tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25163373170284514342024-03-18T22:34:13.787-05:00Cobweb Corner Cross StitchCobweb Corner owner Carla Ekman shares updates on her various websites, FlossTube videos, personal insights, favorite products and more!Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-33462994258909013042019-05-17T17:51:00.000-05:002019-05-22T11:41:32.331-05:00FlossTube #11 RecapFlossTube video #11 was released May 17, 2019. If you missed it you can find it here:<br />
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Mother's Day Lasagna Recipe</h2>
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Here is the recipe I made for Mother's Day. This is my mom's recipe and it is super easy. You can make it the day or night before. Don't cook it. Just cover it and put it in the refrigerator.<br />
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Cook Noodles</h3>
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Cook 9 lasagna noodles per package directions</div>
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Brown the following:</h3>
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1 lb ground beef (I actually used 3/4 lb Italian Sausage (not breakfast) and 3/4 lb ground beef - it was more meat but it worked great and adds a little bit of spice)</div>
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1 Tbls minced onion</div>
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Simmer</h3>
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Add the following to the meat and simmer</div>
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2 lb jar of spaghetti sauce. (you can't get 2 lb jars anymore so I buy one large jar and one small jar)</div>
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1 tsp garlic salt (I used a couple of cloves of real garlic, minced, but I needed to add some garlic salt too as it tasted a little flat while the sauce was simmering</div>
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1 tsp Italian seasoning</div>
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Mix together</h3>
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In a separate bowl mix together 1 small carton of cottage cheese, 1 egg and dash pepper</div>
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Layer</h3>
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In a 9x13 pan (I use a glass baking dish, especially if I'm making the day before), place a layer of noodles, layer of beef, layer of cottage cheese, layer of mozzarella cheese slices (shredded fresh mozzarella is MUCH better). Repeat layers ending with mozzarella. Sprinkle with Parmesan (I grate fresh).</div>
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Bake</h3>
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Preheat oven to 350 and bake for at least 45 minutes. Should be nice and brown. If it browns too fast place some aluminum foil over top for a while. Let stand 15 minutes before serving</div>
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Amazon</h2>
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If you're interested in the products discussed such as the Bees Wax Wraps, the Microphone I used in the video and the Easy Grid thread - you can find them in my Amazon </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/cobwebcornercrossstitch" target="_blank">Click here for our Amazon Shop</a></span><br />
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Project Bags</h2>
The project bags I featured were</div>
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Vintage Valentine by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadebyMamaJoan?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=658607442" target="_blank">MadeByMamaJoan</a></div>
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<img alt="image 0" height="480" src="https://i.etsystatic.com/11539896/r/il/a4552a/1735279190/il_794xN.1735279190_3yl2.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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Tula Pink Foxes by <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/QuiltingGrimalkin?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=689965174" target="_blank">QuiltingGrimalkin</a></div>
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<img alt="image 0" height="400" src="https://i.etsystatic.com/7980646/r/il/024e65/1914585779/il_794xN.1914585779_786u.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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Featured Charts</h2>
Some of the designs featured from our website include these adorable Crazy Patch Owls by Cross Stitch Wonders. There is a series of 12 to choose from.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Cross-Stitch-Wonders_bymfg_89-3-1.html" target="_blank">Click here to see all of our Cross Stitch Wonders Designs</a> (including these)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4l3oLsLmpkVgd9oTkwcFjiWgM1L0-juc5jbpWf-NNW_GGsgLCrdE_t6hJwafxU3ZyrXrcbl721b8_Wjfntqbo_K-FykVav2PYCu5VjExZskPkFXYFGPVQcz6OB-K8VmaYaVk0WxDRZ6k/s1600/Ripl_Image-73361a0d-3676-4da3-95b4-93c8f5776ae0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4l3oLsLmpkVgd9oTkwcFjiWgM1L0-juc5jbpWf-NNW_GGsgLCrdE_t6hJwafxU3ZyrXrcbl721b8_Wjfntqbo_K-FykVav2PYCu5VjExZskPkFXYFGPVQcz6OB-K8VmaYaVk0WxDRZ6k/s400/Ripl_Image-73361a0d-3676-4da3-95b4-93c8f5776ae0.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Cuore-e-Batticuore_bymfg_2320-3-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Click here to see all of our Cuore e Batticuore designs</span></a></div>
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Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-8890041117037292302019-05-10T10:53:00.001-05:002019-05-22T11:41:54.664-05:00FlossTube #10 RecapHello Everyone!<br />
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Thanks for your interest in Cobweb Corner Cross Stitch and our Floss Tube Channel. We welcome questions, comments, and sharing with your friends! Happy Stitching!!<br />
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Episode #10 was posted on May 9, 2019. If you missed it you can find it here. Make sure to subscribe and then click the bell icon so you're notified whenever we post new videos.<br />
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Watch the video to learn how to win this adorable Ladybug set - includes chocolates from Germany, a skein of WDW Ladybug floss and the Ladybug Scissor Weight pattern by Ewe & I & Friends<br />
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Illegal Charts</h3>
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In this video I give some recent examples of illegal charts by a company called Joy Sunday. While some of their charts are fine - many are unauthorized copies of some of our favorite designers such as Gledon Place, Mirabilia and Lavender and Lace.</div>
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By and far companies in China and Russia are the worst offenders, but this happens all over the world including the U.S. With the advent of PDF charts the problem has increased exponentially. </div>
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As a stitcher you play a huge part in preventing this. Do not buy charts if you aren't sure they are originals. While it is easy to be concerned with sites like AliExpress - you can find illegal charts on Amazon, Etsy, Ebay and other well-known markets. </div>
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If you see a chart you aren't sure about but want to stitch - ask before you buy. Post a photo on FB or Instagram and ask if anyone knows anything about it. Check to see where your chart will ship from - if it is outside of the U.S. then you may need to do a little more research.</div>
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The problem is so bad that more than one designer has told me they quit designing because of it. Others have told me they spend hours and hours trying to track down pirate sites and get them to pull their charts - often to no avail. </div>
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Don't knowingly spend your precious stitching dollars on illegal charts and when possible report the listings.</div>
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Call outs from this video include</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjHFqChRkw7w69OHuEGQNLQ" target="_blank">Snarky Stitch and Quilt</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoyMGH0WzPX2rASLpPjHD7w" target="_blank">JustKeepStitchin' </a><br />
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<b>Amazon Products Include:</b></h3>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/cobwebcornercrossstitch" target="_blank">Click here to visit our Amazon Store</a></b></div>
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11 x 11 Q-Snaps<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00013MV30/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00013MV30&linkCode=as2&tag=carlaekman-20&linkId=04ee209a21c8cf5e2de7ded7f13aa56c" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B00013MV30&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=carlaekman-20" /></a><br />
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Reusable Produce Bags<br />
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=carlaekman-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00013MV30" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FT4ZCKZ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07FT4ZCKZ&linkCode=as2&tag=carlaekman-20&linkId=268833552a95f9a0fc41b307abea956a" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B07FT4ZCKZ&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=carlaekman-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=carlaekman-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B07FT4ZCKZ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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From our Shop</h3>
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<a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Needle-Nannies_c_240.html" target="_blank">Needle Nannies</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Cuore-e-Batticuore_bymfg_2320-3-1.html" target="_blank">Designs by Cuore e Batticoure</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Fanci-That_bymfg_11-3-1.html" target="_blank">Designs by Fanci That</a><br />
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<br />Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-81041263744902182702019-05-09T09:44:00.000-05:002019-05-09T09:46:34.549-05:00FlossTube #9 Recap<h3>
Hello everyone! I want to give you a single place to view the items I discussed in FlossTube #9 for Cobweb Corner Cross Stitch.</h3>
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If you missed our video you can watch it here:</div>
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Cobweb Corner Cross Stitch specializes in new AND used counted cross stitch patterns. <a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/" target="_blank">Click to browse our shop.</a></div>
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Our featured designer was <b>All Through The Night</b>. <a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/All-Through-the-Night_bymfg_1279-3-1.html" target="_blank">Click here to view all of our in stock charts.</a> If something is out of stock then add yourself to the wait list and you'll be notified when it's back in stock. Or contact us via our website.<br />
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<b>Mini Puppy Needle Minder by Puffin & Co</b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Puppy-Mini-Needle-Nanny-Handcrafted-Metal-Needle-Minder-by-Puffin-Company_p_20003.html" target="_blank">Click here to see Puppy</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Puffin-and-Company_c_299.html" target="_blank">Click here to see all Puffin & Co Needle Minders</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Needle-Nannies_c_240.html" target="_blank">Click here to see ALL Needle Minders</a></div>
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<b>Boo Bear Pattern by Stoney Creek</b> (if out of stock add yourself to wait list or contact Cobweb Corner) This is my first FlossTube finish!</h3>
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<a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Boo-Bear--Cross-Stitch_p_12677.html">https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Boo-Bear--Cross-Stitch_p_12677.html</a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.cobwebcorner.com/Magazines_c_46.html" target="_blank">Click here to shop Magazines at Cobweb Corner Cross Stitch</a></b></h3>
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<b>Featured A</b><b>mazon Products (affiliate links)</b></h3>
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<b>Pako Floss Organizer</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004R9GJ4Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004R9GJ4Q&linkCode=as2&tag=cobwcorn-20&linkId=6304e59f2754901ebc42e50bdc9b3fdd" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B004R9GJ4Q&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=cobwcorn-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cobwcorn-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B004R9GJ4Q" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<b>Pako Needle Organizer</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UP67K0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002UP67K0&linkCode=as2&tag=cobwcorn-20&linkId=a48a9d4b350c710da21a17a1d2764e3f" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B002UP67K0&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=cobwcorn-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cobwcorn-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B002UP67K0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> </div>
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<b>6" Q-Snaps</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010FLC73G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B010FLC73G&linkCode=as2&tag=cobwcorn-20&linkId=14204b23d02517c8e85f15ff8aeda9f8" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B010FLC73G&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=cobwcorn-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cobwcorn-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B010FLC73G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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<b>8" Q-Snaps</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YZ3XVE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000YZ3XVE&linkCode=as2&tag=cobwcorn-20&linkId=ea225478b509baf86c1e1ee34011a264" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B000YZ3XVE&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL250_&tag=cobwcorn-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=cobwcorn-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B000YZ3XVE" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div>
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Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-58274592725077440762015-09-09T03:34:00.000-05:002015-09-09T03:38:04.786-05:00New Jewelry -Keeping Busy in FranceI debated quite a while to decide whether or not to bring my jewelry making supplies with me to France. In then end we moved without them, and then I had them shipped over.<br />
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While I've been super busy with classes, travel, visitors, etc. I have had a LOT of alone time at the house. So.. I'm really glad I had my supplies with me.<br />
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My business has been closed since we moved, but I've been working hard on making new designs to have a LOT of new inventory when we go home. As of today I have just under 150 new pieces to bring home with me in December!<br />
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I decided to share just a few....<br />
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Colored Brass items are hand painted by me.<br />
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Click the photo to enlarge in new window to see detail.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Animal Friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Bit of Romance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand Painted Southwest Design</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burnt Red with Vintage Glass Cab wrapped in Brass Filigree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cobalt Blue with copper and crystal accents</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYTRh2xenrWrmJ6drcVVsMHG3jVrOAp4gHOzY1_ad6LZjtUD_4Ut7z8ZWo5dOS0UwhPBlNom5P56CsBujE2ezdwSPDuh9Vmuc2cTIHyoBlv6xMyy1ZpxDpHKz66NSJvRPUyaMdOF44sk/s1600/DSCN1952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYTRh2xenrWrmJ6drcVVsMHG3jVrOAp4gHOzY1_ad6LZjtUD_4Ut7z8ZWo5dOS0UwhPBlNom5P56CsBujE2ezdwSPDuh9Vmuc2cTIHyoBlv6xMyy1ZpxDpHKz66NSJvRPUyaMdOF44sk/s320/DSCN1952.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rose Pink with square crystals</td></tr>
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Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-55511807705927891522015-03-11T06:37:00.002-05:002015-03-11T06:37:22.305-05:00Homesick 101Before we moved here we had some "cultural training" and we went over the normal stages of adjusting to life as an expat. So I was prepared and fully expected to be homesick while living in France.<br />
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However sometimes how I fell and what I miss varies with time and circumstance.<br />
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<b>An Ocean Away</b><br />
Shortly after we arrived in France my parents were in an automobile accident. While the accident was very serious no one was seriously hurt. I Skyped with my parents the next day - but I certainly became aware that I was an entire ocean away from home.<br />
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<b>Communication Confusion</b><br />
We discussed this in class. Shortly after arriving language issues and frustration set in because tasks that are so easy when you know the language become very difficult when you don't. Going through checkout at the grocery store, setting up phone and internet service, etc. All of these make you wish you were back home where language isn't an issue.<br />
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<b>White Christmas</b><br />
Spending holidays away is hard for everyone. I was able to go home for Thanksgiving and my daughter came to France for Christmas. That helped a lot. But it never really felt like Christmas here. One reason is that southern France gets very little snow so we still had green grass at Christmas. Another reason is that our house here didn't really feel like home. We have spent the last 20 years of holidays in our home in the United States. I missed that a lot this past year.<br />
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<b>Anti-American </b><br />
To be honest we have had very little negative incidents, almost none. When we first came here I thought we may have to deal with people who dislike the United States but for the most part it's a non-issue.<br />
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However, in February 2015 I returned to language school to keep improving my French. I really love going to class every day. I'm usually the oldest person in class but have always been accepted and included by the younger students.<br />
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During the last week of class we had three new students join our group. One was around my age and he was just rude. It was easy to ignore him when he spouted insults about George W Bush or anything negative at all. But the other two were younger students.<br />
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I talked with one for quite some time and he was very passionate about his beliefs that the United States has an agenda in almost everything we do. We shouldn't have entered Iraq after 9-11 and why didn't we help Libya in the 50's. He asked me if I didn't understand WHY the terrorists felt they had to carry out their attacks on 9-11. He was maybe 10 at the time and he was very much against the attacks - but he seemed to feel that there was a reason they were carried out.<br />
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The other student didn't give specifics about how she felt about America. But when I asked a different student why he wanted to live in the United States she emphatically stated that she would never do that. The disgust was dripping off her words. She said the only city worth much of anything was New York.<br />
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For some reason I couldn't shake this one off. I felt like I had just driven into a brick wall. I asked her if I had done something to offend her and she said no. But the tears came hard and fast. The proverbial "Lump in your throat" was real, and I was physically affected. I left class to try to get control of myself but it didn't help.<br />
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When I thought about it, I realized <b>I was Homesick</b> - with a capital H. I knew that no matter how well I represented my country there are always people who are willing to show their disdain for the United States. I instantly wanted to go home and be surrounded by people who love my country. It really knocked the wind right out of me.<br />
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I almost skipped class the next day (my last day), but I went. As soon as I walked in the lump returned and I fought back tears the entire morning and left as soon as class was over.<br />
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After a couple of days I "got over it" but it was an emotionally tiring couple of days. When I retell the story it sounds so trivial. I an not surprised it happened though. I believe it is just part of the process of being away from home for so long. Especially since we just recently were asked to stay a second year.<br />
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How about you? Have you experienced homesickness before? What triggered it and how did you cope? Leave your comments below...Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-87729824092413179712014-11-17T11:23:00.001-06:002014-11-17T11:23:13.037-06:00Bonjour - Au Revoir - Fitting In (17-11-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdmSoTssTzPYwhM-Ww9FUZIFpcf6AA2tRrJxXSsdqeXWtsffAgCFHEeMaYV3fsxzMP88Ey720AUnHjLNNejvQ9UTst0b5xvamOmElx8Aw3Myrg103FkUp579s96wUa76Rz4g8BbC9Myw/s1600/Bonjour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdmSoTssTzPYwhM-Ww9FUZIFpcf6AA2tRrJxXSsdqeXWtsffAgCFHEeMaYV3fsxzMP88Ey720AUnHjLNNejvQ9UTst0b5xvamOmElx8Aw3Myrg103FkUp579s96wUa76Rz4g8BbC9Myw/s1600/Bonjour.jpg" height="120" width="200" /></a></div>
<i>Bonjour </i>and <i>Au Revoir</i> -Hello and Goodbye - two French words nearly everyone in the U.S. knows. This blog is about the importance of using these words when you visit France. Also, for some reason I can't figure out, it is one of my favorite things about living here.<div>
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The usage of <i>Bonjour </i>and <i>Au revoir</i> carries a more important cultural meaning than the use of Hello and Goodbye in the United States. I am going to focus on it's use in everyday settings such as shopping or going to the doctor. We already know to say hello and goodbye in social settings among friends.</div>
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Let's start with shopping, especially shopping in a smaller boutique or "<i>magasin</i>". When you enter the shop, you always try to catch the eye of the person working there and say "<i>Bonjour Madame</i>" (or <i>Monsieur</i>). Note - you shouldn't say just "<i>Bonjour</i>" that is considered a bit too informal. The clerk will always answer back with a "<i>Bonjour Madame</i>" of their own. Of course there are times when the person may be busy with another customer and you don't want to interrupt. But just give it a few minutes and the clerk will catch your eye to say hello.</div>
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I'm not sure how to explain how this is different from shopping in the U.S. We are, of course, very often politely greeted when entering a store, especially a smaller one. But it isn't a ritual the way it is in France. If you want to let a French person know you're a tourist right away, simply walk into a small shop and don't say anything. Only very large department stores will bypass this custom - but even then if you, for example, visit the shoe department of a large store, the person working that department will greet you and expect to be greeted in return. Or if you end up purchasing something the rule will apply with whoever helps you at the checkout counter.</div>
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The same rule applies when you <b>leave </b>the shop, even if you don't buy anything. You are free, and welcome to enter any shop to look around. Just remember to say<i> Bonjour Madame</i> when you arrive and "<i>Merci - Au Revoir</i>" when you leave. If you have talked with someone or purchased something then a<i> Bonne Journee</i> (Have a good day) is often thrown in along with your goodbyes.</div>
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This custom means you are constantly saying<i> Bonjour Madame, Au Revoir, Merci, Bonne Journee</i>. You stop at a fast food counter for a coffee and pastry to go: <i>Bonjour Madame</i> (order and pay), <i>Merci, Au Revoir, Bonne journee</i>. And repeat when you walk in the boulangerie to buy your bread for the day, when you go to a restaurant for lunch, when you stop at the pharmacy for some aspirin, every time you walk into a shop, and at checkout when buying groceries.</div>
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Again - I'm not sure why, but I really enjoy this part of living in France. I guess it's because I feel like I fit in just a <b>little </b>bit more. I also know that I'm being a much more "Polite American" by following this simple, and I guess expected rule.</div>
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But - there's more. You don't just say <i>bonjour </i>when going into a store. A couple of other examples. You're sitting at a small pizza restaurant enjoying your meal and someone walks in for carryout. Most likely they will say a quick <i>Bonjour </i>addressed to everyone in the restaurant.</div>
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Another example: You're in the waiting room at the doctors office with six or seven other people and someone else enters. Many times, but not always, they will greet then entire room. In this case when there is a mix of women and men the person entering will most likely say "<i>Bonjour Messieurs Dames</i>", addressing ladies and gentlemen in one phrase. Those already seated will reply (not too loudly) - <i>Bonjour Monsieur</i>.</div>
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With all of the "<i>Bonjouring</i>" going on you may be surprised that the French often do NOT say hello if your are walking down the street or taking a walk in the park. Of course we don't do this in the U.S. in larger towns on a busy street, but in the U.S. I almost always say hello or nod my head when I'm out for a walk and someone else walks by me in the other direction. (For my friends in the Midwest - rest assured that the "lift the index finger wave" while driving is NOT done in France, a habit I have trouble giving up).</div>
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I take a lot of walks and bike rides in France and I usually say <i>Bonjour </i>to most people I meet - just because it's habit. The other person will almost always politely return the greeting although it isn't expected. Oh - and even in this very informal setting of just going for a walk you should say "<i>Bonjour Madame</i>" rather than a simple "<i>Bonjou</i>r" . <i><b>Especially </b></i>if the person is obviously older than you.</div>
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So this is an easy one. Before you come to France for vacation get in the habit of politely (and not loudly), extending a greeting and farewell in almost any situation. Know these few simple words and you will go a long way in giving Americans a good name while you're in France:</div>
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Bonjour (hello or literally good day)</div>
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Merci (thank you)</div>
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Au Revoir (goodbye)</div>
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Bonne Journee (have a good "rest" of your day - said when you leave).</div>
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Madame (Madam - married or older)</div>
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Mademoiselle (younger girl or woman, not married. When in doubt always use Madame)</div>
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Monsieur (Sir)</div>
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Messieurs Dames (Ladies and gentlemen - uses to address a group of people with one phrase)</div>
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I hope you enjoyed this little lesson in simple French etiquette. Have you experienced this cultural difference in France or anywhere else? </div>
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I would love to hear you comments and your experiences. I will try my best to answer any questions.</div>
Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-19597803953059419332014-08-25T05:54:00.003-05:002014-08-25T06:04:21.191-05:00Shutter Up! (25-Aug-2014)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXPVTe6yMmYycD8Flq1rIOc9MWiHGWpJ6m2A62tgankgNY4rgBf5OcM11u6NFLjlh0MRGm5HCk2eO6Py7wiCh-fdJZFvL-yCbsSEw7z40AHEnRPnHcHw3QbLt1-AB7un5mViHSgxeuzQ/s1600/IMG_0393%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXPVTe6yMmYycD8Flq1rIOc9MWiHGWpJ6m2A62tgankgNY4rgBf5OcM11u6NFLjlh0MRGm5HCk2eO6Py7wiCh-fdJZFvL-yCbsSEw7z40AHEnRPnHcHw3QbLt1-AB7un5mViHSgxeuzQ/s1600/IMG_0393%5B1%5D.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of 10 doors leading to a patio<br />
with full length shutters</td></tr>
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I have yet to see a house in France without working shutters. Unlike the U.S. where shutters on many houses are for aesthetics only, shutters in France are used on a daily basis and serve the following purposes:<br />
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<b>Privacy: </b>You won't walk down a residential street during an evening in France and be able to look into a kitchen or living room of the houses you are walking by. In fact in many neighborhoods the houses are behind a fence or tall bushes. French people are very private and shutters are normally be closed in the evening when the family is inside. If they are open in the morning then you know your neighbors are awake and up and about.<br />
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<b>Regulate Temperature:</b> Shutters play a very important role in keeping the house comfortable. Very few houses have air conditioning. We live in the South of France where temperatures are mild compared to my home state of Iowa but I was a little nervous about living here without air conditioning. So far the summer of 2014 has been extremely pleasant but we did have a stretch of few days where temperatures were in the 90's (F.).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very large sliding doors/shutters<br />
leading to main patio</td></tr>
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To manage the heat we opened up the house in the morning when it was cool. But as soon as the sun started to shine in a window we closed the shutters up for the rest of the day. This causes the house to be a little dark but does a very good job of keeping the house cool. We do have a couple of osculating fans that we used in the living room and bedroom for a couple of days, but I have to admit we really didn't need an air conditioner.<br />
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In winter the thick shutters help to keep the cold out. The opposite technique is used. The shutters remain closed when the sun is not shining and opened to allow the sun to heat the house. If it is very windy and cold the shutters can be kept closed to keep out drafts.<br />
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<b>Regulate Noise: </b>When you completely shut up the house you have a whole new level of quiet. Since we live just outside of town our house is very quiet at night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCVcPfzLSHZsrKgnpQbjU8vWNq2KvYoxR4BgAJFD3C-hLNaoNEqratFntqXmpIkWNvkswiJ0_8qE-EHMRGhlWhR67sF_f4xENzc6Sj4ngeaDE5V9gEZBHrioZ1uagzsmfRt83vpGSvV8/s1600/IMG_0394%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNCVcPfzLSHZsrKgnpQbjU8vWNq2KvYoxR4BgAJFD3C-hLNaoNEqratFntqXmpIkWNvkswiJ0_8qE-EHMRGhlWhR67sF_f4xENzc6Sj4ngeaDE5V9gEZBHrioZ1uagzsmfRt83vpGSvV8/s1600/IMG_0394%5B1%5D.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Example of metal lock<br />
for full door shutters.</td></tr>
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<b>Security:</b> When we leave for a day or longer we always make sure all of the shutters are closed and latched. Closing them at night, especially when I'm in the house alone, also ads an extra layer of security. When you shut the shutters in most of our rooms you use a larger solid metal handle that turns and locks into place. When you close it, a long metal rod the length of the door secures at both the top and bottom<br />
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Our house has at least ten doors with shutters that close up with solid wood doors, 3 large windows that we can draw the shutters across or turn a handle to bring the shutters down. Small windows in our kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room don't have shutters.<br />
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The first night we were here it was quite and adventure to go around the entire house and close everything up.<br />
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Windows also don't have screens. This is one thing I would change in at least a few areas if I could. It would be nice to keep the flies and tiny lizards out when we want to let the air in.<br />
<br />Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-87577405468062950552014-06-25T16:46:00.001-05:002014-06-25T16:56:40.104-05:00Things you'll notice - Part 1 (25-06-2014)Another quick post of some simple observations of things that are a little different in France than in the United States (at least in Iowa)<br />
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<ol>
<li>It is not unusual to see two heterosexual women walking hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm.</li>
<li>Younger people will offer their seat on the metro or tram to an older person, a mother with a baby, or anyone who obviously could use the seat. </li>
<li>Men here very often carry a 'man purse'. </li>
<li>Men wear capris.</li>
<li>People love to bike for exercise and wear full racing-type gear - but not always a helmet.</li>
<li>Lots of people also inline skate for exercise.</li>
<li>Almost every home has lots of flowers and plants outside.</li>
<li>Lunch is a 1-2 hour event.</li>
<li>A tiny cup of coffee (cafe) can take an hour or more to drink, especially if you have a friend with you.</li>
<li>Having a dryer in your home is very unusual. Clothes are hung outside when weather permits. As you drive by the thousands of apartments you will see the clothes hanging on and over the apartment balconies.</li>
<li>Almost everyone drives a manual transmission car.</li>
<li>Very few homes have air conditioning.</li>
<li>Bread goes bad after one day. Either freeze part of your bread or make daily trips to the boulangerie.</li>
<li>There are a LOT of pizza restaurants. MANY of the pizza choices on the menu include eggs.</li>
<li>People don't drink to get drunk (obvious exceptions). Wine is to be enjoyed with the meal. Friends young and old are more likely to visit over coffee than drinks but a cold beer is welcome too.</li>
<li>There is no music, art or sports in the public schools here. School is strictly for education. </li>
<li>When you take a cart of groceries or other items to the checkout counter the clerk will wait for you to unload your entire cart before they start ringing your items. You can have a hundred items and unless you run out of room nothing will be checked through until you are done.</li>
<li>People are used to waiting in line. When you go to a store for a service (for example to buy a cell phone), you enter the store and wait to be greeted by a clerk. If they are all busy you keep waiting until an employee is free.</li>
<li>It is unusual to hear someone talk very loudly in public. If you are shopping in a boutique it is best to use a low conversational voice if you are with friends.</li>
<li>Women dress up much more often. Dresses and nice shoes are everywhere.</li>
<li>Windows don't have screens. There are bugs and they do come into the house. Not nearly as many as I would expect in my home in the U.S. but enough that I'm not sure WHY they don't have screens.</li>
<li>Dogs are welcome almost anywhere including many restaurants. It is not super common but we have seen dogs inside at a restaurant, in the malls and more often at outdoor cafes.</li>
<li>Gas is sold by the liter not the gallon. Gas can range from 1.40 Euros to $1.52 Euros per liter, or about $7.00 per gallon.</li>
<li>Not surprisingly cars are small and efficient.</li>
<li>In Toulouse Rugby is more popular that Soccer (Football). Except during the World Cup.</li>
<li>LOTS of people smoke, especially younger people. Electric cigarettes are everywhere. I don't know the statistics but it seems to me that more people smoke in France.</li>
<li>Most small shops close over the lunch hour (or two hours). Malls, restaurants and most shops downtown Toulouse remain open. But I've driven to my local vet and boulangerie on two occasions over 'the noon hour', only to get there and remember that things are closed from as long as 12 - 2:00.</li>
<li>Almost all shops and malls are closed on Sundays. </li>
</ol>
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I'll have more observational posts in the future. If you have questions or comments I would love to hear them.</div>
Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-4447422728137661332014-06-22T12:23:00.005-05:002014-06-22T12:27:01.846-05:00Yes, No, Maybe, It Depends Part 1This post is an attempt to answer some simple questions about France with some usually simple answers. If you have other possible Yes/No/Maybe questions please post them as a comment and I'll try to include them in a future post.<br />
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To see all of my posts about my time in France click the France Relocation button at the top of the page.<br />
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Q: Is the bread in France really as good as they say? A: YES<br />
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Q: Are the deserts in France really as good as they say? A: OH YEAH</div>
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Q: Is the Wine in France really as good as they say? A: Definite YES</div>
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Q: Is it true that you will loose weight while living in France because the portion sizes are so much smaller? A: Seriously - did you READ questions 1, 2, and 3?</div>
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Q: Are French people really rude? A: No - not normally. The most common answer even among the locals in Southern France is - "In Paris - Yes. But in Toulouse we're much nicer and more relaxed."</div>
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Q: Are the French drivers crazy? A: Yes - especially on Motorcycles</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPAh7MrkIT3-ihHovHu47wtrMCsX62NR94pk0k9OZNUYnP8lJCe0QN-XkwAFQvlFk-1aZSMjnVUu77ibRFpPDBOIZAr8UvSe59f5fkj9oEhv7TAMlZ5kLchSL1kB9MtKOLzDFymohWJU/s1600/albicath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPAh7MrkIT3-ihHovHu47wtrMCsX62NR94pk0k9OZNUYnP8lJCe0QN-XkwAFQvlFk-1aZSMjnVUu77ibRFpPDBOIZAr8UvSe59f5fkj9oEhv7TAMlZ5kLchSL1kB9MtKOLzDFymohWJU/s1600/albicath.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 21.280000686645508px; text-align: start;">Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile</span></td></tr>
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<br />
Q: Are the cathedrals really worth visiting? A: That depends - what do you think of the photo of the Cathedral we visited in Albi France?</div>
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Q: Is French Fashion really so much better than fashion in the United States? A: You may have similar shopping options in the U.S. if you live in New York or Los Angeles . But the shopping in France is exponentially better than the shopping in small-town Iowa. I especially love that French women wear dresses so much more often than women in the United States. The selection of clothes is amazing - but you may have to dig a little deeper into your pocketbook.</div>
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Q: If I have the opportunity is it worth it to visit or live in Europe? A: If everyone, everywhere had the will and the means to visit another culture I believe the world would be a very different place. If you are able - make an effort to go somewhere very different at least once in your life.</div>
Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-40579671303637705632014-06-11T02:15:00.000-05:002014-06-11T02:15:16.786-05:00Strawberries and Raspberries with Sweet Syrup (9-06-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-0Ob5LVYdfn-znRKf_QL6kKxRPZDXcpjLEoStvcejODL0ogYIZ9V5hvyDyDhKTJUmTkCpB00UFSixyFBpGxf4VykIVjOxKfqhsV3p4xVz7rrupTe2W3IxGsY3_dIkQ_xPE_b4UJnNZE/s1600/rasp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-0Ob5LVYdfn-znRKf_QL6kKxRPZDXcpjLEoStvcejODL0ogYIZ9V5hvyDyDhKTJUmTkCpB00UFSixyFBpGxf4VykIVjOxKfqhsV3p4xVz7rrupTe2W3IxGsY3_dIkQ_xPE_b4UJnNZE/s1600/rasp1.jpg" height="156" width="200" /></a></div>
This recipe is one of the first things I learned while attending cooking classes at L'atelier de Chefs. <a href="http://www.atelierdeschefs.fr/fr/recette/1553-soupe-de-fraises-et-de-framboises-a-la-cardamone.php" target="_blank">click here to see the recipe in full</a>. The French name translates to Soup of Strawberries and Raspberries a la Cardamon. Basically it is fresh berries with an awesome sweet sauce. You may read through this and think "That's a lot of work just to put a sweet sauce on my strawberries" - but trust me - try it and and you'll be so glad you did. I've made it four times already.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4YmMJhIQc7UdbZWRsLhPp5GFfrVPjCVHYL6gDCauA9tA5WHxrTG_BM9_ME-6InCzwx79J5s7bZd5wyG4X6UPRk3YE0KTWyJE_fAc-pF1gPkWYL9kEIDdDIN6DDpHQzRdkIqoara5Eqw/s1600/rasp3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4YmMJhIQc7UdbZWRsLhPp5GFfrVPjCVHYL6gDCauA9tA5WHxrTG_BM9_ME-6InCzwx79J5s7bZd5wyG4X6UPRk3YE0KTWyJE_fAc-pF1gPkWYL9kEIDdDIN6DDpHQzRdkIqoara5Eqw/s1600/rasp3.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go to the store<br />
and buy a scale<br />
Just do it!</td></tr>
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The web site states it takes 10 minutes to prepare - I would say 20. Ingredient amounts are listed in metric. You can convert them if you want but I strongly advise you get a kitchen scale. I didn't think I would like using it but I do. Very precise and you don't have to have specific measuring cups. Just grab whatever container is handy and place it on the scale before turning it on. Then measure the desired amount.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't want<br />
crushed cardamom</td></tr>
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You will need:<br />
500 grams of Strawberries<br />
125 grams of Red Raspberries<br />
25 cl water<br />
2 cl white balsamic vinegar<br />
4 Cardamom capsules (I had some trouble finding these)<br />
75 grams white granulated sugar (in French this is called "sucre en poudre" i.e. "powdered" - but it is NOT powdered - it is regular sugar<br />
6 pieces Speculoos cookies or biscuits<br />
100 grams honey<br />
1 lemon<br />
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I measure all of my ingredients out first. Then wash your berries and lemon. Leave the raspberries whole, but cut the top off the strawberries and cut them in half or quarters if they are large. Put them in a bowl together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx2b0OPVPK9x9BMAlEY2hAywkyDqtALK52FP12HOSgwutWMesmwzhChj0EcPD1uIEg7oEh-txaRDIsx53sLEM_RUmZv3K1n2cZDUrSGg3ktVvFaYH_GTN0XpoiWcnwepL6rANy49Ggic/s1600/rasp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGx2b0OPVPK9x9BMAlEY2hAywkyDqtALK52FP12HOSgwutWMesmwzhChj0EcPD1uIEg7oEh-txaRDIsx53sLEM_RUmZv3K1n2cZDUrSGg3ktVvFaYH_GTN0XpoiWcnwepL6rANy49Ggic/s1600/rasp2.jpg" height="200" width="182" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't zest too deep.<br />
Just until the white starts to show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Zest the lemon. You will only use the zest. Save the lemon for a nice glass of lemonade.<br />
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Get out two sauce pans. In one put the sugar, water and two of the cardamom capsules. In the other put the honey, lemon zest and the other two cardamom capsules. Bring both pots to a boil. Remove from heat and combine and stir the contents of both together.<br />
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Allow this to cool.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxXAAe0dnbeZWjd_CScc2YFWR-jn0anpnDc-YUaP-7O9y7PZGTPAx3I4aOYHxwRRD2PcxBZBn7uJL1WObuENbOQpvt69MxgI_jieEv3w55B_o1-5IX4VDK42gMpsTVnC1g6lRwg6MhDw/s1600/rasp4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxXAAe0dnbeZWjd_CScc2YFWR-jn0anpnDc-YUaP-7O9y7PZGTPAx3I4aOYHxwRRD2PcxBZBn7uJL1WObuENbOQpvt69MxgI_jieEv3w55B_o1-5IX4VDK42gMpsTVnC1g6lRwg6MhDw/s1600/rasp4.jpg" height="198" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't include the zest or cardamom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once cooled add the vinegar. Pass all of the syrup through a fine strainer to remove the zest and cardamom pieces. Pour the filtered syrup over the berries and gently stir to coat. You should have quite a bit of liquid in the bowl with the berries.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiced cookie<br />
Kind of like gingerbread cookie</td></tr>
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Put the berries with the syrup in the fridge to cool completely. Let them set for at least 45 minutes. When ready to serve, separate the berries into small serving containers. Take the Speculoos biscuits and put them in a bag and crush them (I use a rolling pin). Sprinkle the crushed biscuits over the berries. Make sure to include some of the soupy syrup.<br />
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Enjoy!!<br />
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Comments are welcome. Please let me know if you try this recipe and what you think of it.Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-11088895611335467952014-06-06T08:58:00.000-05:002014-06-11T02:18:12.060-05:00Airplanes are built one GIANT piece at a time (6-06-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkbKjzHHPaYdVfZSapOhiSux06Kd79IVDv3SLJZBY6nLBrApvu45t2auSG88n1jJ3V0qI93nXMQdOkCKTma4aUyBtLkBstHCPfg3RDm1OLbMDCGWXEKTgn43LAVzjZh2OQyX5QOq-jxg/s1600/20140603h23_g6486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkbKjzHHPaYdVfZSapOhiSux06Kd79IVDv3SLJZBY6nLBrApvu45t2auSG88n1jJ3V0qI93nXMQdOkCKTma4aUyBtLkBstHCPfg3RDm1OLbMDCGWXEKTgn43LAVzjZh2OQyX5QOq-jxg/s1600/20140603h23_g6486.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
It's obvious from photos that Toulouse is a city rich in history and full of beautiful architecture. But Toulouse is also at the heart of Aerospace Valley - a region in the Mid-Pyrennees and Aquitane regions of France that make up the largest pool of aerospace jobs in all of Europe.<br />
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Toulouse is home to headquarters and smaller offices of many companies and is the industry my husband is working in here with Rockwell.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9i6Lo6W_iI10EIfJgrVNjiH8z96hSSHpNC4DOwHfqMvTmUknFUHv4gj9eHAKyC9a7MghnrWdNO_dnkVxyox_bBZQ2NaPqq128dvRLv99O3nLCWtZ1XSYileJU9iNJF7CfkGnQ6aksYgs/s1600/20140603h23_g6444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9i6Lo6W_iI10EIfJgrVNjiH8z96hSSHpNC4DOwHfqMvTmUknFUHv4gj9eHAKyC9a7MghnrWdNO_dnkVxyox_bBZQ2NaPqq128dvRLv99O3nLCWtZ1XSYileJU9iNJF7CfkGnQ6aksYgs/s1600/20140603h23_g6444.jpg" height="142" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is NOT a wing<br />It is the tail fin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One of the largest companies in Toulouse is Airbus.<a href="http://www.airbus.com/company/worldwide-presence/airbus-in-france/" target="_blank">Click here to read more about Airbus</a>: The following information was taken from the airbus website.<br />
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Nearly 11,500 people in the Toulouse area are employed by Airbus. Toulouse is where the final assembly of the A320 Family, A330, A380, and A350 XWB takes place. To put the airplane together they join the fuselage to the wings, followed by the installation of the horizontal tail plane and vertical fin, engine pylons, landing gear and engines. After cockpit outfitting, system tests are performed on all aspects of the plain and test flights are conducted prior to final delivery.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZGhEKdiArK8Jt-OTOExka39vJq0ZgnERo6Bfpf1iH7xr6keX5wljHUQJHzGpJSyZ0DTuSICfxDtK1QHzS8VERMBsq42YQ2xhKfIi2zI0iuaDbCi0DteXJF72vgAhfdd_XW4sHKt3t14/s1600/20140603h23_g6454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZGhEKdiArK8Jt-OTOExka39vJq0ZgnERo6Bfpf1iH7xr6keX5wljHUQJHzGpJSyZ0DTuSICfxDtK1QHzS8VERMBsq42YQ2xhKfIi2zI0iuaDbCi0DteXJF72vgAhfdd_XW4sHKt3t14/s1600/20140603h23_g6454.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tail Fin<br />Much smaller than a wing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is important to understand that ASSEMBLY is done in Toulouse, but the massive parts such as the fuselage and wings are built elsewhere and then transported to Toulouse for final assembly. If you haven't seen and A380 up close think REALLY REALLY big plane.<br />
<br />
The coordination of the large pieces needed to complete the final plane is a masterpiece of planning - not just for each individual delivery but the initial long-term planning that was implemented many years ago to allow the company to accommodate this important industry. Entire roads were built in France specifically to transport these enormous loads. There is one such road very close to our house. It is closed to vehicle traffic but may be used by bicyclists and runners. Every few weeks the are opened up to transport plane parts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZXTPAsfUtp5ivfIDKUZ1QU2wSA5RIEeeNTZlEdgykG_YHQGOmkFycJU7zltp_-lp5zhO2b-Stg5fRTQWqH2m2iA0bDRJAG0R2FII5llXWx9_uJjH3a_9fdb8BLa-PrfmoFdu_1bCsKQ/s1600/20140603h23_g6462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRZXTPAsfUtp5ivfIDKUZ1QU2wSA5RIEeeNTZlEdgykG_YHQGOmkFycJU7zltp_-lp5zhO2b-Stg5fRTQWqH2m2iA0bDRJAG0R2FII5llXWx9_uJjH3a_9fdb8BLa-PrfmoFdu_1bCsKQ/s1600/20140603h23_g6462.jpg" height="131" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
The transportation includes not only specially built roads but also special barges. Parts come in to major ports such as Bordeaux and make their way to Toulouse. Rather than trying to explain it all here I recommend going to <a href="http://www.airbus.com/company/aircraft-manufacture/how-is-an-aircraft-built/transport-of-major-aircraft-sections/" target="_blank">this link where Airbus</a> describes the process in detail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm_SjNqScp15DYCFo_ZSmEQDJbzcKUKFdO7OLpAGKXSrjkts1Vn9Y_dlymN2i-E5W-c5USjN5LTu7zD2biOt40XSWBOVmiQPCm3KLX14dcRuj9ApknfNSzSlucPhJPz_xCrc5O4UEQ2s/s1600/20140603h23_g6468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmm_SjNqScp15DYCFo_ZSmEQDJbzcKUKFdO7OLpAGKXSrjkts1Vn9Y_dlymN2i-E5W-c5USjN5LTu7zD2biOt40XSWBOVmiQPCm3KLX14dcRuj9ApknfNSzSlucPhJPz_xCrc5O4UEQ2s/s1600/20140603h23_g6468.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
One of the most interesting stages of the transport is when the parts must go through a town or village. One of those villages, Levignac, is very close to our home. Last week we drove there to watch the 11:00 pm arrival of the transport through town. It is a common attraction for locals and tourists alike and if you are ever in the area during a transport I highly recommend it. Surprisingly it only takes a few minutes for the convoy to move slowly through town. Not surprisingly it is all done with expert precision by the French police and transport employees involved in the convoy.<br />
<br />
The photos included in this blog were taken by my husband Paul the night we went to Levignac.<br />
<br />Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-6215713737006497162014-06-03T08:37:00.001-05:002014-06-03T08:37:24.273-05:00"I didn't know the names of the flowers - now my garden is gone." - Allen Ginsberg (03-06-2014)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinmw-USMF91sHeDAVdQSWQf1tvJ0IeyIKkSA-BKP_5L0-VFnQMKWInBwNuEf0W4wfyuhGOILfqb7Yvc76B90cxa5AdJvTngqfbZWrmbg-Y_azZW6jnZi7rRJXW4H_ZbxXItpQ4RtmQDk/s1600/flower8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiinmw-USMF91sHeDAVdQSWQf1tvJ0IeyIKkSA-BKP_5L0-VFnQMKWInBwNuEf0W4wfyuhGOILfqb7Yvc76B90cxa5AdJvTngqfbZWrmbg-Y_azZW6jnZi7rRJXW4H_ZbxXItpQ4RtmQDk/s1600/flower8.jpg" height="200" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#2 Red Pot by back bedroom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH7zmaUiAb4fCS20QRKHCBEAwaifKv74JiDrqZCBbcqlXVTjb5_SdIZpwiu_hpobO3xwaETkoHZ7dprETtYnV44ApyflDf1FiZcU1HJRUuL6W3e8xu1oLO1UArKvC62GWpLPPBtVA26Q/s1600/flower6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH7zmaUiAb4fCS20QRKHCBEAwaifKv74JiDrqZCBbcqlXVTjb5_SdIZpwiu_hpobO3xwaETkoHZ7dprETtYnV44ApyflDf1FiZcU1HJRUuL6W3e8xu1oLO1UArKvC62GWpLPPBtVA26Q/s1600/flower6.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#1 - by our front door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I hope you can help me identify my flowers.....<br />
<br />
I'm better at growing weeds than I am at growing flowers - just ask my husband. Each year in the states I would buy and plant flowers and just watch the weeds take over. While searching for a quote to use for my post title I found this quote and laughed out loud - it is SO me:<br />
<br />
"I have a rock garden and last week three of them died."<br />
<br />
When we moved to France and found our new home had over 20 larger flower pots surrounding the house, I was hesitant to give my not so green thumb another try. But I have a lot more time on my hands now so my daughter, husband and I drove to a greenhouse and bought a LOT of flowers. We spent the entire day last week planting a bunch of pots.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpjZZvqUZl4reBBfH1qujo2Yn7u2WR9nwaJJWQ9DVTj7xgSQsfu_ZZ-GA2kCYhgHORDFzTcf5jaBFMWRWKsd4ifC7eyTvAS_yO-hmfg8U7A6m5xpIwtYGv0cWWh3nezqHcNFgTlSU-Po/s1600/flower1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpjZZvqUZl4reBBfH1qujo2Yn7u2WR9nwaJJWQ9DVTj7xgSQsfu_ZZ-GA2kCYhgHORDFzTcf5jaBFMWRWKsd4ifC7eyTvAS_yO-hmfg8U7A6m5xpIwtYGv0cWWh3nezqHcNFgTlSU-Po/s1600/flower1.jpg" height="161" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#3 Yellow pot on back porch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The flowers are already taking off and we will be re-potting some soon as they are sure to outgrow their new homes. I'm not sure why but I am truly enjoying this new project. It could be because the weather is absolutely fabulous - ask me again in August when the temperatures climb.<br />
<br />
For now - I hope you enjoy the photos of the flowers we planted. I have no idea what the names of most of them are. Please comment with the photo number, the flower you are identifying and the name of the flower if you know it. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkVRuPVcAHdK_YZsnT6b5ortfmt2lUPhOMKUYd1RNi_KTBaQMGa23kr6pBbikz9am8pfWu3lMhWEyqNkzY4i6eBmWELzdUssNYez56dpR-vNUVHCw2gN0cQrJ1CZk7lPw-sNJ2zKAet8/s1600/flower3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkVRuPVcAHdK_YZsnT6b5ortfmt2lUPhOMKUYd1RNi_KTBaQMGa23kr6pBbikz9am8pfWu3lMhWEyqNkzY4i6eBmWELzdUssNYez56dpR-vNUVHCw2gN0cQrJ1CZk7lPw-sNJ2zKAet8/s1600/flower3.jpg" height="130" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"># 5 Misc with Basil in front<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqb74TfbtXZEo-NDxbkV7MbH3usJuTPkVq7reLL_2x6dmrHfuBh1QdM-Y5-jFxqlyo5bUcnqhnUptnt3Nu6eymfUM7PDukk4ADzuLxRNsxmfMvtYxH_PYEBYF8iPu0AO9v_fB6vx95KwI/s1600/flower2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqb74TfbtXZEo-NDxbkV7MbH3usJuTPkVq7reLL_2x6dmrHfuBh1QdM-Y5-jFxqlyo5bUcnqhnUptnt3Nu6eymfUM7PDukk4ADzuLxRNsxmfMvtYxH_PYEBYF8iPu0AO9v_fB6vx95KwI/s1600/flower2.jpg" height="176" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#4 Combo pot on side porch</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieC6Wpa8cJaIdfW-5F7iRzXzrB42DjnwXB_3ZT3ATUrpzUHimS4fsGF9R6XY_txC3NjkG0-fET-ciLbaPsHw0CWpqD6H9AJRC1A2wqE589jGP-8tVsc1V7tm2KVE_PZ37VCNjG1AcJ4Xo/s1600/flower5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieC6Wpa8cJaIdfW-5F7iRzXzrB42DjnwXB_3ZT3ATUrpzUHimS4fsGF9R6XY_txC3NjkG0-fET-ciLbaPsHw0CWpqD6H9AJRC1A2wqE589jGP-8tVsc1V7tm2KVE_PZ37VCNjG1AcJ4Xo/s1600/flower5.jpg" height="143" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#6 Front yard</td></tr>
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Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-85492959608898473242014-06-02T09:27:00.000-05:002014-06-11T02:20:19.290-05:00Willy Wonka's got Nothing on France (2-06-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk-3HyuIkUKjYtfZclnE6MxFiwYzL9ct6Tr8dxZF3urohUh2GPbTIZTqEHAhDXEFanhNkuVFR8cuprAeoUaKlDWhXiltwspHq71OnU5kGfmmxmUJnR5-oWczzqvWqOFlmk07kl9qiocE/s1600/IMG_0289%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk-3HyuIkUKjYtfZclnE6MxFiwYzL9ct6Tr8dxZF3urohUh2GPbTIZTqEHAhDXEFanhNkuVFR8cuprAeoUaKlDWhXiltwspHq71OnU5kGfmmxmUJnR5-oWczzqvWqOFlmk07kl9qiocE/s1600/IMG_0289%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
You think Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory was great? Just come to France. This photo is of most - but not ALL of the chocolate section in a eLeclerc Supermarket in France (think SUPER Target).<br />
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And this is only the large full bar section. There is just as much space for smaller bars and other chocolate treats.<br />
<br />
I was told I might lose weight in France because the portions sizes were smaller. But what's a girl to do when <b>this </b>is staring her down every time she buys groceries?<br />
<br />
Chocolates in all different percentages of Cocoa from milk chocolate to VERY dark chocolate. And chocolate from all over the world including Africa, France and Sweden.<br />
<br />
Chocolate specifically for fondue and cooking and chocolate to have with your cafe and chocolate just to eat for the shear pleasure of it.<br />
<br />
Yep - I've died and gone to heaven. Eat your heart out Willy Wonka!Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-13437819319675392862014-05-31T04:11:00.001-05:002014-06-11T02:24:52.728-05:00“I think every woman should have a blowtorch.” ― Julia Child (31-May-2014)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTUKKbXP9Mw1tTIr0pQMFNUxsZEWVrlHvgziQrswRUlki4M7rWSywY1mkdaY8lJsv1etLfc2u21dtjzSaEXGsL32P9hlwPi7MRYxVshhH79IsqgmHbhFMEBwP0dkGNlUf7rhwxSaaKo4/s1600/blowtorch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTUKKbXP9Mw1tTIr0pQMFNUxsZEWVrlHvgziQrswRUlki4M7rWSywY1mkdaY8lJsv1etLfc2u21dtjzSaEXGsL32P9hlwPi7MRYxVshhH79IsqgmHbhFMEBwP0dkGNlUf7rhwxSaaKo4/s1600/blowtorch.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen Blowtorch<br />
On my wish list</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
How could I not quote <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Child" target="_blank">Julia Child</a> when I write about the cooking classes I took in France? After all, she is credited with bringing French cooking to American kitchens. Although I don't have a blowtorch yet, it is on my wish list.<br />
<br />
When I signed up for French language classes I had the option to add 4 or 8 cooking classes as well. Of course I chose 8 (why do anything half-way). In retrospect I would have chosen four to start with and then spread out additional classes over time.<br />
<br />
The school I attended is called <a href="http://www.atelierdeschefs.fr/" target="_blank">L'atelier des Chef</a>. You can read about the school at the link provided (translate if needed). The idea is simple: You sign up for a class of anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours. You attend with up to 16 people and have nice workstations in a large kitchen classroom. You are greeted by a chef who goes over what you are going to make. He demonstrates the different techniques you will use and then you are on your own to start preparing your ingredients. There are up to 4 people at each workstation and you help each other prepare all of the ingredients for your recipe together. After that you move to the oven and stove area and the chef demonstrates what you need to do to finish cooking the meal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJTSYOXY7S-fq3jsOqzryAN9_PqbVxkkwBLfGrvGEk33xskwYX48vZAd5APvHYvY0aGsWTgBGdm43Q8THETVc4VOAIvzFGl5hoc7MS1V0d1ehRiiwA2gDx8pWc7c4JKOVMhxhlh6oHMg/s1600/IMG_0278%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJTSYOXY7S-fq3jsOqzryAN9_PqbVxkkwBLfGrvGEk33xskwYX48vZAd5APvHYvY0aGsWTgBGdm43Q8THETVc4VOAIvzFGl5hoc7MS1V0d1ehRiiwA2gDx8pWc7c4JKOVMhxhlh6oHMg/s1600/IMG_0278%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep I (helped) make this. All veggies on the bottom<br />
with a ham mousse, homemade 'crackers' and<br />
small pieces of bread toasted with<br />
mushed black olives.<br />
<a href="http://www.atelierdeschefs.fr/" target="_blank">Click here for the recipe</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Some of the basic techniques I was shown included:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>How to correctly hold and use a large knife to chop or cut your ingredients.</li>
<li>How to de-vein a large prawn (yuck)</li>
<li>How to julienne meat or vegetables (very thin slices)</li>
<li>How to peel vegetables. No biggie here except that we peeled almost everything including tomatoes, peppers and zucchini. I have never peeled tomatoes or peppers for a recipe before.</li>
<li>How to sear meat to the correct coloring in a super hot pan</li>
<li>How to use a Chantilly siphon</li>
<li>How to simply caramelize apples or pears.</li>
</ol>
<div>
I took only 60 and 90 minute courses. Some courses are marked "a Emporter" - this means you make the recipes and then take them home with you. The other classes you stay at the school and eat what you made with your classmates. Presentation is stressed and you take your time to enjoy the meal.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGU00lWK1MKDZiFXU1akoiTsesFDhavc28EyJH1NyfhbPNydVt6sAlUs30FhcqbYNuF4k_QHAJxkG8UX0LGmlU0_K-zGMBvHFdhNL3QJlkzHGHMMOLUAHzGBo_rCXPFj5RBc4WlUsJ4ek/s1600/IMG_0283%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGU00lWK1MKDZiFXU1akoiTsesFDhavc28EyJH1NyfhbPNydVt6sAlUs30FhcqbYNuF4k_QHAJxkG8UX0LGmlU0_K-zGMBvHFdhNL3QJlkzHGHMMOLUAHzGBo_rCXPFj5RBc4WlUsJ4ek/s1600/IMG_0283%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrees from my last class. They were FABULOUS.<br />
Especially the ravioli with prawns and ham on the inside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I won't go into detail about the classes I took but here are a few quick observations and thoughts I have about my time.</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>It's a lot of fun! A little intimidating for me at first, and also made for VERY long days but it was worth it in the end.</li>
<li>I had three different chefs teaching the classes I took and none of them spoke English. All were very nice but one took a little more time to make sure I understood while the others took no notice that I could only understand 1 in 20 words.</li>
<li>Not knowing French didn't make a huge difference. Luckily cooking is a very visual thing. I would watch the demonstrations and figure out what I was supposed to do. The part I regretted was not being able to understand the little tips the chef would throw out, or instructions about storing and cooking temperatures.</li>
<li>Surprisingly the recipes were not handed out at class. It was assumed you had a web site account and had signed up over the Internet and you could print out the recipes there.</li>
<li>Six or fewer students is optimal. I had one class with 12 and one with 16 students. These were by far the least enjoyable courses. Too many cooks in the kitchen!</li>
<li>The ingredients we used were AMAZING - so fresh and some things I had never dreamed of using before. For example lemon con fit, fennel, and duck. All herbs were fresh and it truly made a huge difference.</li>
<li>Unless you're an experienced cook take the preparation times for the recipes on the web site and double them. Class always ran late and we had at least 50% of the prep work and ALL of the cleanup work done for us. In addition we worked in groups to prepare the ingredients. It takes MUCH longer in your own kitchen at home.</li>
<li>Translating the recipes from French to English isn't easy. I copy them and put them into Google Translate but there are a lot of ambiguous translations. Ingredients especially are hard to translate. I've made three different mousse dishes and tried making whipped cream twice and I'm still not buying the right types of cream or preparing it correctly. Things move so quickly in class that you just can't remember everything you learned. Having all in a foreign language makes it even more difficult.</li>
<li>The food is AMAZING. There is nothing that I really didn't enjoy.There are a couple of things I probably won't make but most of the recipes I will try at home.</li>
<li>Be prepared for a LOT of cleanup. Each recipe uses a lot of dishes and pots and pans. In class they cleaned up for us. Doesn't seem to work the same at home.</li>
<li>Be prepared to spend the big bucks on new pans and knives. Once you've used quality equipment you won't want to go back to Walmart Specials</li>
<li>Be prepared to have fun (and want to buy) a lot of new kitchen gadgets. I already splurged on a siphon to make mousse and Chantilly (whipped cream). So much fun to use CO2 cartridges in my kitchen. I have a list of other things I want to get.</li>
<li>Be prepared to never want to use packaged ingredients or dried herbs again. Flavors are amazing.</li>
<li>Other than the deserts the French recipes I've tried are basically good for you. Most have nothing but fresh ingredients with tons of vegetables. But you get caught with the calories with the heavy cream and oil used in many dishes. Entrees (appetizers and deserts are the worst) but honestly I think I can handle being 'fluffy' if I can eat this good.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Hope you enjoyed the article. When I get better at making some of the recipes on my own I'll try to post about those. Feel free to share and please leave a comment!</div>
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Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-47261999652291436122014-05-13T15:38:00.001-05:002014-05-13T15:38:27.209-05:00The Roundabout 13-May-2014<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvirh-Bx0R2TvAjfHK-QgQCiWdPQR9cL_tm7uiYNLBd0sfwoPBoDP7ymDT9kQcHqR3Vxuwv33bSiZhxmUCpX2_HqQjLBkfhGc0yJt5VIi9FL69ou-i6vrHLmc211TPDvpbYbOumeo975g/s1600/roundabout1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvirh-Bx0R2TvAjfHK-QgQCiWdPQR9cL_tm7uiYNLBd0sfwoPBoDP7ymDT9kQcHqR3Vxuwv33bSiZhxmUCpX2_HqQjLBkfhGc0yJt5VIi9FL69ou-i6vrHLmc211TPDvpbYbOumeo975g/s1600/roundabout1a.jpg" height="172" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roundabout Humor<br />Source Unknown</td></tr>
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<b><i>"Round and round and round I go. Where I'll stop, nobody knows"</i></b><br />
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Sometimes that's exactly how I feel when I drive in France.<br />
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One of the first things people often ask me is "Do you have to drive on the wrong side of the road?". Luckily the answer is - No.<br />
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This makes getting around much easier. But, since Toulouse and the surrounding metropolitan area has a population of over 1,200,000 - traffic can be a real problem. Since I come from small town Iowa I'm not used to, nor do I enjoy, trying to make my way through heavy traffic.<br />
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So far I have refused to drive in the city center of Toulouse itself. I'm sure you can conjure an image of small, winding European streets made of cobblestone and frequented by crazy drivers. That would be Centreville Toulouse. Parking is underground for the most part, and corners and parking spots are "compact" to put it mildly.<br />
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But outside of the main city center you will find navigating traffic to be much easier.<br />
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One of the first things you will notice is the large number of "roundabouts". Something we don't have many of where I live in the U.S.<br />
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But in France the roundabouts are everywhere and are well implemented, easy to use for the most part, and a great way to keep traffic flowing. <i><b>That is, as long as it isn't rush hour! </b></i> After 8:30 am and before 5:00 pm the roundabouts are a godsend. I drive from our house in Mondonville to the shopping mall in Blagnac and <b>NEVER </b>stop. There are no traffic lights and no stop signs. I go through a series of about 7-8 roundabouts and the trip takes me around 15 minutes.<br />
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However it's a different story when you drive during rush hour. Hundreds of cars trying to access all entry points of a roundabout at the same time makes for heavy congestion. Turning our normal 15 minute drive into 30 or 40 minutes. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlE5l_ZNxg14npVMq7Or0qzIhHI9Plt5xwzI51jeYhHLMXFyXSfyjFnJAIgEqPjLcCDHojyNxI4Sf8lO-xJnQ6MmbtUQ81Ict1wcrJ2U6R_fM0B6BVTn7D7KBhMe522sIozMGdUfLr3g/s1600/roundabout3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlE5l_ZNxg14npVMq7Or0qzIhHI9Plt5xwzI51jeYhHLMXFyXSfyjFnJAIgEqPjLcCDHojyNxI4Sf8lO-xJnQ6MmbtUQ81Ict1wcrJ2U6R_fM0B6BVTn7D7KBhMe522sIozMGdUfLr3g/s1600/roundabout3.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
As you approach a roundabout on the highway you will see white, curved arrows painted on the road to indicate you will enter a roundabout soon. You always turn right into the roundabout. If you need to stay in the roundabout you turn your left blinker on to indicate you are not exiting, so cars wanting to enter will wait for you to pass. If you are ready to leave the roundabout you turn your right blinker on to indicate to the car waiting to enter that you are leaving and it is safe for them to enter in front of you.<br />
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Most roundabouts allow for two lanes of traffic, which is nice for traffic flow, but if the roundabout is very congested it can be difficult to get from the inside lane to the outside lane to make your exit. It's only happened a couple of times but I have had to traverse the roundabout twice.<br />
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Having a GPS is essential in my opinion. The GPS will display the roundabout and all of the possible exits, highlighting the exit you need to take. I actually count the exits I need to pass on the GPS before I enter the roundabout, then count each one as I pass it to make sure I exit correctly. But if you miss it don't worry, just go around again or do a quick U-turn at the next roundabout and try again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh833xOREA1k7bWOrc4fCulg1wxju1zWw5THb0dLI8u2JAIRmXex6H9J7Q7xcCLB0IsfMNBiCStz38ZKPxAJ-MxPz7jv1Rbt_Uxle6TJeaAABWZ_p2pzAv77vmEGyOumAUYe99KQFtYX5w/s1600/roundabout1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh833xOREA1k7bWOrc4fCulg1wxju1zWw5THb0dLI8u2JAIRmXex6H9J7Q7xcCLB0IsfMNBiCStz38ZKPxAJ-MxPz7jv1Rbt_Uxle6TJeaAABWZ_p2pzAv77vmEGyOumAUYe99KQFtYX5w/s1600/roundabout1.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't have<br />the right of way</td></tr>
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Roundabouts aren't just on the highways. They make up nearly all of the intersections in most villages also. We were in France at least a few days before we saw our first stop sign or stop light.<br />
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Overall I really like the roundabout system. It would be wonderful in the U.S. especially in smaller towns. Waiting at stoplights would be a thing of the past. Roundabouts are intimidating at first, but once you drive them for a while they are very easy. I don't like the traffic and I'm not prepared to drive the tiny streets of downtown Toulouse just yet - but in general I'm finding driving comfortable overall.Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-16647803029455596172014-04-16T03:02:00.001-05:002014-04-16T03:02:07.951-05:00Toulouse Metro/Tram/Bus (14-April-2014)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6RiWRKGYkzFiXBYomg0oQjQZTze6bTc6X2cdTXMTpIT8uLzTkmChbeWETrO-R3fbVOc0kNQJkoCjIDyMNKDzbTCFEVyIhsFG4lHfiyZooVCI7fU9eA5pdXt6UgNE5-LdZYo-qIsLYcI/s1600/metro3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6RiWRKGYkzFiXBYomg0oQjQZTze6bTc6X2cdTXMTpIT8uLzTkmChbeWETrO-R3fbVOc0kNQJkoCjIDyMNKDzbTCFEVyIhsFG4lHfiyZooVCI7fU9eA5pdXt6UgNE5-LdZYo-qIsLYcI/s1600/metro3.jpg" height="200" width="187" /></a>I wanted to learn to use the public transportation system and talked my husband into going with me to figure it out. It was a beautiful day so we decided to go downtown Toulouse without the car.<br />
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The public transportation system in Toulouse is called Tisseo. It consists of buses, a tram and two metro lines (a third under construction)<br />
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We live in Mondonville which is about as far away as you can live and still have access to the Tisseo system. Normally for me to go downtown I would take a 20 minute bus ride from Mondonville to the first tram stop, then take a 40-50 minute tram line (about 20 stops) to the metro line I want. Then a 5-8 minute metro ride. When you factor in the waits for your bus, tram and metro to get to you - a trip downtown can easily take 60-90 minutes one-way. Not ideal.<br />
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To learn the system we drove to the first tram stop. There is free parking there which is one of the main reasons to use the system. Parking downtown can be as high as $20+ a day depending on how long you are there.<br />
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You can purchase Tisseo tickets at any of the tram stops. If you are taking a bus you can purchase from the bus driver. There are also a number of retail locations (Mostly Tobacs) that will also sell tickets. At the tram station the ticket machines are right next to where you get on and off the tram.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbg4zBlZiYtGS0OxdtFT2MZkpINlIwFQLSPG-yta2b8wLEqXIMttbu0r2rRVaX1LvObVbGwcUF-GMjdmqTIYspniy40iBT1uNJIjhiIXqVm_Lzr0gO6INihsxvz_qcCYAZX04yz6DBXM0/s1600/Metro2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbg4zBlZiYtGS0OxdtFT2MZkpINlIwFQLSPG-yta2b8wLEqXIMttbu0r2rRVaX1LvObVbGwcUF-GMjdmqTIYspniy40iBT1uNJIjhiIXqVm_Lzr0gO6INihsxvz_qcCYAZX04yz6DBXM0/s1600/Metro2.jpg" height="200" width="146" /></a>The machines allow you to purchase new tickets or to "recharge" your "Pastel" card - a permanent card with your photo that allows you to purchase multiple rides or unlimited rides for a month or a year at a much lower rate than a single ride. The cards are a great deal if you use the public transportation system much at all. Especially for students - Anyone under the age of 26 can purchase unlimited rides for only 10 Euro a month. Since many kids use the system every day they go to school the card is very economical. For adults a month pass is around 37 Euro. To obtain a Pastel card you must visit a Tisseo office and have a copy of a recent photo. They will make the card for you with a one time fee of 8 Euro.<br />
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The machines will allow you to choose your language which makes it very easy. You just select the options you want, including the type of ticket you want and how many. Once you've made your selection you can pay using your French bank cards, cash, or coins.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTZIAOva9UI6w0EpbuLz1BugDdKtDp6ZJuvTk-tYnrBFW5dAYfLJdFTSxaW9g1X9KpVhf7Qp66Lb_sIyrfG_ZAbiG_a8aUKosV8rEQTDchan9Y_ahL8vZZ1tClt0aI0YEV9Zk189ZPyQ/s1600/Metro4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFTZIAOva9UI6w0EpbuLz1BugDdKtDp6ZJuvTk-tYnrBFW5dAYfLJdFTSxaW9g1X9KpVhf7Qp66Lb_sIyrfG_ZAbiG_a8aUKosV8rEQTDchan9Y_ahL8vZZ1tClt0aI0YEV9Zk189ZPyQ/s1600/Metro4.jpg" height="286" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yea! We have our tickets</td></tr>
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When you board the bus, tram or train you will insert your ticket into a validation machine to show you have paid for your ride. A single journey ticket will allow you to change stops up to three times in one hour. So if you are taking the tram to the metro and the metro to a final destination then you can use your 1-journey ticket for both stops.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NrZ1lUMfwFD4oYET8ngdvA4lrJES6stRBYHlArRm9e9yONP4DMGtT_bRxNyGaVp5ruNQry0b02_ulGPTij3L26wYL9Wb9dDKDPho3FEwUHHj5bRs3pfAurdiSjvmhbIxZsInOpCIgTc/s1600/Metro5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0NrZ1lUMfwFD4oYET8ngdvA4lrJES6stRBYHlArRm9e9yONP4DMGtT_bRxNyGaVp5ruNQry0b02_ulGPTij3L26wYL9Wb9dDKDPho3FEwUHHj5bRs3pfAurdiSjvmhbIxZsInOpCIgTc/s1600/Metro5.jpg" height="200" width="161" /></a></div>
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When you're at the tram or metro stations you can determine where you are going very easily if you know your stop name. You can find out your stop name by visiting the Tisseo website before you go and creating your itinerary. You say where you are starting from and where you are going and it will tell you what types of transportation and what stops you need to take to get there. It includes walking directions if you need to walk during any part of your journey.<br />
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Sometimes the rural buses will say "Arete Demand" or Stop on Demand. This will be shown up by the driver. This means the driver will only stop at each stop along the line if you ask him or if he sees someone waiting at the stop. To ask the driver to stop you wait for your stop to be announced. Then you press one of the small red buttons located throughout the bus before you get to your stop. Very simple as long as you know where your stop is. I've also noticed on the buses that most people say goodbye or good day to the driver when they get off - especially the school kids.<br />
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Overall the system is very easy to use. I've used it now about 4-5 times and have never had any problem. It can be quite crowded but that is just part of the experience. You do need to be aware of your surroundings and be careful of pickpockets. Do not put your phone or wallet in your back pants pocket. Women keep the opening of your purse toward you with your hand over the top. If possible wear your purse strap over your head and one shoulder so it can't be grabbed. While I haven't had any problems yet I know it does happen with some regularity - so just travel smart.<br />
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For more information on the Toulouse transportation system visit <a href="http://tisseo.fr/">tisseo.fr</a>Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-80593458192157720422014-04-16T02:21:00.001-05:002014-04-16T02:21:09.678-05:00Inside Eglise de Raynaude (13-April-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtlnhXiA1hJQu_7rzRu8-0jVXujWk_T4LzznLZKMzGBGQ69id5oNnAzDPJDfarb31q0F36jPV2_5s4bIIg5h182gJ8SAZdrxxFkqf0uw63nz5C-Evlst6M3KqXGykWi-9MF6W5I8U52Q/s1600/church4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtlnhXiA1hJQu_7rzRu8-0jVXujWk_T4LzznLZKMzGBGQ69id5oNnAzDPJDfarb31q0F36jPV2_5s4bIIg5h182gJ8SAZdrxxFkqf0uw63nz5C-Evlst6M3KqXGykWi-9MF6W5I8U52Q/s1600/church4.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a></div>
In my previous post I talked about the Chemin de Croix behind the Eglise de Raynaude. Here I just wanted to post a few of the photos we took inside the church itself and of the cemetery at the top of the hill behind the church.<br />
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The door of the church was open so we went on in. Based on the articles I read the church was finished some time around 1863 making it about 150 years old.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbA13fpg_FgS_up57I2QYGqSvz6d9-uYyjVvL0be5wPo0k9EO0Mb8tSdMC0mxeCMhz5haNYt45_STSZQXEG-wMsYro__BJuirvRVa7-XQzix4_o_D6neXcZlWlLJsSwHP8bPl1_NzCMcQ/s1600/Church2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbA13fpg_FgS_up57I2QYGqSvz6d9-uYyjVvL0be5wPo0k9EO0Mb8tSdMC0mxeCMhz5haNYt45_STSZQXEG-wMsYro__BJuirvRVa7-XQzix4_o_D6neXcZlWlLJsSwHP8bPl1_NzCMcQ/s1600/Church2.jpg" height="200" width="135" /></a>The most striking feature of the church is the stained glass windows. I have no idea if they are original or were added later. The colors are some of the brightest I have seen in a church - very beautiful.<br />
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The cemetery behind the church was a mix of old and new burial plots. The oldest we found was dated 1908 but there a couple that we couldn't read. Many were from the last decade.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9znbfVAk6sA9yDUNAEt8H5DE_u8scqI9G9O2ppHUgZfudMnjzAVbmUmxUnPVP_Awhqu71RP8dSlzTZ_cUjL2FCkUx_v5vma08d354-0QN0qLYA3Qc0JOz6TcN-p-8F3CqijHT0y8SHEM/s1600/church5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9znbfVAk6sA9yDUNAEt8H5DE_u8scqI9G9O2ppHUgZfudMnjzAVbmUmxUnPVP_Awhqu71RP8dSlzTZ_cUjL2FCkUx_v5vma08d354-0QN0qLYA3Qc0JOz6TcN-p-8F3CqijHT0y8SHEM/s1600/church5.jpg" height="154" width="200" /></a></div>
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What I found interesting is that the new graves were decorated with plaques and flowers. Each of the plaques from from a friend or family member and some had small quotes on them. They would say "From a cousin", "From a Brother-in-law", "From an Uncle" - etc.<br />
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They were arranged nicely and it was very pleasant to see that so many people cared for the person who had died. I have seen different plaques when I attend a funeral but I have not visited a cemetery for some time to see if the plaques are left on the graves in the United States - your comments on this are welcome!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJDq_IUvy_vdj_eF07oXcdu3GO5RjYcLviX47L7PEAIc0Y0qmROXm5qay0mVzEuoKqKefi5j9d2q-iT4i4hkD59uefEFjL9vVR1grirBJIrIj5VZfgk3WwqTh8ZUKvIdu0IEymw8SKm0/s1600/church3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJDq_IUvy_vdj_eF07oXcdu3GO5RjYcLviX47L7PEAIc0Y0qmROXm5qay0mVzEuoKqKefi5j9d2q-iT4i4hkD59uefEFjL9vVR1grirBJIrIj5VZfgk3WwqTh8ZUKvIdu0IEymw8SKm0/s1600/church3.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a>I hope you enjoy the photos. You can read more about the church <a href="http://www.arize.fr/L-eglise-et-le-chemin-de-croix-de.html" target="_blank">at this link</a>Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-23642124555174082792014-04-14T12:46:00.004-05:002014-04-16T01:52:55.891-05:00Chemin de Croix - Stations of the Cross (13-April-2014)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VwQqO5ItmNjPqOZ3sjeL_aIHPrQlsBEHGKHjxlatDMa5H7cDJ8DVNEcJuWh9e1AYkhaisyV1vBVkpzpNaca2hCrhM1mfUOAzyo_tNqUpKQyDtBHgvEDQ27hfSkx0GMDY_dMlIRp2kPM/s1600/eglise1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VwQqO5ItmNjPqOZ3sjeL_aIHPrQlsBEHGKHjxlatDMa5H7cDJ8DVNEcJuWh9e1AYkhaisyV1vBVkpzpNaca2hCrhM1mfUOAzyo_tNqUpKQyDtBHgvEDQ27hfSkx0GMDY_dMlIRp2kPM/s1600/eglise1.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stations of the Cross</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Sunday April 13, 2014 my husband I decided to take off in the car and head toward the Pyrenees.<br />
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We had no particular destination in mind but Paul had printed off a page with some things to see in the area of St. Girons. We had driven about 90 minutes and hadn't seen anything interesting when we turned a corner in the road and both said "What is that? We've got to check it out."<br />
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We had stumbled up Eglise (Church) de Raynaude. But what really caught our attention was the Chemin de Croix - the Stations of the Cross. What we first thought might be individual burial vaults on the top of the hill behind the church turned out to be a beautiful and humble way to follow the path of Jesus Christ during his last few days and the walk to the top of the hill for his crucifixion.<br />
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Behind the church is a steep winding path leading to a cemetery at the top. As you climb the path you encounter 14 different stations. Each station represents a step or event as Jesus went with the cross. Inside the station is a small plaque telling what happened at that point and references a corresponding bible verse.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhDXBhVo5paMDkQXxNbHVZCPsQ0FHnxE2nhtc1uqCWuPQplYYJpvMhakDhvVBVu-4SLAPZdcRmZFmPLtDW8U38yMr2M-XOg0WIxO1_tG2O10YLWLECuFmz7VupbywfZK5gNma1FBpkmE/s1600/station1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZhDXBhVo5paMDkQXxNbHVZCPsQ0FHnxE2nhtc1uqCWuPQplYYJpvMhakDhvVBVu-4SLAPZdcRmZFmPLtDW8U38yMr2M-XOg0WIxO1_tG2O10YLWLECuFmz7VupbywfZK5gNma1FBpkmE/s1600/station1.jpg" height="200" width="153" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesus is condemned to die</td></tr>
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The first station is "Jesus is condemned to die", followed by others such as "Jesus falls for the first time", Jesus says "I thirst" and so on until he dies and is laid in his tomb. The stations of the cross stop short of the resurrection and instead focus on the sacrifice and turmoil of His last days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjg80EsJyYgnWvk5vAosK4Y89RKCYIzqtqKEVAQHOpr4jVHY3usNOqLFU7cGV_yV4o4ERbL4LbwCDokSSE2X9eLsEHi1dpOX_menonpkfeOfNIj8be75iiF164UMsNjokndeLFwN4IPE/s1600/station2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjg80EsJyYgnWvk5vAosK4Y89RKCYIzqtqKEVAQHOpr4jVHY3usNOqLFU7cGV_yV4o4ERbL4LbwCDokSSE2X9eLsEHi1dpOX_menonpkfeOfNIj8be75iiF164UMsNjokndeLFwN4IPE/s1600/station2.jpg" height="200" width="147" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilot washing his hands</td></tr>
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What a beautiful journey to take and it was so fortunate that we stumbled upon this place on Palm Sunday. We stopped at all of the stations and took photos of a few and then walked through the cemetery where the oldest grave we found was from 1908. I can envision the entire congregation walking the path on Good Friday.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1wgrpBn4mBFqT4W6NPcyDmcYbXwFQ_B2D4DdSHx9mteCvDZ2NvXuIKX_KpDDvK_NpOIxFopMIJEOudTmuMDwTPj5-ldoIG5Dw2MAzgwpwrQBDIs3NPWMNRiN-3vzZ9PQQmvCfP0TYr4/s1600/station4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1wgrpBn4mBFqT4W6NPcyDmcYbXwFQ_B2D4DdSHx9mteCvDZ2NvXuIKX_KpDDvK_NpOIxFopMIJEOudTmuMDwTPj5-ldoIG5Dw2MAzgwpwrQBDIs3NPWMNRiN-3vzZ9PQQmvCfP0TYr4/s1600/station4.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a>The very last station had a couple of notebooks and a pen where you could write your thoughts or a prayer to God. I did not leave a message of my own but read a few from previous visitors. It was a wonderful experience.<br />
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My husband and I tried to capture this beautiful spot in our photos - but being there in person was a real treat.<br />
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You can read more about Eglise de Raynaude and the Chemin de Croix <a href="http://www.arize.fr/L-eglise-et-le-chemin-de-croix-de.html" target="_blank">at this link</a>Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-18292068116426325762014-04-14T06:24:00.000-05:002014-04-14T06:24:03.867-05:00Potty Talk (10-April-2014)May seem like a strange thing to talk about but going to the bathroom can be a little different in France when compared to what I'm used to in the United States. And since this blog is about new and different experiences in France - we're going to talk about toilets - or "aux toilettes".<br />
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Three things come to mind on this topic.<br />
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<b>1.) Bathrooms in the house are just that - BATH rooms.</b><br />
In France the toilet will not be in the bathroom like you find them in the United States. The bathroom is for bathing or washing up. The 'toilette' is for going to the toilet. The photo to the left is one of the toilets in our house. We have four bathrooms - one in each bedroom of the house. Three of those have a shower and a sink. The master bedroom has a shower, two sinks and a tub.<br />
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The house also has two toilets. The one shown is in the section of the house with the bedrooms. The other is more toward the front of the house and would be the one used by guests.<br />
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Note in the photo - there is NO SINK - yuck. So when I get up in the middle of the night to use the toilet first I go into our bathroom and then remember there is no toilet there (I'm getting better at that). Then I cross the hall to use the toilet. Then I go back into the bedroom bathroom to wash my hands. Then back to bed.<br />
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I really don't mind that the toilets are separate - it kind of makes sense. But definitely think there should be a sink.<br />
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<b>2.) Public toilets - the Squatty Potty</b><br />
Using a public toilet can be interesting. If you are in a village visiting a tourist sight and need to use the restroom there is a very good chance you will be directed to a squat toilet - sometimes referred to as a Turkish toilet. Normally there is no sink and very often there is no toilet paper. There may not even be a door, so if you REALLY need go you may want a spouse or friend to stand guard while you do your business.<br />
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I knew from previous visits that these were something I might run into. But the last time I was in France was 19 years ago and I had hopes that things would be more 'modernized' by now. I encountered my first squat toilet while visiting the Chateau de Najac. I took one look and said "I'm waiting for the next town". In the next town there was a much more modern building but it still had squat toilets. The advantage was there was a door on the stall, and toilet paper, and a sink! <b><i>Jackpot!! </i></b><br />
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I decided I'd best get this down to a science soon and prayed I wouldn't pee all over my slacks. But -everything came out OK - (sorry - couldn't resist).<br />
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<b>Lessons learned:</b> Take toilet paper with you everywhere and take either some packets of wet wipes or small container of antibacterial gel for your hands. Put your feet where indicated or you will be too far forward. Squat low and hold those pants out of the way. Sometimes it pays to be a guy.<br />
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<b>3.) Peeing and pooping on the street.</b><br />
I had heard that in France you may see people (mostly men) pee in public. I had never seen this in my last three visits and wasn't sure it was true - at least any more. However - as we drove to meet some friends for supper we saw a mother and small child on the sidewalk. The mother was holding her child in a 'squat' position with butt exposed to the world so they could "go". I turned away before I could tell what 'level' of going was in progress. I said to my husband "Did you see what I just saw?" Yep. I have seen cars in the U.S. pulled over on a highway or back road so the small kids could go. Not very often but it does happen. But I've never seen anyone pee or poop on a town sidewalk.<br />
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A quick Google search of "French public peeing" shows that this is not uncommon and is actually a problem in many places (Paris metro for example). Not something you'll see everyday but still - Ewww!!!!Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-44718903113796415752014-04-07T09:47:00.000-05:002014-04-07T09:48:10.230-05:00Here Kitty Kitty - Part 2 (18-Mar-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Before we left for France on March 11, we made sure everything was in place to have our cat Xoom transported to France a week later.<br />
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Xoom would stay home under the care of our GREAT, AWESOME friend. Then on Sunday March 16, two of my AMAZING friends would drive Xoom from Swisher, IA to the pet facility near the Chicago O'Hare airport. You know you have unbelievably wonderful friends when they volunteer to drive 8-9 hours round trip with your cat. I was so touched that they would do this for me.<br />
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Xoom would stay overnight in Chicago on Sunday and most of Monday. By mid-afternoon Xoom would be loaded onto the cargo hold of British Airlines plane for a direct flight to London. In London Xoom would be taken off the plane and would be examined by a Vet.<br />
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After a four hour layover Xoom would be loaded on another plane for a flight to Marseilles France. There he would be met by a representative from PetRelocation.com. This representative takes care of all of the requirements for getting our pet through customs.Once that was done they loaded Xoom into their van and drove about 4 hours to our home in Mondonville France.<br />
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So far so good. However the reunion with my beloved cat did not go exactly as I had hoped.<br />
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Xoom arrived at our house around 8:45 pm on Tuesday - nearly three days after leaving our home in Iowa. He was obviously overwhelmed and frightened. We let him out of the kennel and he started exploring the house. This was a mistake. The new house is very large and I'm afraid it overwhelmed him even more.<br />
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After a few minutes Xoom started crying a horrible low pain-filled cry. Then he collapsed. We believe he fainted. His eyes were open and he was breathing but he was completely limp and non-responsive. To say I was upset would be a major understatement. We did not have a vet lined up and did not know how to contact one. I took Xoom back to the kennel thinking he may feel safer there, and Paul got on the internet to search for a vet and possibly find out what was wrong and what we could do about it.<br />
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Xoom came around shortly and I got dressed for bed and took him bed with me with the lights off. I talked very softly non-stop while petting him. After a time he seemed to understand who I was. He started kneading the blankets by me and then laid down and fell sound asleep. I stayed awake with him for nearly the entire night. He would wake up, frightened every once in a while and I would talk to him until he fell asleep again. Around 3:00 am he woke up again and I put him by his dish of water. He drank for nearly 7 minutes. He came back to bed and slept for most of the remaining night.<br />
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I was exhausted. I had cried for so long and stayed up through the night but I felt things were better. We believe that Xoom ate, drank and slept very little if at all for his entire journey. Being dehydrated was very dangerous for him since he already had kidney problems.<br />
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Over the next few days Xoom would drink but would not eat. I went to the vet and talked to her and purchased some canned food specifically for cats with kidney problems. I used a plastic syringe to feed him 3-4 times a day.<br />
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After a few days he started eating on his own. As of this writing it has been about two weeks since he came to stay with us. He has continued to regain his appetite and is coming out to investigate more and more.<br />
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If I had it to do all over again I'm not sure I would make the same decision. The main thing I would change is to do anything possible to shorten the length of the overall journey. I would have had him transported to Chicago on Monday instead of Sunday and possibly would have driven to Marseilles to pick him up myself instead of having an additional four hours with strangers.<br />
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But what is done is done. I'm glad he is here with me as I spend the majority of my time alone in the house. But I'm already terribly worried about what we will do when it is time to return to the United States. Xoom will be nearly 16 when it's time to return home. I will have a terrible decision to make at that time.<br />
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For now I'm enjoying having him with me and am trying not to worry about the move back home.<br />
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Remember - if you are using a pet relocation service they do not travel with your pet. They help you coordinate the move and make sure everything is in perfect order. A very valuable service. They will provide someone to transport your pet to and from the airline if needed, but once on the plane your pet is on his own. Whether you arrange the journey on your own or with an agency I advise that you do everything possible to make the journey as short as possible.<br />
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<br />Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-83975749678746547322014-04-07T07:22:00.000-05:002014-04-07T07:22:11.923-05:00Here Kitty Kitty - Part 1 (18-Mar-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There were two issues regarding our move that were more stressful for me than others. One was what would happen to my business, and the other was what would happen to my cat Xoom?<br />
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Xoom has been with our family for over 13 years and the thought of leaving him behind was horrible. We looked into what it would take to bring him with us and made the decision that he would come along.<br />
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First I found a pet relocation company and chose PetRelocation.com. All they do is move pets from one place to another all over the world.<br />
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I decided to use a company for the following reasons:<br />
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1.) I had so much going on with the move that I didn't want to have to spend too much time on moving Xoom.<br />
2.) There is a lot of paperwork and it must be done exactly right. If not your pet can be turned away at any point in the process. Most of the paperwork has to do with customs upon entering France.<br />
3.) You can't take a pet with you under your seat on an international flight like you can on a domestic flight. Your pet must ride in the cargo hold.<br />
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I started working with PetRelocation as early as I was able in our move process - at least 5-6 weeks before the actual move date. Sooner is probably better. My responsibilities included the following:<br />
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1.) Have a vet exam before we even make our final decision to make sure my cat was healthy enough to travel. He is in the very early stages of kidney failure and if the vet didn't think he should make the journey then there was no point in progressing further. Xoom checked out fine so we committed ourselves to the move. (Cost around $50)<br />
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2.) Xoom needed a microchip implant and a rabies vaccination at least 10 days before he traveled. The rabies vaccination was required after the chip implant, even if he had recently had one. (Cost about $60)<br />
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3.) I had to purchase the proper kennel - MUCH larger than anticipated, and it had to be one approved for travel on the airline we would be using. (Cost around $70). In addition we had to purchase absorbent liners for the kennel and water dishes (which were included)<br />
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4.) I provided a bunch of information for PetRelocation.com. This is the part that would have been very difficult on my own. Information included a letter stating, in French, showing we did have a valid reason to move to France (proof of Paul's job), information on Xoom's breed, coloring, weight etc.<br />
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Eight days before Xoom would travel and the day before my husband and I left, I took Xoom in for a final vet check. This is required. The relocation company provided us with very detailed instructions on how the vet should fill out the papers to ensure Xoom would have all the proper paperwork for his journey. This was a HUGE help. Before I left the vets office they faxed all of the paperwork to the relocation agent who went through everything, identified a couple of mistakes we had made, and then approved the paperwork.<br />
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When I left the vet I had a prepaid addressed envelope to send the entire package of documents to the USDA for approval. They then forwarded everything to the address of the place that would actually ship Xoom - in Chicago.<br />
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I must say my vet and his staff at Animal Kingdom were AWESOME - they worked with me and the PetRelocation company through the entire process.<br />
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Xoom was ready to go! All of the paperwork was approved and all should be fine. I'll have more on the actual move in my next post.<br />
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One Note:<br />
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Using a pet relocation service for a move from the U.S. to France is VERY expensive. I don't think it is fair to PetRelocation for me to post the cost - but it would be outside the realm of possibility for many families. It was difficult for me to stomach the cost but I made the decision that it was something I needed to do. One good thing is that pet relocation expenses are often tax deductible if the service is due to a change in job.Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-63063043501200721922014-04-03T10:06:00.001-05:002014-04-03T12:23:20.545-05:00Internet and Money and I'll be fine (13-Mar-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once I landed in Europe my Iphone no longer worked. I turned off the data feed so I wouldn't get hit with huge roaming charges from my Verizon account back home.<br />
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No smartphone - what's a girl to do? And no internet at our house - this meant no Facebook - unthinkable!<br />
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We also don't have access to a French bank account. We can use our U.S. bank cards to get cash from an ATM but there are international fees involved and some places charge an additional percentage or three above the current conversion rate. In addition our house rent, phone/internet bills, and renters insurance are all set up to automatically be deducted from our French bank account and we need to setup and fund that account by the first of April.<br />
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Once again we are VERY thankful for the relocation company hired to help us with these initial moving in things. Before we arrived they had worked on the lease to the house, the phone and internet service and started the paperwork on our French bank account. And there is a LOT of paperwork.<br />
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Some involved the "chicken and the egg" scenario. We can't open a bank account unless we can provide a utility bill from our new address. But we can't open up a utility account unless we have a bank account. The relocation agents had worked with all of this paperwork before and knew how to help.<br />
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First we went to Orange - the telecommunication company that would provide our land line, home internet, home tv, and convert my IPhone to a sim card and number that would work in France.<br />
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When you enter a place like Orange (think Verizon) - you stand in line and wait for an agent to come to you. I have read that you can sometimes expect to wait quite a while for your turn but we got attended to right away. When in this situation they have a few employees helping customers and it is impolite to talk loudly, conversations are conducted in a normal talking voice with attention to privacy of the other customers.<br />
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Right away I got a new sim card for my Iphone and a new phone number. We purchased a plan that allows me to call the United States at no additional charge, along with a number of other countries, including Ireland where my daughter is studying. We got the equipment needed and finalized the account.<br />
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Next our agent took us to the bank and introduced us to the person who would help set up our account. She was from England so the entire meeting was conducted in English. Lots of questions and lots of paperwork needed. Luckily Paul was on top of this and had most everything they needed.<br />
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Once our French bank account was set up we were surprised to find that they couldn't help us transfer money from our account with the SAME bank in the United States. We would receive user ids and passwords in the mail in the next couple of days and would be able to do it ourselves then. So - still no access to money for awhile, other than our U.S. visa card and ATM access.<br />
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When we were done our relocation agent showed us a great French restaurant. So good - especially dessert.<br />
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We had to wait a couple of days for internet at the house and the final access to the bank account but all was in the works and it felt good to have made some progress.Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-81003794573411828802014-04-03T07:53:00.002-05:002014-04-03T08:10:46.609-05:00La Maison - Upon Closer Inspection (13-Mars-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqX5PyivEn3cZY1lt448-Ozvcf0CwKAgXnPskPVHSndd9hD4DUNvgcCMPlsHD-GGlnzCahrnFSKW2qkW-5olcfel75eT9P37UCysq8OvNrnyYWrXJHIuDXnE0Pvm3L-5EJi-O09FVvxo/s1600/Foyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqX5PyivEn3cZY1lt448-Ozvcf0CwKAgXnPskPVHSndd9hD4DUNvgcCMPlsHD-GGlnzCahrnFSKW2qkW-5olcfel75eT9P37UCysq8OvNrnyYWrXJHIuDXnE0Pvm3L-5EJi-O09FVvxo/s1600/Foyer.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
Note before reading: The tone of this post may sound negative. That is not my intent. I am <b>very </b>happy with the house and glad we were able to rent it for our stay. I'm just trying to provide some honest insight to our initial reactions during the move. This post reflects my reaction on day two, we've been here over two weeks now and most of the items are already taken care of or being addressed. I'm very happy with our choice of homes!<br />
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So the first night is behind us and we are waking up to our first full day in our new home. Time to take a closer look.<br />
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Like I said - the house is very large - but a lot of it is the open foyer that you enter when you come in the front door. (photo to left).<br />
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I'll try to explain some of the rooms in a later post but first let me talk about the age of the house and some of the items in it.<br />
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We <i>think </i>the house is around 50 years old. I believe it was built by our landlord and he and his wife lived her for 35 years. Unfortunately his wife passed away and he decided to move to the city. The house has been rented ever since. The house was and still is obviously very grand. But it is also showing its age.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETKaz3YiJ1gGhQ0un3JmMGiqWm21l8dMkPIoZYxjCssC8OqzqA0Dltbw5fj_mrIepyZqcWP7deTUWvjR4qgnApq8mb9rQNaJLbV6C33_iJ4CwB64VVDz41IH5DUSm2QNjQE2peU6brWg/s1600/oldcarpet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETKaz3YiJ1gGhQ0un3JmMGiqWm21l8dMkPIoZYxjCssC8OqzqA0Dltbw5fj_mrIepyZqcWP7deTUWvjR4qgnApq8mb9rQNaJLbV6C33_iJ4CwB64VVDz41IH5DUSm2QNjQE2peU6brWg/s1600/oldcarpet.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a></div>
As I walked through the house and looked at (and smelled) things I started to have some misgivings. Lots of mildew smells. The hallway carpet to the bedrooms in very old and stained and the carpet in our bedroom is also very old. The drapes I'm sure are original and in bad need of cleaning. The kitchen smelled greasy and the cupboards were literally piled with pots and pans, many of which were very worn and in need of being replaced. (I've since emptied the cupboards, washed everything and sorted out the unusable items)<br />
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There are two beautiful fireplaces that we aren't allowed to use because they are old and the landlord doesn't want to risk a fire. (nor do we!) The couch in the living room area is an off-white and is visibly stained (I've already removed the cushion covers and washed those)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjwAKeuZsna3wVur-pcnWt7JgLnaQjDSz6I-QnRgTu0vYKZ1WudBD0nL26bxxcpy3rOkIoKRGoG4TO6mCCjzEoD1vE4FV7agQr9gw3zvNNT8WJ5AJwITbOjlbOX4-smG9E2S1zVqpwFE/s1600/moldspot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjwAKeuZsna3wVur-pcnWt7JgLnaQjDSz6I-QnRgTu0vYKZ1WudBD0nL26bxxcpy3rOkIoKRGoG4TO6mCCjzEoD1vE4FV7agQr9gw3zvNNT8WJ5AJwITbOjlbOX4-smG9E2S1zVqpwFE/s1600/moldspot.jpg" height="182" width="200" /></a>The beds in two of the bedrooms, including ours, are old. They were very nice in their time but the mattresses are stained and musty. Worse - there are signs of mold in the bedroom we plan to use for our daughter and in the adjoining closet in our bedroom.<br />
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Part of my misgivings I put down to simply being American and expecting everything to be new. I truly believe it's a "cultural thing". This is a big adjustment for me. Paul and I have never been 'fixer-upper' people. We are much more the type to remodel. Our home in the States is very modern and although I'm not a good housekeeper (really!) - we don't have the same types of aging signs that are evident in our new home.<br />
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Another part I put down to having multiple families living in the home for the last 6-10 years (not sure how long it has been rented). Renters don't have the luxury of making big changes and when you know your stay is temporary you are less inclined to put a lot of time or money into fixing up or changing things in a house you don't own.<br />
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Fortunately our landlord is very understanding. He has a caretaker (Georges) who lives on our property and he has already been here to address the important things like the mold (which is from an old water event and was handled by a professional cleaning company a couple of years ago) and to give us permission to throw some things out if they are broken or can't be used. More on that later.<br />
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So - I have a lot of cleaning to do. Over the last couple of weeks I've wondered if we should have looked at more options such as a newer apartment in the city. But that is a moot point now. I know that once I've unpacked completely and become more comfortable I will be happy in our new home. I know I will also be very glad to have the extra space when company starts to arrive.<br />
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It's not bad it's just different, as is everything else we do here. A little elbow grease and attitude adjustment on my part and we'll be set for a very happy stay in our new house. After all - it isn't the house that makes a home.Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-46157527727535380002014-04-01T08:04:00.001-05:002014-04-03T07:56:22.439-05:00La Maison - First Look (12-Mars-2014)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFmFS4mzhXm1hzetEfZERlFvptkZq8tpIyVJAM59NculnX685KaV1T1fBuPcg7AKu0nmq5SXfdh6rpdDJRBlYWLlW5NouPQ3fr8rOFjRt5zAQaY2pksxX6_WAE5ssBLqpKwm4AFxllJU/s1600/20140316h15_g4090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFmFS4mzhXm1hzetEfZERlFvptkZq8tpIyVJAM59NculnX685KaV1T1fBuPcg7AKu0nmq5SXfdh6rpdDJRBlYWLlW5NouPQ3fr8rOFjRt5zAQaY2pksxX6_WAE5ssBLqpKwm4AFxllJU/s1600/20140316h15_g4090.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
The first thing we did after our plane landed was to follow the relocation agent (French Speaking - Yea!) to the house we would be renting. We were to meet the landlord, go over the lease, sign it and start moving in. This is something that would have been very difficult without the relocation company to help us. Our landlord speaks very good English but there were many questions that needed clarification.<br />
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We were told during our cultural training that in general we could expect lots of 'attention to process' while in France. That proved true during our meeting with the landlord. Lots of paperwork, a walk-through of the house and a complete inventory of every item in every room. After two hours we were done and alone in our home - IN FRANCE. Wow!<br />
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Our first impression was "This house is HUGE". We knew it would be big, but it is really, really, big. We have a large house in the States but this one is bigger. My first thought was <b>"What have we done? We don't need a house this large"</b>.<br />
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But - we do hope to have visitors and wanted to have at least three bedrooms. We also hope our daughter will stay with us as much as she is able.<br />
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At the same time we were thinking "This house is AWESOME". It is on the edge of a very small town with a lot of land - very unusual in France. Almost completely isolated and quiet. I knew we would appreciate this aspect very much.<br />
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So first day in France and already in our new home - and exhausted! Time to find the bedroom and finally sleep after 17+ hours of travel.Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2516337317028451434.post-33317717916201619582014-03-26T08:54:00.000-05:002014-03-26T09:00:39.986-05:00I'm Leaving - On a Jet Plane...Finally! Let me say that one more time - FINALLY the day arrived for us to leave for France. I had honestly doubted we would ever really go. Surely someone, somewhere would change their minds. But no, we're going.<br />
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I thought I might have travel horror story to tell. But honestly our flights went perfectly. And as an added bonus all of our luggage arrived with us.<br />
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We left Cedar Rapids Iowa around 1:30 (thanks to great neighbors giving us and all of our luggage a ride to the airport). We flew to Detroit, had about a two hour layover and then flew on to Amsterdam.<br />
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The most exciting part of our trip was getting upgraded to Business Class on the flight from Detroit to Amsterdam.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNJZ0cLEs1UwOX8Xgrqhbf_rqHpjCowYYCg9XMOHcjrLq6gBn8Z9v8lYonFdK_bNj5UUlKVwRL4g6olqA7S6QyOW6l_2kF2b7dSeaUopNi3sk-iwTvWUooPZ9BnBVCe3xQNkDRrhAQKA/s1600/Plane2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNJZ0cLEs1UwOX8Xgrqhbf_rqHpjCowYYCg9XMOHcjrLq6gBn8Z9v8lYonFdK_bNj5UUlKVwRL4g6olqA7S6QyOW6l_2kF2b7dSeaUopNi3sk-iwTvWUooPZ9BnBVCe3xQNkDRrhAQKA/s1600/Plane2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>I was so excited I snapped a couple of photos (this was certainly blog and scrapbook material). Came to find out - NO PHOTOS ALLOWED - supposedly for security reasons. Who knew? But I managed to get a couple of shots off and only suffered mild embarrassment. It was definitely worth it.<br />
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We went through immigration in Amsterdam. That consisted of, well, nothing. I handed the lady my passport, she stamped it and I went through security.<br />
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My husband, Paul, had only a little more trouble. He was carrying a backpack full of camera equipment, a laptop and a tablet. In the U.S. you don't have to put the tablet in a separate bin. I left mine in my bag and had no problems. But Paul got stopped. The security team took every piece of camera equipment out of the bag and then sent it all through security again. All was fine after that. A minor 5-10 minute delay.<br />
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We had another 2 hour layover in Amsterdam and then flew to Toulouse. I was expecting more immigration questions in Toulouse but we had nothing to declare and were able to just walk through to the exit.<br />
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A relocation representative was waiting for us along with the keys to the car we were leasing. SO nice and SO convenient. We followed her to the house we were renting and that was it! Travel was over, we are now in France. All in all we were in airports or on airplanes just over 17 hours.<br />
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Time to check out our new home!Cobweb Corner Cross Stitchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02506245942865260542noreply@blogger.com1