Top Ten Photographs!?!

7/24/2014

Bonjour mes amis!

I have a huge Decorating Goal ahead of me.  I want to make a wall of photographs in our Gameroom from our awesome year spent in France, and other parts of Europe.  But how do I choose?  We have thousands of photos!  There are definitely some that stand out, so those will be easy.  I still haven't decided how many photos I will use, but I know I want the BEST OF THE BEST!!!

So, I'm carefully looking through ALL the thousands of pictures and trying to narrow it down.  Today, I want to share a beginning TOP TEN EIGHTEEN (you must know by now that I can't actually stick to TEN on a Top Ten)!  These will MOST DEFINITELY make the Wall...I think!

Unbelievably, the photos I'm sharing today are only from the first three months we lived in France!

I'm in trouble!

How will I ever narrow these down?

I guess there will be another Post of the 2nd three months, the 3rd three months, etc., etc.!

Can you see why this is so difficult?

We had an extraordinary Year!

I could probably do a Post on Top Ten Stained Glass Windows...
And even that would be hard to pare down!

I guess it's time to shut the door on this Post for now...

Thank goodness I have some awesome photos of fabulous doors!

I do wish you a "Jewel" of a Day!
Jan

I'm NOT going to miss this...

19/7/2013

Bonjour mes amis!

Well, the time is quickly approaching that I'm going to have to say "Good-bye" to the lovely Country of France.  I got to thinking about things.  I've clearly told you the myriad of things that I love here, but today I have something different to share.  Here it comes...

Top Ten...

I'm NOT going to miss this!

10.

Paris Traffic!

(I think I've said enough about that!)

9.

Whipping up Cake Batter by Hand!

(I'll have my Mixer again!)

8.

Cleaning up crumbs from Baguettes!

(But, I'll still be pining away for yummy baguettes!)

7.

Walking on Cobblestone!

(Okay, I am going to miss this,

but it IS hard walking on Cobblestone if you're not wearing the right shoes!)

6.

Trying to remember the Opening and Closing Hours

of all the Stores!

(I'll be back in the Land of 24/7 again...)

5.

Hearing "Miss Know-it-all" tell me to

"turn around when possible"!

(We don't have GPS in our cars in the U.S.)

4.

Not having a Clue what people are saying in French!

(But, I will miss hearing the French Language...it's still so beautiful to me!)

3.

The Mattress!

(I miss our pillow-top!)

2.

My Children!

(...because I'll finally be in the same Country with them again!)

1.

Doing the "bisou-bisou" thing with Men who haven't Shaved!

(It's that scratchiness against my soft skin!)

(***Of course, you understand not having to miss My Children is really #1,

but I had to throw this one in for Humor's Sake!)

Trust me!  This was a hard list to make.  I AM GOING TO MISS FRANCE!  This has been one of the most interesting years of my life!  I still have so much to share on this Blog...so stay tuned...

Also, thanks for stopping by today...despite the fact that there are no pictures!
Wishing you a "Jewel" of a Day!
Jan

Top Ten Countdown: Ode to the Baguette!

5/7/2013

Bonjour mes amis!

Warning:  This Post may be hazardous to your Dietary Schedule!

Living in France has many benefits, but in case you wanted to know...eating fresh Baguettes has become one of our #1 benefits since moving here.

Daily, I have the opportunity to walk to the Boulangerie (Bakery) and feast my eyes on yummy breads and beautiful pastries, and then, bring said products home for me and my family.  If there's one thing we're dreading about leaving France next month, it's that we won't get to have the yummy, crusty Baguettes that have graced our table just about every day since we moved to France.

Today, I'd like to share a Top Ten Countdown

of things about Baguettes
in France

that I'm really going to miss...

#10

Watching all the older Men in town on Sunday mornings

with a Baguette firmly stashed under their arm,

making their way back home!

This is Dr. J's favorite...the Retrodor!

#9

Seeing the Baguettes (in my favorite Boulangerie)

fresh from the Oven,

standing vertical in a Basket in the front window...cooling!

#8

Slicing a fresh Baguette for dinner!

#7

Choosing a slice of fresh Baguette during my meal, based on the amount of Crust on top of that particular piece!

#6

Having a meal with a French Family,

and watching them all place their bread slices

on the table between bites!

(*Incidentally, this used to drive me crazy, since in my world,

I thought all the food should always remain on the plate!)

#5

Having a short Conversation in French with the Owners

of my favorite Boulangerie!

#4

Watching a Mother walk out of the Boulangerie,

and observing her yank off the end of a Baguette,

and hand it to her hungry child!

#3

Walking into the Boulangerie

just after they've finished baking a fresh batch of Baguettes!

Mmmmm!

#2

Being short on Euros at the Boulangerie,

but because the Owner knows us,

she tells us to just pay the next time we come in!

#1

Taking that first bite of Baguette at dinnertime!

There's really only ONE thing about Baguettes
in France

that I'm really NOT going to miss...

Cleaning up the flaky crumbs off the table and floor!

********************************

I know that I titled this Post, "Ode to a Baguette", but then again, we really do like the Croissants here as well!  Just sayin'...

Since School classes finished, our Jewelius has been doing an Internship with Dr. J in the Lab where he works, but all along, we were trying to encourage Jewelius to get an...

Internship at the Boulangerie!

so we could learn their tricks for making the best Baguettes in all of France!  Guess I'm going to have to work on a Recipe when I get back to Texas...but I know they just won't be the same.

Incidentally, one last thing about Baguettes before I go...
The French do not eat their Baguettes with Butter...but us Americans, we still do!  Yum!

Have a "Jewel" of a Day!
Jan

P.S.  My apologies to those of you that hoped I'd share the "Strawberry Crisp" recipe today.  We went to a special presentation with Dr. J in the city of Tours yesterday, and got back too late for me to make it.  I'll be trying it this weekend, and I promise to share...afterall, I know you'll want to see pictures!

Top Ten...Not to be Found!

01/05/2013

Bonjour mes amis!

Bonne Fête du Travail!

(Happy Labor Day!)

What?

Yes, today is a Holiday in France!

Everything's closed,and Nobody's working, or going to School...

But I'm still here to bring you a daily dose of France!

Today, I'm going to take a little break from telling you about my Site-Seeing Adventures to mention some favorite products in the U.S. that I have not been able to find in Orléans.  This is a Top Ten, if you will, in no particular order...

Ranch Salad Dressing

Hidden Valley, being my #1 American Choice!

This photo from HiddenValley.com

Graham Cracker Crumbs

Do you know what they use

for a cheesecake pie crust here?

Speculoos!

This photo from Wikipedia

Bisquick Mix

All Pancakes eaten in France have been

100% made from scratch!

Photo from BettyCrocker.com

Instant Pudding Mixes

Jello Brand, being the brand of choice!

I've really missed using this product!

Photo from Jello.com

Cake Mixes

They have some mixes here,

but they are definitely not the same!

Photo from DuncanHines.com

SOS Pads

They sell some sort of pads here for scrubbing,

but they don't have the soap in them!

Photo courtesy of google.com

Pam Cooking Spray

One of the Products I've missed the most!

It seems they just use Olive Oil to grease pans here!

Photo courtesy of google.com

Celery and Green Onions

These are seasonal items, not always available!

Photo courtesy of google.com

Jif Peanut Butter 

Don't worry...family brought us some...

Now I want to make some homemade cookies!

Photo courtesy of google.com

Huh?  That's odd.  I usually always have atleast Ten Items for my Countdowns...well, today, I'm happy to have brought you my Top Ten Nine Countdown...

in no particular order!

Have a "Jewel" of a Day!

Jan

Top Ten: You know you've become a French Inhabitant when...

12/04/2013

Bonjour mes amis!

I haven't done a Top Ten on my blog for quite some time.  I had full intentions at the beginning to make it a weekly post, but my inspiration ran dry...

Today, I have a little comeback treat for you to enjoy!  These are in no particular order, though some are more funny than others.

You know you've become

a French Inhabitant

when...

You no longer take pictures of your food in every Restaurant.

You quit complaining about having to pay for Parking everywhere you go.

Parallel Parking is a way of life!

(OK, so I haven't mastered parallel parking in France yet...)

You've ridden the train so many times that SNCF offers you a monthly pass for

50 Euros for taking the Train to Paris!

(Ok, so that's NEVER going to happen,

but it sure would make my life better and more affordable!)

You're finally used to draping your wet clothes

over a rack,

rather than run the Clothes Dryer!

You see an American Plane Ticket

and question the flight time,

because you no longer use AM and PM,

only Military Time!

And on a related topic...

You determine the size of a piece of furniture

in meters, rather than yards!

You are no longer surprised by

the presence of Dogs

 in a Restaurant, Store or even, in Church!

You dread going back to the United States, for fear

you will never have a good Baguette again!

And on a related topic...

Day old bread is too Old!

You politely greet Shop Owners in French,

and wish them a nice day and good-bye
as you leave!

You can chit chat with the Owner of the Boulangerie you frequent,

like you've been friends for years...

(Working on this one...but we did have a little chit chat last week!)

It appears I should be stopping.  I went over.  Did you even notice that my Top Ten turned into Top Twelve?  Do you want me to keep going?  I could.  Let's just go for it.  I've done this before.  (Click HERE to see an old Top Ten Post that turned into a Baker's Dozen!)

And here's the final one...

You know how to ask a Vendor at a

Vide Grenier or Brocante,

in French,

if this is his Best Price!

(In case you don't remember, a Vide Grenier here is an Empty Attic {aka Garage Sale}.  If you'd like to look back at a post I did months ago about going to a Vide Grenier, you're welcome to click HERE  and enjoy)!

My friend, Elaine, and I recently went to the local Brocante just down the street from our Apartment, which takes place every Saturday morning.  Brocantes sell the affordable antiques...and some junk...and it is SO MUCH FUN!  I want to be there every Saturday morning!

Sorry I didn't share any photos today, but I did have lots of fun with this.  I do want to be able to recall all the things that made this year in France special.

And, here's one more, just for fun!

You know you've become a French Inhabitant when...

You shout "Regard!"

(translated, this means "Look" or "Look Out!")

 when you see Dog Poop on the Sidewalk!

I couldn't help myself!  I hope you've had a good chuckle today!

And, I hope you have a "Jewel" of a Day!     

Jan

Top Ten Things I'm Thankful for this Year!

 20/11/2012

Bonjour mes amis!

Happy Thanksgiving to my American Friends!

This week we celebrate together as a Country, (yes, we are still Americans, though we are enjoying living in France for the time being...) and give thanks to God for all His goodness over the last year.

For today, I'd like to share my Top Ten things I am Thankful for this Year...

#10

 I am Thankful to God for Yummy Food, Music and the Beauty of Nature this Fall Season!

#9

 I am Thankful to God for the Opportunity to live in France for a year!

#8

 I am Thankful to God for the Opportunity to Express Myself Creatively!

#7

 I am Thankful to God for Safety in Travel this year!

#6

 I am Thankful to God for the Opportunities I've had to spend time with family this year...

(via a Reunion, the Diamond Duo's Wedding, Spring Break, and College Graduation!)

#5

 I am Thankful for Employment for my Husband and Children!

#4

 I am Thankful to God for my Friends and Church Family!

#3

 I am Thankful to God for our Parents, Sisters, Brother-in-Laws, Nieces and Nephews!

#2

 I am Thankful to God for my Husband and Four Children, and my new Daughter-in-Love!

and,

#1

 I am Thankful to God for His Grace and Love through Jesus Christ, and the Promise of Eternal Life!

*********************************************************

I hope you take time to review what you are thankful for this year!

Have a "Jewel" of a day!

Jan

Top Ten Closeups!

30/10/2012

Bonjour mes amis!

I hope you are all well, staying healthy with the cooling temperatures, and enjoying these final days of October!

Today, I'd like to count down my top ten closeups from our time in France!  You will probably recognize many of these shots, but I'm throwing in a few never before seen on my blog new ones!

By the way, thank you for your patience with me last week, while I digressed with a "Bakers Dozen Countdown".  It was a Hit, so if you want to look back, click HERE...

Now, let's get to the Countdown!

Top Ten Closeups!!!

#10

Didn't mean to scare you off right away, but I don't think I shared this photo of Jewelius!

#9

I pass this frequently and smile every time!

#8

I do enjoy Coffee, especially when they give you a little cookie with it!!

#7

Shot this in a Cathedral, and couldn't get over all the detail!  Amazing!

#6

Just look at the beauty in the Swirling Rose!

#5

Dr. J took this photo!  I love how he captured the beautiful couple in the background!

#4

I'm still in love with this photo Dr. J took!

#3

Shot on the Rodin Museum Staircase!

#2

Captured this one just walking the streets in Paris!

#1

Still my favorite!  I think I just like the way the light and haze play together on this one!

I guess I am a little biased to "Scrolly Wrought Iron Things", aren't I?

Well, I'm no professional photographer, but I am dreaming up plans for something to do with some of these photos when we return to Texas...

Do you have a favorite?  Again, it was a tough choice for me...

I hope you have a "Jewel" of a day!

Jan