Summertime in the seaside town of Cassis. Don't these chairs look like fruity popsicle flavors (that is, if flavor could be visible to the eye)? Grape, blueberry, citron vert, melon, framboise...
juilletiste (jwee-ay-teest) m&f
: a July vacationer
Audio file: Listen to Jean-Marc read this definition: Download MP3 or listen to Wav file
Un juilletiste c'est quelqu'un qui prend ses vacances au mois de Juillet, et un aoutien c'est quelqu'un qui prend ses vacances au mois d'Août. A juilletiste is someone who goes on vacation in July, and an aoutien is someone who goes on vacation in August.
A Day in a French Life… by Kristin Espinasse
Today, instead of a story, here is a list for you. I hope you'll respond by answering some of the questions that follow each item. Merci beaucoup!
Currently reading: La Bête Humaine. I am cheating, reading Zola's story in English. So far I prefer his L'Assommoir—or even his Joy of Life—to his novel The Beast Within, but I'm sticking with the story, which is said to be one of his best (Germinal is also recommended… wondering if I should have ordered that one instead?) P.S. I'm no "classics expert". I just enjoy the way Zola writes about human nature.
=> Tell us what you've read lately or recommend a book. Click here.
A "compliment" I received the other day (by a friend of my daughter's): "C'était bon! Tu cuisines mieux qu'avant!" (It was good. You cook better than you used too!).
=> What is an accidental insult you once received? Share it here.
Eating more of this: salade de pommes de terre
=>I'd love to know your favorite ingredient in potato salad… I hope to improve my own! Pickles, celery, red pepper? Any tips for potato salad dressing?
During a recent conversation with Mom: "I'm your mother. You can tell me anything!"
=> Who can you tell anything to? Who do you go to to unburden your heart? Click here.
Summer staple: les shorts en jean. Last year it was khakis, the year before that I wore a white knee-length peasant skirt all summer long, changing tops according to the mood.
=> What is your summer staple?
New favorite pastime: watching documentaries on YouTube! I loved this Indian video on terrace vegetable gardening (could not understand a word, but was inspired all the same!). Update: I just discovered the subtitles and will be watching this one again.
=> Please recommend a documentary.
=> P.S. you might enjoy this inspiring story of an American urban homestead. One commenter wrote that the ability to grow one's own food might be more valuable, in the future, than an MBA! Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Comment here.
Recent day trip: to a beach in Saintes Maries de la Mer. Looking around the beach, where there were more topless women than usual, I commented to my friend, Suzanne, that we were the only ones wearing a one piece. Suzanne corrected me: she herself was wearing a tankini!
=> Every felt the odd one out? Where were you at the time? Click here.
Latest nag: (to husband): "Please cover up the plate when you put leftovers in the fridge! Less moisture loss! Fewer odors!"
=> Do your family members stick stuff in the fridge like this? Or is it a French thing? Share here.
Getting a kick out of: the tomato plant that is growing out of our compost bin! Will it produce tomatoes now that it has produced little yellow flowerettes?
=> Do you make compost, or black gold?
Yesterday's dog mischief: while out on a walk with the dogs through the vineyard, we surprised a family of quails. The mama and her chicks scampered off in every direction, effectively throwing Smokey and Braise off track! I can still hear Smokey, "Which way did he go? Which way did he go?"
Best Kept Secret: It's true, we've been keeping a very big secret from you (!). Enough said. Stay tuned…. (You may have to wait a few weeks or a few years…. but I will let you know as soon as I can! The gag order is torturing me! The waiting is even more torturous!)
Déja Vu — you too? Do you ever catch yourself existing in the same moment as yesterday and the day before and the day before that? I'll never forget lying in my bed each night, in a studio apartment in Aix-en-Provence, staring at the intricate shadows cast across the ceiling. Night after night, there I was again—my eyes tracing, or studying, the same designs from above. 22 years later, and it is the same phenomenon of "I know this moment, it's the same every day. Here I am again, in this exact position!"
=> Do you ever catch yourself in the "same place same position" twilight kind of zone? And do you ever feel a little creeped out about it? As if such moments were the mileposts in one's life span?
Really enjoying our weekly wine-tastings, which spice up a very regular routine here at the vineyard! Speaking of spice, it was hot-hot-hot the day this picture was taken. From left to right, the glowing cheeks belong to: Charlene, Judy, Karen, and me. P.S. the next wine-tastings are July 16th (4pm) and July 24th (5pm). Leave a message in the comments box if you would like to join us!
Grammar notes and more
Several readers wrote in about the musée mistake (musée, it turns out, is masculine.) Just goes to show that each time I think I've learned a grammar rule (i.e.: words ending with "e" are usually feminine) one of those famous French exceptions pops up!
Jim Herlan's email was especially helpful. Here it is along with a good tip:
I believe that "musée" is masculine. Thus, "le musée." A good general rule is: English words with Latin roots that end in -um are masculine in French, as in "museum" or "le musée,"
Yoga Harvest. See photos from our 2010 harvest:
http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com/motdujour/2010/09/le-moi.html
Laundry Harvest — and don't miss the "corvée" or "chore" post, with funny pics from our 2010 harvest
Can you guess which one is Smokey (those ears are a giveaway). What is Mama Braise saying? "Son…"
Discover more from French Word-A-Day
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
What a clever, clever entry. I may steal this structure for an entry on my own blog. As for the books, yes, you should read Germinal. It was my French read last summer because our apartment in Dijon was near Place Emile Zola, which has a restaurant named Le Germinal. Haven’t eaten there, though, because it’s all about frog legs. This summer I’m reading Le Bonheur des Dames (forgive my French, didn’t check the exact title). In support of that, I went to the Bon Marché in Paris.
I have been reading all of Laurie R. King’s twist on Sherlock Holmes series. She created a plot twist with a young girl that has recently been orphaned and moves to Sussex with a maternal aunt. She stumbles upon a retired Sherlock Holmes (who is keeping bees) and Mrs. Hudson. She becomes his “partner” and eventually his wife and solves many more mysteries, cases, etc. I love this series! I also just finished the entire series of books upon which the HBO series: Game of Thrones is based — terrific!
Just finished “The Lantern” by Deborah Lawrenson. It’s a novel set in Provence that’s part mystery, part sensual delight as the story builds around fragrance.
When meeting friends of my future mother-in-law, I was asked what were my people? When I explained that I did not understand the question, they continued to ask: What is your blood, where do your people come from? I told them of my “Heinz 57” background (English, Irish, Scottish, French, Dutch, Danish and German) and received the reply: Well at least you are white!
My potato salad dressing is made with mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, salt, pepper and a little garlic powder (not salt).
Kristin, my favorite ingredient for potato salad dressing (besides mayonnaise, of course) is a bit of Dijon or other spicy brown mustard, and a dollop of lemon or lime juice. My list of ingredients includes potatoes, onion, celery, a bit of pickle, chopped hard-boiled eggs and some chopped red bell pepper.
“French” Potato Salad (I thought you’d love the way this one was titled!) Served this to my family in June and they all seemed to like it.
My Mom had always used a mayonnaise based dressing so this was a great change from that.
•
Georgian home cook Louise Brescia of Atlanta shares an herbed potato salad that’s great with burgers and barbecue.
Everyday Food, July/August 2009
• Prep Time 10 minutes
• Total Time 30 minutes
• Yield Serves 6
Ingredients
• 2 1/2 pounds fingerling or small new potatoes, halved (quartered if large)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 small shallot, minced (2 tablespoons)
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 small red onion, sliced
Directions
1. Place potatoes in a large pot; cover with cold water by 1 inch and season generously with salt. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Run under cold water to cool slightly, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together oil, mustard, vinegar, shallot, parsley, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes and onion and toss to combine. Serve at room temperature.
Cook’s Note
If you don’t have sherry vinegar, try cider or champagne vinegar instead. Use your favorite fresh herbs in this potato salad to make it your own.
I’ve just read Erik Orsenna’s “La Grammaire est une Chanson Douce”, a fantastical story about 2 children who are lost at sea and land on an island, having lost the ability to speak. It is a love poem to language in general and to the French language in particular. Highly recommended!
I like the “list” idea…and if I ever have the choice, I guess I am a “juilletiste” myself. August makes me a little sad because it’s the last month of true summer…
My mother is German and she taught me a basic potato salad recipe which I have tweaked through the years. If there is one “extra” ingredient that never varies, it would have to be the one you will have no trouble with: herbs de provence! I only have dried on hand, I just sprinkle a teaspoon or so (I am never exact) and it adds a delicious flavor.
We have both a compost bin and a mulch pile where leaves can break down. This year we put in some container gardens, and I have been enjoying fresh green salads almost every day. We also have a traditional in-ground garden where we grow corn and beans.
I plan to take a look at that video on terrace gardening because we have quite a slope at the back of the house. But I also recommend looking online for the videos on permaculture. This is also as important to know as how to grow your own food.
The last time I felt like the odd person out was about 12 years ago on the plâge at Les Saintes Maries de la Mer when I, too was wearing a one-piece suit!
Here’s a second option – the dill really changes the flavor of the dressing. I’ve also used American cultured sour cream (perhaps some creme fraiche, in France)
Green Bean & Potato Salad With Lemon-Dill Aioli
Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
For the salad
* 4 cups of fresh green beans, rinsed with the ends trimmed off
* 3 large or 4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into equal-sized cubes (I like Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn for this salad)
* Tray or two of ice cubes and lots of cold water
For the aioli
* 1 tsp sea salt
* 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 3/4 cup mayonnaise
* 2-3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed (go heavy if you like garlic, light if you don’t!)
* 3-4 tsp fresh lemon juice
* 3 tsp fresh dill, chopped
Directions
1. Make the aioli by combining all the sauce ingredients and stirring well. Taste and adjust the flavors as needed. It’s okay if it seems a bit salty and garlic-y – remember, this is going to cover a whole lot of unseasoned vegetables.
2. Place the cubed potatoes in a steamer pot over an inch or so of water and steam, covered until tender when pierced with a fork, roughly 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes.Then remove from the pot and allow to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Then add the green beans and blanch then until they’re just a little bit tender but still bright green – probably 3-4 minutes or so. While they’re cooking, prepare a large pot of very cold water mixed with ice cubes so that you’ll have it at the ready to put the blanched beans in – this is important so that you can stop the cooking process (otherwise, they’ll continue to cook and end up overdone). Once the beans are done, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon or by pouring them into a colander, then place them in the ice water bath for 5 minutes to ensure that the cooking stops.
4. Combine the steamed potatoes, blanched beans and the sauce, stirring with a large spoon to ensure that everything gets well-coated with the aioli and serve. Goes amazingly well with grilled or poached salmon, grilled chicken, burgers or really anything you can throw at it
Please note that this is a flexible recipe so these amounts are just a rough guide – you should taste as you go and adjust as you see fit. And if you want to throw other ingredients into the salad that sound good to you, you should. Without further ado, enjoy!
My summer staple has been shirts on hot hot hot days. It used to be sundresses. Now I have a cute summer dress that I’ll wear on the dog days of summer.
You have a great wardrobe of dresses – they are so cute!
A good read is Louise Penny series starting with “Still Life”. They are mysteries which take place in Quebec with the main character being an Inspecteur General for all of Quebec. There are 7 books with the 8th coming our in August. Several friends and I have enjoyed them.
Being allergic to eggs, my Mom started adding bacon to her potato salad instead of eggs. I’ve continued the tradition, with onions, sometimes celery, and the traditionaly mayonnaise and Grey Poupon mustard salad dressing.
I recommend the documentary A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard based on her diary, 1785–1812. There are not many written accounts by women of their day to day lives in this time period. It was very interesting to me to get a glimpse into this world.
I am currently reading The Unknown Errors of Our Lives stories by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Wonderful stories.
Someone said I couldn’t have a Twitter acct. because 140 characters isn’t enough for me.
My potato salad is very basic, onion, peppers, red potatoes and black pepper.
My summer this year has been very lightweight long shorts.
I don’t have a documentary but have a website I am involved in. It is
http://www.bootstrapusa.com Free kits to any military veteran suffering from PTSD and other issues. Check it out.
Left- or back-handed compliment: I once got my long hair cut into a bob, and my best friend told me it “took years off…”
My mom was from Finland, land of potato eaters….her tip to making great potato salad is to pour about a third of a cup of apple cider vinegar over the potatoes while they are still hot, So the potatoes soak up the vinegar. My trick is LOTS of hard boiled eggs.
Your Best kept secret, won”t surprise me if you would be moving to Italy, to a nother Vineyard, just a wild guess!!Love to all, Lou
I just watched and loved:
BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY with a snippet about French puppeteers being trained by the master.
Deja Vu: After 14 Spring time trips to various towns in Provence and actually living in village houses and doing what the locals do most days, I now get these instant flashes that take me on instant trips to France. It usually occurs in the Bistro kitchen or in our winery, or next to our Bocce court at home. I love these free quick trips to the land I love. I am pretty sure I lived there in a different life!
What to read? Well, anything and everything by Sarah Addison Allen or Miriam Toews. As a side note, I have recently come to the realization that for me, e-readers will NEVER replace a book … there is just something connective about holding a book, looking at it’s cover while it’s resting on the nightstand, the feel of the pages, seeking out that special title or author at a used book store … none of this can be replicated with an e-reader. I guess I’m just old school!!!
Fun post, Kristin! My favorite potato salad these days is made with a shallot-dijon vinaigrette and adding crumbled blue cheese and chives to the potatoes.
Currently reading The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, which was made into an Academy Award nominated film last year. It’s written from the point of view of a black maid working for a white family during the Civil Rights era of the 60’s: heart-breaking and thought-provoking.
My summer staple is to always wear a long, flowing, cotton skirt when it is hot, humid and sultry. Just walking, with the skirt swishing, creates a small breeze that helps to cool me off. I am able to sit in any fashion I like without having to worry about what is being exposed, etc. Plus, if I am traveling, I am free to go into any church or public area without the need to change my clothes — I am conservative enough for any occasion — throw on a scarf or wrap and I can go anywhere!
I must say that I really find this “list” of comments intriguing!
Enjoy your summer — I wish I were there, but surgery is calling! Maybe next year!
Once when we were in Provence, some friends invited us to her parents’ country home for a picnic. All of the food was wonderful, but I especially liked the potato salad, and she gave me the recipe. Here it is:
3 pounds of any small potatoes, cooked and cut into bite sized cubes
3 green onions, sliced thin including the green tops
1/2 cup of pitted black olives (I use Calamata)
1 pound of sausage sliced into thin rings ( I use smoked)
1/2 to 3/4 cup of vinegrette dressing
1 t. of Herbs de Provence
Mix the potatoes, onions, olives and suasage, and then pour over the dressing, and gently mix again. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and the Herbs de Provence. Voila!
Hummmm, about potato salad…a favorite of my guests at the Bistro is Hot German Potato Salad made with lots of fried and diced thick smoked bacon, reserving the drippings (essence of bacon!)and adding just a bit of olive oil, and then lightly sauteing chopped white onion in the drippings, adding sugar and cider vinegar and bringing to a boil and pouring over hot, cooked red potatoes with chopped hard boiled egg. Add the diced bacon salt & pepper and gently fold all together, Serve with assorted grilled sausages and steamed haricot verte w/ herbs and olive oil dressing.
Hi Kristin,
My potato salad secrets include dill weed, cilantro and a little dollop of sour cream.
My husband and I will be in your area around September 20. Do you have any wine tastings set up for that week?
Joyeux Quatorze!
Etant francaise, je ne jette aucun reste…( Oh, that’s so French! they tell me here in the U.S.).
Being American, I always cover them with plastic wrap or foil …(Oh, c’est bien Americain ca! they say when I am in France).
Small price to pay for having double nationality… and a good reason for me to enjoy your blog, Khristin.
Odile in Eagle-Rock CA, light rain this morning.
Salut Kristin,
With the temperature hitting 115 degrees a couple days ago, our summer wear is usually cool shorts, preferably in the tall pines of Flagstaff.
A plus tard
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern is a magical tale of a circus open only from sunset to sunrise. Wonderful!
THANK YOU GOD –
ONLY A SELECT FEW, WE WHO WAKE UP THREE TIMES A WEEK –
TO FIND KRISTI’S HEART POURED OUT ON OUR COMPUTER SCREENS –
WILL FEEL THE JOY OF KRISTI’S WORDS AS THEY SPRINKLE OVER OUR
MINDS AND SOUL TODAY.
A NEW PATH TO SET OUR HUNGRY MINDS AND HEART UPON…
THANK YOU KRISTI FOR POSTING THIS BRILLIANT ROADMAP TO
OCCUPY MY MIND AND QUEST AWAY FROM MY REGULAR ROUTINE.
I’M OFF TO PRINT YOUR MUSINGS SO I CAN JOIN ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS HERE IN THE COMMENT BOX WITH THE SEEDS YOU HAVE PLANTED OR REACTIVATED WITH YOUR PURE HEART.
XOXO
JULES
Food in the fridge should definitely be covered. However, sometimes happy marriage is about prevention–perhaps you should put an open box of baking soda in the fridge to absorb those odors, au cas où Chief Grape might so happen to forget the new rule?
I agree with Paula–hot German potato salad is definitely the way to go, though I’ve never made it myself. I also love the potatoes that come in a salade niçoise–lightly boiled and dressed with a simple mustard vinaigrette.
I do have a grammar question. I majored in French but sometimes doubt myself–in your above example (“Un juilletiste c’est quelqu’un qui prend ses vacances au mois de Juillet, et un aoutien c’est quelqu’un qui prend ses vacances au mois d’Août.”) I noted two things that seemed off to me. First, aren’t you supposed to leave months un-capitalized in French? Juillet and août are both capitalized in your example. Second, why “c’est”? I would say “Un juilletiste est…” and not “Un juilletiste c’est….” unless I put a comma between the two or were speaking rapidly and colloquially, where grammar slips are charming and expected. The “c'” for “ça” adds a second subject, but you already have one, so it becomes superfluous. Can someone please correct me if I’m wrong?
As far as the gag order on the new news–Kristin, it is so cruel to torture us so! I suppose misery loves company; now we are anxious too!
If you like Zola, you should think about reading Nana. It is pretty good and pretty grotesque, just how I like it.
Really enjoyed watching the documentary about Indian terrace gardening, that was suggested by the young lady. Also, among the listed videos, an excellant one on how to grow mushrooms using large plastic bottles. I diffently have to try this, since I love mushrooms.
A great summer read: Just Kids, by Patti Smith. The story of her early years in New York City with Robert Mapplethorpe. Gritty, fascinating, and profound
My favorite summer staple: White Jeans! I have 4 pairs, since they do get dirty easily. But they look so crisp and nice with any top.
“The Hare with Amber Eyes” by, I don’t trust my spelling, Edmund De Waart. Story of a collection of Japanese Netsukes from 17th century Paris to today. Really fasciinating!!!. Am in Vermont on my way to Sutton, Quebec to visit with another fan of yours. Brushing up on my French. Is that what a Juilletist does!I am a true one as my birhtday is July 10th! I love Louise Penny books,and yes, the village in Quebec is Sutton. Mon amie la connait!. Happy Summer a tous!. Patience
This was such a great idea for a post!
First – the frigo. I could never understand why my son and his wife *always* leave things uncovered! I thought it was a generational thing. But my daughter-in-law is Belgian, so maybe it’s a European thing! Interesting.
Documentary: I watched this documentary twice in two days i was so haunted by it. It’s called “Nostalgia for the Light” The director juxtaposes astronomers from all over the world who have gathered in the observatory in Chile’s Atacama desert to study the origins of life, and the women who sift through the desert daily looking for the remains of loved ones who were political prisoners ‘disappeared’ by the Pinochet government in the 70’s. Both groups are looking in a vast expanse for clues from the past. Yes, pretty heavy stuff–but it was also oddly uplifting and made one think about things greater than ourselves. Here’s the trailer
Have a great weekend, all!
“Dropped Names” by Frank Langella – delicious! You’re probably too young, Kristin, to remember a lot of these people, but you’ll enjoy the chapters on the Queen Mum, Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe… you’ll probably chuckle at most of the chapters. A good time had by all.
I’m a potato salad ‘purist’! Only potatoes, boiled eggs, olive oil, mayonnaise, salt and red pepper! My nieces swear by it and it’s always a hit when they produce Aunt Marg’s potato salad. From Lafayette, Louisiana.
I have time to answer one question now. I am reading “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”. The book is really good, but not really like the movie, as I would have expected. The movie was good as well and is highly recommended. It stars Judi Dench and Maggie Smith as well as other well know British Actors. I wish I had read the book first, so I wouldn’t expect the same story line, but I am enjoying the book just the same. Have a wonderful weekend!
Just finisned: Lucie de le Tour du Pin – Excellent book written from her memoirs of la Revolution et the Bonaparte years. Her memoirs were not released until a few years ago. Better than ” A Place of Greater Safety” for neophytes like me who are trying to get a grip on the pre and post revolution years. Lucie was a totally amazing woman, kind like Kristin Espinasse!
Potato Salad: lots of garlic powder and some paprika to go with all the standard ingredients….but no celery. It just does not belong there. Compost: would love to, but the raccoons would have a heyday. Book: just finished “The Invisible Bridge”. Set in Paris and Hungary during WWII.
Who can you tell everything to? Nobody. Sometimes not even yourself. I remember a book title with a wonderful double entendre:
“Lying on the couch”.
If you are into self-help books like me (because I need a lot of help-haha), my favorite one that I read over and over again is “Boundaries When to Say Yes, How to Say No” by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. It’s a must-read.
I just finished reading a lovely – although not perfect book entitled The Art of Hearing Hearbeats. What I love about it is that the prose sometimes reads like poetry and I love the theme that what we see is not necessarily what is real or important in life. The essence of life is below the surface.
While cruising on a French vessel along the Florida Gulf Coast (Beneteau Swift Trawler 34) I devoured “The Widow Clicquot” The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It. *****
Hi Kristin,
What could be better than sharing summer reads, potato salad recipes and good documentaries? Great idea! I have a couple book suggestions. Having visited Boston and Concord, MA recently, I’m fascinated by the history of that area. I loved American Bloomsbury, by Susan Cheever. The (long) subtitle is: Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau: Their Lives, Their Loves, Their Work. Cheever brings these greats of American letters so beautifully to life.
I guess I’m on a narrative non-fiction kick. I also loved Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers. Not exactly light summer reading, as the subject matter is rather intense (the aftermath of Katrina), but Eggers is such a gifted writer, and the story he tells is compelling.
A documentary that’s on my list which I haven’t yet seen is It Might Get Loud. It’s a little history of the electric guitar, seen through the eyes of Jack White, Jimmy Page and The Edge, from U2. Looks fun. http://sonyclassics.com/itmightgetloud/main.html
Reality TV in your future?
I will be living the whole month of September, Vendage, near La Cadiere.
Will you be having wine tastings in September?
Hi dear Kristin,
Wow! Another wonderful post that leaves me feeling energized and looking forward to participating in all the fun Summer activities!
Especially like sharing the books you are reading(!) and,needless to say,recipes!!
Adore potato salad(wish I could eat more of it,must stick to a low carb/limited sweets diet 🙁 )
One book that I’m very much enjoying is Sacre Bleu (A Comedy D’Art) by Christopher Moore. It’s fiction; includes lots of great Impressionist era paintings.Really entertaining!
Kristin,THANK YOU for starting my weekend off with smiles!
Love, Natalia XO
Having just had a surprise visit by Patti Smith in my shop in Freiburg, Germany, I can’t wait to read her book “Just Kids”. Supposed to be super. Reading “At Home” by Bill Bryson, which is hilarious and wondrously informative about banal daily life and how houses and accoutrements evolved. Just a grammar point for you: “(It was good. You cook better than you use too!). That should read: better than you used to! Keep your inquiring mind, Kristin, it keeps you as effervescent and refreshing as champagne!!!!