tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1509635830425010512012-01-02T22:12:38.941-06:00We worked and saved for 5.5 years for my husband to take a year off of work. We spent 8 months of that year in the Tarn, in France. Now that we are back home, we are rediscovering the beauty of our life here, while missing pieces of our life in the Tarn. Will we make it back to the Tarn? We certainly hope so...Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.comBlogger851100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-6954373468680604022011-09-19T15:15:00.000-05:002011-09-19T15:15:26.984-05:00

I'm getting itchy feet. Ya hear that, world?  Do I need to say it louder than a whisper of keys tapping on a computer?  I'M GETTING ITCHY FEET!!! I want to go somewhere else. Live somewhere else. Experience a different rhythm to my days and nights, and hear a different language and smell different food and, and, and... We are exploring different options, to make this happen.  (Shhh, don't

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-3040261155895752742011-04-19T18:59:00.000-05:002011-04-19T18:59:54.279-05:00

It is the twilight of this day (the light gone, early, to dusty grey)Children are playing, outside, the noise of their delights softly muffled through the cocooning walls of my home, leaving me undisturbed, yet aware of the tenor of play and boys' emotions. I am soft, happy, drifting...alone yet not lonelywith my little people, just on the other side of the wallssoon to come crashing through the

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-69593240285699826052011-03-08T11:42:00.002-06:002011-03-15T11:08:56.057-05:00

Today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day.  In celebration of this day, on her Facebook fan page, The Feminist Breeder asks:    Today, on the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day, I'd like to celebrate all the multi-tasking mamas raising babies while raising awareness. What are you celebrating today?   My answer?   I am celebrating our success in advocating for

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-89487627538577575232011-01-04T10:18:00.040-06:002011-01-04T10:29:55.066-06:00

September 20th, 2010 I like to write... little dribbles of words that stream out, sometimes on paper or screen, most times not... I like to play with colour and paint on my walls, and window coverings, and funky frames, and then I don't take the time to pull all of it together into the big imagined end product, because... I'm not entirely sure why... (I'll have to think on this some more...)

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-64468538491308277692010-11-29T09:07:00.001-06:002011-01-02T11:56:22.668-06:00

Said Lloyd to Margo last night at the dinner table, in an attempt to entice her to try a bite of her salmon:  "Eat your salmon, Margo!  Salmon helps makes you smart!" "But I'm already smart!" (Accompanied by much fluttering of her eyelashes, and a smug look of victory on her little face.) Indeed you are, Margo, indeed you are...

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-80892146981240292652010-09-02T13:52:00.001-05:002010-09-08T23:16:23.730-05:00

Yesterday, it was my birthday.  There was no angst or worry associated with this day.  It is not a "special" year, as far as notable birthdays go.  36 is neither young nor old,, in my opinion, but as all good birthdays must, it includes cake.  Now, I like cake.  Actually, I really like cake!  In fact, it is one of my favourite things.  I love eating them, admiring them, reading blogs about them,

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-33397129712312573012010-08-28T11:45:00.001-05:002010-08-28T11:49:26.715-05:00

Well, we are officially finished with summer holidays, now that the boys have been back at school for a day and a half so far.  (Back at school, already!!, you may wonder.  Why yes, we are.  Our school division sends us back to school a bit early, but we do have many days and half-days off through the school year.  There are two days off in September alone, in addition to the statutory holiday of

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-57996986962836652012010-08-15T17:37:00.003-05:002010-08-28T09:33:48.992-05:00

I never thought that I would be so glad to be who I am.  I live a life that is often boring and normal, and... and... well, BORING.  It is just not that exciting, is it?  The excitement of our trip is past, and we've settled well into the sort of every day routines that many families have in the summer. We've enjoyed swimming lessons at the pool, marshmallow roasts in the backyard, picnics at the

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-59252282271290346292010-07-25T22:56:00.000-05:002010-07-25T22:56:06.033-05:00

The lonely, tiny, "safety stop" at the edge of the highway.  (This is the major highway into our community.) This has been a very, very wet spring and summer.  BUT, the lush green grass and the wonderful trees are a perfect frame for the ever-present sloughs just off the side of the road.  The water is so blue - a perfect reflection of the sky. Every now and then, one drives by these,

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-6169372676569585212010-07-18T14:19:00.002-05:002010-07-18T14:36:04.938-05:00

From our last visit with G and J (our landlady and her husband) in the Tarn, in early April 2010. Photos taken by J... I miss France a little bit right now... Margo  Riley and Lloyd Margo, Me, and Riley  The sunset over the valley was absolutely incredible. All of a sudden, the sky burned red, and was simply stunning. Margo, Carson, Riley(Such beautiful children!)(And yes, I am perhaps a

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-67217557575570548542010-07-14T23:01:00.000-05:002010-07-14T23:01:55.227-05:00

I think of you, my friend, as I stare out the back door and am surprised by the view that is no longer there, and I miss our impromptu visits and chats and giggles. I think of you, my friend, as I come across a particularly delightful recipe, with a new or unexpectedly saucy (pardon the pun) ingredient, and think I can't wait until she sees this! I think of you, my friend, as I sip a new

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-11490638726437732032010-07-11T12:55:00.000-05:002010-07-11T12:55:21.983-05:00

We have been a *wee* bit busy since our return from France, I suppose. It seems that we arrived in Canada, started running, and are just now hopping of the treadmill of life, free to start to walk at our own pace. Kinda. ;)  We arrived home near the end of April, sent the boys to school the next morning, and started unpacking and painting the house, and planning the rest of the renovations,

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-84867956814351149962010-06-18T07:43:00.000-05:002010-06-18T07:43:35.962-05:00

It seems like forever ago, when we were in France, and we were planning this trip to Legoland.  The specifics of the trip, not the general idea of it, because our plan was to go to Legoland at the end of March, or early April, and give the boys a fantastic birthday surprise.  And, we kind of thought that we'd enjoy it, too.  ;)   We originally were trying to get to Legoland in Billund,

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-18571624935270805082010-05-24T00:49:00.002-05:002010-05-24T00:51:53.541-05:00

This list is for you, Beth!  (Because I, too, like lists.)  :D 1. I finally got all the pictures transferred from the laptop to my main computer, just last night.  *whew*  Now, I must start organizing them so that I can get photo books completed for each child with their specific adventures and friends highlighted for them to remember.  (And to share at school here.) 2. Speaking of transfers

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-35516061168170153122010-05-13T15:45:00.001-05:002010-05-13T22:12:13.889-05:00

Home.  This word is a magical word.  It means different things to different people, and no two people, even from the same family, hold the same definition of HOME.   We have come home, our family of five, to the house we left behind, and the pets and friends and toys and schools and activities and responsibilities and... well, you get the idea. :)   We jumped back into the regular swing of

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-81377975735392082362010-04-29T11:14:00.001-05:002010-05-02T10:11:18.462-05:00

Well, I now know how pronounce the name of "The Volcano" - Eyjafjallajokull (ay-yah-FYAH-lah-yer-kuhl).  That doesn't mean, of course, that I *can* say it, just that I now have the means to learn how to say it.  I wrote these words at least a week ago, and had I continued this post, it would have been all angst and stress and oh, my, the unfortunate delay to our scheduled return to Canada, oh

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-35950612918790506782010-04-20T13:53:00.000-05:002010-04-20T13:53:13.513-05:00

These words, We're stuck in Frankfurt and we'll just make the best of it!  We'll bust out the fun!!, from my Riley, the philosopher at his ripe old age of 6, and to whom I still owe a birthday post, are our motto to live by for the next five days. We are stuck in Frankfurt, on our way back home to Canada.  We made it out of Toulouse, with all 12 suitcases checked, some of which were overweight

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-92023158869155976252010-04-13T13:03:00.000-05:002010-04-13T13:03:56.633-05:00

Just a tiny little update from outside this McDonald's in Lavaur.  Yay for free WiFi!! lol!! We are almost completely finished packing - tonight we'll finish up no matter how long it takes - which is good, because we leave the day after tomorrow!  I will miss France, but I am so happy to be going home.  :)   Yay!  HOME!!  (Just had to stick that in there again, hee hee!)   We had a lovely

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-89426646531929125132010-04-02T05:00:00.002-05:002010-04-13T12:59:06.550-05:00

A while back, during the second week of the February break, we made the drive from our home in the Tarn, to Millau to see the Viaduct.  The Millau Viaduct was on Lloyd's list of MUST DO/SEE before we leave France on this trip.  It was on my list of things to see, as well.   (My list, however, also includes one last spin through our local shoe store, but that's another story.  Back to the

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-640935130393259432010-03-30T17:07:00.000-05:002010-03-30T17:07:44.287-05:00

Much has been happening in our little world, of late.  The computer has relented on its work action, and no longer freezes and quits as often as it used to.  Apparently, some free (although time consuming) health care in the form of defragmentation has addressed some of its occupational health and safety issues, and the result is a much happier little laptop.  However, upon severe overuse of its

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-75628347517165361722010-03-30T03:35:00.000-05:002010-03-30T03:35:47.521-05:00

Carson, I can't believe that you are eight years old already!  It seems as if we just had you, an 8lb 11.5oz bundle of beautiful baby boy, thus changing our lives forever.  It was just the other week that you still slept only in our arms, and just the other day that you started walking and talking, then reading and writing.  It seems as if you just got here, but I almost can't

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-47271117806883569782010-03-20T07:01:00.002-05:002010-03-20T07:03:10.120-05:00

The City of Carcassonne was a wondrous delight.  Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997, it is a thrilling and important piece of world history.  2,500 years of history are contained on this site, and are apparent if one knows where to look.  We walked through the city by ourselves this trip, choosing not to go on a guided tour, but we marveled at the form and the function and the

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-77012143150921859642010-03-19T16:20:00.000-05:002010-03-19T16:20:39.298-05:00

"Spring is sprung the grass is ris I wonder where the birdies is..."  -Anon My paternal grandmother taught me this little poem, which is ironic, because as a former schoolteacher, she was always, but always, a stickler for correct grammar and proper pronunciation.  She also taught me how to hold a pen correctly, and to form my letters properly.  "Hold your hand like this, so that it

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-38472364382044835002010-03-13T09:13:00.001-06:002010-03-13T09:14:34.940-06:00

Just to catch you up... I am working on my posts about our trips to Carcassonne, and to the Viaduct in Millau.  I am also playing with Flickr for these posts, because I have so. many. pictures. that I don't know how to stop!  I am also fighting with a laptop that is getting slowly beaten into the ground, and sometimes goes on strike of its own volition.  (When did it sneak out and join a

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-41057991287059284802010-03-08T03:20:00.000-06:002010-03-08T03:20:57.995-06:00

I should be posting pictures of our walk through Lisle-sur-Tarn at the beginning of February, and of our visit the other week to Carcassonne, and to the Viaduct in Millau.  But, I can't get past the fact that it is snowing again.  Again!  The children are thrilled, but I am not. :( I was just starting to warm up, and this extra cool humidity is not helping with that goal.  The school buses are

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-75986436726261196022010-03-07T05:29:00.000-06:002010-03-07T05:29:35.463-06:00

The Departure, Take 1! Saturday morning, bright and early, Lloyd drove Laura and Meghan into Toulouse to the airport, and waited with them through check-in, and while they went through security.  After their delay of 12 hours when they were coming over here, he figured he'd wait until they were on the plane before he left.  He watched the board, which showed them boarding, and then he returned

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-12284064961864542332010-03-07T04:33:00.001-06:002010-03-07T05:23:14.330-06:00

On Thursday, Meghan, Laura and I caught the train into Toulouse, and went shopping!!  I had been waiting to take the train in for the day, and explore the shops and streets centered around La Place Du Capitol.  We lunched at Le Florida, and OH, it was delicious.  (They had the very best olives I have EVER tasted.  They were divine!)  We shopped and laughed and shopped and I ate the very best

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-36422338440093099942010-03-06T15:34:00.006-06:002010-03-07T03:16:31.644-06:00

On our way home from Barcelona, we stopped in Figueres at the Salvador Dali museum.  I don't quite know what to say about this collection of Salvador Dali's work, nor what it says about me, that I liked best the works of another artist exhibited therein.  I did like many of the pieces of art in the museum, and thrilled to a few others.  Some of it (much of it?), I just looked at, and wondered,

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-15390683880026042802010-03-06T14:54:00.000-06:002010-03-06T14:54:00.518-06:00

Barcelona A drive through Cathar country, and some snowy, gentle, worn down old mountains.  Note: We are used to the Rocky Mountains - new, rough, young upstarts. ;-)   Pit-stop beside Carcassonne.     2 nights, 1 day:  Tired children.     A first look at the Mediterranean for me, and my children.     Barcelona Aquarium: Totally awesome.  Sharks!!  Sharks

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-7222444649244076442010-02-26T07:39:00.004-06:002010-02-28T13:18:08.319-06:00

The Arrival, and Opening Weekend Two of my sisters, Laura & Meghan, came to visit us during the February Break.  Reading Week from Meghan's university coincided with the first week of the children's two week school break here in France, and we were delighted to host my girls for a week!  My girls, and really, they are young women now, are 13.5 and 17 years younger than I am.  So, I have a

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-12288471841084746092010-02-20T10:42:00.000-06:002010-02-20T10:42:26.855-06:00

Well, I was going to write a post today about the wonderful visit I had with my two youngest sisters, who came for a visit from Canada, and how much fun the children had with "the Aunties", and how ...interesting it was to be all squished like sardines in a can on our road trip to Barcelona, and how getting lost driving in a foreign city because of construction and detours can be nerve-wracking

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-6071527477186121732010-02-12T03:20:00.000-06:002010-02-12T03:20:22.087-06:00

Yesterday, my little girl, you woke up after your nap, and so sweetly asked your Daddy if you were three now.   You weren't then, but darling you are now!  You are my baby, my big three year old girl, and you are so very precious and funny and obnoxious and demanding and loving and sweet, all at once.  I love the silly songs that we sing together, and I love that you snuggle in beside me in

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-66638754533359504572010-02-07T08:07:00.000-06:002010-02-07T08:07:16.488-06:00

Yesterday was a bit of a crazy day, with Riley sick with Bronchitis these last few days and miserable from the cough, not going outside, and the meds, Carson was at a Birthday Party for a classmate, and Margo was just Margo - almost three, challenging authority at every turn, and doing her level best to make her sick brother cry.  The younger two also had haircuts at 4:00 pm, which means 5:00pm,

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-9690786711893947502010-02-06T04:46:00.000-06:002010-02-06T04:46:30.576-06:00

I have this little list running through my brain.  I add things to it from time to time, then it lays dormant for a while.  Then, before too long, there is another item that makes its way onto the list.  I am finally writing this list down, for the next time we embark on a similar adventure to this one.  (Because we have decided that we are officially going to be doing this trip, or a shortened

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-48705979477171428672010-02-02T10:09:00.000-06:002010-02-02T10:09:35.009-06:00

When I picked the children up at school today for lunch, they were very excited to tell me that they had crêpes for snack that morning.  When I asked them why, Carson replied that "today is the day that the Christians eat crêpes to celebrate Jesus, or something".  Oookay, then.  Clearly I was missing something from somewhere, and a bit of research was in order for the afternoon. A blog post, a

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-71860684138720317892010-02-01T14:59:00.000-06:002010-02-01T14:59:10.476-06:00

Part of the allure of coming to France (apart from the wine),and living somewhat embedded in the culture here, was an opportunity to experience the culture as up close and personal as it gets for someone who was not born and raised here.  (Can one truly be considered a Frenchman (or French woman) if they haven't been born and raised here? Does it take one generation, two?  I'm very interested

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-55010391718007002002010-01-22T08:08:00.001-06:002010-01-22T08:10:28.224-06:00

Last night, this morning, the early dark hours of the almost-day when all are sleeping, and what awakenings that may happen are only somehow, foggily, hazily remembered in the bright glaring light of morning rush and rituals and coffee steaming in a mug.  The remembered, dreaded nightmare, cauchemar, pesadilla, incubo, that this morning fills my mind and soul with cobwebs and left-over

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-51531568959840578642010-01-20T05:04:00.001-06:002010-01-20T05:07:25.645-06:00

So... I know that Riley's abilities and comfort level in French have increased exponentially when he starts correcting my pronunciation.  Yes, he is not at all slow these days to say "Mo-ommmm. [insert his accompanying eye-roll here] That's not the right word. It's (this)."  "Isn't that what I just said?"  "No, you said (that)."  "Really? That's what I said?"  And then Lloyd saves a bit of my

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-78836625416208569222010-01-13T03:39:00.007-06:002010-01-13T04:43:54.975-06:00

We had a lovely Christmas, here in the Tarn...We found a nice little Charlie Brown-type tree, that was actually much taller than I thought it would be. We decorated with candy canes, and chocolates, and decorations that the children made themselves.They were very diligent about picking up the chocolates that fell through the branches, and sometimes, they even hung them back up on the tree. :)

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-37829115066656068792010-01-06T02:14:00.010-06:002010-01-12T15:52:26.273-06:00

Well, it has certainly been a while since I last posted. To borrow from a fellow blogger, (Hi Beth!), I have not been visited by the ghosts of favourite past blogs, or ghosts of the past year, nor have I been visited by the ghost of New Year Resolutions yet to be!! For starters, I don't make resolutions. (Neither do I resolve to not make resolutions, lol!) I work on a continuous feed of

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-44742820082234913792009-12-06T13:24:00.006-06:002009-12-13T07:12:35.373-06:00

Life seems to never really get any less busy, does it? For us at least, the busy-ness shifts. One moment, I was up to my eyeballs in nursing babies and not sleeping, then I blinked, and we are now running around with two school aged children, and we are about to give the third a taste of French school, too. Also, I have started school (for December only) and the merry-go-round that is life

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-91449662238724744722009-12-01T05:06:00.003-06:002009-12-01T05:35:13.000-06:00

Well, I survived. And I am still excited. And still bemused that I volunteered to wake up early, in the dark of night, leave the house still in the dark of night, and arrive in Toulouse (via train) before 8:00 am, for the next three weeks. I managed to buy a train ticket, buy metro tickets, figure out the transfers from line A to B, and arrive on time, with a side stop to purchase a coffee

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-76647481716675053222009-11-25T01:37:00.007-06:002009-11-25T02:38:00.613-06:00

November has been an oddly busy, crazy, satisfying month thus far, and it looks like it will end with a wonderful bang! I was so excited/relieved to post the pictures and stories from our trip at the end of October, and we have just been busy "living" in November.We had a winter's worth of wood delivered to our doorstep early this month, and dumped outside the garage doors. As Lloyd and I

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-92201363224138310582009-11-12T16:10:00.004-06:002009-11-16T15:49:18.116-06:00

I always celebrate Halloween. I love it - the costumes, the weird and twisted way that Paganism and Christianity combined way back when, then got twisted up in modern times with Hollywood horror films. The spectacle that it is now amuses me, and what it once was interests me.I did not expect to celebrate much of a Halloween this year. I did not pack costumes for any of us, we prepared the

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-57819519178802259162009-11-09T01:50:00.026-06:002009-11-16T15:06:55.840-06:00

Caution: Lengthy post, but with cute pictures!Growing up (and even now) my Mother was fond of singing a song to us when we were whining and complaining that things weren't going our way. You know the song, that one by The Rolling Stones? Made even more famous by House? Needless to say, we HATED it. Now, in that delightful little circle that life often takes, I get to sing it to my children

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-2103583692679535402009-11-07T02:54:00.006-06:002009-11-09T14:07:43.251-06:00

Here are some random pictures from life around here... A random picture that I took, because Margo was so excited by "the chicken way up high!".In the town of the random rooster picture, I was enthralled with how the storm clouds coallesced over the rooftops and the top of the gnarly tree.This is the old well for Le cottage fleuri. This is not an awesome picture of it, but I appreciate the fact

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-32713072650284500862009-11-05T02:10:00.007-06:002009-11-05T03:39:04.448-06:00

Chugga chugga, choo choo!!This was the noise my children were making, the lovely fall afternoon when we took them to Saint Lieux-lès-Lavaur to ride on a steam engine. It was a fairly short ride, on a reclaimed section of track that was in service in the 1920s. We started in Saint Lieux-lès-Lavaur, and ended at a lovely garden. You then had the option of walking around the garden for an hour,

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-2911954055894518992009-11-04T15:10:00.004-06:002009-11-04T15:48:35.414-06:00

Thanksgiving in Canada takes place in early October, and that is more or less the time that all the crops are in, and the gardens have been finished, and the landscape turns to browns and golds. The weather gets nippy, and the frost settles on the ground at night, often, and there is sometimes even snow by now on the Prairies, even though it may not last. Sometimes a late summer comes out to

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-8358868119924015322009-11-04T15:05:00.001-06:002009-11-04T15:08:15.583-06:00

A note just fell out of one of the cookbooks that I brought with me. On it was scribbled a couple of lines that my friend shared with me after my two boys were at her place for a goodbye playdate with her son and a couple of other friends."So how come you guys are going to France, anyway?"A pause, a shrug. "I guess my mom just really wants to go."

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-38402413144246572702009-11-01T13:45:00.008-06:002009-11-02T06:55:26.245-06:00

She's sugar and spice, and all things nice...Early September, watering the plants around Le Cottage Fleuri.Early October, watching The Wiggles on Mommy's iPod."I love Mousse au Chocolat!"Super Margo (whose cape is her snuggle blanket) playing My Little Pony. mid-October.Early October, on a little steam engine.Posing in Chambord, late October.Margo and Mommy, at Parc Astérix. End of October.

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-54235859178118789702009-10-21T04:28:00.004-05:002009-10-21T04:59:37.682-05:00

One of the delights of this adventure, is listening to our children learn French. Carson was already quite proficient when we arrived, thanks to his awesome French Immersion teachers and his Dad, but Riley are Margo are starting with only some basic French words. I can tell when the neighbourhood children have arrived outside, because Riley starts talking French, and his little voice, already

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-81572429097800038992009-10-08T03:07:00.008-05:002009-11-01T13:44:59.376-06:00

One lovely Sunday, not so very long ago, we took a little drive to the Bastide Village of Puyselci.Aaaaand then the world according to Joy fell apart, and I am now finishing this post a month later! (Psst!!! I have some compromised sinuses, and a tendency to experience migraines that I want to give away. Any takers?? I'll even throw in a free supply of antihistamines, and Tylenol! So... No takers

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-5885373615253293982009-10-07T07:32:00.010-05:002009-10-20T04:21:42.758-05:00

I have been finding it a little bit difficult to write, recently. I have stories, and then I forget to blog them in the calm after the chaos that is our family life. ;) Not to say that life is totally chaotic, but many of you reading have met my children, and know that they are always. busy. always. talking. always. going. always. asking. questions. and. not. settling. for. easy. answers. AND

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-73158299460039947272009-09-29T12:10:00.010-05:002009-10-21T05:00:20.179-05:00

I asked my younger son what they had for lunch today at school. "Ummm, carrots, and that squishy thing we had that one time before, and meat. It was pretty good, yeah." My boy also came home yesterday from Kindergarten (Maternelle) bursting with the information that the twin boys in his class are not, actually, the two Luigi's - they are Léon and Louis...My daughter wanted to do homework today

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-16213213869806934822009-09-27T06:39:00.020-05:002009-10-08T03:03:58.978-05:00

On the Sunday after the first week at school, we decided to take a little drive and visit Le Village Gaulois. (Sorry, the website is in French only, but the pictures are amazing!!)Le Village Gaulois is a recreated Gaulish village, with demonstrations of many different things going on at various times, including a forge, making coins, weaving, a tannery. There were also animals in various pens

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-25841277295216295542009-09-24T06:26:00.013-05:002009-09-25T07:51:09.047-05:00

We arrived at Le cottage fleuri at 16:00 on Saturday, August 29th. We spent Sunday, the 30th, sleeping in, laying around and splashing in the pool, and unpacking suitcases. On Monday the 31st, it was back to real life and more adventures, as we had to go school supply shopping for the boys, so they would have what they needed for school the next day. Our landlady kindly offered to come with us

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-77578926433925526272009-09-22T13:14:00.005-05:002009-09-22T13:58:23.411-05:00

While I have been writing down little bullets of what we've been doing each day since we've arrived, there are certain aspects of our trip here that I would like to forget, and some that are worth remembering.(In the interests of brevity, I'm posting them in point form, so that I can actually, maybe, post this tonight.)To forget:1. Puking child on the long drive to Calgary. To be fair, it was

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-84446249993324017232009-09-20T02:39:00.007-05:002009-09-22T13:13:33.155-05:00

I probably should talk about travelling to Calgary, or the little issue I had with security (easily resolved!) prior to boarding our flight to Frankfurt, or the flight to and transfer within Frankfurt, or the little hop to Toulouse and the drive to Chez Nous. But, I have to talk about food.Croissants, chocolatines, baguettes, cheese (of all sorts), sausages everywhere, fresh REAL produce that

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-57741615403080388352009-09-18T08:54:00.002-05:002009-09-18T09:03:49.635-05:00

I. AM. BACK!!I am SO excited to have internet, finally, finally..., that I am dropping big fat smoochy kisses all over my previously scorned laptop. (I was upset because she could not get me online to visit with all of you!) I have attempted places with free WiFi in the past dark, unplugged days, which sucked massively, (pardon the rudeness, please) and an internet cafe with a french keyboard

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-41738430469262095312009-08-25T12:48:00.007-05:002009-08-27T23:43:51.778-05:00

I am having a bit of a hard time, these past couple of days, filling the last bits of the suitcases, and getting the house ready for the person who will be staying here in our absence. I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed, and a bit sad at the thought of leaving my friends, although, with technology, I can still stay in touch quite regularly, and instantaneously. I am also a bit more attached

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-42558312065447089632009-08-13T18:38:00.005-05:002009-08-18T15:03:17.387-05:00

It has been a lot of fun, and sometimes silly, the pleasure with which we are decluttering the house prior to our stay in France. I must confess to a certain pleasure at throwing out some of the childrens' treasures (although I use the term loosely) on the sly, and giggling with Lloyd as we send garbage bag after yard sale bag, after storage box through the doors. Because if we were to do this

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-86715615597057977482009-08-12T09:52:00.008-05:002009-08-12T13:26:59.557-05:00

Life here has remained pretty much the same since my last update, minus the swimming lessons, and a great lessening of my anxiety about the whole "omg, I have to get everything ready NOW!!" thing. Turns out, I was a week ahead of myself, so I DO have room to breathe while we get everything else ready to go.We also spent the weekend away from home, with extended family in my husband's hometown.We

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-59774577033206926462009-08-05T12:08:00.003-05:002009-08-05T12:16:16.505-05:00

sortingstoringpackingcleaningyard salerunningplanningorganizingleasing vehicledaily swimming lessonsvisiting with friends and familythree young children living/laughing/playing/fighting underfootbuilding new (safe) decksmigraines allergic reactionschildren up with the sun (5:00 am)paperworkordering currencyregular repairs and maintenance long put offreadingtrying to breathetrying to

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-36236599173859336542009-07-16T22:53:00.007-05:002009-07-17T00:14:18.577-05:00

I had to remind myself of the reason for this incarnation of my blog. I started it originally as a sort of stream of consciousness, but I soon lost interest in that. I posted a few things that were, for my peace of mind, better left unposted, and I deleted them. There are those who would, perhaps, decry this, but my blog, my rules, right? (I've learned since to leave things in draft form, or

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-17266305119758148862009-07-08T21:25:00.003-05:002009-07-08T22:24:02.785-05:00

This old song is running through my head, non-stop...And, it is oddly appropriate in more ways than one. There are 51 more sleeps until we board our flight. To Europe. And this song, by Europe, is counting down with me. Oh, the tasks left to complete before we leave. *head commences spinning on shoulders*I tell you, it was much less work packing up to move from Yellowknife to Meadow Lake.

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-32037772672378266392009-07-07T23:41:00.005-05:002009-07-14T11:22:21.797-05:00

We received an email in response to our query on the status of our Visa applications.Our long stay Visas will be printed and mailed to us July 8, 2009!![cue squeals and hysterical jumping now]Update: Our Visas arrived yesterday (07/13/09)! I must confess to squealing and jumping up and down!! I am so very excited that we will not be fugitives during our time in France, nor will we have to fly

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-694500157147140122009-07-07T23:34:00.005-05:002009-07-07T23:41:29.031-05:00

This from our two and a half year old little girl. Telling a secret in our house means whispering something breathy into the other person's ear with the intent to tickle. Husky-pusky is a favourite. (Go on, try it! Whisper that breathily into someone's ear, and watch them squirm with laughter... Toddlers in my extended family have been saying this, and cracking up with laughter, for a great

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-52785696099058538572009-07-04T23:19:00.007-05:002009-07-10T14:29:06.422-05:00

The morning of our appointment at the French Consulate dawned not too early, and we all dressed in something other than our standard blue jeans and t-shirts. ;) (A friend commented to me that she would be tempted to arrive at the interview in cut-off shorts and a ratty t-shirt, as a way to thumb her nose at the French 'establishment' and their rules and requirements.) We actually arrived on

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-84506941520468372762009-06-25T11:07:00.011-05:002009-07-07T21:33:15.369-05:00

Well, we did it! We survived our crazy, busy trip to Toronto. Illness, distance, 'paralysis of packing'* - nothing could hold us back! LOL!As inefficient as I may deem the 'rule of the personal appearance' to be with respect to our physical location relative to Toronto, I do believe in following those rules to the letter, especially as the alternative may result in our NOT receiving our long

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-57880084416098272872009-06-11T22:59:00.004-05:002009-06-12T14:13:21.177-05:00

... has changed a little bit. At least for the next 12 months, and two weeks. (Mustn't forget those two weeks!)My husband is now on LEAVE until July 1, 2010!!! (Well, July 2, really, because July 1 is Canada Day!)I am so looking forward to having him around. The list of projects to finish is immense! ;pSeriously, I do love having him around, and will cherish this time together as a family,

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-19669897764691459592009-06-08T20:37:00.008-05:002009-06-08T21:06:55.482-05:00

My daughter is two years old. Two years old, and four months, to be exact. She is exactly like my second youngest sister, complete with frothy curls, sparkly eyes, and a cute little gap between the two front teeth. They also share more impishness than is possibly good for them. :) It is interesting to see the reincarnation of my second youngest sister in my only daughter. (This sister is 14

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-84517284933537284782009-06-01T16:56:00.003-05:002009-06-01T17:07:00.526-05:00

The lists of things to do is constantly growing and changing. It's amazing what has been decided and realized so far, and how much we have left to accomplish, in just over two months time:Completed:Saved $ for last 5.5 years, and received leave from work;Decided on location in France, and Rented House;Got Passports;Bought Plane Tickets;Registered children in school in France;Purchased health &

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-64308923553961703642009-06-01T14:49:00.001-05:002009-06-01T15:49:54.367-05:00

We are working on our Long Stay Visa applications for our trip. (A little late to the party perhaps, but we're hoping that it all goes well. Yikes!) I find the rules and regulations of the personal appearance requirement to be ...interesting, to say the least. But really, we need to drive three hours to the closest airport, then fly five+ hours non-stop to Toronto, and take a

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-50462387789993051162009-05-18T20:44:00.007-05:002009-06-01T20:25:46.241-05:00

We are a pet loving household. We have three cats - two of whom have been with us since we returned from our honeymoon, over a decade ago, and one who came to live with us almost a year ago. (As an interesting aside, all three cats came into our lives on Canada Day - July 1. The old lady cats were born on my kid sister's bed on July 1, 1997, and Isis came to live with us, a feisty, scrawny

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-5969125876345977262009-05-13T16:07:00.007-05:002009-05-18T21:36:34.392-05:00

you let your almost seven year old son read your Calvin & Hobbes comics?He finds a nifty new insult that apparently tickles his funny bone, so he writes it down to take to school with him.(Are your maladjusted social tendenciesthe product of your berserk pituitary gland?)(I'm glad that my son is tall for his age, and very quick on his feet...)

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-82093106672347374632009-05-11T14:52:00.002-05:002009-05-11T15:03:26.051-05:00

I started this blog a year ago, and never really took the time to find the voice that I wanted to share with people. This post - too whiny, that post - too negative. Then, I shamefully neglected it for several months, and finally came back to it to start to chronicle the preparation for our journey away. And I realized, somewhere in all of this, that my voice is sometimes too whiny for my own

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-43425840261910070042009-05-01T23:04:00.007-05:002009-05-04T23:23:35.989-05:00

I've been tagged! This is my first game of bloggy tag, and I'm a bit excited... Don't snicker too hard at me, because I am already snickering and giggling my way through this. (At the end of long, crazy, busy weeks like these, when the housework is piled up, and I haven't had near enough sleep, I get a little giddy about fun, silly things, and I sometimes lose the filter between my mouth and my

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-14929207962200812052009-04-28T14:10:00.002-05:002009-04-28T14:43:14.103-05:00

Once upon a time, on a different continent than the one on which I currently reside, there was a young (married) man, and a young (presumed widowed) woman who met, and fell in love. Times were different then, as the young men of that day (and some young women) were heading off en masse to fight across the Channel, and many never expected that they'd ever make it home again alive. This

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-31868977102344384822009-04-24T22:40:00.003-05:002009-04-24T22:59:34.012-05:00

We are exploring the options for a vehicle while we are in France. There are a few long-term lease programs (pricey, but convenient), and we are also looking into buying a used vehicle (with all the inherent risks of a previously owned vehicle) and insuring it ourselves, then selling it as we leave (which is another set of risks). I don't know what we'll do... We need to find out more about

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-2566399172261108662009-04-05T17:49:00.002-05:002009-04-05T17:51:47.575-05:00

I can't quite believe it!! I bought our plane tickets last night!! It's real! This trip is really real, and it's going to happen later this year!! It's no longer just a figment of our imagination!!(I'm going to go breathe into a paper bag, again, now...)

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-7265670229019957162009-04-02T14:34:00.004-05:002009-04-03T10:56:38.974-05:00

It is amazing that I can get anything done, sometimes. The story of procuring passports for our family is a lengthy one of procrastination and picture retaking. And the picture retaking comes with much tears from my oldest son, who HATES the flash from pictures, and whose eyes start to weep large crocodile tears immediately, and turn red. One fine day in August, the family toddles down to a

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-3176490194715973632009-03-31T14:53:00.007-05:002009-03-31T16:07:55.680-05:00

We found a place to live!!After many combinations of Google searches, and checking out one or two relocation experts that also rent assorted dwellings, we have found our own little home away from home for our time in France. It is a three bedroom house, recently renovated, with a pool (one of the very few pools that are actually fenced), and only 5k from two small towns. Within these small

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-8799805035983813322008-12-01T15:01:00.009-06:002009-03-31T14:52:50.904-05:00

I may have mentioned once or twice (or many more times to those of you 'lucky' enough to listen to me in person!) that I would like to be elsewhere. Somewhere other than here, small town Saskatchewan, that is not exactly central or close to any major centres with shopping, arts & culture, universities, etc.It is not that I don't like where I am, because it's exactly right for us now, but later,

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-5620463900271811742008-06-03T00:17:00.002-05:002008-06-03T00:23:08.550-05:00

I bought a book the other day - "Tart Noir". It's a collection of short stories, written by women in the mystery/murder field... I don't know what to think. This book has left me spinning my analytical wheels. I don't dislike the stories. I find them fascinating, if quite creepy. And I'm challenging myself to consider if I am creeped out because the women in these stories don't act the way

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-150963583042501051.post-68057335875868621212008-05-19T22:56:00.004-05:002008-05-19T23:04:25.828-05:00

Is anybody reading this?? And really, does it even matter? I've been thinking about this - why I am writing this blog (is that even the correct phrase? I'm so out of touch with this, I cringe...) and what is the result that I expect. And what I've come up with, is this:It's better than muttering out loud to myself all day long, with my children asking me "what are you saying, Mom?" And the

Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09695354700835113117noreply@blogger.com1