Let Music fill the air

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

How do you stay close to memories....

I am home from another fabulous va-cay out East.    Home is always a good place to put your feet up and be yourself but after laying in bed for a few minutes the other morning and pondering how a short flight followed by a nites rest steals you from  absolute pleasure and puts you back into reality - I just had to decide to put my feet on the floor and ( as my friend "CC" would say)..   "just stay in the day".
So feet to the floor and that's what I did.


I started to tidy my place and unpack a few things.     I was feeling a little ho-hum after such great friendship inspired  adventure.   Then my mind was all about memories and keeping them alive.   I would make the day  one filled with little tributes to "frenchy" style and attitude and to the girls who also have all gone home to thier everyday lives  carrying thier memories too.  
So I made a tea in the lovely hand-painted mug I brought home from a local artist shoppe in Old Montreal.

Cleaned out the fridge to find that I needed to do a little shop.
I decided to make a nice lunch for me and my son.   I would plan to have croissants with lovely cheese and pear slices, a heap of montreal syle deli meat  and dijon mustard of course.  Baked brie with fancy crackers and a jug of what else?
Sangria!
 I would take my pooch to the dog park and bask in the sunshine for another morning before I had to be back at work and then pop into the grocery store to get some things.
I was feeling inspired.
I put a lavender sachet that was a gift from Deborah into my car so that the warm sun would warm it and keep the car smelling like fields in Provence.
I kept pulling things out of my bag and considering every gift.








"Just add lemon"    - isn't that true.   A little tart and a little flavor in life is always a good thing.
( I have a thing for little messages as some people know - and I couldn't resist this little bowl)


I hung this pretty crystal in my kitchen.  It was a gift from my newest friend, Wendy who the camera loves and has a spark for life that is undeniable.   

  "The promise of exceptional moments".        There were so many.    I bought this little cloth napkin so I would be reminded - but I think I will carry it in my purse just in case I need to wrap up a little chocolate that I would like to save for later or to help wipe a tear that sometimes may appear.

BON AMI...     where have you gone?
"My friends".     I think there should be a gigantic one of these flags hanging in Claudettes yard.  6 girls laughing, sharing stories and feeling like we were in school together even though  we spanned 20 years in age between  us.
 
What we realized?     That age really is just a number.     It's something that was so obvious to us all.    Girls inside different kinds of bodies that are at different stages of life - but inside all of us the same.    It's  just that simple.

I wore a pin that I bought that said "I have been in love with Jean Paul".....     so what was that all about?  

Let me tell you.    - lucky me!




I got to see the Jean Paul Gautier exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art in Montreal!

I so wanted to see it and as dear as my friend is.... she drove back to Montreal so I could attend.   Then we were able to catch up with Manon for a late lunch.  Manon is Claudie's  sassy french girlfriend - and she is a partner  in a lovely french  restaurant in Montreal.   Her suggestion for us?  Perfectly grilled Salmon piled on a lovely salad with French Kir.   A plate of pasta to share and some sliced bread with olives and vinagrette on the side.    The food was always just so good and presented in such a way that you would think you were somebody special.   Food is a  world of fashion all its own.

French Kir.
 So back to the real world...    I did the shop,  took Charlie to the dog park although he seemed happy to laze around at home and put cushions on the chairs on the patio so we could have lunch outside under the umbrella.  Not exactly streetside bistro - but close enough.

My lunch that I made for me and Tyson.   On the patio.   In the warm breeze.    

I baked an "apple tart"  for us for desert.   And I thought...     I was happy to have my son with me to share in the moment. 
  He picked the pear slices out of the sandwich which didn't surprise me and he turned down the Sangria - but he loves Brie and the pie disappeared quickly too so all is well at the Julie restaurant.


I hung the red lantern in the tree on the patio so that in the nite it would light just like Claudie's in her tree many miles away.  




Later in the evening we just had corn on the cob for dinner.    And I wanted to try out this cooking bag that I bought roadside in a frenchie supberb on the Ontario side.    
This is a potato or corn bag.  I bought it from that roadside sale I just mentioned.  This lovely woman whose last name was of all things  "Parisien"   couldn't have been happier when we all stopped and bought something from her.    And she ended up being quite a salesperson too! 
Here she is,    calls herself an Artisane (with the sewing machine) which I guess is fair.  She chatted us up about how she was putting part of the money towards cancer charity and gave us demonstrations about things that didn't seem obvious to us.    Somewhere along the line we spotted a huge Winebago in the driveway that she said her & her husband take on trips every year.     We laughed so hard in the van because here we were just wanting to support her little project and some of us saved for months to do this trip of ours.    Seriously,  if only I could make money selling corn bags.     Did we ever laugh.    We added up what we all spent and I think it was about $85.00.    That country lady with the warm smile was pretty street savy alright!



Then there was those Autograph books that we carried around with us.   We wrote notes to each other and had waiters sign messages and pin business cards to the pages.   





I didn't read the pages until I got on the plane home and the notes were so thoughtfully written.  So that's where I left my day.  Dwelling in the memories.   It's a good place to be.


Aurevoire mon ami's ! 



   Love each one of you for your own special spark.











8 comments:

C'est moi Claudette said...

Oh my dear dear Western friend.
I couldn't have made it through this adventure without you, truly and really. You inspire me like no other. Your special touches, your sweet little notes, your fun, laughter, tears, sensitive heart make Julie such a very special friend in my eyes and in my heart.
I write my day to day adventures and store them in my heart, but you write from your heart. We are different, all of us, but so many similar things just pop up when we are together.
You will always find little "things" that will remind you of our time together. One by one they will make you smile, and keep your days fresh with life.
That's what friends do, that's what memories are made of.
See I could have written that in your autograph book, but noooooo I couldn't, LOL
Our time together was way too fast, but I know you'll be back... cuz you can't live without me : )
LOVE YOU
LOVE ME
xoxoxoxoxoxo

jeanne said...

Hello my dear sweet Julie,
I arrived home o company and life is so busy I haven' even unpacked yet. I have worn some cloths out of my suitcase though. HA! I shared my skirt with my sister and she loved it. I promise a photo of me wearing it soon. With My SIL here, I have not had time to post much. Just a bit. My photos are very limited and I so look forward to yours. May I use the last photo to share?

Your post is precious and says what we all feel so deeply. Our week together was more than a fun week with friends we get along with. I feel a bond that just makes me smile every time I think of a memory of our time together. At times it is an all out laugh. A special week with such darling women just makes my heart sing.

It sounds like your homecoming was all 'good' with your son and I am so happy for you. I love reading everything you write. You have a special talent for writing my dear 'sista' friend.

Love you bunches,
Jeanne xoxoxo

wendy said...

YAY...this was so fun to read. Julie, Julie, Julie, how I love you. What dear sweet friends I acquired from this wonderful trip. What a joy for me. I am glad you got to go to your fashion show.....being the fashion diva you are. Wow, did I learn some "flare" from you gals. This ol' country gal will never be the same (ha ha)
Or as Jeanne would say...HA!
The photo at the end just made me SMILE.. I showed my daughter and sis (since I am at her house right now in Southern Alberta) Will head home tomorrow to my place, have my daughter for 3 more days and then she goes home.
It has been a whirlwind.
I'll get back to ya....the kids are ready to go hiking (oh man, my poor aching bones)
BIG HUG

~CC Catherine said...

Sista, Sista, Sista ~ I "MISS" my mornings waking up with you singing or just being sweet sweet you! We shared some pretty great room mate adventures; especially that morning we were locked out! HA! ;) Remember?

Now that I'm back, my mind doesn't stop reflecting on our special times together - the Betsy Johnson store in Montreal our final night together and those fabulous Chocolate shots...what in the world??? HA! They were the bomb for sure.

It looks like you returned to life in a mellow mode; I ended up in a vehicle within 24 hours heading to AL - a 7 hour round trip to celebrate my FIL's 70th birthday and to see our son Peter and meet his lovely new girlfriend.

We had over night guests the entire weekend (my first back home) unexpectedly and life returns to MY norm. :) lol Gotta love the spontaneous moments, eh?

We truly were blessed by Claudie & Ran in Plantagenet, weren't we? And...it's a memory for life! Thanks for being one of the gals that invested so much time in me by being my roomie! I miss our late talks...and I will never ever be the same from sharing this lovely time with you all.

Love you to the MOON, BACK, and BEYOND SISTA!

;) ~CC
xoxo

Teresa said...

What a lovely day. You know, you really do write from the heart. i wish I could see the world through your eyes. I think the world would be much brighter then, and I would take more joy in the everyday, simple things.

When is the next girly world tour?? I think I need a Vacay.

Miss you Jewels,
Teresa

Claudia said...

Hi you darling thing!

Your heart felt words brings us "wanna bes" there with you all. So happy you had your wonderful outting and perhaps I will get the opportunity to join you all next year.

Will you be in Ashville? Love your photos -- you are a wonderful story teller.

Hugs
Claudia

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Oh Julie,

I believe we SPOKE, as I was on the phone with CC, you came in and gave me a few kind words, I an in turn, cried. THANK YOU. I will never forget that moment. And though I was not with you all, when I see these pictures, I do believe I was there; the heart, the laughs and all THINGS FRENCH make me feel close by.

Thank you for coming to visit today. Have a dream of a day and a moonlit night! Anita

jeanne said...

Hello dear, I just had to say hello after reading Claudie's latest smile box. There we are all together having the time of our life. that ferry ride was a hoot. It just made me miss you so much.

I hope all is going well now, Claudie said you are rowing a lot. I know you love it and I am so happy you are involved in something you love to do.

I am writing my thank you's at last. I am sorry they are so belated but they are straight from my heart. My life has not been my own. My cousin is still here and we haven't had a break from company since I arrived home. Don't get me wrong, I love my company,
Love you too,
Jeanne xoxoxo
love my company but I am needing some me time.