versatile

Versatile: embracing a variety of subjects,  fields, or skills; also: turning with ease from one thing to another.

I’ll happily take that as a compliment. Thanks Lauren at the Au Pair Project.
Lauren is a Californian (with a dash of Cajun… love that) Au Pair in Lyon who takes care of two petits enfants that live with their single dad. It’s kind of like The Nanny minus the Park Ave address, butler, and flirting (except the Dad has been flirting with other ladies… and Lauren would know… her bedroom is right next door to his. I recommend ear plugs Lauren.)

And now for my requisite seven secrets….

1. I’m a little confused about this Justin Beiber thing. I have no problem with him staying in his tween domain, but I don’t really want to see him in a fashion spread in my Glamour.

2. Kristen Stewart bothers me. If I was an actress (with so many other struggling ones out there) and was lucky enough to be cast in one of the biggest franchises of all time, and work with Jodie Foster, Sean Penn, and Robert De Niro, I wouldn’t walk around with such a sour puss all the time. Smile. (But what about the paparazzi… blah blah blah… get over it).
(I’m feeling a little feisty this morning).

3. I love Anne of Green Gables and have been lucky enough to visit Green Gables on Prince Edward Island. A little something crossed off the bucket list.
(But the really cool part about this; I convinced a family to go there on their summer vacation. And then I convinced them to take me with them. I was 11 and very persuasive).

4. On the subject of books… I adore Shel Silverstein and like to give A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends as presents to friends with children. I have no idea why I felt like sharing this, but there you go.

5. More books… when I was young (maybe eight?) my mother gave me a book of Shakespeare for children. It was basically all of his most popular works told as stories (without the crazy language). I am convinced that this helped me a great deal through school. A bit of advice to any parents of young children out there; find this book. (They’re still teaching Shakespeare in school, right?). And again, I have no idea why I felt like sharing this.

6. And continuing on with my inner nerd guiding me… when I was a kid I read encyclopedias for fun and I used to do research reports for no other reason other than to entertain myself. Obviously, I was très popular. I also read most of the Trivial Pursuit Genus edition cards. Jeopardy, one day you will be mine.

7. I can’t conjugate. There I said it. Leave me alone.
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And now for the passing of blogger love…
(Technically I am supposed to pass this on to 15 other bloggers, but you know I never follow these rules, and 15 seems a little excessive, so I’m going with seven. Seven tidbits about me… seven bloggers. Makes more sense).
(and again… feisty)

Conjugating Irregular Verbs… Aidan is a Texan who lived in Dublin and now finds herself in the south of France… sounds oddly familiar doesn’t it? Basically this makes Aidan my homegirl and quite possibly, my soul mate.

Fairy Tales Are True… Sarah’s blog is beautiful, whimsical, happiness. She makes my inner grouch smile (not an easy feat). Well done Sarah.

Fojoy… Robyn is my girl from way back. She’s Canadian, very real, and very funny (but aren’t all Canadians funny, eh?)

In My World… Simple math to explain my affection for Beth…
Not Liking Dina Lohan + Liking Maureen Dowd = I like you.

Living Out of the Box… Valerie has left Colorado (again) to spend time living in Italy learning Italian and drinking wine. Next stop France where she will learn French and drink wine. Jealous aren’t you?

Living With Mr Johnson… I heart Ahn’s blog; the photos, the lobsters, the cocktails, the husband and wife matching sunglasses, I heart it all. And, Ahn got engaged on Walden Pond, as in Thoreau’s Walden Pond. That makes my inner nerd all sorts of happy.

Throw Your Arms Around Me… Like most Aussies, B, is mad as a box of frogs (in the best of ways). And she is teaching French children in the south of France. Hilarity ensues.
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I’m off to conjugate.
How very fun for me.

bisou

 

24 responses to “versatile”

  1. I've actually never been entirely sure what conjugate means so I just hope I do it by accident every now and again! Congrats on the award and I look forward to seeing what your nominees can offer in the way of conjugation. Oh, and I had a kids version of Sherlock Holmes…nowhere near as sophisticated as your Shakespeare, but then…I am Australian 🙂

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  2. Kerry – I meant the conjugation of French verbs. It's head wrecking. And I hope you know that when I say, 'mad as a box of frogs' I do so in the warmest way x

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  3. How do I say I want to be your real life friend without sounding creepy? Oh who care. Je veux etre ta amie vraiment? Its been a while since I lived in Aix…but lets be honest, my French wasnt that good even then.

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  4. I never was a huge Anne of Green Gables fan, but I absolutely loved Laura Ingalls Wilder (the Little House in the Big Woods, Little House on the Pairie… series)

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  5. I have so many books I'd pass on to my boys but they hate reading. Reading = school = work not pleasure. I have to resort to bribery to get the slightest chapter read by my youngest. I loved Anne of Green Gables and her glad game. I'm sure I took it on board and integrated the message of being positive and optimistic.I didn't understand some of your list – I don't know who some of these people are, but I enjoyed reading your guilty secrets. 🙂

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  6. SL,Thanks so much for the sweetness. I have been wondering lately why I'm even doing this blog…it happens sometimes I guess…but then I got this and remembered. Where would I be without the likes of you way over here in France? Bisou out the wazoo!a

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  7. Don't worry, I read my French dictionary for fun! And, I love Shel Silverstein!!!!

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  8. Ahn – Melting and swooning! Lovely compliment, merci xoMegan – Love Little House on the Prairie! I read all of those too! Couldn't get enough :-)Sarah- If you don't know who Justin Beiber is, consider yourself very very lucky :-)Aidan – EXACTLY! We need each other for sanity (and wine, we need wine too) xLauren – Your dictionary reading has made my nerd feel super cool. Thanks for that 🙂

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  9. You sound so much like my youngest daughter,cool to the point that you don't care if there is some nerd in your blood or who knows it. I think it stems from the desire to know and try so much of life. Never surrender!

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  10. You are definitely deserving of this award – and I LOVE that you read encyclopedias as a child – as did I. Conjugation is something, by the way, I can only do when I'm drinking. Thank you for passing on this lovely award! Bacione!

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  11. Bah. Who needs to conjugate? Speaking French like a two year old has its charms.

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  12. Justin Bieber was in Glamour? I knew there was a reason I stopped buying it.

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  13. Congrats on the award and Thanks Sara Louise for passing it along to me!! i love anne of green gables and can't conjugate to save my life too!

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  14. By the way – I've passes a stylish award on to you – I know you already have one, but c'mon – who can traipse around BF Provence with style better than you? I think you can make an abbreviated acceptance in this case – yes?

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  15. I don't conjugate either but my husband isn't in prison so I don't need to…..

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  16. Salut Cherie….as I am a complete francophile and adore anything French(with the exception of some French people…no names mentioned.)I couldn't resist coming to visit you and follow you having found you via Valerie. I used to live in Paris and The South West of France but have travelled all over it. So I look forward to reading more of your life and exploits en france and when I'm next over I'll help you through the tenses if you like 😉 Bon courageOh you might like to look at my post 'Older but not Wiser' about my recent sejour en France,,,there and again you might have much better things to do with your time like enjoying some nice wines.

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  17. Aww, You like me – you really really like me. Also – I want to second what Ahn said – is there a way to say “I want us to be besties and plait each others hair and smugly dismiss conjugation as a waste of time when the present tense will always suffice” without coming across a bit Single White Female-ish???No? hmm. Awkward. You remember how at the height of Friends there was the haircut “The Rachel” – well these days it's all about “The Bieber” and I am SURROUNDED by teenage boys at school every day with flicky, straightened fringes. It makes me want to tell them to grow a mullet like a real man. Kristen Stewart needs a slap in her pouty little mouth. THAT I'd pay good money to see. I held out along time hating on her, but she and I, we're over now. Sourpuss. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES!! Are you even KIDDING me!?! (see my first point about you + me = besties) Gilbert Blythe was like …. I don't even. And when Matthew dies? Read'em all. Love'em all. I will try to do my seven things when I get back from London on Sunday. Thank you for thinking I'm versatile/mad as a box of frogs. C'est vrai. (the frogs bit that is)xx

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  18. Sara! What a beautiful, wonderful, overwhelming, amazing, appreciated surprise! I love, love, love your blog and you have honored me more than words can relay. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  19. Oh…and I also love Shel Silverstein so much I don't even care that he looks like a serial killer. I give both of these books as gifts as well, along with Dr. Seuss's “Oh! The Places You'll Go!”Also agree on the Bieber thing…I don't get it and certainly didn't need to see him frolicking with Kim Kardashian in the surf. It made me throw up in my mouth a little.

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  20. Oh girl, I am so with you on the whole Justin Bieber and Kirsten Stewart thing!!! Someone should teach that girl how to smile!! Have you noticed how she just has one expression all the time, including when she acts? (okay, so I've actually only seen her in one film so maybe I cannot comment, but STILL!!).I cannot conjugate French verbs (or English for that matter!) very well either… Neither can a lot of the French I have discovered…

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  21. Justin Beiber in Glamour?? What is up with obsession with that kid LOL I don't get it. And I completely agree with the Kristin Stewart comment! BTW I am one of the few people on this earth who doesn't like the Twilight movies. At all. And Shel Silverstein is a great idea for a gift! I'll have to remember that 🙂

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  22. Thank you SO MUCH, my Dear! I really appreciate the nod.And K-Stew looks like that because she not only has to pretend that she likes boys, she has to pretend that she likes a tall, pasty boy who doesn't bathe…

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  23. I too fail to understand why a tween sensation is in a fashion spread for women. I for one will not be letting my future 12 year old read my Glamour. And while I understand that Kristen Stewart has almost made a character of herself with her grouchiness, it's getting old.I would kill to go to Green Gables and I can admit that at 26 I have been recently looking into how to make that happen (thank God I have an understanding husband!). And if you figure out what the Shakespeare book was, please let me know! I have a niece I have to make sure is mildly cultured!

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  24. awww, anne of green gables!!

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