Sunday, June 20, 2010

J'aime Lire

PLUS EQUALS 
                                                                                             Photo by Tigr

I'm in Paris. Believe me, for this girl from Texas, I am a long way from home. In a good way.

I'm (hopefully) reading some of the e-books I brought along on my iPad. I'm (hopefully) getting to visit one of the world's coolest bookstores, Shakespeare and Company. I'm (hopefully) getting to meet up with a group of BookCrossers from Paris. I'm (hopefully) getting to meet up with a book friend from Australia who just happens to be in Paris at the same time.

I say hopefully because I'm writing this post early. I promise to write down every adventure when I return in early July.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Vous Ne Pouvez Pas Tout Apprendre à Partir D'un Livre

Photo by Aussiegall

By this age, I should know things. I'm supposed to be the grownup.

I learned something this week. Two things, really, but they go together.

I decided to mow the lawn. I tried mowing one other time, but I ended up shearing the cap off an important drain, and I was so traumatized that I said I'd never do it again.

Then, this week, I saw my 83-year-old dad out mowing. And my petite daughter-in-law. If they can do it, I can do it, I thought.

So I tried it. I just mowed. I mowed and mowed and mowed. I thought it would take me an hour. It took me four hours. When I finished, I was hot and covered with pieces of grass, but I felt happy:  I did it. I mowed the yard.

And how did I figure out how to mow the yard? I just did it. I tried it. I missed some spots and I won't try going over a tree root again and now I know that you have to open the valve on the gas can before you add gasoline to the engine, but the thing is that I tried it and I did it.

The other thing I learned this week was French. No, I'm serious. I learned French this week. I got a school subscription to Rosetta Stone and I learned French.

Now I've been trying to learn Spanish for oh, fifteen years, and I honestly don't think I know as much Spanish as I know French now. And that's after one week.

How did I do it?  How did I learn French?  I just did it. I tried it. I practiced it over and over. I wasn't always right, but I kept doing it, over and over, and now I know a whole lot of French that I didn't know before.

Here's what I took away from these experiences:  As Nike says, Just Do It. Don't just talk about doing it. Don't just contemplate doing it. No. Just Do It. 

What does this have to do with books? Well, here's another thing I figured out this week: You can't learn everything from a book. Or, as they say in French, Vous ne pouvez pas tout apprendre à partir d'un livre.



Sunday, June 6, 2010

Why I Didn't Get Around to Writing a Sunday Salon This Week

No, the dog didn't eat my Sunday Salon. But, guys,
I've been busy.

At school, this was the last week.
I had to pack everything up.
They are remodeling the library this summer.
And I had to finish inventory. Whew!

I spent most of the weekend practicing my French on Rosetta Stone.
 Will I ever be able to properly say, "un garçon"?





I made a big dinner today,
to celebrate the start of summer, 
with stuffed chicken breast in a spinach salsa sauce,
 and homemade French bread.



A beautiful Tarte Aux Fraises for dessert.




So, that's why I didn't get around to writing a Sunday Salon this week.

Next week, I promise I'll do better.