famous, fountain and splutter your fears away
Listen to good music and say what’s really on your mind
Use common sense and stick to it, until it’s done
Be bold, be bright, be you, be love and you will recieve all that you are and more
Red rose sunsets turn into night

Hauling wood with childish enthusiasm

Three women moved two cords of wood in three hours. Which, by the way, is A LOT of wood in a descent amount of time. We felt very accomplished and afterward had chocolate crepes with ice cream for dinner. Who needs a gym and yoga classes when you’ve got wood, hay, mud, and a pitch fork? I have never felt more alive than I have in the past week. Something about cold, fresh air really gets the body going.

Hallelujah!

I saw God last night. He arrived in the form of a middle-aged plumber with brown hair and a two-day stubble. He had kind eyes and worked his magic like I’ve never seen before. We now have hot water and heat! Hallelujah!

Freezing with a touch of Frost

Finally arrived after a car ride to Phoenix with my beautiful sister, Anna, a plane ride to Washington D.C. where I actually thought I was in Washington State, because no one refured to it as D.C. only Washington. So, half delirious, I took another plane to Paris. Arriving at 6:30 in the morning, I proceeded to spend the next seven hours in the airport, watching people as I waited for my train that embarked at 1:16 in the afternoon. I caught two trains to Saumur, where I finally met my dear friend, Aurora, and took another car ride to her wonderful farm, where I have the cutest little room at the top of the house. Tuesday evening we ran out of hot water, and today we are still waiting on the plumber to call us back… in France that could mean next week some time. Therefore, I took a sponge bath in approximately two inches of water that I heated on the stove, and washed my hair in cold. The comical comes in all different forms, and the best remedy in the world is laughter. So what do I do, I smile and welcome each day as it comes my way. Thanking the Divine for all that I DO have. So all of you out there, stop your winning and thank someone for all you’ve got. Moreover, don’t forget to make laughter a habit.

Airports and Giggles of Glee

I like airports. Yes, I do. I think ‘like’ might even be an understatement. I have come to love them. Okay, I haven't been in as many as some, but considering my age, I think I have been in enough to know that I really find them intriguing. They evoke a certain mood of pleasantness. They can be a refuge for your thoughts while you wonder aloud, “What am I doing? Why am here? And, how come I decided to fly thousands of miles AWAY from the ones who love me?” Because my dear Watson, if you pay close enough attention you will find that airports hold a vibe of excitement and adventure. In them, people are exactly the same – they are all traveling.
As travelers, we make a pact, some for work, some for pleasure, some because they have to, and some because they want to, but all because we are there. A pact of ethics and attitude. When you are standing in line behind that man in the three-piece business suit, and in front of that little girl with her stuffed dog and Barbie back-pack, it is oh so humbling to remove your shoes and devoid your body of any heavy jewelry you might have been stupid enough to think about wearing on the plane, for god knows what reason, your jacket, as it is always freezing, and with a grin on your face, you walk through that security check point, barefoot, and virtually naked, because you are headed somewhere and that is exciting. One almost has to laugh, and in fact I did once. I burst out in polite but audible giggles of glee, for I found myself so excited to be there, in that security check line.

Just don't over do it

So I know I am still in Arizona, and I won’t be leaving for another month, but I wanted to write about my experience being home, because that, in itself is a whole other adventure, and certainly one worth sharing.

When one travels they become vulnerable and open. If they allow themselves to be that way, one will discover any number of things about themselves and the world in which they live. Hopefully, along the way, they will notice that it is not as bad as we all think. Yes, the world is in turmoil, but, no matter where you go, you can still find love.

Now, being home has opened my eyes in how important it is to allow yourself the freedom to make choices concerning you and only you. (Tangent: all the mothers and fathers out there, please encourage your children to travel, BY THEMSELVES, it is an invaluable education). It took three months and three thousand dollars but I made choices for me and only me. It was only after I left that could I return with new eyes and an open heart to a place I thought I knew so well and still find room to discover the beauty in this small town. Yes there is love here too, but being away has only made that more apparent. There is so much love here.

I have become intoxicated by life. Yes, I am high on air and I don’t plan on getting down anytime soon. Life is exciting and I hope that others feel the same way, because this life is a gift and it should be cherished and savored. Eat that second, or third piece of chocolate, because you know what, you deserve it! You are human and life is grand. Just don’t over do it!