tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81687712012-01-25T20:05:06.955+01:00The story of an American girl who followed a French boy home.Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.comBlogger9361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-58631354658726672372012-01-24T11:33:00.003+01:002012-01-24T11:55:22.248+01:00

I had a great meeting with my boss last week. It started off a little awkward, with him asking point blank what I wanted from him and me not knowing at all how to answer him, but we finally eased into the conversation.The bad news first: I had hoped to get a little bit of financial assistance to take classes from my mentor who lived very close, but that won't be possible, as official funding can

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-46640514055786215102012-01-10T09:30:00.000+01:002012-01-10T09:30:04.612+01:00

So instead of biting my fingernails down to the bone, I thought I'd keep myself busy by writing about what else we've been up to for the last couple of months. The biggest thing we did is fly back to the States for Thanksgiving.The last time I celebrated Thanksgiving in the US was in 2003, so this was a super fun excuse to go. Of course, bringing Fry with me meant I could introduce him to a

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-5018373388833132252012-01-09T09:30:00.000+01:002012-01-09T09:30:04.243+01:00

Yes, Happy New Year and Good Health to all of you. I'll be uttering this traditional phrase for another couple of weeks, but I can say it to you all in one go! I hope 2012 is treating you well so far.Once again, life swept me up and drug me away these last few months. So much has happened I hope I can get back through it all. I want to tell you about my & Fry's trip back to the States for

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-24439852289140669892011-11-18T09:00:00.000+01:002011-11-18T09:00:12.562+01:00

As you know, I've been wanting to learn about bookbinding (reliure in French) for ages now, and I managed to meet a professional bookbinder who offers classes in Paris with whom I was supposed to do a stage, or workshop, with in October. So imagine my total shock when I got in touch with her in September and she had apparently forgotten about me and given away my place. It wasn't the end of the

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-34462567629336117952011-11-16T09:00:00.000+01:002011-11-16T09:00:13.153+01:00

Wow, it's been so long that I had to go back through the photos to remember what we did! On the one hand, we had a terrific time with family and discovered an area that was new to both of us. On the other hand, bunking up with a fussy, easily distracted two year old was really hard. Next year we're going to rent a gîte, and that's that!First we made the pilgrimage to Pas-de-Calais, the region

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-52704855648307600132011-11-15T15:22:00.002+01:002011-11-15T15:27:49.528+01:00

Many, many thanks to those of you that haven't yet deleted this site from your bookmarks (or your reader, your email, or however the heck you end up here). How are you? We're ok. Fry started school, we've basically been sick ever since, I finally did my bookbinding stage, and we're getting ready to go to the US, where I'll celebrate Thanksgiving in my native land for the first time since 2003.

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-72667897650145175712011-08-06T13:45:00.002+02:002011-08-06T14:19:29.795+02:00

So, let's go way back, a month ago, right before we left on vacation. School had ended but Stéphane continued working five days straight. Finally, Thursday after school ended, he was finally on vacation and spent the day playing on the computer, lounging around, napping, etc. Nothing weird or out of the ordinary.Cut to midnight, when Stéphane wakes me up saying "there's an ambulance coming."

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-33509748917227115992011-07-29T21:14:00.003+02:002011-07-29T21:32:28.010+02:00

I swear to god, I completely jinxed us all to hell last week. Last Friday I posted that recipe (which was so good Stéphane made me make it again this week), and that evening the three of us were hanging out on the couch and I had this moment of complete happiness. So of course the very next day we had DRAMA.Saturday I was getting ready to leave for work and our upstairs neighbor knocked on the

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-37049631581318712892011-07-22T20:50:00.004+02:002011-07-22T21:30:14.605+02:00

I know. I know. It's been a really long time. Too long. And loads of stuff has happened. We went on vacation, Steph went to the ER in an ambulance (he's totally ok!), all kinds of crazy stuff. However, today I made a dish so delicious that I had to share it here. The best part is that I totally made it up. OK, not totally, I flipped through a few recipes for ideas but in the end I just followed

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-6471564980819322622011-05-24T11:27:00.002+02:002011-05-24T11:46:22.455+02:00

Yep, yesterday was my birthday. 38. Mmph.While talking to my sister this weekend, she asked me if I was going to wait another month to post something on the blog. Oh dear.So what's been going on? Well, the biggest thing going this month is that Fry is signed up to start school in the Fall! That was a very surreal moment. Obviously it's not Kindergarten but State-supported pre-school called

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-9885032627198489312011-05-05T16:46:00.003+02:002011-05-05T17:15:59.866+02:00

My god, I can't believe I completely skipped over the entire month of April! I'm incredibly embarrassed. And it's not even because things have been so bad, or even so great. That dang 365 photo blog is taking up all my online energy. Ok, here's the lowdown on what happened in April:I decided to put my sewing machine back to work:We had our first overnight guest in the apartment, prompting me to

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-50976883051611597092011-03-29T14:43:00.003+02:002011-03-29T16:54:03.475+02:00

Ooh before I forget, here's our new car:A Citroën C4, 2005, 50,000 km (31,000 miles), in gorgeous condition. I don't even think we realized that this is the top of the line edition - every time I drive it I find some kind of new feature I didn't even know I needed! Love love love!!Ok, so that's the car, but that's not the update I wanted to give you. This is even more exciting! It's not even one

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-57101308891061795232011-03-14T20:55:00.002+01:002011-03-14T21:08:30.441+01:00

...and sees a movie in English!! Now there's something I didn't think I could do a few years ago!When I visited Stéphane in 2003, there was a cinema right in the middle of old downtown Troyes that showed movies in VO (version originale) and we saw Lost in Translation there (no, irony was not lost there). By the time I moved here in the Fall of 2004, that cinema had closed and the new multiplex

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-39672585889272604502011-03-08T20:51:00.003+01:002011-03-08T21:07:30.381+01:00

So I promised you some good news last week and here it is: we bought a new car!! Well, new to us. It all happened very fast, isn't that the best way? We've been talking about it for years and finally everything kind of just fell into place. This is our current car, Old Faithful:Bless her. She's a 15 year old Citroën ZX and while she has loads of cosmetic problems (she's been broken into twice,

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-74310691797936580902011-03-03T17:21:00.002+01:002011-03-03T17:34:01.336+01:00

Whoops. To be honest with you, I was nearly ready to give up on the whole blogging thing and then my grandmother told me that she checks my blog every other day for updates. Sorry Grandma!! Actually, a lot of stuff has happened in the last month. We managed to got the fan installed over the stove in the kitchen:and Fry has completely fallen in love with painting:but the biggest news is that we

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-38364409602921306162011-02-08T14:45:00.002+01:002011-02-08T15:11:00.440+01:00

Recently I've been kind of consumed with the idea of going back to my first crafting dream of bookbinding. If you've been reading this drivel for 5+ years you may remember that I made some early attempts not long after we'd moved to Tiny Town in an attempt to find something to occupy my time while job hunting and learning French (you can see some of my finished books here). I felt kind of stuck

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-5200139752287475842011-01-27T10:41:00.002+01:002011-01-27T11:12:53.841+01:00

I have to admit, doing my 365 photo project makes it a little harder to write here as well. January has been mostly quiet except for one extraordinary thing: I've made a French friend! I met her through work and we got to talking about knitting. She contacted me a couple of weeks ago because she wanted me to show her some knitting stuff, and since she was willing to come all the way out to Tiny

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-32155316386854205812011-01-10T13:19:00.002+01:002011-01-10T13:30:22.115+01:00

so here's a picture of a castle:OK, it's not reeeeeally a castle. I took this on the way to work yesterday. It's the Hôtel de Vauluisant in Troyes. It was originally built to be the Troyes home of the Vauluisant Abbey near Sens, in order to be closer to the Count of Champagne (and better benefit from the closer proximity, of course!). I should note that “hôtel” doesn’t always mean the same thing

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-85534331129882986202011-01-04T17:20:00.003+01:002011-01-04T17:39:54.822+01:00

... you must be prepared to say "Happy New Year" to every living being you pass during the first thirty days of the year. If you're very lucky, they'll say it first so you can save face if you forget. This year, however, I'm taking a certain amount of pride in a) remembering to say it first and b) actually having occasion to say it. This morning I had errands to run, and despite the fact that it

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-13991091350757264762011-01-02T07:35:00.002+01:002011-01-02T07:43:13.808+01:00

Happy New Year, my friends! We celebrated in the traditional manner, with Stéphane coming down with some mystery bug so I couldn't make the fancy pants dinner planned and ended with us knitting and reading in bed at midnight. My god, we are rock stars!It has been a mellow and chill week, saving the two days I ran away to Paris to eat pizza and stay up late drooling over movie stars with no

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-48827919362804396192010-12-25T15:13:00.002+01:002010-12-25T15:30:03.954+01:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We're having a lovely time in these parts. We could even call it a White Christmas, but only by the skin of our teeth, as we just had a light powdering last night.Yesterday I had to work in the afternoon, so we all headed out early and I dropped Stéphane and Fry off at Mémère's house on the way to work. Work was uneventful and I picked up our contribution to the big

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-80171931572455296232010-12-22T16:27:00.003+01:002010-12-22T20:37:11.590+01:00

Oh yes we did, my friends. Let me start off by saying that it was not an accident-inflicted panicky emergency room visit, thank goodness. If you're a parent you might get a kick out of this, and if you're not... well, let's call it a cautionary tale. I'm including some nitty gritty details but I'll warn you if you want to skip the icky stuff. Our dear son Fry has had problems with his nose for

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-69898322287562876452010-12-15T10:57:00.003+01:002010-12-15T11:09:46.289+01:00

Yes, I know, more than a week this time. I have a good excuse, though! So actually last week passed without incident, if by "without incident" we mean "couldn't leave the house because of the terrible weather for three days so Fry and I drove each other insane." By Friday he was ready to see the back of me as well and nearly pushed me out the door when I dropped him off at Nounou's house.

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-81505033274896364152010-12-06T21:33:00.002+01:002010-12-06T22:06:35.118+01:00

This blogging one time a week is for the birds. I don't know why I'm not doing it more often, it's not like I don't have things to say. I think about updating, and then next thing I know a week's gone by.So we enjoyed the snow that stuck last Monday for exactly a week, as this morning it was all gone when we woke up. It was mostly clear and sunny and cold all week, with just enough snow falling

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-25619738747317225872010-11-30T13:09:00.002+01:002010-11-30T13:20:11.069+01:00

This is what we woke up to Monday morning. Simply gorgeous. Of course, I'd ordered a full week's worth of groceries from the drive through in Troyes for Monday morning, having absolutely NO IDEA this was coming, so Fry and I had to wander out in it. We managed to pick up a couple of Christmas presents (including one of his own, I reckon that's the last time I'll be able to get away with that!),

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-73260778177490990372010-11-22T13:55:00.002+01:002010-11-22T14:14:06.524+01:00

Fry hasn't had an easy week. Wednesday he had his 2 year old visit and for the first time, he completely flipped out. He's always handled shots extremely well, with a little cry and it's over after 30 seconds, so just the fact that he had a negative reaction to the doctor was a surprise to me. I'm guessing he made the link because he just had a booster shot a few weeks ago so it's still

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-44469443859016236392010-11-15T13:04:00.006+01:002010-11-15T17:38:07.239+01:00

I haven't put any music on here in forever, so it's time to rectify that. I am completely in love with this song and I hope you guys love it, too. Long live Motown revival!!Je ne suis qu'un soul manÉcoute ça babyJe suis pas un supermanLoin de làJuste moi, mes déliresJe n'ai rien d'autre à offrirMais je sais qu'en vrai c'est déjà çaUpdate: Apparently this isn't working in the states? Here's a

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-63677034639904289872010-11-12T10:14:00.002+01:002010-11-12T10:21:44.444+01:00

Thanks for the encouraging comments! I think this could be a fun project to put together and I want it to be something really special so I'm going to take my time and really do it right. I'll let you know how's it's going along the way!This week has been pretty mellow. Stéphane had yesterday off for Armistace Day and since the school is closed on Wednesdays he had a little weekend in the middle

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-74786973254830617922010-11-08T20:46:00.002+01:002010-11-08T21:06:17.049+01:00

First of all, look at this:I made 18 perfect cupcakes on Sunday. They were perfectly even, not even a hint of browning anywhere. My easy bake oven days are officially OVER! Now check this out:I can cook things and wash them as well!! Though I can say that, while washing dishes in the kitchen is a vast improvement over doing them in the bathroom sink, I will be very, very happy to have a

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-1420701687125723892010-11-05T09:59:00.002+01:002010-11-05T10:12:28.089+01:00

Right, so where were we? Ah yes, demolition is over so now it's time to build the kitchen back up! Last Thursday was IKEA day, and it was insanely exhausting, not to mention that we all got sick from all the dust flying around from breaking down all the concrete! Here's our day in a nutshell: We dropped off Fry at Mémère's house, picked up the rental truck, drove to Reims, ordered the kitchen,

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-8080186307846389212010-11-03T13:21:00.002+01:002010-11-03T13:45:51.618+01:00

I know I promised an update on the kitchen today, but this morning I tried a new service that's becoming quite popular in France and I want to share it with you. In most large cities, grocery delivery has already existed for years (and when I say large, I know of at least one store in Troyes (pop. 60k) that offers this service, so we're talking from small to major cities). In most cases, you can

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-58211492601670882582010-11-02T15:24:00.002+01:002010-11-02T15:31:36.805+01:00

I can't even believe it: my baby boy isn't a baby anymore! My big boy Fry reaches for my hand and leads me around the house (and the neighborhood!), gives me kisses (this is a very new development, hopefully he'll soon get over his shyness and do the same for Papa!), and is my favorite dance partner. I am so head over heels in love with this kid!! Happy birthday my sweet boy!The kitchen is still

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-44794341596024023202010-10-26T14:48:00.002+02:002010-10-26T14:56:54.229+02:00

Ok, here's how to do a kitchen renovation in ten days (we hope!!).First we have to take out the two meter long 40 year old cement counter.Monday evening, Stéphane took off the doors and we emptied out the cabinets.Tuesday morning, Stéphane and our friend Marc did the rest of the destruction. First, the wood comes off:Then out comes the sink, and thanks to some power tools, a couple of crowbars

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-89177065372342472592010-10-25T13:32:00.002+02:002010-10-25T14:06:37.819+02:00

Heh. Sorry about the long time, no post. October kind of got away from me, thanks to the pressure of getting my first guided tours under my belt. I finally did them at the end of last week, and apart from some gentle corrections on pronunciation they went just fine. Work has been ok, I'm completely torn in my feelings about it now. On the one hand, I really am absolutely thrilled to be working

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-18315610839500983102010-10-03T16:48:00.002+02:002010-10-03T17:00:23.159+02:00

Yesterday Fry turned 23 months! One more month to the big TWO! I can't believe it!This has been another big month for Fry. He's really starting to talk more, trying out words like "chaussures" (shoes), "banane" (banana), milk, socks, scissors, etc. If we ask him to say something he doesn't always try, but he'll randomly say a word when you're not expecting it, and considering it can be in either

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-14866292622827748552010-09-28T10:59:00.002+02:002010-09-28T11:16:28.938+02:00

That's the graffiti I saw painted on an electric breaker box on my way to work a couple of weeks ago. "Life is a farce." What a perfect message, and I immediately took it to heart. Typically, at the first sign of tension, I have the tendency to take that tension and multiply it by ten and turn into a stressed out mess. "La vie est une farce" is my new mantra. Everything is ridiculous. Let it

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-18424907479718025092010-09-15T17:14:00.002+02:002010-09-15T17:43:53.201+02:00

Training is officially over and I'm in charge tomorrow morning. It's good thing I'm not handwriting this because that first sentence would be too shaky to read! I'm sure it will be fine; the software we use is pretty simple and we've been getting plenty of anglophones in lately. It's my old nemesis - the phone - that I'm mostly worried about. Nothing makes me break out in hives like the thought

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-21054248260711215142010-09-09T20:46:00.001+02:002010-09-09T20:46:19.623+02:00

My first day of work is tomorrow. I feel like a kid on the night before the first day of school: I've got my outfit picked out and everything. I'm only going for a couple of hours for training in the morning, but everything starts somewhere. I really want this job to be as cool as it sounds. I could really see myself staying there for many years, maybe even eventually going full time. I'm excited

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-9877255032299698642010-09-03T10:37:00.002+02:002010-09-03T10:49:29.546+02:00

I was supposed to post this yesterday but I was a little busy signing my work contract (bwahahahaha!). More about that later, let's talk Fry!Poor kiddo, his world really turned upside down this month with the move. He had a few nights where he didn't want to stay in bed but we worked through that, and now he really loves it here, running all over the place. The best part is that we can close

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-32716058082534769742010-08-19T16:50:00.003+02:002010-08-19T17:04:39.331+02:00

So yes, I got the call yesterday, I got the job!! I was so excited, I cried (after I got off the phone, bien sûr) and shook like a leaf for half an hour. Even though this job is part time, it's with a historical foundation and my job will include working with the public - but a very different public than I saw in my last job. The best part is that the contract is a CDI - a contract of

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-5689966425536477332010-08-15T14:15:00.002+02:002010-08-15T14:25:00.424+02:00

Last week we escaped from home improvements for an afternoon and visited a local chateau, though I must say I'm using this term quite loosely here. The chateau of Droupt-Saint-Basle dates from the 16th century with some 18th century improvements. The last marquise died in 1974 and the chateau was slated for demolition until the current owners bought it in 1983 and restored it. It's quite pretty,

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-63181882989348252852010-08-10T14:07:00.002+02:002010-08-10T14:24:25.564+02:00

It's amazing how much you can get done without the Internet for a distraction. One week after the move, nearly every box is empty and everything has a home. After years of living with crap piled on top of furniture or tucked under it, We finally have enough storage space. It makes a sizable difference. The move went smoothly, even if it took a little longer than expected since we only had a huge

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-89701542187450818862010-08-02T10:00:00.002+02:002010-08-02T10:00:01.098+02:00

As you are reading this, we are in the middle of moving furniture, or cleaning our old apartment, or unpacking in the new one. Today is moving day, but I couldn't let my monthly Fry posts slide.Poor Fry is having a rough time with the move. This is the only home he's ever known and every time he wakes up from a nap something else is packed up and gone. He's been to the new apartment a few times

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-58768482714390116042010-07-25T09:31:00.002+02:002010-07-25T10:25:38.489+02:00

Aaaaaaah. Every time we take a carload of boxes over to the new place, I love it more and more. It has so much potential and it's going to be a pleasure to make it ours.Meanwhile, back at the ranch, everything is falling apart. I guess you could say that Reason 11 that I can't wait to leave this apartment is the electricity problems. I've never been able to run two major appliances at the same

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-12493022687454854022010-07-20T10:02:00.002+02:002010-07-20T10:23:49.825+02:00

Well, it's done. The papers are signed, we have the keys. Last Friday, we jumped off off the seemingly never-ending rent cycle and into the world of home-ownership. It was an emotional moment for both us: for Stéphane, because his parents never owned their own home, for me because I've passed another milestone I can't share with my parents. Of course, all this warm fuzziness quickly fizzled when

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-4400966769101018112010-07-07T07:35:00.007+02:002010-07-07T13:48:48.275+02:00

As we're on the brink of another heatwave I thought I'd write about what we do to try to stay cool. I've had quite a few comments by stunned friends and family about why we don't see air conditioning in France, as if we were some poor third world country. The simple truth that some people don't want to hear is that up until about ten years ago it only very rarely reached temperatures over 80°F in

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-48876555988846133212010-07-02T16:27:00.002+02:002010-07-02T16:41:02.094+02:00

Oh, my big boy is getting older! I am very happy to announce we finally have a first word (after mama and papa) and to be honest I'm surprised that it is "merci!" The truth is, I always say "thank you" when I give him something and maybe half the time follow up with a "merci," Stéphane isn't really good about saying it consistently, but given the choice "merci" is certainly easier to say! He

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-91060218301433712892010-07-01T14:36:00.003+02:002010-07-01T14:52:05.993+02:00

So things are slowly moving along with the apartment. The papers for the loan and been sent back and we have an appointment with an electrician next Thursday evening at the apartment. It is looking very likely that we won't get the electricity done before we move in, but luckily it's not dangerous and simply needs to be updated. My MIL recently had her electricity updated (she's lived in the same

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-22054166435917043302010-06-19T22:14:00.004+02:002010-06-21T14:16:54.777+02:00

This week we found out that we've been approved for our loan (at long last!). We still have to wait ten days before we can send off the paperwork (in case we chicken out, I guess?) and then we can schedule a closing date. We are so close!!In honor of finally getting out of this apartment, I present you with ten things I won't miss about it at all (in no particular order):10. The horribly creaking

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-8875926139441100242010-06-18T09:54:00.002+02:002010-06-18T10:20:06.905+02:00

At last I'm sitting down to tell you about our trip last week! As I mentioned before, while Stéphane and his colleague were shepherding 50 students on a four day trip to the Vercors, Fry and I drove to the Village of the Damned, near Zurich, to visit Ms Mac. The drive itself was fine, though it was a bit longer than anticipated with all the stops for Fry's benefit. He handled the long hours in

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-34856620323023166642010-06-13T13:50:00.003+02:002010-06-13T18:20:30.187+02:00

Hello hello! We had a great time on our Excellent Adventure, and I'm going to blog about that with pictures very soon, but my cousin asked me for my recipe for tomates farcies, or stuffed tomatoes. I thought for sure that I'd already posted it here but apparently I haven't at all, so I thought I'd better rectify that!This recipe makes four generous portions, or enough for two meals for the three

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-63862430124816418582010-06-02T10:58:00.002+02:002010-06-02T11:11:25.219+02:00

Here are some random things about Fry, who is nineteen months today:He would rather eat pickles than fresh cucumbers.He consistently waves if you ask him to say "bye-bye."He can feed himself with a spoon (under heavy supervision)He does this hilarious monster baby voice. It's hard to get him to do it, but it always cracks the three of us up, and it's really the first time Fry is aware of the "

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-34368352622066667882010-05-30T10:06:00.002+02:002010-05-30T10:16:52.234+02:00

I had a great birthday last week, even if it was pretty mellow. We went to our favorite crêperie in Troyes and despite the fact that we don't take Fry out that often (or go out that often ourselves, natch), he did pretty well! I dunno, what are you getting?Then a short walk around Troyes before heading home, as Stéphane was working on a pretty good head cold and it was a bit too hot for Fry to be

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-39589631383367179352010-05-23T11:11:00.002+02:002010-05-23T11:17:56.070+02:00

Yep, it's my birthday! But really, I wanted to do this big post about Fry, and then I forgot what I wanted to say, and then I just kind of lost the will to blog. This has got to stop! Also, I just need to write stuff down, this is driving me crazy! I can show you this: last week we checked out a public forest about fifteen minutes from here and we fell in love with it! Stéphane liked it so much

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-29428115933299988802010-05-17T10:04:00.003+02:002010-05-17T10:30:15.865+02:00

We hit a bit of a snag at the bank last week for the loan for the apartment. Because Stéphane is a fonctionnaire (works for the government) he qualifies to be a member of a private bank with a pretty nice savings account system, so we didn't even bother going to any other banks to get quotes for our loan. The problem was that the person we talked to gave us a bunch of static about my not being

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-63212080268200839442010-05-13T10:55:00.003+02:002010-05-13T11:14:21.301+02:00

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Poor Fry was simply born to accident-prone parents who have their own long lists of emergency room visits. I was hoping to put off Fry's first visit for a while but he had other plans. Tuesday was rolling along as usual until lunch time. Fry didn't take a morning nap, so when that happens he usually takes a nap after lunch instead. The only problem with

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-73500905066177126892010-05-04T13:44:00.002+02:002010-05-04T14:02:01.484+02:00

Fry turned 18 months old on Sunday. Despite the fact that he seems to be going through a major separation anxiety phase - he freaks out if someone else tries to carry him, even if I'm right next to him - he continues to amaze us everyday. In light of the fact that we've just given our three month notice to the landlord and can expect to have visitors in the near future to see the apartment, we

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-38992360319069468752010-05-01T09:18:00.002+02:002010-05-01T09:45:47.790+02:00

This post isn't really about Labor Day, but I'm wishing those who celebrate today a nice one!I don't think I've mentioned it, but the day after we found out that our offer had been accepted, Stéphane's computer died. Well of course it did, right? So the last couple of weeks we've been sharing mine, and if you know my husband at all, that means he completely takes it over when he's home. The new

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-3807615877056878622010-04-23T10:25:00.003+02:002010-04-23T11:34:44.879+02:00

I mentioned on twitter yesterday that I'd just finished whipping up a batch of homemade laundry detergent and a bunch of people showed interest in my recipe, so I thought I'd post it here. Making my own laundry detergent seems so random, but it was a natural progression, in fact! We decided to use cloth diapers before Fry was even born, but you can't use regular laundry detergent with them,

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-83119649548355897622010-04-20T10:14:00.003+02:002010-04-20T10:42:51.714+02:00

There is SO MUCH going on right now and I've lost the instinct to run to my computer whenever something interesting happens, so I'm playing a bit of catch up. First, and most important really: our offer on the apartment has been accepted!! There was a tense moment when we weren't sure they would accept it, but they did and it has been such a huge weight off our shoulders! Even better, we've

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-46201800550987800002010-04-10T11:02:00.002+02:002010-04-10T11:30:38.935+02:00

So, yesterday we visited an apartment for sale. The building itself is about 50 years old and most of the occupants are owners, so that's a good thing. I don't think either one of us are super enthused about moving into an apartment complex, especially Stéphane, who grew up in a huge apartment block and swore he'd never move back. This is hardly apartment block sized, but the idea of having

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-32252832791366360522010-04-02T11:25:00.002+02:002010-04-02T11:38:59.072+02:00

Oh, this week was hard. Last week, my first week home alone with Fry in three months, was lovely. We played, we walked around Tiny Town, we watched our favorite episodes of Sesame Street Old School, it was fun! I guess the novelty of having Mommy home wore off though, because this week was all about ignoring Mommy and doing all the little things that drive me crazy: playing with the mouse and the

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-80168322002959581472010-03-25T10:45:00.003+01:002010-03-28T10:31:35.898+02:00

This past week has been a complete roller coaster, and I regret that I didn't think to document it here as it was happening, because now it's all so anti-climatic. In any case, here's a run down:First we decided to take the leap on house #2, which was really at the limit of our budget, but before we signed anything, we had the house inspected. Because we qualify for a government loan with zero

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-38085342341402034802010-03-15T10:15:00.002+01:002010-03-15T10:32:40.228+01:00

After a few very tense days over the last couple of weeks, I finally learned last Monday that my contract will not be renewed. When I first started to suspect that this would happen, I confronted my boss about it, but in the end, he was just as much in the dark about it as I was, since the decision came from higher up the food chain. Anyway, between the time I started to suspect and I finally

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-6917610064209089042010-02-25T11:41:00.002+01:002010-02-25T11:52:00.307+01:00

Yesterday I was dealing with a client at work, and when he gave me his name I didn't understand it at first, so I asked him to repeat it. When I finally understood it, he said, "Yes, well I speak French, we are, after all, in France, where we speak French. Although if I went to England I would have a rough time, har har!"What I wanted to say:"Yes, thank you, Mr. Le Pen*.""Yes, that's why they

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-5495487307676794442010-02-23T10:24:00.002+01:002010-02-23T10:40:29.400+01:00

Man, I am still fighting the rest of this crud with a little bit of a cough and my nose is blocked up again by the time I go to bed. No wonder I'm not sleeping well. It's gonna be another long day and I really need a nap. *sigh*Anyway, besides me moaning all the time about how hard my job is, there are some good things that have been going on around here, believe it or not! I think I've mentioned

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-4874760245625690962010-02-18T10:32:00.002+01:002010-02-18T10:47:02.128+01:00

Here's a topic I've been avoiding lately: remember how I opened an Etsy shop? And then I got a full time job? Yeah. Hello, logical conclusion.I'm completely broken-hearted about closing my Etsy shop. I am brimming with ideas for new products and new designs and writing out patterns and I could go on for days and days, but y'all, I am exhausted. This job takes everything out of me. I suspect it

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-91052779412967862512010-02-07T10:57:00.002+01:002010-02-07T11:39:49.584+01:00

Oh dear. And the worst possible timing, too. Fry has been sick for a couple of weeks now, with the perpetual running nose. His nounou's daughter, who also stays home, caught the flu and was pretty much paralyzed by it: she basically slept all day for about three or four days. It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Fry would get it too. Of course, when Fry gets the flu, it just means that

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-49274867501782602302010-02-02T15:58:00.002+01:002010-02-02T16:10:54.547+01:00

When Fry got sick last week, we thought we might have a break from the kid that never stops running. No dice. He only runs slower and falls down more. *sigh* One thing I love this month is that Fry has gone interactive! Now he is much more interested in playing with us, as opposed to next to us. His favorite toys recently have been his interactive book that plays music when you press a button

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-82794980787993536542010-01-26T09:49:00.002+01:002010-01-26T10:07:11.976+01:00

I have a few thoughts I want to get down about finally working, but I'm not exactly sure where I'm going to go with it. Bear with me here...I am reminded time and again how naive Stéphane and I were about my moving here. We were sure I'd find work within six months (those two years of my parents falling ill and dying one after the other notwithstanding) and even then we thought I'd be able to

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-87258190844078627492010-01-20T07:47:00.002+01:002010-01-20T08:01:40.705+01:00

Some major, major problems at work were resolved yesterday. I was so happy I nearly skipped out of work to my car. I still don't know if this is going to be the long term job for me, and I'm probably going to continue to send out some resumes from time to time in hopes of finding a Monday-Friday job, but I'm totally at peace with work and ready to get on with it. Huge, huge relief there! Now, the

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-24941574825568358462010-01-17T16:26:00.003+01:002010-01-17T16:40:18.647+01:00

When I picked Fry up from Nounou's house on Thursday afternoon, I knew she wasn't feeling very well. She had her mother (MIL?) helping her out, which I appreciated. But she looked really rough. So it wasn't entirely a surprise when Stéphane called me at work Friday morning to tell me that Nounou had seen a doctor in the middle of the night and was too sick to take Fry. He was able to take the

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-71608297938861824482010-01-10T17:24:00.004+01:002010-01-10T17:33:33.230+01:00

It was a very frustrating week at work, not to mention exhausting! Six days on, one day off, six days off and finally three days of rest. Today is the third day and I finally can walk without pain in my back and feet. Not that I'm complaining! It feels great to come home and be tired from working, it's very satisfying. I do quite like my job; unfortunately, it's the people I work with that will

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-51424270822183449772010-01-02T09:00:00.000+01:002010-01-02T09:00:03.137+01:00

It seems to me that Fry is literally growing before my eyes, with all the accomplishments he's had this month. Suddenly, his head is nearly clearing his baby jail playpen, and I remember very clearly him standing up the first few times and the top of his head barely reached the top! Fry doesn't walk as much as he runs. He would probably have a lot fewer bruises if he actually looked where he's

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-63008043486027365232010-01-01T10:02:00.002+01:002010-01-01T10:39:29.038+01:00

Oh my, what a week! It was an emotional roller coaster, thanks to a colleague who took the Cat's Away, Mice Will Play method to a whole new level. Since I have a difficult time with confrontation, I spent a couple of days working on a pretty sweet ulcer, until, finally, she went too far and was called on the carpet. Sweet, sweet justice, just in time for my day off. One more week until my boss is

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-88858725150452347852009-12-26T16:41:00.002+01:002009-12-26T17:27:16.468+01:00

My first week of work is in the can. It's been a real jolt to the system, getting up and having to be functional so early. I can't complain, all my adult life I've been an early bird, but after so many years of practically no activity, getting up off my ass and moving again has been a shock. I have so many stories that I wish I could share with you but can't. I'm still on a learning curve made

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-68303718506520343002009-12-19T15:14:00.002+01:002009-12-19T15:31:21.106+01:00

ha HA! What can I tell you, I'm gainfully employed now! I can't tell you much else, though. Here's what I'm willing to share:-It's in the service industry. The hours are not ideal and I'll be working weekends a lot but I don't have to wear a uniform, so that's a plus.-I mentioned that I preferred mornings to evenings in my interview and all this week I'm scheduled for morning hours. Getting up

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-1703072935555172822009-12-18T10:15:00.002+01:002009-12-18T10:33:14.251+01:00

It started snowing yesterday morning and it's hardly stopped. The roads were a mess yesterday getting to my job interview, but the Director was very impressed that I showed up anyway (and said so at least three times), so major points there. Since they hadn't salted/sanded the roads before I got there, the roads were a bit perilous in town but much better by the time I left. Last night we had

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-21589002025560355312009-12-17T14:09:00.002+01:002009-12-17T14:21:46.418+01:00

I hit a pretty low point yesterday morning. I finally just cried out to the universe, "I need a break!"Luckily, the universe was listening. I finally got a call about a job. I have an interview this afternoon. And even if I don't get the job, finally getting a call after job searching for so long makes me feel so much better. Like I actually am employable. I don't know if it's me personally, or

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-45131226630915122322009-12-15T10:31:00.003+01:002009-12-15T10:32:49.630+01:00

So here's a tweet cloud:(Still knitting for Christmas, job hunting, on snow watch. I do have a post in me, will write ASAP!)

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-41297212015311464772009-12-10T10:19:00.003+01:002009-12-10T18:12:32.645+01:00

Man, things are getting me down! The weather has settled into its gray steel phase which will last until Spring (although we're having some very rare sunshine this morning, thankfully) which doesn't help. Fry and I keep exchanging colds. December means the end of term for Stéphane, so he's stressed and tired and working extra hours to get grading finished and seeing parents nearly every night so

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-23170336163871972692009-12-04T09:34:00.003+01:002009-12-04T13:04:59.288+01:00

Yesterday I took Fry to Tiny Town's salle des fêtes to be vaccinated against H1N1, aka la Grippe A or the swine flu. In France, the vaccinations are being given in "vaccination centers" around the country and are being staffed (and by some accounts, understaffed) by local doctors, nurses and army medical personnel. While anyone has the right to be vaccinated, those that meet certain requirements

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-49549751138542803452009-11-30T08:44:00.003+01:002009-11-30T09:57:15.826+01:00

We had a fabulous time at the annual French Thanksgiving weekend with our friends Doc and Marc! We were quite low on Americans this year, with Doc and I being the only ones in attendance, but we were blessed with the presence of Mr and Ms Mac, who don't speak French so I hogged them all to myself all night and talked so much I lost my voice! I made a great big dish of Fat Potatoes Fat Fat and we

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-86940317847678144062009-11-26T16:54:00.003+01:002009-11-26T17:05:27.442+01:00

So yesterday we saw another house. Well, we sort of saw a house. We saw part of a house?Ok, let me explain. This house, on paper, has everything we want; it's not on a main road, it's got plenty of bedrooms, a nice big garden, even a garage. Unfortunately, we were very much turned off because the of the way it's presented. The former owner has passed away, and the family hasn't moved a damned

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-91796870816440214122009-11-23T15:52:00.003+01:002009-11-23T16:02:45.445+01:00

Friday, Fry finally went back to his weekly playgroup for the first time in three (or is it four?) weeks. He's really been overdue. I hate the fact that we don't get to visit with our family in Troyes very often and all of our friends live pretty far away, so Fry doesn't get as much interaction with other people as I would like. Plus, I won't lie, it's nice to have an afternoon for myself!For the

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-7998911950184036202009-11-16T13:34:00.002+01:002009-11-16T13:46:19.981+01:00

Sometimes it seems like the more I struggle to get myself together, the easier everything falls apart. Right when I'm ready to head back to aerobics, I catch whatever is was that Fry had two weeks ago (and is still lingering on). Thursday I went to the pharmacy to pick up some cold medicine, but by Saturday morning it was clear that this was no cold. I managed to get in to see a doctor Saturday

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-4256586095085950062009-11-10T20:40:00.002+01:002009-11-10T20:51:36.755+01:00

Don't get too excited my friends...SO. Yesterday I visited the first of the two notaries in Tiny Town. I was very surprised to learn that they were also listing house #2 but at a very affordable price! So affordable, in fact, that we were ready to make an offer, but what we didn't realize is that we were obligated to make an offer through the agency that showed us the property. My brain is still

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-33148772572680968722009-11-09T09:00:00.000+01:002009-11-09T09:00:02.456+01:00

Last week we got a call from the agency that they had a new listing for us, so we visited it Saturday afternoon. Another maison de ville, this one is pretty much the other end of the spectrum from house #1 and, unfortunately, just outside of our budget. We don't regret looking at it, though. As Stéphane said, now we've seen the extremes of what we're looking for and it will help us have a

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-20194871766638711092009-11-02T19:35:00.003+01:002009-11-02T19:47:04.502+01:00

I can't believe it was a year ago today that I woke up with contractions and six hours later our Fry was born! It's so ridiculously cliché, but it really does go by so fast! Our little boy is right on the cusp of walking (more than three or four steps on his own, I should add, since he's been doing that for a couple of months now) and talking. I have a feeling he's just going to walk up to me one

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-68170495496927022552009-10-31T15:34:00.002+01:002009-10-31T15:52:33.042+01:00

Stéphane has been very interested lately in his family's roots. After his father died, he remembered his father showing him some old family documents and with the help of his mother, dug them back out. They include his grandfather's wedding contract, identity card, and some military records. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot more to go on, except for vague memories from his mother, aunts and

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-68316643213150952482009-10-27T19:54:00.002+01:002009-10-27T20:09:56.246+01:00

So, Saturday afternoon we visited a house for sale in Tiny Town, only a ten minute walk from here. We were surprised by how much work the house needs, since it wasn't mentioned at all in the ad, but we are still pretty interested in it. The house is a maison de ville, or townhouse, meaning it shares walls with homes on both sides. It's just over a hundred years old and is solid as a rock, so no

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-60335841764531296362009-10-19T09:18:00.002+02:002009-10-19T09:34:20.738+02:00

Man, there is so much going on I don't know where to start! Ok, let's start here...The Etsy shop seems to have started off on a good foot; I had two sales this weekend, and while I was trying not to get my hopes up, I'm so pleased that I've had my first sales within two weeks of opening up. That being said, actually sending away things I've spent so much time making is a bit harder than I thought

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-85415928649710772972009-10-13T11:08:00.002+02:002009-10-13T11:16:31.723+02:00

The weekend before I messed up my leg, we went hunting for mushrooms. It's been years since we've done it, though Stéph grew up mushroom hunting and knows exactly what to look for (and has two excellent annotated guides in case he's not sure). So after around at work for the best forest, we headed off to the Forêt d'Orient National Park, a little east of Troyes. I've been to the lake a few times

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-32406118464784280862009-10-06T11:37:00.002+02:002009-10-06T11:52:03.156+02:00

Well first the non-crap - thank you so much for your lovely comments yesterday! They were a much needed boost of confidence all through the day!The day ended on a very sour note, unfortunately. As you know, I started going to an aerobics class here in Tiny Town. Yesterday was my third class and it was a step class. The first time we did step, I noticed that my legs were started to cramp up so I

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-3775905962832766092009-10-05T09:00:00.001+02:002009-10-05T09:00:04.562+02:00

Here is a post I've been wanting to write for a long, long time.Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Suis le fil, an Etsy shop. I've been blathering on about wanting to start some sort of business practically since I got off the plane five years ago. It took nearly that long to figure out what I wanted to do. Not quite five years ago, Stéph took me to Provins for the yearly medieval festival and I

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-62186700211412935022009-10-02T16:35:00.003+02:002009-10-02T17:21:45.744+02:00

Fry is growing like a weed and learning so quickly now that I'm sure I'm going to miss a few things! He's turned into quite the chatterbox, though still no words we recognize. His favorite activity right now is turning the pages of his baby books (and dang near tearing them apart, much to my chagrin, but I think they'll hold up in the end) and doing laps in the living room. He will either crawl

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-59553546589752206582009-10-01T08:29:00.000+02:002009-10-01T08:29:00.727+02:00

I've got a big announcement coming... but you'll have to wait until next week to see it. Tune in Monday, friends!

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-67632945342864778542009-09-28T13:17:00.002+02:002009-09-28T13:25:42.883+02:00

I took my camera with me on our morning walk today and found quite a few leaves starting to change color. The trees are lovely but it's the vines that turn bright red that really get to me! This past week was pretty crazy. I went to an aerobics class here in Tiny Town on Wednesday evening. Besides the fact that I tore a muscle doing step aerobics (they don't seem to be very big on warming up -

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-4201041313412899162009-09-22T10:06:00.002+02:002009-09-22T10:34:27.565+02:00

Yesterday I had my appointment with the allergist in Troyes. The appointment itself was pretty amusing and the results were, in my opinion, pretty surprising. This may not shock you so much if you're American, but if you've spent any time at all in France you might be shocked to learn that I waited upwards of an hour in the waiting room. (I wrote about my very first experience with French doctors

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8168771.post-46771899476829202882009-09-16T10:02:00.002+02:002009-09-16T10:11:28.648+02:00

I knew something was wrong. I didn't have to get on a scale to know I'd gained a bunch of weight, but sometimes it takes getting on one to get the reality check. But it's not just the fact that I've gained five kilos (over 10 pounds) in the last four months, but the results of the blood test that's got my attention. My blood sugar is fine, my cholesterol level is a little high, but not too much.

Vivihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01430365550674784871noreply@blogger.com5