The grayness and dullness worked to make me appreciate some of the photos I took last Saturday when our house guest, Sue, and I drove over to Chédigny, near Loches, for a walk through the streets. Chédigny, pop. 567, is a well-known « village jardin ». We admired all the flowers, the church, the houses, and, when we arrived, enjoyed a look around in a local art gallery. It's run by the artist, if I understand correctly, and his name is Alain Plouvier.
I'm glad that, at my age, I can still enjoy walks, both long and short. I think I've aged visibly over the past few years. Recently, on several occasions, young people have spontaneously offered to help me do routine things like pick up a heavy box of wine sitting on a low shelf at the supermarket and put it in my shopping cart. Or offer to put my suitcase up on an overhead rack on the train. I must look kind of helpless or feeble.
Yesterday at the supermarket, the woman at the check-out stand offered to take my groceries out of the shopping cart for me and put them on the conveyor belt. That's unheard of in France, where you are expected not only to unload your groceries but also bag them up and put them back in the grocery cart before you take them to the car yourself.
I'm in my 70th year on this Earth now. I have aches and pains, and I think I'm getting more forgetful and confused about things more often. I used to be a multi-tasking whiz, but now I have to concentrate on doing one thing at a time, and try not to forget to do what I meant to do when I go downstairs to fetch something. It's so easy to get distracted by the three or four other things that you see need doing down in the utility room or cold pantry.
Sigh. My biggest problem is that I'm always so busy, and I've never been very organized about things. I think that's why I enjoy writing. It forces me to focus and concentrate on the task at hand. I can re-read what I've written and feel good about having accomplished something. And then I can fix all my typos and errors, because my first drafts are almost always full of them.
Be all that as it may, I really greatly enjoyed our friend Sue's visit. I got to do things I'd intended to do for years, like take a stroll through Chédigny; take a long walk or two through parts of our village that are not really accessible by car; enjoy a short hike along the Canal de Berry; and return to Villandry to see the château and gardens there for the first time in 17 years. We also spent a nice afternoon seeing the sights in Blois, a picturesque old royal city. Blois is a place I usually go to just to go shopping in stores that are bigger and more fully stocked than our local supermarkets.
Sue went with Walt, who had stayed home with the dog and glued to the tennis at Roland Garros (the French Open tournament) during most of her visit, to Versailles on Wednesday. I'm sure he will soon get around to posting photos of the château and gardens there. I haven't been to Versailles since 1997...
That's a street view taken in Chédigny on the right.
That's a street view taken in Chédigny on the right.
This art work is very colorful. Was there an explanation of what it stands for or any kind of meaning?
ReplyDeleteI don't remember seeing anything to describe the tableaux or the artists styles.'I assume most of them were the work of Alain Plouvier.
DeleteJ'ai trouvé M. Plouvier sur Facebook.
DeleteI remember when the doctor helped my Dad down from the examining table. Dad was so upset and offended. When I asked what was he upset about he said the doctor must think I am old. I said I thought the doctor was just being kind, but that has stuck with me through the years.
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed your visit with Sue and also Walt's Paris walk. He could be a tour guide. :)
When I was on the train on my way to Paris and then the U.S., with a fairly heavy suitcase, the person who asked if she could put the bag overhead for me was a young woman about half my age and size! It was very kind of her to offer to help.
DeleteVous décrivez très bien tout ce que je ressens ! 71 ans... c'est difficile de réaliser l'âge que nous avons !
ReplyDeleteAmicalement
Je n'ai jamais vraiment cru que je vivrais si longtemps. J'espère avoir 85 ou 90 ans un jour, et toute my tête. C'est trop tard pour mes dents, à moins de prendre en compte les couronnes.
DeleteWake up calls like yours about aging seem to occur in my life more often, too. I've been asked if I want my groceries put into multiple bags so they won't be too heavy, and if I need help getting with them to the car.
ReplyDeleteI've been giving two great pieces of advice about aging well (probably many more, but I can't remember them just now...: (1) keep moving and (2) keep making friends with younger people. I guess their energy and fresh perspectives are a way to keep thinking young, but as my recently deceased 99 year old friend, a nun, opined: you don't want to end up with few or no friends as they all age and pass away as the years go by.
The problem around here is that most of our neighbors and friends are as old or older than I am. The young couple three houses down are decidedly stand-offish. I think being a gay married couple doesn't make things any easier.
DeleteThe artwork reminds me of quilting somehow. It also looks like Indian signs and the colors make it cheerful. I now live in a young neighborhood which reminds me of the days when I was stronger, but I'm happy to not have the worries that I had back then. You are doing well to keep your strength up- the gardening does that and the regular walking. CHM is my role model for aging well, but genetics play a large part in how our bodies adapt to being old. Let's just carry on while we can.
ReplyDeleteThank you Evelyn for the compliment, but you haven’t seen me recently… lol. You’re right, genetics are important in the aging process. All my male ancestors on my father’s side, going as far back as the early 17th century lived to be 80 or older, except my great-grandfather who died young, but as far as I know that might have been an accident. My grandfather, the painter, lived to be 88. Could have lived longer, but he got a cold in late December while working at a painting in his studio which wasn’t heated because of the holidays. He died in early January 1905. My father died at age 96 + and my brother is still kicking at 98. I’ll be 100 in six years! Wish me luck!
DeleteAmen, E. I see the quilting resemblance. As for aging well, walking is crucial, until you just can't any more. Thank goodness for Tasha. And then there's the genetics. Not much we can do about that.
DeleteI hope you make to 100 and write here to tell us all about it CHM!
DeleteVery colorful photos today!
ReplyDeleteOh...pffff... Ken, you know how younger people are. They see grey hair and think "old". I always think of you as a very fit, very active, very sharp person. I think that sometimes, we gauge our life expectancy on what we saw from our parents and grandparents. My maternal grandmother lived to 102, and my mom was 91 when I lost her (but barely even seemed to age until around 87), so I just don't think of life ending before those ages. You, unfortunately, lost your dad when he was very young, and I've noticed (from your blog discussions) that that age has stuck in your mind as the age when you might die. But, really, Ken, he was so young. Look at how long a life your mother lived :)
By the way, I am sure that I have seen many polite, younger adults offer to help ANYONE with a large bag, to get it into the overhead compartment :) They might well have offered even if you still had dark hair, and were in your 40s. Now... the checkout girl offering to pull your groceries from the cart for you? Ha! That's hilarious! I've just flat out never heard of that before at all :)
You walk everyday. You work in the garden. You're active. You're not old, Ken :)
I have to say, Judith, I was going to be writing almost the same thing as you have! I cannot repeat the quote I read earlier today, but the gist of it was: what we think, we follow; how we react, we make a habit; if we act younger, we will feel more energy -- or something like that! I, too, think of all the things you do, Ken, and as another 70+6 months, I know just what you're talking about (forgetting, concentrating and focusing issues, and unfortunately - making booboos more than I care to admit to! BUT - We are the babyboomer who will CHANGE THE WORLD! Keep up your activities, your interests and most of all your joie de vivre! And to quote Judith - "PFFF" (excellent word I must start using!).
Delete: ^ )
Deletethat should have been plural -- babyboomers.
ReplyDeleteMary in Oregon
Lovely, colourful photos.
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, I took my 85 year old father to see a consultant at the local hospital. She asked if I was his wife. I am 58 years old. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.......
It's probably because your father looks twenty years younger.
DeleteHaha. Good answer!😀
DeleteI'm sure CHM is right. Your father must look much much younger than his actual age.
DeleteI remember being insulted back in 1998 when a cashier in a hospital cafeteria asked me if I wanted the senior citizen price for what I had ordered. I was 49 years old at the time. It was my aunt, not me, who had been admitted to that hospital.
Haha. Yes but you could have enjoyed a reduction in the cost of your meal. But it would probably have stuck in your throat!
ReplyDeleteNone of it really matters, does it? It's our pride that's hurt.