School is out!

I feel like I am playing hooky today because the kids are still in school and I am officially on vacation. I don't think that I will even bother to check my emails, although that might be pushing the envelope a little bit.

Jean-Jacques came back from Chicago yesterday and that meant this morning he had delivery duty; deliver the kids out of bed, to the breakfast table, to the showers and to school. I basically lounged with coffee and sighed in content at not having to go into the car in my jammies this morning... I didn't see Charlotte before she left for school. She has a new haircut and was supposed to wake me so that I could help her with the styling part. She must have managed by herself, but I won't actually know until after school. Jean-Jacques said it looked as good as it did yesterday, but Helene said that Charlotte looked like a boy, we'll see.

Helene did expect me to be her personal beautician, so I styled her hair. I wish I could learn to do the chunky, kind of wind-swept look on her. She has such gorgeous hair. Not that either of the other two have anything to complain about, they all have thicker hair than me.

Two more days until it will really be a reality that we are actually getting on a plane for warmth and frolick! I still can only imagine what it will actually be like to be on the island, because it all sounds so unreal. We are not sure how we are going to handle the Santa and presents thing, as we need to leave the house by about 6:30am, in order to be to the airport on time and find a parking space at the airport. Mr Optimistic, my brother Claude, called my mother last night to tell her that the news had a report on how difficult it is to find parking at the airport and maybe we should consider a limo. No news on where I can actually get an update on the parking situation, just a little panic. Last year we traveled on Christmas Day and didn't have any issues at all finding a spot. We will just pray.

Merry Christmas to all. I am so blessed and at this time of year I truly feel charmed. I hope that the holidays are merry, warm and filled with love for all of you. I am sure that I will have much to say in the new year (like anyone could keep me from talking!).

God bless.

Winter Wonderland

Here I am in Montreal again. It was a really big trend in October and November, I was here six weeks running. But now, a month later, I am back and there is a foot of snow on the ground! It is absolutely beautiful.

Last night I walked around with a huge smile on my face because the white stuff was falling and covering the buildings. People were in the streets with their Christmas shopping bags, most were not necessarily happy, but there was still some holiday spirit in the air. I really had the most enjoyable walk.

We had some sad news, Nancy's brother passed away December 6th. The day after Thanksgiving Robert, Nancy's 43 year old brother, had a massive heart attack. He never regained conciousness and his brief life ended on the 6th. It was a very difficult time, but it was more so for the immediate family. Please keep his family, his two children and wife, and his sisters and parents, in your prayers. I know that he is at peace now, but it is a little more difficult to come to terms with for the family. I know it sure has given me a new view on my brothers and the need to see them and tell them I love them.

At home, things are still on a whirlwind. JJ is so busy. He is having a hard time keeping up with all of the things that need done at Eagle Eye. I think that he gets frustrated more because he doesn't feel like he is able to give anything his full attention, rather he tries not to miss anything. He does a lot better than he gives himself credit for. I mean neither of us ever, in our wildest dreams, imagined that we would be this far into his professional objectives in such a short time. All good things come with a cost, that cost is time. It seems like JJ could work about 40 hours a day, I mean the quantity justifies it, but ofcourse, it's just not possible, or even desirable. The kids need and want time and JJ wants to be there with them as well. I am no help, because I keep doing my thing and traveling, so I haven't alleviated the burden.

We are all looking forward to our vacation in Guadeloupe. The kids are just amazed that we are going somewhere warm, but they don't seem as awed as we adults are. JJ and I, and the parents, just can't believe that we are going on vacation there for Christmas. We feel like this is fairy tale land and we are going to treat it as such. I am hoping to capture some of the feelings and pictures while we are there because I feel very lucky to be able to go on this vacation with my parents and my family.

Due to the travel arrangements I have scrooged the house and there are almost no decorations in the house, aside from the Nativity. I also have to find the stockings this weekend, so we can hang them in case Santa comes. The kids are bummed that there is no tree, but there has been no whining or complaining about it. They truly seem to understand.

I am sure that everyone is crazy with the holidays, and we are trying to keep up. Don't panic if you have not gotten your Christmas Card yet, I am working on them. Last year, I never got a round to writing them, let alone sending them. This year, half of them are done, and I should be finishing over the weekend.

I am going to miss seeing the Belevenders over the break. I really enjoyed the vacation we were able to take with them last year and I hope that we will be able to plan something together in the future.

Other news, the kids and I are going to France in February. We will be there the same week as my mom, Rita, Suzie and Lucille. I am excited to be going at the same time, I mean that was the point of the whole plan. I hope that they don't feel like I am crowding in on their girls week, I mean having three kids is slightly different than the girls meeting together. I will speak more on this as the details become available. I can't wait to see all my friends in Paris. AnneLaure should be the mother of two by then!

bisous to all

Beaujolais Nouveau is Here!!!

It's Beaujolais Day and the usual crazy time is here. I got home from Montreal last night and raced home in time to get to the elementary school and see people leaving Helene's concert. She was not happy and I was less happy, but the neighbor accross the street has promised me a DVD of the entire performance, so all is not lost!

I was hoping to work from home today, but I have a meeting with the customer in a few minutes so I have to dash upstairs, shower and get my bootie into work. I will then come home and finish the day here. I will also take the day off tomorrow to get ready for the beaujolais fete.

I will write again to give news after the party.

Election Day

Okay, we have voted and now we watch the drama unfold. I am curious, dubious, hopeful, and doubtful. There really isn't anything to do, but wait and watch.

On the personal side, it has been quite some time since I have taken the time to update my blog (as Melissa recently pointed out). Things, as usual, have been quite busy. I am traveling a great deal and Jean-Jacques has started to hit his truly busy season. He also lost a sales person, so he has been busy trying to cover the territory, as well as maintaining his other responsabilities. I am having a difficult time remembering to stay out of his way. I also have way too high of an opinion on my ability to do everything, and assume that I could solve all of his problems, if only he would hire me, and give me the chance.

My husband is far wiser than I. He prefers to wait and for us to each maintain our individual careers, in seperate venues. This is probably better for our marriage, but comes with it's own set of compromises. It means that we each have our own daily priorities. It means that my travel, which is done for the most part, on the customer's whim, cannot be controlled and pared down when my husband is extremely busy and he, and more importantly, the children, need my presence and support. Thank goodness that my mother is ready and willing to pick up the slack.

Helene is signed up for Gymnastics and is LOVING it. She has an amazing amount of strength. She can do a headstand and then push up on her arms until she is in a handstand. I am in awe. She is also singing in the choir, and has asked to sign up for the Rochester Community choir. I have the papers somewhere, but have not yet filled them out. I hope that I am not too late.

Charlotte is busy with piano. She has a recital in early December, so she has been practicing diligently. We are still having issues with school and quality of work. I get pretty frustrated because I know, in my heart, that Charlotte is not dishonest or dumb. I, in my few lucid moments, understand that she is a teen that is dealing with a lot of changes in her life, but we cannot accept a lackluster performance at school, and we cannot excuse her not doing her best, top quality work. The most frustrating for me is the lack of communication. For every question her answer is the same, the famous, "I don't know". And when I can tell that there are issues and I ask her to share, her answer to me is that there is nothing wrong, everything is fine, and she doesn't know what I am talking about. I would really like to be able to have some exchange with her, but she has no desire to talk and spend time with me.

Luke is still playing soccer. He is getting much better and is staying more focused on the game. His skills are improving and he really has fun. He has yet to score a goal, but I don't think that he cares. I am glad that his last game of the season is this Saturday, because it is getting mighty dark at practice and mighty cold as well.

Ok, I need to get back to work. I am leaving for Montreal tomorrow and will be back on Friday. I will be gone next week from Tuesday through Thursday, and then back in town, hopefully until Thanksgiving week. There is a pending trip to France, but now it looks like it might actually be postponed until early next year (this is amazing to me because it has been pending since October 11th!).

Guadeloupe is less than two months away! I can't wait.

The Debate is on

Here we are waiting the ten remaining minutes until the debate starts. The kids have decided that they need to stay up and watch with us. Helene has actually expressed her political views and has given us reasons why she prefers Kerry over Bush. It was astounding, because I certainly did not have a political opinion at the age of nine! I mean her father and I are still not sure what we need to do. I mean, we are like a lot of other americans, we know what we don't want, but we sure wish we knew more about our choices...

I am starting to cringe on all the debate flashbacks that are happening. I can't imagine being the candidate that is shown over and over again as making the huge blunder that cost the debate. I mean, the sighs for Gore were probably awful to have to see the following day, but now, four years later, to have them shown on the screen every fiftenn seconds. You just must be sick to death of the whole thing. Ford saying that there is no communist rule in Poland. OK, the guy made a mistake, we need to get over it.

At any rate, we are having a good time discussing the election with the kids. We are stressing the need to talk about positive points about both candidates, and the negatives about both. The kids are surprized to find that they know relatively little about either candidate and that is making them curious. It certainly is making us, as parents, take on the whole election in a whole new light.

OK, the show starts now. Gotta go.

Luke is six!

We are almost through the single mom stint and the kids are getting ready to start the single parent with dad week. I am exhausted just thinking about it, but kind of looking forward to my week on the road, without kids. My problem is that I just replace the kids with the customer and I am still in motherhood mode.

Work is crazy and I am not sure how I am going to keep up over the next few months. My biggest problem is going to be staying motivated. I mean, I still really like my current job, but there are a lot of organizational changes going on at work that will affect what I do, and I am not so sure that I am going to like what will happen. I really don't have any choice but to wait and see, but I have never been real good at just waiting around.

We celebrated Luke's birthday yesterday at the bowling alley with five of his friends from school. It was fun and he had a good time. I like this having parties somewhere else, you have a definate start and end time. Just like that, the time is up, the kids go home, and it's all over!

Today we celebrated again at Louis and Caroles house. We also wished Hailey (Lou's grand daughter!) a happy first birthday. She turns one tomorrow. The kids swam, ate ice cream cake and Lou grilled. It was a gorgeous day.

Regine and Jacques are at mom and dads for the next few weeks. They all came over to Lou's and so did Richard and Kathy. We even got to see Roger in the evening. It was a really nice day, only Jean-Jacques was missing.

All good things must come to an end though and now I have to pack for my week and get my butt in gear. The kids are upstairs and they certainly didn't bother to make their lunches, which only means war in the morning. Hopefully it will be a restful night and we will all wake in a good mood (yeah, sure, dream on!).

Try to Remember the kind of September...

Ok, the kids are in school and they are getting back to normal with a normal schedule. We still need to get a piano teacher for Charlotte and maybe a gymnastics lessons or drama lessons for Helene. We did manage to sign Luke up for soccer, but with my luck I will be the one (of the infamous 'we') that gets to take him to practice and games, because JJ will be unavailable ...

Actually, September is looking to be a crazy month. I am in South Carolina early next week (hurricane Frances permitting) and I come home Wednesday evening. JJ has a wine tasting on Thursday and Friday the 10th he leaves for France for ten days.

My amore returns the 20th around 5pm, but I leave that same afternoon (around 2pm) for Montreal for the entire week! We are coordinating for car pick up in the parking lot, so he won't have to pay for parking. I just hope that he doesn't forget to pick me up at the end of the week. You know I wonder if our kids will get really used to only having to negotiate with one parent, they will probably go into freak out mode when we are both at home! I am not sure how JJ and I will remember to have dual parenting roles. Being a single parent is a difficult job and one that I pray to God I will never have to learn, but when you are the only one making the decisions, some things are easier. I don't mind the occasional two week single parent stint, but I pray it will never become permanent. Ofcourse, the more I think about it, the more I think that I would like to try a two week single person stint, and let JJ try the single parent thing!

We are getting really excited about Regine's and Jacques' visit. They are due to arrive in the middle of September and will stay with my parents for a month. I have been searching the web for small 3 and 4 day trips so that mom and they can go see little things around and then come back for a few days. If anyone has any suggestions for unique things to see and do within a five hour drive, let me know.

Hurricane Frances is reeking havoc with my mind for Monday's travel. I am a frequent traveller, but you may be surprized to hear that I am not a good traveller. I really HATE to fly. So you can imagine my dilemma with flying to South Carolina when the eastern side of Florida is being evacuated due to Frances. Now where is South Carolina locted again??? Oh yeah, just North of Florida on the EAST COAST! Yeah, I know there is a little state called Georgia between the two, but still, I fear a bumpy and yucky landing.

This is the last weekend that our pool club is open and we are hoping to take advantage of it. We are also planning on going to Penny and Brian's on Sunday night and the pool is having a pig roast on Monday and Jack is actually talking about taking the kids camping tomorrow night!!! I cannot imagine having the house all to myself all Saturday night, that pretty much sounds sinful. I'll get some chick flicks and watch myself silly while I take a footbath and exfoliate!

Happy Labor Day weekend one and all.

Whew what a week!

Okay, first things first, although I haven't seen my mother since her operation yesterday, I did talk to her last night and she sounded tired, but well. She had just taken some pain meds and was waiting for Roger to come with dinner. I will go and see her today, but I am glad that surgery is behind us because she will soon get some mobility back, and with that will come her driving and a modicum of freedom.

Our friends Antoine and Alexa gave birth to a 6lb 15oz baby girl. We don't know the name yet, but soon. Jacques is now a big brother and Antoine and Alexa are on the cloud nine trip that is so thrilling, I envy that a little, but am happy that the birth is over and mom and daughter are doing really well. For those of you who remember Jacques birth, and the traumatic first weeks at ICU down at Children's hospital, you can only imagine the increased wonder at this birth from the parents viewpoint. They didn't have the luxury of being amazed by it all the first time around, so that makes this little girls arrival all the more special.

The first week of school is over and the kids are back in the swing of things. JJ and I are trying to remember to look in backpacks on a daily basis, check homework, have them make lunches, and basically not loosing our cool at having to repeat that same exercise every darn day. I surely don't remember it being this much of a chore for my parents when I was in school, but maybe that is just selective memory. I wonder if my older siblings had this much to do when their kids were in school, like if it's changed just since Chantal, Adrienne, Nicole and Renee were youngsters. I will have to try and remember to ask.

Luke is learning how to ride a two wheel bike. He is doing really very well and has since the first try. He goes forward in a straight line like a pro, but there is a small issue with turning and stopping. He freaks when he has to turn and stops by jumping off the bike. The other evening we were all getting ready to go on a walk. Charlotte in rollerblades, Helene and Luke on bikes and JJ and I on foot. Luke gets started and starts riding down the road. He is headed straight for the neighbors mailbox. JJ and I are looking at eachother, we are waiting for him to turn or jump off, or anything. Then we look at Luke and he runs, face first, into the mailbox. Ofcourse that knocked him off his bike. I was sure that when I arrived to turn him over there would be much blood, maybe a lost tooth or even a broken nose. It was a spectacular smash in the head and fall off the bike. Miraculously, when I picked him up he had nothing but a small scratch on his hand! Another save by a helmut I am sure.

I missed Melissa while she was in town for her aunt's surgery. DeeDee is recovering nicely and Mel is headed back up north today. I really should have called sooner, Mel got in town on Wedensday for goodness sakes, but I was just so busy. At any rate, all is well and this just means that I will have to take a trip up north to visit her...

Last I heard, Nicole was doing better and may even get to teach a little before she produced her own little bundle of joy. I am guessing that Adrienne is progressing well because we have heard nothing to the contrary. We are still getting frustrating news about Cameron and his allergies. If all the doctors are to be believed, that little boy is allergic to everything and there is no food that will not make him sick. It seems unreal to all of us that there is no medical professional who seems to feel the same sense of urgency that we do regarding the situation. The only thing that any of us want is for Cam to be able to eat and feel well and grow. It's just so amazing that no one actually seems to be able to tell Adrienne and Matt what to feed him that will not be bad for him.

Thats all for now folks.

I broke my MOM!

Ok, we all know how amazing my mother is, so you can easily imagine how spooked I was when I saw that she had fallen down a few steps at my aunts house, and was lying on her back in an obvious amount of pain. Being my mother, she didn't fall down half heartedly. She nailed her fall with an Olympic performance and managed to break her wrist. Did we get it casted on the spot? NOPE, mother broke her wrist to the point that she needs a steel plate put in there to keep it where it should be. So surgery is next Friday and I am calling on all prayers from everyone. She will have to go through some physical therapy to regain total range of motion, but I have no doubts that all will go well.

So, why the plea for prayer? Aside from the fact that we can all use prayer, my mother is currently on a 'no drive' clause which means that now she needs to depend on everyone to help her get to the grocery store, to the pharmacy, to lunch with friends, and to anywhere outside home. So pray for my parents. For my father to remember that just because he has a captive audience (mom can't leave at her own will anymore) doesn't mean that he has to abuse the situation by repeating all the stories she has already heard a million times. For my mother to develop a greater amount of selective hearing than she already has, and to have an easier time picking up the phone and calling on her great network of supporters (family and friends alike) to come and pick her up for an outing.

I will keep you all updated as news comes in. The first major hurdle ofcourse, will be the surgery.

big bisous to all.

Vacation in the islands (doesn't it sound cool?)

Oh my gosh, we are going! I made the reservations for our Caribbean vacation today. My husband, our children and my parents and I will leave Christmas morning, arrive in the afternoon in SanJuan, where we will rest our holiday heads before continuing to Guadeloupe the next day. Then we stay until January 3rd in a villa in Guadeloupe!!! I cannot believe it. I mean it ghastly expensive, but how many more trips will my little family be fortunate enough to take with both my parents, trips where we are really just going on vacation, not going to France to travel from relative to relative.
Don't get me wrong, visiting our family in France is awesome, but not like a tropical vacation in the middle of winter, and not usually very restful.
We are staying in a four bedroom villa on the beach that also has it's own pool. It's not far from the botanical garden of Deshaies. We tried to rent a villa in the garden, one that used to belong to the French comedian Coluche. The views of the ocean were breathtaking (at least in the pictures) but we went to reserve a day too late, someone had beat us to the punch.

If you want to see where we are staying look it up on nouvellesantilles.fr It's the one of the Villas Aquarelle.

I also found out the below information on the island and I am so excited that I can't believe it. We won't be skiing this year, but I don't ski anyway!

Guadeloupe is not like France, it is France - a French Overseas Departement, something like Hawaii's relationship with the US. This island has served as a French West Indies administrative centre since the 1700s. In 2003, however, St Barts - more formally St Barthelemy - and St Martin separated from Guadeloupe but retained their affiliation to France.
Guadeloupe geography suggests the wings of a butterfly. The more northern wing is the venue for Pointe-a-Pitre, main commercial centre and seaport on Grande-Terre. The southern wing, known as Basse-Terre, boasts a botanical garden, national park, and a volcano overlooking waterfalls that spray cool mists over all who come too close. Look at the map and you will find at least nine islands within the Guadeloupe archipelago. Locals call their island "The Pearl of the French West Indies."
As befits a part of France, the food and wine is mainly French, fresh and fabulous. The island's most colourful event is the annual Fete de Cuisinieres, or Festival of Women Cooks. Female chefs cater a five-hour Creole banquet of such specialities as lobster, rice and crabs, special pastries, a potent drink called ti'punch, and jambon de Noel, or Christmas ham. Ti'punch is an island rum drink with sugarcane syrup and fresh lime.
Other festivals include Carnival with streams of dancers dressed as imps and buccaneers; Bastille Day, a mid-July festival of the arts; and All Saints,' when cemeteries are lit up with candles so that the dead can see their still-living friends who stay up all night in honour of the dead.
Coffee aficionados should be sure to treat themselves to Guadeloupe's high-quality, home-grown coffee. Locals like their coffee Cuban style - black as night, sweet as love, hot as hell. Speaking of that, the north point of Grande-Terre is called La Porte d'Enfer, the Door of Hell, but more closely resembles a tropical Garden of Eden.
Basse Terre is the more rugged of Guadeloupe's butterfly wings. A popular tourist draw is the area's La Soufriere (Sulphur) Volcano, rising to 4,977 feet. All around is the Botanical Gardens and Parc National with a virgin rainforest, spectacular waterfalls, and canyon routes. This vast jungle overlooks the deep-blue waters which gave the island its Arawak name Karukera, believed to mean "island of beautiful waters."
As for the beaches, nudism has been a French reality since 1778. The idea of healthy living in the outdoors and without benefit of clothing came into full play during the 1920s. Topless is normal but most West Indians leave that sort of thing for tourists. Skinny dipping is permitted on some beaches. Some beaches are reputed to be hangouts for young men who are not bashful about propositioning female tourists.
Pointe-a-Pitre has a rather grand airport, the better to serve the military whenever the political scene gets hot. In the 1970s, violence broke out over the issue of independence. That situation has since calmed down, especially after French taxpayers more or less rebuilt the archipelago after the devastating Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
So what to do besides beachcombing, sea diving, exploring jungles, and marvelling at the castle-like formations at La Pointe de Chateaux? Among all-inclusive resorts is the Paris-based Club Med La Caravelle.
Offshore islands include Les Saintes, with one of the world's most beautiful bays.
Zouk is the French Caribbean's popular in music. You hear its double beat and hypnotic West African rhythm in buses, bistros, discos, bars - all over the place.

Back to School Prayer

My mother sent this and I thought that I would share. It's from Girls and Boys Town

Dear Student

I hope you have a good school year. Say this prayer often.

From me.

Sometimes it is very hard to be a student. Some days I don't want to go to school. It is very hard to learn. I failed in school too often in the past, and I sometimes don't trust my teachers.

Dear Lord, please help me study when I would rather watch television. Please encourage me when I want to give up. Please help me to sit down and study. Please give me a greater desire to learn and to know.

Sometimes Lord, I don't give myself credit enough. I can learn things better than I think. I know that with Your help and love, I really can succeed in school. Help me, too, to encourage my fellow students and say a work of praise to them when they do well. I know You love me, Lord. Help me to love Your truth and goodness and beauty.

Amen

School days, school days

Dear old golden rule days.

'Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic'

Taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick.

You were my maid in calico

I was your bashful barefoot beau,

And you wrote on my slate,

'I love you , so'

When we were a couple of kids.

August 10th - 15 more days until school!

It seems that everyone is in the 'back to school' madness. I went on the net and printed the lists needed for the classroom, but somehow I have not been motivated to get out to the store and purchase the items. Don't even get me started on clothing. I am very resistant. It's bizarre because I love to buy the kids clothes, and I do so on a regular basis, but the thought of having to go and buy them a new wardrobe because it's September 1st, just doesn't make sense to me. They will still be wearing shorts and t-shirts when school starts, so the need for a new winter jacket just doesn't seem urgent. I am certain that my kids will see it differently, they will want to go clothes shopping and shoe shopping, but I just don't feel like fighting the crowds.

The neighborhood (sub-division) picnic was Saturday and there was a mechanical bull. Luke has now decided that we need to rent one for his birthday party. Suddenly he remembers that his birthday is in about a month and so he wants everything, a gameboy, any toy that attracts his attention, and last but not least, a motorcycle... There is a cool kids motorcycle (ages 6 to 120 lbs) but he needs to know how to ride a two wheeler. The question, of course, is, do I want to encourage him to get rid of the training wheels, because then I would kind of paint myself into a corner as far as getting him his motorcycle goes, I would have no excuse. OK, that sounds real weak, like I need an excuse to say no. What I meant was, I can't motivate him to get rid of the training wheels with the carrot being the motorcycle, because then I would actually have to follow through.

The other issue that has become a hot topic in my house is the pet question. I will admit that I would be awfully excited to get a puppy and have a new member in our family. I will also admit that we really don't have all that much time on our hands as it is, and the thought of adding a puppy to our mix sounds a little insane. But, I am kind of insane, and that has always been one of our operational modes. The thing is, I know that the kids would like a dog as well, but I am hesitant because I don't know if I will really want the dog 6 weeks later, and you don't really take on the dog question for the short term. JJ knows that, as nice as a dog sounds, he doesn't want one. So we have decided to attack the issue from a different angle. We are going to dog sit for the pets in the neighborhood. I thought that we could be owners to everyone's dog and not actually have to bear the responsibility long term. Kind of like being grandparents, have all the fun and none of the long term angst... We'll see how it goes, our first assignment is this weekend.

We are not having the best of luck finding a place to stay in the Caribbean (notice I have enlarged my requests to the Caribbean, rather than just Martinique and Guadeloupe!) , but I haven't given up hope. I wrote to Sabine's mom to see if she had any better insight, but so far no answer. I never would have guessed that it would be so difficult to find a rental property in December. I mean, I realize that Christmas is the peak season in the islands, but we are in August for goodness sakes! I am going to start looking at hotels, rather than rentals and maybe I will have better luck.

Back From the North

We just spent some great times up in the Charlevoix and Traverse City areas. We went to the Venetian Festival with Lou, Carole and the boys. I am not sure why they call it the Venetian Festival, it has absolutely nothing to do with Venice, but I am sure that there is a story there somewhere.

There were fireworks both Friday and Saturday night. A good parade on Saturday with the MSU marching band. Ted Lindsay was the grand marshal, and that was ok. He has lost a little shine in my opinion, ever since he was at a wine dinner and wouldn't stop talking, I mean, even when the producers were presenting their wines, the guy wouldn't hold his tongue for two seconds and listen (and maybe even learn something). Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Mr. Lindsay and what he has done in his career and for the game of hockey, he just isn't as shiny as he used to be.

Where was I, oh yea, the parade. It was the LOOOONNNNGGGGEEESSSTTTT parade in history and had more contest queens and courts than any I have ever seen, not that I am a big parade connaisseur. Then came the band, and they were awesome. The other best part were the bagpipe players - made me think of Suzie and her advice on how there are very few female players (only one in the two bands in the parade on Sat) and how they are in high demand. Charlotte still isn't going for the idea and I am not certain that I could handle the practice sessions anyway.

Saturday night there was also a parade of decorated boats. It was pretty cool to see all the lights. One boat even decorated their passengers, who were dancing. It was a great weekend, spent with Carole and some of her immediate and extended family. We really had a wonderful time.

On Monday we headed for Traverse, after having spent two afternoons on beaches in Charlevoix. In Traverse we found a place outside the city, on Lake Leelanau. This was thanks to Louis and his friend for forever, Gerry Ashburn. Gerry and his family go to these cabins (Westwindresort.net) every year. They are right on the lake, near enough to some big towns and the cabins are great. We were ecstatic.

On Tuesday we rented a pontoon boat in traverse bay and attempted to fish. We did this for 3 hours (reminded me of the famous three hour tour, but no storm) and really had a great time laughing at our inability to fish, bait, reel, or whatever. We ate in town and retreated to our cabin in the evening for another great sunset.

JJ worked on Wednesday, so the kids and I didn't move from the cabins. They swam, I read. They fished, I untangled fishing lines. They played, I read. They swam, I read. It was a good time all around and one that I think we look forward to repeating next year, if we don't go to France on the vineyard. Actually, I liked this place so much it would be fun to rent with other members of the family (in seperate cabins to avoid too much togetherness) and friends and make it a great week. I would ask for feedback, but I am not sure that anyone actually reads this, I think that I am writing more for prosperity's sake, than for information.

It looks like Tahiti at Christmas is out because it is on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD. I guess that I should have understood that sooner, but I am blond. So we have an agreement to look at the Caribean. Martinique and Guadeloupe sound good, but JJ is looking for his connection on St. Thomas. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes. Martinique sounds like the right plan to me, they speak french, it's warm and inviting, I just have to start looking for somewhere awesome to stay. Again, comments and suggestions are welcome.

big bisous to all
moi

new this week?

Not much, I was in South Carolina for three days but am back now and trying to get things done so that I can blow this office by tomorrow at noon.  We are going up north to Charlevoix for the Venetian festival.  I have never been but Louis and Carole go every year and they (ok, not Lou, but Carole was) were kind enough to get us to reserve for this years festival.  I will report when we get back on how it goes.

We were also trying to reserve something around the same area for the week because Jack has a wine tasting in Traverse on Wednesday, but ofcourse, since we started our search like ten days ago, we found a whole lot of places that were not available until August 21st.  We couldn't understand any of them at first because they were all laughing so hard at our request for dates!!!  Any one who claims that there are problems with the tourism trade in northern Michigan, has not tried to reserve anything in July. 

We are gathering information for a Christmas trip to Tahiti.  My father (of all people) expressed an interest in going and I jumped all over it.  So the five of us and my parents are planning a December trip.  Anyone with any information, please forward it to me.  Dad is appalled, ofcourse, because he was expressing interest in going someday, not necessarily planning on going this year.  How many days are we going to have left to go on vacation with my parents?  Hopefully many, but we cannot take any of them for granted, so we are planning on going now.    I am going to try and get some of my brothers to join us, but I am pretty sure that they are all petrified at the idea of actually going on vacation anywhere with me. 

Thats it for now.

Oh wonderful month of July

We really enjoyed the holiday weekend and spent most of it being lazy. I didn't even manage to get caught up on the ironing, but I did get the laundry done! We went to Dr and Jan Knysz' house for their 4th of July celebration and saw a magnificent display of fireworks over the lake, and we came home to a bonus day on Monday. It was very beneficial and also very cool.

The other bonus on Monday was a mention of Eagle Eye Imports, and two of their wines, by Christopher Cook in the Oakland Press. Much of the hard work put out in June is paying off, and this is just the kind of pay off that EEI is looking for. Jean-Jacques is happy and looking forward to the next challenge, hiring a salesperson in Chicago. I think that once he gets a structure in place in Chicago, he will really be able to look towards the next six months and start going towards his goal. Currently he is treading water so hard to keep things together and keep things looking good, that the poor guy makes me tired just looking at him.

I am on a kick right now about wanting the kids to take golf lessons. So far, no takers, although Luke is thinking about it. JJ and I are both interested in taking lessons together, but I have to get rid of this tendon thing in my thumb before I even look into finding lessons.

Charlotte has decided that she wants to learn to play tennis. I am not sure if this means that someone she is interested in (maybe just a girlfriend) plays tennis up at the club. At any rate, I am going to look into getting her lessons and a racket. It would be a good daddy/daughter (or mother/daughter if my hand heals) activity. In the meantime, I have been asking the kids to walk with me and they are looking at me like I am from outside space. It's just as well because it is really too humid for words right now. I am still managing my three times a week at Curves, so I guess that's something.

Luke asked me when I was going to quit my job and focus only on taking care of him. I told him that when he made enough money I would gladly do just that. His solution? Well he told me that he would do yard work for me, I could pay him, and he would give me his money... Ah, the logic of a five year old.

Actually I am enjoying things at work just now. I feel that I have gotten a handle on some things and since there are some organizational changes in the near past, and bound to be a few in the near future, it makes things exciting. I am going to Anderson South Carolina in a few weeks. This will be the first time I go out and see the customer facility and I am looking forward to it. I hope that it won't be gawd awful sticky and hot.

Summer is zooming by and we (JJ and I) have yet to take vacation and decide if, when and where we are going to go. I have told him that I will follow his lead, but I guess that in light of what he is going through professionally, that it isn't very fair for me to expect him to plan a family vacation for the first time ever! Oh, I really hate it when I am logical, I so prefer the thought of being spoilt, self centered and just an ego maniac...

more soon.

Wednesday, June 30

Another two weeks at least with the splint on my hand. The doctor is happy with the progress but feels that keeping the thumb immobilized is the best way to "baby" the tendon and let it get back to normal. As she says, you did a lot of damage over quite a period of time, so it will take some time to get back to normal.

Allyson was breathtaking in her beauty pageant last week, but she didn't take home the title. I really don't think that she cared though, she just seemed glad that it was over. Kathy was able to come. I am amazed at how quick and well she is recovering. Valerie was also there cheering her sister on. It made me very proud to be related to them because a beauty pageant is NOT Vals thing, but she was all about giving her sister support. Richard, who escorted his daughter for her formal wear run, was beaming with pride and trying very hard to downplay the whole thing.

Natalie's graduation party was great. The whole family got to see another Oudin growing up and a few new ones (Hailey and Cameron) getting started. I was sorry to have missed Angela, because even though her daughter was with us, she was working and didn't get in until later in the afternoon, by which time we had left due to the Swim Team Campout...
Emily (thank goodness) saved our lives by sleeping at the pool, in a tent, with the girls. I am not sure that JJ would have been able to handle it. We (JJ and I) are still like war refugees in shock.

The girls did ok at their swim meet on Monday and there is another one tomorrow. I think that they are starting to understand about team spirit and being a small part of a bigger thing. There are so many kids on the swim team though (almost 100) that it is hard for them to understand. They swim only in exhibition heats and have yet to actually score any points for their team, so it's all a little "out there" for now.

Tomorrow is the start of a new month. I am looking forward to a few evenings of relaxation and maybe swimming. It would be nice to get a handle on my laundry and ironing too, but I won't go there. There is a travel hold at MarkIV now, so that bodes well for staying home.

Mom and I are still working out at Curves three times a week. Lots of fun and laughs. I am sure that it is doing some good, but my body is still twice the size it needs to be - but boy-oh-boy, my mother looks great!

big bisous to all of you.

ME

another day

Thanks to all for the positive feedback on this site. Everyone seems to think that this is a pretty good way for me to keep in touch, and by the number of emails I got, I think so too.
Many apologies to any I have managed to offend. As was so astutely pointed out to me, this is kind of like an "all about me, I am the center of the universe" type site. I didn't intend for it to be like that, I just wanted to be able to give everyone a glance into my laughable and crazy life. I know that I am not very reachable by phone, so I hoped that this was a good way. At any rate, if you are logged in here and reading this, you must not think it is so bad. You can feel free to post a comment to this site or send me an email if you'd like.

An update on last nights dinner. We had a fantastic dinner at Tribute with a six course meal that was planned around the wines. It was truly a success and for my first visit to this fantastic restaurant, I can say, without reservation, that it is a unique location with outstanding service and food. My table neighbors were as enchanted as me, and hopefully Suzie Martin will provide some pictures so I can post them here and give you all a view.

This afternoon is the last event for this whirlwind producers tour. I am glad because the events are always beautiful and great, but I am very much looking forward to a few evenings at home, in my Pj's, watching cartoons with the kids. NOT tonight however. Allyson is competing in the Miss Clawson pageant tonight and I am going to (oh my goodness, I don't know if I can say it,) a beauty pageant!!! Go Allyson!

I spoke with Kathy this morning and she sounds like she is coming around slowly but surely. Your continued support and prayers are great.

More soon. Big Bisous.

June Jubilee comes to a close

For those with whom I've been out of touch, and that is most everyone because even my children don't know who I am anymore, this has been an extremely busy month for the Fertal household. I have decided to keep those who are interested updated through this site, thanks to my 'avant garde' friend Melissa, who showed me the way.

Jack was gone from about May 15th through the 5th of June. He was in Ohio selling wine and then two weeks in France meeting with producers. Since his return he has been very busy preparing for the Vinexpo. Vinexpo is a wine trade show that is held once a year (every other year in Bordeaux, where it is bigger than anything that I have ever seen, and an off year outside Bordeaux). This year it was in Chicago and that was seen as a blessing and a curse all at the same time. A blessing because it was too close to us to ignore, and JJ's company now has a license in Illinois, and a curse because everything is happening so fast.

So physically he has been back in the States since the 5th, but I am hoping that mentally he rejoins the family sometime this weekend. Six producers from France came for Vinexpo and followed to Michigan to see more customers, but all events end tomorrow, June 25th.

JJ's parents have been with us since June 5th and that has been a HUGE help. We have been able to travel, work and sleep without worrying about our children (and I haven't even had to do laundry since they have arrived, maybe they should stay!). They go home on Sunday and we are going to be a little lost at first, just the five of us at home without forty five deadlines hanging over our head.

The girls have been swimming on the swim team at Heart of the Hills. They have both done really well for their first year competing, and I think that they may want to continue in the off season (at least Charlotte does). All three of them have lessons five days a week and they are all bronzed and (ofcourse) beautiful. The kids live at the pool and I am not sure how we survived summers before being members at the pool.

June also had mom's birthday. We were able to all get together and celebrate mom's 75th birthday. The weather was incredible and we all had a great time, although I think my father the homebody had the best time of all. It's amazing what happens when we are actually able to get him out of the house!!

We also had two successful operations in the family, one on Kathy's back, she was operated on for two ruptured discs and is recovering nicely (prayers for her health are still mondo appreciated), slowly but surely. The other was on Carole and all results are positive! We also had a successful highschool graduation, Way to go Natalie (are you really, really, realy sure that you don't want to be a Spartan, at least for a year?)!

July will bring some much needed rest and a local baby shower for Nicole. I know that I will be going back to France soon, just not when, and Montreal is in the works at least once in July...

More news soon. If I can figure it out I will provide for comments, if I can't you can always email me.