January gave us no real thaw. In fact, due to to the frigid temps that held New England hostage for much of the month, the large mounds of snow that hit us early in the New Year simply turned into small mountains of ice. Even with a hint of bright sun and warmish temperatures on the 1st of February, there was really little thawing. (photo: Susie's passion-cream-filled profiteroles.)Many sidewalks throughout the city remain quietly dangerous and of course the streets have seen minimal attention for the past month. Besides being incapable or unwilling to clear and remove the snow, the city of Providence seems equally incompetent in keeping the roadways repaired.
But, Rhode island is a small, family run operation. Sort of like a Mom-and-Pop version of state government.
Susie and I are well and still, as Carroll O'Connor put it, "blessed with work." In fact, work for both of us remains challenging (a good thing) and exciting. I'm hoping to learn Adobe's Creative Suite 4 beginning this week (believe me this is much more fascinating than it sounds), and Susie is putting together her St. Valentine's Day Dessert: a five-some that I'll talk more about as the day gets closer.
And speaking Susie's desserts she made us a praline cream Napoleon for Sunday night dessert. She wanted to try the new quick-puff pastry to make sure it was working properly -- and believe it's working just fine! Decadent! (photo: Susie's macarons.)
The only dark cloud hanging over us -- aside from the greed of investment bankers of course -- is the remaining uncertainty about what will happen next in the ongoing saga of my dad's remains.
We had hoped the DNA test would have put this to rest one way or the other. But Rush Medical College, in a burst of anti-scientific inquiry, seems adamantly committed to their visual test. Odd, we thought. After all, visually the world looks flat, but scientific inquiry and method has disproved that notion.
On a much happier note we both have our tickets to Paris and an apartment to stay in; on rue General Renault in the 11th, a 10-minute walk from Pere Lachaise. The only downside is that we will be traveling separately, at least on the outbound leg.
Susie leaves March 13 and I join her April 3 -- for the month of April though, which is a great and good thing indeed. Anyway, I'll drive her to Boston Logan's Airport and then return home and work for another couple of weeks before taking the train to Logan and then British Airways to Paris. We are both scheduled to return home on the same flight, though.
I plan to talk at some length next time about exactly what we both hope to accomplish on this next Paris trip. They are substantial to be sure -- but we are more than ready.
Susie will be taking a couple of weeks of language at Alliance Francaise before taking the plunge into the world of professional pastry and baking courses at Le Cordon Bleu.
We had hoped to meet up with Richard and Pauline in London on the outbound leg but that's not going to happen now. Still, we might see them either in London -- a short trip on the Eurostar train -- or perhaps in the south of France.
(You notice no one ever says they're going to "the north of France"? It's almost as if that direction, in France at any rate, didn't exist. Well, it is much colder up north, eh?)
Anyway, we certainly look forward to seeing both of them in June right here in Providence. Richard and I met at the International House School in London in late summer of 2005. We were both studying to become teachers of English as a second language to adults, and Richard actually found work doing just that in the suburbs of London. (photo: Susie's almond cream-lemon-mascarpone tarts.)
As we all know, we at last have a real president for the first time in eight years. Markets will rebound, business will grow and flourish -- people will come and go. Life goes on. Life is good.But don't wait too long to realize your dream. Life is good but it is also unavoidably short.
Best to you this winter -- stay well and keep warm.
Steve
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