Life, Laughter and Paris

Give Me The Simple Life

2012-02-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

I’ve decided that this dog-eat-dog life isn’t for me. (What a disgusting idiom – who came up with that one)?

Life should be simple. Life should be fun. Less complicated and stress-free.

So, I’m thinking…..how about living on a boat. Roughing it. Just off the top of my head - the Seine would be nice. That would be pretty simple wouldn’t it? I've watched these boats and the people living on them just seem to sit there enjoying life day in and day out. I could do that. Maybe once in a while I’d actually get off my rump and go to a museum or out to dinner. I think I’d like it.

So. First I’d have to get to Paris. (Note to self: work a bit longer). Then, of course, I’d have to get a boat. Let’s see….a few bedrooms (our friends will want to visit), a studio, two bathrooms, and a kitchen if there’s room….or is it called a galley? Doesn’t matter. We wouldn’t use it much whatever it’s called.

Then, I guess I’d need a place to park it. Right beside Notre Dame would be handy. Or under the Eiffel. There never seems to be wall to wall boats in that area so I guess that wouldn’t be a big deal.

What else? Oh….maybe we’d need to hire someone who actually has been on a boat and knows how they work. (Although I don’t plan on using it for travel – I get motion sickness).

STOP THE PRESSES!

Forget all that. I just got the news – Charles Aznavour is coming to Montreal in April so the boat thingy will have to wait. How can I concentrate on boats with this sort of news in my head! Eeeeeeee!

BTW – I don’t want to take all the credit here, but I did leave a message on Aznavour’s Facebook page asking him to come back to Montreal. I’m just saying.

M. Aznavour SVP (My meetings with Aznavour)

Aznavour in Montreal April, 2012

Victor Hugo Is Starting To Annoy Me

2012-01-19T19:49:00.004-05:00

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, or Notre-Dame de Paris (1831) if you prefer the original French title, is storytelling at its best. I’m sure Victor Hugo would be pleased to know that 181 years after first printing, he continues to make people like me miserable thinking about the tragic Quasimodo and the love of his life, Esmeralda.

I’m a huge Victor Hugo fan but I don’t think I can take much more of him. Notre-Dame de Paris was bad enough, but add to it Les Misérables (1862) and I’m totally, well, misérable. In this book it’s poor Jean Valjean who does the suffering for stealing bread during hard times, and is haunted and hunted for his remaining years.

Victor Hugo thinking. And thinking. And thinking.

A glutton for punishment I’ve read both books more than once and although I keep copies, I doubt I’ll ever read them in their entirety again. Maybe a chapter here and there, but I just can’t go through all that heartbreak one more time.

I might get brave and try out some of Hugo’s other books. Surely he wrote something that doesn’t make me feel like I’ve just been hit by a car. One of the titles The Man Who Laughs has promise…..but I have the feeling it’s a trick and I’ll end up swearing off Hugo one more time. I already know how The Last Day of A Condemned Man will end without so much as opening the cover.

VH could draw better than most of us too

In the Marais quarter of Paris, you can visit the Maison Victor Hugo at No. 6 Place des Vosges, one of the oldest squares in Paris. Hugo lived here from 1832 to 1848 and his apartment has been turned into a charming museum which holds his personal ephemera, furniture, drawings and manuscripts. It was here that he wrote “Les Misérables”.

Daumier portrayed Hugo with a swelled head.
Well why be modest? I'm surprised it didn't explode

Unlike his books, the museum is not at all depressing unless you count Hugo’s magnificent talent which, quite frankly, seems to be a bit much for one person. Seeing all that this man accomplished, most people leave the museum feeling they should paint, write or at the very least get elected to some National Assembly before time runs out.

Yet Another Marvel of Paris

2012-01-17T19:34:00.000-05:00

During this snowy day in Montreal, I’m thinking of a rainy evening spent in Montmartre. It was quiet. The streets around Place du Tertre were for the most part, deserted. We stopped into a small café having no plans, no timetable, and all was right in our little world.

A rainy night in Montmartre

This is one of the marvels of Paris. You’ll find at night, the arrondissement which was crawling with tourists during the day, has turned back into a neighbourhood. The museums are closed. The artists of the square have long gone home. You can sit in a café or small bar and feel you’re a part of something special. And you are. You’ll easily imagine the time when Montmartre was home to the bohemian crowd. Great books were being written perhaps right at the table where you’re sitting now. Masterpieces were being painted and music composed all within a stone's throw.

Even better than remembering the artistic past, you'll be creating your own personal moment in history when you sat in a quiet café on a rainy evening in Montmartre, and the moment was yours.

I'm Over It!

2012-01-13T21:57:00.000-05:00

It’s been a week since my iPod was ripped off. Swiped right out of my hands while I was using it…..so I’m developing a safety plan for public transport.


Do you think taking photos of everyone is a bit much?

My new rule in the metro station is to study all the faces of people on the platform (memorize them) before deciding where to wait for the train. The only problem with this is I think I’m scaring people. Yesterday I chose to sit beside the biggest man carrying a laptop case who looked like he could catch a thief if need be. This seemed right but what do you know - he moved. What? Did he think I was a nut? The question doesn’t really need an answer because I KNOW he thought I was a nut. I couldn’t very well move to where he was standing or he really would have been afraid. So I stared down other people. Guess what? No one came near me.

This is all well and good but I can’t go on being the weird lady of the subway.

I’m sure this will all work out.

My other rule is carry a safety whistle. The thing is, I’m not a screamer. Anyone can steal anything from me and I’ll just say “hey – you just stole my….”. What good is that? So this is what I’ve selected:
FOX 40 CLASSIC SAFETY WHISTLE

The same recognizable whistle used by sports referees worldwide, the Fox 40 is the loudest rescue whistle available. Specified by the DOD, and found in U.S. military survival kits. The signal easily attains 115 decibels, produced by 3 tuned air chambers that produce slightly different frequencies. This causes a complex sound phenomenon called a "beat" or "trill" giving the human listener more auditory cue to perceive and locate the source of the whistle in a rescue situation. The pealess air chambers clear instantly of water or saliva when blown, so it can be used even when submerged.

(I’m not sure what “pealess” means but apparently it’s not a typo).

Anyway, this whistle looks amazing. I can even spit in it and it'll still work! Can you imagine anyone stealing from a person who is going to hit 115 decibels in no time! I think not! I’ll wear it around my neck, visible, so they know who they’re dealing with.

The only problem with this is, I'll still be the weird lady on the metro.

Poetry Corner

2012-01-11T20:43:00.000-05:00

“Above all, it is a matter of loving art, not understanding it”.
Fernand Léger

When not raving about Paris, I’m raving about the Côte d’Azur. The French Riviera is a beautiful area full of art, history, markets, parks the Mediterranean and warm sun. I can't think of a better place to relax and soak up some culture at the same time.

Several years ago, while exploring the area around Nice, we came upon Biot, a charming town known for its artisans especially in glass-blowing and pottery. It’s a community that celebrates the arts and it’s here that you’ll find the Fernand Léger Museum.

The Painter
Fernand Léger (1881-1955) is, in my opinion, in a class by himself. His early work was an offshoot of cubism, and he ended up doing almost sculptural paintings - abstract yet not.

I wasn’t all that familiar with the work of Léger when we first visited Biot, but I saw a piece which influenced the way I look at art. Léger coupled his painting with the poem “Liberté” by Paul Eluard and I immediately fell in love with the piece. It's not that we don't see words and images combined every day, but this was special. This was never meant to be advertising. This was art meeting art to form art.

The Poet
Paul Eluard (1895-1952) was one of the founders of the Surrealist movement which I'm not too keen on but there is nothing surreal about this poem, except for the length. (A little literary gossip - Eluard was married to Gala who divorced him to became Salvador Dali's wife).

The Poem
The long poem Liberté, j'écris ton nom was originally titled simply Liberté. It was the first poem in the collection Poésie et vérité (1942). Éluard wrote it in the summer of 1941 and called it a poem for a special occasion ('poème de circonstance') because it gave expression to the contemporary feeling of hope in the battle for freedom. The poem became exceptionally popular. The word 'Liberté' and the recurring line of verse 'j'écris ton nom' generated so much excitement and enthusiasm that the R.A.F. – the British Royal Air Force – distributed thousands of copies across all of France.

From the National Library of the Netherlands

Below is the English translation of the poem for anyone interested. The original French poem (which is of course preferred) can be found at alalettre.com

Liberté, j’ecris ton nom

On my notebooks from school
On my desk and the trees
On the sand on the snow
I write your name

On every page read
On all the white sheets
Stone blood paper or ash
I write your name

On the golden images
On the soldier’s weapons
On the crowns of kings
I write your name

On the jungle the desert
The nests and the bushes
On the echo of my childhood
I write your name

On the wonder of nights
On the white bread of days
On the seasons engaged
I write your name

On all my blue rags
On the pond mildewed sun
On the lake living moon
I write your name

On the fields the horizon
The wings of the birds
On the windmill of shadows
I write your name

On the foam of the clouds
On the sweat of the storm
On dark insipid rain
I write your name

On the glittering forms
On the bells of colour
On physical truth
I write your name

On the wakened paths
On the opened ways
On the scattered places
I write your name

On the lamp that gives light
On the lamp that is drowned
On my house reunited
I write your name

On the bisected fruit
Of my mirror and room
On my bed’s empty shell
I write your name

On my dog greedy and tender
On his listening ears
On his awkward paws
I write your name

On the sill of my door
On familiar objects
On the fire’s sacred stream
I write your name

On all flesh that’s in tune
On the brows of my friends
On each hand that extends
I write your name

On the glass of surprises
On lips that attend
Well above the silence
I write your name

On my ravaged refuges
On my fallen lighthouses
On the walls of my boredom
I write your name

On passionless absence
On naked solitude
On the marches of death
I write your name

On health that’s regained
On danger that’s past
On hope without memories
I write your name

By the power of the word
I regain my life
I was born to know you
And to name you

FREEDOM

Paul Eluard, 1941

Staples in Life

2012-01-10T20:44:00.000-05:00

There are two staples in life as far as I’m concerned -

Peanut Butter and Camembert.

No wait…I meant three…...wine....oh yes....and bread.


Kraft is my preferred brand.

As it turns out, they’ll soon all be approximately the same price. I read that the cost of peanut butter is going to rise 35-40% due to poor peanut crops last year. This may sound strange, but I never even thought of peanuts as growing. Peanut bushes? Peanut trees? All I know is that if it hadn’t been for peanuts I would have died of starvation a long time ago. I also like peanut brittle, peanut butter cups, peanut butter cookies, peanut sauce (on Chinese dumplings) and peanuts themselves. So….will I pay more for peanut butter? Yes. If that’s what it costs, that’s what it costs. Even with a hefty hike, it’s still cheaper than most things in life (and apparently full of protein although I’ve never seen any in the jars I bought).

When in Paris, Camembert is my equivalent to peanut butter. (Mon Dieu)! It's about $10.00 here for a small chunk of that delicious cheese, but in France it's a staple. Camembert and a baguette. Oh yes, and wine. Wine and cheese are pretty inexpensive in France so don't roll your eyes and tell me I'm being extravagant!

Bread varies in price. With enough peanut butter, Camembert and wine, you won’t taste the bread anyway so here's where you can save a few cents!

By the way, you can make your own peanut butter. Please note I say "you", not "me" :)

I Was Robbed!! Happy New Year

2012-01-08T20:22:00.001-05:00

Isn't there a theory that if you write about something, you can forget about it? Maybe I just made it up......

Scenario

Metro Station, downtown Montreal, rush hour, business district. A woman (let's say it's me) is sitting waiting for the Metro to arrive. She is playing a game on her iPod Touch (let's say Bookworm), when two thugs (do people use that word anymore?) grab the iPod from her hand and run up the escalators before she (me) can react to what's happened. I just watched them, stunned.

Then I got ticked. Little $@@#%s. I wasn't happy!

I reported this to the woman in the Metro booth (not that she could do anything, I just wanted to spread the cheer), and she told me to report this to the police (not that they can do anything, but I guess it's good for statistics).

Now my adrenalin was kicking in and I was furious. What kind of people (and I use this word against my better judgement) do this? What kind of lowlife steal something right out of someone's hands and think this is OK behavior ? Do their mothers know what they do for a living? Do these scummy thieves have friends?

Pro: I bought a new iPod
Con: It's the same as the old one.

Pro: There was no violence
Con: If I had a weapon on me there would have been plenty of violence.

Pro: I had the "locate/wipe" feature installed so I could remotely erase all the information on the pod.
Con: I don't trust the "locate/wipe" feature installed so I have to change all my passwords. I'm not paranoid, but I tested the "locate" part of this feature on my new pod and it didn't work consistently. Well so.

Pro: I can't think of any more.
Con: Its 48 hours later and I'm still really pissed about this. I'm out over $250 to replace the iPod, hours and hours to put all the info into the new one, and I was robbed. This is a crappy way to start the New Year and I hope the two guys that STOLE my iPod develop....well something bad.

On the other hand, it was only an iPod. Big whoop. These guys must really need the money to......no, I just can't do it. They're still little @$#%s in my book.


Artist rendition of suspect. Not actual photo. If you do see this person, you're probably in our living room because it's Joe posing. Do not report to police!

So, if you see these guys, let me know. I can describe one of them. His head was covered. He was running. Very fast. And he had my iPod in his thieving hands.

Writer's Blot

2012-01-04T21:38:00.000-05:00

Zola had a pretty snappy desk.
No wires to hide either.

Do you ever miss writing with a pen or pencil? I know the computer is faster (if you can type that is), but the physical feeling of a pen dragging ink across a clean sheet of paper gives me the feeling I'm actually thinking. As I type this and see the words fly up in front of me, there’s no visual interest in the letters. They're clinical and correct. No swirly tails, no ink blots. If I want, I can have as many copies of this post as I like with the push of a button. Not exactly an illuminated manuscript. Not a joy to look at.

I’m convinced that our brains react differently to a keyboard. The sentence is typed, and we move on. Ctrl X will remove my last thought. Ctrl Y will repeat it. Practical, not artistic. No crossing out of ~~mistakes~~ (although I notice a lot of people are doing this for fun – I wonder if they realize how much they miss their pens).

What I really like is a document with character. Words that are visually interesting because of the handwriting, doodles in the margins, and the odd splash of wine on the paper so we know this is a serious writer (!) The paper tells its own story.

Victor Hugo apparently didn't
drink while writing.

Years from now no one will find our journals and discover pressed flowers, love letters or…..(oh no…..don’t tell me love letters are being typed! Or worse…..sent by email)! Now I feel like a dinosaur. No……correction……a romantic. It's just plain wrong to write certain correspondence with a computer.

I'm getting out my pen. Maybe a glass of wine too. Yes. A good way to start the year.

Here Comes 2012!

2011-12-27T22:23:00.002-05:00

As 2011 comes to a close, I'm making plans plans plans for the New Year. 2012 is a much rounder, friendlier number so I'm optimistic that this will be a better year (I'm also a bit superstitious so I hope I'm not cursing myself by putting this in writing).

First off, Paris. My sweet Paris is always with me even when I'm not there so it will be foremost in my mind.

I often get a very clear mental picture of a particular thing in Paris. I don't mean big monuments like the Eiffel or the Arc, I mean small details like the curve of a chair leg or the bumpy texture of a plaster wall. I can visualize the cobblestones under my shoes, the shine of the copper on the bar in the neighborhood cafe, and the cold wrought iron gate leading into the park. I can see posters with curled up edges on the wall of the pâtisserie, see the eyes of a dog sitting in a cafe, quiet...enjoying the sun.

I have no photos for these moments. They're etched in my memory, hopefully for a very long time. I can draw on them when I need a quick Paris fix. Sometimes they just creep up on me when I'm not expecting them. Luckily we can keep memories with us, tucked inside our heads. No batteries required.

So, there's no chance I will forget my favourite city while waiting for the next trip.

With this in mind, it's time to get back to my art work. A medical glitch more or less knocked the inspiration out of me for the last couple of years but its time to get creative again and aim for an exhibition in the fall. Joe and I often exhibit together and although we work in different media, our pieces go well together.

Then, there's the French lessons which will start up again mid-January. Hopefully I'll have retained some of the grammar and vocabulary I learned before taking a few months off. I love the language and if anyone deserves to speak French, it's me. I've been trying off and on most of my adult life so surely the language chunk of my brain will eventually give in and let me be fluent!

Last but not least, I'll carry on with Life, Laughter and Paris. I truly enjoy writing the posts and the whole process has made me more aware of what's happening worldwide. Us bloggers read more posts than we write and that can only be good.

So, Paris, art, language, writing and reading. Yup. That about sums up what I'll be concentrating on in the New Year. I think it's a good plan. Oh yes, I'll be laughing a lot too.

Wishing you the very very best year.

Good health, happiness, and dreams come true!

Thanks so much for visiting my page. It's your friendship that makes blogging a pleasure!

Until 2012!

Susan

Season's Greetings

2011-12-23T23:03:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and we

finally had a little snowfall just in time

to give us a white Christmas.

Bing would be proud!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.

Have a safe and happy holiday season.

xoxo

Let's Talk Turkey

2011-12-19T20:51:00.000-05:00

Does anyone remember this?

This morning I was wondering where the expression "Let's talk turkey" came from. Guess I have turkey on the brain! I’ve never heard anyone talk Turkey. I’ve heard Pig Latin, but no bird lingo.

Here's what I found at the Online Etymology Dictionary:

To talk turkey is from 1824, supposedly from an elaborate joke about a swindled Indian.

So? What’s the joke? I have time. Or is it politically incorrect? Why tell us it's a joke if we aren't going to get the punch line?

There are a lot of references to turkey all over the web -

Cold Turkey,Turkey Trot, What a turkey, Jive turkey

Jane Austen was thinking of turkey too:

A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of. It certainly may secure all the myrtle and turkey part of it.

Jane Austen 1775-1817 ‘Mansfield Park’ (1814) ch. 22

I have no idea what this means.

And what about the country?

From Wikipedia (don't feel obliged to read this)

The English for Turkey is derived via Old French Turquie from the Medieval Latin Turchia, Turquia, Greek Τουρκια. It is first used in Middle English (as turkye, torke, later Turkie, Turky), attested in Chaucer, ca. 1369. blah blah blah. The Greek and Latin terms were mostly synonymous with Tartary, including Khazaria and the other khaganates of the Central Asian steppe, until the appearance of the Seljuks and the rise of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century, reflecting the progress of the Turkic expansion. By contrast, the Persian derivation Turkestan remains mostly applied to Central Asia. blah blah blah Modern Persian itself with ترکیه chooses a derivation with the Arabic nisba suffix. The name for Turkey in the Turkish language, Türkiye also contains the nisba, as -iye. Icelandic with Tyrkland and Hungarian with Törökország "Turk-land" use native forms of derivation…………..blah blah blah

I was hoping for more of an easier “because we had a lot of turkeys” explanation. (I'm sure this is all very interesting but it's Christmas! No time for being smart).

Turkey is the traditional Christmas dinner in Canada, the UK, the US and many other countries. I’m glad I don’t live in the Czech Republic because the tradition is fried carp, Norway (pork belly), and Portugal (dried-salted codfish). I’d have to bring my own jar of peanut butter.

I could, however, celebrate Christmas in France. In France (and Québec) réveillon is celebrated Christmas Eve. One traditional dish is turkey with chestnuts. Réveillon in Quebec will normally include tourtière (delicious)!

ANYHOO…….This is all getting too much. I just wanted to say a nice little something about how much I look forward to turkey dinner and it’s turned into this.

If you’re having turkey this Christmas, enjoy! If you’re not having turkey, enjoy whatever you eat!

Shakespeare & Company, Paris

2011-12-14T09:50:00.000-05:00

December 14, 2011

Sad news for Paris and book lovers today.

Below is from Shakespeare & Co., Paris:

GEORGE WHITMAN

On Wednesday 14th December, 2011, George Whitman died peacefully at home in the apartment above his bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, in Paris. George suffered a stroke two months ago, but showed incredible strength and determination up to the end, continuing to read every day in the company of his daughter, Sylvia, his friends and his cat and dog. He died two days after his 98th... birthday.

After a life entirely dedicated to books, authors and readers, George will be sorely missed by all his loved ones and by bibliophiles around the world who have read, written and stayed in his bookshop for over 60 years. Nicknamed the Don Quixote of the Latin Quarter, George will be remembered for his free spirit, his eccentricity and his generosity — all three summarised in the Yeats verses written on the walls of his open, much-visited library : ‘‘Be not inhospitable to strangers / Lest they be angels in disguise.

With sincere sympathy to Sylvia Beach Whitman (daughter), I am repeating this post from July, 2010 about Shakespeare and Co. I'll still be visiting, and hopefully the shop will remain the treasure it is for a long long time to come.

Shakespeare and Co. Cat

One of our favourite book shops in Paris is Shakespeare and Company, on the Left Bank, a few minutes walk from Notre Dame. It is an oasis where you can recharge your batteries while browsing through great literature.

A tiny bit of history to whet your appetite for further exploration:

The original Shakespeare and Company was started by Sylvia Beach in 1919 on 8 rue Dupuytren in the 6th arrondissement. After two years, the location was not large enough so the shop relocated to 12 rue de l'Odeon where it remained until 1941, closing due to the German occupation. Among the "Lost Generation" who frequented the shop were Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, James Joyce and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was Sylvia Beach who published Ulysses for Joyce (with great difficulties).

George Whitman opened his bookshop at 37 Rue de la Bûcherie in 1951 under the name "Le Mistral". The name was changed to Shakespeare and Company after the death of Sylvia Beach.

A well worn step in the shop.

Shakespeare and Company is filled with history and romance. It is the meeting place for both new and established poets and authors. With poetry readings and literary gatherings, it has maintained, I'm sure, the spirit of the original shop.

Inside the store you will see the words "Be not inhospitable to strangers lest they be angels in disguise". This is taken quite literally as the book store often houses talented new writers in exchange for doing chores around the shop. (Some of the beds are among the bookshelves)! Written on one of the steps is "Live for Humanity" - all this giving us a glimpse of George Whitman's philosophy.

The history of Shakespeare and Company and the literary community surrounding it makes fascinating reading. Some I can recommend:

Shakespeare and Company by Sylvia Beach
Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation by Noel Riley Fitch
Time Was Soft There. A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare and Company by Jeremy Mercer.
Letters of Sylvia Beach Keri Walsh and Noel Riley Fitch

There is a wishing well in the middle of the store and I always wish for the same thing. So far I've been lucky and have returned many times to pick up a favorite book.

Shakespeare and Company
37 Rue de la Bûcherie
Paris
Shakespeare and Company.com

Going Nutz At Christmas?

2011-12-12T18:27:00.001-05:00

"There's a lot of bad "isms"

floating around this world,

but one of the worst

is commercialism".

Miracle On 34th Street

Christmas is almost here and we all know what that means.

Too much eating
Too many expenses
Too much pressure to do it all and not enough time

The good news is, despite the Scrooges out there, this time of year is still great. It's the pressure we all put on ourselves that makes us crazy.

You know how to have a good Christmas? Ignore the "how to" tips full of "easy" recipes that'll only take you a week to prepare. Ignore all the advertisements for 50" television sets that "make great gifts" and take note, your house doesn't have to outshine Rockefeller Center to be beautiful.

Invite your friends over for a glass of wine to celebrate the season, but let's not compete with happy hour at the Ritz.

Buy small gifts for those you love but don't feel obliged to spend your food money for the next two months.

See how easy this is?

Don't kid yourself. Christmas has been commercial for a long long time yet every generation seems to think this is new. Either we fight it, or go down trying.

My parents and grandparents didn't go into bankruptcy or the nut house at Christmas (as far as I know.....mind you....). They baked (those who didn't work), decorated beautifully with help from Woolworth's and their own imaginations, and Christmas was the best time of year! We all had lots of presents (including things we actually needed), friends dropped in never expecting a banquet spread, and voila. Christmas!

Yes, I know this sounds soooo old fashioned, but isn't that what we want this time of year?

BTW
On Christmas Day, a stuffed frozen turkey is the easiest. Tradition is great but I'm not against progress!

Below is a punch recipe. An example of why I'm not reading any more tips.

Ingredients:

1 bottle (64-ounce size) apple juice OK
1 can (46-ounce size) pineapple juice Gotcha
1 bottle (46-ounce size) cran-raspberry juice OK
1 cup water No problem
Spice Bag OK, you've lost me
1 cinnamon stick, broken ?
6 whole cloves ?
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg ?

Directions:
Place spices in coffee filter or cheese cloth ? Tie with a string. Pour into large kettle or percolator (I don't have either), make spice bag (now they're kidding) and add to kettle. Let simmer for ten minutes. Remove spice bag and serve warm.

Montreal, Marseillaise and Musée

2011-12-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

Last weekend my sister and I took the metro to the Salon des Métiers d'art du Québec, the annual Christmas show of fine arts and crafts. The day began well. While walking through the metro station, an "unusual" fellow was belting out a rousing rendition of the Marseillaise. We wanted to stand at attention and salute but we quickly realized he didn't actually know the words. he can be forgiven because this isn't required learning in Canada.

Allons enfants de la Patrie,

Le jour de gloire est arrivé

Da da da da da da da dum dum

Da da da da da da da dum

Aux armes, citoyens

Formez vos bataillons

Marchons, marchons

Dum dum dum dum…..

Now I have to learn the words myself because what kind of Francophile can't sing the French national anthem? Won't my French teacher be impressed when I resume my lessons in January with a tune? Either that or she'll just be afraid of me (which seems more likely).

For the record, here are the words to the first verse which I am going to tattoo on my arm:

Allons enfants de la Patrie

Le jour de gloire est arrivé !

Contre nous de la tyrannie

L'étendard sanglant est levé

Entendez-vous dans nos campagnes

Mugir ces féroces soldats?

Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras.

Égorger vos fils, vos compagnes!

Aux armes citoyens

Formez vos bataillons

Marchons, marchons

Qu'un sang impur

Abreuve nos sillons

I have to say, the Marseillaise is a good anthem. It certainly is moving and has a great history going back to the revolution.

The Salon

The rest of the day was fun. The Salon has beautiful pieces. Original works of art - glass, jewelry, sculpture, leather bags and so much more. My husband, Joe, is helping out at a booth 1109 for the Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec. He’ll be there until 5:00 pm today, December 7, and again on Wednesday December 14 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Say 'hello' and tell him you read this blog. He'll give you a FREE, well actually nothing because it's not his stuff on display now. But, the booth has beautiful handmade glass pieces that would make fabulous Christmas presents and you'd be supporting a gorgeous little museum.

Happy shopping!

Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec

The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm.

Closed on December 24, 25, 26, 31st 2011 and January 1st, 2nd 2012.
615, avenue Sainte-Croix
Ville St-Laurent
Montreal Qc H4L 3X6
Phone: (514) 747-7367
Metro Du Collège

Salon des Métiers d'art du Québec

December 2 – 22, 2011

Monday to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Sunday and December 22 from 11:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Train of Thought and Revolution

2011-11-30T22:49:00.000-05:00

Danton the Oil Painting

I had an appointment with the neurologist today which led me to thinking about heads. I guess one of the biggest problems is keeping yours when others about you are losing theirs.

This (naturally) led me to thinking about the French Revolution and how so many first-rate and not-so first-rate heads were parted from their bodies.

For instance, Georges Danton. He gets first prize for the most conceited -

- To His Executioner, during the French Revolution -

"Show my head to the people, it is worth seeing."

Can you believe it? And he was no oil painting (although I guess he was, seeing as they didn't have photography then). You have to admit, pretty odd words for someone about to face the guillotine. No "hope I wasn't out of line voting for the execution of Louis XVI" although that wouldn't have helped his situation. Not even a farewell to his pals or, oh, I don't know, a plea to reconsider? I wonder if they did show his head? I'm sure there's a letter about this in one of the archives.

The French have always kept amazing records. On Ancestry.com you can read "the database containing an index to more than 13,000 individuals who were condemned to be executed in connection with the French Revolution between 1792 and 1796. The majority of the executions were by guillotine. However, this index also contains the names of some individuals condemned to be executed by hanging, drowning, firing squad, or otherwise. While this index contains a significant amount of names, it does not represent every person who was executed during this time period".

Isn't that incredible?!! I took a look and of course it's just lists and lists of names, but I'm sure some families know of relatives who died at the time.

Well anyway, this head business is all very interesting. Hope I keep mine. I know it wanders in strange directions, but I'm rather attached to it.

It's A Wonderful Life

2011-11-29T23:03:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Tis the season to haul out our favourite Christmas movies and we just watched Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

In a nutshell, George Bailey (Stewart) is in trouble. Money trouble. Big money trouble. Well, $8,000. but in 1946, that was equivalent to.....well I don't know to tell you the truth. But it was a lot! Anyway, George is sent help in the form of an angel, Clarence, who gives George the chance to see what life would have been like if he hadn't been born. George lovingly touched so many lives, more than he realized, and the world would have been a dark and nasty place without him (at least in Bedford Falls).

I guess it's the Capra version of the Butterfly Effect. When you think of it, so many things would be different if events had taken a different turn.

What if,

Churchill had become a dentist
Fred never met Ginger
Bob never met Bing
Simon never met Garfunkle
Bill Gates went into plumbing
Hitler's parents had a girl

Well, there's no end to it.

Of course it all worked out for George Bailey. His friends came to his rescue and we realize that money is just money, but "no man is a failure who has friends".

(I still feel bad that he never got to see the world. Yes, I know the point is he had a "Wonderful Life" anyway, but still....Paris and all......)

If you haven't seen the film, hop to it. It's one Christmas film you'll watch over and over.

First Snowfall of the Season

2011-11-23T19:49:00.000-05:00

This morning Montréal woke up to snow! The first sign of winter this season. A few inches that came down in great big fluffy white flakes.

This would be a better photo if I knew how to turn
the flash off on my camera.

We had put our Christmas lights up on the deck before the cold weather arrived and I swore I wouldn't turn them on until December but.....who could resist a quick preview?

Note to self - that little tree in the back needs light too!

The great thing about today's snowfall is we don't even have to shovel it. The temperature is supposed to soar by the weekend, the snow will melt, and we'll be back to autumn. It's always good to ease into winter because every year, Canadians are always surprised when it arrives. There's a mad rush to buy winter boots, and get the snow tires on the car. Are we in denial? Do we think global warming will finally arrive in the city?

Well here's the scoop. It's coming! Get ready! Maybe not this week, but soon. And for those of you who expect the weather to change - it won't. Winter is coming again next year and the year after. (Oh, I hope so. Touch wood and all that).

Annual November Cold

2011-11-22T20:24:00.026-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Sneezing, coughing, runny red nose that hurts from blowing - the works. I feel awful and the worst of it is, it's only a cold! How can something that makes us feel sooooo sick be so trivial? It's even referred to as the "common"cold like it doesn't even deserve a good name.

Colds are contagious so naturally, if you have one, you should stay home and not risk spreading it to others (even if you know damn well who gave it to you and all you want is the satisfaction of giving it right back to this person who is now just fine and not feeling at all guilty about making you sick). But sometimes a cold sneaks up on you during the day and there's nothing that can be done except try to keep a distance.

Muffling the sound of a sneeze is not always easy. It's not a yawn after all. It's repetitive and it's LOUD!

Me: "Achoooo"!
Not me: "Bless you"
Me: "Thank you"

Me: "Achoooo"!
Not me: "Bless you"
Me: "Thank you"

Me: "Achoooo"!
Not me: "Bless you"
Me: "Thank you"

Me: "Achoooo"
Not me:
Me: "Thank........Oh"

It's like that knock-knock joke that kids love. You know....
Banana who?
Banana who?
Banana who?
Orange ya glad I didn't say banana?!

Well, people get fed up with the routine. After a few sneezing fits, no one wants to play any more.

"You sound sick. Maybe you should go home".

What they're really thinking is "Shut uuuuuuuuup! Take a pill! Get a grip! It's just a cold"!

See? Trivial. Even my cat is avoiding me. If he thought I was really sick, he'd curl up beside me instead of giving me the comfort of the back of his head from a distance.

Fine. Maybe it's only a virus, and maybe it's so common that no one feels the slightest sympathy for those who are sick with colds, but....but.....well I forget..... because I'm full of every kind of cold medicine I could get my hands on......but I'm sure there was a point to this. Maybe. I'm going back to bed.

Beware the Free Make-Up Demo

2011-11-18T22:54:00.000-05:00

I was hoping for a touch of glamour

Warning.....warning....and I repeat...warning.

If you're at the age when you have a few, let us say "imperfections" showing up, I should warn you about going to your local department store for a free make-up demonstration.

Last weekend, my sister and I gave it a whirl. Why not? Clinique was offering either a skin analysis (nah), or a make-up session. We opted for make-up. We thought it would be fun! We thought we might look fabulous and have to go someplace special afterwards to celebrate our new faces.

NOT!

First of all, the sales people at the Clinique counter are 12 years old with perfect skin, dazzling white teeth (maybe a bit too dazzling with a few teeth too many), and they haven't got a clue how to handle skin that's been around...cough cough...for a while. Actually, I don't think most of them have studied any skin other than their own.

12 year old: "What would you like today?"

Me: "Something natural, but fabulous"

Baby Jane Hudson. (She scares me)!

12: "Well, we'll start with serum then day cream, then foundation, then corrector, then highlighter, then brow pencil, then eyeshadow, then mascara, then blush. Then we'll work on your lips".

Me: Okay.

Now, why did I say "okay"? I knew as soon as I heard her list that this wasn't going to go well. And to save you from plowing through the gory details, I made her stop half way through. All those products did was accentuate every line, and my eyelids were hurting from the second layer of liquid liner.

No matter how fabulous my Clinique friend thought she was doing, most women can't get away with dark grey eyeshadow and heaps of black liner. I was getting irritated sitting there and wanted to leave. Fortunately, my skin felt the same way and started to itch and go red.

12: "Would you like us to remove it?"

Me: "YES! That would be great"!!! (I didn't know this was even an option)!

Needless to say removal didn't work even with their industrial remover because this stuff stays on for 8 hours!

What about my sister you ask? She didn't fare any better. She was smart though because she had glasses with her which sort of hid her eyes. Unfortunately glasses couldn't hide the lipstick on her teeth.

Guess where we went from the cosmetic counter! Right! To the ladies room where we both got to work scrubbing our faces.

All in all, we had fun. Our skin hurt, and we didn't look as good as before we started all this, but we laughed a lot and were relieved we didn't look quite as bad as Baby Jane Hudson. Of course Bette Davis had real make-up artists. If she had used the free demo, I'm sure she would only have looked half as bad.

Santa and Logistics - Paris, Montreal, New York

2011-11-15T15:43:00.001-05:00

Paris

It may seem early to you, but Santa arrives Saturday, November 19 in Paris for the annual Christmas Market on the Champs Elysées. He'll be super busy because a zillion people attend and more than half are children (I'm just guessing of course - these statistics aren't accurate so don't quote me). Several arrondissements have Christmas Markets and I’m sure Santa has to make an appearance at each one which means sleigh lag or no sleigh lag, he has to get a move on. That's hard enough, but he has to turn right around and head to....

Montreal

Good thing Montreal is six hours behind Paris because he also has to be here November 19 (yes, the SAME day) for the Santa Claus Parade on St-Catherine Street. If he has to go through customs, he'll never make it. For one thing, the reindeer would have to go into quarantine for who knows how long.

New York

Then, he travels to New York for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 24. Montreal to New York by sleigh takes no time at all so it’s easy peasy for him. I’d LOVE to see this parade live. I don’t like the television coverage as they pop back and forth from the parade to various acts and places like Hawaii (it may be a beautiful place but not my idea of Christmas). All I want to see is New York and those humungous balloons.

I wonder why Macy’s doesn’t call it a Christmas parade? Santa is there, the bands are playing Christmas songs……and they don’t have another parade for Christmas. It may be held on Thanksgiving Day, but really, you don’t see many turkeys marching down 7th Avenue. I think the funniest problem they had with a balloon was in 1957, when Popeye the Sailor’s hat filled with rain water which caused the balloon to sag or whatever and poured water all over the crowd. Maybe it wasn’t funny at the time….

Montreal

This may seem over the top, but we have ANOTHER Santa Claus parade on November 25. This one is at night. Whooo! A smaller parade but almost better for the kids. Less noise, more lights. I like it! (St. Hubert Street).

So there you have it. I’m only considering my three favorite cities here but Christmas is coming like it or not. And if you don’t like it……what’s the matter with you?

Paris Blues

2011-11-12T23:18:00.000-05:00

I'm suffering the old Paris blues and I'm thinking maybe I follow too many blogs on France. I search them out, and then I'm miserable because I'm not there right now. I guess 'ignorance is bliss' as the saying goes, but still.....I keep reading, following and befriending. How come there are so many people from around the world who manage to go to Paris, and just stay there? How come every time we go we have return tickets? Answer me that!

For all you people blogging from Paris.....I hope you realize that your posts are a lot easier to write than for us regular people living regular lives in regular cities. All you have to do is poke your head out the window et voila....you have something interesting to report that we all want to read. When I poke my head out the window, it either gets covered in snow or hits the brick wall next door. So.....I don't want to read anything negative about your life in Paris. You'll get no sympathy from me!

Let's see......what can I tell you today? Well, Christmas decorations are going up at a great pace in Montreal. Everyone wants to get them up before a big freeze or storm. I know I know. Galeries Lafayette is looking glorious and you're waiting for the lighting of the Champs Elysées. (I'm not bitter I tell you - it just sounds that way).

Ah yes, I remember it well!

I'm sorry about this. It's just been a hard week and I've just now had time to catch up on on the French posts. I guess I shouldn't read them all at once. It's like getting your favourite huge cake, and scarfing it down all in one sitting. It's bound to come back and make you feel bad (in a good sort of way).

French Food Faux Pas

2011-11-03T13:28:00.001-04:00

If you go to a French restaurant and you're looking for something simple to eat, it can be difficult. Recently, at a dinner with colleagues, I had a hard time choosing from the menu.

Boar rib with spices. No.
Piglet belly cooked at low temperature. Definitely no.
Roasted duck breast. No. I don’t eat Donald or Daisy

You get the idea. I’m not a good one to judge because basically, I don’t like most meats, and I don’t have sophisticated tastes. I guess the restaurants know that there will always be “one of those” so they throw in a vegetarian dish -spinach gnocchi. This I could enjoy although when I ordered it, I detected a sniff of disapproval. I guess this is considered the "Cheese Whiz" category, only included to appease the boors who don't eat boar. So, a few suggestions if you're in this situation -

- Don’t order anything if you don’t understand what it is unless you're not hungry.
- Don’t expect service to be fast. It’s a French restaurant.

…..and this is the most important one

- When the Menu du Jour is being read, really really pay attention.

The server said “The special of the day is quail”. (Well for me, that’s disgusting….but as mentioned, I’m not the experimental type).

BUT….what I heard was

“The special of the day is squirrel”

I almost passed out.

Once the room stopped spinning and I had regained the color in my face, I calmly mentioned that we have a lot of squirrels around our house and they’re cute.

He's so CUTE

To the other guests of course this was a non sequitur. No one knew why I all of a sudden I had the urge to express my love of squirrels.

Overall, I'm hoping the next restaurant is Italian. You can't go wrong with ravioli.

A Literary Moment, Missing Donald Westlake

2011-11-02T21:56:00.000-04:00

Robert Redford did a great job

portraying Dortmunder in

"The Hot Rock", 1972.

Donald Westlake wrote, in my humble opinion, the funniest crime caper books in the history of caper books. Maybe the funniest books in the history of all books! My favourites are the “Dortmunder” series. Dortmunder is a small time crook doing the best he can to make a dishonest living. Reading the dialogue of Dortmunder and his gang, you're transported to New York City, eavesdropping on very very funny conversations.

Every year I anxiously awaited Donald Westlake’s new caper book. Every year, I’d buy it as soon as it hit the shelves, dig in immediately, and was never disappointed. Unfortunately Westlake passed away on December 31, 2008, and the world lost a true original.

Westlake wrote in different styles under various names – Richard Stark, Tucker Coe, Samuel Holt, Edwin West…... He wrote screenplays, his books were made into films, and he won all kinds of awards. But, this isn’t a bio on Westlake. There are plenty all over the web. This is just a, well, I dunno. I just miss him, that’s all.

If you’ve never read Donald Westlake and you decide to dive in, you’re in for a treat. I'll soon be starting to read them all over again. Or maybe, one a year, just as if I was reading them for the first time.

Why Me?

2011-10-28T21:54:00.000-04:00

Tonight, on my way home from the office, a woman in a nice shiny red car stopped in the middle of the street and yelled out her window to me -

"Do you speak English?"

"Sure" I replied in my best can I help you voice.

She motioned to me to come closer so she wouldn't have to yell over the traffic.

Like an idiot, I walked over to her so I could be of assistance.

Next, this woman in the shiny red car, with her coiffed hair and perfect make-up says to me -

"I know this sounds funny seeing as I'm in a car and all, but could you spare any change?"

Not "could you change a bill for me" or could you help me find money for a meter or whatever, but could you just GIVE me money.

Here I was WALKING to the METRO, my make-up all smudged from running around work all day, tired, and this woman driving around downtown Montreal asks me to just GIVE her cash!

Don't get me wrong. I'd never pass someone on the street who's in need if I can help out. But really, I think the least she could have done was get her butt off the seat, get out of the car, and not wave me in so she could sit comfortably while I had the privilege of handing over whatever money I had.

At least in Paris they use a good scam. Or they steal your wallet. But they don't sit in their Mercedes and expect you to make your way over to them in traffic to hand over your Euros.

Some nerve. And did I give her money? NO! Bet you thought I did. Well I didn't. As it happens, I didn't have any on me. But I wouldn't have given her anything anyway.

You can tell me. Is it me?

My First Raclette - Mais Oui!

2011-10-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

Obviously I was more interested in the wine
than the grill. It's the artist in me.

If you're looking for recipes, you've hit this blog by mistake. If you can't cook but want to look like you give a damn, read on......

Today I was out shopping, took a wrong turn, and ended up in kitchenwares. Normally I just zone out when this sort of thing happens but today, something caught my eye. A raclette grill. Now I may not know anything about cooking, but I do know blogs from France and I remembered seeing several posts on raclette dinners. Melting raclette cheese and scraping it onto small potatoes seemed to be the gist of these meals.

From studying the picture on the raclette grill box, it looked pretty good. Not only were there cheese and potatoes, but other stuff too and all the guests were cooking and laughing and having such a fun time. Even more fun than in a shampoo commercial. Perfect. If I can get people to cook their own food, make them think it's part of the entertainment, and take the credit for dinner at the same time, this is the gizmo for me! I hesitated between buying the raclette grill and the fondue pot sitting next to it but I haven't read any blogs about fabulous fondues lately so the decision was easy.

Next, I had to buy something to cook on this thing. Frozen food being 'out' I headed for the grocery store and picked up some shrimp, beef, small potatoes, a few other veggies, and the all essential raclette cheese. I didn't go too crazy on this in case the whole thing was a big flop and we'd have to order pizza.

For our initiation into the world of raclette, my husband and sister were the 'volunteers'. Well, to be honest, they didn't know about it but I guess this was a good surprise - different from eating my usual ~~slop~~ fare.

It worked! The raclette was a success! We cooked our cheese in the little pan things, and grilled the shrimp and beef on the top thing. I had cooked the small potatoes beforehand and the melted cheese poured over the potatoes was delicious. Actually, I could have just eaten the cheese.

The grill I bought has 8 little trays so you can have 8 people for dinner. Unless of course each guest wants two trays to save time in which case you can only have a dinner for four. If each guest wants three trays, it's a dinner for two with a couple left over or you can have a third person who isn't very hungry. All kinds of possibilities!

I'm really getting into this cooking thing!

A bientôt!