Thursday 9 September 2010

A state of mind


Just before the brow of the hill, where Walker Lane angles into Mary Street, I leapt over the seeping gutter, correcting my balance with the metal upright of the street sign. Looking up, my eyes saw France.

France is the state of mind you have when you have lost your mind to a whimsy. I suppose there is a this-goes-with-that quality at play. The getting of whimsy is subjective, to each his own. But what could be more conducive to a French vision than white lace, lavender, and oranges? Out of sight here, too, is a scarlet motor scooter with chrome trim.

Momentarily, my reason for being is to indulge myself with all things gallic. I have visions of my father leaning over a naked engine, taking each spark plug out of its socket and cleaning it, before returning it to spark anew. I reason that my plugs need to be cleaned and put in more jauntily, with beret would do it. So, I leaven them with Edmund White’s ‘The Flaneur – A stroll through the paradoxes of Paris’. I scatter my apartment with images from Cartier-Bresson. I stroll my courtyard, crushing lavender, inspecting olives, chuffing over newly sprouting fig twigs. I am cleansing the plugs of my senses.

In readiness ...




A member of the Theme Thursday community. A post in response to the prompt 'reason'.

16 comments:

Jo said...

Beautiful, Julie. I can smell the lavender and the oranges. Greetings from North Africa (Jo)

Stephanie V said...

To be in France with the turn of a corner...how wonderful!
I feel that way about our drying garlics...a small window - very small - on Tuscany.

Francisca said...

Delightful, Julie... I'd be pretty excited about a jaunt like that too. And Paris for sure is a favored city, although I've spent more time in Provence, where my parents lived.

EG CameraGirl said...

A glorious vivid imagination!

David R. Reid said...

oui, oui Julie.

Jim said...

You've painted a very colourful image.
Sydney - City and Suburbs

Ann said...

A glimpse, especially a smell can take you miles away in an instant. I remember I was in London once (no doubt homesick) and the turn of a street had me back in Sydney looking down towards the Quay waiting for the Bridge to come into view.

Brian Miller said...

wonderful write...and reason as well...cleansing the plugs of my senses...nice. happy tt!

Peter said...

your mind is IN France - trip coming up?

Janice said...

A reason for being...lovely.I drew a blank with this week's TT topic, but I love what you did with it. Whimsy; great word.

Joan Elizabeth said...

Hey you are having such a great time being French here you should save your money and stay home. What is it about lavendar compels us to photograph it?

Unknown said...

Very nice write! Happy TT!

Gabriela Abalo said...

Great pictures!! The light and colors are beautiful. Nice TT

RLM Cooper said...

We could all do with a little cleaning of our senses. :)

Subby said...

"Cleansing the plugs of my senses"....I like tha' :)

Ta much fae stoppin' o'er. And you can use my soap-box any time ;)

Jaime said...

great pictures.