A quick but very special family visit

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family, postaday2015, visits

   
   
We had the fun pleasure of having our two cousins from my husband’s side of the family come and surprise us; Nathan and Carly have been coming to see us since they were little and they still like coming even though they have their own adult lives which makes us happy to no end. They are such wonderful individuals, we always have a fantastic time together talking and eating, we love, love cooking and baking for them, they are the best guests because they appreciate it so. 

My husband was the master chef yesterday and today, he threw rib eye’s on the grill, made mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms while my caramels, elephant ear cookies and the chocolate and pear tart were eaten not once but many times during the two days. Today my husband made spaghetti and meatballs, I made brussel sprouts with bacon, my husband made tons of extra bacon and all of that gradually found its way down to everyone’s tummy.

They were both sympathetic to my diagnosis, but most importantly they made for a delightful distraction. 

We are so glad they came, they are two of our favorite people.

Generations

Tags

celebrations, family, postaday2015

   
 
   
 
   
   
   
    
    
 
At this gathering we were 24, ranging in age from 14 months to 88 years old. The last time we had everyone together, I think we numbered 90 and that was quite a few years ago, our family has multiplied numerous times since then and even with the death of my aunt, we still come out being a much larger family.

This is the reason for all of the mini-parties, we can’t house all of us, we have to break it up into parcels of between 15 and 25 just for practicality.

It does make for a lot of eating and we are so lucky that our aunts are the most amazing cooks, we eat like royalty.

Tomorrow we are having clafoutis with goat cheese and peppers, we are having sausages on the barbecue and a gratin of courgettes and potatoes. It is going to be so extraordinarly yummy especially with the homemade apple tarts afterwards.

My sister’s place is so lovely, we couldn’t have asked for a better venue. I shouldn’t say her place, it is a rental, but the spirit of the place is enticing, I’m sure my sister wouldn’t mind having some acreage here sometime in the future.

Off to the farmer’s market

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family, party, postaday2015

   
    
 
   
 
We are still gathering and reuniting, today was a visit to the local farmer’s market to restock the pantry and the refrigerator for the next go around, this time at my sister’s rental house.

This year has a somber feel, it was only two months ago that we lost my eldest aunt at the age of 91, we weren’t prepared for her passing, she was very much loved and we just weren’t ready to part with her. I have other members of my family not doing too well so I am so very happy to be here, spending time with them.

It may look like a lot of parties but they are really just our way of expressing our happiness being together.

Family time

Tags

aging, family, postaday2015

  
At last, we arrived at our family’s home. I am speaking of course of the bedrock of the family, my mother’s older brother and sister. I have cousins all around France, actually we just had lunch with one of them and her beautiful family before arriving here this evening at 7:30. Up above you’ll see the picture of their house, you only see one or two of the five children at home today, normally there nine children, today we only had the five to entertain us.

  I’m so lucky to be back with my family, my mother is the baby, so her older siblings are the glue that keeps the youngins centered and rallied together for all of the big family celebrations. It scares me to think of a world without them, this is the reason I came, we are living on borrowed time and everyday together is a gift.  

I have company

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children, family, postaday2015

   
    
 
   
    
   
Who knew that jumping up and down, either on a trampoline or from a bungee style harness could be the cure for jet lag? Well maybe it only works on those 18 and younger. lol

I am very happy to have my mother, sister and my niece and nephew in Paris with me. We are going to discover Paris through the eyes of my sister’s kids which will be a lot of fun.

It’s nice to know that the Jardin de Tuileries isn’t only for adults, there are tons of activities, arcade games, snack food and of course rides both big and small to keep children entertained.

   
    
   
After I left the gang at their hotel so they can rest and get their French mojo on the right time zone. I walked back towards my own neck of the woods with a little detour at the Palais Royal, which is stunning since it has been restored to its former glory.

   
   
   
   

Braving the mall

Tags

Christmas, family, postaday2014, presents

We are back in Boston and I took the opportunity to wander around the Legacy Mall primarily to go shopping at Whole Foods for fruit, things to drink and other food items. However when I saw the names of the other stores at Legacy Mall, I couldn’t resist the call to see what was going on in the Christmas retail scene.

Ann Taylor is one of my favorite stores to browse in, I rarely shop there, but I love looking at their clothes. I like that the pieces are timeless and classic, but with a slight twist to keep the look fresh, modern and relevant. There was a daddy with his son who was about 7 or 8 and they were going through the store looking at blouses and sweaters, searching for the right size and color. The daddy pulled out a cute sweater, cream with large blue horizontal stripes, a little French looking, and he asked his boy what he thought, the son said he liked it and the daddy said that it was the right size and that maybe mommy would really like it and be happy with the sweater. It was so adorable and sweet; they looked so serious and a little nervous about the sweater, I felt my smile get bigger by the second.

The next store that I visited was William & Sonoma, my husband and I LOVE that store. When I walked through the doors, I knew that I didn’t need a single thing, but I love looking at the table linens, all of the gadgets and the copper, the copper is so shiny and beautiful. While I was ogling the copper charger plates, a daddy was pushing his baby boy in his stroller and the baby did not look particularly happy being there. I suppose there wasn’t anything visually appealing or maybe it was getting close to feeding time. I of course couldn’t help but flash the baby a goofy smile and the daddy asked me if his son at least smiled back, I laughed and said no, he didn’t seem too happy being in the store, but I could tell that the daddy was intent on finding a special gift for someone very special.

I love people watching, it is never boring and to see these husbands and fathers taking their little ones with them to get something special for the special women in their lives made me feel a whole bunch of the Christmas Spirit.

Daily prompt: Cousin It

Tags

eccentric, family, postaday2014

We all have that one eccentric relative who always says and does the strangest things. In your family, who’s that person, and what is it that earned him/her that reputation?

I am going through my family; uncle by uncle, aunt by aunt and cousin by cousin and aside from funny little stories, no one sticks out as an odd duck except for my husband’s cousin John and I don’t see him as strange, I see him as lovably eccentric.

He stays with us whenever his job as a forensic engineer demands his presence at accident sites near our neck of the woods or if we are on the way to wherever he needs to be the next day. How to describe him? He likes to follow his own drum beat if you will. He likes his particular routine, he likes to ask a lot of questions, he likes to know what you are doing at all times and he likes to know where everyone is at all times. He likes things to be compartmentalized, everything in its place and when that is accomplished, he feels comfortable and relaxed.

I can see living with him 24/7 being a little hard, patience is needed to be able to deal with all of the questions and the space, material and time management, but whenever he visits, I never mind because he is such a sweetheart and he is always very recognizant of our welcome and our cooking. He is a big fan of my cooking and just for that, he can come and be with us whenever he wants; I love how excited he gets whenever my pizzas come out of the oven. I said our cooking because he is a huge fan of my husband’s cooking as well, but my husband doesn’t need someone’s adulation to make him feel good. He is a very confident person, whereas I am not, so I do love and revel in the applause if I am going to be very honest.

Wait maybe I am the odd duck of the family if I can’t think of anyone else on my side of the family tree because I read somewhere that if you can’t think of an annoying friend than you are that annoying friend; do you follow my logic? LOL

Flowers always cheer me up

Tags

family, flowers, pictures, postaday2014

This morning I got up early so that I could call my aunt to wish her an early birthday. Her birthday isn’t until Wednesday, but since I never know where I will be, I wanted to make sure that she knew that I was thinking of her. After I hung up the phone, I was hit with a wave of melancholy and sadness, if I could reverse the passage of time, I would do it, if only to give me more time having my aunt and my uncle in my life. I don’t want them to go. They are in their eighties and I wish that I could make them go back thirty years and have them back in their fifties. I love them both so much and I cannot imagine not having them around; they are at the heart of our family in France. So what do I do when I get overwhelmed by emotions that give me distress? I go to my flowers and gain some comfort from them. My uncle made gardening his business and became very successful at it. My aunt has a way with geraniums and begonias. Plants, trees and gardens have a place in our family and tending my own garden, I think, makes me feel closer to my family.

I have been very happy seeing all the bees setting down on the thistle, the coneflowers, the lilies, the tall yellow flowers and the newest purple bloom which seems to be in the thistle family. I am sure that if my uncle were here, he would be listing the plant names one after the other without hesitation. I forget plant names so quickly, it is amazing. That is why I take pictures, so that I remember what is in my garden and I could put a picture to a name.
I do feel better now.

Dreaming of France

Tags

family, food, France, postaday2014

I have been having the most intense dreams of France in various forms. My family as usual is featured front and center in my dreams, it’s almost as if these dreams are my way of visiting them because my dreams are incredibly vivid. The second thing that stands out so clearly is the food that we don’t have here. My tastebuds are yearning to connect with the most basic of sandwiches; the Jambon beurre, a slender baguette split in half, buttered and filled with a slice of fresh ham; how simple, yet so very delicious. This is part of the reason why I love sleep so much; I get to dream and for the most part, my dreams are a great place to visit.

I was looking through my Facebook pictures from the last vacation that my daughter and I took in France, and I got a little nostalgic. It was only two years ago, 2012, but my daughter has grown so much since that vacation. I think the picture of the daily market full of local produce, local cheeses and meats makes me the most nostalgic, add to that the Mediterranean sea to one side and the rocky hills to the other filled with fields of lavender, rosemary and thyme and it makes for a powerful calling card to anyone.

I think that the picture of the beach almost looks like a postcard; I could print it, laminate it and send it off as a postcard and no one would be the wiser. Before writing on WordPress, I wasn’t much of a picture taker; it has only been since I have found the need to write that I have found the power of pictures in adding to the story in terms of impact and feeling. I now look at the world around me searching to see if there is a picture in front of me or a story to tell, not only with words, but visually as well. I have to say that WordPress has opened up my inner world so much; I am very thankful for what WordPress has done for me.

Daily prompt: Modern families

Tags

economic, family, political sensibilities, postaday2014, social

If one of your late ancestors were to come back from the dead and join you for dinner, what things about your family would this person find the most shocking?

I consider my family to be relatively normal; I would not consider us to be envelope pushing people. My husband and I have been married for 23 years, we have an older son and a younger daughter and a dog to boot. My husband’s occupation is something that has been around for centuries and centuries, construction, and despite the fact that technology has become more present in our lives, there are many components of construction that still haven’t changed.

I think that if any of my late ancestors came to my house for dinner they would feel at home. They might freak out over the computer, the iPads, the electricity and the television but in terms of our sit down dinner; they would feel at home. My late ancestors would be from Great Britain and France so in terms of food they wouldn’t be too shocked with my cooking. I think that they would appreciate a nice roast beef with sautéed string beans and perhaps oven roasted potatoes as well; however, they might be disappointed with the brevity of the meal, instead of four or five courses, they are getting the one, though I might throw in a second course with a green salad and perhaps some cheese.

The most shocking aspect of our lives might be the freedom and independence that my daughter and I have in contrast to how it used to be in the past for most women. I have to confess that I don’t really know anything about my late ancestors on my father’s side; the Great Britain side, except for one relative, my great, great aunt; she was an exceptional woman in terms of her independence and freedom. She was the first woman to own a moped in Bordeaux, France and she dictated her own life choices so I think that she would be applauding how our daughter and our son are exploring their opportunities and possibilities.

On my mother’s side, the French side, I think that most of these relatives would be amazed as to how the role of women has changed in our society; how marriage isn’t primordial anymore in the younger generation and education is such a necessity for both sexes to get ahead in life and having children is becoming a choice rather than a fait accompli.

Even though there might be huge differences on our social, political and economic sensibilities; it would be a huge gift to have the chance to visit with my ancestors from both sides of my family. It would be a gift that I would not be squandering, not at all, it would be incredible.