La Vie en Rose

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A French cafe in Paris near Montmarte. A red door, a checked curtain, and "cafe" written in typical French script. In the distant background Edith Piaf is singing… la vie en rose. 

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Outside a shop in Paris a stand sells vintage reproduction posters: Place Clichy, Le Petit Chat, Cacao, Chocolat, and The Can-Can dancer's leg up high. The images of France play in my daydreams. They are sepia songs, with dancing reds, with flashes of flea markets…but mostly I daydream of my family as children….far far away from this moment and the song is a safe lullabye… soon they will be here older and full of stories of their days I have missed. It will bring me to a new beginning.

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Chelsea as a baby soaking up the sun with a doll in hand.

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Sacha dancing when he was eight  on stage.

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Sitting in my childhood bedroom, looking out at the rice fields as they flood and take root– I am also sitting with my daydreams of life in France. Have you ever noticed that when something profound happens, when the everyday scenery changes one's thought dive into the past finding security? My thoughts dive deep and surface with such.

 



Comments

30 responses to “La Vie en Rose”

  1. Corey, the scenery of your life is so wonderfully rich….

  2. Yes my dear friend regarding sentiment of things of security from our past……. that is what I try and do obtain and retain every precious memory to bring peace to my heart with each loss………
    We are at the stage in life where there are many losses with each passing year………..
    In the beginning life gives much so freely, we must cherish every blessing.
    I love you dearly
    Jeanne

  3. Oh, Corey… What a beautiful post.
    I pray for a new begining for you. A ray of sunshine in your dreams and life.
    Love*

  4. Precious memories can sustain us. You must be so anxious to see your husband and children. Let it be soon!
    Darla

  5. Relieved to know the children will soon be with you – they will have visibly grown and inwardly matured while having to fend for themselves – with Yann’s help of course! What a great reunion it will be for you all.
    I hope the Summer, and passing time, will bring further acceptance that there are things we cannot change – but memories such as what you are feeling and visualizing, especially those including your childhood with you dear father, are so special and will feed your soul.
    Sending good thoughts West to you and your mom. Hoping we will soon see you in print again Corey……….I miss opening the magazines to your always amazing words and pictures!!
    Blessings to you all.
    Mary.

  6. You have such wonderful memories…and dream in such beautiful colors and pictures…

  7. constance lefevre forehand

    corey, consider going home and taking your mother with you. GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU.

  8. Daydreaming seems to help me bridge the gap to those I don’t see and those I miss… Glad your children will reunite with you soon!

  9. Beautiful images today, Corey.
    How long will you stay in CA ????

  10. You continue to be in my thoughts daily, despite the silence… I too think of ‘our’ past times and remember fondly… hoping you are finding peace. I miss you dear friend.
    blessings.

  11. You sound homesick. Glad your children will be with you soon. Maybe it is time to return home…to the life that your parents love and devotion prepared you for. Forgive my frankness, but I care about you, my ‘unmet’ friend.I truly get something positive out of each of your posts.

  12. So true.

  13. Corey,
    The past week I drove through your rice fields of Willows and thought of you sitting there looking out over those fields. Thanks for always sharing your heart. All the best for reuniting soon with your family. Marilyn

  14. So thankful for wonderful memories…to be able to reach back and take hold of those memories when they are needed.
    I’m missing my family so very much and we’ve only been on the road for two weeks!

  15. These memories to hold on to, you are lucky to have such a wealth of love to dip into.
    x..x

  16. Lovely memories Corey!!
    Thanks for sharing them with us.
    Rosemary

  17. If I didn’t have photos, I’d be lost for memories; my brain just doesn’t work well in that department. I love the picture of Chelsea sunning on the step 🙂
    Wishing all of us new beginnings each and every day.

  18. Beautiful memories…they are a treasure. thanks for sharing yours with us. I continue to pray for you and your family.
    blessings and love

  19. What a gorgeous photograph of Chelsea on the step! Do you have that framed and hanging up in your house in France, Corey? And Sacha – I don’t know your son but from reading your posts about him, he sounds like a hoot! And THAT was your view from your childhood bedroom?! Oh my gosh, Corey, you moved from one paradise to another! 🙂
    I think diving into one’s past after a painful upheaval is a better way to mourn. I say that because I tend to work the other way…avoiding memories of a loved one after their death…and I don’t think my method is healthy or constructive. I’m working on it, though.
    Lately, when I think upon death or the possible death of a loved one, or of growing old myself, my immediate surroundings take on a preciousness…like I can’t get enough of the colour or scents around me.

  20. Memories can be so grounding. They can soften the pain of the present with their soft-focus view of the past.

  21. Your entire perspective shifts, doesn’t it?

  22. Beautiful photos and memories. I too have found myself searching for memories of the past to bring comfort to the present. I pray for new beginnings that honor the past and bring hope and joy for the future.

  23. Anonymous

    I love your photos. Chelsea on the step has got to be one of your best! Thanks for sharing and brightening my day. x

  24. Oh Corey how fortunate you are to hold such vivid memories of your childhood and your family. I think that memories can sustain us, keeping our grief at bay but for a brief moment, and opening up to the possibility that our loved ones live within us forever.
    xo

  25. The photos of your children are wonderful! I long to hear of your reunion with them.

  26. Corey what wonderful memories and photos
    Alison

  27. I know you (and your mom) must be anxiously awaiting the arrival of your children! It will help lighten and brighten your world – adding lots of fresh things to focus on! I wish you the best and continue to pray for you!

  28. Thinking of you Friend.
    Such an amazing photo of Chelsea. I wonder if she can remember that day? I still can remember fragments of my life at that age.
    Cherished memories like the ones you share above are woven into our lives. It’s what makes the tapestry bright, alive and beautiful!
    xo
    Constance

  29. Comfort, hugs, rose scent and warm sunshine to you.

  30. Coffee and liquor? That’s my kind of place! Heee….
    It seems like not that long ago, we had babies…and now, our babies are old enough to have babies of their own, doesn’t it?

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