France, Food, Scooters and More

• BAD NEWS, FRENCH MORTGAGE, SAUSAGE, AND BITS AND BOBS: #13 2 years ago  CONTENTThe news ain’t what it used to be. I’m retired. I have wifi. I have Reuters and Google News and Flipboard and The New York Times and more sources for ‘content’ on my phone than I could ever need.  Not so long ago, scanning through those sources was enjoyable, might even have...
• FRESH FLOWERS, FREE SPEECH, A PISSED OFF CAT, AND OTHER BITS AND BOBS: #12 2 years ago  FRESH FLOWERS Joni always gets it right. You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.For something like 30 years and a bit more, we bought, packaged for resale, and distributed thousands of cut flowers every week. Roses, carnations, mums, and more slipped through our hands, primarily...
• FIRE IS RITUAL AND NOVELTY: #11 2 years ago  Our new house has a fireplace with an insert. I haven't lived in a house with a fireplace for over fifty years. I’m ready. Impatient. I've started fires in the insert every day for the past few days. Here’s what I’ve learned.Fire starting involves ritual, repeated adherence to certain...
• GETTING A FRENCH MORTGAGE: PART DEUX #10 2 years ago   To recap:You have a banker, not a bank. Bring every piece of paper that you own.French bankers don't negotiate like American bankers. You don't actually apply for a mortgage until you've been approved.You are not approved until the regional office signs off.There's a waiting period. And don't...
• MACRON, 1/6, PIZZA, AND OTHER BITS AND PIECES: #9 2 years ago  MACRON IS PISSED OFF. SO AM I.I don't care if it was political calculation, a slip of the tongue, or simply an uncharacteristic burst of honest feelings from a politician. But I am not pissed off that Macron is pissing off the people who piss me off by not getting vaccinated. As the controversy...

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