Yesterday there was a brunch in honor of Mimi and Alain's marriage, at Alain's niece's home.
I had heard about her home since, French Husband and Alain have been friends for nearly twenty years. To say I was excited to finally see it in real life is an understatement. To say the moment the iron gate opened and we drove under the large stone archway, I nearly screamed, "Alleluia! I am in heaven!" Is to say the only reason I did not scream, "Alleluia! I am in heaven!" is that I would have ruptured my mother in law's eardrums, and she would have found me "bizarre".
My mother in law is in control of her emotions, not spewing her excitement, managing to smile at the right time, she contains herself in perfect elegance, she is a well groomed French woman.
I, on the other hand am a five year in a candy shop. Each and every time I see something beautiful, creative, interesting, curious, romantic, old French… I squeel. Let's just say I am excited easily, spewing my feelings of "Oh my God" happiness.
And basically that is all of the time.
French Husband says, "One would think you had lived under a rock the way you react."
I shake my head at him, "When it comes to sharing emotions let's say that you are a well packaged box, sealed tightly. I am a bomb with a short fuse… I like to express myself as Madonna would say."
Usually, when he rolls his eyes at my expressive self I just add, "I live out loud."
The house, or The Bastide where we had Sunday brunch was a three floor wonder. I imagine it would take two full days to vacuum and mop the floors, a week to do the windows… I was in love before putting a foot inside.
Unfortunately, this is the only photo I took inside the Bastide in respect to the owner's privacy. Let's just say, comfortably beautiful, says it mildly.
The chandelier… in the side room, the old waiting room… was massive. If you took the chandeliers in my village, tied them together, they would not equal the size of this one. The door in the photo is at least fifteen feet high. I would say the chandelier was a mile long. I admired it through the entire aperitif.
After the brunch the three little cousins (6, 7, and 8 years old) invited everyone outside to walk the labyrinth in the front lawn. In the middle of the labyrinth they would share Autumn poetry that they learned in class (In French elementary schools it is part of the curriculum that children learn, by heart, classic French poems and recite them in front of the class.).
"…We wandered through the maze of hedges that form the front lawn, strolled underneath the branches of the massive trees that were so large that they almost dusted the ground and smelled the blooming roses blooming on the grounds that were scented of old vines. Heavenly." Said a happily married person walking on her newest journey.
Poetry in motion.
Delightful afternoon.
Old and young.
Newly married, family and friends sharing a late afternoon.
…and boys being boys around a tree house.
Happiness full trottle in being loving and being loved in return.
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