A triple whammy day

 WHAMMY IN THE GOOD SENSE

Whammy No. 1

The sky was dark blue, the air brisk as we walked around the village buying meat at the butcher's (Les cubes, plus petit " had to be repeated several times before the beef was cut almost small enough), Jean-Pierre and Babette's for fresh bay leaves (although we could have picked them by the river) and veggies, one bakery for a cake and another for bread.

Rick, who is progressing as a cook, wanted to try his hand at beef barley soup. His chopping talents would do Jamie Oliver proud.

The soup was really good. I can't wait for his next experiment.

Whammy No. 2

I've missed The Chase, an ITV game show, which I can't get on my French TV. Julia and I used to watch it in Switzerland, trying to get as many answers as possible. We both fill holes in each other's general knowledge, so if we could convince the producers we were Siamese twins, we might do quite well. I'm not holding out much hope considering our different heights and looks.

Rick was fiddling with the computer and was able to stream The Chase's Christmas show with the four chasers dressed as Rudolph, an Elf, the Grinch and Frosty Knickers as a fairy plum princess. I only hope J watched it too. I do miss our nightly attempts at brilliance.

He is always doing small things like that, which are really so big to me.

Whammy No. 3

Today would have been my father, Jimmy's 100th birthday. I could imagine my tiny grandmother giving birth in her Nova Scotia lighthouse as my many aunts and uncles were shooed out of the way.

I wanted to celebrate his life, and Rick, who lost his father, Charlie, last year wanted to remember his dad too. We bought a three-chocolate cake, candles and champagne and set the out for dessert for a Jimmy/Charlie Remembrance Day.

POP!

As we were finishing lunch, the champagne cork exploded out of the bottle. We looked at each other. Neither of us had touched it. It was as if one or both fathers were encouraging us to get on with it.

And so we did.

We shared stories about the two men who were so important in our lives. Rick talked about how his Dad never spoke ill of others, how he drove him to golf tournaments, his basking in his father's pride when he won a major tournament.

I remembered my Dad showing me the reindeer footprints in the snow on the roof over the porch, how he drove six hours to rescue me at a difficult time, and how when he was in intensive care in Florida, he had bragged about his executive daughter who rode in helicopters to the nurses.

We are grateful to these two men who helped shaped us into the adults we are today and our memories only half fill the holes they have left in our lives. We wish we could tell them again how important they were to us even if they knew.

If they were to meet now, I'm sure they'd be on the golf course very quickly discussing their kids, being proud of some things, skaking their heads over other things we've done.