York

Some may not know that when my old husband left, Cory  wanted me to have a dog.  Never one for half measures, we got two Airedales, York and Darby.  They were siblings. This was 8 years ago now.  They have kept us loved and entertained in the intervening time.  A friend nicked named them Pee and Poop.  They are a bit like us...lovable, enthusiastic and a bit undisciplined! No matter what, they loved and are loved.

We have heavy hearts today.  Our big Airedale York died today.  He had been suffering from lymphoma and it was time to release him.  He was diagnosed in mid May.  The vet wasn't very optimistic but gave us some prednisone for him.  He perked right up and I went to Europe believing he'd be there when I returned.  He was and a great dog greeted me.  We always wondered how we'd know when the time was right...it was clear... he was suffering.  Darby is still with us.  She seems OK and is healthy.  Cory is coping ok...it is his first time to deal with the hard part of having pets. 

No matter what anyone says kids need dogs.  They love without failure, greet you gladly and take what you give them...sometimes more, like baseballs, belts and purses!  We will miss York and will never believe the pain of loss is worse than the joy of life.  We miss you Buddy!

on the road again!

going to Europe again this summer.  my friend Regina Morris and i are headed to Germany and Italy as soon as school is out!  we got really cheap fares on Air Berlin to Berlin from Chicago and we're going for 22 days.

it's a great thing since Cory has a job this summer with the kc royals working at the stadium in the "outfield experience".  it is the fun zone for kids.  between that and umpiring he should be busy...oh yes, he is taking 2 classes at JCCC to get ready for his teaching classes next year at Avila.

we're going to ... Dresden, Prague, Munich and environs, Salzberg, Venice, Pompeii, Rome, Parma, Black Forest, Rothenberg, Berlin and places in between.  if you have any must see's let me know!

today i'm taking time out from the state forensics tourny at ONW so i get to use my computer at my own desk.  life is good!

spring break!

so...if you haven't heard, i'm headed to europe with another teacher, 12 kids and 2 parents.  last year, my first at onw, i talked to the latin teacher about going to europe.  she has done it several times and swore "never again" but she's had fun and with out much convincing she agreed to work with me to get a group together.  many of the kids have/had both of us as teachers so the kids and parents were a little more trusting of us.  the kids have a general "healthy respect" of both of us.  so a year later we're on our way! 

the only change is to add florence which was not on the original tour.  we are joining with 6 from tucson, 7 from phoenix and 3 from toronto.  32 total.  london is the first stop 2 days then thru the chunnel to paris for 2 days then overnight high speed train to milan where we pick up a bus to florence.  just a day there and on to rome for 2 days.  everyone else will be leaving but our group is heading for a day at pompeii and herculenium?.  we get back the 19th with time to crash and get up for work tuesday.

i hope it be able to post from the trip if we can get internet service that we should be able to. i have a bit of a gimpy hip issue and the dr gave me some meds.  we'll see. getting excited!  bon voyage!

scattered showers...sounds like home

since we left the Var and went north it seems like all hell broke loose.  rain has washed out much of the south of france.  so we are in Nevers or near there tonight and headed through the loire valley for the next few days.  tonight we're on a farm.  i think we plan to get going early.  we spent one after noon in Orange looking at it's famous roman ruins.  one of the many "theaters" the romans left behind.

on the way through avignon we stopped at the IKEA.  cheap food, toilets and fun looking at what they have.  the long drive to Lyon was going fairly smoothly but we decided to get on the highway and go faster....20 KPH for 30 kilometers!  Lyon is a great city but oh my god the number on one way streets is beyond comprehension.  we finally found our hotel by Part Dieu the large shopping center.  we even had parking and we got it thru COSTCO!  1/2 of the normal fare.  easy to use metro so we got a 1day pass for about 7$.  roman ruins, old churches and 2 rivers to walk along.    really pretty.  went to an antique flea market on sunday morning.  they say over 400 venders.  lots of junk some great but all with high price tags.  carla spent the time sleeping in the car across from a gyspy camp area.  the french think about gypsies the same as i learned as a kid.

today we went to Vichy to see where the collaberation french government held court during WWII.  it is a very pretty city with thermal sulphur baths.  i even tasted the water.  carla declined the city's generosity.

so this takes us to Nevers.  we had wanted to go to a chateau that is being built nearby.  they are using all traditional 15th century techniques.  too late so we're looking at nevers.  it is pretty over lookign the loire river.

if there at*re too many errors pardonnez.  they have wacky keyboards.

 carla made fun of me on my last trip because we went to mc donalds....well she has changed her tune.  tiolets and cheap coffee have had their universal  effects.  for regina it was toilets and real coke!  for me it' all about toilets and parking so we can eat!

on to the chateau's of the loire!

just another day in france!

yesterday we went to arles which is the gateway to the camargue the vast rhone delta with black toro's, white horses and pink flamingo's.  ir is an ancient city with roman ruins.  on the way, trying to save $ we took the senic route.  on the way we tried to stop at an outlet for olivado products.  lots of fabric and pottery made in france.  it wasn't open.  and we noticed alot of other stores not open.....it was ascention day-40 days after easter!  national holiday.

alot of the places in arles were open.  the arena is still used for bull fighting and the amptheater   still for concerts.  there is part of the roman forum that is still standing but oddly a part of a building from the 1700's;  really odd.  we walked and ate.  i had my first encounter with a dog in the restraunt.  a family brought in their yellow lab.  every dog we've seen has been well behaved.

we went back to get our car and the adventure really began.  the ticket machine wouldn't read out ticket.  what to do?  buzz, buzz the recording said something carla couldn't understand.  we went to the exit...no one in the office!  more buzz, buzz.  now the french voice is yelling from home over the intercom and carla can't figure out what he's saying.  off to the tourist office and they send us to the gendarma hq 2 blocks away.  go back and get the phone # and we'll call for you.  ah! no answer.  the gendarme suggest we break out way out and they will close their eyes.....great idea. non!  finally they walk with us to the parking garage.  he chides us for not parking on the street since it's free onthe holiday!  shit!  what an idea.  too late now!  he hears from the garage.  just put the ticket in the exit like you were leaving and buzz, buzz and he'll let us out!  ah so simple.  the gendarmes have a tale to tell about idiot americans  probably more funny than ours!  vive la france!

so we're in provence

we did something highly unusual and sold clothes at a flea market on sunday.  we were going to go to another town but there was one here right in st max.  we really sold only about 1/2 of what we brought.  carla had a learning curve on selling.  once we started to talk to the people looking at clothes, we began selling.  just a hello and good day worked wonders.  we did get offered to go dancing by an arab with bad teeth but he did buy a shirt.  mostly men seem to buy clothes at the flea market.  carla began trying on clothes and many more came to look and but;  we did meet a woman who has a daughter in st louis going to school and another from st max that offered to take us home to lunch. 

she was so nice and had her daughter with her so we went her.  they live in a nice house withe a pool.   "lucy" is very outgoing and even though only carla could speek french she went on a mile a minute.  her daughter is 14 and good with adults.  her husband in a civil engineer with a german company.  we ate typical dishes of provence.  steak brochette, sausage, roquefort cheese with wine and bread, local strawberries with chantilly cream.  we learned to taste pastis, the local liqueur thqt is anise flavor.  so good i'm bringing some home! 

we were stuffed and found the french not very stuffy!

later k

we're in france!

so i'm here.....it was a long way.  my first flight was cancelled.  the next one was delayed till firday morning.  so i had to scrambled to get the flight from chicago to barcelona.  alaska airlines was terrific at getting a free ticket but i had to upgrade to business class. it cost alot of mileage but it was nice to sit in the business class lounge, eat and relax in chicago.  i only had 1 hr to change planes in amsterdam but business class to barcelona was food and drink.  in barcelona i found carla easily, but she had an adventure all her own. 

the car was fine but had to pay 90euro to add carla as a driver.  i doubt she'll drive too much.  the ride to alet les bains where we stayed was about 3hrs.  a pretty ride.  saturday we walked around town.  it is very pretty with mideveal overtones.  the next stop was pennautier where regina and i spent a week 2 years ago.  morgzna is in the hospital with an infection in her foot that followed surgery in her foot back in january.  so we gave gifts to her brothers who were totake the to the hospital in toulouse later in the day.  we may be able to stop and see her when we drive thru that area.

the drive to st. maximin was taking for ever......on the secondary roads.  we were hoping to not pay tolls but by the time we stopped to buy olive oil at the hulio coop near bize minervios carla had ditched the cost savings and we hopped on the high speed auto route.  the gumball rally was going along with us and we got to see them stopped by the gendarne several times.  there were aot of people watching from the highway overpasses aith their camera's.  it took a while to discover what they were looking for.

i'll talk about our day at the flea market next time i get on line!   au revoir!