Hidden In France

Tsuna-mini

The events:

Yesterday, at precisely 8 p.m. Eastern Standard time, in pitch darkness and 50 degree temperature, dressed in head to toe rain suit, boots, plastic pants and all, I fell, headfirst, into my pool.  

According to visual witnesses I didn't fall, as much as ran towards it and lept.

The explanation:

It's been raining hard in L.A. So hard that our drains could not keep up . The pool was overflowing and the water was creeping steadily toward the house and I had to (felt I had to) do something.  So my big idea was to put garden hoses into the pool to syphon out some of the water.  I was rushing, pulling, pushing, freaking out about the wood floor, my vision isn't good, my raincoat hood obscured what was left of it and someone had moved the pool to the left by a couple of feet. 

The results:  

Tsuna-mini averted.  Flooding damages avoided. Humiliation quotient: High.

 

 

Flickr stroll through the world

This is how I travel. 

to Bolivia

To San Francisco's China Town

To Venezia, Italy

To Paris

And especially to beautiful Japan

Macaron color

I know I'm not around much.  You'll see why very soon, I promise.  And no it's not only because I'm glued to the Huffington Post watching every development in Japan, like that's going to help anyone... And it's not only because I found all past seasons of Sex in the City for free on YouTube. And it's not because I'm lazy although this is all so, so true. It's because I'm working on something.. you'll see, you'll see...

So as a form of apology, here is a very bohemian house in South Africa.  The article describes this decor as "explosive colors" what? where?  I found it quite subdued. 

More explosive images and text on Marie Claire Maison.

Speaking of colors, here is a little gift from France:  a video via Côté Maison revealing the secrets of the making of LaDurée Macaron. You can't still be mad now that you can prepare your macarons in industrial quantities thanks to me. 

 

Worst case scenario

Do you spend much of your time imagining worst case scenarios?  I know I do, and i'm not saying that's healthy or that I recommend it.

Living in Southern California I often imagine what would happen to my family should the 'Big One" take place. What I'm referring to here is the earthquake that will level everything, like it happened in Haiti, the one that is long past due.  Should we stock up on water? Should we own a generator?  Should I retrofit my house? Should we move away from the fault line? 

And since the Indonesian Tsunami every time I step on a beach I have vivid premonitions of a receding ocean followed by a giant wave surge engulfing us all.  Would we understand what is going on?  Would there be sirens?  Should we have time to run or climb?

And I've of course imagined a nuclear meltdown more time than I dared to admit.  How would we flee? Where would we go? How would we survive. How would I keep my family safe?

And now the people of Japan are going through all three at once.  That, I have never imagined. And even as it's taking place and I see the images, I still can't imagine. 

Here is a video that never fails to make me smile.  How mysterious the Japanese are to me. But their pain, and anguish? That i understand very well.

                   

*** PS: sorry if this happy video seems inappropriate to some.  It probably is considering the situation, but it is my attempt to celebrate the Japanese spirit.