Tuesday, March 18, 2008

French Country in the City

Before moving to the country my husband and I lived in Somerville, MA, which is on the outskirts of Boston. We had a neighbor, an older French woman who pretty much kept to herself. Though her yard was tiny, she had the most amazing garden, including climbing roses and two well-groomed cherry trees. Every spring the cherry trees would explode with gorgeous pink blooms. I loved her yard because it allowed me to escape the city and imagine I was in the French countryside. The best part was, that come harvest time, I would come home from my job in the city and find a basket full of cherries waiting for me at the bottom of my steps. She never talked to me. She just quietly and mysteriously left the treats for my husband and me to enjoy. We'd return the basket in the same quiet manner. She must have seen me, admiring and painting her gardens from my deck. These charming, little Damier Red cherry bowls remind me of her. It's not quite cherry season yet, but just using them brings me back to her garden and makes me miss my French country in the city.