Amy's Wedding

Just a few shots from our 4-day trip to England this past weekend....more to follow on another day!
Amy & Andrew's wedding at a synagogue in Manchester.





10 years ago, Simon and Amy met in Nice. Here we are a decade later!

Hot Rabbit

Bet most of you never knew who Dominique Strauss-Kahn was before yesterday, did you?
"DSK", as he is known here, was the person my husband intended to vote for in next year's Presidential race.
But now, "ain't gonna happen"...
Sarkosy got divorced after being elected (for the 2nd time) and then married a divorced top model. No body cares in France. What you do in private is your business as long as you run the country, or your company, well. The French could never understand why everyone in the USA got so upset over Monica Lewinsky.
Having affairs and getting divorced is one thing - but attacking a hotel maid is another.
The country was reeling yesterday, and still is as the Socialist Party scrambles to collect their wits.
Yesterday as we drove to a birthday party (life goes on, despite politics), every radio station we tuned in to was talking about this scandal. I repeatedly heard the reports and political pundits refer to DSK as a "lapin chaud", and that everyone knows he is a "lapin chaud". This is my new favorite French expression. I think I don't need to translate.

10

10 years ago today we said goodbye to my Dad.
A decade appears too big a word, yet, it is true. One quarter of my life has now been lived without my father.

Some people in my life here have been faced this year with a diagnosis of cancer for one of their parents. I always feel like I am getting punched in the stomach. I see the whole unfurling of the process in my memory, the stages of ups, downs, remission, hoping, doctors, treatments, bottles of pills and special diets, denial, forgetting, and the crippling moment if you find out it is back, again.

As his obituary says, Dad handled his cancer with formidable grace and spirit.
Today my mother and siblings will gather in Vermont for a memorial mass at our church, brunch at my sister's and after a "work bee" in the cemetery around his own grave and others that need attention. The way he would have wanted - productivity, have something to show for yourself at the end of the day. As a historian and genealogist, he certainly was always looking into the past, but never with tears and sorrow and so we try and follow his example - not easy shoes to fill.

Steeplebush Farewell

Nostalgia all around this weekend. We feel very far away.
Jericho, Vermont: The family who bought my childhood home that my father designed and built in 1960 have sold after 22 years. They move out today. The Jones have been so kind to us all these years. Here are the views that my father knew, in 1960, would become a million dollar property.


Good luck to the Jones. Hope the rest of the world can "keep up"!

Bonne Fête Estelle!

Today is May 11th, which means 2 things: my nephew Calvin's birthday - 23! And today is Estelle's "fête" - her Saint's Day. Bonne Fête Estelle!

Last night, we read our special book, The Blueberry Pie Elf. My own personal childhood favorite.
This weekend, lots of parties...Saturday noon BBQ in Castaigners (in the hills behind Nice, no longer part of Nice) chez hockey buddy Thierry and wife Ghilaine. Quite a view:
With lots of land and space and their son's toys, it was fun!

In the background you see our host, Ghilaine and another hockey buddy Jean-Hubert who recently became a widower. It was nice to see him out and about.
Here's Thomas with another hockey buddy Stephan, whose Brazilian wife Lillian just had their 2nd child, a little girl who has become the lucky recipient of several suitcases full of little girl baby clothes from Estelle & Léna....
Friday night my friend Philippe came over for socca before we went to the theatre....Léna looks nasty but she wasn't.
Sunday, another bday party - Estelle's music class buddy Lucas turned 4. We don't know him very well, just music class once a week. But his mommy is named Estelle (so unusual, only the 2nd here in France I have met in a decade), so they took a shine to my Estelle right off.
The theme was cowboys and indians. Works out well considering last year's Halloween costume!
The night before, I texted her and asked if parents were meant to stay or just drop off kids or what. Her response was "comme vous voulez" so Thomas said that meant not the whole family was invited. He stayed home with Léna and I drove into the hills to find Lucas' grandparents villa where the party was......um......let's just say Thomas and Léna could have come:

15 4 and 5-year olds, and 30 adults including ALL the fathers and siblings. There was one other mom there alone, and, like me, she was an acquaintance thru some other venue other than family/school/neighbors. She and I stuck together around the champagne table.
There were games, there were swings, a pool, a boules court, a homemade teepee, a handpainted totem pole, a campfire with suspended copper pots and "bedrolls" around to lay on. It was unbelievable. But all from scratch, all made by hand. Very impressive.
One of the party favors Estelle won - inside was an indian headband with feather!
You can't tell but this is a "spill-over" pool. Quite chic. And the view of the sea beyond...
Front and center in the photo above is the birthday boy, wearing an incredibly elaborate suede costume, with many details - all handmade and sewn by his mom. I mean serious sewing. She's younger than me! Who sews like that anymore that's under 40?
Above: Estelle enjoying her teepee cake, in the teepee. Below: pool madness:
That's Estelle in the blue bikini, and Lucas to her right in the vest.
A few shots of the villa. I in my oh-so-discreet-"I'm a foreigner" manner said to the grandfather (of which there were 3 - 3 pépés and 3 mémés, was totally confused until Estelle (mom) explained who was divorced from whom and who was remarried to whom) "So what was your line of work?" answer: shoe store. Musta solda lotta shoes. Dang.
I shudder to think of the value of this property. Did I mention the boules court?
Above: Estelle and Estelle and another little Indian, bringing out the teepee cake. That cake was pretty impressive. Handmade by Estelle the senior. Did I mention she sews? That cake rivals my sister Martha.
The detail on the cake was not quite Martha-standards but it was pretty darn close.


Estelle very sweetly held onto her gift and waited until the birthday boy had ripped open everything and then handed him her homemade card and book of English CD's and songs. It was so sweet to watch her.
A great party.

Back in the Swing

Getting ready to go to Cathy's for the day:
Trouble:
Sisterly love:
Tuesday: Birthday package from Aunt Martha!

New Hello Kitty outfit! Yeah!
This is how they hung out in the bath together, two old pals:
Then, out of the bath, it was fun to hunker down in towels together:
Sisters, sisters, never were there such devoted....
Today I wrapped up a big contract at the airport with a bunch of store managers. Throughout the 15 2-hours classes over the past few months, I have visited all of their stores. I got lots of fun gifts. And today, I got 2 great memorial photo mags of the royal wedding and gifts for the girls"
French teddy bears!
Léna is a different child. She is also a 2 year old now. We sure see a difference!

Welcome Back Girls!

We got our kids back this evening around 8 p.m. - everyone was happy to see each other. Here's Léna blowing out her candles at 9:50 p.m.
Yes that is my 3rd cheesecake in 10 days!
Both Thomas and I think Léna had changed in 2 weeks!