Our solstice ceremony was quiet, with me and C ready to give back to the earth what we do not want or need anymore. We burned our little release bundles, just us 2, the moon and the stars. It felt good.

As you can see, our part of the world doesn’t exactly look like the usual Christmas weather i am used to . We are enjoying the nature surrounding us, and giving thanks for these beautiful landscapes everyday …

La cérémonie a pour nom Mother of all releasing, et tous peuvent y participer à leur manière, en inscrivant sur du papier tout ce dont on veut se défaire, pour ensuite remettre ces voeux à la terre, le 22 décembre, via le feu — un symbole puissant pour nous libérer de ce qui nous encombre et nous pèse, pour le remettre à la terre qui elle saura quoi en faire!

Débousollée et fatiguée par les 12 heures de voyage, en plus du décalage, je me sens comme un cheveux sur la soupe.

Un tour chez métro pour acheter quelques trucs – je m’y perd dans les étalages à retrouver tout les produits qui jadis fesaient partis de mon quotidien, le quotidien laissé il y a 2 ans presque jours pour jours.

C’est en octobre 2009 que moi et C avons signé notre contrat de location pour un appartement situé rue Froidevaux, dans le 14ième arrondissement de Paris. Nis C ni moi n’avions jamais mis les pieds dans cet arrondissement, alors la signature du contrat était fait unpeu à la volée – advienne que pourras, il était temps pour nous de partir de Montréal, même si ce départ me demandait tout mon petit change.

Presque 2 années ont filées – 8 mois à Paris, 6 mois dans l’Hérault et 6 mois en Provence – et on se retrouve aujourd’hui les fesses dans le froid de l’automne Québecois, à chialer contre le design laid des voitures nord américaines (surtout celles dont tout les éléments rappellent l’aigle, du capot au tableau de bord… l’héritage Amérindien que me dis C… ca me calme unpeu), à écouter les conversations avec un fort accent d’ici, à me pratiquer à tutoyer au lieu de vouvoyer, à me rappeller qu’il y a la poutine…

Même si les raisons de cette visite impromptue me nouent l’estomac – mon pop est à l’hopital depuis 15 jours – je suis contente d’être ici et d’avoir ce que C appelle notre “city fix”. Je remercie en silence l’univers qui a aidé à sa manière dans ce voyage, libérant notre appartement Montréalais à la dernière minute, comme un signe pour me dire °vas-y donc” !

J’espère que l’univers va aussi m’aider pour la suite, et aider mon pop pour qui je suis ici…

Flowers still showing up in our garden. something i pretty much enjoy.

Fall finally reached my part of the world.

There is less sunshine, more rain, meaning, more time spent inside. Time to digg into projects, art, crochet, forest hiking, read by the fire, make plans for the end of the year, and connect online with the fabulous women of the autumn session of Soul Lodge.

Things i am into at this season of my life:

- reading colette (her books have occupied lots of my hamac time this summer
- giving and receiving love from our 3 cats, Fanta, Monsieur O, and our newly born Lili boom. Having this little princess with us is making us really happy
- finding nice fall-winter clothes
- planning xmas in austria
- seeing the Luberon and the Alpilles from my weekly hike in the mountains of Mérindol
- enjoying and discovering new tea
- painting and writing
- taking more polaroid pictures
- enjoying the nature we live in
- watching our friends become parents and wondering how it feels like.

What are you into?

End of august, here is september already. What does september mean to you? Since i grew up in the northern hemisphere, with 4 seasons clearly defined by weather changes, september is for me a palette of orange-yellowish colors and shades. September means crisp morning air, blue sky, low sunlight and beautiful colors with the tree leafs slowly dying of… It is also a new start for projects, like if i’ve been sleeping for 2 months and now creative energy needs to flow out of me…

Feeling like its time for holiday. Daily swims, taking care of my first (and tiny) garden, driving our new little Citroen (which has the color of pastis, my favorite apéro), having C’s parents over for 2 weeks, eating good cheese, good bread, wine, cooking fig jam late in the evening, once that there is a cool breeze calming the heat, cooking many new recipe from this book which i finally got my hands on (was back order for Europe for what seemed like forever…), taking many more polaroids, waiting for a new pola camera (most wanted sx-70), taking a picture of C enjoying is first MrFreeze, loving the light, composting, writing, painting, and slowing down.

Sending you a warm breeze from our little heaven in the Luberon!

I love our ground, and I can’t seem to stop finding new angles of beauty among the olive trees and wild flowers. The sunlight is just perfect, giving each hour of the day a new shade, and i must stop myself from using all my Polaroid film at once!

This said, if you feel generous and would like to order me some film pack, click here!

Les vacances sont officiellement commencées. Après l’été dernier passé à Paris, je me suis dis que pour l’été 2011, je célèbrerais l’été comme le font les français, quittant tout pour un mois complet, 4 semaines de vacances. Du temps pour jouer dehors, cuisiner, manger, célébrer, profiter lentement de l’été.

Last pictures for the Polaroid Week 2011… This was so much fun!

I almost feel like hurting myself for missing day one of this polaroid week. Here are 2 snapshots taken earlier today, hope you are having a great week!

Ok i missed monday. Mondays are always a day where i try to catch on, and slowly start engines… Never a productive day, it feels like i’m just half there. So today is day 3 of Polaroid week, here are 2 pictures snapped today.

These are some of my pictures for Polaroid week, i’m still totally hooked to this instant pleasure toy!

Here is another polaroid taken last week. Summer in the south of france is hot, we can barely go out in the afternoon sun. Time for a siesta in the hamac, or inside our cool house under shades.

Cleaning the garage, which have been filled up for the last 30 years, i discovered an old Polaroid Camera.

Not knowing how to use it, or if it was even working, i decided to play with it, ordered films (expensive films!) and 3 weeks later, here i am, completely addicted to this new toy.

Each picture is instant, and hm, expensive (a 8 pictures film is 18 Euros, that makes 2 Euros per picture!), and you have little control on how the result will be. However, the results are precious, romantic, spontaneous little slice of life, which you can hold onto, and i just love it.