Je Suis Contente

It's not always easy to find the "right" place to live, a place that makes you happy.
Every place has its highs and lows, its advantages and disadvantages, and it can be difficult to find a good, comfortable fit.

This morning I was performing the mundane task of hanging our laundry up to dry and it struck me, especially after just having spent 3½ weeks in the US and with our 10 year anniversary of moving here coming up at the end of March, that I'm still really, really in love with France. I am happy here. I have found the right place.







No, I'm not merely seeing France through rose colored glasses. Believe me, I am firmly grounded in reality.

And all the frustration of bureaucracy, hit and miss customer service and job hunting over the years mean nothing when compared to the beauty, the deliciousness, the friendships, the cheese, the passion, the markets, les fêtes, the landscapes, the meals and the joy that I've experienced since we arrived.

France just suits me.

Je suis contente. Très contente.





Have you found your right place?



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Photo du Jour - A Monday Dish

One simple way to celebrate Monday - a traditional, slow simmering pot of Louisiana Red Beans and Rice, sprinkled with Crystal Hot Sauce and showered with a generous handful of chopped green onion.

Here's the recipe.

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Photo du Jour - Aged Gouda

A wedge of Gouda, slowly aged for 42 months. Rich flavors of sweet and salty, which could best be described as resembling butterscotch. Or smoky caramel.
The texture first crumbles, then melts in your mouth.

I know it's not French, but I don't mind cheating from time to time.
Especially with something this sublime.

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Photo du Jour - Frozen Fruit

Mandarins? Maybe
Clementines? Probably
Frozen? Definitely


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Photo du Jour - Interdit aux Chiens

At a boulangerie in Bayeux.

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Jet Lag

 Jet Lag is my nemesis.

For years I followed the advice of the "experts" by adjusting my bedtime before leaving, dressing comfortably and moving around on the plane, avoiding caffeine and alcohol and drinking lots of water.
None of it worked.
Every time I return from a trip to the States I suffer horribly from jet lag.

Maybe you have a trick that works for you? Something I haven't tried?

And now I'm off to take a nap.

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Postcard From New Orleans

Required Bloody Mary garnishes.

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Postcard From New Orleans

King Rex, the King of Carnival.

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Postcard From New Orleans

Strolling through the Vieux Carré.

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Postcard From New Orleans

Fried shrimp Po Boy and Gumbo. At Liuzza's By the Track.

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Postcards From Washington

Spokane, Washington. My hometown.

These were taken several years ago. I've had very little time to get out and use my camera since arriving!

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