13 Things You Might Ignore About Me

1. I'm very picky when it comes to food. I don't like fish, pears, olives, lobster, raisins, garlic, dill pickles and so many more. However, I adore Bruxelles sprouts, turnips, eggplants, goat cheese, shrimps. And I eat fruits only when they are perfectly ripe, not before, not after. Croissants and bread have to be extremely fresh, so does milk. I drink an impressive quantity of water but it has to be spring water. My man says my mouth is snobbish. I guess he's right.

2. I react to medication a lot, I must take the info about possible side effects. I'm allergic to Penicillin and don't tolerate Ventolin. I've been hospitalized before because the antibiotics I was taking got me sicker. I try to avoid being sick as much as possible :-)

3. As a teen, my parents were too cool. Really. I didn't whine about it (I was a teenager!) but now, I know it was not what I needed then. Anyway, my friends thought I was sooooo lucky.

4. I'm a real catastrophe in most sports. In fact, in most sports where you need equipement (skis, skates, sticks, balls, rackets). First time I went down-hill skiing, I took the chair lift and didn't get out. Someone came to get me, with a ladder. T'was clearly embarrassing... I'm a great dancer though!

5. I have a mole on my right knee. My doctor often offered to take it off, but I think I'm a little attached to it.

6. Before studying to become a teacher, I studied Communication for a year to become a journalist. At night I was constantly dreaming I was teaching in a dream school. By the way, this school exists...

7. I play the flute and the piano. To be honest, I played, but one day, I'll play again.

8. I'm working on a fantastic project with Tanja. To be continued...

9. I have a giddiness problem.

10. I don't like animals. Sorry beasts, I don't wanna be your friend. C'est la vie!

11. I collect lots of things. I've always done that. Getting older makes it worse.

12. In the car, with my daughters, we sometimes do the fingers dance, I can't explain it, you gotta be there. It's a little like Claude's little finger dog. No really, you have to be there..

13. I never open my eyes under water, I hate it and I can't see a thing anyway. I always swim with my arms in front of me to avoid hitting someone or something.

Metal

I love the city, so metal I like too. I like bridges, structures ... and sewers! Don't panic, it's only because they show the name of the city I'm in that I like them. Otherwise, duh... In January, we started this tradition in San Diego while we were on vacation with the girls. Some kind of proof we've been there...

Miranda

I was sitting at my work table when I ask out loud: "What should I be writting on for my 'Thursday Love' entry?" "Talk about me", said Miranda matter-of-factly. A special request like that, how could I refuse?

So, my Mimi... You'd have to meet her in person to understand how nice and happy-joy-joy this child, hmmm teen, is. She is very curious: so many questions on so many topics, in the car earlier, we discussed atomic bomb shelters and she was astonished to learn that I've lived in one for around 10 days in 1993, when we toured in Switzerland with the Philharmonique (I used to play the flute). We've talked about loans, raising kids, politics and those were the easy topics!

She loves doing arts and crafts, play on the computer, take pictures, write poems, play the piano, spend time with her friends (Lucie, Maude, Sarah), swim, watch 'Charmed' (and recently CSI!) and talk. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. She started talking at very young age. Everything related to words have always fascinated her. She even learned to read at 4, on her own. One day I was reading her a book, while pointing at the words, a few days later, she was reading. It was as simple as that.

Miranda is a little kitty (but I'm definitely NOT allergic to that tyupe of kitten) who likes to be cuddled, who looks for hugs and kisses. And she likes posing for her mother, as you can see on the photo. Miranda, I love you, so a lot very much... Mom xx

Fire

Fire is an element I like a lot. I love its light, I'm definitely a woman who dislikes darkness. I also love heat; I'm always feeling cold. Even if the ambient temperature is warm, it's not uncommon for my feet to be cold. In the winter, I have to make sure I cover my ears, the tip of my nose and my fingers who freeze so rapidly, it's almost ridiculous. Naturally, my feet follow not so long after...

If it was not for the bugs, I'd be a fan of campfires. The smell of burning wood (& BBQ) is a direct link to nice childhood memories.

For my 40th birthday, I went to Paris, to make sure I wouldn't feel time flying. It worked! Of course, as tourists, we had to stop by the Cathédrale Notre-Dame. The majority of the photos taken inside are too dark, but this one, I like. I have a thing for those mini candles and I have a large stock at home, in case of another ice storm...!

Air

Air is quite a problem for me, personally. During the month of June, pollen carried by the wind makes me irritable (a little) but mostly weary (very, very). I become a big walking tissue. And the wind isn't my best friend even if my oldest daughter is named after a wind. However, wind is fantastic when it comes to photography.

Come on, look at these gling-gling skirts! We can almost see the wind, the air moving and creating enchanting music. It was easy to imagine young women shaking their hips and hypnotizing men. Photo taken in a flea market in New York, two weeks ago.

Earth

A few years ago, I met a great woman. We worked together, had long conversations, shared our passions and discovered new ones. She showed me her photos from her trips in exotic countries (Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica) and I adored them. I remember that one of her photos was a shot of her feet in the sand, viewed from above. I love that photo and that's why I often take pictures of our feet, on vacation.

Above are Miranda's feet on Washington D.C.'s ground (well, earth... here's the link with the theme!) from last year's summer vacation. I loved the US capital; its historical and commemorative monuments, its free museums. Notice that the ground in the parks located near the museums made of small pebbles. Lovely!

Water

I gave in to temptation (easy...) and decided to do a week based on the five elements. What a nice idea. It gives me the chance of looking at my photos with a different perspective. And I've decided to share photos taken during previous vacations, in different towns.

Today, Monday, for the water theme I've chosen a photo taken at the New England Aquarium in Boston, two weeks ago on a short trip with my two daughters. I have been to the aquarium already, a couple of years ago; Alizée too, last year. And Miranda had her turn this year. I didn't really want to take pictures inside, it is very dark and in general, I'm not really satisfied with the results in these conditions.

But then, at the end, I surrendered and I admit that I don't regret it at all. I love the pictures of the anemones, they are beautiful plants. I love the ocean, but more as a landscape than a pool (and, as a road, well... I guess it's fine). In fact, I rarely swim in it; the poor swimmer I am must be the reason. But the sea... The seashore. The sound of the sea. The smell of the sea. And those wonderful creatures living under the sea...

My 13 Favorite Rufus Wainwright Songs

A few days ago, I was in New York City listening to him with great pleasure, in Central Park, under the rain... And it was fantastic!

1. Hallelujah
2. Vicious World
3. Go or Go Ahead
4. Beautiful Child
5. Gay Messiah
6. Memphis Skyline
7. I Eat Dinner
8. Do I Disappoint You
9. Going to a Town
10. Between My Legs
11. Rules and Regulations
12. Grey Garden
13. Dinner at Eight

Laughing

I love to laugh, a lot. And I discovered this website two days ago: I can has cheezburger. The photographs are funny, but it's the added comments that often make them soooo funny. I especially like this one.

For a girl who doesn't like cats (I'm allergic, so I kinda developed an antipathy towards them after sneezing and having trouble breathing, that's quite a good reason to dislike cats, right?), I had a lot of fun watching those.

Check for new pictures regularly!

13 Things I Want To Do, To See in New York

1. See and listen to Rufus Wainwright's show in Central Park, Sunday evening
2. Stop by Tiffany's (just because...)
3. Eat a sundae at Serendipity's (Tanja's suggestion)
4. Visit MoMA (Tanja, again)
5. Eat a cupcake at Cupcakes Cafe (Andrea's been there last fall)
6. Go on Canal Street (according to my teenager and my husband I gotta got at least once in my life)
7. Wander through Chinatown (after Montréal and San Francisco, we must see NY's)
8. Buy stuff in a REAL flea market
9. Walk on Broadway, by night
10. Walk in Central Park, by day
11. Eat a hot-dog on the street (my husband fantasizes about that)
12. Take an incredible number of photos (easy!)
13. Not forget to photograph our feet on a sewer where "New York" is written on it (a proof we've been there...)

Mother-Daughters Vacation

I did something new: went on a four-day vacation with my daughters only (our man had to work...).

We left on Monday and made a short stop at the beach (2 hours!); we've discovered we're not really beach girls after all. But the city... Boston was waiting for us: Boston Common, Quincy Market, the Aquarium, the North End, Newbury Street and Copley Place. And, oh, the great Boston pizza and, of course, whoopie pies!

The girls have been fantastic, I adored our trip.

And I'm going away again tomorrow! Rufus and I have a date in central Park, I don't really have a choice, you know, gotta go...

13 Activities I Did With Elliot and Anaïs

Click here for the pictures of our day together...

1. Act crazy with the finger puppets (try making the noise of a giraffe or a panda!!!)
2. Do arts 'n crafts
3. Learn to make bubble with chewing gum (in process...)
4. Use the hot glue gun A-L-O-N-E!
5. Send a postcard to a someone you don't know (postcard swap is for youngsters too!)
6. Watch fish in their tank
7. Eat at the Golden Arches (a Godmother's classic...)
8. Sip slushies
9. Paint
10. Introduce "ze" monster (982 years old, partly mechanic)
11. Draw the ocean (probably inspired by the fish tank we saw earlier...) using chalk, in the driveway
12. Swim (and drop the chewing gum in the water)
13. Play the piano

Creacamp

I've just registered to go to the next creacamp. I've read many blogs where authors were talking about their meeting in Chicago (BlogHer) and it gave me the courage (well, the word is a little too strong, I admit...) to go for it too (made in Québec). I'm still not ready to give a presentation, talk about my stuff. I'll sneak around, first. And we'll see for the following time!

I'm on something with Tanja. It's still an embryo (ok, more a sprakle in the universe) but it keeps going around in my head... We'll redefine our work or at least give it an essential boost. Our arts 'n crafts dates have such a positif impact on us, we decided we have to do something about them. To be continued...

Sweet Sixteen

At 11:33 (PM), on the 8th day of the 8th month, in 1991 was born my first daughter, Alizée. It was a joyous moment, filled with happiness where my live changed for the best. My sister on my side, I delivered a wonderful little girl who has grown up a lot since then.

I remember how she was rocked with care, watched 101 Dalmatians all the time, created stories about princes and knights (not really the princess type; she found the princesses boring and preferred the princes who had swords, horses and lives filled with action and excitement), found the joys of computers, learned to make bubbles with chewing gum (an important moment in the lives of children), became a scout (to learn about survival techniques, camouflage and building shelters), started high school and decided she wanted to go to boarding school. One day she became a woman, another day she had her first girls' night at home while us, the parents, were gone.

That's all yesterday. Today, she is 16...

Happy birthday my sweet Alizée!
Mom xx

Unbelievable

You've heard about Hula desperately looking for the butter? Well, she and I sometimes go through similar situations. So here, we were desperately looking for the 3rd CD. I've burnt 3 for my husband who spends a lot of time in his car, so he can listen to good music and, obviously think about how wonderful his wife is (nothing's free, hey?). I've put the CDs in the car late in the evening on Thursday with a post-it (t'was a surprise) and placed them so he could see them as he sat in the car, in the morning.

He was, oh so happy about CD #1 and CD #3 but for days now, we couldn't find CD #2. AND I KNEW I PUT IT IN THE CAR! I looked on my desk (maybe I didn't put it in the car?), Claude looked in both our cars (in case I mixed his CD with my CDs) and again, and again. After writing a comment on Hula's blog I decided I needed to go see by myself in the car. You know how women are, they have to go see by themselves! My husband was laughing a little, knowing "it wasn't there", but still he wanted the darn CD. So I started looking under the seat, behind the seat and then I saw it...And I was almost ready to accuse Monsieur Lebel...
Monsieur Lebel was my neighbor when I was a child and we always accused him of taking stuff we couldn't find anymore. Of course, it was impossible he had taken any of our stuff, or, was it? (Horror film music as a background...)

Bread

Today's artistic creations are Claude's delicious hot buns. The bread he makes has different shapes but today, they were muffins-like. With Nutella, mmmmm...

It's the girls who told me that Saturday's blog could also include Claude's creations, not only theirs. I must admit that my husband is an artist at heart. His cuisine is divine, his furnitures fit perfectly, his sense of humor is really funny and his love is endless (ok, the latter isn't related but I adore that he loves me so much... :-)

13 Songs I Like to Listen to Nowadays

1. Hey There Delilah / Plain White T's
2. U-Turn (Lili) / Aaron (From the movie Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas)
3. Flagpole Sitta / Harvey Danger (And its funny video I adore)
4. Evil Woman / E.L.O. (Thanks to Pancakemama for reminding me that song!)
5. Everything / Michael Buble
6. Superman / Lazlo Bane (I'm hooked on Scrubs and it's the theme)
7. Tempted / Squeeze (Because of the Heineken TV commercial)
8. How Soon is Now / The Smiths (Since I started watching Charmed with my daughter)
9. La Revencha del Tango / Gotan Project
10. Big Girls Don't Cry / Fergie
11. Cruel to Be Kind / Marshall Crenshaw (Memories from my college years...)
12. Fallen From the Sky / Glen Hansard (From the movie Once)
13. The Hill / Marketa Irglova (From the movie Once)

My Beautiful Photos

I've finally decided to print my photos. I started with my family photos the first shot, and now I've gone for the big thing and had my "beautiful photos" printed. They're the kind of photos that make me say I'm enjoying photography even though it sounds a little too "pro" for what I'm doing. With digital cameras, everyone can make nice photos. Still, I'm very proud when I look at my little babies. I'm now looking for an album to put my treasures, something special, of course!

They're really beautiful, aren't they? (Double click on it to see them bigger...)