Iconic Images

Do you need to see another picture of

any of the countless icons of Paris?

We saw them.

The Rodin, Picasso, and Cluny museums.

D'Orsay, Louvre, Notre Dame.

Le Tour Eiffel, L'Arc de Triomphe,

Luxembourg Gardens, Tuileries,

Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton.

The list goes on... 

I have pictures and ticket stubs

and amazing memories

to enjoy when ever I want.

 

Today I offer a few of the humbler images

that will also represent Paris to me ...

 

 

including the cobblestones.

 

This is our terrace. 

 In our neighborhood. 

The three windows represent the hallway, living/dining area and the bedroom. 

 The building across the street was a community rec center.  One weekend it was used for an artisan's fair.  The next weekend it housed a vintage market.  During the week classes were held there.  I watched from the terrace windows as fencers performed their warm-up drills.  Dance classes included the tango and flamenco. Grace in motion.

 

 

Our wardrobe which, thanks to  

Naphtali's lavender sachets,

 smelled like summer sunshine when we opened the doors.

 

 

This is a terrible picture, but,

on the far left you can see that the women's skates are

made to look like high heels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

I should have taken more pictures:

Umbrellas piled inside shop doors.

Dapper men in their toggle coats.

Laughing women d'un age.

Children.

Dogs.

Plates of beautiful food.

Display cases of beautiful food.

Windows of beautiful food.

Menus.

Impossibly small tables

laden with lunchtime paraphernalia

with the diners shoehorned in

around them.

The overhead coat racks.

 

Surely, someone has taken those pictures

and compiled a wonderful book

or created an instagram album

or Pinterest page

 to help us

relive the unique experience

that Paris represents

to each of us.

 

I'll have to look...

 

 

 

 

 

Fragrant reminders

 

 

The official start of each day was marked with

 the invigorating burst of citrus

as the first mandarin

was peeled. 

 

(We consumed soooo many of these little gems.)

 

In the way that warm and cold currents run through

a body of water

the aromas of Paris washed over us in turn.

 

Baking bread? Check.

Melted butter?  Bien sur.

The sleepy scent of chocolate?  Mmmmm.

Falafel?  Just around the corner. 

 

Fresh cut trees.

Roasting chestnuts.

Espresso.

 

 

 

 

Flower markets.

Fish markets.

Herbs.

Oils.

Cigarettes.

The occasional cigar or pipe.

Today's special.

 

 

Lavender sachets.

Soaps, lotions,

and perfumes.

She chose SacreBleu.

 

Evocative echoes

I loved my trip to Paris.

It was a sensory-intensive experience

from beginning to end.

 

We had many drizzly, but mild, days of

walking to and fro

about the city, absorbing the nuances of its 

quotidian rhythms.

(I wish I'd snapped a shot of the le Pain Quotidian)

My clothing selection was

adequate

- which is all I had asked of it -

in light of the laundry

facilities in our

charming apartment.

 

So, what did I hear?

 

I was awakened several mornings by the

sound of the rasping broom of a

street sweeper below our windows.

 

 

This pianist livened the street corner

at a flea market on a dreary day.

 (We kept hoping the ladies would break into song.)

Rain on my umbrella.

Church bells.

The organ at Notre Dame.

A boy's choir performing the Hallelujah Chorus.

A piano recital in a nearby church.

The melody of conversation.

The whine of approaching motorcycles.

Car horns.

An accordionist on the metro.

Street musicians doing their best with the Beatles.

Laughing children.

The click of heels on cobblestone.

Late-night revelers.

The hushed reverence of memorial places. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



wandering

It's funny where the mind will take us.

Today I had a vivid recollection of

choosing my first bottle of moisturizer.

 

Early 30's.

Late-80's.

Living in PA.

 

I had playground duty several times

each day at the school

our children attended and

decided it was time

to protect my skin from the elements.

 

I chose Oil of Olay

and splurged on

the frosted glass bottle with a pump.

My products have changed over the years

but not my dedication.

 

google images

 

I am a moisturizer.

The outside world may see me without

makeup, mascara or lipstick,

but I never skip the moisturizer.

My face, neck and chest are

slathered twice daily.

 

I've recently added the back of my hands

to that list.  With all

the anti-aging properties

packed into these new formulas

it seems a shame to pass over

my hands, which often bear the brunt

of careless use or exposure.

I do use lotions on them

regularly

but this takes only a sec

and it makes me feel that I've

done a good thing.

 

 

 



 

 

We had great weather for our day at the fair.

Saw more than we'll remember.

Laughed and chatted our way through the day

and slept like logs through the night.

 

Aidan heads home tomorrow.

It's always a short week...

Fresh Peaches

Tim offered my services to bake

a peach pie

for a couple at Kennybrook.

George found a source for Missouri peaches

and brought some over yesterday.

He added a few extra for us.

 

All I can say is

mmmmmmmmmmmm.
 

We shared a couple peaches last night.
Another was claimed at breakfast.
You don't want to know how many snippets
did not make it into the pie.

 

George's eyes lit up when he saw his pie. 

 

I made enough dough to bake Tim a small one.

His eyes lit up. too.

 

And through it all I enjoyed pleasant memories of

life in Pennsylvania.

 

 

31/365 Bald Eagle

Riding on warm winds

High above receding ice -

  Majesty in flight.

 

On my way home yesterday I crossed the bridge over the Saylorville Reservoir.  At roughly eye-level, right beside the bridge, I saw a bald eagle and thought of my father-in-law.  John used to talk with a particular note of awe in his voice of the eagles that gathered down here.  He enjoyed spotting them and always hoped that we (anyone, really) would have the same opportunity.  Whether for that reason, or others, it is always an intense pleasure to spot one on the fly. This was the first I've seen since we moved back last year.

 

 



Snow delay

I should be writing this from home -

 actually I should be home doing my nails

but the weather intervened and I

won't leave until tomorrow morning.

The snow was wet and heavy - 

really rather lovely.

 

 

Aidan and I shoveled the driveway and spent the day

doing a puzzle and playing Dread Pirates.

The dogs slept nicely underfoot until

 someone had the misfortune to

clink their spoon

rustle a paper

say "okay" or

"good boy"

"let's go"

etc.

The

ensuing chaos

would set us both to

laughing.  Then we'd spend the

next ten minutes getting everyone settled again.

I love listening to Aidan spell words so the dogs won't catch on!

It was a happy day.

 

 Tomorrow Charlie and I will head home.

Also a happy day.



Giving thanks

Another *first* for me today.  

Even though a spring form pan could be found in my cupboard for years

today is the first time it has seen any action.

Thanksgiving will be spent with my mother and sister.

Green bean casserole - french cut is my preference - and a

pumpkin cheesecake 

will make the drive with me.

Today's soundtrack featured a young Jacob questioning the 

wisdom of trying a recipe for the first time on company.

In general he had/has a point but

honestly

how many pumpkin cheesecakes can 

the average among us try before the big day?

Tomorrow's plan includes a sleepover to allow for

scrabble

and tackling outdoor Christmas decorations on Friday.

No shopping.

Tim will be joining his family at his mother's.

Naphtali has plans that will keep her close to home.

Not sure what Jacob has going...

Aidan is spending the weekend with his dad.

Even though the list reads like a fractured fairytale

there is much for which to be thankful.

We all still speak to each other.

Monday morning

It's finished!

The Annex is officially open

and nearly full!

Isn't Tim good? 

 You'd never know this wasn't an original part of the house!
He removed the siding from that section of the garage wall and pieced it back
together to cover the shed.
Shelves and hooks help organize the stuff we moved in from the garage.
And there is still some room available!

We both parked in the garage last night.

And  yes - our grass is that green.  

Brown and crunchy all summer and look at it now!

Here's a look at another Sunday project:

Larry and Mary have left the state - headed for retirement in Arizona. - we wish them well.

Larry came down last weekend for a quick goodbye and dropped 

off a huge plant and the large crock.

I took advantage of several crocks already on hand and cleaned up
 the stock of fireplace supplies.

In a serendipitous turn - earlier this week, at JoAnn Fabrics, no less, I found

a package of *clips* for brick surfaces and was finally able to

hang the match holder from my dad's place.

The following is my contribution to the always surprising *small world* category.

Friday I helped serve Thanksgiving dinner at Kennybrook - around

350 people - who were split in 3 different dining halls

and served in 2 shifts.  A fun time.

Afterwords I ran into friends from long ago,

Tom and Laila Messerly, who were there as guests of one the residents.

As we were chatting,  Selma - now a resident -

who used to live in Harvey ND and got to know Tom and Laila 

after she moved to the Des Moines area, joined us.

Growing up in Harvey, she had know Tewkesburys forever 

and, of course, Box T, where I volunteered as a cook for several years.

Probably 5 - 10 minutes of friendly chitchat 

but it touched off a landslide of good memories including this 

breakfast staple from camp:

I'd never had it and couldn't imagine that it would go over well 

but the girls loved it!

  maybe it was just the combination of fresh air and hard work.

Any way, I bought a box during our grocery run on Saturday morning.

Bon Appetit!

Color my world

I was on the road yesterday between Fort Dodge and Grimes.

The sky was blue and the fall colors were incredible.

Screaming reds.

Vibrant oranges.

Pulsating burgundies.

Flaming yellows.

At one point I caught sight of the traditional calendar shot

of a country church on a hilltop

surrounded by a wondrous array of color.

Unfortunately, this photo courtesy of google images only begins to 

capture the familiar scene.

It was the iconic image that we all recognize

or have our own variation tucked away ready to be conjured by 

the nostalgic magic of a classic fall day.

Our neighborhood is also arrayed in it's finest fall collection.

Bronze, purple, and gold intermingled in stunning 

                                           combinations as the trees morph from one color to the next.

Another first

Last week saw another first for me:

google images

Monday was our anniversary so Tim put in a couple early morning hours at work

and we headed to the Iowa State Fair.

Familiar refrain:  

Tim's family did; mine didn't.

Fairs were problematic for us when the girls were little 

but we began making them a regular event when we lived in PA.

Tim and I hit the Nebraska State Fair several times.  

Once we won at bingo.  That small grill Tim works his magic with?  It was our bingo prize.

So we wandered.  Day-dreamed.  Chatted.  Laughed.
Had a fun day.

Yes, we saw the butter cow and the chocolate moose.

Triggers

On a recent trip to Minneapolis I stumbled upon a cache of summertime memories tucked 

amid the travel and trial size bins at Walmart.
 This is what good marketing is all about!

The fragrance of this once familiar but long forgotten product 

is associated with two (2) distinct images:

Large purple rollers 

and 

the cabin at Okoboji.

Feel free to play along - once you've visualized the rollers and the cabin the memories just keep rolling... 

google images

I've been using it daily - have even replaced my travel-sized impulse with a full size jar!

My skin looks and feels better than it has in a long time.

The simple act of opening the jar to release the fragrance brings

 a smile to my face.

Surely we used it all year 'round but for some reason it speaks to me of summer.

Birthday greetings

I know it's unusual to see a second post on the same day but this one was prompted by the events of the day.
Read on:










In January, 1988, our oldest daughter, Naomi, died.  

She was 11. 

 We were heartbroken.

April of that same year saw us moving to Pennsylvania.

We found heart's ease and good friends.

We learned how to function as a family of four.

We experimented with small cars.  There were impromptu picnics.  The night of the fireflies.

And laughter.  Much laughter.

November of that first year rolled around and hoping to avoid some unwanted attention - thinking it was no big deal - I had opted not to add my name to the "Birthday Calendar" that hung in the entry of our church.  Big mistake.

Rob Smith was song leader that day.  Even in those few short months, Rob and his family were already our solid friends and I knew of his well-earned reputation for practical jokes.  It's tempting to call him "larger than life."  He was - and is - a brash, loud, outdoorsy, self-confident ham.  He's also a generous, helpful, multi-talented, kind man.  The grand kids call him Pap.
He is a friend.  And we share a birthday.

  He is a year older, and already much grayer, than me.

So that day he launches into a hilarious routine about twins  - his twin - separated at birth but still sharing personality traits, looks, sense of humor and so on, and on and on and everyone, everyone, knows there will be a punch line. So people are already chuckling and some are looking around to 

figure out who is about to be punched.

We are sitting in our customary back row and I am dying.  Dying. 

I know it only took a few minutes but from my vantage point it was an eternity before he wrapped it up with "Let's sing Happy Birthday to Ilona!" 

The whole place erupted!  

I don't know how he got through it with a straight face!

I had an email from him this morning - with birthday greetings, which I am happy to return.

Happy Birthday Pap.