Je pleure avec vous, Paris.

I was saddened to hear about the deadly attacks on Paris yesterday.  Deadly attacks anywhere are clearly horrible, but I have a special connection to the country of France.  I am a French teacher and I have been to France several times, my most recent visit being just this past summer.  I have only ever encountered friendliness and wonder in my travels to this beautiful land.

My heart is with the victims and their families, as well as all my French friends.

I am crying with you, mes amis.   Paris, je t'aime!

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PAIX.

                                      AMOUR.

                                                                             PARIS.



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Speed Crochet!

I  would like  to say that I can crochet at top speeds, but only in my dreams can I crochet a 5-petal flower in 17 seconds.  Here is what that dream looks like:

I am making several crocheted flowers in various shades of purple because I plan on making an original kitchen curtain.  If only I could make flowers this quickly, I might actually get my curtain done sometime this century!  ;)



Paix.
                      Amour.

                                              Fleurs.

Dreaming of Provence...

I love France.  If you've read very many of my blog posts, you would hopefully know that by now.  I have been to many cities in that wonderful country:  Paris, Nantes, Angers, La Rochelle, Bordeaux, and Dijon, to name the biggest ones. I have been to several gorgeous châteaux in my day as well:  Chambord, Chenonceaux, Blois, and Amboise.  And I have experienced the gorgeous countryside of La Bretagne.

I haven't seen all of France, however, and the part I am looking forward to most about my upcoming trip is experiencing Provence for the first time in my life.  Provence has always felt like a dream to me, so real yet so elusive.  A few places I would like to experience:

 Le Cours Mirabeau in Aix

Le Pont du Gard

 Le Palais des Papes in Avignon

Nice

 The Prince's Palace of Monaco

Lavender Fields

I understand that the lavender in Provence may not quite be blooming until after I leave. This saddens me slightly, but can I really complain?  I'll be in Provence, for goodness sake.  Who knows?  Maybe I will be inspired to move there like Peter Mayle and write witty, successful books about my experience.  Maybe I'll take it one step further and become a lavender farmer in Provence.  If only...

The photos in this post are not my own.  They were copied and pasted following a Google search.  However, I hope to post again this summer with photos of Provence that are my own. Be on the lookout for that.

Thank you for reading.

Paix.
             Amour.
                             Lavande.

Dreaming of France...

I will be taking a group of students to France next month, which is an awesome responsibility.    Now that the school year is winding down, it has finally hit me that this is really going to happen, whether I'm ready or not.  Figuring out the best way to exchange money, what to pack, and how to use our cell phones internationally is somewhat daunting.  A lot has changed since the last time I was there.

Yet, there is an upside to this trip; I will get to visit La Belle France again after so many years.  I can't wait to see old favorites like...

 Notre Dame

L’Opéra Garnier

Le Louvre

L'Arc de Triomphe

La Tour Eiffel

Les Invalides

Sacré Coeur

 Beaubourg

La Madeleine

and Versailles

Tomorrow, I will write a post about the new places I hope to see on our trip to France.  

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     Paix.  

                     Amour.  

                                     Crêpes.

Quelles belles fleurs!

Our air conditioner has stopped working, but that hasn't stopped me from enjoying the beautiful flowers in my garden, peonies, irises, roses, and clematis, to name a few:

I love Spring and I love flowers!

Stop and enjoy one today.

Paix.

--J

Crochet and More

It's no secret that I love to crochet. As a result, you can often find me with a crochet hook in my hand, madly making something out of yarn for someone in my family.  I finally finished my daughter's stocking cap, complete with pompom.

The is from a pattern by Maggie Weldon.  Here is a link.  She made a great video to go along with the pattern and it is super easy to make.

I used Country Loom yarn by Loops & Threads from Michael's. This yarn is a little too big for the pattern, so I had to adjust it a little bit.  The color is Steel Grey because it's what my sweet girl chose.  She was quite specific about it having a pompom as well.  Having never made one, it took a couple of failed attempts before I finally figured out how to do it.

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Also on the crochet agenda for the weekend is this cowl made with Wool-Ease Quick and Thick in Barley.  It is a bit too stiff for the type of cowl I like to wear, but it is nice and warm.

I  used Lion Brand's free crochet pattern Openwork Crocheted Cowl.  You can find it here.  I wanted it a little wider than what they made, so I started with 53 stitches instead of the 37 called for in the pattern.  The color is wonderful!

Here's another pic, but with my girl and her hat.

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And another highlight of my weekend is finding this yarn:

It's called Landscapes by Lion Brand and I LOVE it!  It is so soft and bright!  I started making a garment using the Tropics colorway but I went back to the store this afternoon and discovered my Joann's didn't have anymore of it.  So I picked this one up; it's called Broadway.  Landscapes is a self-striping yarn in gorgeous colors.  I really hope I can figure out the pattern.  I started it last night but got stuck at the end of the first row.  I must have miscounted on my foundation chain.  Wouldn't this be a wonderful poncho to have?

Alas, now it's Sunday evening and The Walking Dead season 5 is about to premiere.  I also have to teach in the morning.  I guess I have to put away my crochet hook and yarn pretty soon.  

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Happy Thanksgiving Day in Canada and Happy Columbus Day in the U.S.!  

Have a marvelous week!

Peace!  Paix!  Paz!  Pax!  Friede!  

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