walking through Safranier (also known as 'the postcard street'), watching the regatta, discovering raisin brioche.
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thanks to Aunt Maria–i received the cd-rom of family photos collected for the McMullen family reunion (this past July) and found this old (new to me) one on it…not much changes really, huh?
we had a good relaxed day today, free of train and bus rides. Miss Ruby and Sam had a rousing play session on the bit of lawn over by the port…games of 1,2,3 GO!, almost-Fetch and 'No, don't eat that off the ground!" (applies to both parties). it gave them both a chance to burn off some of that two-year-old energy. little Sam is such a sweet natured kid..very well behaved for a two year old..but man, kids are exhausting! i don't know how Erin does it!
that cliche bell went off for me last year, turning thirty and all, but the sound may be fading this week… -
after nearly a full day of airplanes followed by a bus ride from hell, little 2 year old Sam is a trooper..even enough energy left to make a little French girlfriend. and run around a play park in Italy the next day…what a life! -
my brother Thomas, or the Tomster, is in LA today, Hollywood specifically. and i'm certain he's as sick of hearing about Arnold as we are. (keep in mind we live half way round the world from that damn recall vote and it's still on the tv endlessly). but if Affable Dan is anything like i remember, they aren't paying too much attention to that kind of stuff anyway…my bet is they are concocting Running Man Martinis or Tangeray Terminators. those kids, too cool for my boots.
speaking of California, just got word that The Balls will be in attendance at Angel and Dan's (the Other Dan) wedding in Savannah..woo hoo! good times to come! now that i live in Cannes, am i too posh for Pinkie Master's? 🙂 -
Miss Jack the cat is winning the battle at Chez Dom et Dale…she thinks she is a person of course. and now Ruby thinks maybe she might be a cat…she keeps jumping up on counters and table tops cat-style. i nearly lost it laughing when she scrambled up and tried to walk on the edge of the bathtub only to go sliding down in and give herself a good scare.
Erin and baby Sam arrive early tomorrow afternoon. another number 200 bus ride..yeah me. -
think driving in France is scary?!? (home of the roundabout, 13 year olds on scooters, mad motorbike drivers, indicator ignorance, guerrilla-style parking and delivery vans with a license to demolish).
try doing it in a circa '72-'73 Mini Cooper!!!! the last thing i used that had a 'choke' was a lawnmower, and that was fifteen years ago.
but, no worries, only my nerves are shot. one more trip for a box of painting supplies or two and i can park her for awhile. though..it is awfully nice to have wheels again…
Miss Jack the cat jumped up on my lap this afternoon. i think we're going to get on just fine. Miss Ruby seems a bit jealous already. -
it's taken me all day to sort out my room, organize, clean and pack up for the move to Cannes. how on earth did i accumulate so much stuff in so little time? didn't i arrive with just two medium suitcases? ugh.
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Miss Liz has left yesterday for her holiday in the UK. Mom and i had our regular bi-weekly supper at DeCito's last night in her honor. oh wait, she's British, so that's 'honour'. it's only a few weeks, but she'll be missed! i'll also be missing my "did we really drink that much wine?"-partner, as Dom and Dale left on Friday for their term (6 to 9 months) in the UK as well…not a jail term mind you, Dom will be setting up the kitchen in her parent's new pub.
i'll be heading over to Cannes early this week to begin looking after their flat and young Jack, the doorstop-fiddling cat. Ruby vs. Jack looks to be an interesting skirmish, though Jack is the odds-on favorite. (Ruby really is a big chicken).
so, i've been holding off the announcement until all the details were sorted, which they now are. i'm moving to Cannes! (for the time being anyway). i'm looking forward to getting to know a new town, having some alone time, a larger front room for larger painting experiments and kitchen big enough for entertaining from time to time. i'll miss mom's dinners though, and Uncle Berts bert-isms..but not to worry, it's only a ten minute train ride away. and i'll be sure to be around, back and forth quite frequently. -
mom finally finished up the sweater she started knitting when she was born, just in time for Grace's first birthday party this afternoon. being surrounded by little ones was good practice for young Sam's pending arrival…or was it proof positive of my awkwardness with the under 5 set? -
Erin and husband Doug and baby Sam at a UW Madison Badgers football game…i just couldn't bring myself to post the one with Daddy and son and BUCKY BADGER…sorry, but furries frighten me. and sports furries? (shiver)
my friend Erin from highschool (that's starting to sound like one big long name–Erin From-Highschool) is coming for a visit next week! with her son Sam, whom i have never met before, aside from that baby shower weekend when i saw the shape of his foot through his momma's belly. (i'm still hoping i did i pretty good job of making an 'oh isn't that a sweet miracle of life' face instead of the 'oh my dear god that's the grossest thing i've ever seen' face.) let's just say that my abilities with children are on about the same level as my abilities with houseplants. for those not in the know, i never actually had a houseplant IN my house because they frighten me. if you think about it long enough you realize that GROWING is in fact a form of MOVING. and then forever after, houseplants are just creepy.
ok, so that whole thing came out completely wrong. i am of course, very much looking forward to spending time with my friend and her lovely little boy. as long as they don't bring a badger or a fern.
