08 August 2007

Lost its edge?

These days I keep thinking my blog has lost its edge. Actually, maybe it never had an edge. I hope it at least has had a center.

There's an expression in French that says « les jours se suivent et se ressemblent » — the days keep coming and are all pretty much the same. Isn't that depressing? Well, not necessarily, I guess, if you like the days you are having. And I do like mine.

We can see this grain silo from up in the Touraine vineyards.
It's over on the other side of the Cher River, on the rail line.
That's a château d'eau — a water tower — in the background.

But this year the days seem less interesting to write about. I feel like I am posting the same topics and the same photos over and over again. There's nothing edgy in that.

Maybe edginess is overrated.

Yesterday was showery, with some lightning in the evening.

And then again, what applies to days being the same day after day does not apply to the years we have been living through here in Saint-Aignan. They have all been different.

In 2003 we had just arrived and everything was new and exciting, but more than that, it was the year of the great heat wave, the canicule. The whole country was buzzing with excitement over that.

We felt afterwards that we were lucky to have survived. The previous eight years of living in the cold San Francisco fog had thickened our blood. We had to adapt to radically hotter weather, and without air-conditioning.

Callie caught this bird yesterday and pulled most of its tail
feathers out. I rescued the bird and let it go outside our fence.
It didn't fly away. I think it was a baby merle, a blackbird.


Our 11-year-old dog had survived the move and was beside herself with excitement to be out in the country after all those years in the city. She discovered off-leash freedom, along with deer, rabbits, field mice, and snakes.

And our neighbors had a big Bastille Day party and invited us. It felt almost like the party was being held in our honor. We met a lot of people that day, and had a fantastic time.

We had the house's terrasse (I call it the front deck) tiled so we could enjoy living out there. We had some electrical and plumbing work done to update the place just enough to make it livable.

In 2004, we got it together to "create" a vegetable garden. We bought a rototiller and learned how to use it. We had a bumper crop of tomatoes, beans, eggplants, peppers, and squash. The garden was a success beyond all our expectations. Our neighbors were impressed, as we were.

We also had a lot of company from America in 2004, and that was fun. We made new friends, some of whom we met over the Internet. We enjoyed spending time with old friends. We really started exploring the surrounding countryside.

The Touraine grapes are looking pretty good.
— 07 August 2007 —

In 2005, we decided to do a lot of work in the house, and to do as much of it as possible ourselves. We didn't have a lot of company coming to visit, so the time was right. We scraped, sanded, and painted the walls in four out of the eight rooms in our house. It was hard work, and it took months. But the result was good.

We made our first trips back to the U.S. — me to North Carolina, where I grew up, and Walt to upstate NY, where he grew up, and California.

The summer of 2005 was absolutely perfect. It wasn't too hot, and it wasn't rainy at all. The garden again was amazing. It's too bad, in a way, that we didn't have more American visitors that summer. They would have enjoyed the weather.

Saint-Aignan sunrise
— 08 August 2007 —

We had a new shower installed in our bathroom, greatly increasing our level of what they call confort. Living here felt a lot less like camping. Old friends came to visit and decided to buy a house about 10 miles south of Saint-Aignan. Now we see them a lot more than we had in years, though they still live mostly in California.

Our French neighbors continued to have big summer parties and always invited us. The old dog continued to enjoy her life in the country, but she was showing her age and feeling arthritic. She had a minor stroke that summer, we realized later. She recovered enough to enjoy the nice fall weather.

In 2006, it was cold. We had six inches of snow on the ground for more than a week in February and March. That's unusual here.

We had company all the time. People — old friends from California — started arriving in March. The dog passed away in March, and Walt and I sneaked in a trip to Paris, a week in an apartment in the Marais, between houseguests. A good friend came to stay with us for three months and travel around France some.

Touraine grapes still dripping from last night's rain
— 08 August 2007 —

April, May, June, and July were very busy. We went for short trips to the Dordogne (to see the Sarlat area), Paris (for tennis at Roland Garros), and Normandy (mostly to see the Mont Saint-Michel with our friend, who hadn't been there before). And we saw and re-saw most of the main sights of the Touraine region.

We had a woodstove installed in April. In July the garden was great. An old friend — a Parisian who is old enough to be my father, who lives mainly in the U.S., and who was once my boss — came to stay for two weeks in July, when the weather was nice and hot, and he and I toured all around the Loire region. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about the history of the region as well as some new French words and expressions.

This sign is on a concrete utility pole in our hamlet, which is
called La Renaudière.
Le Désert is the name of a settlement
about a mile away, down on the banks of the Cher River.


By August, I was exhausted, and the weather turned rainy. The garden faded early. Walt and I, dogless, were able to go spend five weeks in the U.S., driving from NYC up the Hudson as far as Fort Ticonderoga, and then south to the coast of North Carolina. We drove to Atlanta to see the new aquarium there and to see friends.

We then spent a week in a rented condo on the N.C. coast, enjoying time with my mother, sister, aunt, and cousins. An old friend from Washington DC came a stayed a few days with us. Then we drove to Alabama to see good friends and up to Urbana, Illinois, to see others. We flew back to Paris from Chicago in November.

This year, 2007, our weather has been strange. We had only one week of cold weather, and that was at Christmas. Then it turned mild and stayed that way until April, which was very warm and dry.

May, June, and July were exceptionally chilly and damp. The garden is a big bust this year. We are getting zucchini and it looks like we'll have pumpkins, but the tomatoes, eggplant, and bell peppers don't look so good. In my mind, I've written the garden off this year.

Wavy rooflines are a nice feature of old French houses.

But what a year it has been for fruit -- cherries, plums, apples, and more. In May we got a new dog, a puppy, and she has been taking all of our time (as you know if you've been following the blog).

We haven't had much company. We haven't been out sightseeing and we haven't traveled anywhere.Well, except that short trip to Paris I took in July. We continue to make the house more comfortable, modernizing the wiring and the kitchen.

Roses in a neighbor's yard

So every year has been totally different from the others. While the days all seem the same right now, the idea that 2008 will again be a totally different year is a nice prospect.

The funny thing is that I've had a lot more time to blog in 2007, and I've taken to blogging daily. Maybe that's been a mistake. Now I feel like I have less to say, but more time to say it.

20 comments:

  1. I enjoy reading your blog day in and day out. But I know what you mean. Sometimes, I feel there's not much I want to write about. Or what? Am I going to post yet another photo?
    I get to bore myself, not to mention others. I don't mean that 'je m'ennuie' but 'je ne me trouve pas intéressante'. How would you translate this in English. I'm not bored but I find what I write boring?
    Am flying back to Paris today. Have had great weather here in Manchester!

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  2. I always enjoy reading about your life, but understand sometimes feeling like there's nothing to write about.
    We moved in spring 2003, just before the canicule. Hard to imagine a heatwave after this summer! The tile floors were so cold yesterday that I actually wore my slippers around the house!
    I've tagged you for a meme in French, if you're game...

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  3. I hope you don't stop your daily entries......I really enjoy living in France vicariously thru you, since I can't do it myself at the moment....and the "everydaynesss" is the best part...real life things....may seem ordinary to you, but au contraire....c'est magnifique! Yours is the first blog I read......and love the photos too.....don't let all the rain get you down....keep it up PLEASE

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  4. My life is like yours and I love the dailiness of it (less so in winter). Your blog is quite interesting to those of us who love food and France. The photos are a plus. You don't have to make headlines every day in your blog, just get up and enjoy each day and then share it.
    If you're in a slow period, can you take a day off? Drive to Chedigny and take some photos there and then on to Loches, and then drive north up (down?) the Indre at least as far as Cormery.
    My experience is limited in your area, so maybe you have some suggested drives in your areas for our trip in September?

    Carolyn

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  5. Hi Ken !

    Amreloque enjoys reading Ken's daily posts tremendously, and offers his encouragement – and, of course, moral support.

    This depressing "summer" weather is apparently having a, er, um … depressive effect on quite a few people, including bloggers. (grin)

    Best,
    L'Amerloque

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  6. Your post reminds me of Montaigne who fretted about not accomplishing anything on a given day, and then who reprimands himself saying, "Did you not live?"

    Although I comment rarely on your blog (or any of the blogs I read), I can say that yours and Walt's along with Claude's are my very favorites, and I like them especially because they are written by folks who take the time to smell the roses and admire the everyday-ness of life. It's a real gift that each of you shares with us.

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  7. Yes, edginess is overrated. I was admiring the other day (when you were writing about wheelbarrows) how you always seem to come up with something fresh and worth reading.

    It's August, and you're French now, right? Maybe you need to take the rest of the month off. How about a little drive south? The sun seems to be out there.

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  8. Oh Ken, do keep up your blog! I've made it my home page, so that I have a friendly, sane start to my online day. Your stories of your daily life and thoughts and feelings are a treasure.

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  9. One of the highlights of my days at EXTY was the chat we had each morning. We didn't necessarily talk about a whole lot. It certainly wasn't edgy conversation, but it was so very pleasant and companionable, or surprising, or funny, or even touching on occasion. I see your blog as an extension of those daily chats. It's as if you're on the other side of an electronic cubicle wall, still chatting.

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  10. You can add me to the list of people who read your blog first, then I go to Walt's, Claude's and Amy's. I love it when you write everyday- it becomes a memoir and good reading since I like your take on life.

    We also have a friend who writes everyday in journal fashion. Some days are better than others, but the letters are a good way to stay in touch.

    I think we call these days in August "dog days" and not for nothing. We've got hot weather usually and don't feel like doing much at all.

    I'm just glad all your rain didn't ruin the grape harvest this year. That would be a tragedy.

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  11. Comments back to friends, quickly:

    Claude, your translations are perfect. "I'm not bored with what I do but I'm afraid I might be seen as boring." But you'll always have Paris.

    Bob F., thank you. Do you know that Montaigne is one of the great influences on my life? I got to know him when I was an undergrad, all those decades ago. Your comment brought tears of understanding to my eyes.

    Chris, we are hoping the warm southern weather will move up this way, since the dog can't go far in the car without upchucking. It rained most of the day today, by the way. But that's OK; everything is green and it's not too cold. 60ºF on Aug. 8, quand même.

    Ellen, thanks for letting me know you are there. I keep hoping you might come for a visit here some day.

    And Susan, thank you too. I did enjoy those daily chats too, on Davis Drive. I am the talkative one, am I not? Sitting in my cubicle, talking to the walls! What good memories...

    Amerloque, you are no doubt right, it's this weird summer (?) weather we've been having. It's a form of cabin fever. It's sad to see the garden languishing. Hey, your recent post about knives... well, never mind. I'm not that depressed!

    Loulou, this is the first summer since 2003 when we haven't been comfortable in shorts and tee-shirts and sandals. I predict a cold winter.

    Melinda, are you Melinda B. from SF? This life does seem ordinary to me now, more and more so, but I keep telling myself it isn't really. But then what life is ordinary, if you look at it the right way. And yes, it is still raining. It may never stop. But then I knew about the rain before I came back to live in France in 2003.

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  12. Evelyn, your comment came in while I was typing mine. The grapes here do look amazingly good, but it has rained now for another 72 hours and that might not be good for them. Our tomatoes are in sad shape, and there are almost no eggplants or bell peppers at this point. Weeds are taking over the garden, and it's too wet to do much about it.

    We had a "dog day" on Sunday, but it wasn't really that hot, and it didn't last. It seemed hot because we are not used to it any more.

    See you in about three weeks. Ken

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  13. Mary and I read your blog every day and thoroughly enjoy it. I love everything about food, including your recipes, the sales at the local stores and the daily chores of living in France. Keep blogging! Gabby

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  14. Ken: I feel your blog chronicles a dream fulfilled. It's a lovely reminder of the possible. Keep going.

    Chris Late

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  15. I'm not sure your intention in writing today's post was to elicit many more responses than usual, but that it did!

    Hoping that encourages you to keep it up (when you feel like it). You have a legion of folks who enjoy sharing your daily life... boring or not.... vicariously. Count me as one of those.

    I bet if you treat yourself to a croissant, life will be much improved!

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  16. I'll second what others have said: It's a very nice blog, the tone is relaxed and comfortable (edginess is fine, in its place, but can also be vastly overrated). And your pictures are excellent.

    I've only recently found this blog, following other links, and I'm learning from you about the Loire region. Am hopeful of a 3-D visit to France some time in the not-too-far-distant future, and I'm counting on all you expats to educate me thoroughly before then.

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  17. Your blog is much appreciated here in the heart of the Silicon Valley ratrace (where the rats are bigger and meaner than ever).

    And if you're pining for visitors - well, be careful what you wish for. Candy and I can hardly wait to play with Callie and plug something into one of those new electrical outlets. Plenty of edge for us.

    John

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  18. Hi Ken! I'm dropping in late on this. I think we all have periods where we don't feel so great about our blogs. I guess the thing to remember - -at least for us non-commercial bloggers -- is that it's really something we should enjoy. If you like writing daily with quite a bit of detail, do it! If you're tired of that, change! Blogging is all about freedom.

    That said, if you feel really draggy, you might want to start a second blog with a sharper subject focus...since you do have the time!

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  19. Ken, I've been reading your blog for years now! Never find it boring!!!
    Btw - you are often our dinner companion ;-) That's the time when we sit down to eat and I will start a conversation with: "Ken went shopping to Ed's today and..."
    After all this time, DH doesn't bat an eye and asks "so what did he make for dinner today?" ;-)))

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  20. Your blog would get me through a day of work at the company I used to work for. Although, I understand what you mean with having more time to say less. I no longer am employed and have a ton of time now, with not much to write about. I do enjoy your blog, though. I check yours and WCS' on regular basis, if not daily.

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