This is Part 2 of a series about my 4 week stay in Paris, with my sister, while we attend a French language immersion class at Alliance Française. In case you missed the first instalment, you can catch up here. After the elation we felt after our first day of class, a few realities hit us hard over the next few days. Cycling back to the very most basic beginning, despite the fact that she had been taking French online…
After playing ostrich for over a year, I’m back at the blog! Starting the New Year off with a grand adventure, this month will be a chronicle of a stay in Paris to take a French language immersion class at Alliance Française. Once a week or so I’ll update you on the progress in class for both my sister, Patti, and I, and then add a little Paris color, letting you know how we are adapting to our life in…
The week before Thanksgiving, and the day before I teach a Zoom Thanksgiving Favorites cooking class, I go searching for fresh cranberries to make my Cranberry Chutney, a staple at Thanksgiving for the past 30+ years, and an essential layer to my day-after-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich. To an American, this might seem ridiculous- cranberries are everywhere at this time of the year in US markets. But, the French don’t really know about fresh cranberries. They eat them dried (les canneberges séchée),…
I often wonder about my friends here, fellow Ex-Pats, who have chosen to leave family, friends and familiar things to live this life in France. About what drew us here, what particular common thing allowed us to make the decision. Almost all of my friends are creatives- artists of many different forms: painters, sculptors, writers, musicians, weavers, cooks. I’m not certain how I fit into that group, but I seem to do just fine. We all come from different places-…
One of my friends here in Nérac, Colin Usher, had the idea of collecting stories from people who had made small decisions that led to big changes in their lives. If you would like to read more inspirational stories from people who have opened up life possibilities by responding to a Wave in their direction, check out the site Somebody Might Wave Back. And, here is my contribution to that site: The year 2011 was a big one for…
I’ve been knee deep in red tape this past week, following up or initiating a number of “official” responsibilities. While this was nothing like what I was faced with when I first moved here, it seems that so much needs to be dealt with all at one time: renewal of my titre de sejoure (my visa), renewal of my California Drivers License, checking my voter registration for the 4th time (can’t be too sure!) and renewal of my US passport….
Over the past 4 months, in observance of the necessary social distancing in the time of COVID, my days have been occupied with reading books- murder mysteries set in Venice and Paris, bios of entertainers and First Ladies, chefs and other creatives; knitting, or trying to knit, a blanket for my granddaughter, Morgan, who leaves California for college in Washington state in a few weeks; walks with Elsie twin a day; and a very occasional get-together with a few friends….
Last Sunday, despite the lockdown and thousands of miles between us, I did a video cooking class with 4 of my grandchildren. We made scones, the class was less than 30 minutes, and then, afterwards, we all posted pictures of our final product, once it was out of the oven. And, somewhere, in the middle of the our video call, I realised how much fun this would be to do it on a wider reaching scale! So, this evening I…
Here in France, like so many other places in the world, as of noon on Tuesday, the 17th, we are on lockdown/quarantine/shelter-in-place for at least 15 days, needing an Attestation De Déplacement Dérogatoire (a form) stating who we are, where we live, and our purpose for being out. Luckily for me, my friend Luke decided to come here last week from Switzerland rather than going back to his home in Italy,, which was already experiencing a mass quarantine, and…
No question about it! Fall has arrived in Nérac. Sunday’s forecast indicated no sunny days. None, ever again. With the day’s storm came winds blowing branches to the ground, covering walkways and providing a trecherous obstacle course as I walked Elsie to and from her favourite elimination spots. I changed from a light jacket to the big, down coat, and, as I walk the dog, I’ve watched the water in the Baïse began its gradual climb up the sides of…