quiet frogs, gentle air, sore, tired puppies nearby.
pulling together, loving one another, accepting, steadying.
smiling through the tears, saying honest words.
whispering hope and glimpsing the light.
steady, strong, pissed off, fierce, focused mommas that we are.
and then again… quiet frog song…. night sounds…. peace…. the sweet smell of our children’s hair….. a sigh…. rest.
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Okay, I know I am horribly behind in posting photos but I will keep posting anyway 
Our hosts in Saint-Feliu-d’Avall, Nathalie and Jose, also took us to a beautiful medieval Catalan castle and village near their home. The photos which follow give just a glimpse of the rugged beauty of the area:
Posted in Happiness, Homeschooling, travel | Tagged france, perpignan, travel, villefranche | Leave a Comment »
Hello,
We are actually in Milan today, this 6th day of February. This is our 11th day in Europe and 13th day away from home. We are happy and ensconsed in a beautiful, warm apartment in Milan, Italy. Our host is Carston, who met us at the train station and has hosted us very nicely. We have all shared laughs and good discussions as well as some good food. This morning, Alex is recovering from a cold and we plan to visit Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia di Milao this morning before climbing aboard a train for our next destination, Verona. Yesterday we visited il Duomo –truly the most spectacular cathedral I have ever seen or could imagine. You will have to Google it for photos because I left my camera at home because of the rain. It is a breathtaking sight. We arrived there at about 5 p.m. and there were many people coming, after the work day, to light a candle, say a prayer or visit the confessional. Though I am not a Catholic, it was beautiful to see this example of how a church can fill the needs of it’s people. Quiet, meditative and incredibly beautiful. But now for the delayed photos from Day 6:
Posted in Food, Happiness, Homeschooling, Motherhood, travel | Tagged crepes, france, travel | Leave a Comment »
The day is dawning here in this little village of Saint-Feliu-d’Avall, France. The family is rustling around downstairs and the children are sleepily greeting me as I sit typing. Alex and I will be leaving here today so I will just post yesterday’s photos so we can spend time together before they go out the door to school and work. What precious time.
Posted in Food, Happiness, Motherhood, homeschool, travel | Tagged catalan, couchsurfing, france, travel | 1 Comment »
As I listen to the church bells ringing 8 times here in this beautiful Catalan village I have to smile. The friendly priest, Joel, provided the service last night because he is the only priest serving several nearby villages. I was lucky enough to meet him when he came to dinner on Friday evening and it was very pleasant and thought provoking for me. I have never been part of the Catholic faith and only really know what I read …. or hear in the news. Meeting Father Joel I began to glimpse the kindness, support and comfort a priest can represent for the people in his parish.
Here the religion appears to be less formal… kids giggle and hide their faces in his robe sleeves, church goers can attend wearing jeans and smiles and it seems to be really about coming together to hear a postive message and re-enforce one’s relationships with their God and their community. Good stuff.
I will stop writing for now and simply post a gallery of photos I took while spending our first afternoon in Saint-Feliu-d’Avall… which is close but not quite the same as the village of Saint-Feliu-d’Mont…
Posted in Happiness, Homeschooling, Motherhood, religion, travel | Tagged catalan, france, Saint-Feliu-d'Avall | Leave a Comment »
