Thanksgiving!!!!!

HELLO EVERYONE!!!

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal last evening, thanks to Susan, Shelly and Tom. I cooked for over 5 hours and finished just in time to change clothes and start greeting the guests. We had a huge spread of food and others who came contributed as well. It was all so beautiful and as I sat there, at the wonder of it all and missing Tom, I couldn’t help but think of the three people who made this possible and what efforts they took to make this happen. I want you three to know you touched a lot of French and two other Americans. We were all blessed by your generosity and help!!! It was also GREAT to taste American food and products. I was really amazed and how much tastier the food was, compared to what I’ve been eating, even though French food has been great.

We sat, held hands, had a blessing from Annie, another American and went around the room giving thanks for things in our lives. This was a very moving experience in France and interpretations were given as each of us spoke respectively from English to French and French to English. This alone was touching to me, that we can go to another country and be embraced by each other realizing we are so connected and in need of each other. My thanks was to Tom for supporting me in this journey I’m on and them finding a little about my precious husband and his generosity toward me as well as them. Then, to meeting Michel and Kyoko this past February and following them to France and how the students and some of their spouses and the neighbors of Michel and Kyoko and her daughter and son in law have become surrogate family to me while I’m here. I’m feeling deep feelings for all of them and love them in a special way.

Mary Rose and Serge, their neighbors helped to delight the guests by providing the tables, chairs, table cloths, decorations on the table and the best Tiramasu I’ve had. I don’t typically like it, but hers was FAB!! I love Mary Rose and Serge and they have become very special people to me. You can see us all light up when we see each other, but we still cannot communicate without the aid of Kyoko translating. Mary Rose’s son in law told me she’s frustrated because she wants to talk to me about sewing, but cannot get around to it. I told her through Kyoko that we would take some time for us to do just that with Kyoko by our side. She says she has a lot of questions for me and there was such delight as she came in while I was preparing things and started looking at the American products and asking me what they were for and why. SO many things you cannot find here. She loved the Durkee Fried Onions LOL.

I have to share something funny here about Tom. This past week, when the care package arrived from the States, my sweet husband had put me some chocolates in there again. He also sent some peanut butter, which I typically don’t eat, but had been craving, probably because I cannot find it here in France. SO, the next day at class, I presented the peanut butter and the chocolate. Patrick said, after we’d partaken of it and enjoyed it immensely, “Tammy is good, but Tom is better.” They all toasted Tom for being so generous to send us chocolates each time a care package arrives LOL.

I’ll tell you a little about the people who came to this feast. Annie, who I mentioned above, is a 65 year old lady who is a wonder in herself. She applied to come to Michel’s school 6 years ago and when Michel received her application, he didn’t know quite how to handle it. He thought the class would be much too intensive for her at her age and with great distress, wrote her, Dear Annie . . . I don’t know if this class would be a good fit for you, as it is a very intensive course and . . . He bit his nails waiting on a response and looked at his E-mails everyday for two months waiting on her. She finally responded and said, Dear Michel Nadai, at first, I was angry at you, then I’m laughing at your ignorance. How many homes have you built with your two hands? I’ve built 14 and even the table I’m typing this message on my computer to you; I cut down the tree and made the table myself. A quick response was sent back from Michel, Dear Annie, please come to class. ROFL.

This woman travels around the world and spends at least two months per year in France in small villages with friends she’s collected over the past six years. She was a joy to be around and very down to earth.

Jean, was another American who I had the pleasure of sitting beside all evening. She and her husband moved here two years ago and they love the little village they live in called Penn. (Hope I’m spelling that correctly). She was a decorative painter and we enjoyed each other’s company. She kept mentioning my homemade pie crusts and finally I figured out she had been a pastry chef for years, a few of them being with the Ritz Carlton LOL. She and her husband have retired here and she’s painting for friends, family and her own personal enjoyment.

Mary Rose and Serge, obviously were there, their daughter Melinda and son in law and their two children. Nikola (SP?) speaks English very well and is one of the most charming men. He’s a pilot with Ryan Airways and was so sweet and kind to Marina and I, and has been each time we’ve been around. He’s very thoughtful and asks me constantly what it’s like to be in a foreign country not speaking their language and being away from my husband and family. He also brought me some white dessert wine because he found out during the Light of the Canvas ceremony that I’m partial to them.

Patrick and Cathy were there as well as Brigette (little Crevette), Michel (the new Frenchman in class) and his wife. Marina and I enjoyed getting to speak English to the two Americans and Nikola.

Interesting things about the French: Again, some of these things are NOT my opinions, but things they have said about themselves. When you go to the grocery store, from what I understand, they don’t trust the French to return the buggies, so they charge one euro. You put the euro into the buggy itself and when you return, you click the chain from the previous buggy into yours and your coin pops out enough for you to grip it and take it with you. They are really into recycling and you have to purchase your plastic bags or bring your own method of carrying your groceries home. I like this concept and think more American stores should do this.

There is dog poop ALL OVER the ground. They are supposed to pick up after their dogs, but don’t. You literally have to watch where you place your feet no matter where you are in France, including Paris.

It is nothing unusual to see men with men purses, where they carry their essentials and a lot of them have pouches for their cell phones.

Their grocery stores include an entire menagerie of other stores, such as clothing, dry cleaners, shoe repair, jewelry stores, etc. Like this concept as well. You don’t have to get in and out of your car so much to get something done.

One of the things that’s been the most difficult for me is not knowing when you enter a restroom if it is just going to be women in there or men. EVEN if it’s got a women’s sign on it, the men will just walk in and do their business and be done with it and we are all washing our hands together. The first time I experienced this, I literally freaked out. I was in a store in Bordeaux, where they make you pay in some restrooms to get in. Kyoko and I were inside and she was waiting outside my stall and I heard this man beside me. I almost screamed. Now, it’s common place and I have to tell you that there are times I won’t go into restrooms and will wait because of this, as there are small shields in some of them where the men are visible, but using a urinal. OH MY GOSH!!!!

Because they are charged 20% taxes on everything, you get a discount for carry out in restaurants up to 12% because they aren’t charged as much for customer who take out. The French don't do doggy bags. They deny themselves nothing and typically finish everything, including the women. Kyoko literally has to explain to them that the fact that I didn't finish my meal, is not offensive, but that I have a petite stomach as she calls it LOL. Then, they realize I'm appeased and they will try to find things to give me to take home.

TV – well, this has been an experience. I decided to watch some French TV not long after arriving here, so I could get acclimated to their language and maybe pick up on some. There’s one show similar to our Wheel of Fortune. I’ve been shocked to see what transpires on this show. There is this beautifully sculptured (and I mean plastic surgery all over) blonde who is toying and being very flirtatious with the game show host. So much so, it’s way over the top. One day, while flipping through the channels, I saw him actually unzipping her dress and them playing with this. I also saw a show where it was the same as our America’s Got Talent, a group of women came out and were naked, except for these tiny G-strings LOL. They are much more open about women’s bodies here than we are in regulated TV in America.

The French pay 4,000 euros for babies here. We don’t know if it’s just the first born or all of them. They are trying to populate their country. This is with full payment of the birth of the child, as they have healthcare included in their taxes. Wonder why they pay 20%, on top of the taxes in their salaries? This is my main concern about Americans wanting a total healthcare system.

Guess what the weathermen tell you every weekend? That it’s going to be beautiful and sunny LOL. Word is, they don’t want to discourage you from going places, so they don’t tell you what the weather is actually going to be if it’s not the best of weather. To be honest, it’s cold here. It was below zero this week in the a.m. It rains more than I can explain and it’s a drizzly cold rain. It’s cloudy most of the time and that has been painful for me at times. I NEED some SUN!!! We have been blessed, however, lately, with some sun actually coming out and each time it does, I get so excited and just look at it. I MISS our winters LOL.

You all take care of yourself. Know that Christmas, as you are preparing for it, is about caring for others, and not the stress we put on ourselves to get the perfect gift. When you are in a position such as I, presents seem so superficial in so many ways. The gifts I relish are E-mails and cards from friends. The things that touch the heart are the best gifts. Please keep this in mind as you busy yourself during this season. People REALLY just need you. Figure out ways to give of yourself . . . that’s what we need and is more expressive of love.

I’ll be home three weeks from tomorrow and am rejoicing in knowing this!!!! Know you are loved in France. Love knows no boundaries!!!!!

Tammy