Martin has just told me Christa and Achim (his parents) have decided to learn French! No kiddin!
Wawwww, I find that fantastic, Lola has the most wonderful oma und opa (hehe, yuss, I'm fluent :P )

Now I always feel baaaaad for not knowing more than 3 words in German. No, I don't feel bad actually, but it really bothers me to be unable to tame that wild language!
I think I'll learn "Lola's German" ... simple one :P

Talking of that, The German Ambassy has now all the papers to give Lola her German nationality. Soon she'll officially be Frawnch and German! The question of nationality is basically not that important for us... but we enjoy a lot the symbolic meaning of it, the mixture of the 2 cultures :))) **~~* *^^* * * *

Can anyone explain me about the probbies with Ivory Coast?... rilly, I've not followed anything about it...a real shame... all the more as I have an uncle and aunt there! We can't contact them at the moment, I guess they're on their way back to France... we don't worry... but it sounds as if we should, ne...?... //oO\\
What's happening.. I wonder...
(feeling bad for not knowin!!!)

(on my way to find some news on the web)

(back)
Hmmm...no, I don't get the point ...! heh
Ivory Coast found again its late independence in 1960...but then, what's the frawnch army's doing there?

Gawd, time for a glass of wine me thinks :P

New step for the shrimpette today... She's just had her first boDle of artificial milk!
She did not enjoy much, not at all, but I had no choice (painful bits made this "real" milk cession impossible!)...
She then vomitted a lil bit, which I think is normal... the change of taste and "structure" maybe...

I will now give her both milks, and that for the next month because I don't want to give up with mama's milk yet, nenene.... she has such a lovely complexion, has never been ill (crossing bits), and seems in such a purrfect shape that I'm convinced I'm an enough guuuuud milk maker (that sounds *magic*, doesn't it? hehe) :P

Yeeeehoooooo! Snow's back!!!

It's snowing hard hard outside, and I should be working while Lola's having her nap (more crying in her bed at the moment)... but those big flakes are so beauDiful, I could spend hours watching dem!

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

Okies, I've put a new painting online. The scan of it is really bad, specially for the goil on it who's way darker than the original. I did not want to put this painting (that I did a few weeks ago) online (though I like the frogs on it) ...because I don't like it! :P
But I had no time to finish the painting on which I'm working and as I promised a new painting every week... here we are!

Yesterday evening, while having her last milk cession, the shrimpette got a burst of laughter for 2 big minutes!
I laughed with her and we could not control ourselves anymore during these 2 minutes. It was completly incredible, I mean I did not know so far the sound of her laugh (she uses to smile most of the time)... and it was beauDiful.. and I found myself pretty stooopid being suddenly very touched by this laugh -on an emotional level, I mean-.
That was Fantabizooby, I'll never forget this moment**~~* *^^* * *

Phantie (One of the "Octobrettes", the mom of Gaïa) has written that story "The school mistress has a secret" for which I've painted illustrations.
We work well together it seems, both enjoying a lot what the other does! So we've decided to send this first story to editors... Hehe, yup, you just never know! And if it does not work, we'll make other stories and try again, and if it still does not work... then we'll have lots of nice stuff for our goils :P

There are 5 editors specialized in books for children. We're preparing the files and we'll send all that maybe end of next week. There is also something similar on which I wanna work with Martin (i have ideas, but no desire and no talent at all to put them on paper and write stories)... but I keep that secret for the moment :P

Well if I win lottery tomorrow (8 millions €), I swear I'll go on with these projects ! (and probably create my own edition house! hehehe)

Shiteroooooo!
You know what? (I'm happy yes yes, but as usual! hehe).. I've just realized my days are much more busy now than when I was working!
When I worked, I had time to write BIGGIES, long looong emails. I had time for chat too, much time :P

Now my days are so short that I keep forgetting which day it is! Besides my shrimpette (who had her first nightmare 10 minutes ago! She looked so scared! awwww), I have so much administrative papers to fill for my "artist" status, so much to do to make a coherent and reaslitic biz plan for my gallery (like how to advertise -in a free way- and where, etc, etc), so much to do to finish the webpage... and time to find to let space for my lazy imagination to work to create new paintings!!!

You see, it's 11.35 pm and we're having the aperitif, I relax writting that bloggie... I think I should be working on paintings but I need to do *nothing* too.

That was my point. I wanna time to do NOTHING! Does that sound logical, hm?
hehehe //oO\\

France, Germany are 'problems' in Iraqi conflict...

... we're "problems" because we have a different opinion than the supporters of war?
(sigh)
The Americans can't expect to have everybody behind them to legitimate a war. For now, I'm pretty happy that France and Germany get such a position, not because it's standing against the USA (g), of course not, but against war.

First time Lola really plays!!!



And I noooooe, it starts with lil puppets, it ends with poker in smoky pubs!!!!
(s)

As promised (s), there's a new painting in the gallery! The "Run, Candles, run!" is another version for the previous "run, Candide, run"... It's about one of my phobia (yup yup) which is EELS. A phobia which started years ago with the movie the drum crab!

I've just printed all my bloggies from january 2002 to december 2002 .... 75 full pages!!!
It's so great to get that, I'm sure Lola will have good laffs one day reading it :-))) **~~* *

(Jenny, do not read this post if you've not watched the LOTR #2 ;-)

What a happy time we had today! First a pub with some pint of white (belgium) beer for me (they say it's a goilish beer...tssss) and guiness for Martin. And when you haven't had a pint in months.... it feels like Heaven!
(droolin again at the thought of it!)

Then The Two Towers (LOTR).... we were almost at the front-row seats (which we love) and Gawd, it was worth it!!!
OK, I gotta say they have made more changes from the book than in the first movie... Like for instance Faramir is much more kewl in the book or King Theoden looks much more courageous and he had been affected by poison given by Grima, not possessed by Saruman, etc etc....
... and well, it seems they've stopped 200 hundred pages too early!!! eeeeeck..... That frustrates us fans! hehe

...but oh these images, the battles, the new characters, this Huruk-Hai army, the Elven army (I'm not sure that in ther book the Elves came to help, but it looked guuud on the screen!!!).....
(fainting)
It was Fantastic!!!!
And the three characters Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli who are getting much more "dense" (regarding their personnality)....waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

That gives me desire to re-watch the first one and re-read the three books while waiting very impatiently for the 3rd and last (booooooooooooooooooo) movie! //oO\

I should be sleepin just like Martin and Lola but I have to prepare a bottle of milk for Lola... and it requires muuuch time for me to take the milk (dat cow's feeling getting more intense in such case!)...

Yup, I've to prepare that bottle so that Martin's parents (who're here for the weekend) can feed Lola while we'll be watching.....the LOTR!!!!!! YUSSSSSSSSSS!!!
ROARRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrRRRR!
I think we've never let Lola for more than 2 hours.... Gawd, it will feel guuuuuud to be just the 2 of us for a time :-))))**^^**~* ** **

(back to dat cow's job)

I just couldn't finish the day without talking of the BIG....HUGE piece of news!!!
Penny's back around here!!!!
Yes! yesssss!!!!

weeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!***~~* ^* **^* * *~~* **

Ok, we had all secretly planned to wear our leather trousers to welcome our Ghostlette.... but I'm more into silk stuff, ya see!
hehehe

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

I'm now a member of Elftown, a great forum from Elfwood where lots of people talk of Fantasy art in general!
It's brilliant, I've seen astonishing paintings!

I need longer days!!!!
I can hardly do 1/4 of what I wanna do everyday... terrible!

At the moment I "work" on a project with a friend. We do it for fun and to see if we are "simply" able to do it. Sha has written a lil story for children and I am painting the illustrations of it. 14 pages, 14 drawings. It's very interesting even if completly different from what I do usually. I've made the first plans for 6 pages... Now it's about 22.00 and Martin's bringing Lola to bed. I can go on and when i'm dead, we'll have dinner ! :P

Yup, longer days, I need longer days! RoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaRRRRrrRRRRR

Yesterday we visited Clara and Aymeric, and Lola had a kewl time with her goilfriends Maïa (on the left) and Gaïa (on the right) who're also 3 months old!
So young and already partying, while the dads already keep an eye on dem as you can see :P
hehe



(all that while the moms were having champ'! yeah, again!!! ;-)

Wooooaaaaa, we finally finished the Candy Froggie's Gallery yesterday at 1.00 am!
I'm really glad it's online now, even if there are rilly lots of thingies to add!!

Now the main point is finishing it quickly and adding new paintings regularly. Once it will be complete, then we'll start the second version of it in which there will be the possibility to spend $$ on it :P

It's snowing again!!!
(dancing around with the shrimpette)

Gwenola will certainly enjoy celebrating her 27th birthday under snow :P
Happy bday, you zen one :-))

What a special day today (I'll keep on playing 9 at the lottery!)
Martin's cousin, Sönke, and his wife Anja have just had a baby today! A goil! Yusss!!!
Yeeehoooooooooo!!!!

Her name is Mara-Sophia, she is 54cm long for 4.7 kg... a big baby!!! :-))))) **~~* * *^^* * *
Everything went well and when we had Sönke on the phone, he had the voice "new" dads get... as if floating above the clouds... so happy!!!

Now I wish dem guuuud luck for the first weeks, somehow I can remember it was not that easy at the beginning :P

We've finally finished watching all the add-ons from the LOTR #1 !
Ohhhh I rilly prefer the longer version! (how unexpected! :P)

I still can't imagine how peter jackson and his gang managed to make those 3 movies.... The three books are so big, dense and full of details, I would have nebber imagined somthing guud enough could be done for cinema!
.... and just to pass from the books to the writting of the script... gawd, it would have taken a life to me!

But they did more than even expected...and that includes the actors who apparently involved in the movie much more than I thought.
... ohhh, and when you see the work of the team who made the costumes.....!!!... each costume is made with the most adapted materials, weapons are made with details even the biggest fans of Tolkien couldn't have noticed.... jeeeez... I'm rilly rilly rilly impressed!

We've friends in Germany who -professionally- create such weapons and costumes for events, shows or role games... they must have literally drooled in front of such work! hehe

today's our 4th wedding anniversary!!!
yeeeeehooooooooo!!!! I remember every second of it (happy sigh), including the weather was almost as cold as today (we had snow)

...but with Lola and her expected fever -poor shrimpette!-, we decided to celebrate it in the weekend :-)
Now Martin does not noe some excellent champ' is hidden around here, just waiting to be open tonight :P

Lola's 3 months today!!!



... and I rilly felt baaaad this morning when I took her to the doc for a nasty vaccine!... But there she took her revenge...peed on the doc's arm and generously vomitted on my beauDiful-warm-new pull-over!
I guess the injection rilly hurt :P

Lola and I get a cold, not a bad one though. Maybe the weather fault, nee? (g)
The negative temperatures are getting worse, they say -10°c for tonight! Dat's rilly cold, huh!
The snow has turned into ice and I hear it falling from the roofs all day, so unusual!

And when you think about all these people outside without home... That is one of the first thing I'd do if I was President... giving a home to anyone... then....well.... I'd raise the taxes to pay for it !!!! :P

Lola's just reached 5 kilos!
(dancing around)
Not that I'm obsessed with her weight... (s)

I keep feeding her all day because she's still too light for her size... I personnally find her in a purrfect shape, all round as expected for babies... so I don't worry too much :-)

In a couple of hours we live to celebrate Xmas with my Dad and his *family*!
I knewwww Sandy Claws would make a come back, just for us :P
hehehe

**~~*^* * *

Merry Xmas!
hehe

And a few minutes later, Alaska was on the balcony! :P

Haaaa, the digital cam, wattafookinkewlinvention!

here are the first flakes we had just below the windows earlier this morning.
Now it's snowing like hell but I like these 2 pics (well and ermmm.. all the pics I take of the snow falling down are just baaad! hehe)
:P







Yeah I nooooooe, it's not like Antartica yet ;-)

We finally discovered what kind of files have been first destroyed by the nasty virus.... the files of my new website!!!
Not all of them, but most of them (boooooooooooooo)

It's been 2 days we're re-writing all the texts, re-scanning all the paintings, etc (sigh).... It has to be online before the end of the weekend!
RoaaaaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRRRRR

we were outside when it started to.....SNOW!

yeahhhh!!! It snowing it's snowiiiiiiiing!!!

And snowing hard!

(dancing around)

I love it! **~~* * *^^* * * *

Okies, I did not know what we could offer to Lola for Xmas... It's hard because we spoil her all the time! :P

I'm going to open a bank account for her (yeah I know it's not a very romantic or funny present).

I open the account and Martin will provide the euros on it! Mwahahaha!!!
Something like 15, 20 euros each month... it will be nice in a few years!

I talked then with a woman from the bank today and she asked me how old was the "new customer", and when I answered 2 months (and that sounded weird!), we both agreed Lola did not need a credit card yet!
hehehe

phewwwwww.... and the woman said Lola will probably beg for it at 12 years old, even before!
Arrrrrgggggggggg!!!

I'll keep the account secret I think :P

We spent the most intimate (yuss yuss) and happy New Year's eve!
*Just* Martin, Lola and I !!!

We did not want to let Lola to anyone (well and nobody was rilly available) and we did not want to take her at friends.
But.... Lola's comfort is only an excuse 'cause we actually wanted to spend it that way! hehe **~~^* * * *^^* *

It was fantabizooby... Lola having twice more milk than usual (I had to drink 2 big bottles of water during the day!), and once she went to bed, the flat was only illuminated with candles (lol, yup me Candles.. hehe, kiddin) and xmas lights. We had the most yummy treasures for dinner, champ and magic muzic.
Was there a beDer way to start the year???
neeeeeeeee!!!

I loved it!

Shiterooooo!
I broke a toof yesterday! ...was at the *teef emergency services* this morning!
rilly!!!
It was the same toof for which I went there last time when I was preggie... I could have waited till tomorrow but my dentist is on holidays and I could not wait a whole week actually.
(Sigh)

I was not the only one there I tell ya.... about 20 people there visibly suffering a lot (not my case though).... wat an awful *idea* to get teef troubles between xmas and new years' eve, and worse...on a sunday morning!

I'm just back at home with a bottle of champ.... to recover ya noe... and to be sure I have rilly no more euros to spend in the next days ;-)

Yeeepeeee, Gulli's back to life!!!
There's still a loooooooot to re-install, but at least I'm not sittin in front of a black screen anymore!
(dancing around)

Today's a BIG day for shrimpette Lola!
First, It's Christmas, but almost more important for a goil:
She's gonna wear her first dress! (And this due to Martin, who insisted...).

I promise to bring back pictures of the Lolita :-))

(Jumping into my christmas-boots) .... WOOOOSH!

(haaaa those reindeers are funny to ride, aren't they!)

(kissing and huggin my deaaaaar laptop now)
We're having a major probbie with Gulli and the other big machine.... a nasty virus getting rid of main programs. Damn, we're the most careful with viruses and that happens again!
It has first attacked the anti-virus system (which is updated every day!), so it could easily spread after that.
My poor Gulli!
And all the datas we had.... woooooooooosh, vanished!
Thanx Gawd, the laptop has not been connected to the others since a few days...:-)))))

And damn... I somehow *nooooooe* it's my fauIt! (sigh)
I will now only open the files .jpg or .giff, and avoid any kind of .pps, .exe, etc. and be very careful with my downloads, I tell you!
RoaaaaaaRRRrrRRRRR

I wonder why they keep on checking military installations and weapons in Iraq... In any case it's written, george w. will attack Iraq.
(sigh)

When you hear the war might start on the 28th january... as if it was a rendez-vous to take....
How ugly!

I hope France will keep away from that... which I doubt... at a certain point, the economic relationships (with Americans) will be threatened and we'll follow like guud puppies.

I've decided to look for a job (in the next months) as an illustrator!
I dunno why I did not think of it before (probably because I did not feel ready), but I guess it would be the purrrrfect job for me!
Of course, it's probably as hard to get such a job as for an actor to get a role, but I gotta do it.

So besides my *personnal* work, I'm going to start a collection of illustration of famous legends... to get some kind of references to show.
yeeepeeee!! hehe
I'll simply look for legends and tales, if they inspire me or not is not the matter... I'll have to make one illustration for each tale I find. Each being a challenge (specially for tales with animals! I don't draw animals.... I can't wait!)

(going to refill my glass...a guuuud idea to celebrate!)

Lola's weight is finally getting beder!
She eats like Gargantua since 3 days.... and those days are to me dedicated to milk cessions. I'm right now a huge bottle of milk, who sometimes takes the shape of a goil. Strange feeling that I happily accept for the Shrimpette!
(a shrimpette who's listening at heavy metal with her dad right now! She has guuud tastes, ya see!)

Yeeepeeee, I've just finished a new painting!
I started 3 weeks ago and I thought I'd nebber see the end of it (not that it's a big one, but I had other priorities ;-)

I'm a bit frustrated right now cause I can't show my new paintings, I gotta wait to finish the webpage.
I gotta hurry up, anyone to kick my bum?!!!
hehehe

I don't understand this facination, this passion people (here ;-) get for Napoleon!
The other day, a colleague of Martin told him that he spent his free time studying the war plans of Napoleon!
//oO\\

At least if there was something romantically heroic (hehe, yup, a goil talking huh :P) about him... some fever bits about his life...
But only conquests, wars, etc.... yuck!
I think hard and even a guy like the tyranic Robespierre seems less cold than Napoleon......
Even the architecture or the fashion of the time look pretty ugly (to me). No, I don't understand his popularity.

Take a man like Henri IV, who loved playing with his kids and who, when he left for war, never forgot to write passionate letters to his wife and mistresses! Now dat's an entertaining one, nee?!!

I already thought shopping was boring, but then doing shopping while carying la shrimpette against the belly seems now rilly tough!
Part of the mamarathon you could say, well yes, that's it, exactly!

I spent my time asking for help in the supermarket, I rilly could not reach anything otherwise! I'm already small and kinda struggle each time to reach the top, but with Lola I couldn't do anything.
An old man near me wanted to help, but he made all the chocolate boxes fallen when he tried. We needed then double help cause the old man was actually rilly old!

I'm pretty suprised at the end that people do not react to provide help to a woman with her babe or to an old person. I rilly had to ask!

Oh that restaurant yesterday was even deDer than we imagined...
I'll try to translate what we had:

duck fois gras in a little soufflé with thin slices of soused (?) apples
raw salmon on a bed of wild herbs
then

(drooling already, huh? hehe)

sucking pig stuffed with black pudding
canette cooked in honey with crystallized fruits

and to finish...
hot papaya cooked with spices and basil
pear ravioli with almonds cooked in hot chocolate and fresh basil

oh and a yummmmmmy bottle of chardonnais which was at a purrfect temperature!

And if you ask what I enjoyed the most, I wouln't be able to chose.. all was excellent. And the pleasure wasn't only for the mouff and nose, for the eyes too!

They change their menu every 5 weeks, I gotta win lottery so that we make of this restaurant our canteen :P

Hmmmm, Martin and I both get a rendez-vous at our dentist-the-butcher on next Friday.... the 13th of December you see (!!!)....
......I wonder if it's the purrrrfect day for dat.....

We've been to the paris boatshow this weekend, it's at 10 min from here :-))))
It was a real pleasure to see mom and sister and a couple of ex-colleagues working there.....and being just a visitor (an amazing feeling)!!! hehe
For the first time in 12 years I have time to enjoy December! yeeepeeeee!
We ( I ) wanted to visit a few people there, to present dem Lola, but we got invited to an oysters and white bordeaux cession (s)... how could we resist?!

I've realized that I know so many people there... it felt very familiar. I was not nostalgic at all though, I guess because working at the boat show was really hard ... and somehow I still feel in the biz with a part of the family working there. I only get the advantages! hehe

Anyway, as "tourists" again, we'll finish our visit next weekend!

Lola, that mushroomic shrimpette below, is 2 months-old today! wooohooo!



What has changed in a month? Hmmmm... she smiles now!!!!
The question is...does she smile because she's happy...or because she imitates us...or just automatically...?
In any case, smiles suit her lil round face! hehe :-))) **~~** ^^** * * **

Okies, here's the invitation on which I've been workin.
You won't see much though because the image quality is very poor (a sacrifice I had to make to be able to show it here :-)

Bubye Harry Potter....waaaaaa!.....waaaaaaa!
And no, no chance to watch it on monday after 8.30, so we won't go...it's far too early :(((((

yes...bubye harry....snifff....snifffff....

but..... "Hello Yves Quintard" !!!
hehe
No idea about who's that Yves Quintard? Me neither actually (S)... except that it's the name of a French restaurant we wanted to try since 2 years now.
And we promised to go there once Lola would be here... An excellent reason to go to that posh restaurant, huh! :P
But posh or not, what has attracted us are the menus. You would not believe what's cooked there.
I can't remember exactly the name of the dishes, but I'll let you know so that you realize the orgasmic dimension of these menus (nossing!)

Being quite superstitious, I've waited to be sure to confirm that Lola has done her Paris-NewYork (7 hours by plane, nee?) every night since 2 weeks!
Sometimes she even dares trying a Paris-L.A. !!!

Thank you, thank you my shrimpette for *travelling* that well
:-))))) **~~* ^^* * * *

I've just been sent that joke (thank ya Sieur Romuald :P)
I'll try to translate it (s)

the European paradise is...
..a place where cops are English,
..cooks are French,
..mecanicians are German,
..lovers are Italian,
and where everything is organized by the Swiss

the European hell is...
..a place where cops are German,
..cooks are English,
..mecanicians are French
..lovers are Swiss
and where everything is organized by Italians!

hehehe
(thinking of it, I don't agree with most of dat...except 'bout the Swiss..kiddinkiddin :P)

It's so kewl.
Gwenola has offered to take care of Lola on Monday evening so that we can go and watch Harry Potter!!!
Very useful to write bloggies hey (s)
(..ermm..and to get a generous sister around! lol!!)

Now I cross all my bits so that it works! **~~* *^* * *

It's been the specialists day!
I took Lola to the pedatrician and Lola took me (s) to the kinesitherapist!

Goils *neeeeeed* to take care of themselves huh ;-)

Lola is now 55 cm, all her bits are growing well, but her weight is a bit low... she is 4.2 instead of 4.8... So I've to carefully check her weight for a week, then we'll see if she needs anything complementary.
Well, feeling kinda "baaaaaad" for not having enough milk for my shrimpette, I spent the afternoon drinking water, milk, etc... now I stoopidly -and impatiently- observe my breast expecting it to take some Everest size (G)

And at the kine, I just started some reeducation for my bits. It was almost kewl :P

Yesterday I felt old... when at about midnight, 2 parties started just above and below da flat, we felt like ham in a bad sandwich (does that mean anything, huh? hehe)
The music was rilly baaaaaaaaaaad, like French "classics" from the 1970s.... ouch!
(s)

I don't know how Lola managed to sleep... Martin was ready to shout at dem as soon as they'd wake up our angel.. hehe... worse, I almost crossed my fingers so that cops could come to tell dem below to calm down, they made such a noise. I couldn't believe my ears!
If only they had warned us before, that would have been a lil beDer.

I nebber used to feel bored by parties and noise... jeeez, it feels weird!
Next time, we organize the party! Mwaaahaha
...and till then, we'll let Lola crying like a mommy tiger as much as she wanna... at 3.00 am (s)

It is so sad what's happening to the coasts of Galicia!
I wonder how many other cases of ugly pollution Europe will need to take the hardest measures against such risks!

I've often sailed along that coast and it was rilly beauDiful, though not that popular (a bit colder than the mediteranean coast)
well... it gonna be tough for dem Spanish neighbours..

I don't think we'll have the opportunity to go and watch the new Potter and LOTR ... argggg!
Everybody's so busy in December that it seems difficult to find anyone to take care of Lola for a few hours.
Ha well, if it's not possible, then I'll do like the three lil monkeys to avoid hearing anything about the movies and I'll wait till we can watch the dvds..
... but it gonna be LONG! :P

Tomorrow will be the first time we gonna let the shrimpette to her frawnch grand-mother...
....For a few hours only! phewwww...(s)

It's kewl for Martin and I to have the opportunity to enjoy a lil time just together (dancing around!!!), though I *nooooooooooe* we'll spend our time asking ourselves if all is ok with Lola... It's stooopid but there's a first time to anything, hey?!! ;-)

Stressing for one's baby.... the kind of feeling you can't rilly control...
I wonder though if there's a time when you can get rid of such a stress.... if so, when?!

I had not realized Oz was suffering from such a big dryness at the moment, I just read it in the newz!
There is nebber any balance... we've the rain Oz absobloodilutely *need* down there, and Oz has the sun we're desperatly looking for since months...
//oO\\

(memo to self: gotta ask Penny how's the situation!)

I don't know how it happens in UK or Oz about strikes.
Well, I kinda remember UK enjoyed huge ones, huh....

I'm not against the right to go on strike.... but it's all different to me when it comes to civil servants!
I really think that all of dem who stop working that way should be ermmmmm....fired! (hehe, I'd be a fine boss, huh ;-)

In Germany, the civil servants are not allowed to go on strike. Which sounds normal!
I mean.... we pay for them to work at the end, and they get lots of advantages.... the kind of jobs many would love to get!

So why are they allowed to block the country whenever they wanna, hm?!

Tomorrow the invitations on which I've been workin will be printed! Yeeeeehooooo!
It feels guuuuuud to use my lil skill in a professional way! :P

I really hope my official webpage will bring me something guuuud....if not $$$, then maybe interesting contacts...We'll see :-)

It takes so much time to create a webpage from A to Z. I take care of the content and Martin of all the programming and development for each page, each function, etc.
I think web development has turned to be Martin's passion, he codes more than he plays bagpipe at home now, can you believe it?
It sounds less romantic but, all these matrix and complicate thingies, that I see on the screen when Martin works, are really mysterious and intrigant. Just like ingredients of a magic potion, ya see ;-)

Now we've played against southern countries, I just can't wait for the next match against the English team... in less than 3 months, wooooo!!!
I already see a 27-23 for the Roastbeef...
yup



neee, just kiddin!
hehehe

From what Gwenola told me, they all get ready at the Boat Show to celebrate "Ellen" :-)))
Yup, we're all impressed by Ellen macArthur's talent at taming the seas!

The Route du Rhum race is beeing hard this year... All these skippers giving up or getting troubles with their boats.
Specialists here start to tell it's a too dangerous race, specially for the skippers of the huge trimarans. It's true that when you see the "beasts", you hardly believe one man only can drive it at all!
But they're free to face the dangers they wanna I think. What would be adventure without risks?!!

Wooohooooooo I'm so happyroony it's the weekend!
That means Martin will wake up at night to help me with Lola!!!!

(dancing around)
Ha yuss, I've discovered a mom has very simple pleasures (S)

Talking of the *shrimpette*, imagine that when she drinks now, it lasts 45 min, 1 hour!
That kills me!
And I can't do anything against it, if I stop her, she gets all red, cries like a daddy tiger, and looks at my breast as if starving!
To relax myself a bit with that, I tried to prepare bottles for a change... but it works only if Martin feeds her, if it's me, she gets very angry against the bottle and sticks herself to my chest!

I type I type.... but argggggg! Time for a new milk cession (I get the feeling I spend 90% of my time in milk cessions! i'm getting guuud at *mamarathoning*!)

Here's a pic of our lil shrimp, enjoying a loooot her bath :-))



She's sooooo small, huh! **^^ *
(hehe, I guess there will be tons of pics posted by a very proud mom this year ;-)

Do you enjoy weird movies? hehe
Well I've just watched a very weird one!

ONe from the 70s, "La Grande Bouffe"...
4 guys eating to death... yup that's the topic!
Only an Italian (Ferreri) could make such a movie! hehe
I've always found italian cinema weird....ermmm... which is also a great quality, mind ya!! ;-)

I'm not sure I'd advice that movie -to good friends, that is :P-, but if you're really curious and cannot stand mainstream stuff, you gotta watch it!

With Thanxgiving and Xmas coming soon, I could not help supporting dem goils!

Wooooaaaaa Lola's weight is now 4kg!
Of course with such a guuuuuuuuuuud quality milk, she's getting the most adorable shapes!

A lil creature made of milk, what a delicious concept :-))))

Awww I loved James Coburn!
Did you know he played in a movie named Candy and another named Martin's day, hm?! (I did not know either! hehe)
Did you know that bob dylan played with Coburn in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (I did not remember either :P)

Actually I'm unable to remember another title of one of his movies, that's a shame. But I liked the guy, I liked the face!

32-31 for the Roastbeefs against Aussies.... To me it looks as if our lil friends from over the pond have been way too lucky (G)
Let's wait for the 6 nations cup to check how long luck can last for dem.. mwahahaha!

And 20-20 for New-Zealand against Frawnch... we have not played well enough, we should have scored when we got the 2 opportunities in the last 5 minutes... but, can we really say we've lost, hm? neeeee hehehe

Haaa Murrayfield has been shining this weekend! 21/6 against the brutes (Springboks) ! Hurray for midgesLand!

And for those who can't stand rugger, I'm not specialized enough to give results 'bout ... golf or any other "lil ball sport" :P

Today's Penny's Birthday!

I raise my glass to my Aussie WarriorSistaTwin on the road to the sparkling city of Champsbubbles!
**~** * ** **^^* **** * ***
******~** * ** **^^* **** **^^* **** ** **^^* **** **^^*

(on such a day -Oz plays Haggisland today I think-, Scottish should let you win at rugger! RoaaaaaaRRRRrrRRR)

OH! erratum maximum
Oz was playing Roastbeefs! Arggggg, I don't wanna think of the result!

You know wat's RILLY *multitaskin*?
Chatting in the blooooe zone (chat zone), while writing this bloggie (with one hand! The male-ish part in me, ya see ;-), while feeding greedy Lola!
Not easy, but with some guuuud training .....and no other alternative (s), it's very possible!

....

....I wonder why I had taken rendez-vous at 9.00 am at the gyno today! That means I was forced to wake up at 6.30. On a Saturday. Where's my reward now!
Actually, my bits are in great shape now. No more threads, no more pain, etc.
(coughing)
That means I'm going to stop just "talking" flowers and bees, ya see. (raising eyebrow) ....ya seeeeeeeee? hehe

woooohooooooooo!!!
I feel like Sista theresa back in the jungle!

You know what I call a *MortalCaca*?
That's a weapon used by Lola from time to time, specially in the middle of the night.
And last night she used it riiiiiiilly well. I was the target, the door behind me also...oh, and the parquet too!
It was hmm about 2.30, and I was in the process of changing her and she looked pretty happy with her nekkid bum and legs! Suddenly she looked at the ceiling, frowning a bit, as if concentrating hard.

A loud and loaded fart later (you would not believe what such a tiny creature can do!), I was partly covered by some smelly green/yellow (sowwy for the details :P) material. Lola had brilliantly reached my arms and belly and feet. Plus the door, parquet and own pyjamas of course.

Good way to be all awake in less than a min. Thank ya my *choupi* ;-)

Okies, to make everyone around RILLY jealous, I gotta tell we've just offered ourselves the expensive and long version (30 minutes more)of The Lord of the Rings!
4 CDs of goooodies, that will be purrrfect to keep us awake during night's milk cessions!

hehe

PS: so, you're jealous now, right?!!!!

I've just had news from my ex-colleagues :-))
Nobody has found a job since Elite Marine's chaos! Nobody except the boss !!!!!
How unfair!

Most of them are about 50, 60 years-old, which is young yup, but apparently much too old for active companies!
Gawd, I hope the situation for them gonna change soon.

And if I win lottery (25 000 000 euros next week!!! wooohooooooo!), I create my own company and give a job to all of dem!
RoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaRRRRRR

When Lola will do her first *Paris-New york* (when she'll sleep about 6, 7 hours non stop), I swear I'll offer champ' to Martin and twice more milk to the buDerfly!

Sometimes I get emails from people visiting my Elfwood gallerie, and yesterday I got one from a student (in Art) in Russia..
He's working on a quite intesresting topic this year, Fantasy and Cubism. He thought that was exactly what I do in my paintings (probably because of my backgrounds looking like painted glass) and kindly asked me to explain him the relation between these 2 themes in my paintings.
hehehe

Well, I explained him as much as I could (though I did not really feel concerned by this association)... Of course I did not mention that to me cubism means nothing more than a clever word to talk of cubes :P

Wooooo... time's running!
A month ago at this very hour (18.24), I was surrounded by weird creatures dressed in green.
Yup, Lola is 1 month old!
I'm not yet a *relaxed* mom and feel Lola gonna teach me a loooooooooot. The Mamarathon goes on ! :P

Have I ever mentioned that *Gwen la zen* (as my sister calls herself online) is working for an association that organizes boat races?
They will participate to the next Paris boat show (first time in 12 years -yup I started at 16- I won't work there! I'll only visit people I know there and have probably a cocktail or 2 :P.... what a relief!!!)... and during the show, this association organizes a "nautical night" for boat racers. I'm working right now on a painting that might be used to make the invitations for this event.
The kind of biz that suits me, hey :-)

Waaaa... I'm completly broken, but Lola is doing well :-)))
I'm just back from hospital where Lola had o be sent for an urgent check-up. We spent 3 hours in the emergency service, I stressing as you would nebber imagine when doctors started to tell me about a small operation, and Lola crying all the tears she had.
Lola having some digestion problems, we had to check very quickly that it was not serious. And it was not finally, thank Gawd.
Okies, I can barely open the eyes and Lola gotta be fed in 3 hours so that will be all with Gully for today.

Hurrrray for tomorrow as a much calmer and lazier day ;-)

Do you remember Gandalf from LOTR ?


I've discovered the website of Ian McKellen who played Gandalf :-)
His website is brilliant, with a journal of his own when he was working in LOTR. It's really fun to have his views about the movie, it's way beder than any critic!

Here are some examples of what he wrote:

Hobbiton looks itself, settled-in and cosy...The village has weathered nicely since it was built a year back.
.......
When I, as Gandalf, meet Bilbo or Frodo at home, I bump my head on the rafters. (Tolkien didn't think to mention it!)
.......
Members of the Fellowship et al were supported by a stunt team of horsemen and opposed by the masked forces of the Kiwi military, earning an extra bit of cash as a horrible-looking army. It must have made a welcome change from testing bombs!
.......
I sat behind Peter Jackson huddled over a monitor showing the footage of Sam and Frodo in their rowboat. As the majestic Fellowship theme soared over the pictures and a plaintive flute and drums enchanted the ear, I heard and saw the first moment of completed film. Trust me: it is magnificent!
.......
Whilst Saruman and I were facing off once more, I asked Dan Hennah (art director) if I could one day take home a couple of the fake-metal lizards which served as door handles in Orthanc. He smiled quizzically as he often does and as I left for Wellington Airport last week, Peter and Fran presented me with a hefty wooden box containing the lizards, which are now settled in at their new home in London
.......
I also have a sizeable collection of prototypes for merchandising curiosities, which have been sent on approval. My favourite, although I don't eat meat, is Burger King's goblet with a convincing likeness of Gandalf in cameo relief on its bowl. Perhaps this should only be available for consumers of veggieburgers!
.......
We met up first at the downtown cinema where we were to be shown, ahead of the distributors and selected media, the first completed footage from the trilogy.
I sat near the back, next to Saruman and Mrs Lee, with Frodo in front of me.
With relief and some excitement I can report that Peter Jackson's images not only look convincing they look stunning -- like an Alan Lee picture book come to life. That goes for all the actors' performances and the non-actors too, now I've seen the cave troll and Balrog deep in the Moria mines. The Moria extract ended with Gandalf's "You shall not pass!" followed by some tempting bits from the second and third films. We shamelessly applauded ourselves. The Hobbit actors whooped. And Elijah asked to see it all over again.

Have you heard about Dead Can Dance ?
I've realized we had 2 CDs from them and I've just really discovered them!

It's hard to convince people to try to listen at a band ... I'm personnally nebbbber convinced enough by some hysterical "waaa, this band is fantastic, you gotta, you MUST listen at dem!!!!"
hehe

But then, if you have the opportunity to listen at these 2 albums (Martin tells me there are many others even beder!), The Serpent's egg and Spleen and Ideal, oh do it, yup :-)))

I don't know how to describe them really. Originally they were into Gothic, but their music is much more diversified. I've heard critics telling their music was "spiritual", in the very basic way (not in the posh way, that is).
I dunno. It's very unique, the kind of music you enjoy listening when having candles around and when the air smells like spices. that's all I can say :P

**¨¨~~^^** * * *

And here's a lil something to add to my cats gallery :-)))
They call it Godzilla ;-)

It's been ages I've not posted anything about George w. ... I could not resist this one (g)

During the day, Lola asks for milk every 2 hours. If I'm lucky, she falls asleep between 2 rounds ;-)
Then I rush to do as much possible -while keeping an eye on her- : .... preparing her meds, doing all what the flat requires, painting for 2 minutes, taking care of the papers, putting Lola in her "babybjorn" (which makes me a mamakangaroo) and running for boring shopping, answering the DHN (g), etc., etc.

She'll have her bath at about 8, 9.00 pm. Always hoping she'll be more tired for the night after it. Lola loves water but hates the ceremony of the bath.
If not more tired, she gets more nervous after it.
Damn.

Then she gets milk just before going to bed at about 10.00 pm. Earlier would be a mistake (s).
She wakes me up at about 1.00 am. Diapper cession then milk again.
It's now about 2.30; she's finally sleeping again (hurrrray!).

It's about 4.30, I don't feel I've slept at all, unlike Lola who *sounds* in great shape.
Diapper then milk.
5.30, I carefully bring my sleeping beaudy back to her bed.
The clock will ring in 1 hour now.
Eeeeeeck.
I already think about my rush to the shower before Lola starts her day :-)

To me, that looks a looooot like a *mamarathon* :P

Yeeeehoooo!!! In just more than 2 weeks (after the birth), I've lost all the weight (10 kg) I had got during the pregnancy!
Well, dat's kewl, I'm ready to make tens of bros and sis for Lola :P

Less than 2 weeks now before the *looooong* version of The Lord of the Rings is available!!!
(dancing around while asking myself how I can find a guuud price for it!)

For a time I've felt uncomfortable with my decision for the coming year to be first a "mom" and a "housewife" before a "worker".
Actually working is much more popular than staying at home to take care of the family.
That is so unfair!
I realise it's probably as difficult to be a *housewife* than doing whatever job. At home, your "working" day neber really stops. From home you gotta make twice more efforts to keep socially active. You don't earn money and get an image often in opposition with the concepts of "active woman", "liberated woman", etc.

I feel courageous to have taken that decision. Yup :P

Martin's starting his new job tomorrow!
I hope I'll manage to make his weeks easy (not waking him up in the night when I take care of Lola, etc).. The job will be very interesting and will require a lot of work.
I'm seriously decided to make Martin's life at home a lil paradise. That will make a good balance :-)))**~~* * ** *

When the night is falling, my stress is rising.
How will be the coming night?
Will Lola get alright?
Will she sleep enough, will I manage to sleep?
Will I be a guud mom and take enough time to calm Lola whenever she'll need it?

When the night is falling, the world around is getting quiet. But not in here. Your baby and yourself gotta cope with this silence around.
It is strange :-)

First rush to the pediatrician (is it the right word in English?)...

On Friday, Lola spent her time vomitting (with me as a favourite target) all the milk she could drink. After a few hours, we started to get upset. Was she ill? Was my milk not good anymore? etc, etc.
These lil jewls are so tiny and look so fragile (specially when it's your first one) that you just can't keep zen when something goes wrong or unusual.

The doc did a good job = she reassured us, the stressed parents ;-)
She gave us a med to ease Lola's digestion and told us to come back in the weekend if Lola was vomitting again.

Lola is going beder I think: she's been crying and eating the whole weekend! Not bad, hey :-)) hehe

What a unique feeling to breast feed one's baby!
I first found it very stressing because you feel your baby's life finally depends on ... your breast!
Water, food, all come from this *magic* milk.
In the first days I was panicking because you gotta wait 2, 3 days before getting any milk. Will have I any milk? Will my milk be guud enough? How can my milk be enough to help Lola to grow!!?

Now I already feel like an expert in breast's milk (g)... I even *nooooe* when the milk is *boiling*. Ok, it's easy : when you feel literally like iron under the skin of your breast, then you know it's full!
A real genetic mutation. That's fascinating.
Your body answering the basic needs of your baby. The feeling that your baby is made of .. milk, your milk. If that is not magic, hey.... (s)

And the cherry on the cake... the face of your baby once he/she's fed, falling asleep on your breast, with a lil static smile, a red face, and eyes slowly rolling.... Yup, your baby is then completly drunk. I love it **~~* * *^^* *

Babies are easy, nothing to compare with teenagers.... ha!

(s)

I'm sure that is true, but right now we're in the process of helping Lola to make a difference between day and night... and dat's haaaard!
I think she can make the difference, but of course (g) not in the right way. She sleeps a loooot during the day and during the night, she wakes up at 12.00, then about 2.00, then about 5.00... and then she does not want to sleep anymore...
Each time I wake up of course and get ready for the diappers cession, then the milky cession (breast feeding); she eats a lot, then throw back half of it, then is hungry again, then starts to get asleep on my breast, then wakes up when I change her position in my arms, and finally cries for long minutes....till I realize she wanna eat again, or till she finally really falls asleep.
Waaaaaa

And besides that, I wake up each time I hear her breathing, coughing, moving. Martin does not know how I manage to "hear" her that much, he tells it must be in the *maman genes* ;-)

So, Lola is learning about night and day, and I'm learning about getting used to micro-nights (I'm sure Penny can gimme advice about it ;-)

Haaaa, finally back to the guud ol' bloggies!

But it's not the same, it can't be the same as I come back as a maman now :-)))))

Lola is born last week, on Wednesday, the 9th.
9 is really a number that counts for us, we married on a 9 ! ;-)

We arrived at the clinic a bit before 8.00 am, very excited and a bit upset about the day which was starting.
I thought I would receive some injections and would be free to go for a breakfast, etc, while the labour would slowly starts.

But nenene, at 8.00 I was asked to put a nightdress and to install myself in one of the birthrooms.
The day would be long, I would not have imagined that. I expected it would be done in a few hours.
I even thought that with the med, the labour would be complete at the end of the morning.

But it turned to be very slow. The lil Mermaid had somehow decided it was warm and comfortable enough to stay a few more days!
I had so little contractions that I started to feel baaaad to force Lola to go out that way!
hehe

We spent a relaxed morning in the birth room, laughing when thinking of the family which was certainly dying to have news!
Then it started to get long. Every hour, the gyno and others came to checks how ready we were.
But we were not!

Finally at 6.00, they decided to help Lola to come, even if the labour was not complete (I think the gyno wanted it to be done before he went back home...)

First the gyno with his forceps, then a few organized "cuts", 2 nurses coming to talk to me, to guide me, then a big guy with his arm pressing on my belly while I started to push, Martin holding my head, helping me, worrying a lot for me.
In 15 (tough) minutes, it was done.

Lola was here, instantly crying on my breast. Impossible to describe the feelings and emotions.
The only word that comes to my mind is "intense" ...**~~* * *~~* *

Just a minute later, Martin goes with Lola in another room for the first "checkings", while I'm being sewed. Glad I could not feel anything, I was just so tired and very cold.
Then Martin comes back with Lola and we wait for 2 hours in the birth room (they don't let you go before).

After 2 hours, they tell us there is no more rooms for us in the "Maternity service" !!!
They tell me we have no other choice than spending the night in a special room with other people that have been operated (just near the surgery rooms)...
They refuse that Lola spends her first night with me to not disturb the others in the room.

Martin starts to get mad at the fooking nurses, and I cry, I feel the pain coming back, and I don't want to be separated from my baby!!!
Lola would spend her first night in a big emergency room for new born babies who need reanimation....
When I saw her there, sleeping like an angel though (s), I cried more, I refused to leave her there!

Finally, the pain "helping", I was forced to get back to my bed.
I asked Martin to go and have some rest, telling him everything would be fine for me (which he did not believe at the moment, rilly).
I hardly slept during this first night, and when in the morning Lola was brought to me and then Martin joined us, I felt the happiest!

After 2 days, I finally got my own room, I discovered the first moments of real intimacy, and it was then that, holding my baby and Martin, I realized what a beauDiful lil family I had **~~* *^^* * *

Well.... hehe...

hmm...

Next time I'll be posting a blog, I'll be a Mom (s)

I did not want to talk about it before *THE* right moment comes. Last weekend, it has been decided that on the 9th of October at 8.00 am, I'll be at the clinic for doctors to provoke the birth process!!!
Because all the conditions are here so that the birth goes really well, the gyno thought it's the right moment.

I agree with him, it's high time for the mermaid to come. I'm more exhausted than yesterday and I need a *change* ;-)

I'm excited and stressed, from the moment I arrive at the clinic to the birth itself, it shall take hours.
I fear injections and blood right now, I fear I won't know how to do, but "everything will be fine". Yes :-)))

I look at my belly and I just can't realize tomorrow this time there will be a buDerfly ON this belly. It's magical. The Big Adventure.

Wish me guuuuud luck hey ;-)

I'm feeling so tired today, I don't sleep well since weeks and now I physically get the consequences of that.
Plus I guess the hormones in the last weeks of a pregnancy do not help :)
But it's a monday and then who really feels in great shape on such a day ;-)

I just wanna feel as much ready as Rocky on his ring when I'll rush to the clinic (g)

For now I'm getting so pale-ish ("inside and outside") that I'd better try to sleep for a couple of hours. I bet I can wake up as strong as Conan, without the muscles and the big voice, huh!

So yesterday I hear Saddam wanna challenge George w. to a duel "to avoid war"... how good from ol' Saddam
LOL
I find the idea ridiculously funny though!

And now I hear the Cicciolina offers herself to Saddam in exchange of a "Universal Peace" !
hehehe

Mel Brooks would not find a beder script to start a movie about Irak ;-)

Yeeeeepeeeeeee, with the help of my Techie Guru, here's my new personnal webpage!
Much more simple, more pleasant, and... tada....free from any capitalist pressure (laffin).... I mean...without advertisment!!!
(happy sigh)

Next step is finishing the professionnal webpage... But that is mostly in the hands of my Techie Guru (a real complex programming system!), I'm only there to tell what I want and what I don't want, specially about the graphics :)

If UK had its earthquake, now Paris has just had its own too!!
(And Martin is telling it's the fault of Jack's ladder :P)

This morning, the unbelievable happened! Yes, in 10 secondes I felt the sky was falling on my head!

Last month, we had spent days building 4 looong shelves (more than 4 meters long) for our corridor here.
The result was brilliant! We had put tons of books, bottles of whatever, statues, mirrors, etc.... The probbie must have been this 'etc'.
The 4 shelves, completly full, fell this morning. Each was seriously fixed to the wall.
In a minute, I thought the wall had fallen and the floor too

Most of the sculptures I've done are now into pieces, books look tortured, and as everything is under the heavy shelves, I don't know yet the extend of this little nightmare!

Glad nobody was walking there, it's been so quick!

hehe, huuuuuu... we live dangerously, hey ;-)

This morning I went to "La Maison des Artistes", a cultural center which gives advice to Artists.

I had to go there in a way or the other before the birth.
I'm dead now, I've not done that much in 5 months!! (laughing)

Anyway, I got the answer I wanted!
I can sell "freely" my own paintings and own reproductions as long as I register as "Artiste Independant".
Yeeeepeeeeeee
I will only have to declare on my taxes "declaration" and to the house of artists for how much I've sold for this year.
That's so kewl!!!!

It's the real beginning now :-))))

Funny how situations can suddenly change.
Two days ago, we worried for our jobs, and now Martin is wanted by two companies!

Yup, yesterday evening, Martin went to this other rendez-vous (which lasted 2 hours), and met the techie manager of a startup which is making excellent biz since a year.
After 2 hours, the techie manager agreed with Martin's conditions and insisted that Martin's profile suit them really well.
Martin said he had another offer and that he'll have to take a decision very quickly.

The man got the message, 'cause today Martin had 2 calls from the manager of this startup and another techie guy for 2 rendez-vous!
It sounds that this company is rilly interested in Martin.

So now, Martin has the choice!
How unusual it feels!
Martin will have to be diplomatic enough with both to know exactly which company would be the best. How weird -and kewl!