Le Printemps…

It was harder getting back up and writing than I anticipated. I’ve been back almost two weeks now and while I have thought of posting observations and insights, I have been too caught up in the moment to actually do it.

For those wondering, this return trip to France did not involve a 6 hour extraneous round trip to the South of France. I decided to slow my roll a bit and spent my first day back tooling around Paris with my puppy. It allowed me some extra time to not rush for a train and for Sophie to have a chance to stretch her legs. We stayed near Montparnasse so I could catch any early train the next morning and it was beautiful to walk along the Seine and see all the Spring flowers and green willow trees. France was firmly in springtime and very different to the Maine I had left behind.

Once I arrived in St. Denis, I felt the familiar excitement of being in my little house. My garden was in full bloom with daffodils, primrose, forsythia and my magnolia tree. After doing the most essential things, —taking Sophie out on her beloved leash free walk and putting bouquets of flowers around. the house, I did manage to go to the grocery story and unpack. Matthew came two days after I arrived so I wanted the house to be comfortable for him.

We had a lovely time just hanging around St. Denis. The weather was unexpectedly gorgeous. We have had nearly non stop sunshine and warm temperatures. Matthew told me he didn’t much care to do our usual day trips and really wanted to just spend time in the village. He trimmed up all the topiary bushes, chopped kindling, weeded and helped create a new outdoor dining space. Other than that, we visited with friends, took long walks, naps, and made dinner together. It was lovely to really see Matthew love this world and relish in the mundane, daily tasks I somehow find charming. The last of couple of days were a bit tough as we both anticipated a long separation but I am so grateful he came.

It took a few days longer than usual to get my footing being here on my own. I rejoined the gym, visited my friend Laurent at the bar tabac, took long walks and gardened aggressively. I also joined a yoga class with my dear friend Stella and did some cooking which felt fun as I was only making what I really liked. Here are a few photographs from the first two weeks…. I look forward to sharing more