We took this photo last week from the old bridge, you know the one built in 1359 in Carcassonne, of the castle. They light it up every night but somehow the lighting this time seemed perfect for Halloween. I wonder what kind of candy we’ll be giving out next year? BIll says “Bon bons”! As for this year you can see what we’ll be giving out. … Continue reading Happy Halloween!
When we were first setting up this blog I was hoping to find an app for the sidebar where you could easily convert metric measurements into those more commonly used in the UK and US. Since that hasn’t shown up yet, there’s a chart below where you’ll find some shortcuts. It’s what we use when we’re on the continent to figure out a more familiar amount. To make it easy, though, here are the four that I’ll mention the most:
These are not exact but will give you a general idea without having to consult your smart phone.
Continue reading “We converted”
This morning I was in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee when I heard Bill talking. I knew that it was way too early for him to have telephoned anyone so naturally I was curious. When I walked back to the office he was there in front of the computer talking to it. What?? You may remember that a few weeks ago we got a new large laptop computer to replace a smaller one that was on its last legs plus our big desktop, neither of which were going to go with us to France. The new machine has Windows 10 with your own personal assistant called Cortana that understands spoken commands. (Yes, yes, Apple users, Siri was years ahead.)
When I asked Bill if he were talking to me he replied, “No, I was asking Cortana to turn on the computer and open up the email. I didn’t want to have to push a button.” Continue reading “The electric vampire”
As we were driving from the Boston airport up to Camden, ME it struck me about how pious this region of the country, especially Maine, had become. Once we left Interstate 95, without exaggeration (as if I ever would) each time we crossed into a new town there would be a sign pointing towards the “Redemption Center”. Living in Georgia I was used to seeing a church on every street corner and having multiple religious TV and radio stations, but this explicit show of devotion seemed unusual. Continue reading “Redemption”
Do you know why we are really moving to France? So that Bill will wash the dishes and do the laundry. He will do anything for the aroma of grapefruit. We found that out by accident years ago in Germany when we bought a bottle of dishwashing detergent that was scented with orange and grapefruit. He encouraged me to eat on several plates just so that he would have an excuse to fill our vacation rental apartment with the fresh smells of spring. We brought home two bottles and on subsequent trips to Europe we tried unsuccessfully to find them again. Continue reading “Will work for grapefruit”
We just enjoyed spending time in rental properties in Maine and Massachusetts on vacation I have come to the conclusion that I have to chose carefully the items that will follow us to France.
After more than 30 years of culling the items that are not necessary and finding the perfect kitchen utensils that have withstood the test of time, there are tools that must continue their lives as part our new life. I have broken more garlic presses than I care to admit and now I actually have two that are sturdy and that do the job perfectly. We are taking one with us on our next vacation to pass along to our new-found friends Alan and Tracy who had to leave theirs behind when they moved from Reno a few years ago. I have a vegetable peeler that I found over 40 years ago in a little store in San Francisco, Williams-Sonoma. It is still sharp and is pleasing to use after all this time and after taking a look at it found that it was made in France so it’s going home, too. Continue reading “Take it or leave it – Bill’s version”
Which would you rather do: A. Get up at 3:30 AM on a Saturday so that you could drive someone to the airport, or; B. Drive into downtown Atlanta during evening rush hour on the Friday of a long holiday weekend? Give me choice A. anytime. Our neighbor needed to get up to New York City and we were happy to take her to the … Continue reading Would you rather….
Let's Live In France 