As far back as my memories go, Harvest was a magical time. La Bousquette is the land that my ancestors bought right after the French Revolution in 1789, and it has a nurtured generations of our family. I remember adoringly looking at my white-haired great Grand-père Charles, with my eyes barely levelling the kitchen table where all sorts of delicious things would soon be tasted. At age 11, I remember grumpily getting up at 5am with my mother and little brother to go pick the grapes with the team of vendangeurs: some local and some travelling up from Spain for … Continue reading →

Dear Friends, Today is “Le 15 Août” and as many of you know it is a very big deal in France, Spain and Italy. This is my cultural heritage, it runs deep in my soul and therefore I feel compelled to share a picture and a few thoughts with you. Regardless of your religious beliefs or absence thereof, I submit that to honor and respect the Feminine Principle is a healthy practice. This is one of the meanings of today for millions of people whether they are fully aware of it or not. It is safe to say that for … Continue reading →

When my mother died nine years ago this week, I was shaken to my core in ways that I had not have anticipated. It felt like an endless earthquake in slow motion with relentless aftershocks. My distress was so profound, my thinking and mental faculties so severely impacted, that I began to worry. Perhaps something other than mourning was going on with me.   When I confided in a woman whose strength and no-nonsense attitude I respect greatly, she shared a surprisingly similar experience. For months after her mother’s death, she said she had felt like a ghost and an … Continue reading →