"It's a quiet week in Lake Wobegon," as Garrison Keillor would say. It that way here at the Otsego Lake in many ways, too. Once one gets past Fourth of July week, there are fewer people on the lake till the weekend. They didn't know what they were missing this week -- Gorgeous weather, cool nights, warm days, steady sunshine -- all rather ideal. We did have one rainy day and a bit of a cool off, but all in all, ideal.
Help! I follow many of you Blogger bloggers through the Follow button that shows up in my reading list on my dashboard.
For two days now, what I get is an empty page with words similar to "when someone posts something it will show up here.
And I suspect many of you have published. My brain looks like this right now.
Are any of you having this problem? And what to do about it? Thanks! (I have tried to figure this out on the blogger question mark icon at the top of the page and also reported feedback but no action or reply.)
Our little world is quiet, except on weekends, it seems, when all the weekenders return and drive noisy boats! One highlight of the time here was the visit of my cousin David and his wife Bonnie. We celebrated Bonnie's belated and Rick's and my upcoming birthdays, heading out to only the second restaurant meal I've been to in a very long while!
Although I haven't shared much in the art line of late, it hasn't been a summer devoid of creativity. It seems that the season has been a little topsy turvy in a lot of ways, between Rick's stuff, a trip back home for me, cousin visits -- all good (well, not Rick's stuff!) but meaning less time at the art table. But I do have a few things to share, starting with my cousin Bonnie's birthday gift!
Let's face it. We all like a good buy when we travel -- a souvenir, something special to bring home, maybe as a gift or just to treasure. And yes, in Paris you can go to some of the wonderful stores like Le Bon Marche, Galleries Lafayette, Printemps or BHV Marais. But it's even a little more fun to bring home something you've found at a flea market, brocante or vides grenier.
My friend Jerry is a master at finding wonderful items (and knowing how to bargain for them! So, come with us to a few spots!
"Doesn't it get old, walking the same route each time?" I was asked. The reply is simple -- "No. Because it is never really ever the same. Even the skies change." There is an ever-changing "sameness" in "same."
Rick has been recovering from his surgery here at the lake, while I headed south for an appointment, returning for the weekend. For the most part, it has been lovely sunny weather, though today it caught up with us. At least I won't have to water the plants! My basil is growing like crazy and we've enjoyed it in Rick's homemade pizza and a lemon/shrimp/pasta dish.
I love reading essays and short pieces about a topic or place I enjoy. If you do as well, "France, A Love Story" (subtitled "Women Write about the French Experience) might suit you well. Edited by Camille Cusamano, the book features 25 essays by women both unknown and known to me, including M.F.K. Fisher, Ruth Reichl and Alice B. Toklas.
In a normal summer up north, I will take day trips to some of the towns in the north that make for a great day trip but are pretty much always overcrowded with tourists. Fun places to visit but I wouldn't want to deal with the traffic all the time. Last year, of course, no one went anywhere. I stayed happily put at my happy place. This year I wanted to visit a few of those spots, like Petoskey or Charlevoix -- both set on Lake Michigan or Little Traverse Bay.
Be careful what you ask for. You might get it.
Now that the holiday is over, we are settling into real lake life. Most of the tourists and boats have left (at least for the week) and while there are still boats on the lake, it is quieter. Slow mornings, lovely afternoons, evenings with Scrabble or a movie after the sun goes down. We've had some rain and the temperature is cooling for a few days.
As I've gone through photos and memories for this year's Paris In July posts, I was struck by many photos taken as Rick and I walked along the Seine, so please join us for a walk along this wonderful river that cuts through the very heart of Paris.
Paris In July is one of my favorite blog parties. Each July a group of bloggers who love Paris (and France) write about books, film, travel, food and all things French or set in France. My first offering for this event are two books set in Paris by Mark Pryor.
