River Views

Yesterday:
Our 20th anniversary.
Photos from LeClaire, Iowa
of a riverboat offering day-cruises,
and an unknown plant-of-the-day...?




Polar bear regatta
Davenport, Iowa.

Living Here...

We have lived in the Quad Cities all our lives.
The Mississippi river divides the four major cities
in our area, and the water draws me like a strong magnet
when I need to think, or relax, or simply remember
my childhood - growing up on its banks.




Today we enjoyed the Mississippi from a local park;
watching the clouds drift past,
the white pelicans soar above the dam nearby,
and just quietly talking
about the next steps in our lives.




More adventures?
Every day.

Happy Stuff at Home

A few happy events since we have been home...

Dinner with friends,
and John using his French Laguiole sommelier tool,
(pocket knife with corkscrew), to open some good wine.






The QC's "Big Fat Greek Festival"
with some potent Greek coffee that stuck to the sides of the cup
and popped your eyes wide open....









And an outdoor wedding at Black Hawk State Park
with wonderful weather
and a beautiful bride.

Jambalaya

United States has been referred to as a "Melting Pot",
(several mixes of ingredients in a soup),
but I believe we are more of a jambalaya -
overall a mix of healthy and spicy ingredients,
fresh from the land, sauteed and simmered
until a perfect mix of flavors are released,
and yet offering distinct and specialized
tastes of the history of all the people.

We enjoy a local ice cream store
with several locations in our town,
lately they have added ice cream flavors;
new tastes reminiscent of other ethnic groups, with excellent results.
And yet our local libraries and schools
struggle for funding to stay open,
and can only offer small amounts of information
easily comprehended by recent immigrants.

This is my next plan of action:
Sweeten the flavors at my local library
to include those who struggle to live here.
Stay tuned on how this travel progresses.
M

Autumn

"All-cheering Plenty,
with her flowering horn,
led yellow Autumn,
Wreath'd with nodding corn".
-Robert Burns




"Many things that grow in the garden that were never sowed there".
-Proverb




"To find out what one is fitted to do
and to secure an opportunity to do it
is the key to happiness".
-John Dewey




"All of the animals,
excepting man,
know that the principal business of life
is to enjoy it".
-Samuel Butler




"The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over the harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then, moves on".
-Carl Sandburg

Enjoyed fresh corn on the cob this evening - Buy Local.
M

Oceans of Truth

To myself I am only a child playing on the beach,
while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me.
— Isaac Newton


Yes I want to go see more oceans!
Busy week in Illinois,
trying to keep up with hundreds of choices of;
restaurants, items at grocery stores, commercials on TV, etc.
Going through reverse-culture-shock.

Have finished our scrapbook and our slide show of Europe;
many of those images are now on my "photo album" on this blog.





Enjoying Farmer's Markets every Saturday.

Pleasant Thoughts and Prayers

Remember to Soar

I remember 6 years ago today,
I became hyper-aware that I am proud to be from the United States.
I am proud of those who work in jobs
in order to help and heal others,
and I am proud of everyday people.
On September 12, 2001, I remember feeling
that I needed to simplify my life,
I needed to remind people in my life
of how precious they are to others,
I felt the need to find comfort
in family, friends, and familiar things.
Today,
I am hyper-aware that I am proud to be from the United States,
and I am fascinated by other countries.
I am still proud of everyday people.
I feel the need to simplify my life - more.
I am more comfortable letting
those around me know what they mean to me.
I feel braver -
willing to spread my wings
and soar where my spirit takes me.
I feel the beauty of the human spirit.
Remember to soar.
M

New Travels

I hope Maryluz does not mind being a part of my blog -
her comment was a welcome cool breeze
in what has been a hot and humid week home from France to Illinois.

Will post more Studio Escalier alumni and instructor comments
over the next few weeks, as well as offering quick mini-trips back to
memorable places visited over the past three months.

Above, Argenton-Chateau waterfall
from which John drew inspiration for his outdoor landscape.
Below, more water scenes:
Views near the Seine River in Paris.








Below, Rena at Argenton-Chateau pool
on a day we had the whole pool to ourselves,
and a tiny river at another small town near our home in France.






Now that I have cooled off, other travel plans:
Since I was unable to return to my previous employer,
will be interviewing and experiencing a job search
for the first time since 1999.
Part of my "traveller's joy" will be describing my new adventure;
either looking for a new career - or creating my own business!

Marty

Greeting from Maryluz

This comment was left on my last blog.


Maryluz said...

Hola,
Espero que tengas algún amigo(a)español que pueda traducir esto para ti.
Sigo tu blog desde hace tres meses, lo vi por casualidad y aunque no entiendo bien el inglés, por tus fotos, he podido entender tu historia y tu experiencia en Francia. Me ha gustado ver ese lugar por medio de tus ojos.
Soy Colombiana pero hace 17 años vivo en España y puedo imaginar lo placentero que fue tu viaje a Francia.
Yo voto porque sigas con tu blog, hablando de tus experiencias actuales, de tu ciudad y de tu viajes. Un saludo, Maryluz


Hello,
I hope that you have some Spanish friend
who can translate this for you.
I have been following your blog for three months,
I saw by chance and although I do not understand English well,
by your photos, I have been able to understand your history
and your experience in France. I like to see Europe through your eyes.
I am Colombian, but for the past 17 years I have lived in Spain,
and can imagine the pleasant experience
that you enjoyed with your trip to France.
I vote you continue with your blog,
speak of your present experiences, your city and your trips.
A greeting,
Maryluz


Thank you/Gracias Maryluz
I was going to wait for a few votes, but now my decision has been made.
Iba a esperar algunos votos, pero mi decisión es fácil ahora.
I would be happy to continue to tell my story.
Me placería continuar contando mi historia.

***Please note - all translation was completed using an online language translation service, which I know does not always translate in the proper tense. - My apologies to all who speak/read Spanish better than I.


Marty

Vote Early and Vote Often

Home again, and answering a common question:
Will this blog continue? - Yes!
Would you prefer additional photos and stories
of European travel - or stories from home?
Looking for votes and viewpoints,
because I have enought photos and stories
to add at least 8-10 more European blogs,
(averaging 60-100 photos/day 18th-31st August!),
but I would be happy to keep entries
current with stories and images from my home
and traveling around my home town.
So leave a comment (yes, it can be anonymous),
and let me know what you want to know about
A Traveller's Joy.

Thanks for your help.
Marty

To Do

What would you do with your life if you knew you would not fail?
From Studio Escalier alumni; Tanza

"Paint, dance and travel around the world"





Other items of the day: (Or, To do - first full day back in the USA).

Surprises when we returned after 110 days in France?
A bridge that was not completed when we left is now completed.
Car dealership where there had been none.
Hardware store where there had been none.
Flooding.
Gas station opening at the end of our block.
Other surprises?
After being awake for 24 hours yesterday - slept fine and woke without the alarm at 5 a.m. - went out for breakfast with friends at 6:30,
lunch with friends at noon,
and considering taking in a movie (with popcorn and everything) early this evening.

Other thoughts about France/travel:
Getting used to driving/traffic in the U.S., (and yes, we do still know how to drive a clutch).
Croissants in the U.S. are not as good as French croissants,
(although maybe they were fresh this morning, and it is now 4 p.m.)
People seem to be more in a hurry; holiday weekend?
Family life/and children, seems the same here and there.

A lot of mail can pile up in 110 days.
It is almost fun to open mail for 1-2 hours.





Several hundred years of a city being a city affects the landscape;
skinny streets, winding avenues, buildings close together,
ancient reminders of other times in the stones and architecture,
and a certain historical pride in the people.




Will chat again, soon - have to catch a movie!
M

Last Night in Paris

Well this will be
"Au revoir pour maintenant -
nous retournerons bientôt",
"Goodbye for now - we will return soon".




Immediate thoughts as I think about the last 109 days in Europe?
-People are essentially good and kind - no matter what language they speak.
-300+ cheeses in one country the size of Texas is a good thing.
-Big city style & glitz, and small town comfortable & friendly is universal.
-I do not miss television.
-Crepes are not those things you eat at Village Inn.
-Italian Gellato is only slightly better than French Glace. (Ice Cream)
-The power of art and the drive to create is universal.
-Tacky souvenirs are also universal.
-There is no place like home - and it will be good to be there.

I offer some of my favorite photos - recent and from the past three months.
We will continue to chat - I travel with joy wherever I go.
M
















Flights from Europe and around USA tomorrow,
and we will stay in touch if we are near WI-FI.
M