text: Hanging out in Saint Raphael with my sweetie, waiting for an outdoor concert to begin. When I was single, I used to imagine having a man look at me the way Hugh Grant looks at Julia Roberts in the press conference scene in Notting Hill. This is just SO much better than that. Because it's Georges. And that look is for me, and me alone. Read more →
  Posted on Sunday, 16 August 2009 at 11:40 AM in Amour Over 40, Every picture tells a story | Permalink | Comments (2)
  Mes Pêcheurs
  I'm sitting in the shade of a small cliff, looking out over a sunny azure-blue cove. I guess there are no bad views when you're on the Mediterranean coast, because each one is perfect in its own way. And I'm watching my husband and step-son at the end of a small pier, where they're fishing. I get a thumbs-up from Georges as the Little Guy races to get bucket full of water; they've caught one already! I'm sure it's a small one and not something we could even eat, but it's the thrill of the catch that matters. And they just got started, so this is an auspicious beginning. Other people come up behind them to see what they caught; it seems that fishermen draw an audience of on-lookers. Two other boys have been hanging out at the end of the pier with them, fascinated. I tried fishing once, last year when we were here with my sister-in-law (who is a veteran at fishing), and for me it was an exercise in total frustration. I know fishing is supposed to be relaxing and that's why people like to do it, but not for me. This year, I'm more than happy... Read more →
  Posted on Wednesday, 12 August 2009 at 06:55 PM in Domestic Bliss | Permalink | Comments (7)
  Unbelievable... I'm blogging at the BEACH. I'm sitting here, not 15 feet from the water's edge on a lovely blue and white striped beach chair with a blue and white striped umbrella above me, my husband and the Little Guy on the chaise next to me. We're at a little spot just to the left of "Our" spot on "Melon Beach" There is actually a surf today, REAL waves, and the Little Guy and I had fun floating around in them together. He's not yet much of a swimmer but he's really getting into the groove of wave-surfing with his little blow-up inner tube to buoy him up a bit. However, as there are no life guards on the beaches here, I don't let him go out there on his own. There's a Poste de Secours nearby and they're flying a yellow flag which, I think, means caution because of the unusual wave action. Maybe there's a storm coming in. Although we've had absolutely perfect weather for the past 9 days. Really, that's incredible to me, as in my entire life, every time I've gone for a beach vacation in the States, whether New Jersey, Virginia or North Carolina's Outer... Read more →
  Posted on Monday, 10 August 2009 at 09:04 PM in Living Boldly, Postcards from Life | Permalink | Comments (2)
  Hard finding time to blog with all this "nothing" I'm doing
  I'd like to fill this blog post with all the exciting adventures we've been taking while on our vacation, to enthrall you with all the interesting historical sites we've visited or the exotic things we're doing, but the truth is... we've been doing nothing. And it's been wonderful. The past two days, Georges and I slept until nearly 10am... a miracle considering there's a nearly 8-year-old in the house, but thanks to my sister-in-law he gets fed and is kept pleasantly and quietly occupied until we finally wake up. Yesterday was Georges' birthday and he really didn't want a fuss made about it. He decided we'd all go to the local zoo park and see the animals, and we brought a picnic and set ourselves up for lunch right next to the tiger zone. Which is pretty damn cool when you think about it: a picnic with tigers. Around 3:30, they do a "spectacle" with tigers, lions and panthers and a trainer who has been there for years and is so good with the animals he can kiss them smack on the lips and pull them around by their tails. At the end of the show, he brought out the... Read more →
  Posted on Friday, 07 August 2009 at 03:34 PM in France: Beyond Paris | Permalink | Comments (3)
  How to do the working vacation right
  Well, it may not be bold but it is what it is: I'm on vacation, and still working. A combination of client commitments and having just launched my new business means I am just not willing or able to completely 100% unplug from my work just now. I think it will get better after this week but right now I've just finished a somewhat overdue chapter for a client's book and I've got another one due by Thursday. What must be done, must be done. That's how it is when you're a grown-up. However, I'm learning that there are ways to manage all this that still feel like "vacation" to me. Read more →
  Posted on Tuesday, 04 August 2009 at 06:43 PM in Living Boldly | Permalink | Comments (5)
  Sunshine. Cloudless skies. Palm trees. Tropical flowers. Technicolor blues, greens and pinks. Toto, we're not in Paris any more. I've been on vacation for about an hour and a half, and even after a LONNNGGGG overnight train ride, I feel better already. And I haven't even seen the (melon) beach yet... this is just the view from my sister-in-law's apartment. Welcome to the Cote d'Azur! Read more →
  Posted on Saturday, 01 August 2009 at 11:26 AM in Every picture tells a story | Permalink | Comments (4)