Feeling francais

The Eiffel Tower, my favorite fleur de lys wall sconce, my French clock... There's something so very elegant et rustique about them. It's like the French language - everything sounds better in French! Even as I teach my little students, I like so much to speak it and to hear them develop their vocabulary.
So, as I prepared to open a can of beans for a quick dinner tonight, I wondered if they would taste better if they were actually feves au lard - bien mijotees! (zut, pas d'accents in this program...) Maybe some herbes de Provence would help even more. Isn't it wonderful to live in the Great White North, where everything is written in two languages!
I was half hoping that just eating such a culturally inspired dinner would send C into paroxisms of French. Dommage....

PS.

Did you know that if you double click on a photo, it will open up to the original size? Very cool.

The Dragon !

Well....OK - it's actually a lizard, but 'Dragon' suits me better! After 6 hours languishing in lectures, I must've had quite a 'look' about me! I didn't realise that it showed so much though...till E came home and told us (relishing every moment as he told his tale!) that the (reputedly) toughest kid in Year 7 caught sight of me after my day cooped up indoors with academics, and it caused him to remark to E, "Your mum looks really, really TOUGH !!!" Come to think of it, I DID get a few other comments about my 'serious' (keep outta my way!) demeanour.....

I'm glad to hear that you survived your day despite it being an 'interesting' one, O Teacher-Counsellor-Computer Transliterator-Leader-Francophone-Traffic Warden-Person! It was nice to see your work space in action. Don't worry - it won't be long before Spring will be well and truly at your doorstep....

By Contrast...

Southern Ange, your photos today are exquisite! I spent much of my day at this messy desk, trying to coax coherent sentences out of the computer. When I wasn't doing that, I was helping a teacher with a tantrum (not hers!!), teaching French to wiggly grade twos, leading a meeting, and directing traffic in the rain (receiving a bit of abuse for my efforts). Who knew a teacher's day could be so... interesting? Yes, it was a grey day in the Great White North. Your spots of colour have definitely brightened things up for me!

Colour to my day

Today was a glorious day in Aotearoa.

The sun was hot and simply beautiful; the sky was a brilliant blue outside......

whilst I reluctantly spent the whole day indoors, gazing at whiteboards, white walls, and lots of white paper.

I came home feeling like I needed a splash of colour......blue, red, and green!

BLUE....

the colour of the ''beach'' - the ocean, water, sky - most definitely my favourite summery colour

RED.....

reminds me of berries & summer fruit,

and the 'warm' memory of time spent with friends

GREEN....

speaks of freshness and things that grow and thrive in summer

Choices, choices, choices...

To study, or not to study..?

That is the recurring question!

There is never enough time to do all the nothing you want...

- Calvin (Calvin 'n Hobbes)

The Joy Of Monster Cookies

There's something wonderful about the smile of anticipation!

Teatime!

The interplay of these 4 pics appealed to me.

Saturday Morning at the Barber

I paid a little visit this morning to Peter the Barber. He opened his shop at 7am, and by 8:45 was happy to chat with me as he waited for his next customer. His little shop took me back to the seventies, when I would go with my dad to Joe's Barbershop; I'm sure that Peter and Joe used the same paint colour on their walls! I loved the little built-in ashtray on the chair arm. This is no pretty-boy hair salon!
Ange of the north

February Moments in the Great White North

Boys warming their cold feet;

Lanterns in the classroom;

Languishing shoes;

Spectacular Fraser River on a Saturday evening

Ange of the north