What!?! You expected a baguette under my wing?

Roule Ma Poule!

Bawk! Bawk! Yes it was mee who you saw running the streets of Woodland....in the rose garden accross the street... under the fence of the next door neighbor.... So Fun TOO!


Its so great to see that ladies get together
Who fossilized these two?

Rat Love....Viva Rat Love

Are you lookin' at me? Are you lookin' at me? Yeah, well, I'd look at me too :)


Who said that their couldn't be world peace?
















McCutie!





Was someone talking about whirled peas?
Hang on there, I'm trying to brush off the whirled peas! I'll be don soon enough Fido!

Aren't I cute? I think so....

Angelina Ballerina: Reach for those stars precious!




The circus has come to town!




Sleeping beauties... or are they just pretending?
Good night sister......oh wait, what did mommy give you for dessert? Hey, don't hog it all for yourself!

Brief History of Table Linens

Although tablecloths were used in ancient times, we do not have much information about their use.
The Gauls and Romans used linen tablecloths, often colored. Guests brought their own napkins which they placed near their couches and which were used to carry the leftovers of their meals.
The importance of meals in the Judeo-Christian tradition contributed significantly to the development of the tablecloth.
It was in the Middle Ages that tablecloths became customary. They became an object of genuine veneration, because they were a mark of a lord's nobility and were only shared with people of the same rank. Most tablecloths were decorated with embroidery and fringes. At the same time simpler tablecloths appeared, for example in some taverns. People wiped their hands on a long piece of cloth laid on the edge of the tablecloth.
The 15th century saw the arrival of the "touaille", the ancestor of our napkin. This was a strip of material more than 13 feet long, folded in two over a stick and attached to the wall like a dish towel. However, it was not used much.
The napkin as we know it today dates from the 16th century, but it was very large. It was made of damask linen and soon became commonly used.
At that time it was fashionable to fold tablecloths and particularly napkins in the shape of birds, animals and all kinds of fruits. This tradition lasted for more than 200 years.
Until the 19th century, tablecloths and napkins were usually made of damask, a material with identical woven motifs on the front and back, and which was named after the city of Damascus in Syria. Silk damask was famous, exported from Persia and then from Venice for a long time. Then the countries of Northern Europe, lacking raw materials, invented linen damask which was very popular until the early 19th century.
The arrival of cotton revolutionized damask. Since the material was softer, its production gradually became industrialized. The tradition of folding napkins gradually disappeared and the size of napkins became smaller.
In the 20th century color came to the table. Tablecloths were made in pastel colors first, and then bright or darker colors. The napkin either blended with the color scheme or contrasted with the tablecloth.
After a so-called "minimalist" period during which white and ecru were very fashionable, tables are again being decorated with colored cloths and refined accessories.

Vespa Folie!

The Vespa is a line of motor scooters that was first manufactured in Pontedera, Italy in 1946 by Piaggio & Co, S.p.A
Piaggio continues to manufacture the Vespa today.

Vespa's Origins
Post World War II Italy was a dour place - and one which, in light of its agreement to cessation of war activities with The Allies, meant that its post-war aircraft industry was severely restricted in both capability and capacity.
Piaggio emerged from the conflict with its Pontedera fighter plane plant completely demolished by bombing. Italy's crippled economy and the disastrous state of the roads did not assist in the re-development of the automobile markets. Enrico Piaggio, the son of Piaggio's founder Rinaldo Piaggio, decided to leave the aeronautical field in order to address Italy's urgent need for a modern and affordable mode of transportation. The idea was to design a cheap vehicle for the masses.

What does "Vespa" Mean??

The name Vespa"Sembra una vespa!" ("It looks like a wasp!") exclaimed Piaggio president Enrico Piaggio when he first laid eyes on what would become the most successful scooter of all time - the name stuck [1]
Vespa is both Latin and Italian for wasp - derived from both the high pitch noice of the twostroke engine, and adopted as a name for the vehicle in reference to its body shape: thicker rear part connected to the front part by a narrow waist, and the steering rod as the antennae.

With its elegant lines and classic aesthetics, the Vespa is recognized as the epitome of Italian design. There is a dramatic increase in the number of urban commuters who have purchased new or restored Vespas. The difficulty of parking cars and the Vespa's low running costs are two reasons for this upswing in Vespa (and other scooter) popularity. The cultural use of the scooter as a recreational vehicle with a sub-culture following in the USA/Canada and parts of Europe & Japan. In contrast, the Vespa is considered a utilitarian vehicle for hauling products and sometimes up to 5 family members in much of Asia and Mexico
Vespa enthusiasts can visit the comprehensive Piaggio Museum & Gift Shop adjacent to the plant in central Pontedera, near Pisa, Tuscany. The permanent exhibition includes those items which toured prestigious venues such as the Guggenheim in New York and the Pompidou Centre, Paris. Also on display is, perhaps, the most famous Vespa of them all - the one personally customised by Salvador Dalí in 1962.

Forty percent of new buyers today are women. The Vespa even has a postfeminist heroine, Scooter Girl, a comic-book character who rides a vintage Lambretta when she's not breaking men's hearts.

Increasing environmental restrictions compelled Piaggio to pull out of the US market in 1985, due to their reliance at the time on two stroke engines.
Vespas would have completely disappeared from the American scene if it weren't for the enthusiasts who kept the vintage scooters on the road by rebuilding, restoring, and adding performance enhancing engine parts as the stock parts would wear out.
Vespa returned to the US market in 2001 with a new, more modern style ET series, in 50cc two and four stroke, and 150cc four stroke. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, U.S. scooter sales increased five-fold over six years, swelling from 12,000 units in 1997 to 69,000 units in 2002. Vespa sales in the U.S. increased 27 percent between 2001 and 2002. The 65 "Vespa Boutiques" scattered throughout the U.S., where scooterists can buy, service, and customize Vespa scooters, and outfit themselves in everything from Vespa watches and helmets to Vespa jackets, T-shirts, and sunglasses.
In light of vastly increasing US sales, Vespa developed the GT, offered in both 125cc and 200cc four stroke variants. In 2004 Vespa reintroduced a modernized PX 150.

Topiary in France....C'est si beau!

Topiary is the art of creating sculptures in the medium of clipped shrubs and sub-shrubs. The word derives from the Latin word for an ornamental landscape gardener, topiarius, creater of topia or "places", a Greek word that Romans applied also to fictive indoor landscapes executed in fresco. No doubt the Greek word betokens the art's origins in the Hellenistic world that was influenced by Persia, for neither Classical Greece nor Republican Rome developed any sophisticated tradition of artful pleasure grounds.
The shrubs and sub-shrubs used in topiary are evergreen (or "evergray"), have small leaves or needles, produce dense foliage, and have compact and/or columnar (e.g. fastigiate) growth habits. Common plants used in topiary include cultivars of box (Buxus sempervirens), arborvitae, bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), holly (Ilex spp.), myrtle (Eugenia spp., Myrtus spp.), yew (Taxus spp.), and privet (Ligustrum spp.). Shaped wire cages are sometimes employed in modern topiary to guide untutored shears, but traditional topiary depends on patience and a steady hand; small-leaved ivy can be used to cover a cage and give the look of topiary in a few months.

Troglodytes in France

Troglodyte \Trog"lo*dyte\, n. [L. troglodytae, pl., Gr. ? one who creeps into holes; ? a hole, cavern (fr. ? to gnaw) + ? enter: cf. F. troglodyte.] 1. (Ethnol.) One of any savage race that dwells in caves, instead of constructing dwellings; a cave dweller. Most of the primitive races of man were troglodytes.

In France there are a lot of troglodytic dwellings, most of them carved back into the soft limestone cliffs. It may have started when they dug cellars for storing wine and produce, and noticed how comfortable it was on a hot day. Somebody said "Why not just move in here?" and a trend was born. The temperature remains constant, and the walls are sturdy, but ventilation and illumination are a problem. But, obviously they still make it work, complete with satellite dishes!

Gastronomie a la francaise...Yummmmmmmmmm

Charles-Henri and his frommages.....

Outline of l'Hexagonne (France) and all of her glorious, smelly cheeses by region.

Who doesn't like Roquefort? Give me some walnuts, sour apple and my blue Roquefort, and you will have a very happy woman on your hands!
Foie Gras. Yes, I know the methods are creul, but can you resist the divine buttery heavely experience?

Eclairs..... did you know that in French, "eclair" means "lightning." Does that explain the almost electric pleasure that comes with biting into one?

Croissants, Pain au Rasin (rasin croissant), Pain au Chocolat (chocolate-filled croissant). Need I say more?
Escargots...Now come on, anything drenched in butter, garlic and herbs must be good, right?
Okay, this one needs a little explaining... Angelina Salon de The (Tea House) is one of the most wonderful experiences I've ever had. This is truly a very "feminine" experience, only to be enjoyed by those who enjoy both gustatory, visual and affective refinement, ALL AT ONCE!

I suppose that there are some people who do actually order tea in this "tea house," but I don't understand why. Angelina's serves the best, most creamy, thick, almost pudding-like hot chocolate (chocolate chaud) accompanied by another cup of freshly whipped-cream.

The ambiance is elegant. Golden guilded ceiling and walls, Louis-VI style lumpy chairs, white tableclothes, fresh flowers on each table, and waitresses in cute little "French Maid" uniforms.

Yes, you can also order other things..... fresh squeezed juices, tartes, and other pastries.... Perhaps to go along with your hot chocolate?

The venerable goose. They are a sight, all running together in gaggles, with light brown and white feathers and bright red beaks! I'll never forget our visit to a "Foie Gras" farm outside of Racomadour with all of these beauties running about.
Foie Gras....."Fat Liver." Probably pretty unhealthy in humans,but just perfect for a goose just prior to Christmas in France!