Fun

Just because I can go on for ages about chicken pox, please don't take that to mean I have nothing better to talk about. It's rather a case of so many blog ideas, so little time. The girls and I are are still wide eyed and discovering the many wonders of this storybook town. For all of us, our french is improving constantly. Yesterday, we did my favorite thing, and just walked around town, the city center as well as the nature trails and outlying towns for about 5 miles. I had to bribe the girls to do it (stops at the park and waffle stand), but I think they're also liking it in the end.
Another of our pasttimes is to check out the goings on of our boating neighbors. Actually, it's Lauren's pasttime. Besides our new friend, Peter,we have other neighbors, to whom we've never spoken, but who've been here for several weeks (well, they come and they go), and they anchor right in front of Lauren's bedroom window. Their boat is called the Heron of Gorey, so we just call them "the Heron of Gorey guys". Lauren provides us with updates as to when they're going for breakfast, cleaning the boat, reading, and so on. It's a couple in their 70s, I expect and the man looks like a hearty stocky sailor while she is a tiny little going concern. She and Lauren do wave to each other (each having caught the other spying) and it's just a funny little part of our life here. They've sailed out this afternoon, but, if the past is any indication, they'll be back. And it's high time we meet them.

The weird thing is that Kevin isn't here. That seems so odd and it's an adjustment. We miss him alot, but we certainly don't eat as much meat. ;-)

We also met a woman today on our walk home from school who lives and works on one of the main artists' streets down the road. Do you remember the chat gris? That's Annika's favorite cat to find on the way to school (keeps her attention away from the walk up the steep hill). Anyway, as we found it today, it's Sylivie's cat and her shop. They change the sculptures in the window weekly and today's was intriguing to Lauren, so she asked to go in. We found out not only that it's her husband who does the stunning bronze sculpture (Annika gasped when she saw the one of a male dancer holding a female ballerina high above his head), but also that she's really friendly and her kids are around Lauren's age. She's keen to learn English herself (she already has a language partner, Anglaise) and she wishes her kids would learn more English. "Maybe you girls can be friends," she proposed to Lauren. Lauren did not quite understand what she said, but, I did. You can bet that we will certainly take her up on that offer. The little girl's name is Laura and she's a few months younger than Lauren. Laura also has an older brother about 11, but we didn't get his name.

Well, here are some photos of our walk yesterday....



Here is the plaza heading to the library (straight ahead). Oh actually we did that on Saturday.


Annika posing in the antique shop (note the telltale back of the winding staircase, Dinanaise).

Then we passed a fancy bridal boutique in town and in the window we saw the perfect bride and mother of the bride outfits, I thought, for Lauren and me. But she was not convinced, saying that she would have a nature wedding with a flowing gown and twigs in her hair. So much for my floral taffeta. Maybe I'll wear that at Annika's. Then, 30 minutes later when we were down "in nature", Lauren made a bouquet:



Our favorite boat passed by:


Jaman IV...we really must go on this some time. It's a guided tour in English and French, and I bet they tell some interesting stories and history of the area.



The girls on the bridge.




This one is for you, mom since you requested flowers, and I had just taken this one a few hours before that request. It's not the best flower bed in town...there are hundreds; they are everywhere. I'll keep my eye out when we pass a really spectacular one and the girls are with me. Hopefully we won't be in the car. ;-)

Chicken Pox

What does that word do to you?

Some people seem so freaked out by it, and I've never understood why. It's such a small deal. At least when you're a little kid, it is.

When Annika's teacher told me when we first arrived that some of the kids were coming down with "la varicelle", I just smiled, thinking "one more thing to love about France". I have spent the last few years chasing down chicken pox in my moms email groups (the natural health ones) trying to get natural (ie oral) immunity booster rather than having to resort to getting it, grown in a lab, complete with additives and preservatives straight into the bloodstream. Yes, the varicella vaccine is causing a lower incidence of natural chicken pox disease in children, but some scientists believe that this is responsible for the incidence of shingles rising. Having chicken pox used to confer lifelong immunity to varicella, but that depended on getting your yearly or bi-yearly dose of natural booster. Our miraculous immune system would be stimulated by the virus entering our system and it would reach into those antibodies we developed when we had the disease (I think the antibodies are stored somewhere in our miraculous spines), and being activated by a natural introduction of the virus, they come out and fight the virus. Meanwhile, we go through our lives not even knowing that little war was going on. It seems like a great system. But without the booster of having chicken pox circulating around so much, we are missing our annual exposure, so our antibodies are essentially getting weaker, as the theory goes. Soon we'll all be told we need shingles shots to get our boosters. Yuck.

My kids got chicken pox in 2006 from my Aunt who had shingles. She was so sorry about it but I thanked her from the bottom of my heart. And the next year, when a family at church were excessively aplolegetic about having had their kids for a day in VBS before discovering they had chicken pox, I was enthusiastic. "Oh, don't worry, I said; in fact, can my kids play with your sick kids today?" She didn't take me up on it though. Some people don't go for this theory. Our music teacher, Sharla, on the other hand, understood it, and even though she shut down her house for all lessons when her teenaged son came down with shingles (he had had a chicken pox vaccine as a child), she allowed us to come over when I explained I wanted us to have boosters.

The only required vaccine in France is the Diptheria, Tetnus, Polio, and those are all reasonable vaccines. Even the MMR is not required here though it is recommended. I do believe it could be because France's whole government, and legal system is set up to ensure that they all pay for everyone else's healthcare. One person's health or educational problem is everyone's. If one child gets injured from a vaccine, the country will pay for that person's educational and health interventions for life. Having kids have a few days of red spots is still considered a better option than the hospitalizations, pain and time off work caused by shingles later. And shingles cases have risen dramatically in the U.S. since the widespread use of varicella vaccine. Coincidence? I don't want to take that chance. Also while it's the CDC and the College of Physicians and Surgeons who recommend kids get this varicella vaccine, it's not them who pay for any bad results from it. It's private insurers if you're one of the privledged ones with private health care. Oh, and I didn't mention the Pharmaceutical companies who also have great profits from vaccines but don't pay for much of the consequences. (A small fraction of these profits easily pay google to put their misinformation on the first 1,000 returns of a search for "varicella vaccine", but for a more balanced picture, I recommend searching wikipedia, or speaking to an unbiased bio-chemist or doctor.)

Anyway, I'm ranting on here, but all this is to say that I was very happy to arrive in France and find out that this year's wave of chicken pox was currently going through the school. Then two weeks later, one of Annika's friends in class came to school, but her mom was called at lunch because her spots were showing up in an impressive and rapid display before everyone's eyes. She was in her most contagious state and she was in class that morning. And to top it off, we ran into the girl and her mom in the grocery store later. I chatted with the mom, comiserating about her having to prepare a few days' worth of oatmeal baths and movies while the girls chased each other around our legs. I kind of really wanted to drag this conversation out because, well, I like converstations genuinely, but, of course, I had an agenda as well. Well, finally it was her turn to talk to the cashier so I had to let her go.

"Okay, tell Caroline you'll see her later in the week or next week", I said, "big hugs now, gros bisous (that's it...french style, two kisses right on the those chicken pocked cheeks)".

That should take care of us for another year or two.

Here's what we've been up to lately....

Introducing, the fabulous, Mael....



This is Mael, Lauren's friend who presented us with a formal invitation the other day for Lauren to come over for a playdate, at their family's apartment.

When I first met this girl, I immediately adored her. I wish I could accurately describe the look on her face when we first met. I can say that I've never (and yes I mean never) seen such a smile. It was as if she (or her expression) was saying, "look...we're finally meeting...isn't it just so wonderful." Can you see it? Well, okay, how about: try to imagine the look on your best friend's face if you both just found out that you had won a million dollars. That was Mael's expression to me the first time I ever met her. I was wondering, "wow...were you praying for us to come? Did you already meet us in a dream?" But, of course, I didn't ask that; I just tried to return a smile with something near the enthusiasm of hers. Since that first magical moment, every morning she greets Lauren and makes sure that she's done her Cantine card (to order lunch), and that she had a good evening etc, chatting away to her as she brings her into the school. Mael also has asked me twice if we'll be back next year. I told her I hope so, but I think I better be clear with her that, realistically it will take quite a few months or even a year or more before we know. Microsoft isn't doing many relocations these days, and the chance of a relocation soon is slim. She has ensured that she will have our address to write us when we're not here. Mais oui, bien sur!

Her brother, Gwendal is also one of Annika's favorite classmates. He's a sweet boy too, funny and observant. He reminds me of a cross between my nephews Justin and Ryan.

At first, I thought their mom was unfriendly, and I wondered how she could have such amicable kids when she seemed so reserved, stone faced as far as I could tell, and seemingly pretty no-nonsense with the kids. She and I were both parent volunteers a few weeks ago at a swimming class. She didn't say one word to me, and even when I spoke to her, but she walked away, not hearing me. But then another day I struck up a conversation with her and, sure enough, though still not exactly chatty, she flashed a smile you could warm your hands by, and I thought, "Okay, there it is". Karine is her name, and she works part time at a retirement home. Her husband, Phillipe, is a policeman, so they live in the state housing for policemen...it's an apartment building right down the road from the school. Phillipe said that if we ever need anything, information or anything, just give him a call. Sweet. A policman that we know personally who offered to help if we need anything!

So, after Lauren's playdate with Mael, we were walking home and the girls were nagging me to go out for crepes. Then it started to rain, and my resolve weakened.
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This is a creperie that we pass on the hill everyday. And everyday, they have the Runicula bouquets that are so incredibly beautiful. And can you see the flowering lilac plant hanging outside? It was a humid night and the smell was so divine that I could not resist standing under them, and then once the owner Patrick came out find out what I was doing, I could not resist going in.




You will need to click on this one to see the details of the lilac, and outside bouquets.



Do you see the glasses are hanging on the back of a winding staircase? It leads up to the home of the owners of this restaurant. As is typical in Dinan, the shop owners also live at their shop. It's like a storybook or at least Sesame Street in the "these are the people in your neighborhood" way...or maybe that was Mr. Rogers. In any case, it reminds of another time when it was individuals, yes real people and not corporations or franchises that moved the commerce of the city.

Music Class

Today, I went with Annika's class to their music lesson at the main music school in town. The kids are working on a show for the end of the year. They're doing interpretive movement to a classical piece (not sure which one it is yet), and the kids are fish and some are "the whale" with a sheet, some intruments and lots of "swimming" around the stage. It's going to be fabulous.



Here we are walking to class...



Ooops. I'm is distracting her, and she's not one not to pose.



Speaking of which...here are some photos I took and St. Malo a few weeks ago. (I know, I wish I'd gotten more pink rubber boot and less space at the top)


Random shots of Annika at the beach at St. Malo a few weeks ago. (They were just too cute for me to not put in).



Peter's boat.

I hope to get a shot of Peter soon. He has a great face. It's calm and kind. There is a kind of peace that I'm not used to seeing that I see in the face of this man who's been sailing the world for at least the last 7 years. I don't know what he did before; I just know he got the sailboat 7 years ago. ll have him for lunch or dinner sometime, hopefully.

Also, another bit of news is that I started my language exchange yesterday with Dablan. He brought a recipe for me in French because, he reasoned, it comes with a picture so that would help me to learn vocabulary (he's a University Professor of Geography). He teased me that Canadians and Americans don't know anything about cooking, so maybe I could learn some important things through these "recipe lessons". I took offence of course, and tried to defend our whole continent. I do personally know a number of Canadians and Americans who can cook. I was a terrible representative though; the truth soon revealed itself (doesn't it always eventually) when I didn't know the difference between a turnip and a parsnip...as well, I didn't know why you would hang a filet of beef in a boullion from a string and a stick rather than just let it drop in the broth. Well, Dablan informs me it's because the bottom of the pot is way too hot and that will overcook the beef, don't you know?

Okay, but I got him back because I had prepared for him a lesson on The Tale of Despereaux and it opens with the main character's mother who is a vain, no, narcissitic, and yes, French, mouse, named Antoinette. Dablan laughed. He can dish it out and take it. He seems like a very joyful soul, and, again, I'm so lucky that he agreed to do this exchange with me. In fact, I better go because he's determined to learn English, he tells me, so he wants to meet again tomorrow, so I better get preparing that lesson.

One last bit of news is that the Yamamoto family whom I love so much are all coming here in June; well most of them at least, and to Paris at least. The King family will come here to Dinan, and then we'll all go meet the whole gang. It's just super darling!

A la prochain...

Peter

We have a new neighbor. He lives in his boat across the street. Well, he called it his "home away from home". Some time ago, he and his wife bought the sailboat in Victoria, B.C. and sailed it to France. It took them 9 months, and now they moore it on the dock across from our place. Their home at home is San Francisco...maybe it's their winter home, and I guess they're retired. He and his wife apparently just flew in to Paris for a wedding, and he came up to work on the boat before driving up to Paris to join his wife for the wedding, and then bring her back here. Sometime this summer, they'll sail around Europe, he says, and they're not sure where yet. I guess that means that literally, they'll go wherever the wind takes them. He's totally a kindred spirit and I'm glad to meet our new neighbor whose boat home is from Victoria. What a small world.

What a beautiful weekend

Another miracle is how well everything worked out this weekend, considering that we did everything spontaneously, as the mood struck us. Every day here is a magical adventure anyway, like we're walking in the pages of a fanciful storybook. (Well, it is when it's not raining; it's a bit more dark in the rain..it is raining now as I correct this entry, but it wasn't this weekend...no, no!)

Friday, we ran into friends at the park and went minigolfing (see photos and commentary below). Then Saturday, Lauren was again itching to go minigolfing after reading that Tiger Woods visualizes his wins before hitting. Armed with visions of holes in one, she was on a mission to improve her score. We walked past the library on the way and ended up going in, then (much to Lauren's irritation) we jaunted over to the bank to get money to buy a library card, then returned to browse this big library's lovely selection. This detour not only got us some great music, books and movies for the weekend, it also got us to the park in perfect time to meet up with several friends from school, including Malou again(see Friday's pics) as well as her sister Amelie who is one of Lauren's "girl-illa" friends. We all had a glorious time minigolfing, and enjoying the park. Lauren won.

Then we stopped by the butcher and the bakery on the way home; it was warm, Saturday night, and the shops and streets were more lively than usual. We ran into to James, the British half of the half-British kids at the school, and he kindly invited us for a drink on a patio. He's hilarious (kind of a cross between John Cleese and Frost from Frost/Nixon). He drives a Jaguar and is about 65 (while his kids are 11 and 9 and his wife about 40). He's retired from the British military and he's lived in Dinan for 20 years. All the shopkeepers know him by name. When we ran into him at the butcher, he was gathering ingredients to make dinner the following night for all his wife's family, dinner for 18. He's also a chef in his spare time.

So, home we went after that, tired and happy. Then we talked to Kevin right before bed. Oh, well, Annika went to bed while Lauren and I watch a 1999 version of Alice in Wonderland with very high end cast, like Martin Short, and Gene Wilder among others. I think it was Alec Guinness who played the walrus man who said, "The time has come, my friends, to speak of many things...". It was a great movie, a wonderful discovery to end a day of discoveries.

Then today, we went chez Pascale and her husband, Dablan (Pascale is one of the teachers at the school). Dablan is going to be my "language partner" and help me learn French while I help him with his English. This couple seem like two more wonderful hidden jewels that we found this weekend. They have 4 kids, aged 22-30, even though they themselves seem so young (they're probably just 10 years older than I, so, yes, young, baby, really y-o-u-n-g). One of their sons is an amazing artist and their living room is covered in his stunning work. Pascale also, besides being a grade 1 teacher, is a fabulous artist. Her ceramic sculptures also grace this wonderful room all inside an lovely maison, built 100 years ago in gorgeous stone. AND, as it happens, I've always harbored and desire to try sculpture, or some kind of 3-d visual art. And Pascale said she'd take me with her to the class she attends. Can you believe it? The kids are getting a social life, and it looks like I am too. Oh, and we did also have a lovely visit, all speaking in French, and inspite of a few stalls, I felt really comfortable and so thrilled for this amazing chanced to meet and speak with them. I'm so grateful to God for all these blessings.
We're in McDonalds again, using the internet (for which the kids are infinitely grateful, or, if not infinitely, at least until they get hungry again tomorrow)...and there' s not really more to say than thank you. A la prochaine.

Oh, I forgot to mention the one really bad part about today is that Lauren scalded her hand on boiling water. I think it might be quite bad because it still hurts and I'm trying to decide if I should try and find emergency medical care...there are no blisters but a large red spot that's been hurting for a few hours despite asprin and ice. I better go research. Please pray.

And later....

Can you guess the denoument of this sad story of poor little Lauren and her little scalded hand? If you guessed that I had run out of children’s pain medicine at home, and Lauren’s latest ice pack had melted right about the time that the line in McDonalds was out the door with (presumably) hungry travellers on their way home after a long weekend, and that her pain was apparently becoming unbearable (though there were no blisters and it was 4-5 hours after the original scald), and that my rational mind was telling me it was not a major injury, my emotional mind (if there is such a thing) was telling me to freak out because my baby was hurting, and, if also you thinking that someone had told me there was a phone number to call to find the one pharmacie that was open on Sunday (the towns’ pharmacies in France are obliged to rotate with all the others for the Sunday open), and that searching for this elusive number on the internet was fruitless, then you’d be correct. Breath. If you then guessed that I decided to just go “where the spirit led me”, getting in the car and driving through Dinan, and if you then thought I probably turned a corner and saw the flashing green cross that indicates an open pharmacie, again, you would be correct. We were all so grateful for the cooling gel and children’s pain killer. And that was another solved pain in the hand for Lauren.

Mini Golf yesterday, and a few random shots...ps. Happy Mother's Day

Actually Mother's Day in France is June 7, so we have a good excuse for a prolonged celebration.

We went to the park yesterday, and had fun on the playground and playing minigolf. One of the moms told me that this park is a good place to see friends from the school, and sure enough we did. Actually though, we see our school friends everywhere because this is such a small town. It's like a sea of tourists with school friends sprinkled in between. On the way home from the park yesterday, we took a wrong road and ended up in Lehon, 2 km away from home, but we had a lovely walk home along the Rance, and once she realized there was nothing anyone could really do for her but sympathize, the "pain" in Annika's leg seemed to disappear. However, then Annika appeared to have been stung by stinging nettle, complaining of a pricked finger (coincidence because Lauren touched this a few days ago), so then we ran into another mom from the school, and I was able to explain the cause for Annika's wailing ("elle s'est pique par l'ortie"...which I knew from the earlier incident) and that mom went straight to another plant, pealed the leaf off to reveal an wet inner leaf and rubbed it on Annika's finger. Miracle cure! I have to say that Annika did really well yesterday, considering she walked about 6-8 kilometers. Yah! Growing up is fun...I miss the babies, but seeing my kids get stronger and develop stamina is wonderful (not to mention the advantages for more fun walks).



The girls loved playing minigolf yesterday.


Fortunately, we ran into Malou at the park...she is one of the sweetest girls in Annika's class. Her parents own a gift shop up the street, and she has an equally sweet sister, Amelie, in Lauren's class (one of the group I fondly refer to as "the Gorillas"). Malou found a shell the other day in the playground, a tiny snail shell, and she presented it to me, "C'est pour vous". I will treasure it (and her) for as long as I can think of, friend for life. Also, she's wearing ladybug earrings here in this picture, which is a long and perhaps silly story, but still, ladybugs mean a lot to me.


Malou is so shy and polite, but after struggling with a few holes, she said, "j'espere gagner cette fois-ci", (I hope to win this time), and sure enough, she did that hole at par, better than Lauren and Annika. It's like Tiger Woods says, you have to visualize the win before you win. It was so cute they way the girls were working together and saying, "Bravo" to each other.




Louanne, Caroline and Annika at swimming class.





The Center square in Dinan

A little walk after dinner last night.

On the wall of Dinan, looking down at the port.



And from futher up. Even Annika is getting really good at walking...we got lost yesterday(not on the walk pictured here but the next day) and got to the neighboring town of Lehon before realizing, four hours later (from when we started our walk to the park) we were back at home. There was only five minutes of, "mom, my legs hurt; I wish we had a stroller; I want to go to India". (now that last comment was precipitated either by my recent thinking that maybe India is next or by Annika's current fascination with the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack.)




Our front yard.


Down the road.


Les terasses

A restaurant on the street where they always have beautiful fresh flowers.