Next movie, please?

Between 2 RPG (on the PS2) that take weeks and burn a few neurones, we hurry to watch all the movies we've missed in the past months and years (I just can't remember what a cinema looks like anymore ;-)

Here are the last ones we've watched, the favorite in first position (damn, how logical I am! :P)

1.Kill Bill part 2 is definatly the very best one among this list. All what I luuuve in cinema can be found in it. Kill Bill 1&2 comes very close to *the good, the bad and the ugly* which makes my heart beat ohh very fast :)

2.Okies, only Metallica's fans will enjoy it I guess. It was very interesting to see how the band almost exploded from inside. I've discovered a Kirk I would not have imagined (happy sigh**~~~*^* *)

3.The topic is very original, the actors great. It's been years I wanted to watch it and I haven't been disappointed. Not a cult movie, but good one.

4.Already talked of it. I spent an excellent moment hiding under my cover and jumping on Martin!

5.Not as bad at all as I had heard. Details in it make the beauDy of that movie.

6.Tom Cruise as a baddie is kewl, he should do it more often. Not my type of movie though but better than I expected it to be!

In 6 words: I haven't wasted my time!
Only good movies and a couple of excellent ones.

What would you recomment next (in dvd only though)? I need inspiration!

Just in case...

...Penny jumps from the skies around here, you can land about where the lil red cross is.. we'll be there to welcome you :P

Reaching the clouds, getting high!

On Saturday we had the visit of Christine (on the right below), Martin's cousin, and one of her friends from Hamburg.
Too bad you can't see me between the 2 of them, you'd see how French (short) I am and how German (tall!) they are :P


click here

We had a great time, having lunch in the quartier Latin and experiencing a unique view from the balloon that has been installed in a parc near our flat.
It was the opportunity to do it, as much as walking through Paris as fascinating tourists. Just because we never do it anymore, it felt wonderful.

Anyway, this balloon was something! Lola wasn't scared at all and we enjoyed a view we won't forget!
It reached about 150m, like the second floor of the eiffel tower, but the sensations and the view were simply much much beDer.


click here


click here


click here

I was really suprised by the extended view. In my mind, Paris was a bit smaller, I did not remember it this way.

Now I would love to experience real trips in balloons, I would love that! Following the winds, exploring a kind of new dimension...
There are a lot of balloons (montgolfier in English?) in Bretagne, but the trips are fookin expensive. Sigh.

I put it nonetheless on my list of what-I-absobloodilutely-have-to-do-before-my-90s ;-)

Into my 4th month, curves getting definatly rounder :)

My belly is 15th week, now :-)
After some kind of tiring Friday (Martin came back late from work, at about 9.00 pm... I just fell asleep as soon as he could take care of Lola).. I had a fine weekend, a very ACTIVE type of weekend! No nap, nothing lazy really!
I could play the tourist, go to play footie with Lola and Martin, I could paint and put many old books for sale, etc etc.. and I still feel ok!

The *mini-one* should be now 16cm for a weight of 135 grammes :-)
He/she can now to hear my heart, stomach, and voice... probably martin and lola's voices too since they keep coming to talk to my belly! :)
He also have some hair now and very small hairs on the body that will keep his temperature high enough (these lil hairs will "go away" before the birth)...
Gawd, I can't believe it's being so active and well organized inside my body! **~~^^* ^*

In the books they say "use the high energy you get now to prepare the bedroom for your baby, later you won't be as mobile".. lol, I find that scary enough. Anyway, the bedroom will consist in a foldable baby bed installed about where there will be space! I wasn't to prepare anything like that before the 8th month anyway!

Marie aka Totoï

Okies, I'm going to switch into Frawnch just for a minute to welcome an ol' friend of mine :)

Bon, ma p'tite Marie, j'espère que tu as réussi à trouver mon blog, je pense que tu n'avais que l'adresse de mon site jusque là... et les deux sont vraiment différents!
Je te laisse découvrir tout ça, reviens ici quand tu veux et laisse des commentaires quand ça t'inspire :P
Ton coup de fil m'a fait super plaisir hiers. Vivement qu'on trinque ensemble next week!

*May* I kiss you?

Did you know (and say "noooooo", puleaaase ;-) that the origin of the month name May probably comes from Maiesta, the Roman goddess of honor and reverence? Yeahh you always come to learn something with the holy web ;-)

May has just started in the sweetest way for me with Martin cooking wonderfully, and with a shrimpette coming back home with a kiss and flowers... Somehow, life can be rilly BeauDiful**~~*^* *

bewitched, be water witch!

I'm stressing a bit, starting a whole new series of paintings about witches. Water witches.
I've decided to be free to try something else than my cartoonish style for a while (but I luuuve my cartoonish style, I'm not spitting on it at all!)... And I think I'll make the whole series this way, with a lot of water around :P

Well, you can still recognize the Candles' style I think ;-)

Trying new styles with drawings or paintings is always something. I guess it's the same with music or anything related to creation. Keeping habits, keeping doing what you know is comfortable. It's time I replace comfort by pleasure :P


a witch at the royal court

New Life (wasn't it a DM song?)

I just had to metion it today. Jack is about to close his photos' shop tomorrow.

I am not aware of all the reasons that killed his biz, but I think it's been one of the victim of high tech and internet. Do we go to get photo prints anymore? I do it maybe once a year now. And I select just a very few photos...

I guess there's a book to be made about all the biz that are going to disappear because of the same reasons..

Anyway, Jack is about to start a new life. I wish him the very best and will follow carefully what's going to happen in the next months. It's going to be exciting, I can feel it!

I'll cross my bits tighter so that he can make money from what he loves: photography and writing.

Cheers! (not fun to make a toast with sparkling water but... the intention is here, rilly! :-)

Another kilo of strawberries, puulease!

Et voilà, the first big part of tests I had to do for my pregnancy is over! Yeeepeeeeeeee
Yesterday I went back to the hospital for the blood test called here the *tritest*, a test that shall tell if there are high risks of trisomy 21 or not.
If I don't hear from the hospital in the next 2 weeks, then it means all is fine.

Good it's done!
Phewww:)

The atmopshere in the hospital was kinda special, very quiet, with much sun coming from the windows around. Pregnant women everywhere, walking slowly, caressing there belly, whispering rather than really talking.
Put clouds around and add some Loreena Mc Kennitt's music, then it would have been a Paradise's hidden corner, the place where babies are made ;-)

**~~*^* *

Now I'm in my 14th week and I do feel much much beDer than before!
And "before" was kinda horrible!
I'm not yet feeling like a preggie wonderwoman, but but... I can feel in my waters that soon I'll be like on top of the world again!
(dancing around!)

It's strange, the baby should be about 14 cm now... 14!!! And since the nasty symptoms have disappeared, I feel less "pregnant" than a few weeks ago. Thank gawd my shrinking trousers always remind it to me (s)

Woaaa the sun is shining hard outside, I'm off with the shrimpette to smell honey around the trees!

Trembling in my boots just thinking of it

Wanna scuba diving? Yeah? Well that will be without me!

The other day we finally watched Open Water (don't miss the trailer here :P).
Like many people, I love to be confronted with my biggest fears in movies. Why do we like that? I dunno... Maybe to feel lucky we're not there! lol

Anyway, this movie can't be compared with Jaws (which I could watch another hundred times!). It's much much more realistic. The story of a couple of divers who are on holidays. One day, they go with others tourists to observ corail. So far, it's fine. But, oh noooooo, their boat leaves and forget them!
The movie will focus on the terrifying hours spent in the middle of an infested sea...



The scariest part was maybe after the movie. Because you can't help thinking and thinking again about the feelings of the 2 divers during all this time. I'll nebber ebber scuba dive, I swear it! (spitting far)

I guess sharks are my biggest fear, it's not a real scoop. They've always been. I've been swimming in the middle of the sea, but being at 10 meters from the shore has the same effect. I can't help wondering what horrible creature is coming to me.
I saw 2 sharks once (but then I was on the boat...huuuu), it was not far at all from Bretagne, on the British south coast, not far from Penzance.

brrrrrr

So when I read a piece of news like this one:
"CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- A surfer fought off a two-meter (7-foot) shark with his board at an Australian beach Saturday -- then continued surfing, a life guard said."
... I think some guys and I do not live on the same planet! lol

If you wanna frighten me one day (but I warn you, that will be risky! You know how hysteric people can be, huh? :P), you can always try it with 1)sharks, 2)snakes or birds or toads, 3)rats.
You've no chance with spiders though, phewwww!
(see I'm 5% of a country girl, could be worse!)

Lola the eldest

When I got preggie, we wondered how Lola would take it.
It isn't easy I guess to learn one day you're not the *baby* of the family anymore, that you are not the only center of *love*, that you've to share your moma and popa.

At the beginning, we thought we'd wait to be sure there won't be a miscarriage or any other problem.
But even being careful to not mention it, Lola understood by herself everything very very quickly.

We realized it when she started having nightmares, screaming "baby, noo!", then she started to ask to see on my belly all the time.
That was kinda usual!

So a few weeks ago, following the advice of some of ewws around here I told her simply there was a baby in my belly.
And that was it. No question, no crisis, just a desire for her to tell people around that there was a very small baby in her mama's belly :-))**~~*^* *

Now she starts to talk to the baby (like "hello baby", "how are you baby?") via my belly button :) hehe... very *mimi*. She also believes that the baby will come out via the belly button, which is practical for us. We just happily nodd and that's it!

Anyway, we were completly wrong about the way Lola would finally take it! A mini-goil full of suprises**~~*^* *


click here

What you won't see next summer

With my bawdy shape getting elastic at the moment, changing, getting more round than anything else, I just had to play with the tool I've just discovered on Angel's blog, who found it actually (rendons à Cesar ce qui appartient à Cesar ;-) on Del4yo's blog!



hehe, this looks much better than the real me! But nebbermind, the whale-to-come (=me in summertime) will sleep beDer knowing how I really look ;-)

(all that to make ewwws try that link above, I wanna see your virtual bawdies! :P)

Triskelion

As promised to Penny, here's my *echo* to the tattoo she gonna get by the end of the year!

From all what I've read, Penny gets the best explanation of the meaning of the triskelion! (yup m'am, I confirm it!)

As for the little story behind all this, Martin offered me this beauDiful ring a few weeks ago as a "pregnancy ring", yup yup! With the purrfect triskelion on it :-)**~~*^* *

Full moon and little crowns

I don't think we'll see much of the full moon from paris tonight... And actually it's not such a probbie since I also my own full moon (putting my hand on my moon-ish tummy ;-).
But anyway, I found in my stock a water colour painting to celebrate it again. It's one of the painting that gonna be part of a "witch" cycle. It's a bit cruel according to Martin (ermm, well, I reckon he might be right :P), but I forgot to tell him the frogs were in plastic (phewww).


The end of Monarchy (click here)

Third book and a proud smile

I've just received my copies of Herman ou la merveilleuse histoire d'un petit garçon surdoué (Herman or the wonderful story of an exceptionnally gifted little boy)!



I would have never believed Herman would have led me here: 3 books published so far... This sounds very kewl.

This time Herman is exceptionnally gifted: he has troubles accepting this difference that makes his parents so proud but himself so lonely.

Next book is already written and the illustrations have been done since a few weeks now. I still have the cover to prepare and "small illlustrations for the text pages" to do... should be done before the end of next week.

Expected reward

Before the end of the week I'll be paid for the books we sold in 2004!!!
Finally!!!!
Yeeeeepeeeeeeeeeeeee!
First time I gonna be paid for my children books' illustrations! It's not much if you consider the time I spent on them but I'm happpyyyyyyyy**~~*^* *
It feels guuuud, and it's motivating!
With what I'll get I can buy about hmmm 7 pairs of beauDiful shoes (which I won't do, lol!)
(happy sigh)

Shrinking trousers

My first visit to Necker hospital was really fine.
Four different persons took care of me, explaining me everything, taking measures, etc. I accepted that a student make the *female bits* exams, they've to learn after all (and I'm used to that, I had students checking what was necessary all the time for my first pregnancy).

I go back there next week for the Trisomy 21 test. You're not forced here to make this test, but I don't see why people wouldn't want to know if there's a problem..

Anyway, after spending 2 hours there, I left, happy, for Monparnasse and its shops.
I was already tired and it was a bit cold but it was so pleasant to have this time for meself without having to run**~~*^* *

I was looking for a pair of jeans for preggie women (and me unreasonnable creature, for a pair of shoes too).
My jeans are still ok, if you consider that "ok" in a very tight way :P
But they're not comfortable enough anymore I feel. (SIGH)

So I tried elephant type stuff, way too big each time. Which was kinda reassuring, but also very boring!
I guess I'll stick to my ol' jeans for the moment, wearing them in the "open way" (how sexy!) (SIGH)
I haven't found shoes either, a relief for my credit card ;-)

I came back to take Lola with a few bags full of clothes for her. That I can never resist! Almost worst than shoes!


not really longing to wear these!!! (OMG! but look at these shoes, they're even worse!)

Vibes from within

Yesterday I heard my mini-one's heart beating. It had much more effect than the ultrasound images the other day.
I asked dem if they were sure it was not my stomach making noise.
I did not hear their answer, I was already far far away **~~*^* * *

Necker

Tomorrow morning, very VERY early, I have my first rendez-vous at the Necker Hospital, 10 minutes from here by bus.

Once there, the main point is to not get lost in the corridors (it is so big! I already got lost there once with Lola!).

I'm glad to be there, it couldn't have been better (at least I hope!): this hospital is a specialized one for children and risky pregnancies.

I'm a bit tired though of all the rendez-vous and tests to be done.
Hmm, well, I guess I would get a rendez-vous everyday if it was required for the mini-one ;-) **~~*^* *

Benoit and Benoit

Some Benoit sound and look much sweeter and nicer than others! hehe
But I guess the first one wouldn't have taken with much pleasure the job of the second one! (and vice-versa probably ;-)

Anyway, that won't change my life at all, but the pope has definatly much influence over the world soooo... I'm disappointed that this new religious leader sticks to the rigid image we get of it.
(SIGH)
I'm not inspired at all by this choice.

And I (who believe in miracles) still hope one day there will be a leader that will have the face of generosity like this one:


soeur Emmanuelle

I don't get it

...honestly I would have never thought that so many people here are ready to vote against the European Constitution!
I think it's something like the English in dem who is talking here because I don't see any other reason (s)

Do people fear something with that fookin constitution? I wonder. Fears, something well used by extreme parties (sigh).
Even if many points are not present in that constitution, it is simply in the process of building Europe, that's the way I see it.

And when I see which political leaders are promoting the "no" to the constitution, I find it most worrying!

Anyway. It seems for once people will vote, that gonna be a change. At least something positive ;-)


click here

My name is Jean-Pierre, Jean-Pierre Moulin

The other day, they put a paper on our door telling: we proudly inform you that an episode of le Commissaire Moulin will be filmed in a couple of days in your street. We kindly ask you to park your cars in another part of the arrondissement".

I gotta say "kindly" means here you won't have choice anyway, cops will take your car off if you don't move it.

The 15th arrondissement is a real nightmare at the moment when it comes to parking cars...
It took us 1.30 to park yesterday. Oh thank you, Moulin!

Okies, I would have parked my car outside Paris if it had been for the eyes of ol' Nicholson or Clint, or young Viggo (with his beard only!).

But for Jean-Pierre Moulin, they're kidding or what!

12th week, 12 candies to celebrate

Starting today my 12th week being preggie (yeahhhh!)

What do they say?
-the mini-one takes much weight from a week to another. His/her weight should be now 45 grammes and he/she should be 10 cm long from head to feet.
-if the mini-one is a *he* then he should now be equiped :P
-the mini-one can fold the arms and turn the hands. His/her face can now move and he can frown! lol :)

And I say... That all the symptoms that I've had since the first weeks are still here, 3 months later!... Except maybe my trawler, because appetite is back!
I'm having my everyday dose of vitamines but I don't feel they change anything, I feel fookin tired. I hope thiswill change soon!
As for my belly, it's still the same, it's just my trousers that have seriously shrunk lately!!! (s)

Been cooking the whole day...!

... to prepare a lil something that should give much inspiration to someone who soon gonna cross the ocean to check the eiffel tower is still around :P

Yeepeeeeeee!

A toast for high tech!

We've just learnt we can get a high speed internet connexion in our old-far-country-ish corner of Bretagne!
What a surprise, once there I thought I'd have to get back to the stone-age-modem... Connecting meself only once a day, writing all my emails on .txt before sending them as fast as possible, shouting all the time after the low speed, being cut from the modern world, you know? :P

But that won't happen! Nenene!

That's a fookin guud piece of news! (no, I'm not a www.addict! ;-)

Now I've told to Martin once "I won't move there before we have a dsl connexion!" (being sure it would give me a few comfortable years ;-)
... Will he remember that?
(packing the luggage already)

Phewwwww..

I'm sorry to have shared my stress in here, I usually never do it!
Got my toxo's results, they're fine. They found I must have had a toxo just before getting preggie, that's why they were not sure the first time.
I have to do other tests about toxo in a month or so, but just a usual checking.

I feel like making a trip on Pluto right now. Merde alors, I'm happy :)

Toxo

I knew my blood results for toxoplasmosis were strange!
When I saw my gyno this morning, she could not believe the lab had put "result uncertain" as a conclusion.

Wether it's "positive" or "negative"!
My gyno sent me directly in emergency to make new tests in the toxo and trisomy 21 specialized laboratory.

And there I was, with Lola on my back, running to make this new test.

SIGH

I hope to get the results before the end of the week.
It bothers me that this comes so late in my pregnancy (I was ready to anything for the 2 first months, now I've seen my baby and all... It's not the same)

So that you "don't die stoopid" as we say (lol), toxo can be transmitted by cats and raw meat. Both are part of my routine, huh.

Sooo, what happens then if I get it? I don't know much yet... except this brings a huge risk for brain and heart damage for the baby.

But, don't worry, as long as I do not have the results, I really can't tell much.
It is probably a useless stress, everything will be fine :-))) ... we'll see, I just have to be patient... again!!!

Arggg

Time for a nap, I'm dead after crossing Paris this way in such a lil time!


PS: I'm not supersticious BUT....it's the 13th today and... I've walked under 2 ladders in less than 5 minutes (I never ever do that usually)! Grmmppphhh :P

RainbowPope

It's not because everybody has got a kind of Pop'overdose that I'm not going to talk about it!
I was just thinking that I would find it kewl if the *holy spirit* could inspired the gang so that they chose a black pope.

Too politically correct? Shhhh... It would just be fair and would correspond to the kind of religion I believe in. Not a religion for some whitish elite. A black woman would be purrrfect, but then miracles do not happen everyday!

Of course, make that black pope open-minded, close to people's problems and you'll make my day.

Ermm actually....
... make him green, pink or rainbowish, nevermind, he simply has to be open-minded and understanding and generous.
Amen ;-)

Girls...make them talk about religion and they focus on colours!
(shrugging)

SupaUltrasound

(jumping onto the sofa, relieved)
Phewwwwwwwww!
We've just got the first ultrasound test for the baby! Yeahhhhh! And all went well, the measures, everything went ok. The (over) caustious doc insisted that it was fine so far. Grmmphhhh! Diplomacy and doctors...

Anyway, we saw the lil angelo's fingers, feet, nose, legs, etc! All was there! (re-phewwwww!)
His/her size is absobloodilutely normal : 6 cm ... and I still wonder how the doc could measure anything because it was moving fast and a loooot!

It feels really good to have *seen* it, this way I can now really *feel* it **~~*^* *^^~~~^

After the biz, time for the bises

(sowwwy, je sais c'est nul!)

After busy days of hard work (yup, I just don't spend ALL my time sleeping ;-), I expect some deserved results!

I expect 20 copies of my new book. The publishing house has to hurry, I can't wait...

I've almost finished re-working and re-checking my tale script. The illustrations are done. Now I have to mix all that together to send it to publishing houses! I'll show you extracts of it very soon :)

All that means soon I'll have time to make new paintings, I miss it!

And, hm, Martin, who's also my webish guru, and I have almost finished my new painting website. I give it 2 weeks and it's online! yeeepeeee!!!

Oh, and the cherry on the cake, I expect some painting order in the next days:)

Typing so much about work makes me.... yawwwwwwnnn.... Time for a nap now!

Running after time ...and naps!

Gawd, if you only knew how I spent my weekend (yawning)... I've slept half of it!
And tonight I'm rushing to finish a pdf catalogue for a possible customer. Almost midnight and I'm... dead! lol

I feel a bit baaaaad for Martin who already has much more to do than usual... But well, my body's working fookin hard at the moment to make room for my lil guest ;-)
Talking of room, that's worrying, I inflate like a lil whale! It did not happen this way the first time! Oh nenene!

My belly was flat till the 4th month! And right now I'm only starting the 3rd one!
Soon I'll stop anyone around with a camera to come near me! (they'll be scared anyway :P)





(supa ticker found thanks to miss Etolane)

Music for the eyes, but not only

While looking for some lost cds yesterday, I realized I had many movies' soundtracks. I'm a big fan of the music that comes with beauDiful images. Music is the essential touch that will give strength, poetry and emotion to images.

At the moment (but it changes really often), my top 10 soundtracks would be..

1.The Virgin Suicides
2.Barry Lyndon
3.The Crow, city of Angels (never saw the movie though, lol)
4.Dune
5.LOTR 1 & 2
6.Once more with feeling
7.Clockwork Orange
8.The Piano
9.Kill Bill 1
10.Labyrinth



And then you have... Once upon the time in the west, The good the bad the ugly, Nightmare before Xmas, Star Wars' imperial march (the only thing I like from the series :P), M.A.S.H's main theme, Car Wash, Shaft, Hair, Tommy (dunno if the Who made the album before the movie though, sorry :P), etc etc..

Just naming all of them makes me wanna jump into some purple sofa and start with a *musical nap* ;-)

I give my personnal award to Ennio Morricone and Danny Elfman because they have created real inspiring worlds for my imagination! :)

Camcorder de mon coeur

Haaaa you know what? Patience is something of high value! See, we've spent months selling books (I never keep a book I do not LUUUVE) and DVDs (thank you *Babylon 5*, we made about 200 euros with ewww!) and PS games!

We waited till we got enough money (we make good biz on Priceminister, -and this is not advertisement! lol-)to get a camcorder... this one:



(jumping around)
We ordered it in Germany and hope to get it soooooon!
Of course it's more like an expensive toy than anything else!
But...

You know that we are living in a material world
And I am a material girl

hehe!
Haaaa, you'll enjoy it when I bring back live Bretagne just for your beauDiful eyes :P

Spring, strawberries and hormones

No doubt 2005 is ermm a fertile year... Spring comes back with a heavy bag of good news!
After learning about Etolane's pregnancy, now I've just learnt about Alix' one!
I think some angels gonna have supa mamas, huh**~~*^* * And probably supa exhausted papas because now they have to stand our moods and please our desires more than ever...for 9 long months (and for the next 50 years, while they're at it ;-)



You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment
Dave Barry

There are three reasons for breast-feeding: the milk is always at the right temperature; it comes in attractive containers; and the cat can't get it
Irena Chalmers

If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament
Rose F. Kennedy, the mama of John! Yeahh! Wattawoman!

If men were equally at risk from this condition - if they knew their bellies might swell as if they were suffering from end-stage cirrhosis, that they would have to go nearly a year without a stiff drink, a cigarette, or even an aspirin, that they would be subject to fainting spells and unable to fight their way onto commuter trains - then I am sure that pregnancy would be classified as a sexually transmitted disease and abortions would be no more controversial than emergency appendectomies
Barbara Ehrenreich

Red Roof

Among our hobbits' house dreams, we have this one...finding a way to buy the part below with the red roof, which is stuck to our house (on the left).
This red roof part was used as a shed, but it's kinda abandonned now. And who would buy it? it's between 2 houses and too small itself to be used as a house...

The owner won't sell it (sigh), so we can almost forget about it... A pity, our 6 rooms house would have turned into a 8 rooms one! (happy posh smile)
Of course it's a ruin, but that's what we like too... old stones!

Time for another lil miracle ;-)

The trawler

Every evening, my trawler's back. Making waves, always.
(what a poor poet I make, lol)

It's just that every evening, I feel this way, sick. Sick as if I'd be on a trawler, rolling on the waves, a fookin wind bringing back in my face the smell of fish and gas.
And nothing helps.
Just have to wait for the final trawler to leave for the other side of the planet! Grmmmpphhh

3rd month

I'm crossing my bits tight, starting the third month (only) of my pregnancy.
I'm still cautious with it, knowing anything may happen and that it's still a *risky* time.

I've got all my blood's test results (200 euros for them, can you believe it!)... and I have some doubts about the "cat disease" (toxoplasmose) results. Hmmm, I try to be very careful with Joe around, but he keeps coming in the bed to try to sleep near me. Anyway, I got that illness when I was 16 so it should be ok, despite weird results...

Next week this time I'll be having the first scan. Then only I'll feel relieved, or not (lol)!

The first weeks are so long... just like the last months! ;-)

Maybe that's why I start having many "baby-centered" dreams!
Yesterday I dreamt I was expecting 2 babies. Not twins! From one I was pregnant since a month, from the other since 3 months. And the doctors insisted that only one will survive at the end! Oh nice!

The day before, I was in a taxi for a rendez-vous at a clinic, we kept turning around the clinic without managing to stop! And my gyno was tapping foot in front of the door looking at us passing around and around! LOL

And it seems I'm not the only one to have this kind of dreams...;-)... I'm so happy to have learnt about Etolane's pregnancy! As we told each other we are kind of pregnancy sisters now! ;-) I luuuve it!
(happy sigh)***~~*^***^* *~~~*^* *
(doing the mama's slow dance throwing petals around! hehe**~~*^* *)

Greedy

Greedy, yes, because I think I'd need extra holidays! :P

Last week was really fine, I could rest a lil bit but I felt really good enough to be very active! I finished working on my 4th Herman's book and now I'm finishing my *own tale*'s book. It should take 2 weeks and I can send my new script to publishing houses... finally!

During this week in Bretagne, all my pregnancy's symptoms disappeared, as if I had no time to feel tired or sick. But when I came back in Paris yesterday, I slept 4 hours, just like that and now I feel sick again. Argggg....

Anyway, Martin has worked really hard in the house with his dad... still working on the stones walls to make them look beauDiful again. That takes so much time! But the result is brilliant!
I think I will start again helping him with it, in comfortable position and with minimum efforts, next month. It's too frustrating doing nothing for the hobbits' house!

And Lola...oh Lola had some goooooood week! With everyone around taking care of her, she was like a lil princess! ...While Joe had put his Indiana Jones' hat on to explore the very far 3 meters around the house (what a city cat! lol) :P

Dancing around the holidays' totem!

It's been so busy lately that a week of holidays are just blessed and so welcome!
We leave tonight with guuuuud music, excellent books and a purrrfect mood!

Family there expect us and Martin's parents will join too for the week. Just enough people to take care of the shrimpette (yeeeepeeeeeeeee) ;-)
Apart from sleeping, I plan to make of Lola's week a *nappyless week* ...! A big challenge, I tell you (if you have any advice, they're welcome huh).

I'll also bring back lots pics, I'll have time for that too ;-)

(dancing around, drooling just thinking about all the chocolate we gonna have, laaaalalaaaaaaaalala****~~*^* *)


a happysunnybananas' mama photographed by the shrimpette again

Clear sky !

...so a generous, round, beauDiful full moon is expected tonight!
A purrrfect evening then to enter the mysterious lands of Bretagne ;-)
Have a happy one!

Music makes the people come together

...but not as much as I would like!

I've just missed Dead Can Dance's concert, and I won't be able to go and watch Juliette and the Licks in 10 days, same for The Presidents of the USA end of March...
I still have hopes for Apocalyptika in May though!

Worse, I've just learnt System of a Down will perform in June! Last time I saw them I was expecting Lola **~~*^* *
And they come back just for my new pregnancy, see! hehe... it's a sign!
But no more tickets for their concert! Arggggg
That kills me.
It was one of the best concert we had ever seen!


SOAD

But...but... I'm over happy I'm not going to see Slipknot (yuuuuck) next week! See, when you take things this way, it's kinda easier ;-)

(still sobbing for SOAD though)

Lithium

where are you???
Is your page lost in cyberspace!
Need a supa bloggers'team to save it?

Leonie

First time I've heard about a baby named this way. I kinda like the "old ring" in it :-)))
So here's a lil gift I've made for the 3 weeks old' Leonie. I wish the warmest welcome on earth to this lil angel**~~*^* *^^* ^*

Slow countdown

Finally I got my first rendez-vous at the doc!
This doc, an old very active lady, was really nice (and expensive grrmppph), it went really well :))
I'll see her again once again, and then all my rendez-vous will be at the hospital.

My due date is the 1st of November... I kinda expect a busy winter...!

After my rendez-vous, I joined another place where they sucked my blood to fill 7 bottles! So many tests I have to make... crazy!
Next step is the first scan in 3 weeks. Then we'll really know if all is fine, I try to be zen about it, but I'm not sure I really am. It's natural.

For now the only thing that bothers me a lil bit is feeling that tired (I hope the appropriate vitamines will help), feeling sea-sick every evening too... + living on the 5th floor without lift. Lola does her best but sometimes she cries for my arms. Gotta resist.

Talking of Lola, we haven't told her about the baby yet, we wait to be sure all is fine. But I fear she's heard somehow our talks. Or maybe it's a coincidence but...
... this week, she's had nightmares, one during which she kept screaming "no baby!", the other one when she kept asking "is mama ok?" ! ...
Strange, no?
And you know, every evening we have a lil ritual before she jumps into bed. She goes to take a blanket, install herself between Martin and I, and have a long cuddle with us. But not this week; this week she asks to "lie on mama's belly", she had never done that before..!

(Okies, I've typed enough, time for a nap ;-)

Enchanted Season

Births, flowers, smells, bees, trees, sun, warmth... I just couldn't wait any longer for some generous Spring!


Hampton Court Palace Show Garden 2003

Zillions of books

On Sunday, we went to the "Paris books fair", it was a very first time for me. Going to a show where there are no cows (not talking of human beings, huh :P) or no boats is just unusual for me.

I loved it! So many authors there signing their famous books, taking time to talk with people, giving their email adresses to discuss about the books, etc. It felt very friendly!

Again I got impressed with the number of children's books. And such beauDiful ones, i could have bought all of them! (only bought one for Lola though... story of a lil mouse looking for someone that looks like her... till she realizes her mama gets the same ears and tail and nose! :P)

I was also very proud to find my Herman books there! My publisher had a booth, a great opportunity to see if Herman would be well presented.
And it was!





When I see the wonderful works of illustrators, I wish I had the time to work on more illustrations. There is so much I wanna explore!
Talking of exploring, time to leave you to make a lil painting for a colleague of Martin who enjoys a lot what I do (dancing around!) and who has just had a baby**~~*^* **^^* * I won't get rich, but happy, yes I hope!

Happiness in 2 words:

bed + holidays

And I run after both.
A week now I've felt so tired... I just can't go to bed beyond midnight... and I even fall asleep while reading stories to Lola in the late afternoon! Which is scary... when I wake up after 10, 15 minutes, the stormy Lola has had just enough time to empty the cupboards around and put what was in the fridge outside. She really has hidden talents..

But there's nothing I can do at the moment with these very unexpected lil moment of total tiredness. Gawd, gimme a body full of energy, noww.
Reaching my bed whenever I need isn't just possible.
As for holidays, well, I leave for a week soon (what a relief!)

Meanwhile, I expect a very busy week, lots of rendez-vous (=much organisation to know who can keep an eye over Lola when I'm away), and some heavy work to finish.
SIGH

Hopefully this is just the end of a *cycle*, soon I'll feel great again, ready to multitask :-)

Never enough time to read...

...but always a few minutes to answer Lithium's requests! This time, a few questions about books:

How many books do you read per year?
(Combien lisez-vous de livres par an ?)
about 15 I'd say. I keep buying second-hand books, I have tons of them waiting to spend time wiff me. But since Lola's around and since I've started working at home, it's a huge challenge to find the time to read, among a zillion of other things!

What's the last book you bought?
(Quel est le dernier livre que vous ayez acheté ?)
The 4 first tomes of the Amber chronicles by Roger Zelazny. Recommanded by JL if I remember :-)
A present I made for Martin's birthday.
We share the same tastes with books, that's very practical and just fantastic to share views all the time!

What's the last book you've read?
Quel est le dernier livre que vous ayez lu ?
I'm in the middle of The Red Queens, by François Cavanna, again. I'm addicted. Oh and at the same time I've started reading part of a story written by a *friend blogwriter*. Brilliant, so far!

Name 5 books that you really enjoyed
Listez 5 livres qui comptent beaucoup pour vous ou que vous avez particulièrement appréciés

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Set in 12th-century England, the hero is a carpenter who participates to the building of a huge Gothic cathedral. Apparently boring to death. It's been so much the opposite!

The Children of the Graal by Peter Berling
Middle Ages. History, fiction, fantasy. The Templars, the crusades, politics, religions. Huge book, incredible. And Peter Berling knows more than any one how to make of a pervert monk definatly a hero!

Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
My first Fantasy books. Got crazy about them, the characters, the stories. I'm still in love with tasslehoff burrfoot and a few others!

Les Rois Maudits (the accursed kings) by Maurice Druon
One of the best historical series I've ever read. I have much admiration for these writers that are so good at "telling History". Somehow they help us to know *who* we are now.

A prayer for Owen Meany, the world according to Garp and Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
Once I started reading the first pages of these 3 books, I just could not stop before the end. Irving's planet is very unique. But these 3 books are the only one I really luuuuuve. Not the same at all for his other books. Strange!


Who gonna be the 3 lucky ones who'll have to answer these questions? And why chosing them?
(A qui allez-vous passer le relais (3 blogs) et pourquoi ?)

Alinet, because I bet she gonna surprise me again!
Martin, because it's the only way I can find to make him update his blog :P
Esox, because, ermmm... here's a good opportunity to start your own blog, my dear! hehe

Let the sunshine in

You're still wearing your big boots and warm gloves? Then you can't be in France! Oh nene... because if we had -4°C with snow 2 weeks ago, we now enjoy a reasonnable 20°C with much sun!!!!
Incredible. Incredibly pleasant. It was not even spring today, it was summer! It took me much time to decide which shoes would make it, and THIS is the sign Spring is here, tapping foot, roaring and inviting!


What we gonna have for the weekend

And by the way, here's a new form of talent to celebrate Spring today!
"Le Grand Cerf" by the Shrimpette is already available; and as the manager, I accept cheques, visa, cash above all! Cheers :P

Lyrics
Dans sa maison, un grand cerf
Regardait par la fenêtre
Un lapin venir à lui
Et frapper ainsi:
"Cerf, cerf, ouvre-moi
Ou le chasseur me tuera !"
"Lapin, lapin, entre et viens
Me serrer la main !"

T like Torture and Toostoopid

The other day, I took Lola at friends' for lunch.
These friends do not use the internet (yup, hard to believe but true!)... so they won't read this post (phewww!)

A few hours before going there, I had a call from them, checking if we liked any kind of food. Naturally I said "of course, no probbie!"

Once there, while drooling, tapping feet under the table, impatient, excited, and with the hands already playing with the fork and the knife... they proudly brought the main dish...
... which was... TUNA!!!!
Hahum...for those who do not know yet, TUNA is the kind of food that makes me jump up to the sky screaming I'm dying!

Well.... it was just TOO late for me to tell them their nice lunch was turning into a nightmare for me.
I should have told them, I know! But they were so proud and all, I just could not do that!

So I used any kind of sauce on the table to help me to survive... then I swallowed, praying it would be ok... but it was not. I was dying.
I finally used my pregnancy to tell I was not much hungry anymore (not pretty pretty, huh!)
Argggg

I left happy to breathe fresh air, alive again. Feeling fookin stoopid too... I won't do that twice, I swear it (spitting)!!!

All I wanted to know about meself...

...I get it in a click! :P
Of course I only keep in mind the qualities, which will simply make my day! ;-)

CANDYFROGGIE
C	is for	Cynical
A	is for	Articulate
N	is for	Natural
D	is for	Dainty
Y	is for	Yummy
F	is for	Flamboyant
R	is for	Rich
O	is for	Openhearted
G	is for	Gorgeous
G	is for	Glittering
I	is for	Impassioned
E	is for	Elegant

What Does Your Name Mean?

Queenie

2 weeks ago, Lola spent her days with the face painted as a cat, roaring after everybody.
This week, it's the Queenie time... she wears her lil plastic jewls and crown everywhere all the time, proud and posh, though still roaring after everyone. A real Queenie!

Scary reality

You remember when you were younger when you sat around with friends on summertime, preferably in the middle of the night, and started to tell frightening stories with a torch in the hands?
At the time I was specially frightened by the most classic story of the baby sitter finding the kids cut into pieces in the fridge (lol, it was even hard to type that sentence for me, can you imagine?!!!)

Of course, the scary part was that it was supposed to be TRUE.

Horrible images came back to my mind for days then.

And when I hear in the news stories like that 5 meters long crocodile who is supposed to have eaten 80 persons... it sounds so much as a legend, that finally I think all my childhood's horror stories might have been really true too!
Reality is this way at the end.
Much worst than what your imagination can create!!! (except if you're really weird, that is ;-)

Brrrrrrr...


by Jonathan Blair

Time for craving

Some would say it's just psychological: suddenly you're preggie and you imagine you start to crave for thousands of stuff!
I wondered the same.
Not for long. Your body starts to take control over the rest and gets capricious, craving for strange food, but often food that you need.
Like yesterday I only wanted to have yogurts. The whole day.

And last night... at about 11.00 pm, I started drooling thinking about a home made pizza. In less than 30 minutes I got it.
Home made by le Chef himself.

Being preggie's kewl... but being preggie + living with a real Chef is SUPA kewl.
I always complain about the side effects of expecting a baby, but suddenly I realize the male-ish position isn't so easy either (good luck Martin :P)

A 9 months ' topic

As Esox told me the other day... No more worries about finding topics for my blog, I have 9 months to talk about painful boobies and strange moods ;-)

Well, I cross my bits so that it happens this way.
You really can't tell anything before the end of the third month. So I wait. Wait for confirmations.
Wait. And I check too : check I still feel sick enough about everyday... it's kinda reassuring! lol
Wait and keep checking.

Dat's why I just can't be hysterical about it so far. I'm cautious:)

I won't bother you with zillions of bloggies about it, but a few hundreds, maybe yes. I bet any of ewws would do the same anyway, hm? :P

Inspiration

Island
Nekkid
Tenderness
Eager
Receptive
Nightfall
Amazon
Ticklish
Impatient
Odour
Nest
Animal
Love

Witch
Obstinate
Moon
Eve
Natural
'
Sacred

Delicious
Apple
You

Love Blog

Despite the fact I just can't stand hearing my own voice (like 95% of people I think), I just could not resist trying to create an audiopost.
I've been well inspired, but I found it difficult to make (I always forgot what I wanted to say next!). And worse...in English!

I won't put audioposts regularly, just when I feel like opening my mouff for a few seconds :P

Okies, now turn your loudspeakers on... and grab a dictionnary just in case my blahblahs turn to be really obscure!

Cheers!

Miracle

When we heard about David's Hepatitis C a couple of years ago, it was hard to be optimistic.
Death was simply at the corner of the street.

Then he started to follow the heavy treatment... His only hope, his only tiny chance of surviving.
A heavy treatment that changes your life and spoil your routine; your body starts to take all the energy it requires to fight and you have to accept it. It is your priority.

Heavy treatment that requires endless patience. You always wait for the next results. The usual..."Are they going to tell me I can keep hope or that it's over?"

One thing is over now. His treatment.
And it seems he made it... He's kicking out this deadly virus!!!!
We can hardly believe it... a miracle!

I'm so so so happy ***~~~**^* * *

Tapping foot, waiting for the weekend

...because I feel like a puppet whose threads have been cut, you know?
I'm tired, my belly hurts, my back hurts, I have physically no energy.

The fault of that wet snow and heavy sky, I tell you!
I'm so happy we don't have to drive 800 km this weekend!!
(yeeepeeeeeeeeeeeee)

I just wanna dive into my bed with warm socks on my feet and sleep like 10 hours in a row **~~*^* *

(asking the sleep's boss here : "Lola do you think that might be possible, hm?")

Bloody episode

Yesterday, Lola's mouff started to bleed. Just like that.
A young mama who hasn't had experienced fights between kids, lil accidents, etc... never associates blood with fragile angels (one's child ;-).
The worst was that I just could not see why she was bleeding. She apparently hadn't bite herself, eaten anything, etc etc.

Then it stopped (relieved sigh).

And in the evening she started to complain abour her mouff, started to cry with pain... Then fever, burning cheecks...

We finally found. The big molars were joining the party!!!!
One was already a bit out, 2 others were just about to come out.

I would have never thought you could bleed from that. It must be so painful! Great we forget...

Lola spent her night with us. I thought she'd wake up every 5 minutes. She slept like a .. baby!
**~~*^* *^^* *

(warning: deep title today) When Death reveals Life

Last weekend, we heard about the death of our direct neighbour (in Bretagne). An old lady who was between 80 and 90. Her husband has had a heart attack and is in hospital right now.
Poor man :(

A couple of months ago it was our young mason, now our neighbour.
We hardly see anybody when we go there, because we spend our time working in the house. Yet, we *know* when something has happened. We always come across someone here and there who will tell us if anything happened in the hamlet and village. I start to appreciate that communication, with its weaknesses (gossips?) included. Eeeeck ;-)

And when I compare this with my life in Paris, that is so different. It's been a year I wonder if my neighbours below have been momified or not. I just don't hear them anymore, and stooopidely I won't knock at their door to ask. I do not care that much either...
But it is sad that people here live so close to each other and yet remain total strangers.

For years I was convinced this "city" kind of relationship suited me. I live on my planet, you live on your planet, and that's perfect to me.

But now when I look at people's loneliness in Paris, I'm changing my mind. Old people become ghosts, people just don't look at them anymore.
In the countryside, at least around where we are, there is always someone who will come to check if all is fine, there will always be a village's celebration where everybody will gather sometimes.

I hope we'll find a good balance once we live there.
I don't want old blue-haired ladies comment each time I'll pee in my pants because of a good joke!
I don't want to see the curtains shivering each time I walk in front of this or that house.
I don't want to spend my time talking of the weather with the people there... though I know it's part of the *game* ;-)

We'll see, I'm ready to make lil efforts to integrate meself... not bad for a Parisian, hey?!! (proud smile)