Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

In the Garden of Eden

This is the man who is building our stone fountain,

(the one who holds the dainty teacup, pounds the sledge hammer, and carves the stones.)

These are the stones that I met a year ago.

We have become solid friends, sharing different

angles and contemplating the purpose of cornerstones-

… our conversation has been never ending.

This is the man who no matter how busy, how heavy the task,

how many times I change my mind, no matter if his cell phone rings,

or he drops a stone on his foot…this is the man who no matter how

hot it is, stays present in the moment, without ever losing his cool!

Who when I ask, "Why, or how come, and do you think it can be like this, or could it be like that?"

Has never lost his patience or sense of humor.

There is the angel working in my garden.

Comments

50 responses to “In the Garden of Eden”

  1. jennifer

    Great pics! I’m going to have to do a retaining wall update soon. Things are looking GOOD!

    Reply
  2. KIM

    does he need a good companion,no strings attached??? he is a rarity and an angel like you said!

    Reply
  3. Shannon

    What a hunk….of stone, LOL.

    Reply
  4. Paris Parfait

    Great photos and words! Patience is a definite virture when working on such a complicated creation. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Lisa

    YUM! Is he aware of the many pulses around the blogosphere
    that he has set to pounding?

    Reply
  6. Anne

    Wonderful post…
    The strong man with the patience of a saint. Oh, the wonderful irony.
    Great pictures. But, I think the images you paint with words top even those.

    Reply
  7. berrie

    oooohlaaalAAAAAAAAAAA You get to look at THAT everyday??? & the patience of a saint with a sense of humor too??? WHAT A PACKAGE! I think I would have to think of a way to stall the work a bit…make it dragggggggggggggggg on as long as possible! xo

    Reply
  8. katie

    An angel in disguise 🙂
    So many all around us, all in disguise, if only we opened our eyes!
    Strong and handsome too ~ what a wonderful combination

    Reply
  9. Tash

    He looks like a sweetie 🙂 I bet your fountain will look amazing, please show us photos when it’s finished!

    Reply
  10. C. Delia

    Noticing him as you have shows further how interesting your perspective is…the muscles and the tea cup–the heavy stones…angel in the garden, how wonderful.

    Reply
  11. Annie

    Strong man moving stone
    I watch foundation emerge
    Angels taking flight.

    Reply
  12. cruststation

    Does he know that you have a blogging community all looking at his muscles? Such wonderful perspective, a fountain made to order what a dream!

    Reply
  13. Kara

    I love this – the pictures say so much but what you wrote just captivated me. Hallelujah.

    Reply
  14. Tammy

    Wow, now I know where God stashed all the patient men. LOL

    Reply
  15. Jeanne

    May you all be blessed with strong dedicated people like this man in your life………
    Your name is carved in stone
    across my heart!
    Blessings to you
    Love you Sugar Plum!
    Jeanne
    X0X0

    Reply
  16. Colette

    He loves what he does, and so it becomes “zen” where he is fully absorbed in what he’s doing.
    The contrasts meet and create a whole.
    A wonderful post.

    Reply
  17. endment

    How delightful! – We have a man coming to work in our garden next week – hope he has the same lovely characteristics!

    Reply
  18. Jenny

    He looks and sounds like he came down from a hero’s stone pedastal in antiquity and is working on your fountain! A work of art building a work of art! Beautiful! I would love to see your fountain when finished.:)

    Reply
  19. lauren

    (All I can picture is you carrying those stones! You’re such a nut.)
    But, the result of creating, “recreating”, what was meant to be is thrilling, yes? It was there all the time wasn’t it? In a flash, a daydream, a snippet of something in the corner of your eye, and then you see the building blocks, the flash sharpens, and the fountain that was there, always there, emerges into full view. They are home.

    Reply
  20. Franca Bollo

    I just hope you got him to sign a model release form before you posted this.

    Reply
  21. Sarah Scott

    The play of light and shadow across his back is beautiful, the different colors and the smoothness of it. And he must be patient with a great sense of humor to consent to the photos while he works! LOL

    Reply
  22. meredith

    What kind of stone are you using? Is that marble? “He” would make a good sculpture! in the “pierre de Rognes” that is so famous around here…

    Reply
  23. blackbird

    I think it will be exquisite!
    but
    OHNOOHNOOHNO!
    HAIRY BACK!?

    Reply
  24. susan@artstream

    i love a stone mason. ours is working out our stairs right now, but as they say in germany, he is more of a spargle tarazan!
    yours is so hunky!!!

    Reply
  25. diana

    I cant wait to see your stone work !

    Reply
  26. amber

    A big hairy angel! How perfect! I love salt of the earth people like that. I hope you post a pic of the finished work.
    🙂

    Reply
  27. amber

    A big hairy angel! How perfect! I love salt of the earth people like that. I hope you post a pic of the finished work.
    🙂

    Reply
  28. herhimnbryn

    Oh Corey,
    What did he say when you asked to post his pic?! I hope you are going to show him the responses!
    It is a lovely image and your words conjure up so much more…………..

    Reply
  29. ms*robyn

    hey Corey – you husband leaves you alone with him? ooh – trust 🙂 – seriously though – I do hope he wears sunscreen and I wish he would put a sunhat on while he is in the sun. the photo reminds me of ‘under the tuscan sun’ when all the men were working on the wall. lucky you, the stone fountain sounds delightful – any chance of me seeing it if I ever make it to France?

    Reply
  30. Rowena

    Hi Corey, Thank you for always finding something beautiful in everything….I’m under the weather and its just so nice to drop by your blog and leave feeling better….

    Reply
  31. naturegirl

    Ah yes an angel in the garden
    of Eden.Amazing how these stone crafsmen stay focused with all the interuptions of questions! I can see when completed that this will be your oasis to compose.

    Reply
  32. Nicole

    Why is it always that men with no hair on their heads overcompensate with that on their bodies?
    Not that I am shallow or anything. No, not at ALL.

    Reply
  33. julie

    …your ‘wall stories’ remind me of Peter Mayle’s stone table story…except he didn’t have your angel!

    Reply
  34. mikaelah

    Lucky you and Lucky angel!

    Reply
  35. Adeleine

    I’m quite jealous.
    That last picture is beautiful- he certainly looks like a stone mason angel.

    Reply
  36. snowsparkle

    i’ve gotten behind in reading your posts… too much work, and after work, more work at home. but i love the stone work and the muscular arms pounding on the stone! have you seen the movie “rivers and tides”? the sculptor andrew goldsworthy is amazing with stone… if you haven’t seen it already, you might enjoy seeing a sculpture of his at stanford university when you’re in california.

    Reply
  37. wishes Heros

    That fountain will be a great piece 🙂

    Reply
  38. Paola

    I was getting excited at the thought of naked men on Tongue in Cheek, but really he does need his back waxed…
    Pxx

    Reply
  39. Gina

    Thats the man for the job!

    Reply
  40. Lee

    What he does with stones, you do with words.

    Reply
  41. Catalina

    🙂 ohhhhhhhhh women……..

    Reply
  42. mary ann

    wow, that’s going to be some fountain!!! love the stones you found corey!
    & how lucky to have a “garden angel”!!!
    🙂 mary ann xo

    Reply
  43. andrea

    Ha! Love this and great take on the theme. Do we get to see the finished fountain? I bet it will be stunning!
    a.

    Reply
  44. Léonor

    I have so often wished to paint an angel, but I must admit that I never had that image of an angel ! Maybe I should change my mind ?
    I love your blog, your thoughts and also your sense of humour.
    (sorry for my errors, I am afraid that text must be full of them !)

    Reply
  45. tiffini elektra x

    The is my kind of angel! And oh those stones. . .and your way with them. Your way of describing them so lovely.

    Reply
  46. cathy

    Hmmmmmmmmm, he has a really nice back, broad, sturdy, strong, thick, ok, let me stop right here, my mind is running faster than my mouth, lol

    Reply
  47. jinxthegypsy

    Lucky you, to have such angels working in your garden 😉

    Reply
  48. Carol

    Ha ha Corey I’ve just learnded through your post that Angels can come in many different disguises! Can’t wait to see a picture of your finished fountain!

    Reply
  49. weirdbunny

    a fountain how brilliant is that. Maybe you could sit next to it a dip your toes in it on hot days!

    Reply
  50. Karen

    Oh golly with a back and arms like that posted, how can everybody be talking about the stones?
    Focus, ladies, focus!

    Reply

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