Monday, January 9, 2012

Dreaming of French Flowers


It is cold and damp here today, and it even snowed earlier.  Hard to believe when just 2 days ago it was in the high 60s here!




Tonight at dinner, my son and I talked about where he wants to go for his special trip this spring.




When our daughter was the same age, we sent her to London and Paris with a friend.  It was to be the first of many trips abroad on her own.  She loves to travel, and if her finances would allow it, I think she could be happy living the life of a Nomad.




We consider ourselves very, very fortunate to have been able to expose our children to different cultures through travel.  And the college our son attends actually requires a study abroad experience in order to graduate.




But before he goes abroad for an entire semester, we want to give him the same opportunity to travel for a week or so to some place he finds appealing.  Right now, he and his friend are having trouble deciding just where they want to go.




Of course if it were up to his dear mother, well I would have to say France...maybe Normandy.  I've never been to that part of France, but both the beauty and the historical significance of that region has always appealed to me.

For now I will have to settle for looking at these beautiful flowers and day dreaming about my time spent in France last fall.  I think if I ever win the lottery, I will become a world traveler.  I would love that way more than a big fancy house and an expensive luxury car!

If you won the lottery, what would you spend it on?  Would you travel, or would you stay right where you are and build your dream home?

19 comments:

  1. The Husband and I say that our hypothetical lottery winnings would be used to buy every piece of property that comes up for sale on our road. That way, this beautiful piece of The Country won't be lost to suburban sprawl.

    I'm on a kick right now where I yearn to see what THIS country has to offer. We just booked a cruise to Alaska for this summer, and I'm really excited!

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  2. I would pay off all our debt, have the yard professionally landscaped and then do some traveling. Gorgeous flowers. It is warm here today, but the high is in the low 40's Friday after near 70 today. No wonder everyone is sick.

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  3. Your flowers remind me of France...Yes I would travel back to Europe again! Love it! I probably would buy more property and build my dream home also...Who knows? Would also help out other people that are in need. Yes my son was fortunate enough to travel abroad several times and experience the life of living with two Exchange Student....

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  4. Beautiful photos, Kat! Wonder where he will choose to visit...what a wonderful gift!

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  5. I would do both, because my dream house would be smaller than what we now live in and less expensive, so there would be tons of money left to travel with. :-))

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  6. I'm such a homebody, if I were forced to choose between the two I'd choose the dream house. Of course, even better would be to buy a fixer-upper and remodel it to be my dream home, then use the money saved to travel. I'd love to go back to Ireland again!

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  7. Beautiful flowers and photography! I love Normandy, btw! The locals had "Welcome to our liberators!" written in English on the store windows!

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  8. Gorgeous photos - natch! I would travel, travel, travel and live in a small, well-appointed cute house with big trees in the yard if I were to win a million.

    I love your new china cabinet, by the way - and love that it has so much storage potential. Every china-loving woman needs that!

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  9. I would travel more, continue to renovate my homestead and buy my son and fiance a house!
    lucky kids you have...

    Karen

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  10. To win, you have to have a ticket...

    I would love to go to Prague - St Petersburg, Shanghai - live for a while in Madrid: should I go on?

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  11. Kat- Can't I do both? Travel AND the dream home?

    Happy New Year!

    Loretta

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  12. K~
    WHEN the lottery winnings are ours, with the part given back to the government. fro
    m .whatever amount is left:
    would set up a trust,from that, pay off all our debt,
    including that of our kids and immediate families...
    the grown kids would have a home paid for..
    the grands, trust funds for college and etc..
    a certain amount would be designated for charity TBD..
    for us,,two homes..one in Florida, another in Colorado.
    each with a workshop/studio out back for crafting, painting..
    etc we actually talk about doing this!!
    my favorites: I would love to take him to Venice, and Rome,back to Spain and Turkey.and maybe to Russia...
    but i too would love to just explore all that our country has to offer..
    warmest hugs..
    Loui♥
    we would then travel, do whatever

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  13. In September my husband and I started at the English Channel in Normandy and rode our bicycles all the way through France (many, many mountains included) to the Mediterranean Sea at the very bottom of the country. The trip was magical. We go there every year. Try to talk that boy into France. Send him subliminal messages.

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  14. I'm taking a bit of license with your question and figuring on winning an enormous jackpot, and building the dream house and traveling. Hey if it's a fantasy, it might as well be a good one. ;-) Truth be told, my dream home isn't all that big, and while it'd have an enormous french range, I'm not putting in gold plated faucets, leather floors, or precious stone backsplashes. I'd imagine that a modest lottery win could finance both home and travel.

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  15. These flowers are so beautiful! I hope he can decide on somewhere which I am sure he will. :)
    If I won the lottery I would stay here and build my dream home on the water. :) Bet you kind of guessed that though. ;)
    xoxoxo

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  16. I'm sure where ever you son picks to go, he will have a wonderful experience! Those flowers you took pictures of in France are just gorgeous! Spring needs to come along quicker!!

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  17. Hi Kat....love love love your photos!

    xoxo kelley

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  18. Your France photos were lovely when you first posted them, and even more appreciated this sunny but cold and blah January day. How wonderful that you guys have been able to arrange some great trip (and plans) for travel with your children. If I won the lottery I would buy a dairy farm for our oldest. Although he only turns 15 this year, he is so dedicated and determined to have a farm and plans and dreams for this day all the time. We would build a not so big home on the property.

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  19. I would book a trip to Quebec City (the closest thing around here to get that European fix) and then I would buy the breathtaking 4 story summer home overlooking the ocean that's such a part of our local history here right in Sorrento b/c it's for sale right now! Wow, that was fun to imagine! Your flowers sent me into a beautiful dream world. xo ~Lili

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