...and home is where your family is, after all. We left La Gue de la Chaine at 2:00 on a Tuesday afternoon, took the train to Paris, then the shuttle to Charles de Gaulle, spent the night at an airport hotel, got up for our early morning flight... which was cancelled. After a few frantic hours of racing around the airport with our bags (so convenient) we ended up on a United flight direct to Chicago - and arrived at my sister's office at McCormick Place an hour earlier than planned... how do these things work out? It's magic!
Spent six wonderful days with my sis, her husband Roland and my glorious 12-year-old niece, Morgan, in Naperville, IL. I know all proud aunties probably think this way, but Morgan really is a spectacular kid - smart, beautiful, funny, talented and always good-natured... she was performing in a community production of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which was amazingly professional - and so inspiring.
We spent some girlie bonding time getting mani-pedis and haircuts, and we celebrated my sister's Big 5-0 birthday in style. You may think that last Monday was MLK Day, but it was also Melissa Matthews Day - her wish was our command for the entire 24 hours. Since she's one of those people who's always doing for everyone else, it was a great turn of events.
We flew off from the midwestern snowscapes to sunny Scottsdale, where our Mini was luxuriating in our friends elegant garage while we were in Nepal taking bucket baths... we're visiting the Stuckeys, picking up the car, and going on to the next adventure. Stay tuned!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Winter Wonderland
Wow! And we thought there was snow here last week - the Arctic blast that has frozen the East Coast of the US is doing the same here... we have two feet of snow on the ground! Marg and John got out just in time. We dropped them at the train station on Thursday, with the poor old Ford (we call her The Brute) alternately plodding and fishtailing along the icy roads. They arrived safely in freezing Paris and then home... we're left here to miss them and enjoy a little Cabin Fever! Days filled with writing, PhotoShop, beautiful walks, reading (I highly recommend Wolf Hall, last year's Booker Prize winner), RummiKub, and of course, cooking, food and wine.
The absolute silence of the countryside in the snow is awe-inspiring - as if we're the only people in the world... a perfect atmosphere in which to reflect on the year just past. We are firmer than ever in our convictions that our actions are our only true possessions - but also that our friends and family are what makes our life meaningful.
Having been unemployed and wandering for almost a year, it's clear to me that we are not what we do (in the sense of employment) and that (to quote a poet of my youth, Jackson Brown) - "whatever it is you might think you have, you have nothing to lose." And everything to gain... sending oceans of love to all of you who make our lives worthwhile.
The absolute silence of the countryside in the snow is awe-inspiring - as if we're the only people in the world... a perfect atmosphere in which to reflect on the year just past. We are firmer than ever in our convictions that our actions are our only true possessions - but also that our friends and family are what makes our life meaningful.
Having been unemployed and wandering for almost a year, it's clear to me that we are not what we do (in the sense of employment) and that (to quote a poet of my youth, Jackson Brown) - "whatever it is you might think you have, you have nothing to lose." And everything to gain... sending oceans of love to all of you who make our lives worthwhile.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
I'm Dreaming of a White... January?
After spending a warm and sunny June and July in Normandy, we were curious as to what it would be like to live here year-'round... luckily for us, our generous friends John (known as Jean-Michel in these parts - or Jean Le Fermier, as we like to call him) and Margaret invited us to spend the New Year holiday.
What did we discover? That this place is magical no matter what the weather. The countryside is beautiful in a different way now - this morning it's glistening with new snow, which looks a little surreal as it sits lightly on the green, green grass and leaves. When I grew up in the Midwest, snow meant SNOW - either 10 foot high drifts or a grey, slushy springtime mess... here it's a little like a delicate meringue that melts off when the sun comes out - a little mini-spring every day!
Of course, we've been keeping warm with food and wine - in addition to the fact that Marg and I have enjoyed cooking together, friends and neighbors have invited us to share. Yesterday was very social - we had lunch with Madame et Monsieur Vaudron, the caretakers who watch M&J's place when they're gone, and then cocktails with their neighbors, the Pelletier family. Luckily, Margaret's French is very good - and I can understand most of the conversation - so a lively time is had by all, especially when the Champagne keeps flowing!
We have adopted some of the local animals, as well. I'm sure these French farmers think we're absolutely nuts, because we talk to our local goat (whom we've nicknamed Gaston) and a beautiful white mare (named Mistletoe, after the gorgeous ball of mistletoe that we cut out of a tree and hung in the cottage - tres jolie).
Until we return to the US next week, we'll continue to amuse the locals - if you're interested in larger images of the photos on the blog, they can be found on Dick's Flickr site - Google dixpix2009. Au revoir!
What did we discover? That this place is magical no matter what the weather. The countryside is beautiful in a different way now - this morning it's glistening with new snow, which looks a little surreal as it sits lightly on the green, green grass and leaves. When I grew up in the Midwest, snow meant SNOW - either 10 foot high drifts or a grey, slushy springtime mess... here it's a little like a delicate meringue that melts off when the sun comes out - a little mini-spring every day!
Of course, we've been keeping warm with food and wine - in addition to the fact that Marg and I have enjoyed cooking together, friends and neighbors have invited us to share. Yesterday was very social - we had lunch with Madame et Monsieur Vaudron, the caretakers who watch M&J's place when they're gone, and then cocktails with their neighbors, the Pelletier family. Luckily, Margaret's French is very good - and I can understand most of the conversation - so a lively time is had by all, especially when the Champagne keeps flowing!
We have adopted some of the local animals, as well. I'm sure these French farmers think we're absolutely nuts, because we talk to our local goat (whom we've nicknamed Gaston) and a beautiful white mare (named Mistletoe, after the gorgeous ball of mistletoe that we cut out of a tree and hung in the cottage - tres jolie).
Until we return to the US next week, we'll continue to amuse the locals - if you're interested in larger images of the photos on the blog, they can be found on Dick's Flickr site - Google dixpix2009. Au revoir!
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