A great experience...am I rested...not a chance

Well Hallelujah I made it back.  I won't bore you with too many pictures but I'll put some of my favorite ones.  Lisbon is very nice and I saw lots.  Lots of hills.  Seven %#&$%? hills and I did them all.  Of course I would take the Tram to go up but always walked down.  I used to take a size 8 in shoes but going down hill and your toes rubbing all the time, I'm now a size 6.  I took some beautiful pictures but it's pretty sad when you have to ask the people sitting at the next table, excuse me, can you take a picture of me, OR if I met people, I would ask if I could take a picture of them so I could tell everyone that I had friends.  I visited every museum, every church, every castle, every monastery that I could find.  You can't go to Lisbon and relax.  There is too much to do.  I would leave around 11:00 every morning and come back around 11:00 every night.  Just one night I got lost and I felt scared.  I went into a restaurant and asked for directions and the waitress figured out that I was scared.  Not sure if it was the tears (just little ones) or the shaking that did it.  Anyway, she drew me a map and walked with me for one block and told me exactly what to do.  Then she hugged me.  She said, nothing will happen to you, don't be scared.  So even in other countries, there are nice people. She was super nice.  I said that I'd go eat at their restaurant but I never found the place again.

Did I ever arrive in Lisbon at the right time.  They had a big open air party for me, best parade ever.  Everyone wanted a piece of me.  Well that's what I thought.   June 12, the eve of Saint Anthony is the most celebrated night of the year and June 13 is a holiday.  I saw it all, I lived it all.  Parades, wine, porto, music, dancing in the streets.  It starts mid-day and ends the next morning.

The parade starts around 9:00 pm and it goes until dark.  The next day, June 13, I was coming down the HILL, again, and people were standing on the side of the street, with praying beads, the women were cleaning their railing and putting out their best linen.  Again, I thought, how nice of them to greet me like this.  I don't deserve this.  Little that I knew that Saint Anthony is the Patron of Lisbon.  They were having a celebration.  Everyone had flowers and giving them to others.  Let it be known that I did not get any.  People were burning candles.  

This is where they were lighting the candles.  I sure wasn't going close to that.

I drank Porto because Louis my friend told me to.  I had a hard time finding the metro.  First sip I took, I felt it go down, slowly right to my toes.  Yes, the same toes that shrunk from going down hill.  Not my favorite drink.

Well I'll have to continue telling you about my trip later this week.  I have company arriving tomorrow.  Joanne and my aunt Pierrette.  I hope they like it here.  Bird's Bed and Breakfast is opened for business.  It will be nice to have family here.  Must go clean house.

Just wanted to give you a little bit of my trip to start you off with.  Will blog later.  Abricada for reading.  See I speak porteguese now.  Things I learn.  Oh, and by the way, the monastery that I visited, I asked the man how much please, he said, oh for 65 yrs old, 2 euros please.  Insulted.  Of course, I didn't tell him the difference so I got in cheap.  I can't believe that I look 65.  I either need a miracle or a facelift.  Now that I think of it, maybe it wasn't my face he was looking at, just the body and he figured out that things are lower to the ground now.  I'm still insulted.

Thank you for being who you are...

It was a cold winter morning and we were parking our car to go to work. In front of us was this girl parking her LADA. The funny thing wasn’t the LADA, it was her holding the door as it had fallen off the hinges. Poor her, we felt sorry for her so Richard and I went over and helped. We walked to the office together. She was Acadian so right there, there was a connection and this is how I met Corinne à Jean, à Zacharie, à Sylvain Cormier et Irène, à Guillaume, à Willie, à Joe Bibienne, à Fidèle Arsenault.  Do I have it right!!!


Corinne and I became great friends. We shared great moments. She came to my place at 4:00 AM to watch the funeral of Lady Diana, she is my greatest Tim Horton buddy, I brought her to Campbellton to meet my mother and the rest of my family. They all fell in love with her. She became a part of our family. When family or friends call me, they always ask, How’s Corinne. Never mind Corinne, what about me. For those who do not know, Corinne has many talents. The girl knows how do to everything. Bitch…only kidding. In my eyes, she excels at everything but there are 2 things that she does and when I see her doing it, it brings tears of joy to my eyes. One is when she is with her cats and gives them the motherly love that she has for them and the other is when she plays the flute. Never in my life have I seen anyone play the flute like her. It is mesmorizing.  You do not hear anything else that is going on around you.  You hear her, her love, her passion.  I can listen to her all day. Corinne’s talents are not just something that you can see.  You can feel them.  They lie within her, gently.   Her big heart, her wise words always make you feel good.


Today, June 10th is my 1st year here in France. I dedicated that year to Corinne. A few years ago, her life changed. For me, I would have given up, but the words GIVING UP are not in Corinne’s vocabulary. She is much smarter than that. The challenges that she has overcome and still has, the determination, the perseverance and the dedication, make her in my book, a hell of a fighter. When I moved here and after Diane left, at times, I would feel sorry for myself. Then, I just had to think of Corinne and tell myself, how dare you Loulou think that you are pitiful. This would give me the energy, strength and courage that I needed to carry on. Of course now, I am living the life here in France but there is not one day that goes by that I don’t think of Corinne. There is not one prayer that I say that doesn’t involve her. Her heart and soul have not changed. Corinne, we met for a reason and I want to thank you for being who you are, true to yourself and for thinking of me as your friend. Most of all, thank you for letting me dedicate this amazing year here in France to you. You are an inspiration to all who know you.  Sometimes you tell me, Loulou I don't deserve the friends I have.  They are so good to me.  Corinne, I believe in Angels and I believe that some walk among us.  I believe you are one of them.

As you always say, I LOVE YOU BIG...and so does your friends.

I'm getting one of those...

Today there was a Classic Car Rally.  I could just see me behind the wheel, now that I drive standard.  The organizer and his wife offered me tea or coffee and a croissant.  I was waiting for them to offer me a car.  What's with this tea and coffee bit, I don't even drink the stuff.  Anyway, I declined but it was nice of them to ask.  OK, the truth is, I really don't like cars but everyone there seemed to, so I had to play the part and pretend that I knew stuff.  I wouldn't know the bumper from the spoiler.  They sure were shinny. Take a look.  My favorite is the last one.  I can totally see me in there.

Oops, how did this one get in there.  I can be classy too.

Also this morning, I was in the Visitor Centre and 2 Canadians came in.  I said hello / bonjour and they said Hi.  So I asked, where are you two from.  One said from the North Shore of New Brunswick.  I said WHAT.  There's no shore like the North Shore I said.  She was from Dalhousie, NB.  I said well I'm from Campbellton.  Then I asked if she went to the Post Office in Dalhousie sometimes.  She said, absolutely.  Well this was getting better.  I asked if she knew Philippe Bourgeois.  She said, ah yes, he was the most friendly and polite guy there but he's retired now.  She said do you know him.  Do I know him, he's my brother.  So we then had a group hug.  The guides were smiling probably thinking, what are we going to do with her.  She knows everyone.  Her and her sister were travelling and decided that they couldn't leave without seeing Vimy so they hopped on the train from Paris and came for the day.  What are the odds.

Later in the day, I made my way to Beaumont-Hamel.  It's poppy time.  The most beautiful flower in my mind.  They grow wild all over.  They seem to bring such peace when you look at them.

And these are just a few of them.  They are along the road, quietly blowing in the wind.

So this was today's blog and tomorrow is a special day.  My one year in France. Remembering how when I got to Toronto on June 9th (today) and met my sister Diane, I told her:  I don't want to go.  I'm terrified.  And as a big sister, she said, you'll be fine Loulou.  I'm with you.  And that she was.  She cleaned this apartment from top to bottom, oh how I miss her.  The place has never been the same.  Only kidding Diane.  It's a good think I had you.

So all of you out there, enjoy the rest of your day, keep smiling and be happy and too bad you're not me because I'm in France and you're not.  You know that I'm only kidding.  I try to keep you entertained.

In paradise...

I was off yesterday so I decided that I would go get my hair cut.  Everytime I'd come back from the hairdresser, I looked like helmet head.  Not a pretty sight.  I thought that I would try a new place.  I was scared but I walked in thinking, ah they'll never take me.  I'm sure you need an appointment.  I walked in at noon and they said, oh we can take you at 1:30.  I said that I would be back so I couldn't run.  Well am I ever happy that I went.  They gave me the Royal treatment.  First they sat me down and studied my face.  OK this is weird.  I want to go now.  Then they showed me pictures and they said, a little like this and a little like that.  Then this other lady comes and says to the girl that was going to cut my hair, can I borrow Madame for 10 minutes, me a Madame.  Well she gave me a facial.  I was in heaven.  They pretty well had to tear me off the chair.  Then the time to wash my hair.  Well the whole seat actually gives you a massage while the girl washes your hair.  What is this.  5 star hair salon.  I never want to leave here.  Keep me...please.  Then she cut my hair and I loved it from the get-go.  Then the same lady that gave me the facial said, come here, I'm going to put make-up on you.  Like this was exactly like photos of Before and After.  Well I looked pretty good, well in my mind.  I told the girls, I can't go home looking like this.  People have to see me.  This is near perfection.....OK, again, it's a happy little world I live in.  So I took the bus to Auchan, where I knew there would be lots of people.  I did every aisle....twice, just to make sure everyone saw me.  Then I went to Flunch and sat right behind a table of women and their kids having a birthday party.  I knew that they would have cameras.  I'm in so many pictures.  The flashes were blinding me so I had to leave.  I came home and thought, I have to sleep standing up.  I can't wash my face and flatten my hair.  Needless to say, today....it's not good.  My make-up is gone, my hair is flat.  These girls should be at my house every morning before I go to work.  Anyway, it was a very relaxing 2 hours and I loved it.  I will be going back.  I took pictures of them and they said I could put them on my blog.  They are miracle workers.  The one in the middle is the one that cut my hair.  I don't know if they do that for all first time customers, but next time, I'm not taking any chances, I'm changing my name.  I want it all again.

Today at work, 5 people from Charlottetown came to visit.  I didn't know them but I greeted them.  I looked at the girl and said, you look familiar.  She said you too.  It turns out that she went to Ecole Francois Buote with Kevin but she was a year older.  Her brother and sister had come with me to Vimy in 2004 when I came with the school.  It feels so good when you find connections.

I made supper tonight.  Yeah for me.  I cooked pork chops, potatoes, onions.  I'm getting to be too domesticated.  And then I did a bit of house work.  Whats with this.  I'm having weak moments.  I must stop.  I'm suppose to be living the life.  I actually am living the life.  As much as I can.  3 more days and it will be a year.  I am very fortunate that this opportunity came up.  It's a once in a lifetime deal.  To have the support from my family, my friends, all of you who keep on reading my blogs, it's an incredible journey.  I miss Kevin, Allen and Minime, the poor thing must be so skinny now that I'm not there and my one plant is probably dead.  Minime has a new neighbour, Zina.  Hope they become friends through the window.  Zina doesn't go out so Minime will have to go prowl around.

Well another day done.  Time for bed.  So I'll be sure to blog before I leave on Monday.  Be happy!

Mama Goose forgot her goslings....

Oh this is going to cost me lots and lots of M&M.  Today was a busy day.  It was also cold and windy so as soon as work was over, I came home.  My feet were frozen and my hands were cold.  The thought of coming home, putting my flannalette pyjamas on, get on the couch with my blanket and watch TV sounded so good.  So that's what I did.  Came home, put my pj's and sat on the couch......when......my BB rang.  Ah Louise, where are you.  I'm home.  Oh, you were suppose to drive us home as we don't all fit in one vehicle.  I forgot my little ones....Cool Dude, Lucky Charm and Queen of Hearts.  I could not believe that I had done such a thing.  Must be the weather.  Anyway, I got dressed and went to get them.  There they were, all cold, crying for me, waiting, (well not crying).  So on my next trip to the grocery store, M & Ms are on my list.  Good thing that I'm off for the next 2 days.  They might forget about it if they don't see me.

Well some of you might have seen pictures of little birds.  Yesterday the little darlings decided to leave their nest.  Anyway, there they were walking on top of the trenches just like weeble wobble but they don't fall down.  The cutest little things.  So I played with them.  Brought them back to their nest.  They were probably saying, hey lady, it just took me an hour to walk 10 feet and you keep bringing me back and then I have to start over.  Go away.  But of course I didn't.  I put them on my arm in my hand.  One actually pooped on me.  Maybe I scared him shitless or maybe he just had to go.  I had a great day with them.  I named them. Poof Poof, Rocky, Batman, Helmet Head and Ear Muff.  The mother was around but she didn't mind.  They kept peeping and I kept putting them in a row.  Here are a few pictures.

Don't they look angry, just like the game Angry Birds.  The sad news is that today, Poof Poof and Rocky died.  It was quite cold and rainy last night.  They couldn't handle it.  We found them.  There is another nest with little ones just waiting to come out.  I hope the weather gets better for them.

While we're on the subject of animals, well you're not, I am.  Madame Louise is hanging with the wrong crowd.  Half of the sheep got out again Saturday and Madame Louise followed them.  There she was, with her brother, hanging with the big guys.  I must put an end to this.  You can hear her.  At the end of June, I will be putting a nice big pink ribbon.  Now she has an orange one with the bell but I'll make her pretty for the summer.

Saturday, André and I went to Christi's gala.  She was beautiful.  The best one there.  When she's dancing, you can really see that she loves it.  She's a natural.  Poor André, he was sick but he stayed and took pictures.  I made Christi's antennas for one of her dances. I swear to you, they were the shinniest ones there.

My trip to Portugal is coming soon.  I'm excited but a bit nervous.  I'm sure that once I'm there, and make all new friends, and hit the jackpot (as there is a casino there so I'll play my normal 20 euros), it will be fine.  I wonder if anyone will talk to me.  Well if not, I'll talk to them.  I usually do.

I have a new nickname at work.  It's Grasshopper and I love it.  It's from the TV show Kung Fu.  I still have much to learn before I become a Master.

Well that's the news for today.  So hope you enjoy the pictures.  I should have great ones from Portugal.

Boa Noite.  It's goodnight in Portuguese.  Thank God for google.