Late November - Early December

I love the holiday season. In the last few weeks, I have done much and will share highlights as time permits. In the meantime, bullets:

• I made a batch of home made Chicken Noodle soup. My family gave my soup great reviews. I used a recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/. I will make again and post within the next few weeks. 
• I made a batch of mini-muffins using 3 Ingredients - a box of Yellow Cake Mix, a can of pumpkin puree, and a bag of Hershey's mini-chocolate chips. They were very well received, too.
• I found my pendind needlepoint project in the bottom of a tote bag in the back of my closet. It is about 2/3 complete and had been missing since August. I am delighted!
• I have completed a First Aid Course (Heartsavers by the American Heart Association). It was excellent. I received great reminders and some terrific new pieces of information. I think every household should have at least one person become certified. I feel so empowered.
• I tried a new salon and asked the colorist to go with a rich natural dark brown. Apparently, she thought that I asked her to make it jet black. Ugh! It is not very natural or attractive looking. I'll never go back there again (unless they offer a really good coupon or I get another gift card).
• I attended the National Christmas Tree Lighting in D.C. and saw the first family. It was my second time taking my sons to see President Obama in person. The first was while he was still senator and he came for a campaign rally in 2008. That time, my older son never truly laid eyes on him because of the crush of people and all the mania. But this time, the boys, my husband and I, all sat comfortably (in the super cold weather) and watched a lovely display of Patriotism and Christianity. After the official show, they served hot chocolate and we walked around and looked at the smaller trees that represented each state. Then we watched a singer (not sure who he was) have a do over of his songs on stage. I guess it didn't record well or something for PBS. (Check your local listings, as they say.) Then we watched the fantastic electric trains that were around the trees. Then we went to the historic Willard Hotel which was decorated absolutely beautifully for the holidays and listened to an amazing a capella choir sing a program of holiday tunes. It was an terrific night. May God Bless America! (Note-It took me a ridiculous amount of time to figure out what to wear.)
• I'm about 1/4 into my Christmas shopping and trying to keep it simple and sane.
• I've decorated with our family's existing Christmas stash but I am itching to do something crafty, too. My sister shared a good idea offered by Martha (Stewart) and if I have time to pull it off before December 24th, I'll be sure to share.

Does everyone want to try new things and feel crafty and cookish between Thanksgiving and Christmas or is it just me?

Veterans Day - 11/11/11



Second Lieutenant Henry Ossian Flipper
Image Courtesy of www.nps.gov.

While I am a person who genuinely gravitates toward peace and harmony, I have so much admiration for those who give of themselves in pursuit of service to all of us in this great nation. I would be happy to go so far as to say that I have the luxury of this peacenik perspective as a direct result of the efforts of those who have served as well as those who are continuing to serve. Today, I want to introduce to some and present to others a distinguished veteran from long ago - Henry Ossian Flipper.

Henry O. Flipper was the first american of african descent to graduate from West Point. He was literally and directly an African-American. (His parents were abducted from their homes in Africa to work in the United States as slaves; and, he was born in these Thomasville, Georgia in 1856.) His is an interesting story and I plan to learn more about him. To read more about this veteran of note, visit the National Park Service's website - here.

To Our Dear USA Veterans -

Thank you for your service to this great nation. Your efforts continue to be appreciated.

God Bless You!

Vive La France

I don't know what it is about the European culture that has intrigued me for most of my life. It may stem from the stories of my parents who travelled as an Air Force family, or it may stem for the wonderful old movies that I watched as a girl where most everyone from "foreign lands" seemed exotic and interesting, or maybe the fact that, as with many youngsters, anything other that what we are may be, for the moment anyway, desirable.


For me England, France and Tunisia have been the countries to which I have been most drawn. Growning up as citizen of the Unites States of America, the introduction to England and all her glory begins nearly in utero. Follow that with an ongoing diet of British-Comedies from As You Like It to Monty Python to Keeping Up Appearances to Chef! and Coupling and sprinkle in the real life dramas and celebrations associated with the monarchies and anything associated with Jane Austen, Maggie Smith, and Dame Judi Dench (is it weird that I love the decor of the "flat" inhabited by Jean and Lionel; or, that I would wear anyone of her outfits to volunteer at the children's school?), along with the fact that language is no barrier, how could I not have developed a great affection for jolly old England. Did I mention that my bachelors degree is in English?

Frame from I Love Lucy - Lucy Meets Charles Boyer

(Image courtesy of www.cbs.com)

Then, I hear french being spoken and it sounds so lovely to the ear. Having seen the I Love Lucy in France reruns and having artful experiences with french artists, and taking semesters of french in college, and learning about the lifestyle where simplicity, authenticity and balance seem suitable for my personality, well that was all it took. I dub me - francophile. I've decorated most common areas of my house in rather a French Country motif. It is mixed with the sort of early american/colonial, too. (How could it not be? I live in a suburb in Northern Virginia so the colonial influence cannot be escaped.)

Tunisia (sometimes Morocco) beckons me. My father took home movies of his visit to Morocco back in the early 1960s. The images of the souks and markets were so exotic and exciting a little girl (moi) watching and wondering if she would ever be able to visit such a place as this. As an American of African descent, I feel a draw to visit the continent of Africa. As one hears the stories of great unrest in the largely islamic countries in North Africa, I am less likely to visit there any time soon. Still I so, enjoy visiting vicariously through others. When the Real Housewives of New York visited, I couldn't wait to record and watch it. It still looks like an amazing place to visit. Oh, and did you know that - after arabic - french is an official language.

I taught my sons a few french phrases in the interest of good manners and etiquette (okay - and to amuse myself). Call me crazy; but, I would rather my son say "I would like something to eat please" or "I would like the bathroom please" in french rather than English when we are in the company of other adults.

Resources for learning and practicing French are many. I shared in a previous posts how Madames Dariaux and Guiliano have influenced my lifestyle. Here are a few more:

Earworms Rapid French - The best method of learning useful phrases in a fun way.

Professor Toto's Watch & Learn French has been a useful tool in introducing the language to my sons.

Image courtesy of Lifestyle-Vogue.com

Belle Du Jour is my all time favorite movie to hear the language spoken and see an amazing sense of style. Catherine Deneuve is magnificently dressed from top to toe. Sadly, the subject matter is a bit offensive and disturbing so I rarely recommend it IRL. Also, may I just add, although I've seen it several times, I must confess, I still don't really get it - someday someone will have to explain it to me. I just fast forward through the less than tasteful scenes to get to the next outfit.

Priceless is one of my more recent french finds. Audrey Tautou (who also played the lead in the movie Coco Before Chanel) and Gad Elmaleh are so adorable is this fresh flick with beautiful backdrops. The music and rhythm of the movie is just right. What I didn't realize until this typing is that the story lines are comparable. Hmmm.

My Life in France is a fantastic book which has brought me the most joy in fantasizing what life in France might be like for any USAmerican. Julia's story is so remarkable in so many ways. I have said that I wish I would have read this book the day it hit bookstores as it contains some truths and wisdom that I could have really used when I made my big move from the West Coast to the East Coast. I really love Julia Child's wit and joie de vivre.

It no longer surprises me that our nation's founding fathers enjoyed time in France, or that France is that official language of the United Nations in New York, NY (USA). The fact that my husband grew up in a part of the southern US where French Huegenots settled and that he has a rather french-sounding last name is a happy coincidence. Also, it turned out that of all the languages offered, he, too, took french courses during his undergraduate studies. Another coincidence, is that when we first visited Washington DC as a family, we were invited to a party at the French Embassy where the people were lovely, the food was excellent and the artwork breathtaking. While I know I'm totally not french, I promise you the french connections do not stop there.

I have ocassionally experimented with my french language skills by trying to use it with the french canadian kids who have come into my life - the mothers always end up correcting me; and, I don't mind at all. I always apologize (for brutalizing their language) and thank them (from keeping me from looking like a buffoon).

I will continue to explore bits about France for as long as it interests me and dream of the day that I will visit.

Au revoir!

 

September 11th

My family visited Kings Dominion (an amusement park) today with members of one of our clubs. There were thousands upon thousands of people in the park. At exactly 12:00pm, everyone and everything in the park stopped for a moment of silence to collectively remember. The silence ended when the voice of a lone soprano sang a beautiful rendition of our National Anthem - The Star-Spangled Banner. Everyone in our group stood with hands over hearts. It was beautiful and touching. When the song ended, there were cheers and applause - an appropriate response.

I am hopeful that our country will be brought closer together as we were in those days immediately following 9/11/01. I truly believe this is the greatest nation on earth for many reasons. I also believe there are quite a few things we can do better. And I have faith that we will.

I will never forget.

God Bless America!

Image Credit to www.candleandribbon.org.