The cat’s pajamas…

Ah the memories this phrase evokes.

My little sister died of colon cancer in 2012 – is it really so long ago – seems like yesterday.

She was a schoolteacher, never married and never had children – she was the perfect aunt

Though to her six nephews – they still miss her.

What, you might ask, does that have to do with the expression “the cat’s pajamas” – an expression that turned up in my word-a-day yesterday. Reading it today brought a flood of memories of that sister: her bright eyes and curly locks as a child, her strength as well – one didn’t lightly run into my sister as she was a lot solider than they seemingly padding warranted. I was gone for most of her teenager years, but as a young adult, then adult we were close in spite of the physical distance and I visited her in everyone of her houses, even taking my younger son for a four-month stint so that he could improve his English.

She was a woman of phrases, going through them by phases: two remain with me today

“the cat’s pajamas” and “whatever, it’s all beautiful”.

How lovely to be reminded of the blessing of that sister.

“What a difference a day makes…”

First made popular by Dinah Washington (it won her a Grammy in 1959) then by Aretha Franklin, and many others, the song is of course about romantic love.

I have a new interpretation – and a new love:

My first grandchild was born this week!

“And that difference is you”.

123rf:com

Upside down world

It’s an upside down world when my purchases at the flea market cost less than the pastry that I purchased to go with afternoon coffee!

A big bonus to being here at this time of the year is the yearly flea market that takes over the entire town. I love attending flea markets, weekly, monthly or yearly, but rarely buy anything of consequence – hopes are high that I will find that perfect article, and sometimes I do, but more often than not it’s simply the fun of checking out other people’s junk and trying to convince myself that I don’t need it. I have also learned that I can detect trends – a glut of raclette pans on this one means that one of our favourite meals – cheese raclette – is no longer as popular world-wide as it once was.

I digress. Managed to restrain myself and only bought two items: a gorgeous silk short-sleeved shirt, which I am hoping will fit my younger son, but if not will make a lovely, cool summer nightie and a lemon/orange juicer. The latter was brand new and certainly better looking than the one it will replace at home when I return. Total price 2 euros!

Then I stopped in to one of the numerous local bakery and pastry shops looking for a treat. The “Paris Brest” costs double almost what my flea market purchases did. Ah life, sweet life. Well worth the Euros 3.90!

2 euros

3.90 euros

Unexpected bliss: it’s raining….

It’s pouring – but the old man isn’t snoring – the ladies are having a day in.

I have always known that weather predictions never work for me. If they say it’s going to rain, I’ll awake to sun and vice versa. This morning is the vice versa. Nothing in any of the weather channels that we consulted yesterday mentioned rain – a bit of cloud cover eventually yes, nothing more. So, of course, we awoke to the wonderful sound of major rain on the roof.

Fortunately we have leftover bread, I have a good book to be read and the rain will eventually stop, life is good in my end of the world.

Did make it down to the beach during a dryer moment - love a gray day!

reflections on the river

gray days don't bother castles on the hill

 

Same ‘ol, same ‘ol

Can be VERY positive.

Hallelujah – finally got some of the above “sentence”.

I am currently visiting a friend in Southern France, one who not only was a renter in a flat many, many years ago, but the one who moved into no. 15 upon my invitation when we were commiserating yet another flat falling through – with my favourite tipple: champagne or rather mostly sparkling wine.

Fast-forward over a decade: she married and spends more time in Southern France then in Geneva and although we are fairly good at continuing to go out for sushi when she is in town, and I was fairly good about visiting, somehow for almost two years we have not had any time just the two of us.

I decided to come down even before I knew that her husband had a business trip (mind you he, bless his heart, does everything he can to facilitate her staying in touch with her female friends and the two of them also lived together at my house for almost a year).

Last night she supplied “same ‘ol, same ‘ol”: it was anything but!

Old favorites

Don’t say I can’t!

One of my English women’s magazines has an article entitled “don’t say I can’t” which is usually about some 40-something deciding to take another job, go into another field, do something unusual like jumping off a cliff, etc.

The general gist is that simply because she is a woman and perhaps past her prime according to many, there is no reason why she can’t start a new life, take up a new hobby or job, go somewhere she’s never been and the like.

For me it is usually connected to that idiot phrase “you’re a women, so you shouldn’t….” and I am sure that all my female friends can find plenty of endings to that phrase!

Living alone I occasionally try and line up “heavy” jobs for my younger son, but inevitably he is either traveling or I forgot to ask and something needs to go out, etc. Sometimes I can wait until Friday and enlist the help of my cleaning lady: another woman who does more “manly” things than is deemed appropriate. Between the two of us we have moved heavy stones, unplugged drains, tossed out beds – whatever needs to be done.

On my own I have been known to put an entire sofa out on the curb for pickup on the cumbersome objects day, which we enjoy once a month (flip over, roll end to end depending upon the piece or simply drag). In short I can do a lot without having to enlist the help of that stronger male.

Latest to date? I arrived a one of my local department stores and noticed that amongst the decoration things that they were selling at very good prices was an iron bench. Perfect for the garden I thought. OK only have my small Polo but it looked like it would fit (I also can estimated sizes and volumes rather well!) so I bought it, moved the car down to the floor that it was on and dragged it the twenty meters or so. Getting it into the car (it fit perfectly once I had both seats down with a few centimeters to spare) was more leveraging it up and in.

And so it goes – one does what one needs to, male or female!

now to get the cushion!

Food, or

One of the things I love about Switzerland

Food is one of life’s majors – not enough and one starves; too much and one becomes slightly or grossly overweight.

Therefore it is obviously of great importance to most of us, if not perhaps the first thing that comes to mind in any given day.

Those who know me, know that I like almost everything and am willing to attempt just about anything else (ok still can’t bring myself to sample insects although as a child I happily consumed chocolate covered ants).

I have had snails: drowned out by the garlic sauce

I have had oysters: slimy and got a bad one the first two times I tried, the third they were great so I stopped there.

I haven’t had frog’s legs but have heard that they simply taste like chicken.

I have had offal and the ones I didn’t know what they were were o.k. The though though has not had me inclined to indulge more.

I have had rabbit and horse meat: again unknowingly – fine at the moment, but I do avoid if there are other choices.

Haven’t met a cheese I didn’t like and although most wines are decent I now only drink those that I really like.

The past few days though have been rather a hodge podge of things I really, really like.

Saturday, son two and I had Indian in an Indian restaurant frequented by Indians.

Monday I had something I hadn’t had before: lentil moussaka with goats’ cheese topping.

Tuesday I went to Zurich with a friend and had veal in cream sauce with rösti (a better version of hash browns) and later in the afternoon one of the most decadent slice of chocolate desserts that I have ever had, and believe me I have sampled a few in my lifetime!

Eating gold at Sprungli in Zurich

They even write in the cappuccinos!

Wednesday it was kangaroo cooked on a hot slate, and today it was sushi.

All this and much more is readily available in Switzerland.

We even have decent vegetarian and vegan with more small places springing up.

Within a 5-minute drive I can get Thai, traditional French, gourmet French, pizzas straight out of pizza ovens, fondue and raclette, perch, great beef.

Am I hungry yet – no – lunch was sufficient but later I’ll enjoy perhaps some squash soup, some hummus and celery sticks or fennel.

Life, when it comes to my stomachis very fine indeed!