Across the Loom

Hi there - I'm still here! I've been quiet online but my days have been anything but. After I published my last post, I realized it was time to stop looking at life through the lens of how to talk about it, and just start living it. Makes sense, right? It felt like the final decision I had to make to fully embrace my new life in France. Here are some highlights from the last few months.

It's been a year, and what a year it's been! Circling back to the theme of this site, I'm taking a thousand foot view of my story as it threaded across the loom in the last 12 months. The weaving is made of very bright colours. A few dark streaks represent struggles and challenges, there is green for growth, blues for the skies and sea, yellow, red and pink for everything that bloomed - flowers, friendship and adventure. And what a story the weaving tells!

This was simply an ordinary week. A good week. The weather was perfect, I went to the Monday night wine tasting, got in a few workouts at the gym, enjoyed a couple of morning group coffees and had an afternoon by the pool with a friend. Life has become routinely wonderful. In next week's blog, I'll recap this incredible year I've had. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from around Pézenas and a song that tells a beautiful story.

This week, I celebrate connection and a national holiday. It's week 50!

Wine, weights, weather and a not-so-introverted introvert. This is week 49!

It's becoming increasingly difficult to write something meaningful every week - I take it as a sign that I'm settling nicely into my new life. I made a commitment to myself that I would post once a week for my first year in France. With only a few weeks left, I'm giving some thought to what the blog might look like in its next iteration. For today's post, I've got some comments on our heatwave and a French Canadian song about 'les hirondelles'.

It was good to come home after nearly two weeks away. And it really does feel like home. In contrast to my longer posts of the last two weeks, I'm keeping this one brief. And I've got a great 80s video for this week's song!

What a week! It's been hot in Paris, but I've made the most of my time here. I'm actually publishing three posts today. I had two remarkable days that deserve their own posts - my visits to the Père Lachaise Cemetery and to the David Hockney exhibit in the Louis Vuitton building. Rather than send out three separate emails to subscribers, I've added intros and links close to the bottom of this post. I took a lot of photos this week and this seemed to be the best way to manage content. Thank you for your indulgence!

I've been in Paris since Tuesday. It's been 14 years since my last, visit. That trip was my first time in Europe and my first solo trip. How things have changed! With a lot of solo travel now under my belt and over 10 months living in France, I'm having a much different experience. I find myself feeling halfway between tourist and resident. I don't belong, but I don't not. It's a curious feeling. It was also my birthday this week - I can't think of a better gift than to hang out in the City of Light! I have another week here but want to share what I've been up to in the past 4 days.

Well, the week has finally arrived where I have nothing to say. When I committed to blogging once a week for my first year, I wondered if I would make it. I love that I got all the way to week 44 before I really came up empty. So, this week I’m sharing a few words of gratitude for the nature around me, and I’ve got a few photos. Next week will be a different story!

I've been busy this week. Busy with fun! I watched a petanque tournament, went to a rugby match and spent an afternoon at the beach. It felt good to have no tasks or goals and to step out of my head for a change. The blog this week is mostly just photos - I have a feeling this will become the norm for the next few months. I hope so. Summer is upon us and it's time for fun!

I've had another quiet week. I joined a gym, spent time on my balcony and started to discover more of the countryside around Pézenas. Life is good. I don't have much to talk about in this post, but I have some beautiful photos to share as well as a song that goes way back to my high school years. It was one of my favourite songs - if only I'd known then that I would make it through many rainy days and would one day live in the south of France!

I've had a quiet week so the blog is brief. I enjoyed a few phone/video calls with friends in Canada and a bit of socializing here. I spent an afternoon in Montpellier so I'm sharing some photos. And the song of the week is a cover of a Prince song. It's one of those instances where I like the cover better than the original, and this one involves a mandolin!

Forty weeks! Forty weeks of joy and excitement, of great effort, fatigue and growing pains. It's as if I'm birthing my dreams. In this week's blog, I provide an update on first year administrative tasks, reflect on a mental challenge I had with last Sunday's big antique sale and post some photos of its eclectic treasures, and celebrate Mother's Day.

It's been a good week, with fun festivities and an educational outing. In this week's blog, I share some sights and sounds from a record-breaking event and some photos of the oyster farming process.

Brace yourself - I've had an introspective week. In this week's blog, I share what's on my mind as I finally feel a shift into retirement. I've also posted photos from one of my walks and one of my favourite Bruce Cockburn songs.

In this week's blog, I share an update on my driver's license exchange, talk about some challenges to my organizational skills and celebrate Canadian connections. As always, I've included a song and some photos.

In this weeks blog, I talk about a setback with my driver's licence exchange and have some fun with the French language. Also, the south of France is in bloom! Everything is so beautiful, it makes the last couple of month's of severe allergies worth it!