Healing my "Heart..." (back in France) Part 11

Tuesday, March 15

I think this was my favorite place.
Well.... one of my favorite.

Left around 8am .... heading back to France.
We are lunching in the walled city of Carcassonne.
Robin Hood Men of Thieves was filmed there in the 1990.
The castle was called Chateau Comtal.
All the locals got to play big parts and loved their town being called
"Nottingham Castle."
In the evening we arrived at the hilltop town of
Les Baux which crowns the rugged Alphilles Mountains.
As it continued to rain/mist, we walked around the narrow cobble stoned streets.
Up & down...up and down.
I think this was my favorite place to take pictures... so many cute shops!

We stayed at the Hostelle De La Reine Jeanne!
Before retiring for the night we ate in a cozy little corner of the hotel restaurant.
I will never forget my decadent dessert. It was the most delicious
cream puff with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream!
"Oh my!"

Michelle and I shared our own room on this night and
we had the cutest little room and bathroom.
Our room had a balcony and we left the windows open all night for a
fresh mountain breeze.

Hostelle De La Reine Jeanne

This adorable shop only sold "white" clothing. Interesting?

Outside our restaurant window
after a breakfast of juice, hot chocolate, fresh croissant and pan du chocolate. Yum Yum!

Used to be a castle windmill....

Walls where the castle used to be....


Men prepared for war.....

Battering ram .....

Outside the restaurant city... long way down!

Chateau Comtal

Dear Alain,

After we got back in the car after visiting the Chateau Comtal, and tried drying off...(we've been walking in the rain!), Shawno said, "Winnie the Pooh and the blustery day!" That reminded me of the saying I often said to you when we were busy helping each other... I would say... Winnie the Pooh says, "Everything is friendlier with TWO!" I am missing terribly the "TWO of us." I think you would be proud of me... I'm trying to do hard things... all by myself!

PS. Could you surround our home in heaven with green rolling hills with rock walls?

Healing my "Heart" in Spain Part 10

We hopped on a couple of Metro rides to get to the "Gaudi Cathedral." Oh my!
Rain, rain and more rain today!

Antonio Gaudi was an architect with an innate sense for geometry and volumes...
and a powerful imagination!
He perfected his craft using ceramic, stained glass, iron, forging and carpentry.
The four passions of his life were architecture, nature, religion and his love for Catalonia.
He died
before this cathedral was finished.

I couldn't really put into words what it was like...
ginormous....whimsical, out of the ordinary,
all centering around a Catholic theme of Jesus Christ.
The Pope came last November to dedicate this cathedral.

















This is one of the buildings he designed in downtown Barcelona!


Our metro ride back to our "Hosteria!"

Dear Alain...
After coming home from downtown BARCELONA, Michelle and I layed on the bed
talking...
I just started to CRY!
Oh how my heart hurts. At times I just ache inside. I feel true physical pain as I think of you/US!
I can't believe that you are really gone.
I think because I am so far from home.... I think somehow when I get back, you will be there...just waiting for me to get home...
then our lives will go on... just like before. You will go to work in the morning, and
I will take care of our home and YOU when you come back!
We will go to the temple together, serve, play, check on our children
and love our precious grandchildren together...
we will work in the yard,
I "mow" and you "edge!"
We will live the rest of our lives, go on a mission somewhere exciting,
and most importantly...
grow old together!
Tell me what is FAIR about all of this?
What is going to motivate me to be strong, to be HAPPY?
I hear you once again in your soft, sweet voice telling me,
"TRUST.... it will be OK!"

Why am I so worried that too many things will have changed by the time I'm with you again?

I fell asleep after talking with Michelle. I had a dream. You were there. I love you!


....to be continued!

Each Life that touches mine.... BYU-Idaho 5th Ward

I'm interrupting my "Italy" posts to show you my answer to pray!

Last week as I was looking out my windows and saw all the snow melting,
I wondered how in the world
I would be able to take care of everything
all by myself... (sigh/cry)

Then I got a call Saturday night from my friend Wendy who said,
"Donna... make a list of everything you need done inside and out because Bruce is
bringing over his kids from his campus ward
to do SERVICE! (cry a little more...happy cry)

It seems like every worry I encounter.... a solution comes right around the corner.

The Crew!

Dead Squash Crew... (because I was in the hospital last fall & we didn't winterize before it snowed!

Dig out carrots crew!

Rhubarb & Dead leaves crew!

Raspberry Cane Crew!

Front Yard and Discover Flowers Growing Under Leaves Crew!

Backyard rake & haul leaves crew!

Crew that picked up every last leaf!

My sweet dear friend Konda and her husband came over to join in... Rex went and got his pick-up and took a huge load of yard bags to the dump. Konda finished
cutting back my raspberry patch for the spring. She is just as beautiful on the
inside as she is on the outside!

Thank you from the bottom of my HEART!