Paris, New Studio

Hey there, sounds Southern doesn’t it??? LOL. I’m trying to find things here in France to remind me of my Southern heritage. I am remembering old recipes from my childhood and cooking them at night some. They bring such comfort and I just smile as I remember all sorts of scenes of these times and how much they mean to me while here.

There is so much to share with all of you about what has been happening. We finished up our wood graining and marbling module – all eight weeks – this past Friday. Our last project was a marquetry project and it was not easy, but beautiful and we enjoyed it. I’ll put pictures on the blog in the next couple of days, when I remember to take this particular panel.

There are so many things I want to share with all of you regarding what I’m learning about the French while here. Even though they are a Capitalist government, they have so many rules and regulations you cannot imagine. For instance, they regulate how many sales you can have as a retailer per year. Only two and even at that, they regulate how much you can mark your merchandise down. If you are going out of business and don’t sell all of your items, you just have to give them up and allow someone else to take them over. It is illegal to sell something lower than what the government says you can offer it. I’m amazed by this. I told Kyoko and Michel I’d be upset if I had to pay full price for things all year long, because the government says I have to.

They also have interesting laws such as, it is illegal for you to see someone hurt and not stop to help them. I wonder how they would feel about having their motorist help those of us who take our lives into our own hands while crossing the crosswalks. I actually had a man run into my legs last evening while I was trying to pass in front of him. He was in the round about and was at a complete stop. I walked in front of him (pedestrians are SUPPOSED to have the right of way when at a crosswalk), was in the middle of his car when he decided he didn’t like me passing in front of him and proceeded to move forward and hit my legs and my hand landed on his hood. I yelled “Excuse me”. I think I’m going to have to fight one of these French drivers before it’s over here LOL.

They have round abouts; instead of traffic lights. As I’ve said before, this particular round about is located right next to Appart Valley and is very dangerous in a car, much less walking.

The French have a Saint’s Day to celebrate EVERYDAY of the year. Amazing.

The French I’ve met who speak English are so wonderful and as a rule, most French will stare and say “she’s American” when I’m around. They are very curious about me, as I’m an anomaly to them. I guess they don’t get many Americans around Agen and Le Passage. Too far south from Paris.

We had an official “Lighting of the Canvas” ceremony this past Tuesday evening for the new studio and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The canvas, Michel painted on a small scale and they hired a company to blow it up, is at least 12’ high and over 60’ wide. It had more than 360 fluorescent lights behind the screen and we were amazed at how beautiful it was lit. The Mayor, who I’ve become somewhat friends with was there and asked me to move to France and to bring my husband with me. LOL. I told him, I’m going home when this is done!! We also met a lot of the City of Le Passage workers who came to give their support. We are having a lot of people just drop by out of curiosity and our school, as well as yours truly made it in the local paper. I’ll be bringing one home, albeit all in French.

I also went to Paris this past weekend with Michel and Kyoko. It was a long drive, but a beautiful one. While in Paris, I visited the famous IPIDAC School. There are some great people working there and I enjoyed meeting them, the Director of the school who invited me to come back to see them anytime I wished, as well as other artists and instructors. The famous Pierre was there and I got to watch him do a marble display, as well as speak to the instructors. Michel is very admired and respected among these artisans who have been teaching for years. I enjoyed hearing these comments and finding other people in France who could speak English LOL. There were three instructors who came to get Michel to sign his book for them and all three of them said this is their new bible. It was a successful day for Michel and while he was there signing his book, Kyoko and I escaped and went on the Metro and tooled around Paris.

We ate lunch on the Champs Elysees and had a great cappuccino and then went on a search for shoes LOL. I found some and asked Kyoko if people in France negotiated. She said “no, but I’ll ask if you like.” She did and they accepted my offer and there you go. I found some BD gifts for my friends and sisters and the cutest little T-shirt (finally) for my little grandson, Grae. There aren’t tourist things here in Agen.

Got to meet and have dinner with the publisher of Michel’s book and his assistant and husband this past Saturday evening and enjoyed it immensely. It was such a privilege to meet the people who are significant in Michel and Kyoko’s lives and talk to them. It is a small world when you get to talk to others. Found out the assistant’s husband is working for a company called Precision Valve. When I told him I’d called on them in the Greenville area when I was in sales, he exclaimed that they were planning on moving all their manufacturing to Greenville, SC, we all just smiled. They live just south of Paris.

I also have a great opportunity from one of the artists I met while in the school to be taken around in an old Citron car with two women when I return for three nights in December. They are talking about taking me around to wherever I want to go on Saturday the 20th. Classes finish in this particular module on the 19th and I don’t fly out until the 22nd to come home for Christmas. I’m SO looking forward to being with them and having that local connection to Paris. One of them doesn’t speak any English and she’s the one who made the initial offer, then solicited a friend who does speak English to help with this venture. I’m so grateful to both of them and look forward to this.

I also got to see the famous Notre Dam. Walking in that cathedral and knowing there was such history there and seeing the statues and stained glass windows were breathtaking. Mass was starting as well.

I am thinking of you all during this Thanksgiving season and am longing for some American food. Two of my best friends, Susan and Shelly are sending me a care package so I can get just that. I am cooking all the veges and pies for our Thanksgiving dinner here in Agen this coming Saturday evening. I’ll be in class during the actual day we celebrate it, but am thankful I get celebrate it in France at all. There are at least 17 people invited. I’m looking forward to receiving the package and making some of my favorite things from America. You cannot find so many basic items here in France. One of which surprised me most was cream cheese.

The French do not have a word for hug in the French language and that astounds me. I want you all to know though, that some of them are beginning to understand what hug means in American style and they are loving it.

We started a new module this week, one that I’m most excited about. It’s the trompe l’oeil module and when I see the panels we are already working on and will be completing, I’m so thrilled to be here during this time. Michel is very generous in wanting to give us as many things to do and learn as he can possibly fit into the schedule, so we are staying later this week, just to draw the designs on the panels so we can finish them. I’ll be sending pics of these as we complete them.

Just less than four weeks now, and I’ll be home. I’m so grateful to all of you who keep in touch with me. Your E-mails and comments touch me deeply. The cards and things you write about your daily lives helps me to feel connected to my home and I am thankful for everyone who is participating in this with me.

I’m growing in more ways than I could imagine and my sweet husband and I were just speaking about this last evening. We both agree that there are things happening with the two of us and our growth, individually as well as our closeness that we wouldn’t have experienced otherwise in any other way. We are thankful for these things we are both learning and are so looking forward to having time together at Christmas. Tom is just as wonderful as ever and as I've said before, the pain never goes away from being apart from him. Absence is making the heart fonder though and we are grateful for that.

You guys have a GREAT Thanksgiving; know this little lady in France has you in my mind and on my heart. That I’m smiling as I know you are enjoying a great meal with people you love and that I will be with you soon.

Take care and look around you, pay attention to what you feel and what makes you laugh and feel good about life. Run to those things and breathe in the moments . . .