There's a great little french restaurant I want to tell you about .

I am famous for tearing bits out of magazines, and newspapers and tucking them in a notebook. Things to check out "on a rainy day".... I have had this one article in my little book for over a year.
I noticed it when I was going through papers before the move and decided to make the plans to go out and check it out. The article was in "Flavours" magazine. It's a complimentary local publication that looks at "the essence of entertaining".
This issue was looking at French Cuisine. From Paris to Provence. This issue included details about a Parisian Pub down on Main Street in Vancouver.





You might miss it if you're busy looking at all Main Street has to offer... so be careful. This nite there were many bicycles tied to a post out front.
You'll step inside and see a narrow eatery with mis-matched tables and chairs. Photos on the walls, and buggies and bikes hanging from the ceiling.
There is live music by local songbirds in the evening and French Kir tops the menu with some very tasty things to delight your sights and hungry belly's, I wanted to sit right in the middle of the room to take it all in. I dragged a girlfriend along on a rainy nite - and we totally enjoyed ourselves. The table was very narrow and I could see how you could have those sexy french conversations because you are close enough to smile and tell stories too private for the next table to hear. The waitress was cute enough to mention to the owner about my story of saving the article. He was in his restaurant just like I would have imagined.
We ordered food and wine & myself the Kir to try. It was a lovely drink that certainly would make a girl "giggly" in no time. I think that must be part of the plan. It wasn't very long before Ali, the owner came by our table and offered copies of the magazine where I had originally seen the article. I so appreciated his personal introduction and his polite agreement to sign my book. Those kinds of moments always make you feel like you've had a little extra something...... "Je ne sais quoi"
( I looked it up and this is the translation: an expression that isn't used that frequently, but it can still pop up sometimes. In French, it literally means "I don't know what" which relates to the English meaning "indescribable quality" or "certain something". ) There were tea lights on the tables- one in a little china cup that was more than just a shot glass with a tea lite set inside.
It truly is in the details. I love that the best.

A visit to the washroom even made me smile. There were great images on the walls. I had to shoot pictures because I knew I would put them in this post.









A floor lamp stands near the loo and the lighting was low - certain to make any girl feel prettier. We had crepes for dessert that were amazing and it wasn't an expensive evening in the end either. Mostly, I just want to share the experience and if you are lucky enough to live in the Vancouver area... visit Ali in his "Parisian Pub" as he calls it. You will fall in love. How can't you.

I love it when home feels like home.

This is how I can tell if it Rained in Vancouver !




I have really enjoyed being home this weekend. I think its because it feels like a refuge and I like that alot. Music sounds great in the space and I could sit down and doze off and not think about what I should accomplish or where I would rather be. There are books I have wanted to read, a photo studio in the garage I want to set up, pictures I need to go through and scan onto the computer and many more projects that linger in my head. Today I don't care about all that stuff. That feels really good. Moving is such a big ordeal. A big thank you to those who helped me. Truly.
(my boys, one resting and one working)

My kids and thier friends( I paid in pizza and beer)
and friends from work and a nice girlfriend - My new lampshade? or how to carry less and still make it look like your working? Parker at his best. Thank god for muscles and someone who can just say..... what's the problem. This will be easy.


I wouldn't have made it! A few minutes ago the door rang and when I answered it, it was some girls from the local school looking for non-perishable food items for the homeless. NIce. So I checked the pantry and decided to go for something healthy and something that was a treat. 2 cans of tuna and a chocolate brownie mix. It feels good to do something to help someone else. It's easy. Why don't I do that more often?Maybe I should do something different this Christmas? I am going to think about it.
Even though it costs us a lot of money to have warm nice places to live.... we have jobs.... and we have skills that allow us to get those good jobs. Thanks to our parents and mentors who helped us get where we are today... See how one knock at the door can make you appreciative. There are messages everywhere in this world.

I have had a lot of "I hear you have moved"..... and I thought I would invite my friends who are too far away to come for a visit. I took some pictures because well pictures are worth a thousand words they say.




pictures counterclockwise:

1. I have too many books. Need a bookshelf.
2. Petits fours. For special moments
3. Life is about the "HA"
4. A hug is the answer to everything. Yes. Everything.
5. I envy your relationship. Beside the stove for those dirty stir spoons.
6. My new dog because my ex said he was keeping the real one.
7. My livingroom. Come on and put your feet up. It's what its for.
8. I am always loosing my glasses. So I keep a whole tray.
9. Feathers on the lampshade keep things "light".
10. My kitchen where I cook. There's a rumor that I don't. But I do!
Here's proof. Dinner for 1.
11. My christmas tree.
12. Room for Rent. AKA... Parker's room.

I'll do the neighborhood another day.

The leaves are changing and its halloween tonite.

Thanks for coming over. Next time spend the nite !

J.

File it under "y" for yesterday.

Filing it... That's what I am doing. So so many changes. There have been things that have frustrated me beyond belief and things that have surprised me and made me smile. I have found that those small unexpected messages are the ones that make the "y" file of yesterdays brighter. Last week I was on hold for an hour with our cable company for help from a "technical service representative". That is one of those frustrating moments. I have managed to feed wires through a hole in the wall to hang the new TV on the wall and got a splitter and some high def cables that I was told to get. The thing is.... I must have something hooked up wrong because its not working. I had to remember to be charming when the poor guy actually answered because I didn't feel so charming at that moment. I was feeling proud of myself for how far I got - but that soon lost its impact on my enthusiasm. The most recent big change besides my divorce and the sale of our family home is a move to a new community. Being single again has its great benefits and some that you just have to swallow. ( But I figure I am in good company) >There are moments when I am frustrated by electronics and financial arrangements that just seem like such a hassle. I hate hassle now. It's what makes me cranky. I just don't want to do it AT ALL anymore. With moving to a bigger place, I found I needed a bigger T.V. So I started researching to figure out what I should get. I decided I wanted an LG brand. For some reason I had fixated on that. So I found a good one and I am happy with it but the most brilliant thing about it is that I didn't know that LG stood for "life is good".So everytime I turn on my T.V. that's the message. A good reminder everytime you sit down to see what is going on in the world. And then there's this microwave in the kitchen that is pretty nice too. Once you heat up whatever you put in it... it has a message that comes up in the window that says "enjoy your meal". You just want to say "thank you" back. I figured out that the 2 eye beams in the garage have to be lined up for the garage door to open and close properly with the remote.. yes, all by myself..... and I researched for a new vaccume that was seriously way too much money and then found one on craigslist when I got home.So I talked to this very helpful salesguy originally about the new Miele which is suppose to be a great machine. Would have cost me 699.00 which is reee-diculous. (I think the vaccume should have been listed as an asset in our divorce for that price) and I bought one for $125.00. Felt bad for the time he spent explaining it all to me - but I need to be good with my money so... I hoped someone else would come in and buy one from him that day.
Got new tires on my car too. Phoned in the right numbers even. Then I took care of a problem with those Visa cards you can buy that are suppose to be like cash. Sent them to my friend and they didn't work. Big big hassle and I think I may be able to get a refund. Still waiting for a confirmation on seeing a refund. Phone trees and e-mail and being on hold to lousy music is partially why we are such a stressed society. Anyways... my thoughts are this. I am not a women's libber that we don't need a man to do these things because truly when they do them for us - I interpret it as love. Someone does something for you just because they have the kindness to take the troubles off your hands, But when it comes down to being on your own - it's do-able. Kind of like raising a family anyways and taking care of all those small details that can slip through the cracks. (That's why moms lock the bathroom door and just lay in a tub of warm bubbly water) a place of no problems an no tasks. These days I am recognizing how much goes on in a day... week.... month and all the things each of us do to just keep life moving forward. It's thankless - but its necessary and procrastination is a demon that piles up around you and makes you feel overwhelmed. So list making is good and writing it down makes it seem small compared to what your mind perceives.The psychologist are right and so are all those advice givers on TV. Crossing things off a list is like sending stress out the window. It clears your brain for something fresh. So I am going to go make a nice tea and wait for the Geek Squad to arrive to solve my last problem. By dinner tonite - I hope to be reading a book or lost in a movie because I have nothing else I need to take care of. Won't that be nice.