Sabbatical...French Spas and The Release of Zen Living III

Back after a week of Unscheduled Days and Complete Relaxation. I have got to pencil this in more often.

Celebrating the Release of my last book in The Zen Living Trilogy!

I am so pleased!  I was very happy with the way the first book turned out. Less thrilled with the second. The final, possibly the best, in my opinion. Together they complete my thoughts entirely. If you are looking for thick volumes filled with a lot of fill-dirt that you have to sift through...these are NOT the books for you.

But, if you want three slim volumes that contain a no nonsense approach to Zen Living, Peace of Mind, and Happiness. You have come to the right place. They can change your life.

Since the Trilogy was basically spawned during my time wandering through the fog with my DS Family, it seems only fitting that Vicki and Diane have asked that I have a signing during The Greencastle Gathering. And yes, Vixen, there will almost certainly be cake!

Only

more days until The Gathering!

So....I wandered away from les jardins on my virtual Tour de France this past week to explore something else France is well known for...the luxurious spas. 

Along with 62 Provinces that boast some of the most sumptuous spa experiences on the planet, I also managed to glean some of their recipes for bath, body and facial scrubs that ran from extremely simple to Omg...I am not sure I have even heard of this ingredient...are you SURE that is safe to put on your skin? 

Among my favorites were

Rose Petal Sugar Scrub

 Which was a wonderful and fragrant recycle for my spent rose blooms.



And fresh

Peppermint Witch-hazel Masque

Since I have copious amounts of Peppermint growing for teas, juleps and medicinal; this gave me yet another use.

"Idgy", in a stroke of genius, saved the day with my Chocolate Sugar Scrub by suggesting over coffee and chat that I use Solid Coconut Oil for the emulsifier thereby making the entire thing a "lick your lips" experience!  If you make it back up in October, we shall have a Spa Night!

And currently waiting on a pound of Kaolin Clay to try my hand at creating scented clay masques.

As good things arrive in Boxes...I am sure a "Spa in a Box" filled with experimental concoctions will soon be winging your way, hon,

On a related note...after this week my skin has never looked better.

 ~laughing~

So it is back to telephones and grandchildren, family and friends...even though I did stay connected through FB...chat and E-mail...so not quite Tibetan Monestary Conditions...but still very quiet, low impact and relaxing.

And my youngest, Chris...who is off on a new Musical Journey. Teaching himself to play the flute.  He constantly amazes me.

Like Warhol admonished:
 TRY EVERYTHING!


More anon...
 







 

Happy Birthday Kaylee!

My oldest with his oldest :)

Yesterday we celebrated Kaylee's 10th Birthday with

Rainbow Cake and Candles...and...

An Afternoon Matinee of The Minion Movie...

Hard to believe she is double digits already...how can THAT be right?

And huge kudos to Nicki for getting everything arranged on such short order after we had been told we would not be able to see her on her birthday.

Afterward Kaylee proclaimed

 "Best Birthday EVER"

Proving it's not about the STUFF.
                            It's about the LOVE.

Looking forward to this week...absolutely "unscheduled" and complete relaxation. Time to CENTER. 
Create.
Breathe.
Meditate.
Relax.

Paint and Write and Read and Do a little more of Virtual France (The Gardens) a
Play in my Own Plants.

The past month and a half being a whirlwind of visits, reunions, brunches and birthdays. I think my Brother, Neal, may have said it best this morning

"I am about one step away from You Kids Get Off My Lawn."

Yeah, pretty much.

Suffering from Inundated With People Syndrome...and if it is not a
REAL Syndrome...well, it should be.

So, I have turned off the phone, put out the "Go The HELL Away" mat, put on some soft jazz, and soon to head to a candlelit bubble bath with a glass of wine.



Yeah. I'm beyond frazzled.
 Seriously need to re-charge. 

I'll see everyone next Sunday.

Have a Great Week!

l'Orangerie

Musée de l'Orangerie

The Orangerie at the West End of Les Tuilleries was originally what we would refer to as a "greenhouse" environment for nobilities citrus trees. It was a common practice in the 15th to 19th centuries to extend the season of citrus availability by adding an Orangerie. It also denoted the wealth and standing of the properties owner. Only the very rich afforded the privilege of having these fruits out-of-season.

Today oranges and other citrus fruits are as close as our local market and shipped worldwide throughout the year. Availability is no longer an issue. 

l'Orangerie at Les Tuilleries has evolved through the years as well, and is now a museum/art gallery exhibiting some of the finest renowned artists in the World. 

Although quite small, inside you can find works by  Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Rousseau and, of course, 8 permanent  Water Lily Murals by my favourite Impressionist  Claude Monet. 

 

Outside, on the grounds, you can find (among others) a bronze cast life-sized replica of Rodin's The Kiss. (Le Baiser) 

The original marble statue residing in l'musee Rodin.

l'Orangerie...no longer just a treat for the palate...but now encompassing all the senses. 

Enjoying a sweet orange from my local market and contemplating a time and place when this act was not taken for granted, but instead an indication of privilege.

More anon... 



Monet's Water Lily Exhibit

https://youtu.be/zaYIgjeo6CQ

 and a new twist on l'orangerie

https://youtu.be/ehvIZ5u39hA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Les Parcs et Jardins de France

When you think of France's Parks, probably the first to come to mind is Parc du Champs-de-Mars with this well-known French Icon.

Actually there are 421 Parks and Gardens in  France. What this means, effectively, is you could spend every day in a different park or garden all year long...and still have 56 left unseen.

All of the French Parks and Gardens (in depth) may end up being a Virtual Trip for another entire year by itself.

 I have decided to explore a choice few this month...beginning with:

Champs-de-Mars and Jardin des Tuileries. 

                                                    Champs-De-Mars

The Champs-de-Mars (English: Fields of War) is a nod to the fact the grounds were once used to train French Military.  It was used as a marching and drilling grounds.  Still today it is used for festivals and re-enactments. One of the most famous is Bastille Day on July 14th (coming soon) celebrating the storming of The Bastille.  (Federation Day)

At the foot of the Eiffel Tower is the islet in the Seine known as Ile des Cygnes (Isle of Swans)

A quiet respite much like our own Central Park in NYC...tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Paris, France.

Beside the World Famous Louvre you will find Jardin les Tuileries. It is both the oldest and largest jardin in France. Created by Catherine de Medicis for the Tuileries Palace in 1564 to become a public park after the French Revolution. Doubtless the likes of Monet, Manet, Van Gogh and Renoir once strolled these grounds gathering inspiration from the landscape or the crowds of people on a sunny day. Camille Pissarro once captured its beauty in his 1899 painting:
The Gardens of The Tuileries on a Spring Morning.

 Even today is is not hard to imagine strolling these grounds on a warm breezy Spring day with a cone of ice cream (with sprinkles, of course.)

                                                      Les Tuileries

Just a beginning. A glimpse of the gardens that France has to offer.

More anon...

A nice Youtube walking tour including the gardens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn9H0jbwoR4

4th of July Reunion...Century Trilogy Review...Darwin is Alive and Well and A Seed of Hope

What a Wonderful 4th of July!

As we re-connected...the six of us which by now had bloomed to I-literally-lost-count proportions with children and grandchildren running and playing together like puppies...squirt guns blazing...and so many many Musicians in the family. The boys talent now confirmed...not only nurture...but genetics must play a huge role as well.

And vowing that we will all stay together now! Not just family, but somehow emotionally "survivors" isn't too strong a term.

 

This may actually explain Deja Vu...

Anyway, it was a perfect 4th of July...Food and Fun and Music and Family

I've spent the last couple of days "recovering", actually. And time to finish the last book in The Century Trilogy by Ken Follett: Edge of Eternity. These three massive books may be Follett's Magnum Opus.  Beginning before the start of WWI and ending in the Vietnam Era. Historical Fiction they follow the lives of several families generation by generation. The third book lagged at first but quickly picked up with the building and later fall of the Berlin Wall. And how people sacrificed EVERYTHING to get to the West while it stood. It gave insight into Kennedy, Castro and the Bay of Pigs. We followed MLK to Birmingham Alabama at the height of the Civil Rights Movement and saw it through the eyes of two of the Freedom Riders. And so much more. This is hands down the best trilogy I have EVER read. And I read...a lot!

A MUST read for anyone who loves Historical Fiction.

So...the news has been full of those shake-your-head moments recently. And it hasn't been confined to the clown car of Presidential Hopefuls either.

Admittedly the two that immediately said that  if elected the first thing they would do is to disband the SCOTUS (...apparently not realizing,  not only is that unthinkable...it is also impossible...and even as POTUS above their pay-grade, as it were...) 

And the Pastor and 2 OTHER Presidential Hopefuls who promised us Self-Immolation if SSM passed in the SCOTUS.

"Still waiting with the marshmallows, guys..."

There were also the garden variety Darwin Candidates this week. The guy who was open carrying in a Crowded Mall...well, until he decided to go from Open Carry to Open Fire on the Mall Patrons. Who saw THAT coming, eh?  And it must be fairly rough on Security to know if you are just taking your semi-automatic weapon for a nice stroll, or a socio-path who takes out a Mall Full of People. 

And there was The Alligator Whisperer...who at 28 made the fatal mistake of ignoring the signs, and the warnings of a local woman who pleaded with him not to swim in the Texas bayou in the evening. You know. While the gators are feeding.   I believe his parting words were 

"F#%& the Alligators."

Luckily his girlfriend managed to escape unharmed.  The Alligator Whisper did not fare so well and managed to be attacked and killed almost immediately on diving into the brackish water.

And, two over 40 year old men, in separate instances on the 4th of July Holiday who went to see WHY the last mortar didn't explode. 

Public service announcement: 

NEVER stick your face and head over a recently lit mortar. 

They both died of blunt head trauma when the unexploded mortars suddenly exploded in their faces. 

Not to be bested...a third was killed elsewhere when he set one off

ON HIS HEAD

You know. Just to see what would happen.

They say alcohol was involved.

I'm shocked.

They removed the Confederate Flag from the Statehouse Lawn...which was a positive IMHO. But then people got insane about it...bug-shit crazy...jumping on the bandwagon. Walmart won't be selling them in the South, anymore. Although they will still be peddling a metric butt-load of crap made in sweatshops in China by children for pennies on the hour. How absolutely PC of them. Then some bright soul decided maybe we should pull down Confederate Memorials...let's pretend the whole Civil War never really happened. WTH? The crowning blow came from somebody's decision 

(no...I am not making this up...) 

to paint over the Confederate Flag on one of the Dukes of Hazzard Cars. 

Jesus Wept.

Seriously?

 

Thinking in terms of Sheer Automotive Value:

Have YOU all lost your damn minds?

Yes, the STUPID has been unusually strong this week. 

But that isn't how I want to end this missive. You see in the midst of all the crazy.

The Grateful Dead Declared

The Long Strange Trip was Over.

And then left us with these last words.

And they made me smile and made be feel a little more

hopeful about my fellow man.

"This feeling you have here. Take it home and do something good with this."
                                          "I leave you with this: Be kind."

Jerry Garcia is smiling somewhere.

Feeling the Love