The Bold Soul: A Writer's Life in Paris

Eye-kissing

Coat on, hat on, ready to walk out the door to work, he wraps his warm, strong arms around her--she, still in her pajamas and robe, a sleepy look still in her eyes; the coffee hasn't kicked in yet. They kiss once, twice, thrice, so sweetly. They smile and gaze into each other's eyes, unwilling to break the spell. He: "When we look at each other sometimes... it's like we are kissing with our eyes." Is it any wonder she can't wait for him to get home from work each evening? Read more →

Spirals

At Sacre Coeur, Paris, early on one October morning. Read more →

Sorbonne Scenes

The Place: Place de la Sorbonne, Paris, France. 75005. A little café on the shady side of the place where scenes from the film Paris (2008) were filmed. I'm sitting in the exact spot where one of the actors was seated. The Time: About 2:35 in the afternoon. Georges and I have just had lunch, some wonderful soup at a nearby "Chinois" restaurant. We came here for a coffee before he headed back across the Place to work. The Scene: Always bustling with students, locals and tourists. There's a big tent set up just in front of the doors to the Sorbonne for a blood drive. The fountains have been turned off, either for cleaning or perhaps just because of the blood drive. A fire-engine-red moto is parked in a little alcove near a fountain; typical -- they'll park anywhere they can, designated for parking or not. And like as not, they won't get a parking ticket either. Even at this hour, the terrasse is still filled with people eating or having their after-lunch coffees. A woman installs herself at the table to my right, then asks if I mind keeping an eye on her coat while she goes to... Read more →

Franco-foliage

Yes, the leaves are turning in Paris... most of the trees turn yellow and brown, although we get bursts of beautiful reds and oranges from many of the climbing vines. On a recent morning stroll around the Butte de Montmartre, these bits of nature caught my eye. I never grow weary of seeing these adorable vine-covered little houses in the middle of the city. In just the two weeks since the Wine Festival, how the leaves have changed! We were here watching the parade and everything was still green; now, it's all gold and red and purple. And look at that vine-covered building in the background! A moss- and lichen-covered stone wall across the street from Maurice Utrillo's former home. This vine looked like it was on fire in the sunshine. Vine-covered wall off to one side of Sacre Coeur. Read more →

Shop windows

One of my favorite things to do when taking walks around little Parisian neighborhoods is to look in shop windows. You see all sorts of things... both the beautiful... ... and the bizaare. Is it wrong of me to admit... I kind of loved this chair? And that if I had a less contemporary home with a room all my own that I could do up as a writer's office/private retreat, I could picture this chair in it as a comfy place to curl up with a good book? On the other hand, I think there's a reason all this store's silver and gilt-painted furniture was half off! Read more →

In which I insist I am not one of "those" women

After being single for 46 years, I am a woman who knows how to take care of myself. So my beloved being out of town on business for nearly a full week is not a crisis. Even being here in France, I've now been here long enough that daily life just flows along as usual. I take care of the kids, in age-appropriate ways of course. The food shopping gets done. The laundry gets done. The homework gets done (with a little help from big brother as I'm the last person to be helping a French child with his French homework). The kids get fed. The youngest gets his bath and his teeth get brushed. He gets all his hugs and kisses. I go out places. I do things. I see friends. I work. I'm not one of those women who can't make it in life without a man around. And yet... My life is so much better when he's here. I sleep better (confession: I am sleeping with his bathrobe because it smells like him). Even though when he's here, he snores, I now sleep better with him than without him. I concentrate better. When he's not here, I... Read more →

Have Vision, Will Travel

I thought you might like to read this week's issue of "The Exception", and here's a short snippet: When you try to create a bolder life for yourself without a clear vision of what it's going to look like and feel like, it's exactly as if you're trying to drive cross-country without a road map; you'll get somewhere eventually, but probably not where you want to be. People who choose to drift through life with no clear vision are also those who often end up dissatisfied with what they've got; then they scratch their heads and wonder how they got there in the first place. The answer? Because they weren't living CONSCIOUSLY, they weren't LIVING BY DESIGN, they were flying on auto-pilot. No wonder they're not happy with their destination. If having a clear vision for your life is something you're feeling challenged by right now, I invite you to join me and the Pearl members of the NO EXCUSES Coaching Club for our monthly coaching call tomorrow, October 20th, at 4pm Eastern, where the topic will be "Creating Your Bold Vision". Even if you can't attend the live call, if you enroll now you can download the MP3 recording... Read more →

Micro-terrorists on the loose

So I'm sitting here, laptop on lap, minding my own business, relaxing for a few quiet moments after the doctor just left (yes, you can get a doctor to come to your HOUSE for just 45 euros. Try THAT in America. He even spoke some English). I woke up this morning (second morning in a row) with a swollen right hand that also felt stiff and achy, and the swollen feeling seemed to be spreading up my right arm, and being the closet hypochondriac that I am, of course my imagination jumps right to a worst case scenario and I think maybe I'm having a stroke or something. Turns out it seems to be a pinched nerve either in the wrist or possibly up in my neck, and I need to go for some massage treatments and therapy; wouldn't be the first time I've had pinched nerves, and I'll take that diagnosis over "imminent death" anyway. So like I said, I'm just relaxing and playing games on Facebook working on a client's manuscript when it happens. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a movement. In the kitchen. Where nothing whatsoever should be moving. At the foot of... Read more →

It figures

Just as I was finishing the previous post and enjoying the love and calm zen state I've been in the past two days... Clachat the Most Useless Cat in the World came in the house with a mouse in her mouth, let it get away where it rain UNDER the piano where Georges was playing, and then said cat went back outside and got another mouse... which she has now also lost in the house. I think it's under the frigging refrigerator. I am sitting in the kitchen typing this with my feet up on a chair. So now, I will not be able to sleep tonight until we get these mice. I hate this freaking cat sometimes. Really. Read more →

A La Pomponnette

We had an absolutely delightful second anniversary yesterday. I met Georges for a lunch date near his office, much as we did that first date two years ago (only the weather was not conducive to our eating outdoors, so we went to Polidor instead). Then, we walked to the Jardins du Luxembourg -- just as we did two years ago -- and did a fair amount of kissing to give the Senators something to gawk at. After that, I camped out in a café at the Place de la Sorbonne and did a few hours of work on my netbook while Georges went back to the office. When he was through for the day, we took the bus home to relax a bit. And then it was out for the evening. With the Fête des Vendanges taking place here in Montmartre this weekend (more on that tomorrow) we walked around up near Rue des Abbesses and stopped for a drink... at which point the skies opened and it poured rain for the third evening in a row. Which, come to think of it, also happened on our first date two years ago. Finally we went to A La Pomponnette (www.pomponnette-montmartre.com),... Read more →