Saturday, July 10, 2010

Happy Flower!


Thank you so much for your nice messages on yesterday's photo. I'm just back from Trouville and, well, let's say that my aunt was better than I expected. Coming back to Paris, I also came back to the heat and... to the sun. That is why I picked this photo today, for it shows a flower that loves the sun (we call it Tournesol in French, which means something like, "Turn to the sun"). It's also the name of a restaurant in the 16th arrondissement, with a nice terasse not far from the embankment.

27 comments:

  1. Glad to hear your aunt is better, Eric. Happy Flowers to you!

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  2. Lovely! I am so happy to hear that your aunt is hanging in there. Sending her get well wishes from way out west in New Mexico.

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  3. Great! Then, that Tournesol could be me ;)

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  4. Sorry, this f is for Flore ! It went to the comment box too fast for me ... :)

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  5. Good news you bring to us. About Tournesol (Is not this the name of a character in Tintin?), Sunflower, in Spanish, are "Girasol".

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  6. A perfect composition, especially for a sunny day!
    Glad you found your aunt feeling better—greetings to her from La Grande Pomme.

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  7. Lovely photo Eric! The color of the photo is so rich.

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  8. Good to hear your aunt is feeling better than you expected.

    The sunflower - the tournesol - is lovely! I have noticed that they seem to be in various stages of bloom while watching "le Tour" on television. They are so pretty when you see entire fields of them.

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  9. How sweet it is to find this happy flower, and good news of your aunt! Have a lovely weekend, Eric.

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  10. That's such a happy, sun-shiny flower, and I'm very glad to hear that your dear aunt is better than expected, Eric!

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  11. Good news about your dear old aunt ;o)

    This is a beautiful photo. I love Tournesols.
    This restaurant will be on my list for my next visit in Paris.

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  12. Such good news about your aunt. Hope her condition continues to improve.

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  13. Ahhh see? It was your presence, Eric :)

    Beautiful shot, I love sunflowers!

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  14. So glad to hear about your aunt. And what better symbol for hope than a sunflower. They are such happy flowers; one of my favorites.

    As to your comment about not wanting to bring too much of your personal life into this blog, I understand what you're saying but hearing about your aunt made you even more human to me and to a lot of people, judging from their responses. It is a part of life to which we can all relate. What was happening to you personally made the photo of the train station even more moving. Thank you for your honesty in sharing a bit of yourself with us.

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  15. Happy news and a happy flower! So glad your aunt is doing better than expected and that you had a good visit. Enjoy today's warmth. :)

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  16. What a heat in Paris today ...
    As it is impossible to clearly distinguish where the sun hides itself today behind the clouds, the only thing to do is to trust this Sunflower inclination and be sure there's the sun somewhere, irridiating her. The least the flower can do is to be as beautiful as possible then, isn't it?
    Back to packing.
    Heureusement que je ne pars pas au Pôle nord, je ne pourrais pas sortir les pulls et les polaires avec cette chaleur ;) Maillots de bain, lunettes de soleil et ça ira :) Faut aller à l'essentiel ... Lol!

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  17. Eric; do you know that tournesols (tourner vers le sol..eil) are called like this because in the morning, the are holding their heads towards to rising sun and in the evening, the have turned them towards the west (sundown). It REALLY works like that and I see it every day in my sunflowers in the garden.... :) A fantastic thing to observe and a wonderful, wonderful flower.
    They are also the favourite flowers of both my mother and my little sister, both of whom have their birthday on the 20th July... The right flower for their birthday cards and I have made two different photos for their cards.
    I feel with you about not being too personal on a blog; but friend - face it -, THAT is what blogs are all about.... the me, me, me... it's like an open diary! And isn't it lovely to know that many people, including this woman here, have been thinking kindly of your auntie; sending a loving thought, a prayer - and hey presto - it works beautifully! SO GLAD that she is already on better ways now... there IS a lot of worry during those hot, hot days, and elderly people get quite frail.
    Have a lovely weekend; I for one am fixing those cards and preparing them to send them out - abroad always takes a bit longer!
    Kiki

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  18. Eric, I hear you about being "too personal" on a blog. Even in comments, every time we post we make choices about how much to reveal. What goes on the web stays on the web. We're projecting our personalities out there.

    I've given talks about blogging, and I tell people to save the photos of drunken orgies for their private albums, but go ahead and let their personal warmth shine through their posts. I think you achieve the personal warmth bit extremely well.

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  19. Petrea, I really like what you said about what should and shouldn't be posted on a blog. I especially appreciate your comments because I am considering starting my own blog, but am somewhat hesitant.

    For me, the best blogs are the ones that touch on universal experiences, like the one Eric shared regarding his aunt. Blogs that provide this sense of connection with people all over the world are one of the best things about the Internet. Striking the right balance is always a concern for a blogger, but Eric you definitely achieve this with PDP.

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  20. Well said, Ann. "Striking the right balance." It's as though you have to be personal, but not private.

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  21. Lovely...merci!! Welcome home and best wishes for your auntie..

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  22. Wow, I really appreciate what several of you said about the personal/public "ratio" there should be in a blog. My first aim was to make a blog about Paris, period. But then, of course, since it's made of photos that I take personally, parts of my life step "into the picture"!

    @Kiki. Yes I knew more of less the story about Tournesols, but thanks for your explanations.

    @Flore. Yes the heat is unbearable I must say... It'll last until Monday noon they said.

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  23. Eric,
    When I started BADP I thought it would be easy. Post a photo. lWrite a quick caption. Done!

    Well like you, I began to want to share some things about the photo and now two years later, I"m blathering on and on! HA You have found the right balance and I for one have enjoyed getting to know more about you through your wonderful blog. After those nice words, do I get to kiss your ring again the next time in Paris? :)

    Almost forgot, love the train shot and of course the sunflower made us all smile.
    V

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  24. sunflowers are my fav. flower. i love the english translation of tournesol! i think it is more fitting than "sunflower!" thanks for the info!

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  25. Who is the luckiest? The happiest? Is there even one? No, only two, if two. I guess this is what I know. I guess this is a reality defined like (I don't remember who said that) 'reality is what does not disappear from one's life when you do not think of it'. Besides, you are always (or often) often (or always) in my thoughts.... lol

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