C'est la vie...A running update on the Massons

Change of address...

2011-01-08T19:19:00.001+01:00

Today I'm hitting two birds with one blogstone: letting you know that I'll be updating from a new location and giving you all the details. (And then some!)

This 1,001st post will be my last on this blog, which is both sad and exciting for me. It's a new chapter, but the last one was pretty good. I started blogging over at Senegal Daily last year, and with our upcoming move in 13 days... it makes sense to make the jump.

Senegal Daily

Same faces, new place! This will be the continuation of everyday life with Les Masson. But as you'll see, we're now going by our Senegalese names: Cheikh (that's Jonathan) and Khady (that's me).

You'll find that over in the left-hand column you can sign up to receive the updates by email, if you prefer.

If you're into RSS feeds, look to the upper left.

Project Senegal

Updates on the projects we'll be working on in Senegal - and how you can be a part of them.

Clean water, handmade jewelry, medical care, solar power, scrubs, language classes... you'll find al kinds ways you can get involved and keep up with Project Senegal.

In the left-hand column you can sign up to receive the updates by email or sign up to receive our monthly newsletter. It's short. It's informative. And it's only once a month!

I'm of the rip-it-off-like-a-Band-Aid school of thought when it comes to goodbyes, so I want to make this quick. Thank you, merci, jërë jëf... Your comments and encouraging words have meant more than I can express. I'll see you over at Senegal Daily!

And for my 1,000th post...

2011-01-02T13:00:00.002+01:00

We've been baking. Same recipe... new results!

Click here for details!

Say cheese... and be still.

2010-12-29T15:00:00.001+01:00

PS - This is my 999th post on this blog! I'd better come up with something good for the next one...

A family war...

2010-12-28T05:38:00.002+01:00

Outside, the world was peaceful and calm.

Cedar Rapids, Ia. Sources report a violent fight took place this morning as a family divided and turned on itself in what can only be described as a merciless Nerf war. Mothers grabbed children and uncles formed alliances with nieces and nephews while grandparents stood on the sidelines, watching in amazement as their family members attacked each other.

Uncle Jesse and Aunt Julie. (They started it.)

Eyewitnesses report that the skies were filled with Nerf arrows and foam balls, bouncing off the walls, floors and every now and then off a kid's head. When the troops were disarmed, the weapons filled a suitcase and a garbage bag.

But although the shooting, looting and hollering has ceased for now... this was merely battle number one.

Uncle Jonathan shot a defenseless Aunt Julie...
but Kaylin came to the rescue, supplying her with more ammo.

Uncle Jesse setting a violent example for his son.

Aunt Britt uniting the forces of the little ones,
even turning Renae against her parents, so they'd fight on her side.

Sammy hitched a ride with Uncle Jonathan to ride around collecting ammo.

Did I mention we watched "Robin Hood" last night?

'Twas the day before Christmas...

2010-12-24T23:24:00.000+01:00

A Christmas Eve walk in the snow

Merry Christmas, from the photographer... and her sidekick.

Jonathan exploring

Christmas cookie tradition

Oh Christmas tree beads...

Ducks out for a Christmas Eve paddle

All ready for the nieces and nephews... and the aunts and uncles!

So this is snow, huh?

So quiet by the tree... for now

Barns through the trees

Wrap it up with a bow

Such snow naturals

On the tree

A burst of color

Over the river and through the woods...

The secret life of grown-ups...

2010-12-17T17:13:00.002+01:00

This post is largely addressed to our readership under the age of ten. Pull up a chair. I'm about to give you the real scoop.

As a kid, I always suspected that grown-ups had more fun after they put us shorter people to bed. I tried unsuccessfully to confirm my theory by catching them in the act.

I would wander out into the living room, lifting my eyebrows high because I thought that would show my mom that I was wide awake in case she wanted to ask me to join the party with my aunts and uncles. Instead, she would quickly usher me back to my bed... even after I explained how parched my throat was and that I liked water from the kitchen (other side of the living room) better. No luck.

So I never got a good look at what the grown-ups were doing after the kids were put to bed. But I sure did hear it. Bottles of Coke being opened, loud rounds of laughter, popcorn popping, movies with serious music, my dad cracking jokes... and sometimes I even heard the freezer door being opened. Ice cream.

The unfairness was overwhelming.

Well kids, I'm here reporting back to you as a grown-up that my suspicions have been confirmed. After you are tucked into bed, we do bust out the big servings of good dessert, the fun games and the movies you can't watch. And sometimes (like last night) we even make a late-night trip to get ice cream.

But don't worry, kids. Someday you'll be an aunt or uncle and you'll be able to pull the same trickery on your nieces and nephews.

A Christmas time machine...

2010-12-14T04:57:00.000+01:00

2003: Miname, Senegal, with the Borders fam and some great friends.
As seen on the old school blog. We're in the back row... about 4 feet apart.

2004: Marietta, Georgia. Not technically Christmas, but two days before.
Note that we're no longer 4 feet apart.

2005: Lyon, France. Just les Masson.
As seen in this blog post entitled 'Our first Noël...'

2006: Lyon, France, with Kate and Chris (the photographer)
As seen in 'Noël, Noël, Noël'

2007: Marietta, Georgia, with the Borders fam
As seen in 'The first half of Christmas'

2008: In Madrid, Spain, with Jesse and Julie.
As seen in 'Ho Ho Hola!'

2009: Budapest, Hungary, with the Borders fam.
As seen in 'And a bulldog Christmas to you too!'

2010: Coming soon! Here's a sneak preview though. There will be a LOT of nieces and nephews in the picture :)

Making a (food) list, checkin' it twice...

2010-12-11T05:51:00.000+01:00

Kari's to-eat-in-America list:

Really good fish and chips at a pub in New Jersey

~~Marietta Pizza Co.~~

~~La Parilla chicken nachos~~

~~Cheesecake~~

Great Plains Pizza

~~Bub's lasagne~~

~~Willie Rae's fish tacos~~

Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts

~~La Parilla chips and salsa~~

Chick Fil A biscuit

~~Really good fish and chips~~

~~Iowa beef~~

~~Dr Pepper~~

~~Sarah Jean's mint chocolate chip ice cream~~

Hickory Park BBQ

~~Chick Fil A chicken strips salad~~

~~Sushi~~

~~Longhorn's steak~~

~~AW root beer~~

~~Colonel Poole's BBQ~~

~~Hot dog in NYC~~

~~Taco Bell double decker taco supreme~~

~~DQ mint Oreo blizzard~~

~~NJ bagels~~

~~Greek salads~~

Root beer float

~~Dunkin Donuts Holes (blueberry!)~~

~~KFC original fried chicken~~

Papa John's pizza

~~Starbucks lattes~~

Checkers' 1/4 lb champ burger and fries

With only 6 weeks left in the US, I'd better get busy! Did I miss anything?

Snow joke...

2010-12-05T23:16:00.000+01:00

I call it "Iowa in winter".

On the banks of the Cedar River

Southern Girl is getting a snowy education.

Fortunately, I bought (cute!) snow boots just in time.

Who knew not all woodpeckers were cartoons?

Who wants hot chocolate?

When good gifts go bad...

2010-11-30T03:38:00.001+01:00

Back in 2004, Jonathan had a brilliant idea. His only brother was getting married and he wanted to buy the new couple the perfect gift. At the time, Jonathan lived in Senegal, West Africa. Perfect for a truly one-of-a-kind gift to be treasured year after year of their marriage.

He heard of a wood sculptor a couple hours away who had a formidable reputation. So Jonathan hatched a plan, gathered the photo he needed, and took off to place an order.

What he had in mind was a wooden carving that Jesse and Julie would be able to hang in their home as a reminder of a verse found in Song of Solomon: "This is my beloved and this is my friend." The idea also included carvings representing Jesse and Julie, with God extending His hands to bless them.

Like I said, a truly one-of-a-kind gift.

Is that not the most... truly one-of-a-kind thing you've ever seen? When I saw it six years ago, I died laughing. And I've laughed at it (with it?) every time I've thought of it since then.

So when I heard that Jesse and Julie still had it (surprisingly not hanging up over the mantle), I asked Julie to pull it out for me to see. And laugh at.

Jesse and Julie in real life

I can't decide which I like best:
the cinnamon roll on her head or the detail work on her overalls.

And here it's a toss up between
the oversized cheek and dropped ear.

Sometimes the best intentions for a truly one-of-a-kind gift go horribly, hysterically wrong. But hey, it's the thought that counts, right?

I'm THAT aunt...

2010-11-26T02:36:00.000+01:00

Time for manicures!

I'm the aunt who teaches you how to make long fingernails out of Play-doh. The aunt who firmly believes a bubble bath is the solution for tough times. And the aunt who is anxiously awaiting the day when you have enough hair to braid. (But in the meantime, our matching pigtails will have to do.)

Aunt Kari and her protégé

Ooh la la.

And they match her outfit, en plus.

Aren't they pretty? I predict lime-green nails on the runways son!

I'm also the aunt who can't get enough of these cheeks!

In the news!

2010-11-23T19:35:00.000+01:00

From the Merry Mix collection over at RLPCo

Red Letter Paper Co. is in the news! Today in NYC and Philadelphia, Metro newspaper readers will find our cards featured in the myholiday gift guides.

Click to enlarge. This is from today's NYC edition, p25.

As you can imagine, this was a great surprise for me when I checked my email this morning and saw these clips Stephanie had sent me. Earlier this week, infographics and news design leader Charles Apple wrote a post about RLPCo, so the ball is really rolling now.

And this is extra-good news because 10% of all sales of the No Vacancy cards go to World Orphans.

Click to enlarge. This is from the Philadelphia edition, p.11.

Now, I'm not one to spill the beans... but lean in closely and I'll whisper that RLPCo Twitter followers and Facebook fans should stay tuned for a very special message after Thanksgiving!

10 truly Iowan experiences...

2010-11-20T19:50:00.001+01:00

1. Steak. Juicy, marbled, amazing steak.

2. I haven't figured out the exact equation, but it's something like this:

Georgia dead of winter weather = Iowa light autumn weather

3. You might could use 'y'all' without getting an amused smile in return, but it's not guaranteed.

4. Getting 'caught in traffic' only requires about 20 cars and two lanes.

5. When you drive around town, people point out the good sledding sites.

6. Going to your husband's old elementary school and his kindergarten teacher is still there, teaching in the same room.

7. Keeping a candle and a blanket in the car at all times. In case of car trouble, you don't want to freeze. (Literally.)

8. Apparently the most popular bird around here is called a Hawkeye. I haven't spotted one yet, but there's an awful lot of yellow & black in the stores.

9. Beef roast. Fork-tender, flavorful and unbeatable beef roast.

10. Earmuffs are the accessory that goes with every outfit.

Where it all started...

2010-11-16T19:18:00.000+01:00

Fall-ing leaves at SBTS

Back in 1980, a young couple lived on the campus of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He was working towards getting a Masters of Divinity, and she was in her third trimester - pregnant with their first child.

I loved the window in the bell tower.

Things were very tight financially, so this couple got resourceful. He worked odd jobs off-campus, such as raking leaves and doing some construction work. She tapped into their green side and started gathering and recycling aluminum cans, which she traded in for cash.

It didn't take long for people to notice this woman walking around in a very maternal way collecting cans. So they started leaving their cans in plastic bags hanging on the door handle of their apartments. Then she could just walk by and pick up the bags rather than digging through the garbage. (Okay, I may have embellished that part.)

At THE recycling bin

One of the librarians even offered to put a bin by the vending machine so that people could leave their cans for her to collect.

And so this couple paid for their baby girl's hospital bills in aluminium cans. And then they brought her home to live on the seminary campus for a couple months. Years later, they made a stop at the campus as they drove from Tennessee up to Indiana. They spent the morning walking around, admiring the buildings and the colorful leaves, telling the Aluminium Can Baby stories from their first years together.

Our first home - a teeny tiny apartment on campus

One of the courtyards

Trees on the lawn

Chapel steeple

Beautiful trees

The chapel

It's a beautiful campus.

Where it all started.

Place your bets: is that KJV or NIV?

Up to speed...

2010-11-10T21:54:00.001+01:00

Jonathan grew a beard this week. Well, he actually started last week, I guess.

I'm a big fan.

He's not.

He says it itches and feels like - and I quote - an irritation of the seventh cranial nerve, possibly carrying over to the second and third branch of the fifth.

This week we went to our last marriage counseling session. We decided a long time ago (maybe 2005?) that when we had the opportunity, we wanted to see a marriage counselor for a check-up. Living overseas adds another layer of stressors and complexities to a marriage relationship, so we figured a little help would be a good idea. (We were right - and highly recommend it.)

Anywho... In our session yesterday our counselor mentioned that one of the strengths of our relationship is that we appreciate each other's sense of humor. What?? We have excellent, wide-ranging senses of humor that anyone should be able to appreciate - thankyouverymuch.

Adopt a Box. My friend Holly was over recently and saw the packing extravaganza we've got going on. I told her that we've been able to get a great shipping deal to send our stuff to Senegal for about $30 per box. (That's 17"x12"x11" for those of you who are into numbers and calculations.)

She offered to 'adopt a box' by paying for its shipping. It meant so much to me that she would suggest this idea.

Of course, having the shipping paid for a box is great... but knowing someone is behind what we're doing enough to come up with a way that they can be a part of it too - that was awesome. I loved it. Thank you, Holly.

More on adopting a box here!

I bought a Gazelle on craigslist for $30. Someone please tell Jonathan this does not mean he can get a puppy.

2 wild and crazy Massons...

2010-11-06T00:33:00.002+01:00

Friday night. We just put in a DVD. Reheated some leftovers.

Then dumped our belongings in a big pile on the living room. It's a lot like the ol' garbage bag method we used when leaving France. Only this time the bags are boxes and suitcases. Some of them will be shipped in a container across the Atlantic to the port in Dakar. Others will go in our checked luggage and arrive with us at the Dakar airport (we hope!).

Some of our many boxes to be filled

With piles of this stuff.

Back to the garbage bag method

These goodies magnify in awesomeness the further
they get from a city with a WalMart.

Our super cool hand-crank lantern for power outtages

But at least it's a Friday night together!

Speaking of together... Here's the latest on what we'll be doing in Senegal. Want to join us?

Honk if you're a writing nerd...

2010-11-03T18:39:00.000+01:00

Okay, maybe you don't need to honk. Just click instead.

This is the best, most appropriate Christmas card I've ever seen for a writer. I absolutely love it.

Stephanie over at RLPCo just released the new line of No Vacancy cards, and I'm a huge fan so wanted to share a couple with you. Plus, 10% of sales go to World Orphans (shout out to my sis-in-law Kate), so it's doubly cool. Okay, triply if you count the free shipping.

If you're a Twitterer (not a 'twit' as Jonathan seems to think it's called) you might like these from the Tweet Pack:

I laugh every time I read it. Totally my kind of humor. So I'm also a big fan of this one:

So #MerryChristmas!, twits. It's time to start on my Christmas card list!

Danger, danger!

2010-11-02T01:37:00.000+01:00

Some of you may have heard about the protests and riots in France recently. Last week I watched a video of looters on one of the main streets downtown, right where we walked every day going to the office and school. Cars are burning and store windows being broken.

In the US, there are different kinds of danger in the air. Yessiree. You just can't be too careful. (I should have been tipped off when we landed at the airport and heard the "Terror alert is elevated" message played over and over.)

In our little apartment in Lyon, you could only get about 20 feet away from the kitchen. Even if you tried, that was as far as you could go and still be chez Masson. As a result, I seem to have lost the ability to cook and do anything else at the same time. Out of sight, out of mind. (Hence the burned lima beans at dinner.) So the lesson is that when you cook dinner in an American-sized house, watch out! It's not safe to leave the kitchen, even for a moment.

Aack! Which way? Which one?

Likewise, when you go the mall in the US, be on alert. It's not like when you ride the bus to the centre commercial and then take it home again in a couple hours. Nope. You have to concentrate and make careful mental notes about where you parked you car! (Again, a skill I seem to have lost while living in France.) Losing an entire car... very big, expensive danger.

And this one may blow your mind if you've been living in our little neck of France for a while. On a walk this morning, we found this in the street:

Boom.

That's right. A handgun bullet. Although there were plenty of unappealing things I stepped in on French sidewalks, this is a new one for me.

Other dangers you may come across in America include running up your cell phone bill because you forget that incoming calls aren't free. Also forgetting to convert degrees Celsius to Farenheit in a recipe and reeeally sloooow cooking those brownies.

Be on alert, y'all!

Breaking news!

2010-10-30T19:26:00.001+02:00

Felt so good to cross off my list!

Le full story...

2010-10-28T03:56:00.008+02:00

So why did these two go to Québec City?

Les Masson à Québéc

Because back in 2001, Jonathan moved to Québec City for a year and lived with a(n amazing) host family and we finally got to go visit them! Well, I guess technically for me it was 'meeting them'. And we also got to meet my blogging buddy Jill, her husband and their awesome three boys. They were also friends of Jonathan's from his year up there, but Jill's totally one of mine now. :)

But where was I in telling this story? Oh yeah...

Picnic in upstate New York on the drive up. And did I mention...

4 people, 9 hours, 2 doors. We made it!

Downtown, where we bought maple candy and iced apple cider.

It was a beautiful time of year to walk around Québec.

Jonathan with his 'Canadian family'

Sylvie and Jonathan

Walking Québec City is officially checked off my bucket list.
Keep in mind, this was the same week as the NYC mega-walk.

Also off the list: eat poutine! Fries, cheese curds and gravy.

Château Frontenac


Les couleurs

Le Dad. Who, btw, busted out some awesome French on this trip.

Les plaines d'Abraham - an oasis in the city

Where these big honkin' squirrels live! Isn't he huge?!

Our travel buddies

Safely crossing back in the USofA!

Questions in the aisle...

2010-10-24T05:10:00.000+02:00

Travel back in time with me to 2002. To a Walmart in Marietta, Georgia, at about 11pm on a Saturday night. A man is choosing between the Gillette shaving cream and the store brand. In the same aisle, a mother and 20-something daughter are having an animated discussion about how much deodorant a person uses in a year. The mother sees the man listening in and, realizing that the conversation is a bit odd, laughs and explains: "My daughter is moving to Africa for two years, so we're stocking up on stuff for her to take with her."

The daughter was me. And the mother was, well, Mom.

Now, eight years later, I'm headed to Walmart to ask the same questions all over again.

So help me out... If an American moves to Senegal, which items should she stock up on and ship over? What if she's lived in France for six years, so has gotten used to European brands of hair products but still prefers American lip gloss and scented candles? What if her husband is a super minimalist who would be happy with a bar of soap and a bucket of water? Oh, and what is the formula for figuring out how much deodorant and sunblock you use in two years?

PS. We met a guy from the Gambia while at Walmart. (They speak Wolof in the Gambia, so we were blabbing away in the aisle.) I pointed to our very full cart and explained that this is what toubabs (white people) buy for moving to Africa. It was awesome.

PPS. Canada part II is coming soon!

A recipe for Québec...

2010-10-21T03:49:00.001+02:00

If anyone ever publishes a recipe book for cooking up a culture, I've got a submission for Québec, Canada.

3/4 cup French language
1/2 cup charmning European architecture
1/2 cup American friendliness
3 Tbsp Québecois expressions and slang
1 tsp maple syrup
pinch of cheek kisses (bisous!)

Last week we hopped in the car with my parents (that's a 2-door Civic, in case you wanted a visual) and drove the nine hours up to Québec City. Via upstate New York. In the fall. Enough said, non?

The scenery was incredible, and the food amazing. But stay tuned for the real reason we went to Québec!

The sun goes to bed...

2010-10-18T16:27:00.000+02:00

Sunset from Battery Park in NYC

I love that color. (All of them.) See the moon-sliver?

Lady Liberty

A blimp on my radar

I love that no matter how tall or big we build, nothing hides 'natural' beauty.

You know these kids.

Now name that silhouette couple!

If you guessed these guys... well, you're wrong.

'Cause this is them.

View from Battery Park

Sailboats

Me.

Le coucher du soleil

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades.
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame.

More than a fashion show...

2010-10-16T17:23:00.002+02:00

Massons and Borders

While near New York City, it seemed like a good idea to catch a fashion show. But then something even better appeared on the calendar: a white coat ceremony.

The program

It's kind of like a fashion show in that there's a short runway-style walk, special clothing on display, seats reserved for invited guests, flashing cameras... but the twist is that instead of models showcasing physical beauty, the people up in front are there because of their brains. Brains and perseverance, that is.

Chris and Kate... and his white coat!

Today we attended my brother's white coat ceremony at Seton Hall University, where he's in PA school. I was out of the country for both his high school and college graduation, so being there to see him 'graduate' to the clinical part of his degree (where starts hospitals rotations and wear his white coat) was awesome. I loved it.

Shaking hands, DO to (soon-to-be) PA.

A very happy day for the Borders fam

The class of 2012

One very proud wife and one very proud sister

And a very proud Mother-in-law and Mom

Jonathan making fun of me: hugs and tip-toes in photos

Celebrating that night

Dinner with the Italian-Jersians...

2010-10-14T16:52:00.000+02:00

Quite a party, eh?

One of the highlights at the beginning of our trip to visit Chris and Kate was making her grandmother's famous lasagne... with her grandmother there to supervise and give us tips. I've been making lasagne for several years, but never this caliber! It was amazing. Thanks for sharing your kitchen!

Cooks in the kitchen. Aprons may not be 100% accurate!

Here's a link to a video on the Cooking Light website that Kate submitted a while back. It's a clip of her talking about cooking with her mother and grandmother. I love it.

The famous Guidetti lasagne.

A beautifully set table is even better when it's got extra chairs wedged in.

Antipasto

Not sure if the ice cube is an Italian thing...

...but this lasagne is!

Chris and Kate

Buon appetito!

I ♥ la Grosse Pomme...

2010-10-11T03:55:00.002+02:00

The fam at Times Square

You know, I would love to write up a big, long blog post about our visit so far. However, Kate just pulled her grandmother's famous Guidetti lasagne out of the oven and I am not about to miss out on that. So while I enjoy an authentic Italian dinner with my husband, parents, brother and his wife, her mother and grandmother... I'll let you read the captions and figure this one out without my witty running commentary. Oh, just for your FYI la Grosse Pomme is what the French call the Big Apple.

We're having a great time and enjoying this time as a family. It's too long between these moments.

And we're off!

And we're here!

La Grosse Pomme skyline

Waking and talking. 'Cause we do both so well.
We walked about 10 miles and talked about 50 miles an hour.
You do the math.

Central Park

Lunch, anyone?

Yum... grilled sausages and this thing they call 'soda' that tastes a lot like Coke.

Surprisingly prissy pose there,
especially considering I eat ceebu jen with my hands
from a common bowl with 10 other people.

Speaking of which... Yes. I did stop to talk to a lot of the Senegalese vendors.

Rockefeller Center

Enjoying the sun - it was a beautiful fall day.

Where's ~~Waldo~~ Kate, Jonathan and Kari?

Street market for blocks and blocks...

I was in the mood for an Apple...

Apparently I'm not the only Apple fan!

I was surprised by how different NYC felt from big European cities.

Bryant Park

Buildings through the trees in Bryant Park

St Patrick's Cathedral, right in the center

For my collection of city sewer grate photos

Ground Zero

Kate, tour guide extraordinaire!

That other foreign language...

2010-10-07T03:03:00.000+02:00

When we came to the US, one of the things I expected to notice was Spanish translations on everything. I has already noticed it some when we were back three years ago, so just assumed it would have progressed or expanded even more by 2010.

Surprisingly, it did not surprise me at all. What did surprise me was that other foreign language.

There is French everywhere in this country! When I've told a couple people this, they say translations are just in Spanish, or maybe in a long list of languages with Spanish at the top. Not the case, mi amigo. I have been gathering photographic evidence. See for yourself.

On a semi-truck gas tank on Hwy 41

On a hand-towel dispenser at Dunkin' Donuts

On a box of tea at a shop in Ellijay

On a candle (even measured in centimeters!) at the Keeping Room

In the minivan office

Envelope that came in the mail

Little earbuds

More earbuds. Ooh la la.

My new color from Sally's Beauty Supply

On a water bottle

Tights at Marshalls

Another envelope

A car seat

The editor in me HAD to add an accent
to the word pâtisserie at Sugar Cakes.

So consider this petit blog post a very smooth transition into the fact that we are headed up to visit Chris and Kate in New Jersey and then up to (stick with me here) French-speaking Québec!

Biscuit, anyone?

2010-10-02T16:46:00.009+02:00

What's a couple of Massons to do when they've got the keys to a spiffy minivan, a free morning and a hankering for some country roads? First, they ask this guy for some recommendations. Then they pack a lunch, set the alarm and go to bed. Let the day unroll...

We left at dark thirty in the morning.

The day unrolled with storms and rain rolling in. But the windshield wipers worked, so we forged ahead. Up Hwy 41 to Hwy 136, thanks to my fine skills as a navigatress. A couple hours into it, we needed to fuel up with more coffee, and decided a biscuit wouldn't hurt.

Language lesson: In Georgia, the word 'biscuit' is the same whether it's singular or plural. So you can 'eat one biscuit' or 'eat a couple biscuit' or 'eat a pile of biscuit'. But however many you eat, don't put an 's' on the end of the word.

Cruising along up Hwy 136 as the sun came up

The town of Lafayette was about a 10-point font size on the map, which was significant in comparison to the 6- and 8- pointers around it. So Lafayette is was. We pulled off 136 and headed for the historic downtown area. Bingo. Susie's Sunset Cafe.

Breakfast in Lafayette

After lingering over our coffee, bisuit, sausage and eggs, we headed to pay our bill at the cash register. I saw framed letter that caught my eye. Apparently Garrison Keillor had eaten ate Susie's and later mentioned it on Prairie Home Companion. I was babbling on about how cool that was when the woman at the register asked if I knew him. "Well, I mean, not personally... but I know his show," I explained. "Oh, he has a show?" she asked.

A good Southern breakfast, minus the grits.

As we were walking to the car, one of the men who had been eating breakfast at Susie's (camouflage cap and overalls optional, but recommended) asked us where we were from. "Eye-uh-wah..." he said. "Good deer hunting over there?" At which point I was very happy that Jonathan had at one point in life bow-hunted deer and could respond appropriately. Phew.

Cloudland Canyon State Park, per William's recommendation

Scenic overlook numéro un

Scenic overlook numéro ??

colors of fall

textures of creation

cycles of life

toes of feet

light of sun

crunch of leaves

He asked for little country roads. I found him some country roads.

Danger in the backyard...

2010-09-29T18:16:00.000+02:00

Jackson, aka Cookie Crumb Beard

A pirate, a giant Cherokee Indian and a captured princess

Nice headress, Chief.

Walk the plank, Matey Madeline!

Southern culture up north...

2010-09-26T21:30:00.002+02:00

How the Borders Family picks (out a bag of) apples.

After taking Jonathan south to Florida for a taste of southern culture (no, it is not an oxymoron), we decided to go north. My family started going up to Ellijay, in the North Georgia mountains, every fall to pick apples back when I was only knee-high to a grasshopper. So it was high on my list of things to do while we were back this year.

One of our many stops at apple and apple paraphernalia stores

We bought a couple pecks of Winesap and Mutsu apples

And ah-mazing fried, glazed apple fritters

Jonathan saw that this apple store also advertised a petting farm.
So he decided to pet the apples and see
what the fuss was all about.

Apple fritters on the back porch area of one of the stores.
(That's my grandfather and Emogene on the right.)

Rockin' and munchin'

Our apple-filled trunk

More than just apples though...

So how can you tell when these things are ripe?

I found one I wanted to take home!

No trip to North Georgia is complete without a stop for BBQ.


The menu at Poole's BBQ still lists 'freedom fries'. Le awesome.

The famous décor. Oink, oink, snort.

Worn out at the end of a fun day!

Hot and boiled...

2010-09-21T20:04:00.001+02:00

Les Masson in May'retta, Georgia

On our way down/back up from Florida, I kept a list of the spelling variations on signs advertising the sale of arachis hypogaea that have been simmmered at about 212 °F until soft and smelly. Here it goes, y'all...

HOT BOILed P-NUTS

Boiled P-nuts

Sunset n°1

Hot PNUTS

Hot Boiled Peanuts

P-nuts FRESH BOILED ROASTED

Sunset n°5

Boiled Green P-NUTs

boiled p'nuts

And my personal fave: Hot boiled P-Nut. (Apparently this stand sold them one by one.)

Last night. I love the kite.

Doing a little mental boat shopping.

The boatyard

And now that we have finally been able to give Jonathan the full Florida beach vacation experience, I'm feeling brave. Tomorrow Stephen and Beth (true locals) are going downtown with us to show Jonathan the city of Hotlanta, up close and personal.

Help us out if you've got ideas of things that are definite must-do or must-see!

Have you hugged a greeting card writer today?

2010-09-18T20:41:00.009+02:00

My friend Stephanie recently informed me that September 18th is Hug a Greeting Card Writer Day. While I'm not sure if this is a national or international holiday, I do know this: If the creators of holidays were to ask me, I'd suggest they add a Hug a Greeting Card Photographer Day as well. Then I'd get a lot of hugs. (Like that subtle segue?)

Here's le scoop. Earlier this year, Stephanie launched Red Letter Paper Co. On this site, she sells cool cards with warm wishes... and cards in the 1000 Words series feature photos I've taken over the past couple years. Lyon, Budapest, Rochetaillée-sur-Saône, Avignon, Vienna, Colmar... all there. These cards show God is always around us - just stop to look. The inside of the card is blank, and on the back is a Bible verse corresponding to the photo. (Those were fun to choose!)

When Stephanie asked me to join her in this project, I was very happy. But when she suggested donating 10% of sales of No Vacancy cards to World Orphans, I was hooked. (My sister-in-law Kate works with W.O. - a fantastic organization.)

RLPCo cards are sold individually (only $2.49 with shipping) or in sets of 5, 8, 25 or 100 cards with the corresponding number of 100% recycled mailing envelopes. On average the cost per card is under $2 each - and that includes shipping. (Like green? The cards are printed on recycled paper at a carbon-offset, wind-powered facility and mailed in recyclable envelopes.)

RLPCo is a cool concept and took a lot of dreaming and work for Stephanie to get it off the ground. What I love most is that she took the gifts and talents God has given her and is using them in a creative way that points right back to Him.

Third time is the sandy charm...

2010-09-17T05:29:00.001+02:00

The two little dots... that's us.

This is Jonathan's third trip to the beach with my family - and the first time that nature has been on our side! The first year, we had to evacuate due to a hurricane blowing in. (And to be honest, the company could have been better. But Chris and Kate were on their honeymoon or something.) The second time, in 2005, we arrived at the same time as red tide. If you've never experienced breathing during red tide, imagine fire in your lungs.

But this third time, nature has been 100% on our side. It's been insanely perfect - except that Chris and Kate aren't here. Next time?

Bigger dots.

Dot-free.

The pier

He's thinking, "I should totally tweet this."

The 'rents

Wave crusher

Jonathan crusher

Debatable.

The water was so clear. Even further out.

The writing on the wall (of sand)

Sea shell colors. I was channeling my inner Mina.

The pier

Just chillin'... in perfectly warm water.

The sand is so white and fine. I've never seen any like it.

This guy's got a great ocean view.

Still playing in the waves

My minivan office...

2010-09-14T02:36:00.003+02:00

You’ve heard of a home office? Well, I’m taking the concept a couple miles further. Welcome to my minivan office.

We are currently en route for the Florida panhandle for a family vacation. This ‘family’ includes the two of us, my parents and my grandparents. I’m telling you – you haven’t really been on a road trip until you’ve cruised down to the beach with 90-year-olds.

Here are some quotes from my grandmother so far:

“Al Gore invented the Internet? I thought he invented global warming.”

“I didn’t bring anything to read on this trip. I’m counting on being entertained by the fascinating conversation.”

“People just mess me up with all these names for their children. Just give them numbers instead and I’ll be happy.”

"Bill, what's the name of that memory problem they tried to diagnose you with a couple years ago? I never can remember it."

"Look - that place has tortilla shots."
(Jonathan corrected her that the sign said 'tequila'.)
"Oh. Well that answers my question as to how they inject someone with tortilla."

"Breakfast is my favorite time to eat cake. I think I may be kin to Marie Antoinette."

And in reference to my mom asking me questions about blogging: “It sounds like they’re speaking Hungarian. That must be why I don’t understand anything.”

The osteopath is in...

2010-09-09T20:37:00.000+02:00

My sister-in-law Skyped me earlier to ask if her osteopath was available, or if he was with another patient. She said it jokingly, but in fact Jonathan was treating someone right when she sent the message. (That particular someone is no stranger to this blog. Everyone wave and say, "Hi Kari's Mom!")

When we started thinking about these months in the US, we wondered if Jonathan would be able to find enough patients/volunteers for him to keep practicing regularly. There was also the challenge that he doesn't have a table here. But he's a make-do-er, so he's been using the dinner table on the back porch.

So if you're in the neighborhood and could use a session, swing on by. If there's no one on the dinner table, you can hop on up and get manipulated. Oh, and tell him you heard about it on this blog for a great discount ;)

The family that drinks together...

2010-09-07T22:12:00.001+02:00

One of the best parts of being with family is that you get to be with family. Once you get caught up on each other's big news, you can just sit and chat on the porch. If you're like us, those chats are often over coffee.

Remember Kenwood, our little two-cup coffee maker in Lyon? Well, this week we brought home little Kenwood's long lost big brother: Hamilton.

The boys working on some brew

Hamilton is an espresso maker, which means we are a very happy and caffeinated bunch around here - with one notable exception. My mom does not like coffee. I say 'does not like' because she's the one that wouldn't let me use the word 'hate' as a kid.

But since the rest of us (Borders fam extension in New Jersey included) are big coffee drinkers, Mom has decided to do her best to join us. She is determined to start liking coffee, and was encouraged by a drink she ordered and liked at Starbucks recently - the White Chocolate Mocha.

So we stocked up on the ingredients and made Mom a coffee drink, with Hamilton's help. Kind of.

Cile's Coffee-ish Drink

3 tablespoons Hills Bros. white chocolate caramel mix
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup steamed milk
1/4 cup brewed coffee (I decided to start her off easy)
2 good squirts of whipped cream
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
note: requires a spoon

She let me try a bite, saying it this coffee drink was "so good". Oh, but be sure to get some of the ice cream in there. Otherwise the liquid part just tastes like - and I quote - "straight coffee".

All fired up...

2010-09-04T04:14:00.000+02:00

Just a regular Friday night with the Borders fam.

So what did you do on Friday night? I drove* a firetruck.

We went down to the fire station in Atlanta for a personalized, behind the scenes tour. Oh, and to take Stephen a couple Krispy Kreme doughnuts to celebrate his birthday at the station. He was on a call (car fire) when we arrived, but came in shortly - all smelling like smoke and looking pretty impressive in his big overalls and boots.

*Technically speaking, by 'drove' I mean I borrowed Stephen's hat and hopped into the driver's seat for a couple minutes of pretending.

Guess which one of us is really a fireman...

Wrong answer.

I can barely drive a car, much less this thing.

But this kid's got potential.

And so does this one.

Beth, Mads, Stephen and Jackson

My mom said I can pull off hats.
Whaddya think about this one?

Jackson is all ready to put on his fireman suit...

Just toss me the keys, Stephen!

Just as we were leaving, they got a call! Less than a minute later...Very cool.

The cereal. Definitely the cereal.

2010-09-02T04:20:00.002+02:00

View from Pike's Peak, Colorado

Last week we got to spend some time with Jonathan's sister and her family. We met up in Colorado and saw some of the best scenery this country has to offer. I'm not making this little factoid up. Pike's Peak actually inspired by Katharine Lee Bates to write 'America the Beautiful' in 1895.

Krystin

So at the end of the week, after seeing the sites, swimming with Uncle Jonathan, eating in a restaurant housed in an airplane, playing dress-up in Aunt Kari's scarves, panning for gold.... Britt asked my four-year-old niece Krystin what her favorite part of the week was. Her answer?

The cereal.

On this week of vacation, she'd had cereal every morning for breakfast. Apparently, this is a very special treat in Krystin Land. But for the rest of us, here are our highlights and special memories...

Climbing at the Garden of the Gods


Cogwheel train up to Pike's Peak - 14,115 feet above sea level


The train...

...the passengers.

Smooching on a rock. I'm pretty sure that's what God put it there for.

Britt and Jonathan went adventuring. I followed them with my lens.

I loved the red train.

Why, yes. These are my dressy hiking sandals.

Checking out a teepee at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings site

Ethan pondering the physics of cliff dwellings.

Britt and Dan

Isn't it amazing?

Maybe Krystin will stay smaller than Aunt Kari forever...
but somehow, I doubt it.

Kaylin and her fantastic sunglasses

I spy Kansas!

At the top of Pike's Peak

Heading back down, down, down, down, down...

Garden of the Gods

Les Masson in Colorado

And the Boise crew too.

So happy we'll see you guys again soon!

The secret to younger looking legs...

2010-08-31T20:55:00.000+02:00

Walk into any French pharmacy and you'll see a section devoted to weight loss for women in the form of creams, pills, syrups and yes, probably even suppositories. There's an entire army of products designed to give you thinner, younger looking legs.

Here in Georgia, I've discovered another trick. Ladies, y'all listen up. You won't read this in Glamour.

Note: For best results, do this in the evening.

First, pour a glass of iced tea. (That's sweet tea, of course.) Lemon slice is optional. Now go sit on the porch, preferably in a rocking chair, under a ceiling fan. Sit there rocking and talking until the sun sets.

Note: You may feel itchy that night. Don't worry. It's normal.

The next morning, you will wake up with 15 to 25 bright red mosquito bites on your legs, ankles, feet and maybe even between your toes - right where your favorite sandals hit.

Tada! Younger looking legs. For even better results, put a big Band-Aid on one knee. Your legs now look like they belong to an eight-year-old.

On top of the world...

2010-08-27T20:57:00.000+02:00

Pike's Peak, Colorado

So, how do we look in America? Happy, hugged, jet-lagged, caffeinated, dazzled and over-fed? That's what I thought. :)

50 things that are different in the US

2010-08-20T22:17:00.002+02:00

One night last week as I was laying in bed, I started thinking about American milk. It comes in a jug and is measured in gallons. French milk comes in a bottle or a rectangular carton and is measured by liters. American milk is whole, 2%, 1% or skim. In France, it's either whole, half-skim or skim. In the US, it's fresh milk, but in France it's UHT (anything living boiled to death, basically). Americans can buy chocolate or strawberry flavored milk. French people can buy raw cow's milk.

It hit me that if plain old milk was this different... wow. My life was really about to look, feel, taste, sound and even smell really different soon.

I was right.

We landed at the Atlanta airport about 24 hours ago. (I know. Some of you have questions. The answers are Chick-Fil-A and WalMart. More to come soon!) In the time that we've been here, I've kept a mental list of things that strike me as being different than I'm used to in France.

You ready? Here it goes, in no particular order...

1. ice in drinks
2. garbage disposals
3. 110v and the shape of the outlets and plugs (had to buy an adapter for laptop and phone)
4. no walls around yards
5. free coffee refills
6. toilet bowls are filled SO high with water!
7. a huge whooshing sound when you flush!
8. eating desserts with a fork, not a spoon
9. the cereal choices take up an entire aisle
10. cars are huge, and so are the parking spaces
11. tipping servers
12. black-eyed peas
13. cute little mailboxes with the flags you put up
14. coupons and sales circulars in the newspaper
15. women wearing t-shirts
16. no license tags on the front of cars
17. ceiling fans
18. cottage cheese
19. everyone smiles!
20. free bags at the store, and they bag for you
21. driving on the left side of the road (just checking to see if you’re paying attention)
22. white eggs
23. huge drink glasses and to-go cups
24. oh yeah, to-go cups
25. blueberries
26. toothpaste choices take up half an aisle
27. sales!
28. the shape of the light switches
29. sportswear in public
30. American-style coffee (basically known as ‘diluted coffee’ in France)
31. school buses
32. school has started already! France is still summering it up.
33. people talking on cell phones in stores
34. baseball caps
35. carpeted floors
36. drinking straws
37. cash-back when you pay with debit card
38. signing with the little electronic pen thingy
39. newspapers delivered on the lawn in bags
40. salespeople ask if you’re finding everything okay
41. coffee is served with dessert, not after
42. cent coins are so lightweight!
43. drinking tap water rather than bottled
44. ice-makers in fridge doors
45. rocking chairs on porches
46. sweet tea
47. freezing air-conditioning
48. green money
49. fried okra
50. Solo cups

Went to Paris, then finally learned to œ, œ, œ...

2010-08-16T22:46:00.002+02:00

Official proof: les Masson made it to Paris
Un très grand merci Keith, Deborah et Guillaume, for a wonderful trip!

Breakfast on Guillaume's balcony

The amazing view from his apartment

Sacré Cœur
(Six years in France and I just now this very minute learned the shortcut keys to get œ!)

Me. In Paris. On a fantastic Seine river cruise that was only €11. Highly recommend it.

Guillaume gave us a great tour of Lyon, his hometown, several years ago.
This weekend, we got the tour of his new home à Paris.

Et voilà!

Classy, for only €5.

2010-08-14T09:56:00.001+02:00

I know you think the word 'classy' is spelled M-A-S-S-O-N. But it appears you can also spell 'thrifty' the same way.

We are allowed four pieces of checked luggage on our flight to the US. We currently own three pieces, so we needed to find a fourth quickly. Considering we can buy good quality luggage at a better price in the US, now is not the time to drop big euros on a suitcase.

Anyone who has traveled in Africa has seen the woven bags that serve as suitcases and look kind of like a blue and red plaid bag of rice. That was the kind of bag I had in mind. We'd just cram it full of clothes, zip it up and use it for one trip across the Atlantic.

So I asked Jonathan to go buy one at one of the Arab markets in Lyon. He came back with a very special bag. And would you believe it was only 5€ (just over $6)?

Isn't she a beauty?

I'm not sure which part I love/hate most: the faux denim with pink lettering, or the 'English' expressions written on it.

Ture dat.

We reconstructed a large cardboard box inside the bag
to give it some support. I'd hate for this beauty to get damaged...

Yup. That's our bag. See the tie on the handle?

I love this. Jonathan cut one of my old scarves into strips to tie onto our luggage to help identify it on the baggage carousels. It made sense on the plain black suitcases. But on this one, it just cracks me up. I'm pretty sure we'd be able to ID it without this strip o' scarf. Just another touch of Classy Masson. They really should bottle this stuff and sell it...

She's all ready to go!

* Apologies in advance to Holly who is picking us up at the airport, and therefore will be seen in public with this bag. (Hooly, you can pretend like you don't know us if you want to.)

Look, Mom - no hands!

2010-08-13T15:01:00.001+02:00

It says a lot when you're standing on the steps of the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, one of the best-known landmarks in France, with the city of Paris spread out in front of you... and yet you can't take your eyes off a guy with a soccer ball.

Okay - maybe just one more.

Monet's garden...

2010-08-11T22:47:00.001+02:00

The view from Claude Monet's bedroom window

As you may recall from an earlier post entitled 'Desperately avoiding culture...' we're not the ones to go to if you have a question about art or history... or art history, for that matter. So how did we, of all people, wind up walking around the gardens of a famous impressionist painter this weekend? Well, let's just say we're thankful to have cultured friends who know about these things!

Water lilies in his pond. Look familiar?

Cool, eh? More here.

Recognize this bridge we're on?

Same one!

I love the dark pink ones.

One of the garden rows leading to his house

Beautiful.

I love it, yes I dew.

Peaceful.

Soft.

Refreshing.

Energizing.

"Paris must be great..."

2010-08-07T09:36:00.005+02:00

If I had a centime for everytime I heard "It must be great to live in Paris..."

But in fact, we don't live in Paris. We live in Lyon, a very cool city of about 1.4 million people located just under 300 miles south of Paris. If you take the high-speed train, it's about two hours away.

"So you must go to Paris for the weekend, like, all the time, right?" Um... Not exactly. We've been a grand total of once - four years ago. This means that out of our approximate 267 weekends spent in France, 266 were not in Paris.

However, this weekend we will increase our total number of visits to Paris together by 100%.

Stay tuned, y'all.

Lots of change...

2010-08-04T19:33:00.003+02:00

There comes a point where some of your most carefully guarded possessions no longer have any value to you. I'm not speaking spiritual here. I'm speaking international move ready.

Take, for example, my wallet. In exactly two weeks, its contents will get a serious make-over. I'll trade out my euros for dollars, my bus tickets and Vélo'V bike rental card for my Georgia driver's license, and my frequent shopper card for Yves Rocher for one at Publix or Kroger. (That's Hy-Vee to you Iowans reading this.)

Some items living in my wallet will simply no longer be of use: the photocopy of my passport (lovely photo and all) that I carry when I'm outside the US, the small plastic disc I use for renting shopping carts here in France, and my French Sécu healthcare card. (I am very sad to see that one go. No more inexpensive doctor's visits and prescriptions...) Oh, and my French residency card that we fought so hard to keep for five years.

Realizing how much change my wallet is about to go through (get it? change) makes me feel like my crazy emotions about this life transition are pretty justified. Let's face it, if my wallet is about to experience THIS MUCH change... so am I. And it's okay for me to feel confused about that right now.

Classified ads...

2010-08-02T09:57:00.004+02:00

Editorial

Preparing to move internationally is a crazy time period. However, I suspect moving from France is a bit more challenging than some countries. (Feel free to correct me - I hope never to become an expert on the subject).

We went to several offices to close out contracts this weekend. Internet, phone, gas, electricity... Closing them out isn't a big deal. What gets tricky is when we ask about how to go about paying our last bill.

Confusion crosses their face, then a blank look.

Apparently most people just cut their service and leave the country. They don't pay their very last bill for services to date. At two offices we were quietly told to just skip town and not worry about it. "Everyone does it... and you're students, right? Oh, all the students do it."

But my mom taught me that just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean I should be. And then there was something about a bridge...

Help needed

Does anyone know where to go to/how to pay our last French bills? Specifically EDF, GDF and Orange?

Can anyone tell me what I should buy in France that I'll want to have in the US? Which French products (not limited to food) will I have a hard time finding at WalMart or Target?

~~Proofreader for Jonathan's cover letter and resumé in French.~~ Thanks, M!

For sale

Nothing! We sold everything. Thanks to all who came out to pick up their stuff and shop the Masson flea market.

Announcements

On August 15th, ICCL is having a picnic in the Parc de la Tête d'Or. We'll be there. How about you?

Lost

Kari's glasses have disappeared in the midst of the move. Last seen three days ago. See the girl with bruises on her legs from bumping into coffee tables if you have any information.

Kamping, kanoeing and kaving...

2010-07-27T16:26:00.003+02:00

Les Masson at the famous Pont d'Arc over the Ardèche river

You're probably used to seeing the words kamping, kanoeing and kaving spelled with the letter C. Honestly, I don't have a problem with that, Mr. Webster. But I do think that when a certain person truly dominates a field... well it's worth considering renaming it in their honor. And anyone who knows me (Kari) knows that I am nothing if not an outdoorswoman. Carrying your own potable water and TP around all day? Sign me up. Getting dressed in a tiny tent and sleeping on the ground? You betcha. Community showers and squatty-potties? Bring it.

However, this particular kamping trip was not as rustic as I'd ~~feared~~ thought it might be. Gabi did a fantastic job planning every detail so that all we had to do was show up and enjoy it.


The Gorges de l'Ardèche

We kamped in at La Fontinelle in the village of Bessas in Ardèche. (They also have little cabins for rent next to the kampsites.) On Saturday, we rented kanoes from Viking Bateaux and did 24 kilometers down the Gorges de l'Ardèche - unbelievably awesome. I doubly recommend it if your husband has a lot of kanoe experience and can do most of the paddling for you... And finally, on Sunday we went kaving at Orgnac - more on that later.

View from La Fontinelle kampsite

Moka pot espresso in the early (for me) morning

Nearby village of Bessas

My kind of kamping: with a great pool!

Walking over to Bessas with Ken and Gabi


Lunch at a restaurant terrace overlooking the river... Fresh river trout and amazing sorbet for dessert.

Gabi, trip-planner extraordinaire

Such a natural outdoorswoman.

Beautiful views...

About two hours into the kanoe trip...

Swim break!


I made fun of the goofy white strings they gave out for holding glasses... until my sunglasses got knocked off going over some rapids :(

River rocks

The last leg of the trip...22 km down, only 2 to go!

The end.

Sunset at the arch

Skeletons in my closet...

2010-07-26T12:21:00.000+02:00

You know how when you move out of an apartment you've lived in for five years, you find some really weird stuff? Well, I think this little treasure wins the competition for Oddest Item found chez Masson.

Any guesses as to what it is or why we have it?

Check the comments below for the answer. If you guessed correctly, you get a prize!

PS. I think the photo looks très William Haun-esque. He could do amazing things with this idea.

It's time...

2010-07-20T12:49:00.000+02:00

The sunset from our bedroom window the other night

We just took apart our bed. The person who bought it should be here in about an hour to pick it up.

As far as closing a life chapter goes, dismantling the bed you've slept in for five years is a pretty significant step. I thought for sure that when I saw our bedroom empty for the first time, I'd lose it. The dark red tiles sitting quietly bare in their little rows. The view out the window I'd woken up to every morning, but without the lace curtains framing it...

I thought I'd feel sad when I realized I'd never again sit on our bed or see it made up with my favorite sheets and the pillow with an embroidered W on it, which we turn upside-down to make an M for Masson. (They were out of the letter M at the store, but I loved the pillow and they had a W left on the shelf.)

But I didn't cry. I didn't even really feel sad. (So, of course, being the daughter of family counselors, I dug deep and tried to conjure up any emotions supressed as a coping mechanism.)

I realized in that moment that the only reason I would ever see our bedroom the way it used to be would be if something went wrong. Our furniture has sold. We've set the departure date for our apartment. We have our tickets. The loose ends are being tied up.

The only reason we'd stay here now is if something goes wrong. Which means that moving forward is right. It's time to go, and my heart is ready.

Invincible purple softness...

2010-07-16T20:18:00.002+02:00

"Great. I've got man-pris, a scarf...and now we have purple toilet paper!"

Let's just say that Jonathan was less than thrilled about the new lilac scented (and colored) roll in our bathroom.

It may not be the very first thing you notice as you land in France, but it probably will be the first thing your eye catches on in les toilettes: brightly colored toilet paper.

I noticed a few years ago that the French toilet paper palette seemed to be broadening. Purples, and blues, teals and pale oranges - what's your pleasure? And there's an added bonus. In addition to pretty colors, more sheets and 'extra résitant' rolls (I don't even want to know what that means) you can also choose a fragrance. That's right. What'll it be? Maybe a classic choice like vanilla, lilac or jasmine? Or are you looking for a bolder scent? Strawberry, peach or even lavender from Provence could all be yours.

It says 'Softness is invincible.' Hear that, Jonathan?

The day I see Neopolitan TP alternating a square of vanilla, a square of strawberry and a square of chocolate - I'm converting for good.

His and hers jaunty scarves...

2010-07-13T12:22:00.003+02:00

Those of you who watch Modern Family may recall the episode in which Jay talks about his son having worn a 'jaunty scarf to school and got his jaunty butt kicked'. Well, le jaunty scarf is definitely in style for men in France this summer.

But someone needed a little convincing before he bought one. Enter the bright yellow 70% off sale tag. This tag is a girl's best friend - especially when she's trying to convince her thrifty husband to drop a little euro.

And besides... It'll go great with the linen man-pris I talked him into last summer. :)

Jaunty for him.

Jaunty for her.

Swimming in a treasure chest...

2010-07-10T17:18:00.025+02:00

You remember in the intro to the Duck Tales cartoon when Scrooge McDuck does a backstroke in a pile of gold coins? That's pretty much what it's like for an American expat getting ready to leave France after six years.

All of the sudden, you realize that your super-special stash of American goodies is up for grabs... because you're going to be in the Land of It's Available on the Shelves soon! No more rationing your Fritos or counting out three coffee candies per week.

It's more than just food that gets rationed when you're living abroad.

Raise your hand if you've ever diluted your favorite Bath and Body Works lotion with unscented lotion to make it last longer. Ever Googled the best ways to get the very last of the peanut butter out of the jar? What about counted out the chili seasoning packets then pulled out a calendar to be sure you eat them slowly enough to last all winter?

There is a flip-side as well. You feel obligated to use things up at an unnatural speed. For example, Jonathan has started trying to force-feed me vitamins every time I open my mouth. (In this case, I think it's more an act of thrift than an act of love.)

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go shave my legs. Twice. I want to use up my stash of really good American razors before we leave in 39 days.

The garbage bag method

2010-07-08T15:25:00.002+02:00

We're in the process of moving, which means we're also in the process of sorting books, weeding out junk, mourning over goodbyes to college t-shirts, and giving away stuff like zucchini farmers at the end of summer.

The whole process is really overwhelming. Originally I thought I'd tackle one geographical zone per day: a bookshelf, the filing cabinet, a dresser drawer... But that approach was disastrous because it led to rabbit trails. 'Oh, this book goes back to Cheryl. I'll start a stack of things to go to her. Ooh... that reminds me I need to give her that herb blend that's in the pantry...' Et cetera, and all his friends.

So I abandoned the zone offense for something much more interesting, yet bite-sized. I'm calling it the garbage bag method.

1. Every day I have to fill one garbage bag with stuff to be given to the homeless shelter.

2. Once I've run out of items and can no longer fill my daily garbage bag with items destined for the shelter, I'll start filling a bag per day with items going to the consignment shop.

3. The next round of bags will be filled with items to be given to friends. (Which means you guys are getting like thrice sorted goods here. Wow. This is some high quality stuff I'm going to be ~~dumping on~~ giving you.)

4. What's left will go in two piles, or maybe in two big garbage bags in order to stay with the theme: items going to the US, items going to Senegal.

If you hear rumors about some crazy American girl running around Lyon looking for color-coded garbage bags... I have no idea who she is.

Lessons from a biker babe...

2010-07-06T01:36:00.003+02:00

The expression 'it's like riding a bike' totally does not apply in my case. We've been taking advantage of Lyon's rent-a-bike program, called Vélo'V and I can assure you that navigating city streets and weaving around pedestrians - all while trying to not to arrive at destination a sweaty mess - is not at all like the bike riding I did as a kid. That largely involved going as fast as I could down a dirt road in Africa and then slamming on the brakes to make an impressive dust cloud.

Riding a VéloV is a new experience for me, so I thought I'd pass on a couple lessons I've learned along the road.

1. I don't care how cute the skirt is. You'll regret wearing it on a bike ride. (That goes for you too, guys.)

2. Pants under a dress is a totally bikerlicious solution.

3. When picking out a bike, first give the tires a good squeeze to be sure they're full-ish and also check to be sure the rubber straps that stretch over the basket are in good shape.

4. Riding a bike is a great way to catch a breeze and cool off when the summer heat gets crazy. Just remember to throw a water bottle in your basket before you go.

5. Place your (man)purse in the basket, then run the rubber straps through the handle so ithe purse can't be snatched out.

6. If you're in Lyon, be sure to check out these maps of the 300 km of cycle-friendly routes around the city:
Lyon-Villeurbanne

Lyon metro area

Map of Vélo'V stands around the city - all 343 of them

Pocket-sized version of Vélo'V map

7. 'On your bike' is a British slang expression that basically means 'get lost'. A bike ride is even more fun when you say this to the person you're riding with just as you pedal off and leave him in an imaginary cloud of dust. :)

Georgia peach under suds...

2010-07-03T04:55:00.001+02:00

I went back on my declaration to never ever ever get my hair cut in France after the "bowl cut with a bit o' bald spots showing" fiasco last January. I decided to take the plunge and get the mop shaped up.

But that's not the real news of this story.

Out of all the salons in Lyon, I picked one that happened to have a stylist who spoke nearly flawless English. He's Portuguese and grew up watching cartoons and movies all in English, and now keeps it 'in shape' by watching tv shows. I was really impressed. He knew words like shade, depth, dimension, shimmer, gloss... Very helpful, seeing as my hair was literally in his hands.

It was during the shampoo lathering that he asked me where I was from. Well, just listen in...

Tonio: So where are you from in the US?

Me: Atlanta.

Tonio: Hmmm... I don't really know of it.

Me: It's in the South.

Tonio: Which state?

Me: Georgia.

Tonio: Georgia... as in Macon, Georgia?

Me: Yes! How do you know Macon?

Tonio: That's where Kenneth the Page is from. Oh, and Dakota Fanning is from Georgia too, of course.

Not even kidding.

I'm sitting there all suds-headed as my Portuguese stylist in France tells me in English that he knows my state thanks to Dakota Fanning and Jack McBrayer, aka Kenneth the Page on NBC's 30 Rock.

Awesome.

Happy 4th of July weekend everyone!

The über-Massons...

2010-07-01T12:05:00.001+02:00

I took Jonathan to Germany for his birthday.

It sounds nice, doesn't it? (Wife of the Year award definitely secured.) But to be honest, that's not exactly how it went. We did go to Germany and Jonathan's birthday was that same weekend.

In addition to being in another country, there were three other cool things that happened on his birthday:

- A French person thought Jonathan was French because (and I quote) he didn't have accent.

- I (not an early bird) woke up a the crack o' dawn for us to take a walk around the village and get an espresso before breakfast. Many more espressos followed throughout the day...

- He had a perfectly cooked steak for dinner, which is rare because he has Iowa standards.

Not quite sure how I expected Germany to look... but this sure looks German to me!

The morning market in Kandern. We bought strawberries and fresh peas.

Looking out over the platz from our room

And, of course, we went for a long walk or two.

And, of course, I had to stop and take pictures.

The green fields were so, so beautiful to our city-fied eyes.

We walked two villages over from Kandern. So nice to see all this green!

Path leading to the second village...

Not quite sure, but I'm pretty sure he's comparing the grassy stuff to Iowa's version.

He said (this part of) Germany reminded him a lot of Iowa.

Poppies

I know what you're thinking. "Kari, didn't you get hungry after all this walking?" Never fear. I had plenty of yummy German breakfast every day. Fresh rolls with butter, honey, Nutella, cream cheeses, jams and Lady Marmalade (just checking to be sure you're paying attention), sliced sausage, coffee...

Walking off breakfast... I hope.

Clocktower in the village of Holzen

Storks are very common around these parts. We saw several huge nests... and several huge storks.

Apparently there are also a lot of founding fathers crossing the street with pointy children.

Mmm... dinner at an Alsatian restaurant. Dee-lish.

(And yes, those are homemade noodles on my plate and caramelized onions on his.)

It's a gift.

2010-06-29T09:21:00.000+02:00

Self-portrait in the spoons

I'm pretty much wife of the year around here. You see, Jonathan got some birthday money designated towards ice cream - one of our favorite treats. There are several well-known gourmet ice cream shops in Lyon, however we seem to be the only ones who think they are overrated. Sure, they have interesting flavors like lavender, beet and basil. But sometimes you just want rich, creamy, simple ice cream.

So I set Google off on a search for a store nearby that sells Häagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry's. Hmm... 2 miles away and we only had an hour before the big match started. That would have been tight to walk there and back, and have time to sit and enjoy our Jonathan's-birthday-ice-cream.

Plan B. We'll go for a walk to the corner store about 1/2 mile up the road and hope they have something frozen of dairy origins. We walk past the post office, kebab shop, some restaurants, a hair salon, a cheap pizza joint... Hold up. Did you say cheap pizza joint?

If you ask Jonathan, he'll tell you that I poked my head in the door and squealed with delight. Whatever. I merely expressed my joy over seeing a small freezer of Häagen-Dazs in the middle of this pizza place that was papered in ads for travel deals to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage.

Macadamia Nut Brittle, to-go please. No thanks, I've got spoons in my purse.

The view from the park across the street

Birthday boy...photo taken by his wife, who has a gift for tracking down good ice cream.

Desperately avoiding culture...

2010-06-27T02:04:00.001+02:00

We have tickets to two of Lyon's best known museums. They expire June 30th, which is soon. Retail value on these suckers is about 46€, or about $57 by today's horrible exchange rate. We really should go. We really should want to go.

But I inherited by museum appreciation gene from my mom. If it's under glass or has a descriptive plaque next to it, she's off in the opposite direction in search of a pâtisserie.

Jonathan's not much better. We went to Morestel recently and one of the big draws to this little Medieval village is its series of free art galleries. So we went. We walked slowly, pausing respectfully in front of each painting and sculpture, trying desperately to come up with intelligent remarks. About the best we could muster up were variations on, "I really like the colors/movement of this one," or "Ooh. That's nice/cool."

So it's probably not a big suprise to you that although we had tickets and big plans to go to the two museums today... we didn't. Instead we rented Vélo'V bikes and went to what I'd like to call the 'modern technology museum'.

Unfortunately, the sign on the door of the Apple store said they were closed 'exceptionellement' today. Bummer. So we got back on our bikes and went to the 'nature museum'.

A ride along the Rhône River and up into the Parc de la Feyssine. Good call, team Masson. Good call.

Name-dropping...

2010-06-26T09:59:00.000+02:00

Very traditional Alsatian architecture

Colmar. Now, there are a lot of fascinating, wonderful things I could tell you about this little town in the heart of Alsace. But I've chosen one fact that I think will really stick with you. That way when someone name-drops Colmar in a sentence, you'll be able to follow up with this little historical tidbit.

"Colmar? That's where Charles the Fat held a diet in 884."

Not even kidding. You can look it up in a French history book. Apparently King Charles III of East Francia was more commonly known by his nickname. (And unfortunately, 'Charles the Great' had already been taken by Charlemagne.)

Also, in this case, a 'diet' refers to is a formal meeting or assembly.

Colmar is much more colorful than many French towns. Kinda reminded me of Florida houses.

I love the windows.

The canal in the Old City

Display outside a wine shop

Creative recycling here.

Pigeon the Fat?

Judie and Noémie - two of the highlights of Colmar for me

One church, three names: The Église Saint-Martin (St. Martin church) was also a collegiate church, so is known as the Collégiale Saint-Martin, and because of its large size, as Cathédrale Saint-Martin. So in the US, that would be like calling it First, Second and Third Baptist Church :)

Arch of the Collégiale Saint-Martin

The morning market in front of the church

Jonathan and Vincent (with Noémie on his shoulders) in the Old City

Vincent and Claire put on a mini-concert for us

Remember this picture. You'll see it again soon...

It's official. My kids have to speak French. It's just too stinkin' cute.

Jonathan heading to the train station

And remember..."Colmar? That's where Charles the Fat held a diet in 884."

Really?

2010-06-24T12:28:00.003+02:00

There's a sign next to this little fountain letting you know that the water is not potable.

Really?

Are there that many people who walk past this little boy peeing and think, "I'm thirsty. Gee, that looks refreshing. I'll just stick my Nalgene bottle in the stream and fill 'er up..."

Eat your vegetables.

2010-06-24T10:29:00.004+02:00

It's so easy to love vegetables when you can buy them at a market like this one in Colmar. I will definitely miss this... so I'm enjoying it while I can! Vincent and Claire took us for a walk through the old city and to their favorite vendors at the market.

Jonathan bought raspberries for our mid-morning snack.

A recipe for laundry and an onion tart...

2010-06-21T22:21:00.006+02:00

Our tickets for leg n°1 of 3 on our trip

Remember the whole 'six-day trip in two backpacks' deal? I know. It was impressive. And so is the pile of laundry it generated.

Self-portrait on the train

We got back this evening and are exhausted, but very happy. It was a wonderful six days. It all started with a visit to see our friends Vincent & Claire who moved from Lyon last year. They now live in the Alsace region, which is where Jonathan's got some ancestral roots, so we really wanted to get up there before leaving in August. (Two months!)

Lots more to come, but for now I'm going to leave you with Claire's recipe for a traditional Alsatian Onion Tart, made with fresh onions from the morning market.

Claire's tarte à l'oignon

1 recipe pâte brisée or other flaky pie dough (Claire makes her own and adds about 1 Tbsp whole flax seeds in with the flour)
4-5 medium onions (purple and white), peeled and very thinly sliced
3 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Grated nutmeg
Pinch of cumin

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Roll out the pâte brisée and place in a tart dish or pie pan. Sprinkle a pinch of cumin on the crust.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onions slowly, stirring regularly, until they are lightly golden. Remove the skillet from the heat.

In a small bowl, beat the egg and cream together. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Add this to the onions, stirring to combine.

Fill the tart dish with the onion and egg mixture. Bake tart for 25 minutes, or until the filling is golden brown and set. Bon appétit!

I've been corrupted.

2010-06-16T11:16:00.001+02:00

Five years, nine months and three weeks of marriage is how long it took me to be corrupted. I am now one of those people who can pack for a six-day trip in a backpack. Not a big hiking backpack, mind you. No, this little guy is actually marketed as a 'day pack'. But Jonathan has corrupted me to the point that I can cram everything I need for 144 hours in three countries in this one little backpack.

But I have not been corrupted to the point of thinking we should travel by bicycle. (That'll be at least another couple years.) However, we have been enjoying Lyon's Velo'v bike rentals this week, especially along the Rhône River.

Next blog post... probably coming from either Alsace, Switzerland or Germany!

Chillin' with our Consular buddies...

2010-06-14T15:17:00.005+02:00

Jonathan talking with one of the head honchos that we've met a couple times.

If someone told you that the city of Lyon would be hosting an international festival with representatives from each of its 53 Consulates - including Senegalese - which of your friends would you say would be the most likely to be there?

Us? Really? How did you know?

The section of tents representing African countries was by far the liveliest. Music, food, dancing...

Yes, on Sunday afternoon we made our way downtown to visit the 53 tents and say hello to our buddies at the Senegalese Consulate. They asked about our trip in February, how our families are doing (we assured them you are all in peace), our plans for moving back, and of course, are we are at peace.

I stopped by the Côte d'Ivoire tent too.

That's me in Africa Alley.

Looks familiar!

The Senegal tent had paintings, carvings, batiks, shoes... and also bissap, sugared peanuts and gingembre drink.

The ladies loved speaking Wolof with Jonathan. They thought he was hysterical - especially Mme Ndiaye when she found out his Senegalese last name is Diop.

Put on a happy face...

2010-06-12T14:12:00.004+02:00

The first picture of Jonathan with his diploma

No flat hats with tails swishing in front of your face. No wearing a long robe during a ceremony. No commencement speaker challenging you to go forth and change the world.

It's simply not the way it's done in France.

Instead you just check your grades online (posted for all the world to see) and if you passed, you go pick up your diploma - as pictured above. That's Jonathan with one of the school secretaries on Wednesday morning.

And in his hand, a very fresh diploma stating that he graduated with high honors*, or 'très honorable avec félicitations' as they say in France.

* In the US, it's equivalent to Summa Cum Laude. Less than 2% of graduate candidates are awarded this honor.

Spontaneous Kari...

2010-06-11T01:28:00.002+02:00

In a recent attempt to be spontaneous, I thought "WWJD?" That's What Would Julie Do, in this case. My sister-in-law Julie is great at going with the flow and just handling things as they come. I am more of the well-organized super duper planning variety.

But this past weekend when we went adventuring back into the Middle Ages, I decided to go Julie all the way. I tossed my camera into my purse and we were off. I didn't even follow my own suggestions for planning a picnic in France.

To be honest, it went pretty great. Sure, we missed our bus stop and wound up 22 kilometers away in another village. But hey, it was probably even cooler than Plan A anyway. And our spur-of-the-moment picnic was delicious. We decided to stop in at the grocery store rather than go to a restaurant. A tub of strawberries, a banana, rounds of goat cheese, a package of smoked salmon, anchovy-stuffed olives, a baguette and a bottle of water... €8.46 well spent.

Picnic lunch in the park

The only glitch was that we hadn't brought a knife. So, What Would Julie Do? To be honest, I have no idea. But we used the lid of the olive can to slice open the package of salmon and tore into the bread with our hands in a very Middle Ages appropriate way.

Final exclusive intervew...

2010-06-08T12:54:00.001+02:00

We interviewed him after his first internship in 2007, then in May of 2008 when he started treating patients at the clinic and in September 2008 when he was chosen to be a student assistant in his medical synthesis class, and most recently in January 2009 . Now, in a final interview, we talk with Jonathan Masson.

Congratulations, Jonathan. I heard from your PR rep that you made an excellent grade on your thesis and also the highest grade in your class on your big, huge cumulative-over-six-years exam (in front of a jury, in French). Oh, and graduated with the highest honors.

That is what she's been telling people.

Are you saying she's got it wrong? Because I, for one, believe she has impeccable credentials...

No, no. She's got it right.

Okay then. Now that we've settled that... How does it feel to finally be finished?

Wonderful.

What made you decide to study osteopathy in France anyway?

Well, in 2003 I was working in Senegal and my supervisor asked me if I had ever written out my life goals. I hadn't, so I did. The top two were to become an osteopath and to become fluent in French. The next day, I Googled osteopathic schools in France, figuring I'd hit two birds with one stone.

Did you find a school with classes in English?

I found a school with parts of its website translated into English, but that's about it. But it was one of the best schools in France and they had a location in Lyon (ie. not just Paris), so I applied, had my interview and got in.

Where was your interview?

It was in Lyon at the end of 2003. I had to fly up from Senegal for it. While I was here, I walked up Fourvière Hill and looked out over the city. I prayed and asked God for wisdom - and I heard Him say not to worry, that I would get into this program and that He would provide everything I needed, finances, language ability...

Would you say He held to that promise?

Absolutely. I mean, I've got the sugar momma to prove it.

Nice, Jonathan. Really nice.

In all seriousness, God has been completely faithful over these six years - even the year I redid. Looking back now, I can see how that year helped me become a better osteopath.

About that... So you're now officially diplomé en ostéopathie, right?

Yep.

So are you a medical doctor?

No, the French system is set up differently than in the US - an osteopathic physician degree doesn't exist here. What I did is basically an advanced Master's degree, which is the highest osteopathic degree in France.

And it's a five-year program? That's intense.

It is. In the US, an osteopathic physician does four years of osteopathic medical school. But the majority of the graduates don't actually practice Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment/Medicine (OMT/OMM) - and that's the part that interests me. In France, all five years are dedicated to this specialization. It's a very precise, in-depth program.

What's your favorite part?

You mean as a practioner? Probably the creativity. Based on the anatomy and structure, I can develop new techniques and treatments specific to the patient and the case.

Aren't you going to ask me?

Ask you what?

My favorite part.

Oh, okay. What's your favorite part?

Being Mrs. Jonathan Masson, DO.

I like the sound of that.

We went medieval.

2010-06-06T20:53:00.014+02:00

Medieval adventurers

This weekend we went to a medieval village by accident. Kind of. I mean, we did set out at 7:30am on Saturday to go to a medieval village about an hour and a half away. But we missed the stop and rode another half hour on the bus before finally getting off at the next good lookin' option. And... surprise! It was also a medieval village.

The village

The fortified village of Morestel is about two hours from Lyon. (Just checking to be sure you're keeping up with the math.) If you are in the area and looking for a day trip, this one gets two thumbs up. I have no idea who is behind their tourism and marketing, but that person is a genius. The village is absolutely beautiful, but they've gone far beyond just being pretty to see.

The Tourism Office staff was friendly, helpful and truly loves their village. The maps and guidebooks pointed out all the highlights, including free entrance to the various art galleries. Throughout the village, signs in both French and English explained the historical and cultural relevance of the sites. And there were at least five (clean! free!) public bathrooms - which is far above average.

If you go, I suggest doing so on a Sunday. We hear the morning market is incredible.

Morestel is a 'ville fleurie', which means the village has reached certain standards of 'floralness'.

Stone walls, winding streets and beautiful windows

I loved the windows.

The mountain views were so beautiful. Made me homesick for North Georgia though!

I'm on top of ~~the world~~ Morestel tower!

The church

The vicar's booth (I'm sure that's not the right term... Confessionary?) at the 15th-century church.

The central fountain

The map at the top of the tower pointed nearby sites

I was lagging behind, taking pictures.

The roses are definitely in bloom right now.

Taking in the view from the village tower

Self-portrait with the iPhone. Is it just me or does it look kinda warped?

But the ol' iPhone does take good shots of rocks.

The mountains were blue-ish green.

The church and clocktower

A view of Morestel from the next little, tiny village over. We walked there too :)

He sees life through rose-colored glasses.

2010-06-03T09:03:00.004+02:00

Shoooom! The bus swerved around a corner and onto the main road.

Unfortunately for the bus driver, a policeman was standing right there. In about .283 seconds, our bus was pulled over on the side of the road and the driver was getting a serious tongue lashing.

"Monsieur, Did you not see the light? You have a bus full of people (gestures to us with a broad sweep of his hand) and you are repsonsible for their safety. Are you always this wreckless? Oh là là! People's lives are at stake here!

Let me ask you... what color was that light when you blew through the intersection? What color?"

The driver looked as if he was trying to hide his head between his shoulders. He cleared his throat and nervously gave it a shot, "Pink?"

The policeman was not amused.

But I learned a valuable French lesson. When you run through a caution light that's turning red, you don't say that it's orange. It's pink.