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!

Happy Easter !?

so it's been another long gap in my writing...i feel like i've been running in circles and accomplishing absolutely nothing.  there are only 4 weeks of school left and i have tons to do.  the house is dusty and ignored, the taxes are waiting for me to look at them and send in an extension, and i am forced to make lists of things i need to make lists of.  i haven't lost any weight in the last few months and i feel like a tottering old lady.  oh, i am a tottering old lady!  i leave for france the day after the kids get out for break and while i'm gone cory will be leaving for summer camp.  so i feel like i need a break!

cory is having a blast.  he is working at the middle school and now that baseball season has started, he is umpiring.  every time he has new tales to tell about kids, coaches or calls.  the dogs are enjoying the weather.  they are digging in the yard and it has been raining.  i'm not really sure the color of my carpet any more.

i planted a garden and grass in the front yard and as soon as i get time with a break in the rains i'll try to plant some in the back yard.  i may just add turf.  i showed my friend, carla, how to hunt for rocks.  there are alot at construction sites and road edges.  i have a few places in the yard that grass never grows and mud is a constant problem.  she is edging a garden and i am paving paths in the yard.  when i get back from france i hope to get the work done.

so france...we are indeed spending a week in provence.  flying into barcelona and renting a car there is cheaper than almost anywhere else we've found.  we're spending a few nights near carcassone then off to a gite near aix en provence for 7 days.  we hope to see the headquarters of l'occitaine and tour their factory, ride the river, see nice, monaco and maybe italy.  then off to 2 days in lyon.  on sundays they have antique flea market with over 400 vendors.  anyone interested in importing to USA?  then a few days in the loire valley seeing more chateau's.  we're going to swing along the atlantic coast ending in barritz before heading back to barcelona.  3 weeks of driving and resting. 

i'll be back june 17th and am open to visitors after that.  i had a few almosts last year but no one made it this far.

so let me tell you another reason i need to move from kansas.  i will preface by saying i do drive fast but heck, i grew up a stones throw from the worlds first freeway!  i was charged with bringing the beer to the easter party and forgotten to get it saturday.  i learned sunday on the way to the party that the state of kansas does not allow liquor sales on easter sunday.@!&**@! ok, i'll just go to missouri, they are our progressive neighbor to the east and only 5 minutes away.  alas no. they aren't open either.  so no beer.  i'm sure the party can live without it.  on my way back i get stopped by a leawood officer for going 50 in a 35.  he was backed up in someone's driveway behind two hedges.  ON EASTER SUNDAY!

next time i wirte i hope to be in france!

my new love!

forensics...i was hired to help coach the olathe northwest forensics team.  there are 4 coaches including me.  in these tough financial times, olathe has made a commitment to this great program by adding 2 more coaches including me!  i guess my ability to argue and get my way has paid off.  in fact i have never done this formal program but with my background in model united nations and student government and political activity has paid off.

i'm working with the public forum debate-pfd, domestic extemporaneous-dx, international extemporaneous-fx and impromptu kids-imprompt.   i'm pretty comfortable with what they are but not the coaching side.  i meet with kids 2+ times a week after school and go to tournaments on the weekends.

the kids are bright and interested in the world.  just up my alley.  i have a few ideas already.  the other coaches are over 6'6" so i'm the woman, elder and shorter balance to the guys.  i'll keep you posted on the future!

may 25th i'm leaving for france.  we know that there will be one week in provence with 2 more weeks to fill.  if you have interesting places to see in france or more importantly interesting shopping send it on!

friggin winter!

so we've been back at school since january 5th.  it is now january 18th.  i've seen kids for 7 of 10 week days.  2 snow days last week and the mlk holiday has decimated teaching.  they expect 5-7 inches tomorrow afternoon with the possibility of more snow days.   that and the fact that i'm a unit behind schedule is hitting hard.  this time of year is always a bit short of teaching days. 

cory is loving school.  he is assisting the 7th grade boys basketball coach.  today was the first game.  as bill self would say, "we have to looking at this as a new teaching opportunity." 

i am looking forward to summer.  don't have to put a new roof on the house so i'm off to france.  cashed in some miles and flying to barcelona may 25th.  i'm going with carla again.  she's moved from next door but has spent the last year and a half remembering and adding to her french language skills so we don't have to wonder what they are saying as they look at us oddly.  we're looking at 3 weeks with a week in provence.  i'm hoping to meet up with morgane who i met on the last trip.  she's a 16 year old student who lived near where i was staying in 09. 

not really looking to another day off.  i put in a new toilet last snow day.  4" on the ground and i'm off to home depot.