It is cherry picking season here in Monflanquin. My friend Mado invited me to her orchard today to enjoy the bounty.  Today was one of my favorite days. At the Thursday market, I met so many friends. It felt like coming home. Diana invited me for a special aperitif at noon to celebrate her new French citizenship.  Our entire block  toasted her with delicious champagne followed by a savory tart,  artisan cheese from the Pyrenees,  cherry tomatoes and sausage. For dessert, a choice of tarte aux pommes or fraisier, creamy strawberry pie. Impossible to choose, so we all sampled both. Our block may be the nicest in the village. It is certainly one of the liveliest. Cheers!

Goofy Airport Selfie

Michael can actually take a great selfie of himself and Erin. No clue how he does it. The only thing good about this picture is the reminder that my dental implant now lives securely in my mouth. What an ordeal. Nine months of patience; actually impatience. Relating to all the toothless people out there. Traveling to Hong Kong without a tooth. Avoiding nuts, seeds, and popcorn. Hopefully this experience won't need to be repeated.
My flights were all on time and smooth. Air France still offers free champagne. I toasted everyone I could think of. Food was okay. My seat mate decided her little boy should sit next to me. I have no idea why. He kept kicking me while he slept. It felt like Maggy was sleeping with me. The grand finale was his hurling into the barf bag. His mother just smiled. What are you going to do?
I wrote another diamond poem Saturday and Sunday. Here they are without the diamond shape format.

Saturday Diamond Poem:                                     Sunday Diamond Poem

Airports                                                                  Air France Bus
Distant Bustling                                                      Slow Bumpy
Watch Wait Whisk                                                  Stop Go Rattle
Impersonal Busy                                                     Convenient Gray                                               
People Mover                                                          Bus Michael loathes
                                                                           

Diamond Poems

This week I learned about Diamond Poems. I thought to have my French 101 write them the last day of class. Instead, they got into a long discussion in English about saving the planet. It was a rough term with too many students struggling with personal issues. When I first started at PCC thirty years ago, students did not have personal issues or so it seemed. Now they are eager to tell me how many times they threw up in the bathroom. TMI

I thought to try a Diamond Poem myself the day before  beginning my summer adventure in France.

                                       Anticipation

                                anxious           uplifting

                            hopes     foreshadows   predicts     
                         
                                  helpful             harmful

                                         Preconception

My bag contains a vegetable peeler and four pillow cases, signs of home ownership.  I can't wait to be in my little kitchen in Monflanquin. I am most worried about the rental car. Will it be small enough? Will I feel comfortable and safe?  Anticipation is traveling with me,

                               
                               

Back to France - Spring Break 2019

Not my usual time to return to France.  Designated as a  home improvement work crew, Bill, Erin, Michael, and I met in Monflanquin to perform some much needed  home maintenance. First priority, replace moldy old  living room floor boards,  repaint the  walls near  floor board and  thoroughly clean the cave. Then time permitting, ready the window in the master bedroom for an air conditioning unit.  With less than a week to accomplish these tasks, we held family meetings to quantify what could be done and how.  Michael and Erin amazed us with their  skills. Bill, now retired from TriMet, kept everyone on task with his master list and worked hard.  My job:  keep the crew fed.  And voila, it all got done despite jet lag and  language  label confusion.
I felt the magic of Monflanquin return immediately.  What  a joy to rediscover my friends!  Spring turned up to make our stay a pleasure. One day, I sneaked in a 10 K hike between meals and found myself truly enjoying the fresh air and nature. After hibernating during much of Portland's winter, it felt so good. Saturday before departure, all work completed, we drove to Chateau Castelnaud, a medieval fortress in the Dordogne and home to an excellent military museum featuring medieval ammunition like the sling shot. Below are some photos from the trip.

Erin's birthday celebration

At Chateau Castelnaud

Construction crew on break

Erin Makes A New Friend
Rue Sainte Marie

Catching Up - French Classes

Evidently, it takes a trip to motivate me to post. Before  I  get into travel mode, let me describe life right here in Beaverton, Oregon.  I am still teaching French at PCC.  Taught French 102 and French 103 the last two terms. Fun to teach more advanced French classes. Back to French 101 this spring. French 101 may be the most challenging class of all. Students can find the very effective Immersion Method  overwhelming. They need patience, support, kindness, compassion and clarity to get through the first few weeks.  Many students end up dropping, but those who stick it out find the excitement and reward of learning the beautiful French language. I know a class is going well when there is a lot of laughter and self laughter. Perhaps the best strategy when learning something new is to not take oneself too seriously.

On February 18, I did a Cooking in French Class chez moi. We went over recipes in French and prepared Biscuits aux Olives, Soupe aux Cailloux, and Clafoutis aux Cerises. The student levels varied dramatically, but everyone spoke as much French as possible while cooking and lunching together.

Karen enjoying French lunch.

Kaitlyn and Dad relishing dessert.

Dawn and Nathan, the soup team. 

Table set for lunch. Love this table cloth purchased in Marseille.

France Summer 2018: It's a wrap or a crepe!

It's August 16 in Paris, the night before my flight home to Portland. I have been gone 75 days. Who sent me to the best sleep away summer camp ever? My friend Angela calls Monflanquin an adult playground. Agreed!

Bill and I are dining at one of the many creperies near our hotel in the 14th. Somehow Bill's vegetarian order transformed itself into a charcuterie extravaganza which even I couldn't eat. The waiter was very apologetic about the mix up. We ordered an especially tasty dry Breton cider.  All good.

Looking back, this summer in France stands out as one of surprises.  Wonderful unexpected experiences, new friendships, and increased self confidence. The latter grew from being the director and chief of our house in France, managing repairs, entertaining guests, adding to decor and comfort. Amazon.fr is my best friend.  On the road, I navigated an SUV. Way out of my comfort zone but without mishaps. Each week, I forced myself to take an out of comfort zone drive. Good for me I rationalized. Then there was swimming practice. The municipal pool felt like second home as my practice sessions grew more and more frequent during the heat wave, and my breast stroked progressed.

In a small village where so many people know each other, there is a diplomatic art to relationships. Often, I would hear two sides of the same story and just nod with interest.  People's problems become gossip,  embellished versions of the truth, or a source of conjecture.  Again, the sympathetic nod. It works for me.

The village boasts many octogenarians and nonagenarians. They eat well, live less stressful lives, and enjoy community and village activities.  Back home now, I am aching to hear Bonjour, an acknowledgement of simply being a person, see the twinkle in a French person's eyes, relish the enjoyment of conversation. The village mailman stops his truck in the middle of the street to give me the traditional French kiss on the cheeks greetings through the open yellow postal truck window. My visiting American family just stars. But c'est normal!

So it's a wrap or a crepe!  The  French summer memories will nurture me until next time. I worked hard to make my life in Monflanquin  soulful and  joyful.  Out of all my experiences,  I leave you with this personal challenge:  Follow your dreams!

Much love,
Giselle

Medieval Madness

 Every August 15, Monflanquin gets a Medieval Makeover for the annual Medieval Festival.  Ten pigs are roasted on a spit. Wild boar and sausages are served in food stands. Drinks include a beverage called Donkey's Piss and Medieval Meed.   People parade in glorious Medieval costumes. Music, dancing, flag waving, and reenactment of Medieval life abound in the streets and alley ways of the village.  We enjoy watching a jousting tournament, a choreographed dog herding duck and geese program, elegant French dressage, snake tricks, and more.  Hundreds of people pour into the village for a couple of days of festivity.  Tourists love it, locals not so much.

Herding dog named Darkness stands guard,

 Our visiting family finds the shows highly entertaining. My favorite would be the dog leading his web footed prodigies through an intricate dance routine then showing us his talent for math and counting.

I do like to get into the spirit of the festival by dressing up a little. Many refuse finding the weather too hot for costumes. The Medieval Market down the hill sells beautiful leather wares, jewelry, books, and accessories in accordance with the festival theme. 

In this picture below, I am posing in front of our house. Unfortunately, the grapes above the door suffered from extremely cold then extremely hot weather this summer. By the time they ripen, I am at home in the classroom for another term. Hopefully, neighbors get to enjoy them.

We are planning to leave the village tomorrow. I have spend the last few days packing away valuables, giving final instructions to the family staying on, and saying my good-byes. The good-byes feel flat. I am too tired and numb to feel anything.  Leaving is so hard.

Me in my Medieval Garb