Friday, December 31, 2004

Operating mutation: turning into le Chef

...and wish me luck because if you knew what I have to cook today and if you saw the size of my kitchen (2m² when empty) and if you were aware of my cooking really hidden talents... you'd say "you won't make it goil, give it up...NOWwww!"

I have the most experimental dinner to cook for tonight (but can't say more, Martin reads it here too!).. and I have to prepare the desserts for 15 people tomorrow...

Lola will certainly help, which makes me think *help* can really have a double meaning..;-)

Have the most wonderful New Year's eve, ours will be intimate and cosy (waving the *parents' flag* around)... Don't behave tonight, life's short and precious :P

2004 Candles' world

political madness, angry planet, atheist extremism, another concert of Metallica, new tatoo, new friends, missing Penny, wanting to meet Jack sometimes, and Etolane too, prayers for Tom fighting his illness, Joe feeling baaaaad, driving better (pheww), Hamburg, Marine the old (s) and Marine the young, loving to be a mama, loving to be a mama and a wife, loving to be a mama, a wife, and a woman too **~~*^* *

2004, la vie en rose -fushia-

Thank you mr or mrs *Universe* (not talking of Schwarzi here!) for my beloved family, dear friends, my 2 published books and hobbit house :-)))

and that's all, folks! **~~*^* **^^* *

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Décalage

I haven't found an appropriate English translation for this "décalage"!
(Alinet, miss lulu, Etolane... any idea, you Franco-English supa specialists?)

I wanted to tell about the difference between one post to another here.
It just feels weird to speak of the Asian trauma in a post and in the next one of my fookin beloved earrings.

It's definatly uncomfortable.
I sit down and try to think of it. And ok, ok, that is life at the end. Life is made of zillions of details, life is chosing to add milk or not in your first coffee... life is wondering if you will have a tough day at work... life is jumping around when you get a great gift... life sometimes faces death and maybe the key is accepting it too.
Easy to say when it does not concern your own hubby or children.

Ha well, just a question of time, there's a final justice in this world, we'll all finish the same way!
(feeling my bones having a devilish laugh in here! Shut up, you nasty lil ones!)

Jeeeez, before getting depressed for the rest of the year (phewww, my luck!! 2 days to go :P), I'd better write that post about earrings ;-)

The lordette of the (ear)rings!

Not only metallica can please my ears (s)...
...my personnal, official, permanant Santa Claus can do that too!
(nodding)

I'm not a necklace or bracelet type of girl, nenene, but I LUUUuuuVE earrings and rings too, yup.
I guess I could live wearing shoes and earrings only! lol (that sounds decadent again and pretty posh, damn!!!)

And I've just been offered these 2 beauDiful pairs! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
My giant Santa Claus definatly knows how to please his santa Clausette (ermm, dat's sounds weird! lol)

Felix

...joined us yesterday!
I was making again Xmas shopping for the other family reunions (that will happen on the next 2 weekends... Divorces make of Xmas a nightmare for organization, on the children's side, that is) when this man from that lovely gift shop offered Felix to Lola!

A couple of minutes before, Lola had decided the expensive Felix (hahum, 18 euros!) would be hers... which was not at all in my biz plan of the day!

I was to abandon the newly adopted Felix when the salesman whispered Felix would be his xmas gift to Lola...!

Waww, that was troooly kewl! Felix is so so cute!
The salesman got a kiss from the shrimpette and the three of us left, happily purring.

Felix (such an original name for a cat! lol) is now part of the family, his arrival hasn't even disturned Joe's nap ;-)

Monday, December 27, 2004

Better getting blind and deaf...

...for Xmas
Because I'm not sure I would have appreciated that much my weekend if I had heard about the Asian tragedies...

Gawd, why did it happen, why there and not there, why them and not us?
Does Nature have some revenge to take? Have we hurt Nature so much that *it* had to turn again into such an invincible and unpredictable murderer?

Fate, bad luck.. I don't know.
A more broken heart wishes death would not be so close to life.

(putting this new tragedy in the locked drawer of my mind, there's really nothing else to do, isn't there?)

Hobbit House on the rocks

Before Martin updates his blog (cough cough), here are the latest news :P

While Martin was recovering from his bad cold, I've managed to work 2 days on the hobbit house (proud smile, showing my 2 1/2 new muscles :P)
2 days only, no more than 5, 6 hours maximum everyday... it's so frustrating to not have more time!

We're still working on the walls of the guestroom... There is such a thick cob covering on the stones that it's awful work to get rid of it. It's not that the cob is hard to work, it just sticks to the stones like hell.





I think we need a full week to finish the walls of this room. A bloody week, when will we find it? I wonder!

While working on the stones, I noticed some stones were really wet, as if they were sponges! (the stones are made of granit). Eeeeck, I thought a river was running under the house or something, but no, we've learnt when you open a house that was closed for weeks, it adjusts to temperature and sometimes the stone can react.
It will be different once we start to warm it up. (well, I hope so!)
Phewww...

So much to learn ... it's exciting!


click here

Unexpected delivery

You never expect snow in Bretagne... even less snow on a 25th of December!
But we had it! Yayyyyy!!!
Big heavy flakes for the whole evening. That was wonderful! We had candles all around the house, outside too, put on the stones of the walls.
That was magic.


click here


Some German arrived in front of the house, lost in the whitish storm, looking for the hobbit house they had booked. More wood for the fireplace. More glasses for those who've been playing outside, in the snowy darkness.
Countryside and its lil adventures. Candles, generous snowflakes. City life cannot compete with the country one **~~*^* **^^* ^* *


click here

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

A crepe suzette Christmas

We leave in a couple of hours for Bretagne, yeeeepeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! :P

I think I only wish one thing for Xmas at the end...more time. I've just completly lost it lately, doing everything in a rush, forgetting half of what I had to do, etc.
I'm usually fookin well organized... shiteroo, what happened?!!

Lola's not so sick (less than Martin... jeez, not our time of the year!), but she coughs so much that it often makes her vomit..
Yesterday on our bed, on the sofa, on Martin *working chair* and finally at 3.00 IN our bed (she was coughing so much that I wanted to keep an eye on her and took her with us.)
I finally spent half of the night in her 1m40 bed (eeeck), giving her water or syrup as soon as she started coughing a lot.
Went back to bed at 4.30...
How many kids do we want again?!!!

But my voice is almost back, even though I sound more like a smoking truck driver... at least I can talk :P ...Pheww just in time! hehe
I feel a bit tired, but pretty ok. I think I'll work on the hobbit house the whole day tomorrow so that Martin can recover completly.

I just can't wait to be there now, far from the polluted Paris and its routine **~~*^* * *

I've had no time for my blog really, even less time to relax visiting other bloggies, so I send you all my *Xmas witch* to wish you a merry merry Christmas and the warmest times with your families and friends.
Huggggles, scruffffles and salacious smooooches!

Monday, December 20, 2004

2005 Blogpipole Calendar: grand cru!

Following Etolane's suggestion, I've participated to the *2005 Blogpipole Calendar*, and I do not regret it!

We were not zillions to participate (ermm 16 actually), but so many talented ones around that it feels great to be part of it at the end.
I'm even more proud, knowing that our miss lulu and Cali have also been chosen to be part of it!
(the judges have definatly some excellent taste :P)

(raising my ermm milk and honey -thank you Mel';-)- to Miss January and Miss December :P)

Have a look at it, it's fun and it really shows different kinds of *bloggatmospheres* :)


click here


(atishoooo)
(running back into my cavern, jumping under the covers)

Sunday, December 19, 2004

No milk blahblahs today

After spending the most wonderful evening with unique blogging creatures, I got sicker than I already was.
But I wouldn't have missed that evening for anything (a big big hug to the beauDiful damoiselle who organized it ;-)**~~*^*)
I have discovered really interesting and funny people there! I'm going to get addicted to their blogs (which I did not always know before).
Naturally when there are so many people around, you can't talk with everyone (sigh), but at least I know much more those who were around *our* table, which is already brilliant!

Martin absobloodilutely enjoyed it too... not sure if he will update his blog though, but I'll kick his ass so that he starts again :P
hehe

Anyway, I send warm huggs to those who made of that evening such a success (that means about everybody, no? hehe)

Today's been less fun... Well actually at 3.00 am just after taking *Cinderellalulu* back to her lil castle, I just completly lost my voice.
Learning that, the family looked a bit too happy today when we joined them for lunch! Grmmppphhhh
I can whisper, but no way to make a proper sound. Heaven for Martin and the shrimpette too I bet! ;-)

Having lost my voice is something I can stand, but that headache that is sticking me... leave me alone, you head eater!!!

Okies, I'm on my way to look where my voice is hiding, and when I find it, I can tell you it will hear me very clearly!


click here

Friday, December 17, 2004

In Dublin's Fair City,

...where the grogs are so yummy! laaaalalala Molly Maloooone...

I'm glad it's the weekend, taking care of Lola while being sick felt as if I was taking care of 10 shrimpettes!
Now Martin can help, I can have a hot grogg (1 shot rum+1 teaspoon sugar+squeeze of lime juice+boiling water) and relax.

And tomorrow I'll start with my plan #7: the ol' supa bionic woman plan.
What's the fook kind of plan is it? Well simple: using all my optimistic potential ("potential" is the key word!) to feel like in mid-summer :P

(atishooo)
(cough)
(cough cough)

It gonna be tough, but it will work. A long bath, bubbles included, will make a first huge difference!
Then letting the shrimpette to her grand-mama will make the rest.
When you've such a lil one around, devilish one I should add, your attention is always busy. You don't fully sleep, you don't lose yourself in thoughts and dreams, you do not make any break. All your attention is focused on the next trick your lil one is preparing!

Haaa, but it's the weekend, and I see in my cristal ball that it gonna be some *speschul* one!

Running for my grog in the most bionic woman style (which seems very slow but is very quick actually! Remember the way she runs!!), singing my Molly Malone song!

(yeepeeeee, it's the weekend!!! weeeeeee!!!)


*generous* Molly Malone

A very girlie shrimpette

Oh yuss very very girlie.
You know each time it's Christmas time, I can't help talking of the nightmare before Xmas; it's our lil pleasure (as for others it could be Tino Rossi, you know? ;-)

I can say now that it's also Lola's pleasure!
She luvvves it, from beggining to the end... and actually she even luuuves more than anything else the 2 last seconds of it. When Jack kisses Sally!
Kiss kiss kiss... BISOU BISOU BISOU

That's what my shrimpette screams as soon as the movie ends: BISOU BIZZZZZZZZOU BIZZZZZZZZZZOU
She asks to see the 2 seconds scene again and again and again. Gawd. And again!

Yesterday was almost scary: she started to shout an endless "maman, bizzzzou encoooooore"! And since I made her wait.. she started to cry, repeating "bizou zack", between 2 sobs... lol

Our baby shrimpette as turned into a girlie Shrimpette!
Well actually I'm kinda proud (don't tell that to Martin, huh), it's a good beginning :P ... next step: Candy Neige André (aka Candy Candy), of course!


Thursday, December 16, 2004

French translation for "Miss Lulu"...: Miss Vitamine C

Because when I woke up this morning, I felt terrible... sore throat, headache, etc.
But I wouldn't have missed my rendez-vous with miss lulu for anything!

And my sore throat and headaches disappeared almost as soon as I joined miss lulu!
(they're back now though! boooo)

At 9.00 then, miss lulu and I went for almost 3 hours in a café where we shared the most pleasant time together :-) ...And she was like I knew her from her blog, open, fun, generous and really lovely!

When the whole Paris was starting to work, we were having our teas and coffees talking about our different worlds... somehow fookin decadent, I luuuuved it!

Thank you miss lulu for this time we shared together!
**~~*^* *

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

socks and the meaning of life

Almost the end of the year, my lil blog deserves some treasures me thinks!
Sooooo....(sit down comfortably and have pop corns)

... for the first time in my life I slept with socks yesterday! Sex-appeal made its luggage quickly, some reputation to protect I bet.

Sleeping with your socks is something in a woman's life. It means you are now comfortable enough to feel free to fart under the covers and pretend to practice jogging on sundays. Maybe you'll even start to have a beer watching soccer with your hubby. No!!! Your hubby only watches soccer with its good ol' buddies!

Anyway... wearing socks... bubye feminity!

...yup yup... that, or...

Maybe yesterday it's been fookin COLD around here and wether I accepted a cruel death within a couple of minutes, or I surrendered to the socks' power... and warmth!

:P

Size does matter!!!

Specially when it comes to techie stuff! :P
Our fookin ink printer dies 6 weeks ago (I hope you'll have a beDer life up there, girl, because so far it was not brilliant brilliant!)

Thanks to some *gooood* friend, we got the unexpected, a *goooood* laser printer for the price of a small ink one!
haha!
Our luck, I tell you!

It's not red, but it's fast... and reloads more quickly than your shadow would (G)

Glass painting and my 1000 and 1 other brilliant ideas

Last year we did papier maché fairies for the whole family (they were quite nice at the end!)
I know my mom is doing mosaics stuff for everywhone (and if you don't like handcraft stuff, you'd better change of family, lol)
And this year, I thought we could try painting on glass... painting on champagne flutes...maybe joining a bottle of champ for each couple... yeahhhhhhhhhhh! brilliant idea!

I went to buy the supa glass painting kit and 3 dozens of champagne flutes.

Xmas is next week, so it was time we start with them.
And so we started. We tried, and trained again and again on our own glasses. (ps: nebber use PINK to paint a glass, no way to drink wine in that!)

We tried, and we failed!
The result is a nightmare, which brought some good laughs at least. We are definatly not glass painters!

Et voilà, if you ever come to visit us, we'll use some of our flutes stock, believe me.
We just have to get enough champ now :P

lol

I have to jump into the Xmas rush now for the presents!
I've no ideas of course... except that glass painting kit which is already packed... for my mama:P hehe

Monday, December 13, 2004

A Pirate's Christmas

I've just finished a new painting (weeeee! I thought I'd never find the time for it!). I like it when I do SF stuff, in my own way of course :P

Here I wanted to deal with Christmas again, in a more personnal way.
I actually got inspired with Captain Harlock and the Eiffel tower. Gawd I've spent much time thinking about how I wanted my space ship...!

To me the Pirate here is kinda angry to discover such a cheap treasure in the chest. Because she's a Pirate, she likes gold. Because Xmas does not mean anything to her -anymore.
But then, you can also see her as overwhelmed with sadness, spending another Christmas with herself only. Maybe wishing she had chosen another life.

Anyway, you see it as you want!


click here

Creche

It's a tradition in the family, we all make our lil creches when the time comes (ours is really tiny!). It's nice, a good way to talk about origins of Xmas to the lil ones.
Wether you *believe* or not, there are many beauDiful stories to share about the nativity. And if you take some distance with it, the center of all that is *simply* a baby, a child...and the love that surrounds him. Love and kids, definatly the roots of Xmas :)


click here


(the ground is made of Halloween cobweb :P)

Advice

There's ONE question you must NEVER EVER ask to a woman : "Are you pregnant??"

And shiterooooo... Yesterday I asked a a friend of mine if she was pregnant.
She isn't preggie at all (lol, you can't be "just a little" preggie anyway) and now feel certainly BIG (she isn't)!

Arggggg

I've already been asked that question once.... and felt like I would commit a murder!

Saturday, December 11, 2004

Tell me how you hold your guitar...

...and I'll tell you who you are!

As Etolane reminded me the other day: James Hetfield KNOWS how to hold his guitar!!!
(faint)



When the pleasure for the ears and the pleasure for eyes join this way, the Paradise is not far!

Close your eyes, open your mouff

...beware of the flies!
:P

As I've been on a supa mama mode today... I, well, Lola and I made a real delicious cake.

Another recipe you'll tell me?
Well yes, I mean, NO! it's THE recipe of the week!

I hate cooking, so if it can be simple and yummyssimo, it's like gold to me!
I found the recipe in the bible

Grab a pen and don't bite your lips too much!
If you resist trying it, you'll be the survivor...

Apple chocolate pie

you need:
2 apples
50cl of creme fraiche
4 eggs
200g of chocolate
1 short pastry (pâte sablée, hein, ils sont pas clairs dans mon dico! lol)
2 big spoons of sugar
1/2 lemon

-put the pastry in the form
-cut the apples in small pieces and put them on the pastry
-mix 30cl of creme fraiche + 4 eggs + sugar + lemon juice. Put all that on the apples
-woooosh put your pie in the oven for 30 minutes (not too hot)
-Once it's ready, take it off the oven and let it getting a bit colder
-While the pie's getting colder, melt the chocolate + the rest of the creme fraiche, and pour this divine mixture on your pie
-woooosh, put your pie in the fridge so that the chocolate gets a bit harder.

And try it as soon as you can't resist anymore.

Phewwwww recipes are nightmares to translate!

Here's the pie we made:



And you can see that it's definatly been *Lola approved*


Jessica versus Samantha

There are days like that...

I woke up feeling like

that:

+

+


...and finally, after running for food shopping, freezing playing football in the parc, feeling stoopid accepting making fishing rods for kids at Lola's Xmas party next week + painting with Lola + making a big cake with her + reading books about Xmas for the shrimpette + preparing calf kidneys to cook them later, cleaning the flat as if it was Spring... and all that while listening at the Nightmare before Christmas' soundtrack..

...I've actually felt like that... :


+

+


!!!!

Yup, been a *supa mama* day... Thank Gawd, it's not always like that (cough... and weekends are made for *supa papas* by the way! yeeeeeehooooooooo!)

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

Je t'aime, moi non-plus

What are your habits with blogs?
What kind of blog keep your attention?

I do not like to categorize, but I'm sure we all get different tastes regarding the blogging field.

For my part, I know what I do not enjoy at all in blogs:
1.agressivity (which has nothing to do with simple fits of anger)
2.lack of involvement (when there's no personal point of view)
3.playing the *yahoo news* blog (you just can't beat news sites with a blog)
4.lack of interactivity or interest (no comments field or no repply to comments)
5.text only or images only... I enjoy both together

These 5 points are natural criteria that will make me read a blog regularly or not.

So naturally all this means, that I absobloodilutely enjoy:
1.personnal blogs (I do read blogs first to get news about the writers, *touching* bits of their universe)
2.interactivity (provocative blogs, blogs that ask questions, blogs which provokes reactions)
3.creativity (which does not mean you've to be the philippe starck of the blogworld, being on top of creativity... nenene... just trying to avoid telling everyday how your coffee tastes:P)
4. being more honest with yourself than desperatly creative

Damn! I've just been blogging about blogs! (and I always criticize that!)
lol

I tell you, it's way too hard to be a good blogwriter!

Clint, it's not too late..

..to change your mind!
I've always been suprised that you stick to the Republican party overthere.
Ok, you've made many movies in which we can get the message... but as many movies and probably more where you simply defend human rights and not so republican ideals.

But why Republican, I can't get it. I have no problem imagining Tom Selleck or Bruce Willis as good ol' Rep'... but you!!! No!

Anyway, I respect your choice even if I don't share it. And I'll keep on drooling watching again and again your movies ;-)



ermm...a photo will do it too -> (droooling!!!)

"People who say they sleep like a baby...

...usually don't have one".
~Leo J. Burke

hehe so true... though I admit when Lola and Joe are having their nap, I can enjoy the silence for at least one hour! (happy sigh)

Monday, December 06, 2004

Tell me...how are you doing?

I spent a great time with my survivor Marine (survivor as in "I'm French and it's been 6 years I live in the UK")

I really wish we lived closer... even if distance does not change really a lot of things, it's frustrating to not be able to see each other more than 2, 3 times a year.

I like to spend such intimate moments.. And I *need* them... I *need* to share laughs and huggles and winks :)

But I reckon distance forces you somehow to enjoy to the maximum the precious time you can get together.

Each time Marine and I see each other, we naturally ask each other "how are you doing?"... but this has nothing to do with friendly politeness. We really *need* to know how the other is doing. You know?

Friendship and Love**~~*^* *

Isn't it too late for...

...a lil extra on my Christmas list???
I hope not!
And my Xmas list is so short that really I can add a lil something like... the whole Parisian stock of the miss Helen goodies below... (I will share it with you, goils :P)

Sunday, December 05, 2004

Nenene, I'm not 16 anymore

and when I jumped to bed at 3.30 am to wake up 5 hours later, I feel twice 30 years-old!
lol

Esox, if you read that bloggie, I gotta tell you it's not fair you could sleep all day today! grrrmpppphhhh

We had a really kewl evening, ermm, night, yesterday! Lost of fun and drinks (counting the empty bottles around, eeeeeeck!)

But there's a fookin price to pay... I'm not feeling like on top of the world today!

We've been to the Paris boat show earlier, but after one hour talking here and there, I really felt like "where's my bed!"... And finally when an ex-colleague there offered drinks, I almost ran away directly back at home!
hehe

And now I have to work... no Sunday for us *free workers* (but no Monday either :P)

Friday, December 03, 2004

Friday in a shaker

here's a zoom on lil precious moments that finally made my day. Does routine really exist? I doubt it, not if you use your inner zoom sometimes ;-)

relieved
When Lola finally made her nap, her arms around Joe's who was doing the same

almost discouraged
When I admitted I had to re-do 6 illustrations for my new tale. It takes so much time! And I have no time at all.

intuitive
When the hubby of the caretaker started to sing loudly while cleaning the stairs: I could bet 10 bucks they go back home (Portugual) for Christmas :))

worried
Realising EVERYBODY has put the extended version of the LOTR in their xmas list!!!! Will Santa Claus get enough stock???

posh
Realising I do not buy any kind of apple, I buy the "Golden Delicious", I do not buy Spain's clementines, I buy "Clémentines La Savoureuse", 3 times the price of the normal ones of course.
Thank Gawd, I find my posh fruits definatly exquisite.
(memo to self; add an appropriate adjective to anything you wanna sell)

blushing
When I pushed the record button of the video tape recorder to watch later a crucial episode of (cough cough) Lady Oscar.
No, I do not waste time watching cartoons! But Lola does! And influences me baaaaadly!
LOL
I know! It's tragic (all the more as I already know all the episodes)
hehe

smiling
Enjoying the beauDiful blue from the twilight tonight, coming back from the parc.
It felt wonderful**~~~*^** *

Success Story?

Dunno really, I have no idea if the first book I've illustrated was a success or not (I'll know it by the end of the year). But at least it's now being distributed in Holland!

And the second one of the series has just been printed and is now available!

Getting a first book published feels like a miracle, getting a second one (which deals with dyslexia this time) printed feels like you have done a good job!!!



I'm really happy and next week the third one should be done (well, it's done already, but I still have the illustrations around the text to finish).

There's even a webpage (not official yet) that has been created around the character of Herman. That's kewl!

(happy sigh)


PS: Jack, that is what we've been celebrating last weekend :P

Wednesday, December 01, 2004

B like Beaudiful Bed and Batteries

Since I feel exactly how the cat below feels (this is not Joe btw, Joe would not mind sleeping on the kboard)...



...I'm going to explore my Big Bed very quickly today to find where my new batteries are hiding! (happy sigh)
I will let myself fall into a cotton world where soft music will open a first door to some total relaxation**~~*^* *

Zzzzzzzzzzzz***~~*^*

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Vin Glögg and other Xmas stories

Ok, it's early to make a Xmas tree, but what's the point putting it for a couple of weeks only..
Besides, when there's a 2 years-old one around, you can't resist much!
(Ok, Lola does not even know what a Christmas tree is and I am using my shrimpette as an excuse! Shame on me... not! :P)

The tree is done, and it smells wonderful around here


click here



click here


Once it was done, we had a very bad idea (but which seemed appropriate ;-): trying that bottle of already prepared mixture for hot wine... eeeeeck!!! Never again!



I'm almost happy the wine was yucccky because the picture of that Xmas tree with the three of us around was a bit too purrfect! Almost as if we had been playing in some advertisement for Xmas decoration in a purrfect Xmas atmosphere!
hehe

phewwww...

PS: Lola calls the angel on top of the tree the "clown"...lol

Marine

And here's the lil Marine, keeping my sister and Luc busy enough since a few days ;-)



... Gweno and Marine are just back home, the two of them doing well
(happy sigh)

...Now let's see what kind of funny nights the happy moma and popa gonna have! (mwahahaha!)
**~~*^* ***

The lil carpenter and the red district

It could be a fairy tale, yes yes.
And it's almost one.

Have you ever seen such creatures moving their body in good dancing clubs (=metal clubs)?





Ok, the malish photo is almost ridiculous, which is NOT the case in reality (trust ol' Candy)

I've only seen that in Germany... and when you see a large black hat in a club or in a pub there, you can be sure a carpenter (male or female!) is hiding under.
I'm frustrated I haven't found better photos ...because they look trooly beauDiful in their black costume, with such stylish flared trousers and all!

(faint!!!)

Anyway... they are real carpenters! Not yet "masters" though, but improving their art while travelling around the country to learn more. Just like in the old times. I find this fascinating.

That makes me think about the hero of one of my favourite books (The Pillars of the Earth), he was a carpenter... a crazy job, for passionate people... that inspire me a lot!**~~*^* *^^* *

Monday, November 29, 2004

Main weekend menu

Gimme a weekend like that any time!
(happy sigh)

The very first thing we did after leaving Lola was putting some loud heavy metal stuff when we jumped in the car.
That was the signal! We were free! hehe

While Lola was making half of the family RILLY busy, we started our free weekend shopping for... Lola's Xmas. lol

Then we went at the hospital to see Gwénola, Luc and their lil angel Marine. She's so beauDiful, so small, so alive already... Marie (other sister) and I spent the weekend repeating we wanted a baby like that!**~~*^* *

Once back home, same *neeeeeed* to put REAL loud music, sowwwy for the neighbours... but it felt guuuud!

Then we left for this yummmmissimo restaurant. Traditionnal French cuisine.
First exceptionnal restaurant in 2 years!
We had booked quite early... to not miss too much of the fookin rugby later... Scary, no?! hehe

We started with a cup of champ' to celebrate a lil professional something (I'll talk of it later).
Then, let's be crazy, we had champ' for the whole dinner :P

Martin had (grabbing my dictionnary: food is hard to translate!)
-poultry croustillant (croustillant=crispy) on a bed of spinach
-doe with bilberries and its chestnut purée
-pear pastry with chocolate sauce

On my side, I took (be prepared to drool again)
-fois grad escalopes with fresh figs
-scallops on a bed of endives with its soufflé
-pistachio fondant with its white chocolate sauce

Et voilà! Come on, you'd sell your soul to the devil for that, neee?
hehe
I sighed and fainted zillions of times (just like I wanted) while having my fois gras and figs and while tasting Martin's doe. These were the best!

I had a lovely talk with the waitress about the menu, asking about usual female or male choices... she said that doe was something typically male-ish, we shared a wink and a laugh while Martin was making a face like "it is not my fault!"! hehe...

Once having reached this first heaven, we left to enjoy in a more smoky place the end of the rugger game. We lost against New-Zealand 45-6... eeeeeck!

Then we went back home. Music, candles. Other heavens.

And finally at about 2.00 am, we started to watch Master and Commander that we had borrowed without much motivation, weeks ago... That was ok, and an excellent way to end this very free day***~~*^* *

Flying high

And no, I am not talking here about that Pink Floyd Concert in Chantilly a few years ago..lol...sowwwy...maybe sometimes, one day!

No, I'm just here to introduce a new illustration for another Xmas card! (it should be Xmas everyday, I could make good biz!)
Santa Claus, having fun, again:)


Flying high

Friday, November 26, 2004

24 hours

without the shrimpette!
Believe it or not... in 2 full years, it's going to be the first time Lola sleeps somewhere else!!!
Whenever we went out, we've always come back where Lola was sleeping, even if it was at 5.00 am!

Time for her to enjoy some independence you think?
We agree!
;-)

So on Saturday morning we send her to her grand-mama and grand-papa till Sunday.
And I tell you, we're going to enjoy every single minute we'll spend alone.

There are so much we wanna do...and days are so short!

Besides work, (sigh yes, work), on the list there will be:

-Shopping (not much, just enough for me to enjoy taking my time -poor martin!-)
-A Breton pub near, where we'll watch rugby! Weeeeee
-wearing what you usually never wear when you have to play the horse on your all four! ;-)
-a restaurant whose menu will steal me a few tears of pleasure. I want a menu that will be pure poetry! I wanna sigh and drool even before sitting at the table.
-painting (words!) on tshirts (yup, something I wanna do since ages)
-candles and soft music times
-candles and metal music times!
-oh! and one morning sleeping late (late = anything after 8.00 am)

Lola will have the time of her life there, being spoiled and all... and same for us!

(dancing, throwing rose petals in the air around the bubbling champ' bottles)
**~~*^* ***~~^* *

Bright side of the Moon

I doubt we can see the full moon in Paris tonight, and anyway, I'd be the moon, I would run away from such cold place! (it's fookin freezing)

cold place, full moon... typical clichés coming to my mind: a dark forest, hungry wolves hiding, waiting for *you* to come around.

lol I know, I have a limited imagination! :P

Happy full moon ;-)


Kimono

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Confessions for voyeurs

hehe..nope, I'm not about to reveal you anything that crispy!

Yesterday, I was telling Jenny about this site.

Some of you probably know it (it's in Frawnch, sowwwy), and for those who... it's a site where people share *confessions*. Some are trooly hilarious, others are just way less good. But it's fun

Here are 2 confessions that made me laugh... The first one sounds like an old joke, but it's so well told! hehe

"Fiston, 17 ans, Paris
J'avoue que mon petit neveu est vraiment un chieur, pire que ma très chère mère. Il a toujours la joyeuse idée de laisser tous ses jouets en plein milieu du passage. Son bordel constitué d'une grosse moto, d'une armée de soldats sanguinaires, un camion de CRS, deux moutons et un dinosaure. En pleine nuit il me prend une soudaine envie de pisser (bah oui on peut pas prévenir !). Et là je me gaufre sur la moto, m'explose le genou sur le car de CRS et m'étale de tout mon long sur le carrelage et je me prends le dinosaure en pleine tête. Je commence à hurler des insultes et la seule chose qu'arrive à me dire ma mère qui venait de se réveiller, c'est de faire attention de ne pas réveiller le petit bout de chou ! Donc moi et mon genou entaillé, on va pisser et se recoucher pour pas emmerder le morveux. Le lendemain ma meilleure amie me demande pourquoi je boite, et pour ne pas passer pour un con j'ai dis que j'ai eu un accident de moto et que j'avais percuté un car de CRS qui venait à contre sens... J’ai pas osé lui dire qu’il y avait un dinosaure au milieu de la route."


"Petit nem, 22 ans, Babylone
J'avoue qu'hier j'ai eu un coup de folie, et que j'ai décidé de m'acheter une belle paire de bottes qui allaient très bien avec ma minijupe que je ne met jamais.
j'avoue que ces bottes étaient le coup de grace à donner à mon compte en banque...
j'avoue que ce matin mon père m'a dit "petit nem, ton compte va mal".
J'avoue que je n'ai rien trouvé d'autre à lui répondre que "faut souffrir pour être belle"."

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Auntie Candy

Et voilà!
Marine was born earlier today at about 3.00pm!

(yeeeeeeehoooooooooooooo)
(lightning sparkling candles all around)**~~*^* ***^* *

My lil sister is going ok, though I could not talk much with her.
She said her belly was very painful though.

The lil one is doing fine, starting to train at breast-feeding (Gweno is courageous to try it with her painful belly). The only thing is that apparently Marine has some stiff neck due to some wrong position while in the belly.
But it should not be a problem, really.

It won't be too hard to remember Marine's birthdate, Martin's papa was born today too! A few years earlier :P

Now I can't wait to hold Marine and see Gwenola at the hospital. I'll go on Saturday.

Holding Marine... lol, one of my best friend is called Marine too!
That really makes me laff thinking about it. I wonder if my way of talking to Marine -the old- (sorry marine! lol) will be influenced by my way of gazouilling with Marine -the young-!

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

summer 1976

Back in summer 1976, my mama, lil sister Gwenola and I were enjoying some extremly dry summer in Normandie (which is nebber ebber dry usually). Here's one photo of it, a photo that I've already put in my bloggie before.


click here


I have no memories of my sister's first years, a pity though because I've been told I was the most careful and protective sister. Which did not last, I tell you!
We were very close in age (she's 1.5 year younger than I) which may have been one of the reasons of many tensions between us.
That or rather the fact we're really different. Opposites.

Anyway, now I can tell we get on well, accepting our -huge- differences.

And tonight, Gwenola is at hopsital (lol! no, nothing terrible happened!!!)... She's pregnant for more than 9 months now, and the baby does not arrive as expected, with the head downwards... sooooo, tomorrow morning Gwenola will get a Caesarean.
I'm so excited and so stressed!
I'm very happy she's there, with professionals around, etc.

She's already one daughter, Eva... who's tonight at my grand-mama's and who fears she'll never see her mama again. She knows how the baby is going to come and I think she's having nightmares' about her mama having her belly opened (I have the same nightmares though I'm not 6 years old!)

Anyway, 1976 does not seem so far... but, ne, I'm not nostalgic! She and I being now mamas make us the happiest!
What makes me smile with that pic above is the way my mama holds my sister on my knees... a love gesture I feel now so natural when holding Lola, when holding babies.

(happy sigh)
**~~*^* ***~~*^* *

(dancing around, waiting for news from Gweno!)
**~~*^* *~~*^* *

Monday, November 22, 2004

It began in the year 2257

...or rather at about 1.00 tonight on my tv screen!

I've still some work to do tonight, but there will be some highly expected rewards: a hot dog whose sausage has a funny (I don't say really "stooopid" though...)face.

this:



wanna fight that:



And the lil one below..



..wanna try what it feels to be in-between... how salacious!

Cause nothin' lasts forever...Even cold November rain

The Guns'lyrics really suited our weekend in Bretagne!

Just the three of us there was fantastic. When we arrived on the first evening, at about midnight, we started a warm fire, had warmer drinks and definatly hot music.


click here


We finally jumped into bed early in the morning!... a few hours later we were about to turn into Hercules in rubber boots :P

(memo to self: green rubber boots should be an old story nowadays)

We spent 3 days getting rid of the cob on the walls of another room... so that we can make the old stones visible again.
You have to be so organized when you restore such a old house...you just can't imagine... To make the floors, you have to make the walls first, and when you want to make the floor, you must *KNOW* what kind of heating system you will use.

House Elf, I *neeeeeeeed* you

Anyway, the country side was in some particular november mood. All looked grey.. the yellows, the greens, the reds... they all looked grey.

But it was fine, with the work on the hobbit house, then the warm times around the fireplace of the family house... it was purrrfect!

I could not help though projecting myself in the future, living there at this time of the year...

Living in a hamlet will be something for the city goil I am! Sometimes I feel like I'm going to turn into a fat farmer having some heavy peas'soup at 7.00, jumping to bed at 8.00, etc etc...
eeeeck

hehe... I will need my comfort there, I tell you! (Do I sound posh??)
I will definatly need to be connected to the world with a (slow) internet connection.
That might sound stupid to think about the internet when you start a new life, running -almost- neekid, happy in the country side. But that will means a lot to me. I will *neeeeeed* to keep links with what I've used to enjoy in Paris since 30 years. And the internet will definatly help me.

Phewwwwwww

I feel better now!
lol!

Not so easy to change of life... and never easy to get overpositive when November rain is around :-)

Thursday, November 18, 2004

We are not alone

Starting the weekend (yup some are lucky) with another quizz, isn't life full of bubbles?!

A test found on Etolane's blog...there you go:

Which Science Fiction Writer Are You?

you are William Gibson
The chief instigator of the "cyberpunk" wave of the 1980s, his razzle-dazzle futuristic intrigues were, for a while, the most imitated work in science fiction



I like SF, but I've never been attracted by Gibson's word. I've started a couple of times again Neuromancer... but neeee... I just got fed up.
I should try it in French I think, maybe that would be somehow different...?

F, 30, looking for a strong, obedient and motivated HE

Yup, I'm looking for a really helpful, House Elf. The deal is... you help us with the house and you'll enjoy the happiest times with us, I swear it! (spitting)

We leave tonight for 3 days in Bretagne. 3 days of work again...
This time, there won't be anybody to take care of the shrimpette (who's fookin ill by the way: double otitis + scarlet fever + flu! no kiddin!!!)... so Martin or I will do it while the other works.
Talk about organisation...

And yes, I RILLY need a House Elf because I've just listed the BIG works that mus be done soon... and Gawd... that's a lot (of energy + money)!

-the heating system
-the water-heater
-water evacuation
-the floors
-2 stairs
-restauring the old fireplace
-electricity
-plumbery

These are the most important... the works that have to be done before we can hope to live there.
And for each kind of work, you have to chose which system is the best, at what coast, if you're able to install it yourself, etc, etc... (yawn)

This time, we'll prepare the floor so that next time we can put a new wooden one (that we hope to find at a good price).

We'll also clean an old beam we have to be used for the top of the fireplace (I really wonder how we'll manage to make it stand on top!!!) and prepare the old stones for the 2 walls around the fireplace.

I really hope we'll make something nice with all that... because we are not expert at all in anything!

Have a good weekend, you lucky ones! ;-)

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Monthy Python's gang



You are a Lumberjack...with definite issues...
You are a Lumberjack...with definite issues...


What Monty Python Sketch Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla


LOL! I don't know what I am exactly here but it looks funny!

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Training for Xmas

The only thing Lola's accepted to do today was cooking. She's caught such a cold yesterday... and today she's been like sitting on the moon, with red eyes, hot head, running nose and terrible cough. Poor Shrimpette!
She was awake most of last night (and so we were), and I believe tonight won't be better. If it's like yesterday, I will go and take care of her and sleep with her (challenge: her bed is only 1m40 long! lol).
But Martin has to recover, and the shrimpette is feeling so bad.
We'll see.

Anyway, we've cooked today Lithium's biscuits! they were excellent! They look less nice than his, but trust me, you'd drool to have dem! hehe
Thank you, you Chef!


Our mason's gone

Yesterday we called to check if we could meet our mason next weekend in Bretagne. We want to build the chimney and need advice.

But, to go straight to the point, our mason's just died.
Schock.

His deperate wife managed to explain that it happened very quickly, but that is was not an accident. A few weeks ago, he had felt some pain in the back.. Nothing suprising with his job. But as it was a kind of constant pain, he finally agreed to go to the doc for a checking.
A cancer -which had spread to its terminal form- was discovered. 3 weeks later, that was it. He was not forty. had 2 lil kids.

That really broke our heart. He was such a nice man. Available, generous, talentuous. We have to sculpt his name somewhere in the house.

I'm happy I do *believe*, *praying* has suddenly helped me here. I really did not expect it. I was not looking for it.

Anyway, such a sudden death make our life so fragile. You don't know what tomorrow will bring.

We've to live every minute to the maximum, and these are not just nice words...
sigh

I feel lucky and alive today. I feel selfish too for inevitably focusing on my own life and threat of death.

Monday, November 15, 2004

Not loving stairs today...

After a few hours of intense work (with cross legs) yesterday, I stood up and just... fell!
lol... (I wish I had a more adventuruous story to tell, but nenene)...
Dunno, it felt like one of my leg was asleep, or maybe my body was asleep, my energy just concentrating on my working hand.

Anyway, I got a sudden violent pain in the left ankle, which is now blue and getting bigger. Today I can hardly walk.

No way to practice my sophisticated cat walk! lol

Anyway, I laugh, but I have to follow the shrimpette, of course, I also have to go out at least 2 times... eeeeck... and when I think of the 5 floors, the stairs... the shrimpette in the arms (she's now almost 14 kg!!!)

Wish me luck!

Sunday, November 14, 2004

When black is beautiful ridiculous!

Martin just came across this site which has listed the top 10 most ridiculous black metal pics of all time
LOL
What a brilliant idea! Have a look at it, and read the comments, it's good, really good! hehe

I think I also like metal for that too... it can be really fun when people are getting themselves too seriously!.. Because wether you want it or not, metal is that too! :P

Frolich Geschray

Next time we go to Hamburg might be earlier than we thought... which would be end of Spring.

Thorsten, Martin's old friend and leader of the band in which he used to play -Frolich Geshray-, would like Martin to sing one of the songs on their new cd!


Frolich Geschray in 2004


Martin has a great deep voice, specially when it comes to sing such medieval songs. He would sing actually a medieval song for which he re-wrote the lyrics at the time... making them more salacious I think!
hehe

So when they start recording the cd, we might join if we can afford it really.
I find the project really kewl, and I luuuve the idea that Martin still participates a lil bit to his "old band" with this song!


Martin and Thorsten back in 1997


(dancing with the tamburin)