ooh la la

To celebrate M's return home, our lovely next door neighbor gave us a gift basket.

It contained a bottle of French wine, sparkling pink lemonade, a bag of French pastries, etc. Also in the basket was the cutest, sweetest thing I've seen in a while -- a set of flash cards for French.

I love, love, love these cards! They were made in the year I was born, and that makes them extra special for me.

Our neighbor was probably thinking about E when she got them for us, but they're mine!

Rosetta Stone didn't work for me, but these cards just might. Sing, little birdie, sing!

last day at the zoo

We're told to never look back, to alway look up. But if we never look down, we'll miss stuff.

just the right size

Egg Mit with Nova Lox & Scallions, on Everything. Too much for breakfast, but perfect for lunch.

let there be rain

It's hard to be depressed about rainy days when there's someone in the house who gets excited when he sees rain. Rain jacket: check (L.L.Bean, bright yellow). Rain boots: check (L.L.Bean, bright yellow). Umbrella: check (mom's collapsible in red-and-pink polka dots; doesn't seem to bother him a bit).

And I let him splash in puddles all he wants, because that's what I wanted to do to when I was his age but wasn't allowed to.

It's one of life's sweet revenges.

current favorite

I normally do not like tea-bag teas because (1) they tend to be too powdery (the powderiness makes the tea "cloudy"), and (2) the paper bag, or perhaps the way it is made (with glue?), affects the flavor of the tea. These two issues are particularly problematic when the tea is of more delicate variety, like Japanese green tea, which happens to be my favorite.

But I saw something at Whole Foods the other day that overcomes both of these problems: it's whole leaf in cloth pouches. I've actually seen teas in non-paper tea bags before, but I had never seen green tea in this type of tea bags. Now it's available at a grocery store near you! Is this a result of the ongoing and increasing popularity of Asian food items in this country???

Needless to say, I got excited and grabbed a box.

The product's website doesn't say exactly what fabric the pouch is made of, but it states that it's "silken to touch" and "100% biodegradable." It looks to be either polyester or rayon.

I am happy to report that the tea tastes great. It doesn't have that "noise" that paper-teabags deposit in the tea. The pouch is large enough to let the leaves open fully, so I'm getting the full flavor that the tea has to offer. In addition, each pouch is further wrapped in a sealed plastic bag which helps prolong freshness.

All of this with the convenience of tea bags!






Now the only question I ask is, is something like this available in France?