Spring Ripening

There are something like 5 million different kinds of pollutants in Paris. This number has yet to be confirmed (so maybe I made it up?). But I believe it.

Not only could I make a long list of these stinky city smells (dust, ciggie smoke, cars, buses, mopeds...just to name a few), but I could include a detailed memory of each coughing encounter.

And this is why I love Spring in Paris.

It has a remarkable way of ripening a memory in the middle of the dust and dirt - of her with that blue polka-dot tank top and those starch white shorts, snipping the roses from the side of our house to set on our kitchen table.

All with the shocking waft of one flower, hung low and full on its branch. As you pass by on your way to catch the bus.

Easter Blessings

Yann and I spent the weekend in Toulouse over Easter. This was our third trip down South since my arrival in France last June.

I so enjoy our breaks in La Ville Rose (rose because of the clay-colored brick buildings and the glow of sunshine that seems to cast a rosen glow over the city).

It is a time for family, food and fresh air. Oh and for Rufus, the family dog.

Make Your Own Happy Day

My dear friend Brooke recently told me the story of a little boy who sat in the corner of the playground during recess, crying for no particular reason. After a few minutes of these antics, a pig-tailed, four-eyed classmate bopped over to him to see what the matter was.

Through snot and hot tears he shouted "I don't know! I'm just having a bad day!"

To which she responded, with the matter-of-factness of a well-trained school teacher: "You make your own happy day!"

Sometimes, a bad day comes along. And when that bad day comes, there should be a Jump Planet for each of us to create our own Happy Day.

I think my niece Paige would agree:

Swedish Fever

Yann and I had the great pleasure of going to Sweden this past week to see my friends Cecilia and Brad. Cecilia and Brad are expecting their first child in just over one month so it was high time to make a visit before their 2 lives became 3.

For 5 days, we roamed around Stockholm in some pretty frigid temps. Paris has openly welcomed Spring with its warm sunshine, flowers blossoming and terrace cafes maxed to capacity...while Stockholm was still in the final grips of winter. That is to say: this girl was NOT prepared for the cold.

The solution to cold weather in Stockholm?
- Stop for coffee and one of the many lovely cafes offering 'take away' lattes and cinnamony, buttery pastries
- Spend all day basking in the warmth of a Swedish bathhouse - complete with humid and dry saunas, aromatherapy rooms, turkish baths and jacuzzi
- Hide out in fabulous museums. Top choices: The Photography Museum, Modern Art Museum and the VasaMuseum
- Eat AMAZING food at one of the local, covered markets. Fresh fish + delicious sauces + boiled potatoes + cream = SO SO good
- Wear warmer clothes

As Brad summed up for me : "There is no such thing as cold weather, just poor clothing". To this I say "Shutup Brad".