Which chick flic ?

Every summer on Thursday evenings there are Night Watchman’s tours of La Rochelle. Members of the public are taken around the town by the night watchman visiting various venues from different epochs where little scenes from history are acted out. When we went several years ago the tour finished in the bunker built by the Germans as their head quarters in the town. This week it’s Rob’s turn to work during the evening, opening up the St. Nicolas tower for the actors to change in and checking the public’s tickets.

As I’m on my own I’ve decided to watch a DVD which I will choose and no moaning from anyone else. On Monday Unchained Melody was played on the radio station used by the supermarket I was in at the time. I do love that song especially the Righteous Brother’s version used in the film Ghost. There is a Wikipedia page on the song and I’ve discovered that it was born in 1955, which doesn’t surprise me at all as all the best people were born in 1955!! In was written for a film about prison ; ‘Unchained’. I discovered that Bing Crosby sang it too, though it doesn’t quite have the same power as the version used in Ghost.

Ghost is on my list, Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend, Forrest Gump, Pretty Woman, North by Northwest or perhaps Spellbound. Which to watch? If I’m not careful Rob will be home before I’ve decided.



To save you from having to look it up.

Peace and solitude

I found this on the back of a postcard written in 1909:

« Imaginez au pied de l’abbaye au milieu du bois, une rivière qui roule ses eaux torrentueuses parmi les rocs, et dites s’il existe un séjour plus solitaire et plus pittoresque. J’y resterai, je pense, quelques temps »

“Imagine at the foot of the Abbey within the woods, a river that runs with torrentuous waters amongst the rocks, and tell me if there exists anywhere more solitary and more picturesque. I’ll stay I think, for some time.”

This is where they were talking about, the Abbey at La-Pierre-qui-Vire.

New blog exchange

We’re proud to announce the birth of a new blog exchange being launched tomorrow (Tuesday 1st June). If you’re looking for a blog exchange that has an admin team with real powers to deal with problems and cares for its members look no further than ExploseYourBlog!

BlogExplosion users will probably recognise some of the names behind the scenes. We hope that we can look after you properly from now on. We’re not completely decorated as we would like but the basics are there and we’re looking forward to hearing from you in the forums if you have ideas on what you expect from a blog exchange.

Where the children go

I think that we can say that Dom has left home for good now. Even when she stops studying in the summer, she’ll be off to Chicago meeting other psychologists and then she’s going off to the UK so that everyone can meet J-M and see how wonderful he is…

A couple of weekends ago they came home for a visit and I heard her say that it seems like she lived here in another life. It got me thinking:

Our children exist. Every moment of their lives still exist. We as children exist somewhere. What happens as they grow up is that they are replaced by an older model. I can prove it. Babies , of course are replaced more rapidly, they have “growth spurts” when they are replaced. If you are a parent do you remember wondering where toys had got to when your children were growing? They took them with them. The replacement didn’t need those toys. Just think about the socks, t-shirts, jeans, pyjamas which suddenly vanished into thin air. Another example is homework – it explains a lot, doesn’t it? Have a think now. What about the beloved teddy bear or soft toy? Where is it? See what I mean.

Next time you hear a mother bemoaning that her son seems to have gown centimetres overnight you’ll know why: He’s been replaced by a bigger one.

I found it!!!

I put this on my other Still Learning blog years ago and I've been looking for it ever since. The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac. The teacher who taught Christian and Dom to read put the rules up on the school notice board. A very sensible woman.

Seven Black Roses

A long time ago I used to have a guitar. This is the kind of tune I would have liked to have played....

Goodbye and see you soon

This evening amongst hugs and goodbyes
Miss yous and love yous,
Waving until the car has gone out of site.
I was suddenly taken back through the years to
the last time.

A peck of a cheek
“Take care of mum for me”
Never a thought that it would be
The last time.