Summer is HERE

Posted on July 1, 2009 by Jason

It’s been a long wait and after all those cold winter days, summer has finally arrived. It’s this time of year that we all remember exactly why we are here. It’s a beautiful time of year to live here, with beautiful weather and nature rewards all who are in it’s presence.

Flowers in the Front Yard

Flowers in the Front Yard

So, a few updates of possible interest for all of you out there…

  • Summer is here. The weather is gorgeous, the flowers are blooming, and gardens everywhere are full.
  • Lake swimming… happens all the time. Not for the timid, but it’s oh so wonderful for those who dare.
  • Cherries are RIPE! We’ve been picking all week long, with no end in sight. Jams, pies, and soon- Clafoutis!
  • The Le Vignaud website can be considered officially ‘live’. So watch out. There’s still plenty of kinks and things to work out as well as other planned additions and updates that will take some time to work out. I’ll be making all my updates through here from now on, so please bookmark and check back regularly.
  • YOU can get involved- Have some thoughts or photos you’d like to share? Sign up, drop a line, and I’ll make it so… author permissions all around people, no excuses. I’d love to get posts and/or photos from everyone who’s been involved so far. That means YOU! Juli has made the first guest post, and you can read her thoughts about Real French Bread.
  • I am still here. That is, I am still living at Le Vignaud. Still loving and cherishing every minute of it. I mean this in every sense that that would not have been possible without everyone out there: My friends, my family, and everyone giving their love and support. I can not give thanks enough for that support, and I would not be here still if it were not there… the response I received when I made the announcement that I was leaving was immense. I can not ignore it. I am living day by day, and hoping for the best. Thank you all for taking this ride with me.

Plenty more photos and words to come. Please take the time to SUBSCRIBE NOW, so that I can lay off the spam. You can also receive email updates if you prefer, but either way please keep in touch.

Love and light,
Jason

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Just to Prove That They Really Existed.

Posted on July 1, 2009 by Jason

People take pictures of the Summer,
Just in case someone thought they had missed it,
And to proved that it really existed.
-The Kinks

Summer is here and the garden is full. It’s a wonderful time of year to be in Le Vignaud, and living off the land becomes easier, healthier, and oh so enjoyable. Cherry trees are full this time of year, mushrooms are popping in the woods, and all the fresh veggies you can eat are at your fingertips.

It’s oh so hard to believe that back in cold, grey February a few friends started digging the muddy French soil and now a few months down the road there’s a garden full of beautiful food for many people. Friends have come and gone, each having put a hand to help the garden along; Some have eaten, some have cooked, but I hope all have learned and enjoyed this experience. For me it has truly been special, looking back a few months and now suddenly nature has worked her wonders on the rich earth and we are blessed with its bounty. I have been eating dailiy from the garden for a few months now, but it is only now coming into it’s full prime. Even the tomatoes are near ripe…

Hey Clint, remember this?

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Real French Bread

Posted on June 28, 2009 by Julianne
Jeneanne with her Spoils
Jeanine with her Spoils

One of my favorite experiences in France has been the boulangeries. The back wall is lined with baskets of baguettes and other breads, while the display cases are filled with everything from €0,80 croissants to €16,00 tartes. My favorite snacks were plain croissants or chausson pommes, an apple filled pastry, but I would love a chance to taste anything in those bakeries.

The boulangeries are wonderful all over France, but the Le Vignaud experience was special. There is no boulangerie in the village, so the bread is delivered several times a week in a bread truck. The driver would blast his horn and park a few houses away, and after running upstairs for my wallet I would trot down the street and stand with the other villagers as we bought our bread for the day. It was a good chance to say hello to the neighbors and let them know I can say more than “Bonjour,” although there’s not much more than that. I was able to practice my numbers in French when the driver told me the total, and I tried to make small talk. But even with the language barrier, it was still an integral part of my stay in France and specifically Le Vignaud.

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The Yard in Spring

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Jason

The MailboxMid June: The Irises that we planted in March were blooming. The Poppies covered the front yard. The sunflowers were growing tall and their buds were getting bigger. It was at this time of year that I received the most compliments about the yard and how great the flowers and gardens looked… It was late spring and the wildflowers had reached their peak. It was a wonderful time of year to sit back, relax, and finally enjoy all the hard work that was finally paying off.
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June Gardening Update

Posted on June 21, 2009 by Jason
First Zucchini Flower
First Zucchini Flower

In June the garden was filling out and growing fast with plenty of rain and warm weather. The peas really took over and I discovered a whole new world inside those tiny green pods. I had never really known what a pea tasted like before June 2009, but I made up for it with kilo after kilo smothered in butter and a bit of garlic… The Zucchini plants began to flower; There were some tiny green tomatoes forming, and peas, cabbage, beets, and carrots were not long from harvest time.

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A Walk in the Village

Posted on June 5, 2009 by Jason

Some photos from around the village in early June. The weather was finally starting to really warm up, the grass was green, and the gardens were growing.

The Edge of the Village

The Edge of the Village

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The House in Spring

Posted on June 5, 2009 by Jason

But the sun shines bright and warm this first spring morning, re-creating the world…
-Henry David Thoreau

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One more time, in Harmony.

Posted on June 3, 2009 by Jason

“If You will it; It is no dream”

–Theodore Hertzl, State of Israel
Le Vignaud, May 2009.

Things have developed very rapidly over here. There’s a lot to say, but little time, and words are difficult.

It seems that I will be or will soon be leaving Le Vignaud indefinitely. I won’t go into the details of the situation (as some of you already know, to varying degrees), but will only say that this was a very difficult decision to make.

I have spend the last seven (going on eight) months of my life working towards this crazy dream of mine, and have cherished the time I have spent here. I have no regrets. It has been truly a wonderfully eye-opening experience, and I hope to have passed on at least a bit of it. I learned and progressed in many ways because of it, and I will take many lessons and discoveries with me when I go.

Without digressing further, I’d just like to thank you all simply and honestly for everything. If you are getting this letter, you have been an integral part of making this happen. Weather it comes from me, or through a friend- I acknowledge and thank every one of you for the love and support you have all shown throughout this project.

And in parting, I’d like to ask one last favor: I want to ask everyone reading this to send a postcard. Just one. One last one. Or a first one. Forward this to friends and encourage them to do the same. Write what Le Vignaud is for you (weather you were there, saw photos, or heard about it through a friend). Say thank you. Write your favorite quote. Song lyrics. Your dreams. Anything. Please.

Send it to:
11 Le Vignaud
23000 Anzeme
France

Thank you.

-Jason Langley

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Home (A Photo Study)

Posted on May 26, 2009 by Jason

The Mantle, Still Sponsored by PhilbeeWhen does an empty space turn into that thing called Home?

Last November, I moved into a house I had never seen and did not intend to inhabit very long. Without realizing it, that place became home. It happened so suddenly, and when Home comes- things begin to change. No longer is the space around you simply the space in which you live. The space in which you live becomes loved. It becomes part of you. You care for it as Self; You come to know it, and you accept it faults along with its praises. The chipping paint and cracked floors give voice to memories, and the clock lives at 5:39 forever.

Then came the time when I had to leave that place I called Home. When I left that space and moved my belongings to another location, did Home follow me? Or do pieces of Home stay behind? Perhaps home is less of a stationary object or place, but rather something closer to an idea; an ever-changing cloud of objects, people, ideas, and routines that circle in and out of our daily life…

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May Gardening Update

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Jason
Garden View, 16 May
Garden View, 16 May

May was a big month for gardening. The last of the frosts were finally past, the weather became warmer, and the plants (along with the weeds) started growing quickly. Tomatoes and Peppers were in the ground, we ate more salad than anyone cares to remember, and already peas, radishes, and carrots were growing fast. Also, lots of seeds that were planted in the cold frame in April were ready for transplanting to their definitive locations in the garden. Wildflowers were blooming and the world was waking up from hibernation. By the end of the month, I already had far more vegetables than I could eat or giveaway. It was a great feeling, particularly knowing that there was much more on the way.

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