The Bold Soul: A Writer's Life in Paris

Maintaining radio silence

I just wanted to take a moment to say that while I have been silent in reaction to the many comments and suggestions on the two recent posts about my weight loss struggles, I do appreciate all the general support, concern and willingness to be helpful. I know full well how hard it is to get a handle on body image and losing weight, so I am thankful some of you felt compelled to share your own stories and challenges. Merci, mes amis. My silence on the matter has everything to do with me, and nothing to do with all the good advice. It's an issue I need to work out on my own. I had thought that writing about it publicly might help me make sense of what is going on in my head (which is where the issue really is, of course), or that "coming out" with my struggles might somehow catalyze me into a higher level of commitment and action. That has not proved to be the case. Now, I'm not so sure how much I want to say about something that I haven't really figured out for myself yet. On the one hand, I've made a... Read more →

Y B Normal?

"Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from." -- Jodie Foster. Thanks to author Neale Donald Walsch for this great quote that came to me in my morning email. It's always good to be reminded why I rejected "normal"... and how that decision changed my life. Read more →

Interesting among the ordinary

I wish I knew the story behind this very interesting-looking building, flanked by the most ordinary, boring structures in Paris. But I don't. I passed it last week in the 10th arrondissement, but I was too pressed for time to explore further on the day I quickly snapped this shot. Choisy-le-Roi is actually a town in the south-east 'burbs of Paris. So why does this building bear the same name? The stained glass would seem to imply "church" but usually the churches are named Saint Someone-or-other. So, I'm clueless... but liked it well enough to take the picture. If you know something about it, please do enlighten us all! ---------------------------------------------------- Moments after posting the above... I found something by Googling a bit more creatively. I think this is an old store that sold faience pottery from Choisy-le-Roi, according to this Wikipedia entry (in French). It was on Rue de Paradis that I took the photo, and there were a lot of very pretty pottery shops along that street. So, perhaps the "mystery" is solved? Read more →

Nice day for a stroll

It was such a wonderful afternoon in Paris, weather-wise. Some cloud cover but enough sun to bring all the Parisians out, and it actually got hot enough that I had to take off my light-weight coat! And of course on any nice day, you'll see people strolling along the banks of the Seine (I was crossing the Pont Neuf when I took this). You can see the trees are getting ready for their new spring leaves! Read more →

A question without an answer?

Following on the wide variety of weight-loss tips and advice I'm getting from my readers, one common thread seems to be the need to "cut out all sweets and sugar". And my gut reaction whenever I read that (because it's not the first time I've come across that advice)? PANIC. Sheer panic. I can't contemplate the thought. Addicted? Oh, you bet. I've known that for years. And before you all start telling me how much I would benefit from going to Overeaters Anonymous, here's the thing: do I want to live the kind of life that is all about denying and restricting? That seems like such a negative energy to live with. I absolutely do NOT want to continue to live in fear of food! I am now living in a culture that is ALL about what I consider to be a VERY healthy relationship with food. The French, they adore their food, and they have learned for the most part to enjoy what they want, in moderation. I like this concept a lot because it seems much more balanced than the all-or-nothing approach we Americans seem to take to weight loss. Isn't there a happy medium somewhere with regard... Read more →

WW, Day 24

I've been dragging my feet about this post because I'm not happy. I'm not happy with myself or my utter lack of progress. And it's not fun, sharing that with the whole world, or at least whatever part of the world is reading this. But, I'm the one who put this "out there" and even if I am not sticking to the regime the way I should, I can at least keep my commitment to write honestly about it. Food tracking? None. Absolutely none. Exercise? Very little (lots of back and ankle problems last two weeks, but I got my orthotics yesterday and am hoping for better things soon as a result). Drinking extra water? Ummm... oops. Forgot about that. Weight gain or loss: I am up 2.4 lbs from my starting weight. And THIS time, I can't blame it on the monthlies. The one thing I have been doing is being more fully "present" or "conscious" with regard to my eating habits and choices, and being on this program (if you can even calling it being "on" a program that you're not making any effort to follow). If nothing else, I am putting myself in the role of "observer"... Read more →

Marching down Memory Lane... 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and...

Lately, I've been having a bit of fun reconnecting with high school classmates on Facebook, particularly the group of kids I used to hang out with in the school band, chorus and school plays. Our school had a marching band, a concert band that did two concerts per year, and a stage (jazz) band. Both the marching and stage bands were competitive, and although we were a small school with a small band and even smaller budget, we did all right for ourselves back in those days. We had a marvelous band teacher whom we all still adore, and as he's on Facebook too (having since left teaching to go into the ministry -- I claim we rotten kids drove him straight to Jesus), it's been fun being in touch with him as well as my old friends. I played the xylophone in the marching and concert bands, and the piano in the jazz band. Here's a shot I scanned from my yearbook... and no, we weren't ALLOWED to smile; judges would knock points off for that! So I got the idea to start a special Facebook group for all the former students of this teacher, and I'm really pleased... Read more →

Oh, yes I DID!

Thanks to the NY Times and this article, I just splurged BIG time on the most adorable purse EVER. It's from this Etsy shop, rebounddesigns (also see her web site here), and was hand-made from an actual book cover. Which is quite possibly one of the coolest ideas ever. And WHICH book, you ask, enticed me to plop down the most money I've ever paid for a purse? (I think Georges is probably wincing a little as he reads that last bit. Don't worry, sweetie, it's a lot less than a Louis Vuitton. Or, say, an iPad. And I love you.) None other than Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Which I just happened to finish re-reading YESTERDAY. As a writer and a serial Jane Austen fan, how could I NOT buy it? And it was the LAST ONE (na na na-na na!) I consider it destiny: this purse and I were made for each other. My only regret about buying it is that I will have to wait until May 25th to get my hands on it, as I decided to have it shipped to my mom's house in New Jersey for safety and that's the day I arrive for... Read more →

She's gone

OK, so Clachat has moved on to a better place. No, she's not dead. She was adopted by a very nice lady and her husband, who have a house with a big yard, grass, trees and lots of interesting things for her to explore when she's not sleeping. Here's how it went down: The lady was supposed to come at 10am, but being French, arrived at 10:30-ish with her granddaughter (who is our neighbor and in the Little Guy's class at school). I thought they were taking the cat THEN, but instead the woman said she was babysitting her granddaughter today, and could she leave the cat carrier here and come back at about 2pm? That way she wouldn't have to let the cat out of the box at her daughter's apartment and put the cat back in again in the afternoon. I said sure, no problem, because what else could I do -- she's taking the cat off our hands, and for FREE, so she can have it any old way she wants! Plus, I was late to meet Georges at a rental agency for an apartment we have decided to apply for, so I needed to get going.... Read more →

The Last 24 Hours

We are approaching Clachat's last 24 hours with us. Tomorrow (Wednesday) at around 2pm Paris time, Clachat's new "mommy" is coming to take her to her lovely new home with the garden. The milder weather is allowing me to leave our front door open a bit, so she can enjoy being outside today, and get in her last sneak attacks at the gardienne's dog, Lady, just for fun. We're a bit sad about it -- even when a pet is annoying as hell, they are still a part of your life, and we will miss some of the silly things she does, even if we don't miss her more unpleasant habits -- but we are happy both for ourselves (FREEDOM! PEACE! CARPETS!) and for the cat, as this will be MUCH better for her in the long run than being cooped up in an apartment with no outdoor space, like she's used to. I'm sure she'll be scared and confused at first, but we're sending her with a cushion she likes to sleep on, so she'll have something familiar. She'll explore her new home and I'd say with in a week she'll be settling in nicely. I think these people... Read more →