A Little Birdie Told Me

An American who hears something through the grapevine might say, "A little birdie told me..."

But in France, the saying is "Mon petit doigt m'a dit..." or "My little finger told me..." No matter how you say it, I've got some news!

But first, can you believe my rose bush? It is absolutely exploding with blossoms! My secret? I totally ignore it year round. I don't know a thing about rose bushes, but this one seems to thrive on neglect.

Speaking of neglect, I have been remiss in maintaining a visually pleasing blog. I'm all about the words. So David and I began considering some options for "sprucing up" this little corner of the world wide web, and I am pleased to tell you (via little birdie or little finger, whichever you prefer) that Four for France is being professionally redesigned this very moment. For better or for worse, verbal content will remain pretty much the same; but most everything else will be receiving a much-needed face lift! All sorts of new features are being added, and once the new design is active, I'll give you virtual tour. I am SO excited!

In other news, we made a recent trip to the US Embassy in Paris. We had to go there to renew the boys' passports, which expire next month. The place was packed to the gills with tourists looking to replace lost or stolen passports. Doesn't anyone watch Rick Steves anymore? Pay attention, people! Paris is PACKED with pickpockets, and I promise you this: they can spot you a mile away. Travel wisely, my friends. Then you can spend your time in the Louvre, atop the Eiffel Tower, or strolling the Seine rather than wasting away in a boring bureaucratic building!

Gemma went with us to Paris, but she was not impressed. Too much traffic for her taste. She and I had a nice stroll along the Tuileries where we were confronted by a strung-out man looking for some money (which, by the way, I had none). I was just about to be afraid when a friendly Gendarme came by and shooed the man away. Suddenly I had a bit more sympathy for the shaken tourists at the Embassy. Clearly, my brave guard dog was not very intimidating! Here's Gemma at a Paris café, where we happily waited while David and the boys explored a nearby guitar store. Not every puppy gets to go to Paris!

Chandler, who is in Seconde (the French equivalent of an American Sophomore) is required to do a two-week internship in June. Since he would like to be a doctor, he was hoping to find something in the medical field. Privacy laws, however, made it complicated for any General Practitioners to take him on. After much prayer and a fair bit of asking around, he will be doing his internship at the local Lab. The doctor there was happy to take him, and since most everything in the lab is processed anonymously, there was no problem with privacy issues! So June 17-29 Chandler will be working at le Laboratoire de Loches. Cool stuff!

Both boys have school until the end of June and David is back working on his Master's of Divinity full time, so I will be amusing myself by entertaining guests from the States! Today my friend Patti (who is really more like a sister) arrives! Next week I'll have the joy of hosting my niece, Sarah, and two of her friends. Its a tough job, but someone has to do it. :)

Well, that's all this little birdie has for today! Check back soon for the NEW and IMPROVED Four for France!

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