The Bold Soul: A Writer's Life in Paris

Hair

So, here's the net result of my three hours at the coiffeur yesterday. These are un-retouched images, first thing this morning out on the terrace to get the early sunlight, no makeup and a bit of bed-head. But I think you'll get the idea. First, the "before" - on the bus en route to the coiffeur: Over-grown, badly cut (my own fault) and dull "did it at home" haircolor that didn't really hide the grays as advertised. Here's a "during" - I took this mostly to crack up the Little Guy. Lordy, what we women go through for beauty: Oh, this is SOOOOOO much better: Although my hair in these photos isn't "styled" and I'm trying not to squint in the bright sunshine, this is a HUGE improvement over that ragged "before" me. After months of trimming my own hair in disgust, and one half-assed "professional" haircut (yeah, I won't be going back to THAT place), I went to someone I knew would do a great job, even though he's clear across town. And here's the proof - in the color and highlights: Love, love, love it! (And Georges does, too.) Read more →

Head to toe

At the coiffeur. Getting a whole new look! Read more →

Colorful

I've seen this shiny red English racing car (no idea of the make or model) around Montmartre many times, often parked at this same intersection on Rue des Martyrs. Maybe the owner of the car also owns one of the local cafes, or else he's a "regular" at one of them. Read more →

Before our time

Nothing like walking down a street in Paris and seeing... ... an antique bidet sitting on the sidewalk, minding its own business. Despite the French name and history, most French homes no longer have even the more modernized kind. I've only seen them in older apartments in France... and also in Italian hotels during my travels. Can't help what a potential buyer of this antique curiosity might use it for. A planter? End table? The mind boggles. Read more →

Head jailer

Three sets of heavy keys for three apartments plus the key to our storage unit, plus duplicate sets of all of these you see here... are why I feel like the head jailer at the looney bin. Read more →

Last chance to buy these authentic (not!) antiques (SO not!)

So we still have a few furniture items we'd love to have someone take off our hands before we move. If we don't get an immediate buyer, we'll have to lug them down the hill in a van next weekend to the big vide-grenier and hope to hell someone THERE will want them. And we're lazy people. Here's the link with the items and photos. I've got prices listed but let's face it, we won't refuse any fair offer. We can't transport, unfortunately; you'll have to come and get it. But please, just offer us a few euros and come get them, and we'll love you forever. If you want to come to the vide-grenier, it is Saturday March 31st all day, Rue Caulaincourt (from one end of that street to the other) in the 18th. Take metro 12 to Lamarck, the #80 or #95 buses to Damremont-Caulaincourt or the #85 bus to Muller or Labat. You could also take metro line 13 to Place de Clichy or line 4 to Chateau Rouge, and it's a short walk to Rue Caulaincourt from there. This is a HUGE semi-annual event on a long and wide street at the back of Montmartre,... Read more →

Slowly but surely... and a little sadly

Things are getting done around here. We have three (roughly) "zones" of boxes and assorted items in our salon: things for the sidewalk sale; things to go into storage the same weekend as the sidewalk sale; and things we're taking with us to the new house. We've gotten pretty far with the first two "zones", and by the end of next weekend that ought to be finished. Yesterday I sorted, dusted (how does that much dust get on knick-knacks that are in a closed glass cabinet?) and packed up all the fragile decorative items, praying as I did it that I wouldn't drop and break Georges' huge faïence samovar or his late father's Russian Orthodox icon. (I didn't. Which is why he's not divorcing me.) The Little Guy has amazed me with his willingness to part with toys, books and games, including (someone pinch me please!) his entire collection of Pokemon cards. Of course, he's highly motivated, as we've told him he can keep the money from selling his things, and he's got so much to sell that I wouldn't be at all surprised if he clears 100€ or even more - a gold mine for a 10-year-old. At the... Read more →

Perspective

I got a dose of perspective this morning when I awoke early, turned on my computer, and saw a message that a dear friend of mine from high school, a man who is married to his college sweetheart and who is the father of five children, who is one of the best guys I've ever known (and one heck of a great dentist on top of everything else) and who was one of the intimate number of people we invited to our wedding four years ago, has a very serious form of stage 4 cancer and is in the hospital. Which puts my own current aches and pains, and anything I am tempted to complain about, in a very different light. And makes me appreciate everything good in my life even more... especially my loving Georges. Read more →

How I feel about my cleaning lady quitting

Worst news and worst timing possible: my wonderful cleaning lady, who I think of as one of my few French copines, the one I have raved about on this blog for four years -- has to QUIT. She's from Morocco and has been here 14 years, and the French government won't give her a 10-year residency card unless she gets a "real job" -- even though she and her Moroccan husband (who has lived in France more than 20 years and who does have a 10-year card; they also have 2 children, both born in France) co-own their own business running a little convenience store! So every year she has to go through immigration hell to renew her card, always the threat that maybe one year they will refuse (on what grounds, I don't know, but anything is possible in this country which is growing less and less tolerant of immigrants), and the stress is taking its toll. Well, she got offered a full-time babysitting contract and she has to take it. Which means she has to quit all her cleaning clients. I don't blame her in the least -- having been through my own version of this immigration stuff,... Read more →

Le Consulat

After a long and tiring (but productive) day of apartment projects, I went home via Place du Tertre and shot this classic: Le Consulat. Read more →