Coffee and Sunshine? Yes, Please.

What could be better than coffee and sunshine? Hmmm. How about coffee, sunshine, and a great read?

Setting aside my go-to scan (at least!) of world news as first light peeks through the window, or anthologies of essays on the weekends — might I toss in a classic Colette or Duras? — there’s nothing like stepping into an elegant escape. What might that be?

Try this: luminous first-hand accounts of life’s moments in the lesser explored cities and towns of France’s South. In this case, I’m talking about Taste of France, a blog I discovered just a few years ago, with posts that are brimming with evocative detail, entertaining snippets that capture the local flavor, and gorgeous images of the region. (Such exquisite balconies, façades, doors with the worn patina that beckons the hand.)

And oh, a writing cadence that is as luxurious and languorous as the southern sun!

What can I say? It’s all quite delish.

Sunny Side Up?

And speaking of delish, Catherine, the hostess with the mostess at Taste of France, has a section of posts on French cooking that are, well… OMG. So tempting. So far beyond my current culinary caprices that are comprised of, um… coffee, coffee, coffee, and eggs scrambled or eggs sunny side up.

Let’s just say, Catherine’s gastronomic images alone are lighting a little francophile fire under not-so-little me to return to France just to eat!

Setting aside her abilities to seduce my palate (and my desire to speak French again), Catherine was so kind to pass some of her South of France sunshine to me a while back, accompanied by a few questions to be answered, and a request to pass the warm welcome along.

Where am I going to pass that welcome? To another yummy read, High Heels in the Wilderness. But we’ll get to that in a moment.

First (drumroll please), to the questions and my right-off-the-top-of-my-tête answers.

Ordering Up One Jot of Joy, Please

Question: How or where do you find the joy in each day?

I admit, joy was easier to find when I was raising my children. A single sweet smile from one of my kiddos could reset perspective, soften my rough edges, flip the switch on a cranky mood, and instantly fill my heart.

Post empty nest?

Joy is a bit more elusive. Contentment is easier. That first cup of coffee. A decent night’s sleep. An impeccably crafted paragraph. Stunning architecture!

I will say there is extraordinary visceral pleasure standing 12” away from a Dufy, a Dérain, a De Kooning — oh, the Picasso Museum in Paris! — modern art, any time, anywhere…

Of course, joy revisits when my sons show up, and when they text or call. Even though they both have “man faces” (and man voices) now, I still see little boys, they still crack me up, and they most certainly still fill my heart.

Ordinary “Happiness”

Question: Tell us about a happy day of your life, not necessarily the happiest — those tend to be milestones like births and weddings – but just an ordinary day that you look back on as a time of carefree bliss.

I’m mulling, I’m mulling, I’m mulling… I think what you’re describing is more “contentment” or maybe lightheartedness (don’t get me started on the “Happiness Industry”). Hmmmm. I’m always much more relaxed when I’m in France. Chez moi in a way I have never been able to adequately explain. So I could pick almost any day that I am popping in and out of Parisian galleries in my favorite arrondissements.

Marais gallery hopping used to be a much more accessible “pastime” when my work took me back-and-forth across the Atlantic. Malheureusement, ce n’est plus le cas ! It’s not the case any longer, sadly.

There is a day in France that comes to mind, however, about 10 years back, a very rare moment to myself. This was during the years I was on my own with my boisterous boys. I returned to one of the first places I ever lived in France — Nice. Walking the narrow streets of the old city, the broad quai, the beach with its stones crunching beneath my feet — it brought me back to my 15-year-old self learning French en famille. I felt energized and lighter. I felt connected to deeper parts of my being. And of course, the view was spectacular and it was great fun.

I also recall handing my digital camera to a stranger and asking her to snap a picture. Ten years ago we weren’t all armed with smartphones and selfie sticks!

By the way, I made that trip on my own, something I’ve done for most of my life. Traveling solo has always worked out wonderfully for me. So for those women (especially) who hesitate to go off on an adventure by themselves, they might want to consider it!

Guilty Pleasure? Who… Moi?

Question: What is your péché mignon — your guilty pleasure?

I’m guessing that you will think I’m going to say shoes. Louboutins, Choos, Manolos (sigh). Indeed, I yearn for them (especially the latter), which is neither a secret nor something I feel guilty about. If I spent that kind of money on footwear (however fabulous), that is something I’d feel guilty about.

So, here goes. Please don’t cringe. It’s Real Housewives! But not all the Real Housewives. I’m a huge fan of New York (love their fashion, love the current mix of personalities, love that they allow us to see them without makeup at times, love seeing Manhattan, don’t love when they’re screaming at each other).

I also have a soft spot for Vanderpump Rules and Beverly Hills. The 20-and-30-somethings are outrageous (Pump Rules), some of the interiors are breathtaking and others over-the-top (RHBH), and the fashions! The jewelry! Talk about jaw-dropping!

(Can we give it up for Erika Jayne? Her suit on last night’s episode is a work of art!)

And the new season of Southern Charm (in Charleston, SC) just started up. Charleston is such a beautiful city and perhaps the 20+ years I lived in the deep South rubbed off, more than a little.

Okay. Maybe I don’t feel guilty about this pleasure at all. (Does it show?)

Wisdom. We All Possess It. Sometimes We Even Act on It.

Question: What piece of advice or wisdom can you share with us? It can be practical or profound.

The advice I give to myself based on… um… let’s just say, a number of years of learning from my own mistakes… that’s this: Never assume.

Never assume we know the circumstances of any individual’s real life, any couple’s real life, the challenges they face, or for that matter, the advantages they may enjoy that we will never be aware of. Social media has a way of seriously skewing what we think we know about people, and worse — it seems to have bestowed free reign on being judgey, judgey, judgey, dismissive, intrusive and cruel.

Never assume is, in essence, a reminder that we don’t know what we don’t know, so behave accordingly. Err on the side of circumspection and compassion, and steer clear of judgment.

My Turn to Send Sunshine

As I put on my third small pot of coffee – yes, I know, that’s too much caffeine – I would like to send sunshine northward to Sue at High Heels in the Wilderness. She is another one of my very favorite reads. Her blog covers everything from “just life” experiences to her favorite books – hint: she loves mysteries — to fashion and style (she’s super chic in the most down-to-earth way), to outdoor playtime in the (brrrrrr) long Canadian winters, to travel (some amazing trips).

Sue’s writing is consistently wonderful — she intersperses personal narrative with almost any other reading-style-travel subject she undertakes. Visiting her blog is like sitting down over coffee with a really interesting, well-read, kind-hearted, smart-as-a-whip friend.

So now, a few questions for Sue…

1. If you had to pick a book that changed your outlook on any aspect of life, what would it be? If you prefer, tell us about one of your favorite books and why you love it.

2. In your years as a teacher, what one or two things did you learn from your students that surprised you? Was there a student you will never forget?

3. As a Canadian who has traveled a good deal but retained all the charm, manners, authenticity, and general “niceness” that some of us value in our neighbors to the north, what advice would you give us (to the south) in these difficult days? And can we all come to visit?

4. You are so fashionable in the most self-effacing, approachable, yet utterly chic way. (Hey, it’s my question. That’s my opinion!) What advice would you offer to those of us (I include myself here) who have grown lax on our style standards in our post-50 second (or third) chapters?

You Are My Sunshine, My (Not) Only Sunshine (Tra La)

Contrarian that I am — I come by it naturally, we will chalk it up to heredity — my request of Sue is to link to this little shaft of morning light and to its originator, Taste of France — Catherine, thank you so much for the nod! — and then scatter sunshine all across Canada with her sunny disposition and genuine warmth.

Oh, right… and answer those four questions. But Sue, if you don’t like them, ignore them and make up your own!

Of course, I have another question — or perhaps it’s more of a wish. Won’t you pop down below the border and offer me fashion advice? I adore fashion, but I have definitely been a walking-talking fashion faux-pas in recent months. Might you be tempted to translate your statuesque style into a Lilliputian version?

Image of Erika Jayne, screen capture from Bravo TV. Thanks, Andy! Erika, you rock! Picasso image, 1937 La Femme Qui Pleure (Picasso Museum, Paris), photo by yours truly.

 

You May Also Enjoy

• High Heels in the Wilderness

• Taste of France

• My Style Slump, My Style Snoozer

• Has Happiness Become the Latest Trend?