The last time I went to the Lavender festival I bought a few things that I really liked and went with the intention of buying them again this year. I was in luck.

Last year I saw these incense sticks and bought some. They are over a foot long and they last for 2 1/2 hours. The house smells incredible for a long time. The lady who sells them is also the one who makes them. There was a long line in front of her stall buying them.

 Aren’t these two sweet? They both smell strongly and delightfully of lavender. I hope it lasts. I bought one for Ella, my only grand daughter and the other for a new grandchild on the way. That’s right, I’m going to have seven grandchildren. I never thought I’d have so many. My daughter is expecting my 21st in February. I will, of course, make the treck once again to Texas to meet the newest member of our family.

 Last year I bought some honey from a religious order at the festival. A nun was standing there selling it. I bought it because I love whipped honey, so thick that you can’t pour it but must spread it on your toast with a knife. This honey fit the bill plus it had an incredibly mild lavender flavor. Sure enough, the same nun was there and I bought two containers. The order is a sort of cooperative (les Cooperatirices Paroissiales du Christ-Roi) and they have other orders in Spain, Switzerland, Argentina and Uruguay. This one was started in 1998. It looks like they offer some sort of spiritual retreats there. That’s not my thing but I’d like to visit it someday way out there by Valensole. I wish I were the type of person who could meditate. It sounds fascinating. I’d love to have the experience had by the author of Eat, Pray, Love reaching that spiritual plane where you are one with God. I think I’m too impatient to sit long enough to enter any sort of meditative trance. The closest I come is sitting on our terrace as the sun sets, looking at the view, waiting for Venus, then Saturn to come out and then tracing the slow movement of the moon as it slowly moves across the sky to my right every night during the summer months.

Some friends in a lavender field.