life in france

Lunch in the village: Concours de Citrouille

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I'm exhausted. We went to the annual fall lunch in the village today. I would be less tired if I had spent the day stacking firewood, cleaning out the gardens, trimming the trees AND playing with the puppies. Having partaken of lunch in the village in the past I knew I would not be fit … Continue reading…

Pizza Quiche; buying tires can be tricky

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We're driving to Italy in May for a family reunion.  We thought it might be fun to have new, good tires for the trip. As I'm trying to keep mon mari's nose to the grindstone I volunteered to do the sitting and waiting whilst the tires were put on. Some of the family is coming … Continue reading…

Creamed Savoy Cabbage; French spell check; Weekly Menu

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Spell check: friend or foe? I maintain that, whilst I spell excellently, I can't type for shit. It's also a widely known fact that I cannot proof-read my own writing.  My problem is that my fingers are continually about a dozen words behind my thoughts so, sometimes (often), the words just get messed up.  Because … Continue reading…

Red Sauced Shrimp; Driving without a license – legally

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Driving in a foreign country can be a puzzling challenge when you’re visiting. As a resident, one may come to expect some of the strange behavior…. but one may still be a long way from actually understanding it. Take the cacahuète, for example. The peanut…. The nickname for a tiny little caricature of a car, … Continue reading…

Creamy Tomato Chevre Soup; the Saga, Part VI

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As long as I an in the US, visiting family and having a wee holiday, I thought I would entertain you by reprinting: The Saga of the Titre de Sejour, French Paperwork in 4-parts  Part VI August 2, 2006 We have our 'Titre de Sejour', our permission to live in France.  We thought, mistakenly, that … Continue reading…

Basmati Rice and Chard Gratin; the Saga, Part V

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As long as I an in the US, visiting family and having a wee holiday, I thought I would entertain you by reprinting: The Saga of the Titre de Sejour, French Paperwork in 4-parts  Part V June 9, 2006 We are now the proud holders of unexpired 'Titre de Sejour''s.  They arrived last week, in … Continue reading…