La nature est bien faite

This morning was a rough one, the girls frayed my nerves after an early, cranky wake up call. They weren't grouchy for any particular reason (that I am aware of), it was just one of those days. After I finally wrangled them up, walked them to daycare, kissed them goodbye, and started walking home, a handful of emotions swept over me. Relief at having some time to get some things done around the house, then sadness-as much as I value my precious free time- it's always hard to say goodbye to those chubby, innocent faces. And then guilt for having left them. Mom guilt always has a way of rearing its ugly head, and it's not easy to just ignore.

In France, you often hear the expression, "la nature est bien faite" literally translating to "nature is well made," and roughly meaning "nature finds a way." When I was pregnant with twins, many people asked how I was "going to fit two in there." And my typical response was "la nature est bien faite." I like this optimistic saying and how it briefly describes the wondrous suprises of natural phemonena. You can say it if you see a plant sprouting, seemingly from out of nowhere, on the side of a brick building, or even if you've ever drunk lemon and honey tea for a sore throat, for example.

So as I was walking home, feeling a wave of guilt for having left my two little angels, who were behaving quite devilishly, for the day, I was reminded of this useful phrase, "la nature est bien faite." The Mom guilt didn't totally wash away, but it did rinse out a bit as I wondered if they might have both appreciated the diversion of daycare and new faces, as I needed a break from them and time to organize things at home without distractions. So that through the brief separation, nature will have found its way and we'll all be in better spirits this afternoon.

Free play

This year, vineyard work is out of the question. I've spent a few afternoons pruning, but my growing belly now prevents me from bending down too much, so I've got plenty of free time this spring. 

The growing girls renting out my belly have made it difficult to dress myself, so to avoid having to find something to wear before leaving the house, I've been opting to not leave the house as frequently as is socially acceptable.

We're moving to a more spacious apartment which permits the luxury of a dishwasher and a few extra rooms in a few weeks, but I haven't gotten around to packing, yet. Instead, I've been doing more useful things like making collages while listening to archived podcasts of the Ricky Gervais Show. 

Here's what I've come up with:

Joyeux anniversaire

Yesterday, April 17th, was Jean Louis', my incredible father- in- law's, 70th birthday. He had prepared a few snacks for the aperitif and we popped a bottle of Champagne to celebrate..and with dinner a really nice Aloxe-Corton. For such a milestone year, it was very low-key with just 4 of us, but that's only because he's going to have a blow-out weekend with his brothers and sisters and friends in a few weeks. When I say blow-out, I'm not kidding, he's reserved a private room at a fancy restaurant and has been meeting with the chef to come up with the perfect menu for his official celebration. 

Of course, it being his birthday didn't stop Jean Louis from cooking a fantastic dinner. Among answering all the phone calls from all over France, he managed to prepare ratatouille and roasted duck for dinner. I've had Jean Louis' famous ratatouille many, many times, and I noticed yesterday it tasted different. It was SPICY! I, of course, commented on the fact and Jean Louis said that he did it for me, using the packet of Fiesta taco seasoning that I had left at their house. I thought it was a very sweet gesture, it wasn't my birthday after all, but I also think that being nice to me wasn't his only motivation. I'm convinced that Jean Louis is a spice/Tex-Mex convert! If you look at the food in the picture, you might notice a jar of salsa in the middle and the guacamole toasts. While I'm very pleased that Tex-Mex empire is expanding, it's even more exciting to see proof that it's never too late to try new things.

French paradox

Why, in one of the most well-fed countries in the world, are so many people eating at the Golden Arches? Why, in a land where farmers' markets aren't a trend, but a tradition, are there 10 McDonald's within 25 minutes of my house? It seems highly contradictory to all of the ancestral codes and reverence paid to the sacred family dining table. 

Name That Tune

One commonality between Julien and me is that we're relentlessly old school when it comes to technology. Not out of nostalgia or stubbornness- we're not luddites- it's just that neither of us really ever thinks about investing in hi-tech gadgets.

Smartphone, nope, GPS, nope, DVD player, nope, Tape deck in the car, yep. We have an eclectic and miniscule choice of tapes: Indian Jewelry's 'Peel It', Depeche Mode's Greatest Hits, and a French reggae cassette Volume 2. To mix things up once in a while, I'll turn on the radio, mostly landing on the ads which finish with "Pour votre santé, evitez de manger trop gras, trop sucré, salé" (For your health, avoid eating too many fats, sugars, or salt.) Every so often, between the ads, I'll find programmming on my 4 favorite stations.

1. FranceInter- the national public radio station, responsible for my quick improvement in listening comprehension when I first moved here. Usually interesting material and interviews, but occasionally painfully boring and pretentious like any public radio station in the free world.

2. RadioMega- features obscure music from independent artists worldwide. There's usually enough variety to engage all tastes and always something new. Makes for good conversation at dinner parties, even better if I could remember the artists' names.

3. Rires et Chansons- (Laughing and Songs)- and that's what it is, alternating recordings of stand-up comedy sketches with pop music. Either I only get about 70% of the jokes, or they're just not that funny.

4. Nostalgie- national oldies station, and to me a bizarre lesson in French music history. Nostalgie features French pop singers that Americans would know: Gainsbourg, Aznavour, Françoise Hardy, France Gall, but also massive French stars from the 60s, 70s, and 80s that are barely heard of outside l'Hexagone like Claude François, Eddy Mitchell, and of course, Johnny Hallyday. 

Given their success in France, these artists and their music can be expected, but what is surprising is the number of American and British songs that are covered in French. I would estimate that out of every 30 minutes of driving, Nostalgie plays at least one classic Brit/American oldies song redone by a French singer. Below are some that you can hear on any given day, do you recognize the tune?

Marylene- Martin Circus

Cette Année La- Claude François

Miss Caroline- Eddy Mitchell

 Les Portes du Pénitencier- Johnny Hallyday