psuper

Our arrival in France was uneventful and that’s a good thing.  From a speedy run through Immigration, Customs, luggage, van pick-up by car leasing agent, car acquisition, and a quick review of the Navigation System….we were off to the Dordogne.  Travel angst reduced from logistics to whether or not the B&B we selected was going to be as good as the website depicted.  So we headed out though mid-morning traffic from the airport, through the outskirts of Paris, which was bumper-to-bumper the entire way…..our first 2 hours in the car…..all on a day which was on the way to a record high temperature.

It was 7 hours later when we arrived at La Brugere and were greeted warmly by Patrick, one of our hosts.  This is our place to stay for 3 nights, where we relax from the air travel, and get acclimated to our new time zone.  We have done this for a few years now….powering through the first day upon arrival, and not sleeping until at least 9:00 PM local time…..and it seems to work…we slept for almost 12 hours straight that first night.  Powered through the next two days as well with almost the same amount of sleep for the next two nights as well.

La Brugere could not have been more wonderful for a place to stay and recuperate.  It exceeded all expectations, especially the hospitality of our hosts and owners of La Brugere, Raphael and Patrick.  La Brugere is large manor home, once used by the owner of a large paper mill that is still on the property.  Raphael is a chef, and our evening meals were truly gourmet.  An example, for a starter: melon balls with smoked duck breast drizzled with olive oil, and fresh basil…..for an entree: chicken breasts stuffed with mushrooms and cheese….everything local and organic.  Our breakfasts’ were leisurely and included all you might want: croissants, jams, cured meats, cheese, bread, fresh fruit, yogurt, etc.   Long hours at the pool added to our rest…bowls of sorbet delivered by Patrick added to our relief from the heat.  So much for B&B selection angst.

By far however, the most delightful part of our stay were the many terrace and dining room conversations with our hosts.  They have a wonderful story to tell about La Brugere and themselves……they have wide interests well beyond their home in the Dordogne, and have traveled extensively.  Serious and interesting conversation never lagged.

So, after being refreshed and recharged, it was time to deal with my angst over our home for the next 5 months…….will it be as nice as I recall when we visited?  We were unable to see the inside due to a guest renting the home, so will it be as nice as the pictures?  Will it meet expectations?  Doesn’t it have to regardless?  What choice will we have?Let’s get on the road and find out.

We are departing today for France, on our annual sojourn away from Florida to beat the heat, humidity, and hurricane season….though we are departing a bit of angst…..a heat wave in France that will break all records for the month of June….cresting the day after our arrival……a new credit card from Chase for Ligia that was to arrive by 7:00PM never made it before we had to head for the airport…..our morning flight to Newark has been delayed 2+ hours….even though we planned for an early morning flight before the daily back-ups occur at EWR….in fact, our plane was coming out of EWR at 6:00AM, usually a great scenario, but early morning thunderstorms and lightening created a ground stop at the airport, in addition to being late out of here, EWR will be messed up all day. Good thing I planned a 5+ hour layover that has shrunk to just under 4 at the moment. But hey, our Uber from home to FLL last night was fast and efficient. And the new Untied Club at FLL has been open for awhile now and we get to see our long-time friend who is bartender and cappuccino maker extraordinaire here.

So, we are off to France for 5 months….returning just in time for Thanksgiving. I hope to suppress my political angst for awhile…..be more focused on the potager and when is the market day in Bergerac. And we are off…..

Ever since the election, I have been pondering what can I actually do that will matter. With no election on the horizon for two years, volunteering or getting out the vote seems well off into the future. So, I have decided that are a few things I can do now….and encourage others to do so as well. The first item is more of what I am already doing but with deeper meaning. I firmly believe we all have to be, and teach our friends, and especially our children, to be “digitally smart”. We have to understand the importance of depending upon “trusted sources” when we read material on the Internet or in printed copy. We have to understand the importance of professional journalists and editors (my new digital gatekeepers, if you will). Further, I will choose not to get into a discussion about the trusted sources I choose to read. I won’t be dragged into some “mainstream media is biased” or any other rants against news organizations that invest in fact checking, reputable reporting, and who hire journalists with principles and professionalism. My choices for news are the following: NYTimes, Washington Post, Politico, NPR, CNN, WSJ, BBC, NBC, ABC, and Bloomberg News. Yes they are mainstream, but I trust them to provide facts and perspective. I believe I get a full range of views by reading many of them daily and on any particular issue.
This also means I will not look for confirming opinions or make judgements, or believe I have the full set of facts about any issue or situation after reading FaceBook, Instagram, FoxNews, MSNBC, USA Today, and the HuffPost. Note to wife: just because I said I won’t depend on MSNBC doesn’t mean I won’t watch it 😉

I have to do something. I can’t just sit back and take it any longer. This is the first of a number of things that I can and will do. What will you do?

Wow….it just occurred to me that I will be a “Father of the Bride” next year.  Being a relatively recent step-father and not having raised her from birth, I haven’t mused upon her getting married or her wedding day until very recently.  In fact, since her relationship with her fiancé had become first “serious” and now “engaged”, my thoughts have been almost exclusively about her and them….or the impact of the news on my wife, the Mother-of-the-Bride.  But today, it hit me….I’m to be the Father-of-the-Bride…….wow…..hadn’t ever thought of that role before….I recall the great Steve Martin movies though…..great flicks…..good stories…..happy endings.

So, the coming year ought to be fun, exciting, and at times stressful if you read any of the literature on modern weddings….and I have only one shot at the role….so I can’t screw it up…..no “do-overs”.  This ought to be fun……..

While visiting our daughter in LA on a recent weekend, on Sunday morning, her boyfriend asked us to go for coffee with him.  He had alerted us to his desire to do so previously.  We suspected something important was up and were prepared….but you never really are prepared when the actual moment arrives…..”I love your daughter and would like to marry her, and would like your blessing.”  There it was….the beginning of a new chapter in all of our lives…..after that moment, things would never be the same….boyfriend becomes fiancé…..daughter becomes bride-to-be…..and life changes forever.

We gladly gave our blessing…..knowing we will soon have a new member of the family and a new relationship to pay attention to, nurture and maintain…..while also acknowledging to ourselves that there is now so much we don’t know…..how will this impact and change our relationship with our daughter?  We know it will…..just not how…..which is OK…..it has to change….so we go forward, excited for these two young people to begin to face the challenges and rewards of marriage and building a life together….all with our blessing.

if we Baby Boomers don’t screw it up that is.  I came to this conclusion a week ago after visiting our daughter in LA.  She is on the cusp of opening a new business, Lanceria Boutique, a swim ware and lingerie boutique.  Following her planning from afar and observing her recent focus on getting started with a retail store, I realized that she and so many others of her generation have the drive, attitude, capability, and dedication to be successful in these types of endeavors.  Now, if we can only leave them with an economy that is functional and fair, we’ll all be O.K.