I’m baking scones and sipping wine. In the US the garbage (recycling) man would have serious concerns about us based on the number of wine bottles that go to the curb each week. But, no worries, just being French and I hope lowering my already pretty low cholesterol. Where was I? Oh yeah, baking and drinking.
Spring has arrived and flowers and trees are blooming. Today the temperature topped nearly 64° and I wore a linen skirt and a long sleeve T while out doing the grocery shopping. The French are mostly still wearing coats and some even down, craziness I tell you. They still look at me funny but I’ve adopted a ‘screw em if they can’t take a joke’ attitude. I tried to look like them and talk like them and they don’t seem to appreciate it so I don’t care anymore, let them stare. Apparently it’s a bit early for white a T and white ‘skippies’ but I don’t care, to my body it’s spring.
Speaking of spring this is the current view from my bedroom window:
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The cherry trees are finally getting started.
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It’s official though that the French hate me. Today in the grocery store a small child smacked me with a stick he was carrying. Now why the child was wondering around the grocery store with a long tree branch in his hand I don’t know, perhaps testing his boundaries. So as I walked down the isle in the opposite direction he flicked me with his weapon. Of course I yelped when he caned me, drawing the attention of his mother. Mom had the decency to be embarrassed by this behavior and proceeded to apologize to me, seize the stick and reprimand the 3 year old who then shot me a murderous look. I almost laughed as I thought, ‘Damn another Frenchman that hates me now’.
Though today I had the second positive experience, since I’ve been here, at the local Mairie. I’ve been there at least a dozen unhappy times over the past few months and have finally figured out that Mdm. Schmitt (the nice one) works on Tuesday’s and Thursdays only. So now I go conduct my business on those days and it’s great to deal with someone sympathetic and understanding and who apparently doesn’t resent me like the others do. (For reasons I don’t understand)
So mixed reviews on the French front today.
A package arrived from J & R today, (S’s parents) they sent Ranch Dressing and books. S did a happy dance (mentally). S loves Ranch dressing for dipping his veggies in (yeah, I know weird…he likes veggies) and I only brought two bottles with. He’s been deprived poor guy since he ran out about a month or more ago. Only problem is that it’s made with milk and MAYO. I’ll have to share my carefully horded mayo to make dressing. I think the mayo will hold out a few months until I go back to the US and stockpile more though, so we’re ok. Thanks J & R for the dressing, I thank you, S thanks you and his vegetables thank you.
Have started a collection of French music. People suggest stuff they think I’ll like and I go buy it. Most of the artists and music are hmm…older…not current…. Like one album is sort of R&B the artist is Francis Cabrel and I love the music two songs in particular that I’ve learned the words too are Samedi Soir Sur La Terre (Saturday night on earth) and Je t’Aimais, Je t’Aime, Je t’Amerai (I loved you, I love you, I’ll love you). I also bought a good Jazz album by …damn it’s in S’s car and I don’t remember the guys name. Anyway, it’s got some great songs on it. I also bought some Patrick Bruel who is rather Frank Sinatra-ish and I really like it. I think I mostly have taken to these guys because their songs are slow enough to hear and understand the lyrics.
Because I sit in my little office for a good portion of my day, reading or writing (today writing this blog while simultaneously IMing with Ky [We've solved most of the world problems today, so if you have an issue let me know, we're on a roll]) or whatever, I’ve surrounded myself with pictures of friends and family in here. They’re tacked up on the bulletin board, in frames around the room and in those little paper-weight-photo-clippy-things.
Here are the pictures that I really look to when I need a smile though, these are the ones that really cheer me up:
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| Dani |
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| Jess and
Lauren |
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| Nick,
Lauren and Johnathon |
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| Michael |
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| Nick |
