Quelle année 2

In a year marked by drones, strikes, crazy elections, terrorism and more catastrophes, we were still able to build a fort around ourselves for our good feelings. We care about world events, but the good allows us to fight the bad when we can.

May 2016

Rick and I celebrated our first "official" wedding anniversary at the Café du Soleil, where we re-met after 24 years. Each year they put out a calendar. I always send a copy to my daughter.

For us, it is the commitment ceremony that counted in August 2013. I periodically reread the vows we made that day to remind me of how lucky I am.

I started on the ms. for the the video of Journaling thru Crisis with goal of giving caretakers, people with serious illnesses and people going thru major changes a coping mechanism. It would not be completed until November but the delay would allow refinements.

I continued to fight FATCA whether thru the lawsuit, writing to journalists, congress etc. My energy was renewed by the fact my insurance company needed proof I was no longer American to continue my policy.

June 2016

We headed back to Argelès for the summer via Normandy where we lined up with two college friends giving a tour as they do regularly. We'd lost contact for many years and reestablishing the exchange of ideas and experiences was refreshing.

What a thrill to stand in front of the tomb of William the Conqueror or what is allegedly the rest of his bones. It is as if I had a personal introduction to the people throughout history that I've read so much about.

Seeing the Bayeux tapestry depicting the 1066 invasion of England was moving with its bodies of men fallen in battle so long ago. I'd seen a copy in reading, UK years before. We'd been to the different Normandy museums with the photos of all the young men about to die and the cemetery with too many white crosses of two many young men who never had a chance to live their normal life.

Rick commented in a 1,000 years humans hadn't learned much. People were still dying for causes that in x number of centuries weren't important.

This was probably the best message of the trip drawn on a wall where the English had miraculously constructed landing docks to supply the troops.

A trip to Paris to see friends was delayed due to strikes and fuel uncertainty, but my wonderful husband suggested we stop in La Rochelle.

We discovered the parish where my ancestor Michel Boudrot (Boudreau in later spellings) had been baptized and married. He later became a general in Nova Scotia and fathered more than a baker's dozen of children after sailing in a ship probably much like the one in the harbor.

I was happy I once again had hair and strength to do normal things.

While Rick attended an airshow in the UK, we stayed with good friends where ever nook of their home was a cozy corner. It was a wonderful days where we saw Cambridge, quaint pubs including some with parts of the building going back to the time of Elizabeth 1 and the West End production of Carole King's Beautiful. The best part was having so much time with our hosts and their friends.

Back in ASM, there were weekly street dances, dinners and lunches with friends.



Aug. 2016


We spent part of the month in Geneva. There was the visit of our Syrian friends and Julia's annual national day open house. This year it was neither too hot or too cold.

The lake as always was beautiful as were the mountains. Although it was hot, it was still a bit cooler than ASM. Thank goodness.

Back in ASM, Rick fixed the handles of my much-loved basket. I've carried so much food, laundry, gifts just about anything imaginable that I hated to throw it away. He found colored tape and voilà, it has a new life.

L'Hostalet was a gathering spot for friends either for coffee in the morning or an apèro in the afternoon. The owners made a great tapenade. A good place to start or end a writing day.

Our picnic basket had a final workout at the lake with our Swiss friends and neighbors here. We'd collected everything from vide greniers at a price of almost nothing. Our friend Karrie, however came up with the best basket ever (not shown here). We use this basket for the blanket.

In the brocante shop, after our basket was complete, we found one that had everything but it would lack the memory of the hunt at the vide greniers and the delight of finding Karrie at our front door with that perfect basket.

In my mind September is the start of the new year. Summer is over, school is starting (even when I was neither a student of preparing my daughter for school.

The days are shorter, there is the anticipation of cooler nights and the start of new projects. Tomorrow, I'll finish Quelle année.