Yesterday our friends Vlad and Denise
invited us to their place in Cotignac. Denise, a Canadian blogger who I
met last year, and who has taken the mission of getting my rear in
gear, is helping me put my book together… I think she is a saint who
loves to pull teeth.
Over cakes and mint-licorice tea, Denise and I talked about a book
outline, photography, chapters, themes and storyboards. Meanwhile,
French Husband and Vlad went swimming.
On the property there is a beautiful pool surrounded by
nature. One would think that is were they would swim… but no. No, no,
no French Husband had to get his toes into the ice cold river running
below. It is who he is… why be comfortable when you can go find a
snake and freeze you *coucadouk off? (* A family word for derriere.)
And Vlad… well, he recently went bungee cord jumping, that explains
why the two couldn't just hang out by the pool sipping rosé, catch the
rays and read a book.
Before we were about to leave to go see Denise and Vlad, French
Husband was working, catching up after his time away in Norway. He was
stressing out, it wasn't pretty. As we walked to the car I asked him to
put his stress in the garbage can, "It is a safe place for it, it won't
bother anyone, you can pick it up when we come back home."
He looked at me like I was missing my eyeballs, or my brain, or something… then got what I meant and sighed.
I said, "Hi, my name is Corey what is your name?"
He replied, "Yann."
"Does that mean John in French?" I asked (reliving how we met years ago…).
"Yes, it does." He winked.
"Do you like to dance?" I asked and continued to ask a few more
questions like, "Do you like to stay up late? Do you like children? Do
you like tofu? Do you like wrinkled clothes?"
His mood changed for the better by the time we reached the car.
Then I asked, "Are you a handyman?"
He gave me that sly, tilted head, sideways look, and said, "Pas de tout." (Which means not at all.)
I laughed out loud, "Gee, honey-doll if I had asked that one question
on the I-BEAM dance floor way back in 1986, I would have waltzed in a
different direction. Aren't you lucky I didn't ask you a question like
that!"
….. Then again I am so very glad he didn't ask me if I liked to
swim in freezing cold water, or bungee jump, or go into dark caves, or
run, or mountain bike, or scuba dive, or sleep in late….
Last week Denise, Vlad and I went to the second hand stores. As they
bought their apartment in Cotignac last year they are refurnishing it
with a Provençal style. They found a secretary desk, two chairs, a
buffet, an urn, a copper confit pan, a pair of bar stools and a
wonderful-I-want-it-tapestry! Denise has the brocante bug I might have
to stuff her in the trunk the next time we go antiquing.
Oh! I
can't do that… because I need her to get my rear in gear, pull my
teeth and kindly direct me to put a book outline together…. and take
photos of Tarzan!
NOTE:
Denise and Vlad rent out their Cotignac Apartment
for holiday rentals (sleeps four, two bedrooms, terrace… pool and
freezing cold river.) If you would like to know more contact Denise or
Vlad on their blog:
http://stella-elan.blogspot.com
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