Happy Valentine’s Day!

My very first Valentine’s day with three men in my life!

Last week four of my friends from the IWC photography club stopped by to meet Mikus. Not only did they brave the cold to have a cup of coffee and give my mother and me a change of pace, but they brought a delicious dinner that had me asking for recipes. I believe I’m most grateful for the photo shoot they did with Mikus (although Lauris made it into some of the pictures as he’s not one to let little brother have all the attention), and I can’t wait to see all the photographs they took! Thank you to Leigh for this beautiful preview of my little Bigfoot! 



Photo: Leigh Jones



December in the Auvergne - the Christmas party

A Latvian Christmas carol tells of "the hundred cakes I baked while waiting for Christmas, when a hundred dancing children came to visit."

Simtu cepu kukulīšu,

Ziemassvētku gaidīdama:

Simtiņš nāca danča bērnu

Ziemassvētku vakarā.

The big Christmas party I had been looking forward to for over a month now was on Sunday. As we lost a very dear member of the family last week, Roberts flew back to the US to represent the three of us and so it was only Lauris and I making the drive out to his friend Stephan’s house.

The party had it all; good food, good company, plenty of dancing children for Lauris to run around with and of course, chocolate with firecrackers. A French tradition perhaps?

A potluck lunch, but we didn’t return home until early evening, and there were soon two of us taking a well-deserved nap. Another lovely December weekend, but I am oh-so-happy that it’s over and Roberts is back home with us.

Happy Halloween!

Between the school holiday and the French All Saints' Day / Toussaint, many of our friends were out of town and therefore we decided to wait a week to throw our Halloween bash. This also coincided with Guy Fawkes Night (although fireworks and bonfires were not destined to be a part of our party!). Well worth the wait, we also had extra time to prepare, as come Saturday morning we were expecting over forty people.

Boo! (Sans one princess and King Arthur)

Being an official IWC mom and baby club event, we were able to utilize the IWC Halloween decorations, which also included a few themed games; perfect, because although some of the larger stores in Clermont sell Halloween costumes, the usual Halloween décor was nowhere to be found. Our work was cut out for us thanks to the attendees willing to bring a dish to share, so I just found black and orange plates at the party store, plastic cups and eating utensils, then jumped online to search for some fun ideas. I ended up with a version of Martha Stewart’s goodie bags (brown paper sacs were nowhere to be found so I used mailing envelopes), the “floating hand (of ice)” in the punchbowl, Halloween 2011 picture frames to add to the goodie bags (complete with picture of each child in costume taken at the party and printed out on my mini photo printer) and a pumpkin carved three days into November.

Photo credit (Halloween goodie bags) to marthastewart.com

The dishes served were just as diverse as the costumes that came knocking at our door. We had pumpkin soup, pumpkin cakes, coconut cookies, eyeballs in Jell-o, severed fingers, mummy fingers, tangerines, a Polish fall specialty, chocolate cake and more. Everyone was in the spirit with cute, to scary, and everything in between.

My costume: Puy de Dôme. See the resemblance?

Once the party got into full swing the games started; the kids really got into the dancing and “freeze frame” to Monster Mash, “pin-the-tail on the black cat” and face painting. Apple bobbing removed more than one face painting, and “mummy-wrap” were a few among the many games occurring (sometimes simultaneously) throughout the apartment.

Mommies... I mean daddies... I mean mummies!

Although we are experiencing many new holidays here in France, Halloween is one classic American holiday that I’m glad we were able to celebrate with our friends, French, German, American, Polish, Italian or Greek. Although Lauris possibly won’t remember his spiderman costume, it was wonderful to watch all the kids having Halloween fun. Of course I won’t complain about the bagful of candy that I get to help Lauris eat either!

Meet the in-laws!

Never a dull moment when you have guests! Between sightseeing, constant eating, planning the weekend trip and hot-water heater drama, I’ve been busy doing things I love: walks in the park, cooking all my favorite meals and spending lovely time with family. But yes, we could have skipped the hot-water heater failure/fixing! It seems that whenever something like that happens, we have guests, the laundry and the dishes are piling up and all I want is a hot shower!

With the grandparents at the scenic overlook of CF

Monday morning Lauris had another adaptation session at the halte garderie, and this half-hour went no better than the last few. It seems a certain little boy has grown quite attached to his mother in the last few months. But then he surprised me later, when he didn’t even think twice about waving, singing his little atā in soprano, and letting me leave for a quick run to the store.

I’ve been taking full advantage of the extra hands around the house to sneak out to the IWC book club, monthly meeting and photography club session. Thank you very much to the grandparents for minding Lauris, as well as for all the help around the house with the everyday stuff. It is wonderful watching Lauris hop into your laps clutching a book to read, and great seeing how quickly he has picked up new skills. I love that he signs “delicious” when he’s enjoying his lunch, and he knows at least three new animal sounds. It always seems to me that he develops more quickly when he is surrounded by the extended family.

Reading "The Smart Book"... is it working?

Tuesday we were lucky enough to join some other IWC ladies in a guided walking tour of downtown Clermont. Our very knowledgeable guides, Ludivine and Michelle are students at the Université Blaise-Pascal here in Clermont-Ferrand. Not only are they taking classes in tourism, but they are simultaneously learning English! The whole tour was en anglais, and after a start in Place Delille we headed west towards Notre-Dame-du-Port. From there it was on to Place du Terrail, Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, then on to the Amboise fountain. I was pleasantly surprised how much of the history and fun facts I knew, but also aware that I don’t remember dates and numbers well, so this tour was extremely valuable in teaching my parents-in-law more about our current hometown. We walked about 4 miles total, including a stop in the Marché Saint-Pierre to discuss meats, cheeses and other local delicacies.

The captive audience

Thursday I drove the visitors up to Puy de Dôme, and while I certainly am in no shape to climb it, the grandparents were up to the challenge. Although the weather held and it did not rain, the summit was engulfed in clouds and there were no views. They seemed satisfied with the climb nonetheless, and to make up for lack of visibility I stopped at the scenic overlook on the way down to Clermont-Ferrand that we take all our guests to, and luckily the whole city was visible along with the mountains in the distance.

And so the eating, exploring and relaxing with family continues…

IWC picnic

The International Women’s Club (IWC) of Clermont-Ferrand has been instrumental in helping me feel at home, introducing me to people and easing the transition into French life. Officially, the IWC “is an outreach group providing social interaction for English speaking women in the Auvergne region of France.” Lauris and I most often participate in the mom and babies club, but I’ve also blogged about the book club and hiking club, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Lauris and Roberts with the canards in Lac Aydat

Sunday the mom and babies club hosted the annual picnic at Lac Aydat. A 30 minute drive southwest of Clermont-Ferrand, the largest natural lake of the Auvergne has a swimming area, picnic areas, a campground, and rentals for water sports. It was at one of the picnic areas that everyone met up, and although the weather was chilly, the sun was shining and we had a wonderful time. We utilized the permanent grills on location, and while the sausages and shish kebabs cooked, we enjoyed the various dishes everyone brought to share, let the children run amuck in the three children’s playgrounds, and caught up with old friends while making new ones.

For anyone moving to the Clermont-Ferrand area, I recommend getting in touch with the IWC. There is a yahoo groups website as well as a facebook site where more information can be found, questions asked and people contacted.

Rain and shine, warm and cold

When I offered our apartment as the back-up spot for this Friday’s mom & baby club meeting, I figured the chances of getting rained out at Jardin Lecoq were miniscule; to my recollection in our six months here it has never rained on a meeting day. Regardless, yesterday evening I cleaned a bit, then checked the weather.  Although overcast and cold, the rain was supposed to hold off until the afternoon, and so we all agreed to meet at the Jardin unless raining.

This morning we awoke to sunshine, ate breakfast to sunshine, packed a bag to sunshine, but then emerged from the apartment to clouds! By the time we got to the park it was drizzling, and after meeting a couple of the other moms there, we all headed back home to meet the rest of the moms who had headed straight to our apartment due to the rain. Disorganized and harried describes my state of mind at this point! We attempted to contact all the mothers we could to let them know of the change, but due to lack of preparedness I believe we may have missed a few.

But where are all the babies? Only 4 of the 10 in this picture!

A bit of chaos?  Of course.  But happily, we have had our official first visitors to the flat.  We look forward to more visits in the future; rain, clouds, sunshine or somewhere in between!

The Plateau of Gergovie

This warm, sunny morning Lauris and I joined the IWC randonée group in a 9.5 km hike from Romagnat to the Plateau of Gergovie. I have had it on my to do list to hike with the group for a while, but each week as I read the descriptions I always thought to myself “that seems a little far to carry Lauris” or “I don’t want to slow down the rest of the ladies.” But last Thursday at the monthly IWC meeting I spoke to several regulars who assured me that I would never know if I can do it if I don’t try, and a few brave souls even volunteered to carry my now-X-teen kilogram Lauris if I tired! So the die was cast, and with everything pre-packed the night before, including sandwiches, all I had to do this morning was eat breakfast and drive on out to the meeting place in Romagnat.

The gentle ascent to the plateau

The Plateau of Gergovie is thought to have been the location of the Battle of Gergovie between Vercingetorix and Julius Caesar in 52 BC (although this is now in dispute). Along with gorgeous views, at the top there is also a large monument, a museum and a café. The change in elevation from Romagnat to the plateau is about 270 meters, and although the trails are clearly marked, some turns are relatively easy to miss; I suggest a good trail guide or map to take along on the hike.

The monument on the Plateau dedicated to Vercingetorix, by Jean Teillard, 1903

I did manage to carry Laurīts all the way in his backpack carrier with a short break at the top. He was quite content in his carrier, the weather was beautiful and there was plenty for him to look at including cows, horses and chickens. I’ve found that it helps if I keep a steady supply of Cheerios ready, and he even tasted a cherry from one of the trees along the path after mom deemed them ripe and tasty. Thanks to the ladies for offering to take turns carrying him, I may have to take you up on your offer in the future; I believe the two of us will be joining you again in more of the weekly faire de randonées!

The fearless hikers!

La fête d'anniversaire

Latvian wedding celebrations traditionally last three days; Lauris’s first birthday celebration, five days! All week little presents and cards have been arriving in the post, and we continue to eat kliņğeris. Today was the culmination of the partying with our IWC mom and baby club-organized party. I’ve previously mentioned that one of Lauris’s friends, Stephane, has a birthday only two days before Lauris, but another boy, András, also just had a birthday, turning two. The three mothers decided to celebrate with a small party in lieu of the usual meet at Parenthèse café.

The birthday boys!

Evdoxia was kind enough to host, and the combination of the weather and her ideal yard guaranteed a beautiful setting and wonderful time, for mothers and babies (there were almost 30 of us!). Lunch was an international affair; Viktória’s Hungarian goulash was the starter, and the kids especially were big fans. Then served with a Greek salad were the crêpes, which were lovingly made by Marine over the course of the afternoon. There were loads of possible filling choices; mushroom sauce, ham, cheese, peppers, chicken, and plenty of other combinations I couldn’t get around to try, followed later by the sweet stuff; the Nutella, jams and honey. Once everyone was stuffed, out came the cakes, one for each boy. “Happy birthday” and “Joyeaux anniversaire” were sung and the trio received some help blowing out the candles. I had made another kliņğeris, this time with almonds, to add a little Latvian flair to the celebration. Then presents; Lauris received a wonderful shape-fitting toy from the moms, to my amusement they are in the shape of eggs… œufs blancs at that!

...and there was cake!

All three of the “three amigos” are walking now, and they got in plenty of practice today. They followed one another around, tried out the swings, shared toys and ate plenty of  crêpes and chocolate, and in sum had a wonderful time. Lauris surprisingly even took a short nap, allowing us to stay a bit longer.  This was one of those ideal playdates where a mother does not need eternal vigilance, as it was a pre-tested, very safe environment and there was always another mum willing to ‘watch him for a second.’ Not only did I also get enjoyment from watching Lauris in his excitement, but I also ate some good food, drank a couple of cups of coffee and had grown-up conversations with a great group of ladies (and a few with the one- and two-year-olds!).

Later this evening we went out for dinner, originally thinking of sushi but ending up stopping at a brasserie because they had one table left in their outdoor seating area - and because they had a TV to show the ASM-Biarritz rugby game. Roberts was happy to watch the first half, and Lauris was happy to watch the boisterous crowd in his yellow-and-gold number “1” ASM jersey. My happiness was due to the excellent food, as I am repeatedly surprised because I expect “American bar food,” not the higher-shelf dishes I receive. Now home, Lauris asleep, and resting after the long day, enjoying a few minutes of peace before turning in for the night, we hear much honking, shouting and celebration on the streets. I hope it is due to an ASM victory (or, are there others still celebrating Lauris’s birthday?)!

Lieldienas

Please see English below!

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Kaut vēl neesam ievākušies dzīvoklī, ar lielu sajūsmu gatavojos uz Lieldienām. Mums brauc pirmie ciemiņi, Roberta brālis Matīss ar savu draudzeni Indru, un šīs būs Lauŗa pirmās Lieldienas, kā arī mums visiem pirmās Lieldienas Francijā.

Esmu svinējusi latviskas Lieldienas Čikagā (Illinojā), Džordžijā (A.S.V.) ar savu vecmammu, Cincinnati (Ohaijo) ar Roberta omammīti un tanti Mary Margaret un ğimeni, un pagāšgad Grīnvilē (Dienvidkarolīnā). Citas pilsētas, cita kompānija, bet viena lieta nemainās; sīpolu mizās krāsotas olas! Džordžijā tām parādijās azalea ziedu nospiedumi, Dienvidkarolīnā, būdama stāvoklī ar Lauri, gandrīz uzdevu krāsošanu pusceļā, jo smaržas lika manam vēderam griezties.  Un sen atpakaļ Čikagā daudzreiz apnika ēst olas jo nokrāsojām tik daudzas. Un tā šogad pirms pāris nedēļām izskaidroju šo paražu manām I.W.C. draudzenēm. Es lūdzu viņām krāt sīpolu mizas, un sarīkoju nedeļā pirms Lieldienām satikšanos mūsu dzīvoklītī, lai krāsotu Lieldienu olas.

Pirms nedēļas veikalā skatijos pirkt olas, un tā atklāju pirmo šķērsli. Clermont-Ferrand nepārdod baltas olas. Skaistās brūnās oliņas kuŗas A.S.V. pārdod visos „organiskos” veikalos, šeit tās ir vienīgās olas pieejamas. Sākās lielā meklēšana. Es pati izmeklēju trīs veikalus pirms zvaniju palīgspēkiem. I.W.C. diskusiju lapās uzdevu šo jautājumu un pat feisbuka grupā lūdzu vietējos draugus palīgā. Aizvakar manas draudzenes Marion un Marine pavadija pāris stundas zvanot visiem vietējiem veikaliem, tirgiem un pat lauksaimniekiem, velti meklējot baltas olas. Un tā vakar sanāca mammas ar saviem bērniem un maisiem pilniem ar sīpolu mizām, bet olu krāsošana nenotika.

Aizvakar vakarā tas, ka olu krāsošana izkritīs, bija jau samērā skaidrs. Joka pēc nopirku sarkanos kāpostus un 10 brūnās olas (te nepērk duci, bet desmit), izmēğināt, vai tās uzņem krāsu. No rīta rezultāts; nevis skaisti lillā/zila ola, bet tāda pļurīgi brūna/zila. Rādiju draudzenēm, viena pat bija nopirkusi pāris kastītes „visgaišākās brūnās olas” kuŗas viņa varēja atrast un mēs visas piekritām; nākamgad olas importēsim jau pāris nedēļas pirms Lieldienām!

Esmu drusku bēdīga, ka Laura pirmās Lieldienās nebūs sīpolu mizās krāsotas olas. Bet tagad domāju, kā saistīt latvisko ar vietējo. Pirms nedēļas neiznāca atrast pūpolus, bet tos jau Dienvidkarolīnā un Džordžijā nevarēju atrast. Varbūt jādabon paskas recepte no vecmammas? Šeit Francijā ir ierasts meklēt paslēptas šokolādes Lieldienu olas, esam jau pieraduši ar Roberta ğimeni meklēt Lieldiena zaķa paslēptos groziņus. Protams cietvārītas olas kuŗas nav nokrāsotas ar sīpolu mizām vēl ir derīgas uz sišanos. Un Svētdien noteikti iesim šūpoties lai aizbaidītu odus. Tomēr svarīgākais, baudīsim mūsu pirmos ciemiņus te Francijā, skaisto laiku un pateiksimies par visu to ko Dieviņš mums devis.

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Although we have still not moved into our apartment, I have started Easter preparations with much enthusiasm. Our first guests, Roberts’s brother Matīss and his girlfriend Indra will be here, and this is also Lauris’s first Easter as well as our first Easter in France.

I have celebrated a Latvian Easter in Chicago, in Hillsboro, Georgia with my grandmother, in Cincinnati with Roberts’s grandmother, aunt Mary Margaret and family, and last year in Greenville, SC. The scenery and participants keep changing, but one thing remains constant; eggs colored in the Latvian tradition of boiling with onion skins after wrapping with blades of grass, leaves etc. to leave designs in the brown color. In Georgia my eggs showed faint color from the azalea petals I used in the wrapping, in South Carolina I almost had to quit halfway through because of the impact the smell had on my pregnant senses, and a long time ago in Chicago I remember coloring so many eggs that by May I was sick of eggs and could not eat them again until June. And so a few weeks ago I explained this tradition to my I.W.C. friends, asked them to please save their onion skins and organized an egg-coloring playdate the week before Easter in our apartment.

A week ago I discovered the first hurdle while in the store shopping for eggs. There are no white eggs for sale in Clermont-Ferrand. Those beautiful brown eggs which are sold in all the organic aisles in the US supermarkets, or which I used to get from my coworkers that raised chickens back in Georgia, those are the norm here. The great search was on! I went to three stores before calling in reinforcements. After posing this question on the I.W.C. discussion forum and in a Facebook post, I enlisted local help. A few days ago my friends Marion and Marine spent hours on the phone calling local stores, markets and even farmers, searching for œufs blancs, without result. Suggestions included painting brown eggs white, using ostrich eggs, and buying my own white chicken. And so yesterday many of the moms from the mother and baby group came to my apartment with bags full of onion skins and items for decoration, but the egg coloring did not take place.

Instead of coloring eggs, the 3 boys worked on the plumbing

When the night before last it seemed pretty clear that we were not going to find any white eggs, I bought a head of red cabbage and 10 eggs to see if they would absorb any color. Another Latvian coloring technique involves boiling the eggs in the cabbage to produce a bluish/purple color. This morning’s result was not the anticipated beautiful deep blue, but a brownish sludge. I showed my friends, one of whom had even bought a few boxes of „the lightest brown eggs she could find” and we all agreed; next year we specially order/import white eggs a few weeks before Easter!

I am sad that I will not be able to continue this tradition for Lauris’s first Easter. But this also has me thinking how to incorporate the Latvian with the local. Maybe I get the recipe for „paska,” a traditional Latvian Easter food, from my grandmother? Here in France I understand that it is popular to go on Easter egg hunts, and since we are already accustomed to searching for the baskets the Easter bunny has left us with Roberts’s family, this might be a fun activity. There is also the Latvian tradition of swinging as high as possible on Easter Sunday to keep the mosquitoes at bay for the rest of the year. And finally all hardboiled eggs are used in the “sišanās,” where one person taps the egg of the next, with the last unbroken egg the winner. But as I brainstorm, search the internet and discuss with my international friends their Easter traditions, I remind myself that Easter is not only about eggs and rabbits. Most importantly, Easter this year will be for enjoying the company of our first visitors here in France as well as the beautiful weather, and thanking God for all the blessings He has bestowed on us this past year.

The livres of others...

For the past few months I have been reading borrowed books – the books of others.  Not that this is anything new.  I was a big fan of the Greenville library, but because Greenville and Northville before it had such good collections I did not have to scavenge.  When I’m trying out new authors I always borrow the book first; but once I find favorites I start building my collections through purchases.

My favorite of the borrowed books is “The School of Essential Ingredients” by Erica Bauermeister. I recommend it for those who enjoy food-related literature. The reader meets each of chef-and-restauranteur Lillian’s students through recipes, recollections and food related stories, and the hope and inspiration of the novel come across as strongly as the aromas and tastes of the ingredients. I have not been this taken by a food book since Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.”

As I mentioned before, I recently joined the IWC book club. So far I’ve only participated in one discussion, and this book, “The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World” I purchased from Amazon.fr. My Amazon e-mails now arrive in French, and my “suggested reading” reads like the book club list, for many an IWC book club member buys all the books from this source.  Although I initially didn’t like this novel by Eric Weiner due to his technique of posing rhetorical questions to progress the story, I was hooked as soon as the adventurous travel began. The author spent a year traveling the world to find the happiest places and try to discern what makes them ‘happy’. It is left to the reader to decide what conclusions to draw about happiness from his accumulated observations and research, but besides the bliss factor, I really enjoyed reading about the vast differences in culture and mentalities of the many countries he visited.

Spring is here!

I’ve purchased a book or two at the local bookstore also, but the English language selection in the Auvergne can not be expected to be extensive and the prices are quite a bit higher. One purchase, “Chambres d'hôtes au Château” is a wonderful resource recommended by our friends in Chatenet, that lists 110 châteaus that rent rooms. The wonderful pictures give a good idea of the atmosphere of the restored castles, and we have already bookmarked several that we will try to visit in the next couple of years. From the same friends I also borrowed a couple of books, “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle and Bill Bryson’s “Notes from a Big Country”, two selections that are must-reads for any expat. The former was a wonderful book that I am surprised I had not read earlier, and seems to be one of the first of many books describing the lives of Brits/Americans/etc. that have moved for the long-term to experience life in the French countryside. The latter was funny (although not one of Bryson’s best), about having returned to the US after living in England. Written in short essays, he rediscovers things that he had missed while abroad but also has quite a few ridiculous stories about ridiculous situations that can only happen in America.

At the last book club reading I brought with me a few books that I had finished, hoping to swap for a few new ones, and I did not leave empty handed.  I believe all three are former book club reads and I am disappointed I could not participate in the discussion for them… All had a common touchpoint in World War II, with the darkest being “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. Another book I had intended to read for some time, I couldn’t put it down despite the emotion and sadness on page after page. Set in 1939 in Nazi Germany, a little girl’s life is changed by a found book. Written from the viewpoint of Death, it is not the usual war-memoir. “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” by Jonathon Safran Foer is the story of a boy coping with the loss of his father on 9/11 with a quest to find the lock that his father’s key opens. Excellently woven into the tragedy of 9/11 are strands of World War II memories and the resulting heart-rending tale brought me repeatedly to tears. The last, “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows recounts the story of the occupation of the island of Guernsey by the Nazis. As in the other two books we read about goodness found in unusual places, unlikely heroes, and coping with loss.

Finally I want to mention three very good books I was gifted by my relatives back home, who always save their most out of the ordinary recommendations for me. The first, “Motorcycles and Sweetgrass” by Drew Hayden Taylor, is a blend of folklore of the indigenous peoples of Canada and contemporary issues and politics. The book jacket says it succinctly; “A story of magic, family, a mysterious stranger . . . and a band of marauding raccoons.” Extremely appropriate was “Dead in the Dregs: A Babe Stern Mystery” by Peter Lewis, due to a French tie-in, and genre. I love a good mystery, and by intertwining Napa Valley and Burgundy wine aficionados have much to think about in addition to the staple of every mystery – the murder. And is there a better way to end than with “Last Night in Twisted River: A Novel” by John Irving. From the author of classics “The World According to Garp” and “Cider House Rules” the newest novel once again  treats the subjects of life and love with expressive, well-chosen language, and makes the reading of another Irving book seem like a trip back to a recognizable, contented place.

Here is a picture of Lauris in his contented place, with his two buddies! More on these three to come!

Il marche!

Please see English below
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Esmu priecīga un sajūsmināta paziņot par diviem lieliem notikumiem pēdejās nedēļās!

Pirmais, Lauris tagad ir staigātājs. Savā desmit mēnešu dzimšanas dienā tas jau bija spējīgs spert desmit soļus bez palīdzības, un līdz šodienai rekords ir 34! Esam nosūtijuši paziņojumus visām vietējām avīzēm.  Francijas Le Figaro un Le Monde bija identisks virsraksts: ,,Il Marche!” (Viņš staigā!)

Otrais, esmu iegādājusies bibliotekas kartiņu. Liels paldies Robertam kuŗš atnācā šodien līdz, lai palīdzētu man pareizi izpildīt formas, iesniegt vajadzīgos dokumentus, atbildēt visus jautājumus un samaksāt 6,60 €. Starp citu, šeit librairie pārdod grāmatas, bibliothèque aizņemās grāmatas, un médiathèque aizņemās mēdiju (CDs, DVDs utt). Tomēr ir bibliothèques kur nav grāmatu, bet tikai arhīvi, un médiathèques kur ir grāmatas! Tuvākā vieta mūsu tagadējai mājai kur ir grāmatas Laurim franciski un man angliski ir viena médiathèque. Tomēr šinī bibliotekā nav daudz grāmatu angliski; varbūt tikai divi lieli plaukti. Man laimējās, ka šeit „expatriate” sabiedrība ir samērā organizēta, un vietējā IWC („International Women’s Club”) piedalos ik mēneša literārā stundā.  Vedu līdz izlasītās grāmatas un tās izmainu ar citām dāmām pret grāmatām kuŗas vēl neesmu lasijusi.

Šodien visu dienu draud attālāki lietus mākoņi, bet tie arī visu dienu ir tādi palikuši – attālāki!  Skaists laiks, un to izmantojām no rīta kājām aizejot uz tuvāko priekšpilsētu, Chamalières, kur sestdienas rītos (kā arī otrdienās un ceturtdienās) ir tirgus pilsētas centrā. Iepirkāmies sieru, augļus, ābolu sulu, salātus un protams puķes! Mājās paēdam pusdienas; baguette, sieri, desa un sinepes. Laurīts ir izgulējies, esmu nobeigusi franču valodas mājasdarbus un mēs dosimies uz tuvāko parku, Jardin Lecoq.

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I am happy and excited to announce two momentous events that have occurred in the past two weeks!

First, Lauris is now officially a walker. On his ten month birthday he could already walk ten steps unassisted, but now the record is 34 (Please see video in the Latvian section above, complete with a loud parental cheering section)! We have sent announcements to all the local newspapers.  The French daily newspapers Le Figaro and Le Monde ran with identical headlines:  “Il Marche!” (He walks!)

Second, I am the proud owner of a library card. A big thanks to Roberts who came with to assist today in correctly filling out the forms, providing the necessary documents, answering all questions and paying the 6,60 € fee.  A librairie sells books, a bibliothèque lends books, and a médiathèque lends CDs, DVDs etc. Although there are bibliothèques that don’t have books, only archives, and médiathèques that have books, as I found out in my quest for a library card! The closest library that has French literature for Lauris and English literature for me is a médiathèque. As could be expected, there are only a few bookcases of books in English, but luckily I have the additional option of exchanging books with the ladies from the IWC (International Women’s Club) book club here in Clermont-Ferrand.

This morning a few rain clouds stayed far off in the distance and we had some pleasant weather. After a croissant and jam/honey/coffee breakfast we walked over to the closest ville, Chamalières, where there is an open-air market on Saturday mornings (as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays). We bought some cheese, fruit, fresh apple juice, salad and flowers, and walked home to a lunch of bread, cheese and sausage. Once Laurīts has napped and I have finished my French homework, we might head over to the closest park, Jardin Lecoq for some more fresh air.