Camera

I never have the thing when I really need it!  So many sights to capture and either there is no camera or we've gone past it too fast.  What comes to mind now...the Marche de Noel today in the village down the road.  Just a small village, but bigger than ours and big enough to the have the confidence to hold their own Christmas market!  And what fun... you could smell the sausages outside the tent and in my limited French I was able to translate "vin chaud", why yes, warm wine!  Why not, it's noon after all!  In we go, the only Americans around and somehow we stand out.  Really, we aren't sporting our NFL jerseys or cowboy boots or jeans and tennis shoes with fanny packs (so stereotypical, sorry).  Maybe it's just our loud kids speaking English.  Need to work on that enthusiasm there.  Anyway, the market was lovely, a booth to the left with delicious Belgian Christmas beers (with matching glass of course), next to it was the vin chaud from the region Alsace in France, and then the lady selling what appeared to be a random assortment of stuff she took from her child's toy box to raise money for fibromyalgia.  I'm all about supporting a cause so bought a pen for a few euro (ripoff) when she came to our table basically giving me no choice.  Either try to explain in French that I don't have the euro (lie) or just turn it over with a smile.  The table across from hers was a lovely couple, she who it seems draws pictures for books and they together take wine and turn it into some kind of potion with the addition of walnuts.  WOAH!!!  Again, my French is getting a workout and it took a lot of back and forth, but they add a walnut oil of some kind and it develops into this "wine" that is now probably way, way over the legal limits of alcohol in the US, possibly even Belgium.  It all looked so innocent with the little walnut tied around the neck of the bottle.  In the time it took Brian to take euro out of the ATM next to the market tent I was making fast friends with this couple and their little "samples".  Wow.  We purchased a few bottles along with some beautiful hand-painted ornaments (Merry Christmas family!) and slowly departed to the car parked in the back.  Met a few lovely gentlemen stopping to relieve themselves along the way.  Really, these people aren't drunks it's just a different way of life!  Or maybe they are drunks and that's not all that different...regardless, joie de vivre!  Enjoy the life, whatever.  So nice to not be on the road this weekend!

Next adventure...finding the tree.  We thought this would be fairly simple, everyone has a Christmas tree, right?  Well no, apparently it's not everyone and it's not simple.  We had two leads on where to go, the first being way too far from here and close to the American outpost that we are a little burnt out on, the second at the Home Depot of the region.  Since that's just a few miles down the road and in a direction we wanted to explore further anyway, off we went.  The store itself is nice.  Much smaller than HD (which we must admit is obnoxiously large...really, how fired up are the do-it-yourselfers to need all that stuff?  Nevermind, we love that place and were often overly eager to do it ourselves...)  We all go in after not seeing the trees out front, and wander around looking at faucets and garbage cans and Christmas lights.  Someone needs to use the bathroom so we are led off on a labyrinth of sorts to a secret upstairs restroom, which, BONUS!  Is free!  Of course it's not public either and I think the evil stare we received from a disgruntled employee can prove that.  Crazy Americans IN THE HOUSE!  We are feeling better so go once again on the hunt for the tree.  We are led to the back of the store by the kind woman who led us on the quest a la toilettes, only to be stopped and told that only Brian could go look at the trees.  "It eees too dangeroooos por les enfants".  Ok...so I'm really supposed to throw all caution to the wind and let Brian be the sole chooser of the tree?  Now I know some military wives who've given their husband the authority in choosing a house without their approval but a Christmas tree???  Ha!  Thankfully he came back trying not to laugh and just shook his head and whispered "Charlie Brown".  Apparently the few that were left were sorry little guys.  Back into the mini-van we piled (now sporting Euro plates, woot!) to continue the hunt.  But not so fast, I had to run back in and pick up a few Christmas gifts for our children who really may think Santa doesn't realize they moved if we don't get on the ball here.  A remote control car for Sam, a relaxing water-feature thing for Matthew (his relaxation will benefit us all.  And he really wanted it, he was writing down the details for Santa in the store), and some art thing for Kate.  People, the Christmas preparations around here are pathetic!!!  We've done nothing!  Well, next to nothing, we've done a bit.  So, back we go to look for the tree, and somehow manage to spot a nursery off the side of the road with a perfect tree at it's entrance.  They had loads of trees, woo hoo!  We peeked around, looked at the bunnies and birds for sale along with the frozen French pastries and John Deere toys and went out to find the tree.  I wanted the one by the road but it didn't appear to be for sale.  We dug through the pile and found one that will do, about three feet shorter than the dream tree on the side of the road but the best of the bunch as far as we could tell.  They are small and spindly, or really short and round.  We went for spindly and I waved good-bye to Mr. Perfect Display tree on the side of the road.  Ours will be beautiful though!

Last photo op I missed out on...our lovely dinner with the new neighbors tonight.  Great family moved in in upstairs Thursday, and had all the families on the grounds for dinner tonight!  Not a box in sight and a delicious home-made dinner prepared.  I'm so happy to have such great neighbors so close, but oh, I feel so inadequate.  Boxes are still scattered and things are out of place.  I feed my family but could not imagine entertaining and we are at the one month mark tomorrow for furniture delivery!  Lots of fun up there though, everyone enjoys the beverages and company.  Highlight of my evening though was finding out our neighbors below who we gave the info on the Christmas tree place now are the proud owners of the display tree I so wanted.  Squeaky wheel gets the grease and we just don't squeak loud enough I guess! 

Hopefully I'll have pictures of the house to post in the next few days.  It's coming along.  Lots of little bumps in the road like sick kids, no water in the kitchen, traveling to Germany, not being home, out at the market (always an excuse here) but we are getting there.  It's hard to not just stop and stare out the windows.  Typically I'm jolted out of my little daydream by some Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner or Wham! belting out on radio Paris.  That's another blog entry...