Sunday, June 30, 2013

Visas in our pockets

I am on the countdown- 8 days until we leave US soil for a year. A year!
All of our paperwork is in order, our bags are packed, our visas arrived a few days ago-that only took 3 months.
It was a joyous moment when the Fed Ex guy drove up the driveway. I was fairly confident what he was delivering, but considering the headaches involved with our visa applications, I could not let myself be too confident. An overwelming sense of relieve came over me as I opened the envelope. We are legal to stay in France for the year.
Of course, we are advised to contact the French Immigration Office the minute we step off the plane for more red tape. We will need to go for a medical evaluation(what...????) and orientation. Good God- we are only talking 1 year! I know the French are famous for their adoration of paperwork so, this is our initiation.


Monday, June 24, 2013

What do we do on the farm?

The minute we arrive onto the farm, Molly runs out to find Heather, a wonderful pony who is happy to be ridden a few times a year when we are around.

The east coast has been getting an unusual amount of moisture this spring. By the time we usually get here in June, the grass is crispy, corn is wilty and landowners are begging for rain. Our first crab feast took place in the rain....at least it is 80 degrees, so we could not be bothered when we were dining on the best of the Eastern Shore.

By the next morning, it was back to sunny and hot. This is what much of the day looks like for us while we are on the farm....


Friday, June 21, 2013

The Farm

I am practicing acting like a French woman. While I do not yet know exactly what that means, I am taking advice from "Why French Women Don't Get Fat". Mireille Guiliano says a piece of chocolate is good- 8 ounces of meat-Bad. A morsel or two of cheese- good, polishing off a whole bottle of wine- bad. Walking...alot - best! So, I have taken to an after dinner stroll with purpose. On the farm, this is easy as there are hundreds of acres to wander upon.
Last night, the kids were riding bikes to my brothers house and I followed them on foot. With the boisterous crowd far ahead of me, the evening sounds and sunset colors surrounded me. The still air was filled with songs of cicadas and crickets, then peepers and croaking bullfrogs coming up from the pond. Fireflies lit the way as dark took over the day.
What a wonderful way to start our year away from home.