Ok….so Kelly seems to have forgotten all of her many, many fans. BUT, never fear I have not. So, I am here to update all of Kelly’s loving fans. (man it’s hard to type on this French keyboard=even after 3 whole days of French keyboard use!!)

So, Kelly’s friend got in around 22h30 and then Kelly proceeded to feed her cheese and baguette. Self-absorbed airlines think people don’t need dinner between 18h30 and 21h30. Next day went to marché and ate chaussons aux pommes, bought cherries, and avocadoes-you know you’re jealous. The next day went to a French evangelical baptism. Swimming pool dunking in southern France=AWESOME

Kelly’s friend has been learning French children’s games. Kelly jumped rope. It was pretty cool. Mamie brought us some genuine French crêpes (look the e has a hat-Kelly says ’sweet’). Kelly also is eating chocolate in bed and making me type her blogpost so if you don’t like it blame Kelly.

Yesterday “les deux mousquetaires” went to Salon and Aix-en-Provence in search of chocolate, as you should know from a previous sentence (have you been paying attention?) we found some. One of the chocolate shops had an enrober. This enrober was in the front of the shop.  The shop smelled like chocolate.  I was in heaven…not literally.  We went to about 3 or 4 chocolate shops (one of which was in Salon the rest in Aix).  We ate lunch in Aix at an Italian sandwich shop.  Our sandwiches had pancetta-Kelly wants you to know.  The owner came up to me and told me to put my sandwich back in the bag while I ate it…oops.  Evidently, I don’t know how to eat in France-another misstep by me-they seem to be common these days.

So then we tried to go back home…but, due to rude bus drivers, strange schedules, and yes, cough, another misstep by me ( I do know how to count!) we missed the bus…boo.  Happily, there was another bus 20 minutes later and we didn’t die a lonely, hot, sweaty death in Aix.  We wouldn’t have starved, however, because we had chocolate.  YUM!

When we got home we drank some water and ate a few chocolates, ok, well maybe half of our stash.  Then this morning we got up early…well you know 10 o’clock.  Now we’re eating chocolates again and writing, or in Kelly’s case backseat writing, utterly ridiculous blog posts.

Assuming that you both have the same amount of adrenaline running through your veins, if you chased yourself you would never catch yourself.  You would never get any closer or farther away.

That would be frustrating.

Remember, Kelly, everything you said about France being an adventure?  Do you remember that ‘adventure’ means something you aren’t used to?  Something foreign, even?  That could, potentially, have something to do with tiny horse figurines and 6 house pets?  And tile floors that are cold, which means your feet are cold, because you didn’t bring enough pairs of socks?

This is not hardship.  You are not starving (thank God for cheese!).  You are not deprived of sleep.  You are getting room and board and pocket money in exchange for watching some kids for a few hours a day.  You, may I remind you, are in France.  France!

I’m starting this blog as a pre-emptive strike against homesickness and loneliness.  I’m not gone yet, but I will be soon, and I’m going to miss all of you like the dickens.  I’ll also miss conversing in English with fluent speakers, and I think blogging could help with that, too.  I warn you ahead of time:  I am not a consistent blogger.  And I’m not certain what kind of computer access I’ll have.  But I’ll do the best I can- for my sake as well as yours.

Feel free to pass this blog address around to people who know me.  But not to strangers, ’cause that’s just weird.

Here’s the news as of just-before-dinner on Tuesday:  I’m waiting to get my labor contract from the French.  Once I get it, I’ll apply for my visa.  The plan is still to leave on the 29th, but that’s looking less and less likely as time passes.  Pray that I don’t tear all of my hair out, and that I would stop having nightmares about being late to everything.  Also, thanks be to God for the people who keep giving me money without my having asked for it.  You all are wonderful!