And here's my tv quote of the week :P
Excellent one to use after the third joint!!!

"If I am not me, then who am I? And if I am someone else, then why do I look like me?"
Popeye

I find it really crazy that some country can put someone in jail because of just a word...
Honestly, it sounds like a bad joke, no?

The French student, Franck Moulet, has just spent 336 hours in an American jail for having said the word "bomb" while being travelling.

Welcome in democracy...!
et vive la liberté ;-) hehe

rilly...: (shaking head)

Suddenly it seems that the fact there were -or were not apparently (!!!)- weapons of massive destruction in Irak was not a problem really.
I think some are really making fun of people.
We feed them with fears and possible threats and this way we get all the support to play at "Risk" in a rather realistic way".

(sigh)

(btw, I luuuuuuuve playing at Risk! Don't tell anyone, but I always cheat a bit... distributing more soldiers to meself :P
Martin was kinda shocked when I told him about Risk because the game was much linked to the Nazis -IN GERMANY-!!!!!! And now the aim of game in Germany is to liberate the world, not conquere it! LOL! ... a bit less funny, no? ;-)

Oh, I forgot to inform my bloggie that for the very first time Lola has walked outside in the park (that was on last Sunday!).
I think the moment when a baby gets out of her pushchair is really important (in a baby's life). She now can look at world while being really part of it. You know what I mean, yes? ... yup, she's getting independent!!!

Phewww... I've finally found a good reason to be a human being!

... did you know that to make one kilo of honey, bees have to visit 4 million flowers, travelling a distance equal to 4 times around the earth!!!

Haaaa... now I know dat, I will sleep well. Rilly :P

Lola's been kissed in the middle of the street by a 3, 4 years-old lil *man* named Valentin**~~*^*
And Lola looked happy... not angry, offended, indignant or disgusted :P

Life can be so simple when you're still a lilliputian ;-)



(PS: for those who know him, all the frogs around come from Fitz! yup yup! :)

There are not many French bands that I enjoy, well very few actually. But Air is one of dem.

I think they are now, after 3, 4 albums (?) in my personnal top 10 of my fav bands. Their last album, "Talkie Walkie", is available (in English, btw) since a few hours and I'm already under its spell.
It's definatly the kind of muzik that can make me fly above these dark clouds surrounding me**~**~~*^* *..and I just wanted to thank dem for this new Beaudy~*^* *

Today is the celebration of Saint Angele... Ok, that does not mean anything to anybody except maybe the goils like me who went to schools run by the Ursulines (nuns).
Saint Angele was the one who created these girls schools.

And so, every 27th of January has always been a kewl day during which we had no courses or lessons. We had to go to church, ok, but after we could enjoy some different activities and forget about exams :P

We've had melted snow then real snow for hours yesterday! And we should expect more today... it feels like winter's back, I get very cold feet and can't stop having hot drinks. I should stay in bed with a good book! LOL... well in some other life maybe :P

(getting ready for a frozen walk with the shrimpette)

Well, that specific bloggie is not supposed to interest anyone, so jump into the other one, yes yes! :P

That's with such topics that I realize I really use blogs as a journal. Not as a real communication tool.

By the way, I think there are two kinds of blogwriters.... :

1) the talentuous, generous and creative ones, those who will spend a lil more time than others to find the last joke, the last groovy topic to entertain their readers.

2) the self-centered ones, to whom I belong, those who write about their life, exciting or boring, they don't care. What matters is what happens to them. And among these, some think their life can be shared like a soap-opera on tv. They want a regular audience, there is a part of exhibition here. Others, and I situate myself here, just see their bloggie as a way to sit down and relax a minute with oneself. If it can improve communication with relatives or friends, great. If it does not, it's not a real problem. We write for ourselves, selfishly but honestly.

Anyway, I was to forget I wanted to ask the Universe in some kind of official way (then in a bloggie -why not-) to help me find a new GOOOOOD gyno!!!!
My regular one works too far away, I'm forced to change.
And rilly, you goils noooooooooooooooooe what I talk about, finding a new gyno is NOT easy!

My last one was a man, I'm going to chose a woman. Just for a change.
Ok, but that does not help me to find a GOOOOD one!
Damn!

Bubye "man of the week", and hullllo "TV show's quote of the week"!
Yup. A pity you think? I agree... A nice pic of a male-ish creature was inspiring. But it started to be too difficult to find appropriate "subjects".

However weird it sounds, I'm going to put instead a quotation from famous TV shows. Some make me really smile and I think I could turn them into *philophers' truth* in boring dinners :P

Okies, here we go:



"You're a vicious man."
"I'm Head of Security. It's in the job description."

(Babylon 5) Ivanova and Garibaldi, The War Prayer

Almost 9.30 am and everybody's still sleeping around!
And Lola did not woke up crying last night!!! .... (happy sigh**~~*^* * -not for me, but for her!-)

It's such a pleasant moment when all is quiet... putting some soft music on, having a first cawffee, getting time for bloggies and for drawings.

laaaaalalalaaaa**~~*^* *

I did not know Helmut Newton was Australian!
I had kinda forgotten about his work till I've learnt about his death today.
I gotta say he's been the center of my attention for long times when I was a lil one... I had discovered on the shelves at home some of his books.
I don't remember really if I was hmm more frightened or fascinated the first times...
But I know I was surprised and curious about these representations of what will be named later *glamour or bourgeoisie decadence*!

I've signed my contract and I've just sent it back...
phewww, it's done!

I'm having champ' to finally celebrate that (weeeeeeeeeee!!!!!) .... I had no idea *this* story would be the one which would work!
No, actually when I started to send the first manuscripts, I did not think at all it would work.
Funny how life can hide surprises :)**~~*^* *^^* ~~*^*

2 days ago I've dreamt Ticky Holgado (French actor) had died. He died today... !
That frightens Martin! lol

This guy had *a face* and some style, I liked him I think (but to tell the truth I had never wonder about him before).

Make a salad with oranges and clementines, add cinnamon and leaves of fresh mint and then you'll get an idea of what Heaven tastes like !!! **~~*^* *

Lola has kissed 2 boys today!!!
(the beginning of a not too long series I hope!)

... One hasn't noticed, the other started to fight!

Really.....grmmmpppphhhhhh!!!!

Et voilà! Here's the stamp I've made for La Poste's competition.
It's Jacques (Chirac :P) who'll have the final word on the next stamp which will be chosen! lol!
I wanted it to be simple and naive (first because I worried we'd see nothing in such a small size, second because I wanted it to be really a plain representation of la marianne).
I wanted it to be a bit stylish though and also to remind of the DOM-TOM (french territories like La Martinique, etc). I also wanted it to be a nature-mama. And dat's it.

I usually follow with much interest what new actions are led by Amnesty International. And it seems the last campaign concerns death penalty and child execution...
When it comes to death penalty, I always feel ashame that we -human beings- are able to seek so much for revenge that we have no probbie turning into murders ourselves.... under the cover of some barbarian laws.

Anyway, Amnesty International's actions are essential and require microscopic efforts from our side. So I'm sure along with this new campaign there will be new letters of protest to send (I'm on my way to check about it). It takes 5, 10 minutes maximum to do it + the price of a stamp :) ... lil efforts+lil efforts will make a difference!

Yesterday was kinda heavier than usual. After taking the shrimpette early to one of her "children's place", I came back home... then while taking care of the shrimpette (who had cried all night before...), I managed to make and send our answer to the editor -which was real long work-... I started to work on my new project too, went to the ophtalmologist where it was almost impossible to do anything with Lola around, went to order my glasses, went back at home under the rain, dead (it was far from home). Then I saw I had forgotten my cheque book at the ophtalmologist, had to run back there with the shrimpette, still under the rain. Grmmmppphhhh
But I had made everything, I was happy... till I got the answer from the editor (SIGH). He really spoiled my evening and that does not happen often!

today gonna be different :-) :-) :-) **~~*^* *

(a moment wiff meself)

I've found time to put colour on my nails (almost transparent one, lol), to get rid of 12cm of hair (thank you Martin!)... and to get a long very hot bath (re-thank you Martin!!!)**~~*^*(happy sigh)**~~*^*

Tomorrow I go to check my eyes at the doc (with the shrimpette, that won't be easy, but quick, sure!) and then I'll get these new pairs of glasses I've ordered (1 normal and 1 pair of sunglasses).
I almost never wear them (I prefer to be blind 3/4 of the time! hehe... which makes the world much more beauDiful btw!), but the prices I've got were so low that I thought I should do it now or never!
RoaaaaaRRRR

One my happiest moments yesterday. All was zen, quiet and lazy. That should happen more often! lol ;-)

Before the whole gang leave home, I've just had time to make a few pics just to keep some visual memory of dem :)
It's been real hard work, something which is never abvious with papier mâché. It always look like "done in 5 min", which cannot be the case. I also like that with papier mâché.
Anyway, I put my glue and paper away and won't run after them in the next 3 months, sure thing! :P


the gossipers ;-)


lil sun with happy face and angry one


big star with m'am star on one side and mr star on the other


moon asleep

Second time I forget the pill in less than a week!!!! And it is NOT an unconscious act....
Shiterooooo, this starts to seriously worry me!

How much do they sell these patches again? ;-)

I'm glad I can put again the Xmas dress (which was so expensive, but so CUTE) to Lola tomorrow!
I still have to add the final touch (varnish) to my last papier-mâche creatures and I'll be ready!
Yesterday I stopped working on everything to finish them.
It takes so much time!!!! Next Xmas will be different :P

Have you heard about that contraception stamp that you put on your skin for a week?
Well, great invention though I don't like the idea that hormones are sent that way through my body. It seems weird!

And I've repeated yesterday evening again that I did not need that because I nebber forget my pill.
And guess what?! I forgot to take it yesterday evening precisely!
LOL!!!!!

(on my way to look where I've hidden my lil head)

I knew that Lola already enjoys shoes, but it seems she's also a mademoiselle *hat*!!!
She puts them by herself and seem to enjoy dancing with them :)
Watta goilie goil already :P

I've just learnt a couple of guuuuuuud friends will be moma und popa in some 7 months!!!!!
I'm so happy for dem (all the more as life has been really crual lately on their corner of the forest)...
I wish dem these 7 next months will be the most BeauDiful ones!**~~*^* *

Thank ewwwww my dear **~~* ^* *Universe**~~*^* * *

We're late but we gonna celebrate our last Xmas of the year on Sunday!!!!
I think we won't manage, my dad and I, to see each other more than once a year if it goes on that way (like..not managing to celebrate xmas on xmas time...)!

Anyway, dat's kewl but that means I have a LOT of papier-mâché stuff to do!!!! Eeeeeeck

2004 wish n°2 (to be continued :P)

We've finally had a rather active weekend in Bretagne! On Saturday, we met another carpenter who's going to make us an offer for all the works we need (and we start to think the carpenter will be more expensive than the mason or the roofguy! eeeeck).

Then we spent some good time measuring everything inside the house and outside it. With Lola on the back, I think I could not move faster than overactive elephant! My back and arms are broken I think. Can I exchange them with new ones?!

Then we spent the rest of the weekend making (and remaking!) precise plans of the works that have to be done on the outside part of the house. All that because we have to ask for authorization to make these works since the whole area there is protected. You just can't build anything there, you've to respect the traditionnal architecture. Which is fine, but BORING when it concerns your own work!

On Monday we had a rendez-vous not too far with an architect who validated our plans (phewww!!!!) and gave us other advice. Now we have to send our request for all these works to the concerned organisation.
Heavy process, isn't it?!!!

Anyway, the rest of the weekend was really fine, with much blue sky at the beginning and a furious storm at the end.
We've had time for long walks in the country and for a drink in the medieval Dinan (which is at 5 minutes from our hobbit house!) :-)))

Oh, here are pics of the house right now and the kind of works we wanna make on it. (the new windows will have a direct view on the close river!!!)

Before:


After (we hope!):

I don't know if it's the Parisian air or something, but as soon as I came back yesterday, I felt sick. Just as if I had drunk 3 litres of whisky-coke (eeeeeeeeeck!). Feeling sea-sick and trembling in my boots with cold.
But the weather is warm enough.. and I haven't drunk anything but water since 3 day!!!! (probably ZE sign that really shows I'm a bit sick :P)

I will have a rest while Lola's sleeping today!

(jumping under the cover while some are working HARD :P)

et voilà! En route for Bretagne!
We're leaving with as many luggage as if we'd leave for 2 months... despite my brilliant organization efforts! SIGH

And you, Sun, if you hear me, don't hide or I'll come and take you back home! RoaaaaaRRRRRR **~~*^* *^^* *

And as a 9th of January is not just like everyday, I wanna wish Lola's cousin, Mara (on the left below), a wunderbar first birthday!!!!**~~*^* *^^* * *^^* *

As we still talk of Lola's age in "month", today she's 15 months old!
I feel like she's with us since ever and at the same time I feel I'm discovering her every morning when I go to take her in her lil bed **~~*^* *

*Once upon a time....*

...5 years ago a giant German creature and a mini Frawnch goil woke up after a groovy night doing dat:




...and started their day with 3 cawffees to celebrate that:




...and since that day, they wake up everyday wanting to celebrate the same event again and again!

I'm looking actually for a bath pic to illustrate my next bloggie and just came across a pic with a baby having his bath. On the pic his bum is hidden by a huge black circle with "censored" typed on it.
First I think we must be careful with the pics of our babes we put on the net, of course, but this censored sign there really shocked me, much more than if it had been just naked, in the natural way. I would not have noticed anything then!
And I think that represents pretty well the probbie with censorship, the effect is often the opposite!!!

I dunno if you've heard about which movies we'll get in 2004...but I know already all those I'll RILLY miss till I'll watch dem in video (SIGH!)
...Troy (with Brad Pitt in skirt!), Alexander, Blueberry, RRRrrrr (French comedy), the last Samuraï (I'm not rilly sure about this though), Kingdom of Heaven (about crusades), oh and BIG FISH (the last Tim Burton!)... so promising!
Any idea about what could be added to this list?

And i've already missed Love Actually and Thirteen... boooo.... my *cinema life* is unfair :P

Have you heard of the movie *Master and Commander*?
Yes? Well, did you know that originally based on a story opposing the English and the Americans, not the English and the Frawnch!!!
LOL!
I RILLY wonder why it's been modified :P

Yet, the movie is said to be really good :)

Oh yessss!!!! The sky is clear enough for us to enjoy a beauDiful and generous full moon (rather well represented by the *full moon goddess* below)!!!
And I'm still listening at Enigma which suits this very moment :-))
I will sleep well tonight (happy sigh**~~*^* *^* *)

While i've been *dreaming* about being in jail with soap-opera's actors only (for next dream, pulease, a bit less weird if possible ;-), Martin has solved again another bug.
Do you get this saying in english "night brings advice"? It works very well for Martin. I think Martin spends 50% of his time at work trying to get rid of bugs. And sometimes it can last for days before getting rid of a big bug. And when Martin comes to a point where he finds no solution, then you can be almost sure he'll wake up on the next day with it.
As it happened this morning again.
He just woke up, jumped around screaming he got the solution! LOL

I find this process fascinating! ...getting inspired while sleeping, how practical!!!

...and much more interesting than losing time with my fellow soap-opera-prisonners!!!! hehe

There are several lil thingies that bother me on the web, and today it's the webpages that play music when you open dem!
Grmmmpppphhhhhhhhhhhh
At least some pages ask you if you wanna hear music or not...!

Besides, the music chosen and the audio quality are often terrible. When I jump on such a page, it's usually for a millisecond, to never come back!

I wanted to start my new season of *world contribution* with a special one, and I found the still unknown Karl Urban, featuring Eomer in the LOTR!
I definatly got *inspired*, what about ewws?!! :P

Well, I don't know if any of ewwws has already listen at the soundtrack of the Return of the King, but I can confirm it has nothing to do with the 2 previous soundtracks! :(((((
I listen with much pleasure at the fellowship of the ring and the 2 towers's soundtracks... but this last one is just like a classic movie music (sigh), with a terrible song by annie lenox (double sigh)

*2004 wish n°3*
-step 2-
We gonna have a busy busy weekend. We've to go to Bretagne to take new measures of the *Hobbitouse* and make detailed plans of the house, inside and outside.
We thought our plans would be enough but neeeeeeeee, we've to make them again. All that to show them on monday to a specialized architect who will validate (for free I've been told...phewww) them.
Then we can send the plans to the organisation that will give its agreement -or NOT- so that we make changes on the house (which is old and and in a "protected" area).

I would have never thought we'd manage to get a rendez-vous that early with the architect!

I feel like on a trip on a Concorde, everything goes so quickly! I like that sometimes! :)

With all the "illustrator"'s work I've had in December, it's been frustrating to find no time to paint for pure pleasure.
But thanks to my *other-half* who took care of the shrimpette a bit more than usual, I've found some time this weekend for Tristana, another inhabitant of my lil corner in Bretagne!

It was a sweet way to start my painting year :-)))**~~*^* *^^* *

Sometimes I think we owe much to Luck at the moment for the positive things coming in our life at the moment.
But I have thought of it again and again and I believe it's finally more a matter of energy than luck.
I think we've been that active lately than finally some things *had* to happen.

And on my 2004 list of wishes, we're on our way to realize one of dem (but the road is long!!!!)... It concerns our hobbit's house and all the works that have to be done. We've seen different craftsmen for the main big works and spending all this time with them making plans is giving results...in term of price! Yup!
We've found one mason who will be 50% cheaper than what we saw before! And he is well known there! Oh that is a very good piece of news.

(hugging mr or mrs Universe... no not the one wiff big muscles!!!)

It's been some time I haven't posted any pic of the shrimpette! So here's a lil new year series :-)


Lola looking kinda more threatening than ready to distribute presents ;-)


Lola in some of her angelic mood (but that never last!)


Lola in her xmas dress trying one her french grand fathers' (she has 2 of them) piano


First pic of the New Year for a happy and relaxed Lola

Making 2 lil pictures with the snow was the maximum I could do. I was freezing my bum outside!


Charlie playing with the hidden Cino (a new cat in the family!)

We've celebrated Xmas with my mama's family on the 1st and my papier-mache faeries had to be ready!
So I think I've spent more time working on them than sleeping this week.

I was happy with the result, when you have them in front of you, all smiling, they really look like about sharing a new joke!
They've all got elven names, the translation of their new mama or papa's name.
It really broke my heart to give them... and to separate them! I've promised to myself for the next ones (on which I've already started to work), they won't go away alone, always 2 by 2, minimum!

And people really loved them! And besides, like the cherry on the cake, they asked me where I bought them!!! Which was pretty satisfying for my lil tired (I've been workin on dem since november!) hands ;-)

I don't know (well, I do actually! lol) if I've had too much champ' and wine lately, but I haven't slept so well, having a lot of dreams and nightmares. Like yesterday I dreamt I was attending MY own funerals! I was standing near Martin, and besides getting scared to death (huhu) by what was happening, I specially worried about the coffin, which was way to small for me, more like a child size.... eeeeck.... and I was stuck in that nightmare, I did not just woke up to stop it!
And last night I dreamt we had a boat fixed like a house in a forest on a canadian mountain. Yup. And each time we came back to our boat-house I worried (again!) the boat could fall from the mountain. Great, hm?!!

...let's see what will come next ;-)

It seems that a 1st of January is a pretty appropriate day to sit down and think about how to make one's dreams come true or just how you wanna improve your life.

2003 has been a good good year and I wish 2004 will prove to be even beDer :-)

I gotta thank the Universe for what 2003 brought me! Family happiness, pretty good health, great time with friends, new friends, beginning of my professional carreer as a painter/illustrator, a hobbit's house, an adorable car, new pairs of shoes (hehe...I'm such a material goil!)
Thank you Thank you Thank you Mr/Mrs Universe!

Now let's see in my box of whishes what I've hidden!

... great times for Lola! She has changed so much and is now like a sponge, absorbing all what she sees and hears, it's simply wonderful to see her growing up that way!

...maybe giving Lola a lil bro or sis, who knows!!!

...works on our hobbit's house. If all the main (BIG) works could be done this year, that would be great!

...more party times in Hamburg (Gawd, are we getting addicted to that again?!! hehe)

...summer holidays with German friends in Bretagne. We've a group of friends (including some musicians...bagpipe players) from Hamburg who dream about spending holidays in Bretagne! They're all checking if they can join next summer. That would be terrific!

...other many happy times chatting online with the DHNers and DHNettes

...more professional contacts

...maybe winning more than 1 euro with the lottery :P


I'm sure I've forgotten a LOT of wishes, but if all that could happen, it would be already Heaven!!!!
**~~**^^* *~~~** ^* * * *

We just woke up and guess what! Snow flakes are dancing all around to celebrate the new year!!!!
Yeeepeeeeeeeeeeeee***~~**^* *