Thing or the claw?

I also love that at this nice château/hotel they were hosting 3 pieces from a contemporary artist.("contemporary" is the period in art -I have been told - after "modern").

I do love sculpture but could not get over the fact that this hand at the entrance looks like Thing (from the Addams Family) or the Claw (from Liar Liar). And it is out to get you.

P.S. The windows on the top left were our room.

roll of the dice success

So I was so tired last night that I didn't want to do anything, including cook. But it's amazing what a good couple's spat and some cauliflour cheddar soup can achieve.

And then this morning I used the butternut squash I had left over to make a GREAT pumpkin hazelnut clafoutis. That might sound like I know what I am doing in the kitchen (and it is true that I am a secret genius) but I don't. Full of contradictions, I know.

Clafoutis is an eggy sweet pie with no crust, and generally with fruit. It sounds odd, but a cherry clafoutis is actually really good. I made individual ones in muffin tins because they cook faster.

Boyfriend's parents came over to help us with some handyman work. And anytime you have a visit, it is required that you put some sweet little somethings out for your guests. So, really convenient that I like to meddle in the kitchen. And kind of amazing that French people aren't fat.

And what that 5 star hotel looks like on the inside...

Would you like room no. 1?

Or room no. 2 ?

I'll take room no.2! And could you please ring my room's doorbell (like I live here), 3 minutes later and with your white gloved hands, pour me a glass of champagne at two o'clock in the afternoon?

hungry

I am hungry

and I am a good cook. In fact, some of you might know that I am a genius in the kitchen.

But tonight,

I want someone else's food. I am not sure what or who. I just don't want what is in my fridge, or something I have to cook or something boyfriend will cook me.

I just want someone else's dinner.

Kind of like you're a kid and you want to eat what Ashley's mom is making for dinner. (Which was basically me all the time because my mom didn't make dinner).

What a 5 star hotel looks like in France

I stayed here one night.

And let me tell you my friends, it was LOOOVVELY.

She won't give you the real answer unless you point out how ludicrous her response was.

So I read several blogs. I don't know why, but they all happen to be people who currently live in Utah or have lived in Utah a significant amount of time. I can't tell if this is just coincidence or me feeding the Utah in my bones.

Yesterday, one of my favorite speed, OCD, crazy blog writing Utah immigrants posted about watching a House Hunters episode about a family moving to France from the midwest. And how, when the family remarked on the lack of child-protection devices on 2nd story windows, the realtor said that they should tell their 2 year old to "not to jump out the window".

This struck me for two reasons:

How ludicrous the idea of just telling a 2 year old not to do something like "jump out a window" and expecting that child not do it, is.

and

How unsurprising this comment is.

This would not have come out of every French person's mouth. And yes, there is a law regulating and REQUIRING protection of windows that infants and young children could try to climb through or fall out of. She has given the answer that will make the client shut up the fastest.

Seasons change

Autum ending

Winter moving in over the longest car windshield in France.