John Coffey made me do it...

" So your name's John Coffey? "
" Yes, boss like the drink, only not spelled the same. ".

A lot of you will recognize the gentle giant ( played by Michael Clarke Duncan) in the Green Line . Despite the grim setting that is death row in a Lousiana penitentiary, this film remains one of my most unforgettable stories.I admit to liking Tom Hanks very much as an actor. I liked him a lot in his "boy next door" type roles but have also been happy to see his roles mature with time.

I recently broke out the Green Line DVD and watched it over again.But, for the first time in English.Well I tell you friends... for someone who watches all her series & films from the US on French TV (and of course in French), it's almost like a trip back each time I have an English language version .

Even if my ear was rather "hard of hearing" at times with the Southern accent.It figures; I've never been down South in my entire life ( I don't consider an airline stopover in Atlanta once as a visit).

And here comes the famous cornbread scene where Paul Edgecomb's wife sends John Coffey some homemade Cornbread in a dainty napkin. Remember,John Coffey with his magical gift cured Paul's infection and gave them both a little "extra".

Never,never underestimate the power of image.
That cornbread looked so good ! I felt a bit like John's neighbors saying " can I have some?" Yeah !!
So yesterday, I dug out my cornmeal and other ingredients and got me two hands busy in the kitchen.

Here's my offering :




Whatchya think; would John Coffey have been happy ?
I can totally understand ya buddy, not tasting something for a long time and finally getting a taste of it ! Don't forget to save some crumbs for Mister Jingles too...

The recipe that I use to make this fab cornbread is here. I borrowed this recipe from an online website to cook for a Thanksgiving dinner 2 years ago. And this recipe has become a favorite.I'm not someone who bakes a lot so when I find a recipe that is easy to make and yummy too, that's a keeper.

Wishing everyone satisfaction this weekend. Have a good one
XX

Evian Live Young - Baby Roller

Evian Live Young - Baby Roller
Vidéo envoyée par yom_

Hi everyone,
Check out this new commercial for the French mineral water co Evian.

Got to LOVE the special effects here and how it turns these cute babies into mean rolling machines !

Everything is fine here in France. Just tag my life with the words "mundane" and "quiet" for the moment.

Take care & enjoy your weekend !
XX

Where's Leesa ? FYI

My friends who also are connected to Leesa on FB already know about this, but just passing on the info for everyone else...

Leesa won't be blogging for a few weeks during her San Diego vacation. She purchased a new computer and has to wait for it to be manufactured and delivered ( 2-3 weeks). So minus a few FB entries, she is going to be pretty quiet.

Though knowing Lees, she is just enjoying herself, seeing her favorite peeps and yes, probably shopping her heart out.

Bummers for the photos ! We all enjoy checking out Leesa's Cali pictures, but we will have to be patient this time.
You can check towards late July- August on her Rockin' in Cali blog.

And for the rest of the gang who are already on FB, keep an eye open for any wall posts .

Have a great day friends, and see you soon.

The value of old friendships

It all started on FB the day I casually typed in the name of my old High school.
There it was; a group for the old HS class of mine. Cool, but this needed a closer inspection...

I started checking out the profile pics and challenging my brain with the names ( I don't have my yearbook with me).Because I did not graduate from HS just 1 or 5 years ago, when your memories are still crisp. I'm with the older alums now. It will be next year 30 years since we left the campus.

So, I picked out 4 of the FB group who I really did remember well.Well almost... I had a 4th one who I thought was another girl ( let's say the first names were similar like saying Judy when it was Julie, or whatever...);but chalk that up to aging grey matter.But, she was really sweet and we exchanged some nice emails.

As for the other ladies,I wrote a short e mail to each one, and I had a wonderful response. All of a sudden, I had 3 more friends !

But all the years passed each one living life outside the school yards, makes me wonder if we are new friends or old friends ??? .

In a sense, we are new friends because we rediscover each other again. See our faces after 30 years, read about our lives,families and all.

And but you have to say old friends too.We knew each other as children or young ladies.Smiled,laughed,played and learned togther and for a couple of us, called the same city home back then.

But it is still a bit personal. Not everyone would remember such things... such as one of these ladies always bright & smiling, in her colorful muu muu and so chic puka shall necklace. Or a second with her dimples, long black hair and sweet character. I had the pleasure to share an old pic with this last lady.I've been keeping forever a pic that I developped in Science class a long long time ago.

That girl is in the picture, on the top :

She was really thrilled with this photo and was very happy to share with her family !

I also have been combing through each of my friend's list of friends. I've been noticing a few more classmates. That's how I found yet another classmate who was not on the HS group. But who I liked back in Elementary school, so I decided to contact her. She said in her e mail " Omigosh... I'm so glad you spotted me !" This touched me a lot too.

This girl could play a mean b-ball , even better than some boys ! But who was wholesome and friendly.

All of this gets my grey matter thinking...

It makes me think of KARMA.
I say that the value of everything that we have shared together in the past is never lost. You might not remember ALL the details of your classmates and old friends. Of course, there are always memories with certain people. But, even if there were not, you still left your good, and of course you shared in the good of others.

Sorry to bring it up but what about the baddies ? The one's who bullied,bossed or teased??? It wasen't pleasant at the time but today it doesn't matter. Those kids have grown up and gotten on to life too.My positive side says " maybe they have changed too ?". Or at least I hope...

And Life is giving us a chance to be friends again, and I think that's pretty good.

Have a good Monday ;)

Happy 4th of July !!

To everyone in the USA and to US expats everywhere, have a safe and fun 4th of July ! It's just a "normal" day for me here in France with nothing special planned for us .
So, I'll fill my glass with something refreshing at our happy hour and raise it to you, America.
You too enjoy and have a great weekend.
Hugs xx

Bon voyage Leesa

I just want to wish my friend Leesa a great trip back to Cali.
She's leaving tomorrow and I can't believe how fast time is passing.
How I wish that I could shrink myself down really tiny and hop into your carry on to come on over to San Diego too ! Because,I also have my special people in San Diego.

I'll miss ya, girlfriend, so you take it easy and have a safe and fun trip.
Enjoy your favorite people,places and tastes and come back to us all tan and happy !

Knowing Leesa, she will be downloading tons of pics. Stay tuned to see some gorgeous picks of her travels.

Leesa's blog : http://islandgirl4ever2.blogspot.com/
Leesa's California photo blog : http://rockingincalifornia.blogspot.com/

Big hugs to you, Lees. We will catch up when you get back. XX

And I'll be seeing everyone soon on your blogs.

One of the good things about Hawa'i

Just a link about a KGMB 9 employee who just retired after 47 years of service to the station.
An incredible lady and a very moving story. Don't miss the beautiful gift that she got for her years of service.

http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/18673/40/

I got this link at FB, from a classmate that I recently crossed on FB... and she isthis lady's daughter.
For the Hawaiians, who remembers 9 in the old days ??

Right away, I think of :
The six o'clock news with Seavey,Jones & Coble ( Seavey at 6 as they used to say).
and
Checkers & Pogo kids show
and
that beloved old logo : "One of the good things about Hawaii ".

Can anyone top me ??