JANUARY DAYS

My mother always thought January and February were the hardest months of the year...cold, snowy weather (in Kansas City) and the letdown from the holidays.  Hence, one of my sisters was born in January and I was born in February!!!!!  That helped keep the excitement going after Christmas!!

The January days in Paris have been overcast, cold but without precipitation.  Actually, for this Midwestern girl, it hasn't been bad.  The temps have been low to mid 40's, not windy so not uncomfortable walking and dry so no umbrellas.  HOWEVER, the overcast skies about do me in!!  I noticed this in March/April last year when we first moved here.  So many cloudy, gray days and I was done!!  I was missing home (where spring had already sprung!!),  and this didn't help my Paris adjustment.  But I survived then so I can certainly get past it this year when we are comfortable in our surroundings and have friends and activities.  I thought today I'd share a little about said activities and how I'm filling my days.

Nice winter view

I love seeing the blue sky along the Seine in January

I love when I look out and can see blue skies in January!  All week the skies have been very gray,  and, of course,  still dark at 7:15am as we left the apartment, but the sky was a delight when we walked home at 10:30am.

Yes, that's right.  This not-a-morning-girl was up, dressed (though casually) with breakfast eaten and out the door at 7:15.  Why????  God and fellowship.  I said years ago when I was going to a very early BSF leaders meeting on Saturday morning that I only get up early for God!!!  I'm meeting with two friends, Kim and Sharon, for a study on developing intimacy with God.  We meet at Kim's apartment (which happens to be at the church because she's the wife of our minister) while our husbands attend the Men's Bible Study that's every Thursday.  Anyway, we're four weeks into an eight-week study,  and while I don't think I'm getting the "meditative" concept down, the study is causing me to look deeper into my relationship with God and what that means in my life right now.  We each have a different story and background,  and it's really wonderful to see how God has worked (and is working) in each of us differently as we read the same text.  The friendship this has brought into my life has been such a blessing....easily worth getting up for!!!!

Developing Intimacy with God

That's my BSF homework sticking out of my Bible.  David and I both go to BSF on Monday nights at our church (so convenient).  I've always said it's the best Bible study I've ever done, and while the study here is quite different being international, it's wonderful seeing how it touches the lives of the ladies who have come from many countries, cultures and faith backgrounds.  I've done all the studies previously except one so the material isn't necessarily new to me; however, God always teaches me something new.

I mentioned after the holidays we were going to jump into French lessons once things calmed down. Well, we jumped!  There is an organization here, Inter 7, that does miscellaneous cultural events, classes etc. and French language lessons are part of that.  We have several friends who have taken and are still taking French there,  and they've recommended it to us.  The cost is reasonable and the setting is very casual.  So....last week we went after our Thursday Bible studies to sign up and get evaluated. Arrgghhhhhh!  As I thought, David tested a little higher than me because, the way I see it, he can hear and understand French better (even though my grammar is better!). So when we had to take dictation, I knew I was dead!!!!!  I couldn't understand any of the first couple of sentences, but did recover and understood the last few sentences.  We really wanted to be in class together (that's just more convenient for scheduling) so she put both of us at my level (which David feels is the right place for him too).  We meet not far from our apartment on Monday and Thursday at 9:00 a.m. for 90 minutes.  That's tough on Thursday since we're having to rush from church but it works.

Here is the Inter 7 office (7 in French is "sept" but is pronounced "set")

This is where our class meets (in the basement)-it's nice space though

This past Monday was our first class,  and I left exhausted!!  First, I'd been up and out early (not my norm for sure) and then my brain was bursting listening to her teach in, imagine, French!!!!  Of course, that's exactly what I need,  but it is so difficult.  I'm sure I looked like deer in the headlights the entire 90 minutes (though I actually did understand some of what she said).  The good news is I didn't have any trouble with the printed exercises....those were pretty easy.  Too, we found out after class she's a volunteer teacher (not necessarily a teacher by profession) which is like what I did teaching ESL at church in Plano.  That takes the pressure off me.....she's me in France!!!!!  I know what that looks like,  and it makes me feel a lot more relaxed and comfortable.  Today I felt as though I understood her speech better and when I talked with her after class about sticking with it, she said I'm not the only one having trouble and struggling.  Many of these people have been in the class since September, so I didn't feel too bad.  Anyway, I'm hoping it will help me communicate with my French hairdresser (I have my priorities!!!!).

Yesterday we got out to run some errands and,  as we were leaving the bus stop on the walk home, we noticed the "occupants" in chairs outside a cafe that put a little smile on our faces.

Who knew bears liked cafes and morning wine???!!!

Every few chairs there was another bear as you can see from this picture.  Not all the bears were drinking wine so early!  Some had a cafe in front of them, some were reading a newspaper etc.  It was so cute and others were taking pictures too.  It was just a bright spot in the morning.  By the way, it looks like the sun had come out a little yesterday that I'd forgotten based on the shadow in this picture.

David and I are going to be directing Bloom again this October, so we've already begun the process of lining up the chairs for the committees.  Some are eager to return, others are stepping down.  We hope to have everything ready by July when everyone starts leaving for vacances and you can accomplish nothing.

So you can see, we do stay busy.  On top of this is, of course, laundry (which takes longer than in Plano) and cleaning (we've become very efficient in this).  Some days we get out for a little errand and spend more time wandering down a new street or stepping into a new (or even old) church.  David is still walking early (before I rise) and he often goes out later just to get out.  Sometimes I go, sometimes I don't.  I'm trying to do some yoga (to try and improve my flexibility) and don't always feel like getting out just to get out.  I'm okay at home!

Several people have asked what prompted our decision to stay another year.  Next time......