The Holiday Fool

Not quite a year after she came into our lives, Honey continues to charm us with her love and adoration. Vince and I spent a giddy-licious holiday with our loved ones -- with Honey in tow, of course -- and the combination of human/canine companionship reminded us just how magical the yuletide season can be. I was truly a holiday fool -- for my beloved Vince, our family, and for our dear Honey.

We spent Christmas Eve in Hayward with BeBe and Mike and their wee pups, Molly, Poshie and Frickle (note the scary eyes! -- [foreground, L-R: Honey, Frickle, Molly; background: Poshie]):


Mike manned the grill (in his very manly way), searing oysters and scallops to perfection (and grilling his right palm in the process).

We finished our feast with yummy cioppino and a pear tart made by yours truly. We ate to bursting (the tart was OK, BTW, but needs some work on the dough -- a bit overworked and wetter than I'd have liked -- but sweet and tasty nonetheless).

Honey curled up under the tree in her Santa suit, and my heart fluttered:


On Xmas Day, we ventured over to St. Mary's Park for a delicious duck dinner at the historic Silva home -- Gabrielle, RJ, and Anthony were full of holiday cheer. And yeah -- the home is historic. Anthony is growing up in his great-grandfather's home. How cool is that?

The Silvas put out a spiffy spread as usual. RJ set an amazing table -- he's got some mad Martha Stewart skillz (it even passed inspection when Anthony [L] and Vince [R] marched around the table to check on napkin-folding and place-card penmanship!).

Gabrielle baked herself into a tizzy and served up her first Bûche de Noël. It was sinful-licous -- well-worth the toil and tears (and pounds of chocolate)!

We ate till we thought we'd pass out, opened presents with extended family and friends, drank Champagne, and simply had a gay ol' time. And it was extra special when the kids (and their double-dads) gathered together before dinner ([L-R] BeBe, Vince, Alec, Gabrielle, RJ):

Late in the evening, Honey enjoyed curling up on my lap with her "Squeaky Squirrel":

What a lovely holiday. Much love to all -- and thanks so much for the sweet memories.

So, Where Have You Been?

It's been eons since that last post, huh? I could give some lame excuse, along the lines of "I lost my Mac iPhoto library and had to recover the images (and I have yet to sort and categorize them)," but that would be, well, lame. But sadly true.

However, what I've really been up to is my first music video. Singing, dancing, animation, the whole nine yards. It was grueling. Painting the sets, stitching together costumes, arranging music, working out choreography. Whew! But the effort was worth it, I hope you'll agree.

Merry Xmas, Happy Hanukkah, Super Solstice and a Killer Kwanzaa to all. And to all a good night.

New Pals in Pezenas

In Abeilhan last fall, we met a lot of Sharon and Mel's friends (including Liz and Rob). We chit-chatted with a bunch of fun new faces, but didn't get to talk with Lauren and Michael too much. Funny thing is, as L&M were leaving, we really hit it off. Lauren's from the Bay Area, so we invited Lauren and Michael to a "San Francisco-style Sunday Brunch" a few weeks ago.

Michael, our host & chef, Lauren


The menu for the day included bagels (not pictured). Frozen bagels. From the British Food (?) section of the Carrefour grocery store in Pezenas. Yeah, OK ... so, anyway — frozen bagels for Brits? Not so much. But, hey, it's the South of France. You want bagels here? Bon chance (good luck). But check out Chef's frittata!


And, as yummy as (most) of the food was, the best part of the day was getting to know Lauren and Michael better. Honey enjoyed our guests too, and took a special shine to Lauren.


We were thrilled when Lauren and Michael invited Vince, Ted and me to lunch in Pezenas not long ago. Their house is a real showplace — stylish, yet so inviting and comfy. The food was stellar, and the company was superb.

















Lovely home, gorgeous table, great food, and dear new friends. A perfect afternoon. This is why we travel.




















Pezenas Market

We returned to Pezenas the following Saturday for the big market. Fresh food, fun sights, and a full day of frivolity!

Ready, Go, Sete!

A few evenings ago, Honey sat at the dinner table, daydreaming of new places to go, things to see, and sidewalks to smell.


It seemed an outing was in order, so the next day we got ready to go to Sete. Known as the "Venice of Languedoc," Sete is a (fairly) cosmopolitan port and resort on the Mediterranean. There's a terrific beach as you drive into Sete — it was so pretty I forgot to take a picture (so I borrowed this one from tripadvisor.fr):


We moseyed through town, taking in the sights along the main canal.


I thought I discovered a place selling chocolate-covered seagull eggs — but they we just chocolate candies.


We happened upon the food market, so we took a whirl around:









We grabbed some lunch, then finished up our tour with long stroll along the Canal de Sete.



Not quite Venice, but appealing nonetheless:
























I was thinking it might be fun to stop for a frozen treat — when was the last time you had gelato on an ice cream boat?


Sadly, the idea was vetoed by my traveling companions. I did get a consolation prize, though — we had grilled oysters for dinner!

Knock! Knock! Qui Est La?

(Toc! Toc! Who's There?)

A curious sight in this region: door knockers shaped liked hands — usually emerging from a ruffled sleeve, holding what local lore suggests is (most often) a pomegranate. Sometimes with a ring on one finger, sometimes without. Sometimes with an extended pinkie (such good breeding!), sometimes with the fist fully clenched.












I've trolled around the Net (briefly) for answers, but I've not found any satisfactory explanations.

Here's what's most fascinating to me: the rings on some of the fingers. Upon closer inspection, the rings often appear to have some image or symbol on them — but I can't tell what. A monogram? Family crest? Coat of arms? Do these knockers indicate membership into a particular clan? Secret society? The Knights Templar? Mary Kay?

I don't think they are Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Rings. But why do I crave a glass of Ovaltine when I see one of these knockers?