Friday, August 03, 2007

A flower grows in Pissis

oo





There are so many reminders of my mother in this house.
Next to one of the windows, a hollyhock grows tall and spindly. It is one of the only flowers that bloom when we are here in August. I remember when my mother excitedly told me that the seeds from this plant came from Monet's garden in Giverny. During a visit there, she secretly snipped a seed pod off a plant and brought it here to her house. This was about 10 years ago. Ever since, it has been blooming in the poorest dirt one can imagine.
As a matter of fact, flowers seem to grow out of every crevice, every dirt patch, even out of walls. The picture above was taken yesterday morning of a sunflower growing out of the stone wall of our shed. No dirt, no visible means of survival. But here it thrives, in almost 900 meters altitude.
And here I thrive too. I am starting to understand why my mother said that she was the happiest when she was here.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see more pictures of your farm house. It looks really beautiful from the few shots you have posted.

Unknown said...

Hello, I have a Hollyhock seed connection going with Sarah from her garden to mine .... I love them.. Your sunflower reminds me of living in California and having radishes growing in the sidewalk cracks!!! (Lovely cellular division - that is some fertile land.) Do you remember the vine from La Petit Trianon- ? - I also have a Nigella seed offspring from Denmark by way of California- how folks love their homelands. The chackt-eau looks fine... are you fung shuing? What is there to do there- How is the library ?

Kelly said...

Yes, I will take more pictures as soon as the house is clean. Right now we have guests and there is stuff lying all over the place. Might as well show off the place when it is at its best.
Lets see, what is there to do. The house is inn pretty good shape though it is closed 11months out of the year, and that for the last 36 years. But there are some cosmetic improvements that we have undertaken. Then there are the weeds, treating all the woodwork for woodworms which eat through anything including the legs of chairs. Then there is the cooking and cleaning when you have 3 course meals and 18 people sitting around the long farm house table...
Library? What library. But I brought 4 books along. I have read about half of one. I fall into bed like a stone at night. I am simply never bored here.