Birthday 11/29/07- My Year of the Pig… still!
My dear friend Julie Benbow sent me this birthday greeting; it was for the love of the words, the blessing of our own beauty and a wonderful reminder that we share poetry and pigs with each other. And so I pass the gift to you… my b-day gift to all my word loving friends. SAINT FRANCIS AND THE SOW By Galway Kinnell * The budstands for all things,even for those things that don’t flower,for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing;though sometimes it is necessaryto... Read More
Apple & Saints Part 2- Pomologie
A Recipe for growing an Orchard in Gascony 12 trees 12 holes to dig 1 sunny afternoon rimmed with rain clouds I have learned to dig holes for trees here in France; large wide holes and deep enough for roots to reach for good soil. The Garonne Valley soil is strong with clay and likes the compost I have been ignoring for a year behind the garden shed. When I found Camont in 1989 the large parc was an apple orchard overgrown with brambles 20-feet high into the trees,... Read More
Apples & Saints- November 25
A la Sainte Catherine… …tous bois prend racine. ‘Le Petit Bleu’, the local paper in my corner of Southwest France- has a dicton or proverb on the corner of the weather page for everyday of the year—so many saints, so many sayings. “Si Saint-Lambert est pluvieux, suivent neuf jours dangereux”- if it rains on April 14- St.Lambert’s day, nine ‘dangerous’ days days follow. Or this one for the 5th of August— À Saint-Abel, Faites vos confitures de... Read More
Thanks & Giving
Thanksgiving and family go together like…turkey and stuffing, sweet potatoes and bourbon, pumpkins and pies. Every year I try to arrange my states’ side visit to hit this holiday above all others. No such luck this year; new dog, works in progress and a fall visit from family who came here. Instead I’ll gather with a group of expats and locals at someone’s house tonight and we’ll bemoan the lack of a whole turkey, and all the trimmings. There’ll... Read More
Me, me, me, me, too.
The Julia Hoyt lit like a Chinese lantern. Four by Four- a magic set of numbers. When Rosa tagged me this week in such good company, I mused over what would be my own questions. Who am I? Where did I come from? What am I doing here in southwest France? Boring and predictable. Then I had yet another opportunity, more common than not these days, to make e-small talk this time via the famous craigslist.org. I’m looking for a stagiare or two, to help me carry my French... Read More
