aes

Ciao

2009-03-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

So I am updating Annie's blog while she's away...and I have some fabulous news: Annie is about 1/9th of the way done. Let me put this into perspective: if any of you have paid tithing, you have probably said, "Dang, that's a lot of money!"

Well, 1/9th is more than that. I know. Big news.

Annie is still fresh and fabulous, beautiful and blossoming, loving and laughing. And living. Here's proof (the following is a message to you from Annie herself):

Who ever thought I would get so excited to go to the gym? Especially on Friday nights. I literally scream with joy when we have a "TGIF" at the gym.
Doing laundry is my new yoga.
I love love love my companions! One is from Virginia and is 1/18 kids and the second is a graphic designer from Vancouver, WA.
I eat salads like every meal of every day to avoid random combustion from the varied chemical compositions of the food they serve at the MTC. Yeah, its a struggle to digest ANYTHING they serve.
I love being a missionary. It is exactly what I hoped for and even more!Baci a tutti!!! WRITE!

End of quote. Please direct any and all letters/packages to:

Milan Italy Mission
Box#162
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 North 900 East
Provo, UT 84604

And after April 21st:
Italy Milan Mission
Via Gramsci, 13/4
20090 Opera MI
Italy

And direct all inquiries to katharinestevens@gmail.com

Arrivederci!

2009-02-16T11:05:00.001-08:00

I may try to keep this updated (via my sister) while I serve in the Milan, Italy mission. But probably not. This poem describes how I feel as of late.

So Much Happiness
It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness.
With sadness there is something to rub against,
A wound to tend with lotion and cloth.
When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to pick up,
Something to hold in your hands, like ticket stubs or change.

But happiness floats.
It doesn’t need you to hold it down.
It doesn’t need anything.
Happiness lands on the roof of the next house, singing,
And disappears when it wants to.
You are happy either way.
Even the fact that you once lived in a peaceful tree house
And now live over a quarry of noise and dust
Cannot make you unhappy.
Everything has a life of its own,
It too could wake up filled with possibilities
Of coffee cake and ripe peaches,
And love even the floor which needs to be swept,
The soiled linens and scratched records….

Since there is no place large enough
To contain so much happiness,
You shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you
Into everything you touch. You are not responsible.
You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit
For the moon, but continues to hold it, and to share it,
And in that way, be known.

~ Naomi Shihab Nye ~

One word to describe my evening? Epic

2009-02-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

Atop of my to-do list for life hovers a simple, yet an elusive task: "go to a movie by yourself." Many people do this often while another crowd shirks at the thought of a solo trip to the theater. But, I have always thought it would symbolize a sense of independence; it would become a landmark for my confidence. Last Wednesday I went to
Australia at the Movies 10. After paying my 1.75 in quarters, I rushed into the theater and hurled myself into the hours of love, drama, horses, Hugh Jackman, (omg. oh my gosh.) and action. Please do not ask me for a thorough review of the film. My love for myself and my completion of my goal colored that 2+ hours with a deep shade of rose. Australia has a special place in my heart.

P.S. I would like to encourage anyone and everyone to check off of your life goals by just thinking, "Now is as good a time as any!"

WANTED

2009-02-04T10:18:00.000-08:00

Kind, fashionable young ladies. Desire to look cute and care for cute clothes while I am gone. Let me know. I leave in 2 weeks!

PS- Read this image because it is bizarre.

5 Eventful Events

2009-01-27T20:50:00.000-08:00

I can never resist a good, old-fashioned list.

1. The Mock Walk: Since I recently graduated with my BA from BYU without an official celebration or "walk," the Stevens/Lund family took matters into their own hands. Following a delicious Italian meal (including homemade pasta, foccacia, cannollis, etc.), the "President" began the exclusive graduation ceremony of the BYU class of 2008. The program included: inspirational stories of my fellow graduates, poems, my Valedictorian speech, quotes, and, of course, a feature speaker. OPRAH WINFREY flew in and gave a wonderful address about doing your best. As you can see from the image below, the crowd went wild! I was honored to receive my diploma from my favorite BYU President/triple PhDed scholar/talk show host/sister.

2. Sundance: Aside from seeing 50 cent and feeling like my soul hid in a corner as his eyes pierced through the crowd (seriously, I never thought I would feel fear with fiddy but he has murderer written all over him), my friends and I saw Adam Durritz, who sings/writes for the Counting Crows. Of course, I made a fool out of myself; I screamed and panted "Can we get a picture with you?" Embarassing. Other highlights included my sister and I attending the premier of Manure (possibly the weirdest movie ever) as well as the run-in with Tapanga from Boy Meets World (who actually looked surprisingly Latina).

3. My Piggy Bank: The day (today) finally arrived where I broke my bank. Slipping coins, bills, and--for some reason--jewelry (I thought I could pawn it off?) into the slot became a routine in my younger years. The bank says, "I hope they call me on a mission" and I picked it out at age 8/9. Now that my mission departure is 3 weeks away, I decide to unpack the little guy and hammer him in. $53.85. Yep. Mostly in pennies. And a couple of my tiny rings to sell for millions this next week. $53.85.

4. Adele: Can I just say that I adore Adele? I want to be her. And to make a fantastic concert even better, I met David Archuleta (he's tiny, friendly, and a fellow James Morrison/Adele enthusiast.).

5. The GRE PROCRASTINATION. It approaches (on Thursday) and as my vocabulary burgeons my desire to study enervates. I think I have failed my cursory attempts to reach an untenable goal: an epigrammatical and mathematical whiz. I HATE STANDARDIZED TESTS!

RIP

2009-01-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

Purchased in November 2004. Died in December 2008. The Dell Inspiron 1150 served me during my college years. With the heaviest weight ever, the stupidest susceptibility to viruses, and the slowest rate of working in the universe, I gladly bid Dell farewell. "Rest in Peace. And thank you for dying at this most perfect time when I no longer need you." Dell died well. However, he took his memory and ugly harddrive with him. So--I take that back--he even failed at dying.

Who doesn't love Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

2009-01-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

5 Reasons why I do:

1. It makes me feel smart. Martin Luther King Jr. and I share something in common: We went to the same university. I inflate myself with this fun fact when I feel unaccomplished.

2. No school or work/or half-day of work? Which doesn't really apply to me either way...oh well.

3. Tomorrow is the Presidental Inaguration! I love our new President and his call to service. I look forward to big changes and becoming part of history!

4. Every year I laugh at our family's attempt to celebrate the holiday. For instance, circa '98 my dear mother took us all to a "Celebration" of MLK Jr. at the University of Utah. Our little family's presence tripled the caucasian numbers and lowered the average age by 20 years. We sat there watching weird monologues and cried because we were bored to tears.

5. We can learn a lot from him.

"If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control." Martin Luther King Jr.

Me "I will be a stylish, cute sister missionary" Everyone, "Is there even such a thing?"

2009-01-14T08:40:00.001-08:00

Yes, there is. My new, all-consuming life's work is to prove that there is such a thing as a not-stuck-in-1997-Blanding, UT sister missionary. Because I will serve in Milan, Italy, I believe that this goal reigns high on the priority-list. One problem: I obsess over it. As in I have hit all of the post-Christmas sales with lightning speed. Now I stand knee-deep in my options for "4-6 conservative outfits" (WHO THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH? WHAT THE?)

Here are some of the things that I will definitely keep: brown riding boots, fun cardigans (i.e. a caramel ruffley one and one cobalt cardigan that I donned with vintage buttons), slim fit RL oxfords, a handmade grey jumper, and a cranberry cordorouy circle skirt. What else? I don't know! I guess I have one more month to streamline and perfect my wardrobe.

Miss Stevens

2009-01-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I entered the world of substitute teaching. Since I only have a month of available work time before leaving on my mission, I decided to try it. And want to hear a tender mercy? I subbed at my alma-mater for a kindergarten class for a perfect 3.25 hours. Some highlights:

- The hilarious puppet shows that the students put on for one another.

- When this cute girl named Ruby (I love that name) raised her hand and said, "Miss Stevens, how do you spell 'a'?"

-Reading a story called Selfish Crocodile (or something like that); I asked "What does selfish mean?" The responses ranged from "Mad." to "When the person looks at theirself for a long long time."

-The snowmen that the kids tried to build with blocks for indoor recess (it was snowing too hard to go outside). 90% of the "snowmen" looked like piles of nothing.

- I said to a little boy "I used to go to Bonneville." He looked at me for a minute, "Are you 5?"

http://www.polyvore.com/red_apple_image_dianelion_on/thing?id=1946690

addicted

2008-12-28T17:51:00.000-08:00

I know that traveling around Europe was a monumental gift. I realize that I will probably never get that chance again....and that ephemeral joy makes traveling all the more desirable. I am addicted. And my gateway drugs were moments like this:

The Dancing Uccelli

These photos give you a glimpse of the esthetic formations and efficacious flying techniques. Charming any visitor or resident of Rome, these little birds weave and then hover and then suddenly dart...like a mesmerizing dance they perform each sunset. The Dancing Uccelli, among many other things, made me fall in love with the evenings in Rome.

ETAP Hotels

I cherish those days and sleepless nights on Etap board beds. One of my fondest memories occurred in the Strasbourg Etap. Four friends and I decided to go cheap and stay in an ETAP outside the city. After getting directions from a supposedly "informed" bus driver, we catch a bus and a tram and walk for a while into the middle of NOWHERE (with heavey backpacks on our backs.) So we stop and get REAL directions. Then we have to catch a tram, a bus, and walk for a while into the middle of NOWHERE. Actually, it was Ostwald, France on the border of Germany. What a strange little ghost of a town. To make the memory all the more sweet and tender, I lost my wallet the next morning. Funny thing is when I look back at that wretched ETAP experience I just laugh. I love those moments of pure frustration when traveling.

Dutch Profiteroles

Mini-pancakes are great because I adore anything mini. But, even if they looked less cute, I would stand by my endorsement. I absolutely fell in love because of the gooey inside and perfectly crisp shell covered in melted butter (but not gross melted butter) with a light snow of powdered sugar. In Arnem I ordered one plate. But, I loved it so much that I immediately ordered a second. I just had to.

Emer

Although I never really mention the amazing people I met in Europe. I met quite a few gems. Our tour guide in Istanbul, Turkey was one such jewel. He took us into beautiful mosques, got us free apple tea (I LOVE APPLE TEA), loved the Utah Jazz, showed us the best restaurants, took us on an amazing boat tour of the Bosphorous, and told interesting stories about Turkey's past. He helped me to fall in love with Istanbul....it is such a magical city.

When I left Istanbul at 3:10 in the morning, I thought, "I love to travel." Then I sat down next to a tired but spry sixty-year-old man who started to strike up a conversation. Turns out he is a travel addict. As in "The only way to see Turkmenistan is by spending at least 1 month there." and "The first time I traveled around Europe for three years I rented a car. I would suggest you do that next time." or "If you go to Peru make sure that you have a man with you when you hike the blahblahblah." I suddenly realized, "I HAVE SO MANY PLACES TO GO!"

And then, when I got to the airport I saw a woman hula-hooping and watching CNN in German. In between quiet giggles, I knew then and there. I am addicted.

PS- I promise that this is the last post about Europe.

paralyzed in conclusions

2008-12-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

I feel a nostalgia for the present...as it passes by me. And somehow time seems to twist all over itself like a boy's freshly-picked snowball of grass. I wonder, "How will the future untangle from this mess?" My fear of losing the present seeps into the future and hearkens back to preclusions set up by the past. Not living in the moment plagues me. Do you know what I mean? Of course you do. That feeling of time stopping but still speeding past you?

in time of daffodils(who know
the goal of living is to grow)
forgetting why,remember how

in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so(forgetting seem)

in time of roses(who amaze
our now and here with paradise)
forgetting if,remember yes

in time of all sweet things beyond
whatever mind may comprehend,
remember seek(forgetting find)

and in a mystery to be
(when time from time shall set us free)
forgetting me,remember me

ee cummings

I find if I excavate a calcified memory and try to resurrect the whole--and by that I mean the feelings and the sensory specifics--of the episode, I begin to re-understand: Life comes at you fast. Neither you nor I have the time to waste by procrastinating conclusions. If only this realization translated to a cure for my paralysis. But it doesn't. The bottom line is that I only have 24 hours left in Europe. I do not know how to consolidate everything, everywhere, and everyone with a whole "me" in my right-now life. So, I become yet another victim of time, which, ironically, always stands the test of time as a universal ailment amidst the human family.

Au Revoir et Buongiorno

2008-12-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

(Me on my last night of Paris. Climbing the tower in the COLD at 11 pm)

Leaving Paris hurt. I won't pretend that it qualifies as a legitimate trial in my life; but, I felt sad to leave. I truly think it is the most beautiful city in the world. (On Thanksgiving at the Colosseum)

Arriving in Italy and then traveling to Greece helped to heal the wound. I enjoyed a huge cone of gelato for Thanksgiving. Warm air and delicious food makes anyone content. For instance I healed my Paris aches by going to the Aegean sea today. I ate oranges and bananas together. (TRY IT) When a bite of perfectly-ripe banana marries a sliver of Greek clementine they taste like Aphrodite's fruit...especially when eaten with the smell of the sea.

Still, I must say that I will have an eternal nostalgia for my baguette-a-day days in Paris. Paris won my heart.

Christmas Villages

2008-11-22T01:40:00.000-08:00

So this week I went to Colmar, Strasbourg, and Freidburg. All of which are magical German/Alsatian Christmas towns!

Colmar at night

Freidburg Christmas

PS- I know this post is lame...I just don't have time to write much! Must enjoy my last moments in Paris!

Better than a zoo....

2008-11-17T15:12:00.000-08:00

Deyrolle is a must in Paris. I went there last week and then the Times read my mind by featuring the magical store (I love it when that happens).
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/arts/design/15taxi.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

FLASHBACK: Dubrovinik, Croatia

2008-11-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

Picture of me on Dubrovinik's cool city wall

Hands down, one of my favorite places in all of Europe is the Dalmation Coast. I truly loved Croatia. It is cheap, beautiful, and fun. Picture a rougher version of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: rocky hills covered with quaint white houses, handsome men, and pure cerulean water charmed me within first moments of my arrival.

There are many opportunities to jump off of cliffs with the sun set in the background.

As winter fast approaches, I daydream about returning to the beaches; well, the sand feels "like powder" as our hostess told us on a daily basis. For any free-spirited travelers.....just in case you feel so inclined: the Croatians fully embrace nudity on their beaches.

The night of terror/hilarity/wearing everything I own

The disembarkation from Croatia really stands out as one of the funniest moments in my recent history. I will not go into prolific details of the evening, which included Katharine and my reenactment of the peasants on the Titanic and the old Croatian ladies cat-fighting over a seat. Needless to say, we were frozen and craffing and sad to leave the coasts of Croatia. Mark my words: Croatia, my love, I will return.

And I'm proud to be an American....

2008-11-08T02:11:00.000-08:00

I love Europe so much but I also adore the USA.

1. Halloween. This year I missed the Trick-or-Treaters and the pumpkins and parties. My solution: go to McDonald's and stalk all of the kids getting their faces painted. Next go and buy candy and pretend that someone gave it to you for free. Then go to new James Bond in English to embrace American entertainment. (fyi: The Quantum of Solace came out two weeks earlier here. My review: emotional, bloody, but good.) Eat the candy.

2. Mexican Food. I know, I know....not exactly American but kind of is an essential part of American life, right? The only type of food that I have missed since I have been gone is Mexican. Rio Grande, Cafe Rio, Diego's all call to me. In an attempt to fill this void, I tried to find a decent Mexican restaurant but have failed every time. So, I made Mexican food with Madame and Monsieur Nottin-Dufour. They loved it! The salsa, fajitas, rice, and cookies turned out well!

3. The elections. I cannot even express how amazed I have been as I witness this French obsession with American politics. I talk about the Presidential race any and every time of day with almost everyone that I meet. On Election Tuesday, I felt like I needed to do something patriotic (I had voted via an absentee ballot a few days earlier and got to go into the US Embassy which was kind of exciting) A few friends and I went to a famous American bar thinking a small group of ex-Patriots would just sit and watch the results. Au contraire mon frere. Immediately, I saw swarms of people. Rather than celebrating democracy or the elections, we (mostly the French youth and I) celebrated Obama. I felt like a celebrity because 1- I support Obama and 2- I voted. Plus, everyone loved me even more (cameras were literally flashing all over the place) when I held up Obama sign. If anyone out there has doubts about the potential good our President can do....let me tell you that our foreign relations have already improved.

4. Normandy. These last couple of days I enjoyed the rainy beaches of Normandy. I recommend that anyone who comes to France visit these World War II sites. The War Museum in Caens gave me the chills, brought me to tears, and rekindled my pacifist inclinations. But the beaches and the American Cemetary definitely hit me the hardest. As the clouds cleared and the weather improved, I walked through the rows of graves trying to imagine all of the little blanks left in the unfinished lives of these dead soldiers. For example, what did he plan on doing for his career? or who did he leave behind? Seeing that Armistice Day/Veterans day is coming up I figured I thought it appropriate that I realized the price of liberty. We owe so much to veterans and victims of war.

flying solo in Paris....

2008-10-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Tuesday...All alone. I honestly spoke a total of 5 sentences all day (in French I'll have you know) and instead I took a lot of pictures. Therefore, I will sum it up in images (in order of experience so you can live vicariously through the best day ever).

I love Paris.

Jeff Koons at Versailles

2008-10-25T02:14:00.000-07:00

(show =brillant. art ist= the bane of our post-modern existence)

Portrait of Louis XIV (L); Self-Portrait (R)
In a world full of upper-class Americanization and where Hollywoodisms have developed into household terms, who better than Jeff Koons to display artwork at Versailles? The ridiculous, captivating, and in-your-face exhibit becomes a modern commentary on materialism. Fittingly, the kitsch artwork sits in one of history's ultimate examples of materialism: Louis XIV's palace of Versailles.

Balloon Dog in the Hercules Room
The myelin balloon and highly-glossed porcelain sculptures outshine the gold gilding of the 17th- century rooms. So much so that one sees a self-reflection in nearly each monstrosity of a piece of "art." And so a new Hall of Mirrors is born. Cleverly cutting to the heart of contemporary art's "everything goes" philosophy, commercialization, and tourism, the tacky sculptures of Michael Jackson shock yet entertain the audience. Cameras constantly clicked in an attempt to capture the bizarre; because no one knew how to respond to the art but take a photo to say "I was there." Perhaps Koons comments on these swarms of tourists, who have degraded many French historical monuments into Disneylands, by producing reflections of pop culture defaming the site. Or perhaps he tries to rekindle the disgust of the wasteful frivolity that the French populace experienced 25o years ago (he did a good job at achieving disgust). Does the artist call for another guillotine? Or does he mock the complacency of the puzzled crowds which experience the show?Michael Jackson in the Venus Room

Either way, one thing is for sure: Jeff Koons at Versailles sets a precedent in today's art scene as a ground-breaking semi-installation exhibit. The tacky American moneymaker in France's most famous palace....it feels like eating a Big Mac rather than a baguette while on the Eiffel Tower. Both nauseatingly wrong and embarassingly amusing.The Hall of Mirrors with Blue Balloon

Milan Mission

2008-10-16T11:55:00.001-07:00

This is my reaction to my mission call to Milan, Italy starting February 18th 2009...for the next 18 months! It felt so natural and familiar but still so exciting and foreign!

My Autumnal Child

2008-10-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

Update: My baby is dying. I feel such loss whenever I pass by and more leaves have fallen.

I love the fall. And I have been following one tree's progress each day as I walk home from the train station. I have become very motherly about it (don't blog about any children because I don't have any...just trees.) In the past week:

Au lait? S'il vous plait?

2008-10-08T16:01:00.001-07:00

Dear French people,
If you want me to be skinny like you.... WHY have you been SECRETLY been feeding me demi-ecreme instead of ecreme milk that makes me fatter? Why have you been allowing me to unknowingly partake of milk that sounds healthy BUT, in all actuality, contains qualifies as 4% milk? WHY have you been allowing me to drink 12 g of fat per serving without PLACING IT ON THE NUTRITIONAL FACTS?
Gluing my eyes to the sides of food packages and counting calories does not appeal to me. In fact, I love buttery, sugary, fatty, delicious French cooking that ignores any nutritional value. BUT I HATE the fat in the secretive, not-good-tasting, boxed, boring, luke-warm, milk. Play fair.

Merci Beaucoup,
Annie

why memory matters

2008-10-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

Elie Wiesel said, "After all God is God because He remembers."

I started this entry weeks ago but seemed to chase words and ideas without catching them. I only felt them--and after more days in my European adventure I know them--and jotted down musings of excitement and "thank-you" notes to the past. Although my words feebly attempt to condense the entirety of every turn of the whole, 360-degree circles of the heart and mind, I write them with sincerity.
I have always loved history...to the point of chronic nostalgia; still, there is a difference between remembering and remembering. Walking away from one of the world's greatest museums with a Viennese sunset ahead of me and miles of cobblestone streets behind me, everything finally sunk in after weeks of travel. I think that was the moment that I cried my first Europe cry...because of how much our civilizations have gone through. How much individuals can achieve (that's why I love museums) countered by how many people have lived invisible lives without the voice of history to merely legitimize their existence. And the tears for how much we have put each other through.

You know that feeling where you feel humbled to be human? Someone blows you away or some story gives you the chills and you feel inadequate to stand in any square inch of the vast timeline of human history? Every couple of days at random moments--meeting a kind immigrant on the metro or standing on a gagillion-year-old bridge--I feel that. What do you do with that feeling but try to hold on to it....I just try to remember the times I truly remembered.

Whether spiritual reminders or personal stories or national sagas, reaching back and bringing the past to present changes everything. Folding it all into the "now" directs the future on toward progress. Remembering changes the daily floss-your-teeth and eat-your-vegetables habits and the more monumental happenings like repeated genocide or avoided economic disasters. We repeat history when we forget history. In remembering or re-remembering I have found that I understand events, politics, religion and cultures better; but, most importantly, I respect each person more. Perhaps for me it takes traveling to amazing places to learn lessons that others can understand in everyday life. I forget to remember until I go to places like the Louvre or see Auschwitz or read the Classics. However, if I hold onto history for the right reasons, I see the world in a new light and relate to others in a different way. I remember that--just like Caravaggio and Mozart and Marie de Medici and Hitler--we all have power for good or evil. We all hide histories of pain--both collective and individual pain--and each own unseen potentials to change the world. It may seem cliche and cheesy but I know it from experience. How can I know this? Because I study history and it boils down to millions struggling to make a mark on their "world"--however small that world may be. And I do the same thing. Oh, how history repeats itself. So I will try to remember that.

"After all God is God because He remembers..." I love that quote.

FLASHBACK: Arnhem, The Netherlands

2008-09-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite days of all time. Arnhem sits in a beautifully green area with forest all around it. First, we ventured to the Open Air Museum (picture This Is the Place state park Dutch style). I loved it. Plus, the wedding that day meant that everything donned white bows. Darling.
Have you ever tried to ride an old-fashioned bicycle? Let me tell you....TRICKY.

Then we sped off to the Kroner-Muller museum, which houses some of the greatest van Goghs and contemporary sculpture I have laid eyes on, before closing time. On bikes. And I had to convince a guard to let us in because the museum was closing.

To get to the museum you have to ride bikes through a gorgeous park for like 15 km (I saw a pregnant lady doing it...so it wasn't that hard.) Inside the park the Dutch genius gardener decided to make mini-biomes (the picture features my desert meditation) and it is SO STUNNING. Go there if you ever have a chance.

PS:

see previous post

je t'aime

2008-09-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Paris. It overwhelms and charms you all in one breath. I posted a picture of a typical morning eating a pain au chocolat for breakfast....I am so healthy, I know.

This week I finally arrived in Croissy-sur-Seine where I am living with Madame and Monsieur Nottin-Dufour. I LOVE THEM. You know those snobby Parisiens that you imagine smoking and fashioning and hating America..? Well, they don't really exist....or they are in hiding. The French have welcomed me with open arms and especially the Nottin-Dufours! Both have grey hair and sunny dispositions. She is a Classics professor who golfs every Friday and plays Bridge every Wednesday. And Christian just says sarcastic remarks in broken English and obsesses over his 5 grandchildren. And they live a simple life with kindness interwoven in everything. I want to be like that someday. The universality of basic human courtesy and love never ceases to amaze me.
Au Revoir

HELLO AGAIN

2008-09-23T12:48:00.002-07:00

I will begin posting again. Finally, I have internet access. YES. Look forward to both the day-to-day magic as well as "FLASHBACKS" highlighting my past few weeks in Croatia, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands (Holland), oh and London #2, and PARIS PARIS PARIS.
xoxoxoxo