Serendipity in Vimoutiers, France
Where did we go for our October vacation? We rented a cottage outside of Bayeux and enjoyed some amazing sites: the Bayeux tapestry and cathedral, Omaha Beach, the American cemetery, […]
No-Rules Cassoulet
I’ve never been a big meat eater, but there’s something about France that seems to be turning my old habits upside down. For example, I used to stand in line […]
Why I’ll Never Be Mistaken for French
I love France, but sometimes my love feels unrequited. The first time I was here was as a college student. I spent my junior year in Paris, living with a French family […]
What I Miss Most
Before we came to France, I had a mental list of things I would miss most: family and friends of course, but also the dogs we sit for, peanut butter, […]
Lookin’ Out My Back Door
Now I understand why Impressionism got its start in Normandy. The sky and the light here are beautiful. And then there are the cliffs, beaches, cathedrals, meadows, and ancient villages, all of […]
Notre Dame de Jumièges
A Benedictine Monastery The ruins of Jumièges are stunning. We arrived late in the afternoon, having already visited the Chateau de Robert le Diable and the Abbaye Saint-Georges de Boscherville that day. We’d also taken […]
Discovering French Plums
I used to think all plums were purple. Then I came to France where plums are also red, yellow, green, and inky black. The French consume about 40 million pounds of […]
We Have Arrived!
We are here. Finally. And this is our new home for the year, “la maison canard.” Looks like a duck, non? We are in Rouen, France, and can hardly believe […]
A Control Freak Lets Go
I’ve finally finished Josie’s high school graduation present. I haven’t crocheted an afghan in decades—and I’ve never made one with granny squares. This was enormous fun! What was maybe most […]
Choose the Cows Over the Chemists
Julia Child famously said, “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.” It seems she was onto something. For years we’ve been told that saturated fats—fats found in butter, cheese, and […]
A Crooked Mile 