For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones...Ps 37:28



















Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Ephesians 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.




Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

Ephesians 4:2-3 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace

Philippians 2:2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Winter around here

P.U. it smells good in here!

Florent just got home after a week of teaching at the Bible Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, which came on the heels of a week in Haiti. So, needless to say, we haven't seen each other much lately. He was supposed to grade papers this afternoon. I was supposed to prepare an English lesson and a Bible study for next Tuesday. So what did we do? We got in the car and went galivanting off into the countryside to see where we could spend some money!

It's been way below freezing here this week and it's supposed to continue on like that for at least another 10 days. With this cold, we've really been going thru the pellets for our 2 stoves, and since the supply was running low, we decided to go stock up. The first 2 stores we went to were out of pellets (like I said, it's been cold!), but the shopkeeper gave us the home phone number of the people who make the brand of pellets that we buy. I called the lady and she said to come on over, as she had some left in the garage. It was a beautiful drive, out in Beaujolais country, and we enjoyed just having time to catch up in the car. On the way, we saw a sign for a cheese maker who sold his products on Thursday and Friday afternoons. "We're stopping there on the way back!"

As we walked in, the yummy-yet-stinky cheese smell filled our nostrils. I can't quite describe that smell, and I don't think I should try. As the French say, "Il ne faut pas le sentir, il faut le manger!" or "You don't smell it, you just eat it!"

When you buy cheese in France, you can go to the supermarket and buy the stuff that's wrapped in cellophane. And it's not bad...convenient, inexpensive. But it's just cheese...

But if you want real cheese, I mean if you're French or just an honorary Frenchwoman like me and love the stuff, you need to go to a real

"marché". Then you are faced with hundreds of choices, cheese made from cow's milk, ewe's milk, goat milk, even donkey sometimes. You can find anything from very mild white cheese, to little round cheeses rolled in oregano, pepper, garlic, etc. Famous cheese like camembert, brie, emmental, swiss. Cheese that's so hard you have to stand up to cut it (and sometimes, if your name is Florent, you break the knife, the plate and almost the table. But that's another story....), and cheese that's so runny, you have to eat it with a spoon.

Florent decided he wanted a tomme"and so he asked for it. The vendor said, "Well now, here's the question. Do you want half cow/half goat, all cow milk, tomme from this region or that region, aged or young?" "Ummm, we'll take half cow/half goat", (goat cheese is easier on the cholesterol!)

Then it was my turn to pick. I looked around and saw a selection of round, semi-dry goat cheese, just like I like 'em. I looked at the name, and it said "petits Charnays". That's funny, I thought, Charnay is the name of the village where Florent grew up. And the best goat cheese I've ever tasted comes from a farm just down the road from his parents. We used to take walks with the kids past Mr. Nem's farm, and sometimes we'd stop in to see the goats. Florent always liked going there as a boy especially because Mr. Nem laughed just like a goat. We asked the vendor where he got this particular cheese, and sure enough, it's from "the ferme de Rontay", home of the famous Mr. Nem. Six of those babies wrapped up in paper, our Tomme and a slice of ripe, runny Brie and we were on our way.

Runny Brie, Tomme and the best goat cheese you'll ever eat

Happy Anniversary aux petits amours

Well I'm a couple of days late, but HAPPY 1 month ANNIVERSARY JORDAN AND HOLLY!!!

These two cuties were united in marriage one month ago, December 29th. I didn't say anything about it on here at the time because....I don't know.... jet lag from a 27 hour flight and a 10 hour time difference... too much laundry... Christmas decorations to take down... or just the enormity of realizing that my first-born is a husband, the head of a new family, that I am now a mother-in-law and that I'm already so spoiled with the two beautiful, fun, loving daughters that I have and I get to have another one!! What???

So, here are just a few pics of the wonderful time we had in Alaska and the wedding. And Jordan and Holly, we are with you, praying for you, proud of you and so excited about how God is already using you together to bring glory to HIS name!! Hugs from France!!!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

Proud papa with his D.R. cigar

Little snow princess

What a privilege for Florent to marry these two!

In the bleak midwinter frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone

-Christina Rosetti

In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.

-Albert Camus

There's a certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons
-Emily Dickinson

Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.

-Victor Hugo

So when you're cold From the inside out And don't know what to do, Remember love and friendship, And warmth will come to you.”

-Stephen Cosgrove

la fête des Rois

We had some dear friends over for lunch today after church, Jérémie and Marilyne and their 3 kids, and Jean and Christine and their 2 girls. I made the meal and the ladies each brought a dessert. Christine was sweet to bring a gluten-free clafouti in honor of Emilie. But I was especially excited about what Marilyne brought.

Around this time of year, if you go to someone's house, or have someone over, you are very likely to eat a "galette des Rois", or Three King's cake. The official day for eating the galette is the 6th of January, or Epiphany. It celebrates the wise men coming to bring their gifts to the baby Jesus. We celebrated Epiphany with Florent's parents on the 6th, but can expect to eat several more galettes before the month is over.

We Three Kings

The cake is usually made with puff pastry filled with frangipane, a yummy almond paste. Historically a dried bean was hidden in the cake, and the person who got the bean was "king for the day". Nowadays, you're more likely to find a small toy or porcelain figurine hidden in the galette. If you buy one in the store, you get a paper crown too, for the temporary royalty!

Queen Manon

The galette is cut into the number of pieces corresponding to the people around the table. Then, the youngest person sits under the table and calls out the names of all present. They get their piece of galette as the little one calls them out. Then everyone begins to eat, until someone bites down on the "fève", and is crowned by the others.

Lise, Manon, Célia and Eline under the table

Our queen of the day was Manon. Her mommy made the galette and she herself had hidden the "fève" between the layers of puff pastry. It was only fair that she should win! Whoever is crowned king or queen then has to choose another to "reign" with him or her. Manon chose her papa, and Jérémie looked quite regal with his crown!

Vive le roi!

some Christmas tears

I've been busy getting ready to head out to the States in a couple of days. My to-do list seems to grow each day, even as I cross things off new things keep popping up. Especially since people will be staying here at the house to take care of the animals. If that wasn't the case, I'd leave the house "as is" and just deal with it when I get back in January. On the other hand, their coming has motivated me more to decorate for Christmas here instead of just doing the minimum, knowing that we'll be with my folks until Christmas morning and then on to Alaska to be with Jordan, Holly and Holly's family for the next week. But what a crazy idea to fly to Alaska on Christmas day! Why would you do that, you ask? Well, our son will be married to miss Holly on December 29th, how's that for a reason? So yes, we're putting on the mukluks, the furry hats and reversible reindeer skin coats and heading up to the far north for the holidays. Should be an adventure, I'll be sure to post pics when we get back ok?

One of the things I've been wanting to do is to give each of my children a Christmas ornament, something my mom always did. I've only started the past couple of years, so they won't have a huge collection when they leave, but at least something to get them started. And I plan on continuing, so the collections will grow, Lord willing.

As I was going thru some Christmas decorations, I found the first ornament I bought for Jordan, a Mary Englebreit Christmas scene that just jumped out at me and said "This is for Jordan", when he was about 3 years old. I've always loved this ornament, it makes me smile "big". So, a couple of weeks ago, I set it aside, thinking to take it to AK and give it to him and Holly to put on their first tree. I was busy , having fun getting my Christmas things out, and didn't really think much about it. But, now, today, I'm looking at it and it's hitting me:

Mighty Warrior!!

"Am I really ready to take this ornament with me and give it to my sweet boy? It's his, he should have it."

"It's just an ornament.

He and Holly will enjoy it, maybe it will even give Holly a feeling of being linked to Jordan's past as an adorable, overactive, little boy with blond stick up hair."

But I can't. I can't give it up yet. Everytime I try to put it in the suitcase, I cry. So, I'm sorry Jordan, but this ornament is staying with Mama for a little bit longer. I give you to Holly with a heart full of joy, I could search the world over and I know I'd never find a better wife for you, or a better daughter-in-law. I'm happy and excited to see what God will do in you and thru you in the years to come, and I'm sure that some day I'll be ready to hand the ornament over.

But, just for a while yet, this ornament is mine.

Oh my gosh, am I gonna be one of those frustrating bloggers who only posts once a month, only to have everyone stop reading their blog because of their inconsistency in posting? Hmmm maybe...

This past weekend Melissa and Derek celebrated their engagement with what the French call "les fiançailles". This is an old tradition still respected in some families, although neither Florent nor I had ever attended one. But now, I can honestly say that I see the value in it. It allowed the two families to meet each other, which probably would never have happened before the wedding, seeing as half of us live in France and the other half in Scotland. So that now, when the big day comes in August, we'll already know each other, some at least, and have some fun memories to draw on together.

We started out by heading up to Brussels, Belgium where Florent's sister and bro-in-law live. We loved what we saw of Brussels, and I especially like this little shop window.


Florent's sis and bro-in-law have a really cool industrial-style house which used to be a workshop. Being serious artists both of them, they're re-making an interesting place out of it. Oriane, Florent's little sis, is expecting her first baby this spring and it was fun to see her "baby bump".

Florent and Oriane

The next day, we all took off for Arras, one of the northernmost cities in France. We met up with Melissa, Derek and the family at the place where they had rented a room for the party. It was a great place, all glass on one side with a nice view on the lawn.


The meal was yummy, the talk fun and lively around the table, hundreds of pictures were taken, and presents were given. Trying to communicate in two languages was a challenge at times, between the Scottish and French sides of the family, but we did pretty well. Both of the fathers spoke to the young couple, and both of the mothers prayed over them. Then, just before the dessert, (one of the best double chocolate cream cakes I've ever tasted), Derek put a bag at Melissa's place at the table while she wasn't looking. Inside was a beautiful diamond ring, it looks so pretty on her finger. She was thrilled as you can imagine!! Derek did a really good job picking out just the right ring. I bet he was relieved to see the look of joy on her face!














We decided to prolong the evening, and promised to meet up in front of the movie theater in the center of Arras. From there, David and Brigitte showed us around the center of town, the two beautiful and impressive town squares and the famous belltower. It wouldn't be known to Americans, but has "starred" in one of the most popular French films ever made, "Bienvenue Chez les Chtis".







As the night got chillier we stopped to sit at an outdoor café (yes in November!) and ordered something to drink. I got my favorite, warm milk with vanilla. I do feel like a granny ordering that, but it's just so good when it's cold out. And especially when you're sitting outside to drink it.

The next day, Florent preached at the church that Melissa and the Sutherlands go to. He gave a great message on Luke 15, which we often call 'The Prodigal Son', but which he says should be called 'Two Brothers', since the older brother's reaction is equally important as the younger's.

After a great lunch (thank you Brigitte!), we drove the 7 hour trip back, as real life would start up again on Monday. And it did!

Congratulations Melissa and Derek! We love you and are praying for you, love, joy and a lifetime of faithfulness to God and to each other, knowing that if the first is there, the second will follow. Now, we can't wait until the big day in August, woo hoo, see you there!!