I found my father’s archive!

You don’t realize that not only have you manifested your life at the chateau but your father has guided your every step to achieve this dream. 💙

I am 79 and one of the reasons I always have a dog is it forces me to walk. I remember when you didn’t like walking and now you seem to walk every day. Great idea having a dog!

Marie’s food looks like a work of art , beautiful !

I love the way Lancelot pauses and waits for you to catch up when on your woodland strolls! 🐕‍🦺

Having tackled memorabilia three times, I Googled how to clean out personal things. I found a site that was very helpful. The advice given was leave the project in one place and tackle it only half an hour a day. I used the guest bed covered with a sheet. I began emptying shoe boxes etc. and began the sorting process. I used envelopes which I labeled for categories, a paper bag for throwing out or burning. One day I was so enthusiastic I worked longer and got so emotional I put everything in a storage chest. It does make one ill spending too much time thinking about our past, losses, and youth gone.

Dragonflies and Lancelot smelling the dark forest is wonderful. ❤

The walking path is so beautiful and your music accompanying it. Lovely. Thank you Stephanie. Was so calming!

A pedestal fan might help keep Marie cool in the kitchen!

When you take your walks at LaLande with Lancelot in the evening, it reminds me why I love the château so much. I feel like I know it so well

Look after you, Stephanie. I found myself welling up when you discovered your drawing in your father’s notebook. A cherished discovery 🥰

Having a fan blowing in kitchen helps disperse that heat bubble in the kitchen in summer, put in the doorway to pull hot out or cool air in depending on how you face it.

We call those large dahlias "dinner plate dahlias" in the States. I have some that are pinkish, peach and yellow. Exquisite!

Please don't stop posting videos about your parents, they're very inspiring

Maybe a metal fireproof box for your dad's notebooks? Precious memories.

I am so glad that you such a fierce guard dog to keep you safe as you venture into the depths of that deep dark forest.

Marie's creations are almost too beautiful to eat !!!!! Such an artist and the table settings are transcendent, heavenly !

It’s so wonderful and so hard when you find something from a parent that is gone. It can bring you such joy in it same time make you incredibly sad, that they’re not there. Both of my parents are gone now and whenever I find something that either one of them had done, I get weepy also. lots of love ❤️

Stephanie, my dad has been gone 18 years and my mom 10. When clearing out their house I found a stack of letters to my mom from my dad before they were married. I still can't bring myself to read them all, I have some, but not all. It really does take years before you can crack open those memories again. Bless you for sharing such a very personal thing, I understand how you feel, and it made me feel comforted knowing you understand too, Parents are precious.

Take it easy Stephanie... not only is this, a physical purge but also emotional... lots of things have surfaced for you and these although beautiful and sad sometimes they can and do affect us. maybe do a soothing epsom salt soak before bed, sleep sweetly.

Steph, have you considered making a mini museum of your dads legacy? Like turn one of the attic rooms once renovated. You could display his sketches, tools notes etc. This way every person that comes to lalande would get to know him. Just a thought! Thank you for sharing and being vulnerable.