Home in France

John Coffey made me do it...

2009-07-11T08:30:00.001+02:00

" 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

2009-07-10T09:20:00.001+02:00

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

2009-07-07T07:13:00.008+02:00

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

2009-07-06T09:07:00.008+02:00

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 !!

2009-07-04T07:40:00.003+02:00

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

2009-06-30T09:43:00.002+02:00

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

2009-06-30T09:22:00.005+02:00

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 ??

The Rainbow bridge

2009-06-27T08:27:00.003+02:00

Debi mentionned the" Rainbow bridge" in her last comment.

Read below this beautiful Rainbow bridge poem that my friend Rita shared with me very recently. Thank you again my dear XX

The Rainbow Bridge

inspired by a Norse legend

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.
They romp through the grass, without even a care,

Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.
For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.

So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.
The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,

And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

Big hugs to all X .

Adieu Milord

2009-06-26T10:15:00.003+02:00

It's over, friends.

Our old friend is no longer with us this morning. He was just at the end of his very long ( 19 years) and happy cat life.

Sleep in Peace, baby.

Thanks again for your good vibes & support.

XXXX

The comfort zone

2009-06-25T09:51:00.003+02:00

Cheers to everyone and the kind words and positive vibes of this week.
You guys are the best.

Here I'm taking in some warmth in that pic, a cup of Theresa's special San Diego gourmet tea( from Diane Krasne's famous shop). So lovingly offered when we last met in Paris. Thanks again my dear friend ( Big X out to ya).
This is really a big comfort, in times like these.

Milord either is one tough cookie and weathering off a bad period or is just going through his final act. But, this cat has not said his goodbye's yet. He wanders all over the yard and sometimes will be missing for hours on end. And then... will turn up. He can chill out for hours in the same spot or change spots.
We have been trying to feed him but, it's not working.Unless he nibbles during the night.

So,I don't know what to say ...
In any case, we are there for him.

Hugs to ya guys too XX

I'm just not up to it

2009-06-22T08:06:00.010+02:00

Problems have gotten me out of any mood to jump back into blogging this week.

Our cat, Milord is really not feeling good. Those of you who have been around this blog awhile might remember that how the cat already gave us some worries before. That story is here, along with his pic here.

Ever since he had a very bad flea problem, ( we did take him to the Vet),we have been fighting this together. He had been litterally eaten; with fleas and their "crud" in the inside of the legs. I've put on the products, and did spot cleaning.The Vet sprayed him with more solution and recommended that we bathe (you heard correct !) the part of the cat that was the most infested.

So in the shower you go... gently of course.You will not know such fun as when you bathe a cat.... With 2 pairs of arms ( including one pair of arms that was gloved !),getting groans and other types of protest.We got him latered & rinsed as quickly as we could.Then, fluff dried with towels ( he would be spooked by the hair dryer).

But, he has been poorly since the last days. Sleeping a lot,generally listless and with little appetite.He is very old ( 19 years) and maybe this ordeal took a lot of energy out of him. We just have to wait & see.

Though in my head, I have wondered more than once if he ingested some of the spray that the Vet put on ( he licks the area a lot) and it's making him sick. That's my worse scenario.
There's no use force feeding him. Though, we are going to try buying a bit of hambuger meat today, and see if he might nibble on that.

In the meanwhile, I'll be feeling better just going back and visiting everyone else's blogs. It will keep my mind off this a bit, and I'll be happy to catch up with you guys .

Have a good week everyone.

P.S. To Debi- We really are of the same blood. In our family, we have always cared for our animals, for better or worse.

Disneyland Paris

2009-06-19T08:43:00.006+02:00

Hi everyone,

Here's a slideshow of Monday's outing to Disneyland.
We had a great day despite the rainy weather.
You would have to be a real " Grumpy" not to be happy here ;)

Have a wonderful weekend and see you soon.
xx

Meeting Alisa in Paris

2009-06-18T08:13:00.007+02:00

Tuesday, I got to meet the bubbly Alisa, who was in Paris with her hubby Bruce for a few days. Alisa blogs from Notre vie Juteuse , which in English means "Our Juicy life".And juicy it is to leave home & career near LA to take a year or so's sabbatical in the French countryside.It's quite an adventure for this couple and I have been following their blog even before they arrived.
Leesa was also with us, as was Noëlle, who came in a little later (that's why she's not in the pic)

Just a few pics before I hop out again :

We chose " Le Loir & la Théière " ,in Le Marais area.It was closer to our friend's hotel.

Artsy fartsy type walls inside...

And good friends also. So happy to have met you, Alissa ! You are really a wonderful person to know. I'm really glad to have caught up with you, Noëlle, too. It had been a few months since the time of my operation.

And hear from you when you get back from East Europe. Yes; she's off and running again !!

I'll be posting again tomorrow; see ya ;)

The ephemeral garden

2009-06-18T07:38:00.010+02:00

Definiton of Ephemeral : adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time .
Or here today, gone tomorrow...

The following is a gardening experiment by the Mairie de Paris or the main Paris townhall, which is located at the Metro station Hotel de ville.
It will be up for one month only, from the 13 June to Bastille day, 14 July.Not only is it pretty greenery but most important to teach the public about ecological gardening . The majority of the methods and the materials used are what they call here " Bio"

I stumbled upon this by chance. when I went to see Leesa & Alisa over at nearby Saint Paul on Tuesday.So I did check it out.

" Qu'est-ce que c'est ? ( Kes-keur-say) What is it ??".

Front of the Mairie de Paris with it's temporary greens. Looking much prettier than as it's normal empty concrete square.

Part of the veggie garden.

Every garden has to have one of these helpers.

Yesterday's computer tech, today's bird chasers ( they suposedly are scared by the reflexion) Finally, not to forget green garden decoration...

101 uses for bark wood & moss, or...

Gardening in the vertical style with natural materiels.

Starting a busy week

2009-06-14T16:13:00.007+02:00

Hello friends,

Just a sticky note to let you know that I wont be online for a few days.

I have an agenda chock- full this week. You are going to have to come back & check everything later in the week.
This includes a day trip out to Disneyland Paris on Monday with Didier & a friend, and on Tuesday, meeting fellow blogger Alisa + her hubby Bruce in Paris.
They are a couple from the US who are living their sabbatical year in the French region of Aveyron. Far far away from the LA metropolis that they call home.

Then the rest of the week is filed under " miscellaneous"; all sorts of little jobs at home that have to be taken care of.

I'll be seeing you all later in the week with my photos !

Take care and catch you all later.

A fistful of " misère" ( misery)

2009-06-12T16:01:00.012+02:00

3.44 Euros of misère.Mon Dieu - 4.81955 USD ( that's how much it was converted to at today's rate).
That's the total loot from today when I took about 10 softcovered books downtown to used book retailers in Paris.

You see,we are in a serious cleanup mood at home and I thought " why not ; see what happens when you try & sell a few of these books that you no longer read".

I have no illusions whatever about selling books on the net; the major websites are just swamped with lots of duplicate titles by wanabee sellers. My potential ads for the same books umpteen other sellers on A zon & other sites, will just end up collecting dust.

I needed direct action !
I wasen't expecting to break the bank, but the final sum is really ridiculous.
But if you don't try things at least once in life, you will never know.

Rip off, "Oui & Non"...
The books I had were not new, in good conditon minus some wear due to yellowing.
My first stop at Saint Michel, in the Latin quarter near Notre Dame, is a very well known seller. The expats in Paris will know them ( just spot the yellow awnings !)

The whole operation is very well organized; you step in and take your place in line, following the stretched cord up to 2 young buyers.

Waiting in line is boring enought ( I was lucky; it was after opening & not yet crowded)...
What is fascinating is people watching. I've become very much a people watcher since I live here; it goes with the lifetsyle, like sitting outside of a boulevard café or on a park bench.It also helps that I'm rather curious !

There were a few people ahead of me with either piddly little piles of books Like these 2 English speaking girls, gigling & talking... no doubt cashing in Uni books before going back home.
Others, or they came armed with big bags or full shopping carts . One man had his wheely cart, and proceeded to lift out piles and piles of books of all kinds ! The clerk took a few, and Mister proceeded to pack the others back in.

But, when you wait in line in a new place, you also observe what's happening. After asking to see some ID ( go figure),the young clerks would quickly flip through each book, checking for code bars and titles. The "beep" of a scanner went through the code bars.The clerks each formed 2 piles; the "discards" on one side and the "maybes" on the other.

To tell you the truth, everyone brought in discards ! So, I'm saying to myself "Uh-oh...".
When it was my turn, I got the same treatment, and the clerk ended up keeping 2 . I got a receipt and was told to go to checkout the next shop over...

I still had a small pile of novels ( en Français) plus 3 books in English that I saved for a special English bookshop.
I ended up finding another shop for the paperbacks ( even worse rate than the first place, but the young clerk warned me that the older paperbacks can't be sold too easily)and finally,that famous spot book place ( here), where the salesclerk liked one of my English titles.

I would have stayed to squander this measley fortune in some sinful drink, but it was a strike day and I didn't want to be forever just to catch a train.

So much for the expediton.; the goal was to clean out and be rid of what I don't use anymore. It's almost like therapy to do that and say that you have less things cluttering up your life.

It's so nice to clean your slate now and then .

For next time, I'd rather give any French books to a charity organization.

Have a nice weekend, friends.

We are family

2009-06-10T09:50:00.011+02:00

Like most of you, I'am eternally deleting unwanted mailings from the spam box.The rubbish of the computer age, so much like the "occupant" letters in our mailboxes.We can all relate here !

But what about real e mail letters ? From people who care and love you ? They rare and usually come from a select few. Like my sister, or my cousins or a few true friends who know who they are.But there is always room for a few more...

I have had the fortune Monday evening to receive not one but two of these special e mails. They came from a cousin and then from this cousin's sister-in-law. Kin that I have never met, who are from the family of my grandfather's brother, Andrew.

This is Kevin's grandad, Andrew, on the right, with on the left, Andrew's wife and their son ( Kevin's Dad). Andrew is my great-Uncle & looks just like his brothers below :

On the left , second of my grandad's brothers ,Edward ( my second great-Uncle) and to his right my Grandad, John.

It was wonderful to discover Kevin's and then Pamela's e mails on Monday night. I had had a long day and even though I was beat, I had to see my e mails before going to bed. It was worth it because I was really rocking when I read their mails !

So, I have now a cousin Kevin and Pamela( she who is the wife of Kevin's brother, Andrew) .

There are also 2 sisters and I'm sure, lots of children of cousins.Starting with Kevin's 5 children...

Cool, my family is growing !

It makes you think about life and how people even in the closest families can drift apart due to many circumstances.The stuff that life is made of... Hollywood could have easily done our story.

My Grandparents moved away from Phila such a long time ago. Both were natives of the city, and had their families here. But, the Navy and it's duty stations called them away. When your job says "Go", that's what you do and you get packed and ship out the wife & children.

So , Goodbye Philadelphia- brothers,parents,cousins and all.

( Though in perhaps a final bout of "Philly pride" my Grandma wanted her first born, my Dad, to be born in the city). Which was the case, at her parent's home.My grandparents moved around several times; Honolulu ,Norfolk,Great Lakes,IL and finally San Diego, where Grandad did his last years of Navy service & retired under the sun.

I'm sure that distance and time had made them " out of touch" with the family. But, I doubt if he went back often,and I think that since Grandad's passing, there was probably no more contact with my cousin's family back East.

And here we are in the 21st century. The children and grandchildren both in San Diego and on the East coast have all grown up,married themselves and had their own grandkids.

And one day the more curious of us say to ourselves/ their parents " hey, what happened to Grandad's brother who was in the Navy?" "Where are those people and what have they become?" Certainly curious but not knowing where or how to start looking. Mystery.

Answers to the mysstery that remained largely unanswered until the Internet era. In 2007, I had the chance to connect online with my cousin Gerry. You can read the post

here . This internet exchange did of course lead up to our meeting in September 2008 in PA. Here's my cousin Gerry :

I have been so fortunate to have such wonderful cousins.Truly blessed.

Life is good in my Family tree.

XO

65 years ago , it was D-day in France

2009-06-05T07:36:00.023+02:00

Tomorrow, President Obama will be in Colleville-sur-Mer, in Normandy France for the 65th anniversary of the D-day landings. I can guarantee a lot of news coverage around the event .

The region is going to be packed and I wouldn't recommend anyone to try visiting at this time. Didier & I were at only at one of the D-day beaches, Utah beach.But, this did leave a big impression on both of us.

Here is a map of the D day area in Normandy :

This is the area where the different troops landed on the 6 June, 1944. It was an enormous allied effort to land troops in France in order to push back the Nazi troops. The allies took the Germans by surprise. By luck, the night was foggy and this nicely covered up the incoming wave of ships and planes as they released their troops . By the time the Germans realized what was coming their way, it was too late.

The beaches along the French coast in Normandy where the troops would land were given code names. Like Utah or Sword beaches.

To give you an idea, the largest town in the area, Caen is 199 kilometers ( 123 miles) to the Northwest of Paris. The D day area is further up North of Caen.

The first village to be liberated in France is named Sainte Mère l'Eglise. Unfortunately, President Obama will not be passing through here tomorrow. But, we have been there ( in 1999 in these pictures) and it was unforgettable for us :

The official monument near the Utah beach.

A O kilometer marker. Marks the starting point of the whole thing.Yes, and I marked 0kms too, alongside.

The church in Sainte Mere l'Eglise... what that dangling from the roof ??

(Click on photo to check it out)
A dummy parachutist ! Comemorating a REAL one that actually fell on the roof of the church on D day. He was wounded but played dead until the shooting was over.

The stained glass window in the church depicting the parachutists .

Finally outside Saint Mère in a quiet clearing is this larger than life statue named Iron Mike.

A MUST see in Sainte Mère l'Eglise is the Airbourne museum.You can't miss it; the roof is shaped like... a parachute & it's right across from the church. I can't find our pics of it, so I borrowed one to show you .

I'm not a military History fan, but it was very interesting to see the different objects inside .

Visiting these D day sites makes you ponder about a lot of different things. It's very humbling, not that I'm going in with the swelled head to start... I hate war to begin.

But, I do realize that the times are different then now, and some difficult decisons had to be made .

It still does make me very sad inside when I think of all of this.

Have a great day everyone.

New friends visit Paris

2009-06-01T08:25:00.020+02:00

That old saying " it's a small world" has been really fitting for Saturday's meeting.
Didier & I went all the way to the" très chic" neighborhood around the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris.To meet some special peeps who were coming all the way from San Diego. But, who have strong roots in Hawaii.

Now, that sounds just like me. Some of my friends know that I have kin in San Diego ( I've already showed a slide of our 2006 trip to HI & CA).And yes, I grew up in Hawaii.

Theresa, "Mamacita", as she calls herself and her children, were on a family visit of the French capital. T knows one of my friends and fellow bloggers, Deb ( from VA). And Theresa asked her who was that lady in France that she keeps chatting with on FB .

I was more than excited by the oppurtunity and said "Oui" to the chance to meet.

That's where I come in the picture ;)
Speaking of pictures :

Theresa & Dider.

Theresa's youngest daughter.

Theresa & her number 2 daughter ( she also has an eldest daughter who stayed home in SD).

The gang & me. To the right is J, Thersa's number one child.

Just 2 wahines.

Mahalo nui loa to Thersa & her family for taking the time from your busy trip to meet us.I do really hope to catch you in the future in Paris ( T sometimes comes over for business).

Have a great day everyone XO

Theresa's care package

2009-06-01T08:19:00.006+02:00

Mahalo to Theresa for flying over with a few local goodies !

Just a peek :

Even though it was not a Sunday paper, it did feel like an lazy island Sunday yesterday. Just pouring over everything, page by page.But no; I haven't eaten the cup noodles... yet !

Coming & going

2009-05-29T09:39:00.008+02:00

I seemed to be surrounded by peeps that are really on the move.Since the time that I've been operated on/ in recovery, I've been the static one here. While friends are catching planes,trains & running about.

And I've watched friends come ( Anne & friend Caroline, then Zhu, who so kindly stopped to see me during recovery)

And I watched friends go like Leesa, who has been away twice on beautiful trips and there's more to come !), and Caroline and Clive, who have been traveling throughout the Europe & the USA.
Then witnessed via the blog, new friends, Simon & Susan who have moved for good to their French home in Touraine.

(I know that somebody over on O'ahu gonna say that I need to get away...)

Now, we are still in the same energy as we have friends and even friends of friends that are still coming over to Paris.

- I met Leesa's friend, Patricia recently. She might be staying on a little longer; Yeah !
- I will meet this week in Paris one of Deb's friends, who lives in Cali and who is a Maui girl.

Plus a coming of Alisa ( US blogger who lives in Aveyron ) with her husband visiting in June.
Plus a former University of Hawaii collegue passing through Paris in July.

The calendar stops there (for now at least)

I'm resourcing myself in all of this good energy coming my way.

A saying by Robert Burns goes like this :

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry

You are so right, Bobby... That should be my motto for June.

Because a few of you may remember how happy I was to finally be heading of to Ireland.

Because 3 months ago, we were almost on the verge on buying our tickets for Dublin.But, we had a setback, that forced us to hold off doing that.Then, the next setback came, which was my operation.
So, we called the whole thing off. Pau...

Because hospitalisation is not only recovery & health but expenses too, if you catch my drift.

Don't worry- we aren't starving, and are not without resources !! But, we will be fine.We will make up our loss another time.

As with my last vistors, I'm going to enjoy them being here. Go out with them,talk,have lunch, perhaps go walking or to somewhere with them.

I'm just going to have fun ;) and go with the flow.
The energy is positve and warm.

Thinking about friend's trips makes me think that local gal in DC, Deb, will be flying of to Maui in a matter of days !! Aloha' Oe, dear friend ! I'm looking forward to some "da kine" Maui shots.

And have a nice day, everyone.

Pub Vittel

2009-05-25T10:08:00.001+02:00

Pub Vittel
Vidéo envoyée par MyAgence

This commercial with a Hawaiian touch, has been on French TV this month.
Take a group of "wanabee" jet skiers and a wahine who is tugging them around. No moter boat,just leg power ( yeah sure)

But, the whole thing comes out pretty funny !
All the while, that wahine is gulping down Vittel mineral water and getting stronger, and those students are looking good.

It sounds like the Hawaiian war chant, but on DM, there's a clip with a gramophone record playing the same song. Sung by Kanui & Luna it's called "Oua Oua" & was recorded in 1933.
geez... you learn new everyday.

Have a great Monday & Aloha to all.

My first outing with the gals !

2009-05-23T12:55:00.011+02:00

As my regular readers know, I have been in recovery throughout April and May, following my operation. I had missed out on a couple of great events a few times. Because it was too early for me to be walking and taking the train.

I was so fortunate to have my friend Zhu ( from Ottawa), stop over in our burbs in April, followed the next week by Anne of Oxfordshire and her friend Caroline, who came with with Leesa.These visits brightened me up so much.

But yesterday, I was back in circulation ;)

I was glad to finally catch up to my hard working and globe trotting blogger friend, Leesa in Paris.

It was about time !

Because Leesa has been a very busy wahine these past months. And it's far from over !

I had lunch with Leesa & a very good friend from San Diego, Patricia.

It takes a globe trotter to know another. Patricia had previously been to Japan & China, and this year is staying on in France & possibly Europe until either she decides that it's time to return to San Diego.Wishing Patricia to stay on longer to discover Paris & France. It will be my pleasure to see you very soon.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Eye candy for garden lovers- 2 of 2

2009-05-21T15:33:00.012+02:00

Bring on the "exotic wahines"...

I can't forget orchids.
My Mom always had orchids at home. And my admiration has not faded with the years.

Just a few spectacular examples :

The Anthurium & Bromelia section.

Not forgeting the big red heart that is the anthurium

Have a great day & see you all soon. ;)

Eye candy for garden lovers - 1 of 2

2009-05-20T17:57:00.014+02:00

Just a few beautiful forms & colors from today's trip to a local garden shop :

We have already been here twice with André since April to choose his flowers & bulbs. But he is always in such a hurry when he shops ! Like every Spring, we finish taking him over there and then return just by ourselves.

To take our time,and enjoy at our pace.

See you tomorrow with a few pics of more exotic blossoms.