As the World Turns

The woman I sit next to at choir pointed directly at the zit on my chin and told me, "You must be eating too much chocolate." Apparently she is not shy about correcting my French nor my eating habits. Glad to know she she cares about my complexion. I'm still stocking hazelnut Milka bars in the pantry.

Besides my minor acne problem, life is moving along as usual here in France. The boys are getting used to their school, however, one thing continues to be a concern: the general sense that French teenagers are not acquainted with the merits of deodorant. We thought that perhaps they were exaggerating the issue until David had to go into the school one afternoon last week--and barely made it out alive. We are considering the purchase of gas masks.

Tomorrow is a big day--the heat gets turned on in our apartment building. We do not have a thermostat of our own, our heat is controlled by higher powers. I have been freezing for three weeks! Thankfully, I was trained for arctic- domestic-dwelling during my formative years by a mother who believes that 62 degrees is the proper temperature for a home. I know how to layer my clothes and I am not too proud to throw a bathrobe on over any outfit. Nevertheless, I would prefer to be able to go without a parka while lounging in my boudoir. I was told that in French apartment buildings the heat comes on October 15th, and not a day sooner, no matter the weather. Here's hoping!

Have I bored you with all of the minutiae of our day to day life? It's no soap opera, I'll give you that. Heck, it wouldn't even make good reality television. I guess I won't go on about our flat tire, our continuing Internet issues, our upcoming chest x-rays, or the recent transportation strike. Suffice it to say that while there is a certain amount of romance associated with living in France, not every minute is filled with pastries and flowers. You don't even want to know about the plumbing issues.

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