East Coast Blizzard of 2010.

The amount of snow that has fallen in the DC area is the most snow that has fallen since people started keeping track of that sort of thing.  The estimates in our area are between 2' and 3'.  Yesterday morning, we measured a little over 2'.  The snow started falling on Friday morning and stopped Saturday afternoon.  Today is Sunday and we have yet to see a plow.  I think that there must be about a meter of snow on the road.  I am not sure where the plow is going to put all of the snow. 
Digging out in Laurel MD....

Missing the Marseillaise Winter

You might find the term 'Marseillaise Winter' laughable if you lived anywhere in Europe north of Lyon and anywhere in the USA north of Georgia...  Because you actually know that winter has days below freezing and that you need a coat to go outside.  Ahh, if you have never spent the winter in Florida or Marseille, then you don't know how great a winter without coats can be.  Where winter is like late-October in the DC area.  I sure I only wore my coat twice the 2 years of winter-days spent in the South of France.  Two wonderful years of no hat, no gloves, no windshield scrapers.  I was actually in the VAR, so I even missed the big snow storm in Marseille last year.  It was 50C in Le Beausset.  Anyway, if you ever think that the weather outside is 'frightful', head south, where winter is just an extension of Fall turning into Spring.

Taxes in America are a JOKE

Turns out Americans really don't pay enough taxes...  No wonder there is a large national debt.  I did my taxes last week.  When I did the calculation for how much I pay in taxes, health insurance and other benefits...  It was about 25%/30%, the same as what I paid in France.  But then I did my taxes and I am getting back almost all of the money I paid in Federal and State taxes (about 15%)....  I am certainly not working poor, so why no taxes?  How do we pay for government services?  Roads, schools, etc.  So really I am just paying %10 of my salary for social security, health insurance, etc.  Insane!  I would rather have good schools, free university, better unemployment benefits and health insurance for poor people. Am I insane?

Americans don't even know what paying taxes means! 

Well anyway, I will get getting a new kitchen with my taxes.  Next year, I'll put the money in the kid's college fund.

Postcards from the US Capital

My in-laws recently visited DC, they didn't buy enough post-card for all of their friends.  So I made a couple from the pictures that they had taken....

Bricolage

Some ideas on the kitchen, brought to you by Home Depot and Ikea

SCNF is in Trouble??

SCNF, the French rail system, is in trouble.  Quel Damage.  I wonder if there are still proposed plans to create TGV line from Paris to Nice? I know some crazy expats in the Var who will be happy to know that crazy Parisian outsiders won't be flooding their town with tourist.  I love to hear with foreigners become protectionist, what an irony.  Aren't they invaders too?  At least the Parisian are French and have the same right as anyone else to be there....

Apparently the rail system in France is losing money and will get rid of it's least popular routes. Strasbourg to Bordeaux -- CANCELED.  Calling MP in Strasbourg, get to Bordeaux before it's too late. 
 There is a rather nice wine festival in July, but anytime of the year, Bordeaux can be lovely.  I particularly like the "new port"  or the fancy Harbor area, as I like to call it.  In addition to great wine, the Bordelaise are know for many speciality dishes, including many duck dishes and fruit de mer.  Please enjoy a bottle or 2 of wine for me. 

Julie and Julia

I finally saw the movie Julie and Julia.  All of the critics and my friends said that Meryl Streep is amazing and Amy Adams sucks.  Well maybe not Amy personally, but her character.

In this modern day it is nice to see someone making things from scratch.  My hubby went to culinary school in France and is very hesitant to make anything with a mixer or food processor.  He cuts with knives, sharpens them if necessary and for whipped cream... well only a whisk will do.  I guess you can say I am a little spoiled.  In our house, the only French cookbooks are in French.  Now I am a little inspired.  I am going to get Julia Child's cookbook and maybe I might even bone a duck.  Although I have 2 small kids, so it might take me my whole life to make all of the recipes. ;-)