Garden Meditation

I have been so fortunate to spend time in the garden this summer...Our weather here has produced some lovely flowers...enough of everything, sunshine, warm days and rain...lots of rain this week...Maine seems to be have more than the average number of quirky gardens...and this one is from my favorite shop...Bittersweet Barn, is just the coolest shop...a blend of new, old, consignment and hand crafted..but for photography, the garden out back, is a work of art...I don't have a green thumb and I certainly cannot craft a garden that just makes one stop in their tracks and say..."how did she think to do that".  In some ways it is very much like still Life photography...making pretty scenes by knowing how to blend your props...and this lady loves to have you come and visit and take as many photo's as you like...I have been known to get lost in her shop and gardens for hours on a Saturday afternoon...now if she only served tea...

Linking up to Kim Klassen's Texture Tuesday...used KK..simplicity at soft light...38% opacity...

“Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at anytime and be yourself.” ~Hermann Hesse

Moving Down the River...Lyon

We are moving on down the river...in a ship that was named just for me...do you think they commissioned it right before I booked this trip...it was a lovely, small ship with only 44 passengers..It was easy to get to know everyone and fortunately we had a wonderful, fun loving group...and in my estimation our tour guide was one of the very  best we've ever had...so important to have a great tour guide...I would cruise this trip again just to spend more time with her..so here we are in Lyon..a favorite spot of mine..

We arrive in Lyon early in the morning before the city starts to move..I wake up early and go for a walk..one of the things that I love about Southern France is that, in general it is safe to walk around...Lyon was like that...the light and the warmth were beautiful this morning and I enjoyed some free time on my own...to try and take in the beauty that surrounded me...Lyon is a city in east-central France in the Rhone-Alps region. It sits between Paris and Marseille.  The city is known for it's historical and architectural landmarks as an important area for the production and weaving of silk and in modern times has developed a reputation as the capital of gastronomy in France..the city is also know for it's famous light festival, Fete des Lumieres which occurs every December 8th and lasts 4 days, earning Lyon the title Capital of Lights.  Legend says that Virgin Mary saved the city from the plague and, to thank her, a statue was built.  On the day it was erected, the whole city was lit by candles that the citizens put in their windows..and each December they still light those candles..Lyon is a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE.

 

Later in the day we went to visit the Basilica Note-Dame de fourviere...It was built with private funds between 1872 and 1884 in a dominating position in the city.  Fourviere is also dedicated to the Virgin Mary for saving the city from the sweeping epidemic of cholera...it is an impressive building.

Basilica on the hill and the stairs leading up to it...the building can be seen anywhere in the city.  We did not climb those stairs but went up a hill on the other side...fortunately the bus took us up quite a ways so our walk was much less than what these poor folks were doing.

Ah my favorite part...shopping...as you can see, the streets get busy and the bikes come out, along with the walkers..the French people are much more fit and trim than us American's...it was not hard to figure that out and it was also obvious why...they WALK AND BIKE everywhere...no butter with bread, no bread basket appetizer..small portions, oh my they were small but after a few days you realized that they were plenty big enough. Each meal always consisted of soup, salad, entree and dessert...and lots and lots of wine...so delicious.  If you really want to know how they do it...a really great and fun read is "French Woman Don't Get Fat".  Since reading the book I try to pay more attention to some of the tips...but while there...not so much. We did walk everywhere though.  Shopping was my thing..I love everything French and someday I will show you my shoes and bag and scarf...and blah, blah blah...and remember the tour guide that I mentioned earlier...well how do I know she is really so good...because she told me exactly where to go to get those shoes...

I had to add the wisteria...it was so beautiful and so abundant...draping over fences and walls like a fine piece of silk...colors in shades of purple and lavender...I swear it had a scent of romance to it...just to tease you and stop you short in your tracks...it was spring there, real spring...and it invaded my senses...

From the deck on the ship we would gather and enjoy the views of the city as we glided down the river...no hurry, no where to be...just this one day to gather memories for a life time...Lyon will enter your heart and never let go...well, that is until you get to Avignon..but that's for another day...

France..In the Tiny Town of Beaune

How about a little stroll through the tiny town of Beaune (Bon)...It has been awhile since I have visited France...my photo's sit and wait for me and I'm amazed that I let so much time go by since our trip in April. I have decided, for the most part, to use my Friday Find space to share France with you..I found so much there...wine, food, people, a new language to learn, earthy, musky, romantic smells, lotions, and shoes.  Lots of lovely shoes...Love is there, it's in the air.  So much to take in and soak up... I really want to dedicate a book to France but I have not given myself the time to edit and gather and then send it off to be printed...so I begin, today, in the town of Beaune...in the wine capital of Burgundy, in the Cote de Or department in Eastern France. It is located between Paris and Geneva.  Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France...I think it is the perfect place to start...as a matter of fact...my husband bought a bottle of wine here for 50.00. He has yet to pop the cork...I think he is carrying it in the photo above...I'll fill you in on that later...let's begin....

Beaune is a walled city, with about half of the battlements, ramparts, and the moat, having survived and in good condition, and the central "old town" is extensive. Landmarks in Beaune include the Halles, the Hospices, the Beffroi, and Notre Dame.  Above is a photo of the Hotel Dieu, a charity hospital in Beaune..The Hôtel-Dieu was founded on 4 August 1443, when Burgundy was ruled by Duke Philip the Good. The Hospices de Beaune received the first patient on 1 January 1452. Elderly, disabled and sick people, with orphans, women about to give birth and the destitute have all been uninterruptedly welcomed for treatment and refuge, from the Middle Ages until today.

 All the beds, all in a row..I was happy to see that they got to share in the sunshine...

So many sweet shops...and the open markets everyday, all over France, are something to experience...I'll show you more of this when we move on to Provence...I had to get two of these because of the nuts...so many nuts and such big chunks.  I would go back just for this..

There is a comprehensive "traditional" shopping area clustered around the central square with a focus on gourmet food, fashion, and wine, while large supermarkets, business parks, etc., are situated on the outskirts of town.  This is one of the two streets for shopping...

Of course, outdoor cafe's in all the little villages..In April I was so happy it was warm enough to sit out...I love their lifestyle there...they "get" what life is all about...slow down, take time each day...to be with friends, even if only for a cappuccino outside for an hour...it's seems they knew about Be Still well before we ever did.  It's part of their charm.

Although Beaune is not primarily a tourist town but one centred on the wine industry, it nevertheless attracts a large amount of tourism. About five traditional smaller hotels are located within the city walls with around five chain hotels on the outskirts.  For me, it was all about the wine...Burgundy...wine country...they love their wine...but for me, I like what I'm used to...here at home.  Then again, we haven't opened that $50.00 bottle yet..so I'm holding out judgement.  Even if it is the best wine ever, I seriously doubt I would ever pay that much for another bottle of wine...but I would definitely go back to France...See you in Provence. 

“One should always be drunk. That's all that matters...But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose. But get drunk.”― Charles Baudelaire

Lavender Blue

The Last Perfect Season

by Joyce Sutphen

No one knew it then, but that was the last
perfect season, the last time sky and earth

were so balanced that when we walked,
we flew, the last time we could pick a crate

of strawberries every morning in June,
the last time the mystical threshing

machine appeared at the edge of the field,
dividing the oats from the chaff, time of

hollyhocks and sprinklers, white clouds over
a tin roof. Everyone we knew was young then.

Our mothers wore dresses the color of
dove wings, slim at the waist, skirts flaring

just enough to let the folds drape slightly,
like the elegant suits our fathers wore,

shirts so white they dazzled even
the grainy eye of the camera when

we looked down into the viewfinder to
press the button that would keep us there,

as if we already knew that this was
as good as it was ever going to get.

Hooking up with Kim Klassen for Texture Tuesday...texture used...KK Waterfront 4

Dream

Without dreams what do we have...a life going by, day by day with little meaning.   Dreams are where we live and plan...without dreams we are just chasing the rainbows...with dreams we can find the rainbow and enjoy the ride.

Don't ever give up on dreaming...and isn't the summer the perfect time to spend a little time daydreaming. Don't forget to bring your notebook and jot a few of those dreams down..and on a day when your feeling not quite up to par...take that notebook out and have a little look...it might be a great time to get started on one of your dreams...here's to hammocks, sunshine, laughter, light and summer dreams.

Back lighting for my 2BeStill class..lesson 8.  I love how this came out.  The rich tones and the suble back light add to the simplicity of the scene...

“Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.” 
― Gloria Steinem

“And people who don’t dream, who don’t have any kind of imaginative life, they must… they must go nuts. I can’t imagine that.” 
― Stephen King