A Cariad Life

As I have wandered into this first week of 2023 and in this continued journey of making life here in France, I am beginning to see a new perspective, a different way of living, emerge–and yet, this “new” way of seeing the world is also reminiscent of ways that I grew up, but had forgotten or no longer fully appreciated. In essence, it’s learning to value every resource; consider my contribution to the world around me and make intentional, conscious decisions to be a positive contributor; and, shift my perspective from what I once thought indicated success. So what do I mean…what does that shift look like here in France?

Well, we’ll start with our process for the last six weeks of rummaging through every closet, drawer, nook, and cranny to uncover the “treasures” of this house–there were many. Although the previous owners agreed to convey with the purchase of the house all the items we would need to run a bed & breakfast, they left us many other items to include a full set of high-quality pots and pans (our breakfast will mainly come from the boulangerie and homemade jams and granolas—so these items were extras), antique furniture and lamps, a full set of glassware and china for dinner service, and some beautiful linens, pieces of art, and decorative items. The discovery of these items and the opportunity to be creative with arranging and displaying these items have been so much fun and have unleashed my imagination–this creative process is in my bones, and I am in absolute bliss when doing it.

Reusing the items is also important in that we don’t currently have the funds to buy a lot of “unessential” items. In the past, I would have hopped in the car and gone to Home Goods (oh, how I miss that store) or logged into Amazon and filled my cart with what I felt I must have to make the space complete. My income and access to products was different then–with both of us not working yet, I need to make do. But here is the interesting part…I like this better. As I sit typing this post, in my “new” living room–I look around and love the eclectic nature of it. I have a few small items I brought from Bainbridge, but the rest is all “found” from around the house. I’ve posted a few pictures below of where we pulled items together, and the result is even better (I think) than if I had “shopped a room” in a store. Here’s the point: a lack of financial resources actually helped me to better see the value of my current resources and unleashed my creativity in a way that just buying things had suppressed.

The rummaging has also led to finding items that will happily go into the “give away” pile–neon green towels, faded tablecloths, books, and among other things, my personal favorite– two mugs, one of a man and one of a woman with the genitalia on full display that is both 3D and moves. (I would take a picture, but you can’t unsee it.) Everyone has different taste, eh? The important thing here is that there is not a lot we are “throwing away;” we are reusing or donating. Some of that is our changing view of being good stewards of what we are entrusted with and recognizing that others may be able to use it, but the other is a very practical component of living in France.

It is very hard (and expensive) to throw items away here. Starting in January, all the villages in our area have been outfitted with three types of receptacles located in various areas. One is for glass recycling (free), one is for plastic and paper (free) and the other is for garbage (there is a charge to throw away two 30 liter bags). The next goal in France is to have citizens compost at home–further reducing garbage. The interesting thing is that when we really look at what we throw away, much of it (here in France anyway) can be recycled. We are down to one small bag of garbage a week, and it is mostly just food scraps–which, is my next goal–how can we further eliminate food waste? I know this may sound like we have become radical in the environmentalist arena (though not radical enough for others), but what I am realizing is that we have all been given resources–I believe it is our God-given responsibility to use those resources wisely and consider how our actions impact our world. For those who hold similar Biblical beliefs as me, this idea is actually scriptural and was a directive. Going all the way back to Genesis, God commands Adam and Eve to take care of the earth (go back to the original language–“take dominion” refers to stewardship and care-taking, not ownership and control.)

This shift in my thinking also reminds me of how I grew up. Although we had very limited resources growing up, my mom always made our home feel “rich.” She served dinner on our good dishes every day (why wait?); she bought what we needed and when there were “special” treats on the weekend–they felt special; and, for anyone who has been in her home, you know that my mom is the master of taking items and arranging and displaying them in a way that is artful and magical–like nothing you would see in a store. She taught me the value of hanging art that speaks to you (and doesn’t just match the color scheme), of finding a way to use the entire loaf of bread and only cooking what will be eaten, and constantly assessing a space for how it feels, not just how it looks. Oh, and that rosemary grown in your own garden doesn’t just taste better, it can also be beautifully displayed in a sweet little vase on your windowsill. This perspective was not just practical–it demonstrated the art of living.

So, my idea of success has shifted and has been since I resigned last May. Success for me is not being able to buy anything I want, when I want it; success is shifting to knowing the value of what I have and creating with it a space that feels comfortable, beautiful (or my view of beauty), and is a home. It is making wise and responsible decisions about what I have been entrusted with. January is the perfect time for this process–I saw a friend post recently that she has been challenged to give away one item away every day in January. She mentioned how freeing it has become…I know how she feels. Most of us have so much, perhaps too much–so much, in fact, that we have lost the value of the items and more importantly the value of how resources can actually help serve the art of our living.