Friday afternoon at Auntie Dolly's

Après une délicieuse soupe aux courgettes (du potager) faite maison etc. on est parti à l'aventure avec les chiens (Pashmina et sa meilleure copine Luna...une labrador noir...chienne de Dolly) dans le jardin.

After a delicious home made courgettes (from the garden) soup etc. We went for an explore around the garden with the dogs (Pashmina and her best friend Luna...Dolly's dog, a black lab).


Create Your Own!">

Goan Prawns

Last weekend we had friends over and one of the dishes I made was sensational. I did it again last night and it has become one of our favourites. Here is the receipe from Madhur Jaffrey. It is simple to prepare but you need fresh prawns. If for some reason you cannot find good quality prawns you can do it with haddock or salmon and chop them in 11/2 inch cubes.



Ingredients for 4 people

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon bright-red paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablesppon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt or taste
100ml water
2 tablesppons olive oil
1/2 teasspoon brown mustard seeds
1 large shallot, cut into fine slivers
2 garlic cloves, cut into fine slivers
400ml can of coconut milk
450 g (1LB) medium-sized raw prawns, peeled, de-veined and rinsed

1) Put the cayenne, paprika, turmeric, coriander, cumin, lemon juice, salt and water in a bowl. Mix well to form a smooth paste and set aside. You can prepare this paste in advance of cooking the curry.

2) Put the oil into a large, deep frying pan and set it over a medium-high het. When it is very hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as they begin to pop - a matter of seconds - add the shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring, until they are golden brown. Stir in the spice paste and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

3) Add the coconut milk and prawns and bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat. Once the sauce is bubbling, turn the heat low and simmer, uncovered, until the prawns have just turned opaque. I did sprinkled the dish with fresh coriander leaves but it was not stated in the receipe. It is just that I LOVE fresh coriander and the added colour makes the dish look prettier. Serve immediately.

Serve with plain rice.

Bon Apétit!

Happy Week-end!

Enjoy!

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LOST

Mark and I just finished watching Season II of Lost a few weeks ago...I cannot wait until season III comes out which I guess won't happen until next summer.

Below is the Season III promotion video.

Spooky!

Mark et moi venons juste de finir la Saison II de Lost il y a quelques semaines...J'ai hâte que la saison III sorte mais ce sera pour l'été prochain.

Ci-dessous la promotion video de la saison III!


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Qui connait se livre?

...Et si oui qu'en pensez-vous? J'ai assez envie de l'acheter...




Voici le commentaire trouvé sur www.Amazon.fr:

Sujet : Célestine est toute bizarre. Elle voudrait tout savoir sur sa naissance, mais n'ose pas le demander à Ernest, l'ours qui l'a recueillie et qui l'élève.
Commentaire : Ce livre aborde le sujet intéressant de l'adoption. Il traduit très bien l'inquiétude de l'enfant qui se demande d'où il vient, et celle du parent qui sait qu'il devra dire la vérité tôt ou tard. Cependant, il y a dans ce livre quelque chose de très choquant : est-ce que, sous prétexte de dire la vérité, on peut dire à un petit enfant qu'on l'a trouvé dans une poubelle ? Toute vérité est-elle bonne à dire, à n'importe quel âge ? Quel dommage, car l'ensemble du livre est excellent, et les illustrations magnifiques --Ce texte fait référence à une édition épuisée ou non disponible de ce titre.

Présentation de l'éditeur
Ernest s'étonne, Célestine est bien silencieuse tout à coup. Cela ne lui ressemble pas. Célestine voudrait savoir... mais quoi ? Célestine voudrait savoir d'où elle vient. Où Ernest l'a-t-il trouvée.

Aloupatha Athipatha / Alloopatha Athipatha!

Ca veut dire quoi?

What does it mean?

Mimi ne dit rien stp...merci!

Superbe campagne pour les calins / Neat add for hugs

To be watch until the end! A voir en entier

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Halloween Pictures

Create Your Own!">

November is Adoption Awareness Month!

Today marks the beginning of Adoption Awareness Month.

I will write more about it soon...

Happy Halloween!!!

Pictures will follow.
Les photos vont suivre.

Madonna: a hijacking

One of my fellow blogger,Sandra, who writes very well and for whom I have tremendous respect put into words exactly what I wanted to say about the Madona scandal.

Below is part of her post and if you click on this link you will find the entire post...

Happy reading!
...

I think it's important to mention that the die-hard anti-adoption people LOVE this sort of situation. With the media being total pinheads about adoption in general, the anti-crowd jumps in immediately with their garbage to hijack the story and set the agenda in a way that they hope will cast all adoption in a negative light.

There are many out there ... look to Austrialia for some of the most vociferous ... whose entire goal in life is to remove the option of adoption from the world.

It is vital that those supporting adoption ... those of us who understand deeply the consequences of institutional life and hopelessness because our kids remind us every day of what could have been ... fight these nuts with everything we have and realize that the news we are getting has been manipulated to make adoption look evil, immoral, etc.

Remember this before swallowing news versions of events hook, line and sinker: people who would deny all children a loving adoptive family are hoping you'll take the bait.

...

Pashmina

Puisqu'elle s'est sentie un peu délaissée ces derniers temps...voici la plus belle dans la race canine...Notre Pashmina Nationale!


Since she felt a little left out these days...here she...the most beautiful of the K9 race...Our little Pashmina!

NO COMMENTS!

Honestly what do you think of this??? Honnêtement que pensez-vous de ceci?

In this week's issue of the very "respectable" British weekly magasine called "The Spectator" there was an article about the "Richie's scandal" by what I call a "So-called journaliste" named Melissa Kite.

Never mind, the "Scandal", never mind what the gossip magasines have to say about these celebreties...I could not care less...

Below the quote of the last paragraph of her so called article:

"In years to come, when we in the West have evolved a little, we will come to see cross-border adoption as we now view the slave trade. In 20years' time, maybe a lot less, we will look back and say "do you remember when rich people used to get babies from Africa? My God, did that really happen?" It would be better still if we woke up to this outrage now".

Dans le très respectable hebdomadaire anglais le "Spectator" de cette semaine, il y a un article sur le scandal de la famille "Richie" écrit par la soit disant journaliste Melissa Kite.

Je m'en fou du scandal, je m'en fou des ragots sur les stars que les magasines doivent étaler pour vendre leurs torchons mais là...c'est autre chose. Ci-dessous la traduction du dernier paragraph de son soit disant article:

“Dans les années à venir, lorsque l’ouest aura évolué un peu, nous verrons les adoptions inter-frontières (internationales) de la même manière que nous voyons aujourd’hui la traite des esclaves ! Dans 20 ans, peut-être beaucoup moins, on regardera en arrière et l’on dira « Vous souvenez-vous lorsque les personnes riches allaient chercher leurs bébés en Afrique ? Bon Dieu, est-ce que cela c’est réellement passé ? »Il serait- mieux si l’on se réveillait aujourd’hui de cet outrage ».

Je souhaite des reactions de votre part...I would like some feedback from you guys!

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

THINK BEFORE YOU PINK!

I asked myself this morning what have I done to help apart from forwarding a few e-mails?

My Dear Dear Cousin Veronike, battled for years with Breast cancer and eventually lost the war last December at the young age of 42. We miss her so much. She left us far too early and I would like to see things move on this front…make women aware. So I thought I would check some few web sites of companies who sent me emails advertising and asking me to open my wallet and make purchases so proceeds can go towards breast cancer research. I thought that some of the stuff could be nice ideas for Christmas gifts but then again I also wondered what do these companies do the rest of the year? This site has been making the rounds and it's worth a look.

"Philanthropy or hypocrisy?" You decide.

The same question again!!!

Question...

If I help you wash my car will you help me wash mine?
Si je t'aides à laver ta voiture vas-tu m'aider à laver la mienne?

Souvenir de Samedi soir

C'était magique pour Bhavishya samedi soir...devant toutes les bougies elle était en exstase et faisait "waow". Aussi elle a découvert les Bombay et Kashmiri mix et elle les adorent! Elle partage ce qu'elle a au point de présenter les plats aux invités en parfaite hotesse! mdr! Je suis fière d'elle.

It was magical for Bhavishya saturday night. In front of all the candles lite she would admire them and say "waow". She discovered Bombay and Kashmiri mix and adores them! She shares what she has to the point of passing the dishes to guests as a perfect hostess! LoL! I am so proud of her.

Pour info elle porte un habit traditionel du sud de l'Inde. FYI she wears a southern Indian traditional outfit.

Happy Diwali!

La foire d'Automne des enfants

Aujourd'hui nous avions rdv à la foire. Nous étions en retard dû à toutes sortes "d'exploits" de notre Princesses dont je ne citerai par pudeur (mdr!)

Mais avant cela, Mademoiselle c'est régalée...


Bref...Mademoiselle s'est littéralement E C L A T E E!!!

Pour commencer elle a reçu un cadeau de son nouveau petit copain, puis elle a essayé un nouvel engin.

Le Père Nöel a d'autres choses en tête pour cette année et pense qu'avec la magnifique coccinelle qu'elle a reçu de sa Tante Yolande et de son Oncle Mark ainsi que le bolide et le magnifique tricycle qu'elle a reçu de sa Tante Laurence, Oncle Michel, Louis et Paul c'est amplement suffisant pour le moment. Mais il avoue qu'il était tenté! mdr!!!












Puis notre Petit Rayon de Soleil nous a montré ces dons artistiques au stand du musée d'art moderne et a fait preuve de grands moments de concentration. Nous étions tous très impressionnés surtout qu'à ce stand, tous nous ont dit que nos bouts de choux étaient trop petits! FOUTAISE!

Et pour terminer la journée et pour se relaxer quoi de mieux qu'un bon bain!

The festival of light celebration: Diwali

I am still unsure how and what we are going to do to celebrate Diwali this year. We are having friends coming over for the evening.

Somehow I feel I need to keep certain Indian traditions for our daughter as well as introduce her to some of our familly traditions such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years eve...I guess I will need to speak to Bhavishya's God Father and his sister, who are Indians, and will see what we can come up with...

I know I shall cook some dahl, biryani, keema matar?, Moghklai spinach and tomato and onion cachumbar and Naan bread. I still need to find receipe for typical Indian sweets!

But what is Diwali anyhow?

Diwali is the festival of light that marks the Hindu new year. This year it falls on 21 October, but it depends on the lunar calendar.

How is it celebrate it?

Before sunrise, families anoint their heads with coconut oil and then wash their hair to rid themselves of any misortune from the previous year. They come together for prayer or pooja, when girls burn incense, ring little bells to evoke God and light camphor flame. They offer it to elders fro blessings and to make a vond with male relatives for protection.

In the evening, the family dress in new clothes and place small clay lamps filled with oil on windowsills and in doorways to welcome the Goddess of Prosperity, Lakshmi, into their home and to light the way for friends and relatives.



Once guests have arrived, the night becomes a coloufl, noisy night of gambling, firewords and biryani which tradionally was baked in a hole in the ground and then followed by a rich variety of homemade sweets.

Mark

Mark is in Sydney for a conference for a week! Gosh we miss him so much!

Mark please come home soon and safely!!!

We love you,

Your Chicks

Mark est à Sydney pour une conférence pendant une semaine! A qu'est-ce qu'il nous manque!!!

Mark reviens nous vite sain et sauf!

On t'aime

Tes Nanas

The Coke & Pepsi story in India

Whilst we were in India, both Pepsi and Coke in India have been accused of containing high levels of toxic chemicals, far above the acceptable global norm. Sunita Narain of the Centre for Science and Environment has spent much time and energy on making this known to the public.

The funny thing is that within days of the scandal, on August 14, 2006 to be precise, Pepsico Announced The appointment of a new female CEO, Indra Nooyi.Nooyi was born in Madras, India on October 28, 1955. She received a bachelor's degree from Madras Christian College and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta and graduated from the Yale School of Management. According to Forbes magazine's 2006 poll, Mrs. Nooyi is #4 most powerful woman in the world. She has been named the #1 Most Powerful Woman in Business in 2006 by Fortune Magazine.


But Mrs Nooyi is not really the point of my post...the point is why is so much energy wasted in something like the Coke and Pepsi story when most water in India is contaminated? This is probably how our darling daughter caught her hepatitis A, not that it is a dangerous disease but not a very unpleasant one. And how many people die of dysentry in the world due to contaminated water?

Let's meditate on this one!

Here is to a Happy and positive week to us all!

Moi je ne fais plus le ménage…I don't do any house work anymore...

...je délègue mais surpervise quand même!

...I delegate but still supervise!

Nos nouveaux voisins / Our new neighbours

Pas trop bruyant et sympa! Not too noisy and sweet!

What is this??? C'est quoi ça???

Hepatitis A

In my previous post I mentioned I would mention more about Hepatitis in a next post so I have done a little research…

What is Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A (abbreviated HAV) is a liver disease caused by hepatitis A virus which is an enterovirus transmitted by the oro-fecal route, such as contaminated food. Most people think it is curable with antibiotics but it is not since it is a virus. It causes an acute inflammation of the liver, does not have a chronic stage, and will not cause any permanent damage to the liver. The patient's immune system makes antibodies against Hepatitis A that confer immunity against future infection. A vaccine is available that will prevent infection from hepatitis A for life and thank god both Mark and myself have had this injection (me 5 years ago before one of my numerous trips to Seychelles and Mark in July as I insisted he should have it done not knowing the sanitation conditions in the orphanage!).

How is hepatitis A transmitted?
Hepatitis A virus is spread from person to person by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the stool of a person with hepatitis A. This type of transmission is called "fecal-oral." For this reason, the virus is more easily spread in areas where there are poor sanitary conditions or where good personal hygiene is not observed. However most infections result from contact with a household member or sex partner who has hepatitis A. Casual contact, as in the usual office, factory, or school setting, does not spread the virus

What are the symptoms?
People with hepatitis A virus infection may not have any signs or symptoms of the disease. Older people are more likely to have symptoms than children. If symptoms are present, they usually occur abruptly and may include:

Jaundice (showing up first as yellow eyes)
Dark urine
Nausea
Fever
Fatigue
Abdominal discomfort
Loss of appetite
Stomach ache
Vomiting

Few people are ill for as long as 6 months. The average incubation period for hepatitis A is 28 days (range: 15–50 days).

Interestingly enough only 3 out of 4 people with hepatitis A have symptoms, that would explain why my Mother-in-law was so sick with it and why one of my friend and co-blogger wasn’t even aware she contracted it until she had a blood test!

What are the treatments available?
There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. Rest is recommended during the acute phase of the disease when the symptoms are most severe. People with acute hepatitis should avoid alcohol and any substances that are toxic to the liver, including acetaminophen (Tylenol). Fatty foods may cause vomiting, because secretions from the liver are needed to digest fats. Fatty foods are best avoided during the acute phase.

What to expect / prognosis?
Over 85% of people with hepatitis A recover within 3 months, and over 99% of people recover by 6 months.
The fatality rate is estimated at 0.1%, usually among the elderly and patients with chronic liver disease.
Hepatitis A infection does not become a chronic.

What complications can occur?
There are usually no complications. One in a thousand cases become fulminant hepatitis, which can be life threatening.

If one had hepatitis A in the past, can one get it again?
No. Once recovered from hepatitis A one develops antibodies that provide life-long protection from future infections. After recovering from hepatitis A, one will never get it again and one cannot transmit the virus to others.

How does one know if one suffers from hepatitis A?
A blood test (IgM anti-HAV) is needed to diagnose hepatitis A.

How to Prevent Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A can be prevented by good hygiene and sanitation. Vaccination is also available, and is recommended in areas where the prevalence of hepatitis A is high.
Ways to prevent hepatitis A include the following:

Wash hands with soap and warm water before preparing or eating food, after using the bathroom, changing a diaper and after sexual activity.
Keep bathrooms clean and disinfected after every use.
Cook shellfish thoroughly before eating.
Drink water from approved sources only.

There are two products used to prevent hepatitis A virus infection: immune globulin and hepatitis A vaccine.

Immuno globulin is sort of out dated…I had one done in 1989 whilst working in a hospital…not a nice injection and it had to be completed 5 years ago as my IgM’s were not high enough! Immune globulin is a preparation of antibodies that can be given before exposure for short-term protection against hepatitis A and for persons who have already been exposed to hepatitis A virus. Immune globulin must be given within 2 weeks after exposure to hepatitis A virus for maximum protection.

The vaccine is recommended (before exposure to hepatitis A virus) for people who are more likely to get hepatitis A virus infection or are more likely to get seriously ill if they do get hepatitis A. The vaccines currently licensed in Europe and the United States are HAVRIX® (manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline)

How do you kill hepatitis A virus (HAV)?
HAV can live outside the body for months, depending on the environmental conditions. HAV is killed by heating to 185 degrees F. (85 degrees C.) for one minute. However, HAV can still be spread from cooked food if it gets contaminated after cooking. Adequate chlorination of water, as recommended in the US, kills HAV that may get into the water supply.

Can I get viral hepatitis from an animal?
No. Hepatitis viruses are not zoonotic meaning that they cannot be transmitted between, or be shared by, animals and humans. No natural animal or insect hosts or vectors are known to exist. While humans are the only natural hosts, some non-human primates can be experimentally infected for research purposes.

I the near future I shall write about Hepatitis B&C

Et le diagnositque est.../ The diagnosis is...

Bhavishya has hepatitis "A" / a l'hépatite "A".

Now we finally understand why she was so unwell / On comprend enfin pourquoi elle était si mal! Pauvre Puce! Poor little Darling!

More on hepatitis on some later post...Plus sur les hépatites dans un autre poste.

Good night / Bonne nuit

This / ce w-e

On a tous la bronchite et de la fièvre...pas facile de s'occuper d'un enfant malade lorsqu'on est mal fichu! Bref hier c'était la fête des Papas à Luxembourg j'ai fait un gâteau au chocolat et on a quand même réussi à prendre des photos avec l'ancien appareil photo de Mark qui a 6 ans et 2.8 mio de pixels, ce qui était énorme à l'époque ;-)

We all have bronchitis with temperature...it is not easy to look after a sick child when one doesn't feel well. Anyhow, yesterday was Father's day here in Luxembourg. I baked a chocolate cake and we still managed to take pictures with Mark's old camera - a 6 year old camera with 2.8 million pixels which was huge at the time ;-)

Avant de manger je me lave les mains...Before eating I wash my hands...




Je ressemble à un cachet d'aspirine avec mes 38.8 de fièvre! I am as white as an aspirin with my temperature!

Et voici la plus belle...en attendant qu'on tranche le gâteau...elle mange de l'eau!
Here is the most beautiful...whilst waiting we cut the cake...she eats water!

Camera / Appareil photo

Eh oui mon appareil photo ne marche toujours pas ils me demandent 250 Euro juste pour l'envoyer à Sony! Ils se fichent un peu du monde. Je vais m'en racheter un nouveau mais je ne sais pas quoi...il faut que je me décide...sinon le père Noel va devoir le faire ;-)

My camera is still broken. They ask me 250 Euro just to send it to Sony! I am planning to buy myself a new one but I am not sure which one I should get...I'll need to decide otherwise Santa will have to do it ;-)

Can anyone recommend me one?

AMAZING! / GENIAL

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New blogger...way too cool! Nouvelle blogeuse...trop cool!

Space Tourist Anousheh Ansari is blogging from space. I just think that's so cool but I would not do it even if I had her kind of money...I'd rather spend it on providing stuff / medical care for the orphans.La Touriste de l'Espace Anousheh Ansari blog depuis l'espace. Je trouve cela super cool mais personnellement je ne le ferai pas même si j'avais son portefeuille...je préfèrerai le dépenser pour des causes...telle qu'aider les orphelins...

Celebrities that have adopted / Les Stars qui ont adoptés

This list is not complete...who hasn't heard of Angelina & Brad, Tom & Nicole, Sharon Stone etc.?

Cette liste n'est pas complète...qui n'a pas entendu parler d'Angelina & Brad, Tom & Nichole, Sharon Stone etc.?

Al Roker - news anchor
Alfre Woodard - actress
Alexander the Great - King of Macedonia, 356-323 B.C.
Angelina Jolie - actress
Art Buchwald - comedian
Barbara Walters - journalist
Ben Stein - actor and game show host
Bette Davis - actress
Billy Bob Thornton - actor, writer, singer
Bob (and Delores) Hope - entertainer
Brooke Adams - actress
Burt Reynolds - actor
Calista Flockhart - actress
Cecil B. De Mille - film director
Charles Bronson - actor
Chelsea Noble - actress
Connie Chung - news anchor
Dale Evans - singer
Dan Marino - athlete
Dan Wilson - athlete
David E. Kelley - television producer
Diane Keaton - actress
Dianne Wiest - actress
Donna Mills - actress
Ed McMahon - entertainer
Edie Falco - actress
Erma Bombeck - author
Estelle Parsons - actress
Eve Arden - actress
Father George Clements - minister
Gail Sheehy - writer
Gary Merrill - actor
George Burns - comedian
George Lucas - film director
Gloria Swanson - actress
Gracie Allen - comedian
Harpo Marx - actor
Harry Belafonte - singer
Hedy Lamarr - actress
Helen Hayes - actress
Henry Fonda - actor
Hugh Jackman - actor
Isabella Rossellini - -actress
Jamie Lee Curtis - actress
Jane Fonda - actress
Jane Wyman - actress
Jann Wenner - publisher
Jill Ireland - actress
Jill Krementz - author
JoBeth Williams - actress
Joan Didion - author
Joan Fontaine - actress
John DeLorean - entrepreneur
John Denver - singer
John Gregory Dunne - author
Josephine Baker - singer and dancer
Judy Woodruff - news anchor
Julie Andrews - actress
Karen Grassle - actress
Karl Wallenda - acrobat
Kate Capshaw - actress
Kate Jackson - actress
Kirby Puckett - athlete
Kirk Cameron - actor
Kirstie Alley - actress
Kris Kristofferson - singer
Kurt Vonnegut - author
Linda Ronstadt - singer
Loni Anderson - actress
Louis Gossett, Jr - actor.
Magic Johnson - athlete
Marcia Wallace - actress
Marie Osmond - singer
Maury Povich - news anchor
Meg Ryan - actress
Mercedes Ruehl - actress
Mia Farrow - actress
Michelle Pfeiffer - actress
Natalie Williams - athlete
Nell Carter - entertainer
Nicole Kidman - actress
Oscar de la Renta - designer
Ozzy (and Sharon) Osbourne - musician
Parker Stevenson - actor
Patti LaBelle - singer
Paul Newman - actor
Paula Poundstone - comedian
Pearl Bailey - singer
Peter Falk - actor
President Ronald Reagan - politician
Regina Belle - singer
Richard King Mellon - financier
Robert Fulghum - writer
Rosie O'Donnell - actress
Roy Rogers - entertainer
Sally Jessy Raphaël - talk show host
Sammy Davis, Jr. - entertainer
Sen. Jesse Helms - politician
Sen. John McCain - politician
Sen. Lloyd Bentsen - politician
Sen. Paul Simon - politician
Sen. Paull H. Shin - politician
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson - Texas
Sharon Stone - actress
Sir Christopher Guest - actor
Stephen Spielberg - film director
Steven Curtis Chapman - Christian musician
Susan Ruttan - actress
Taurean Blacque - actor
Ted Danson - actor
Teri Garr - actress
Tom Cruise - actor
Valerie Harper - actress
Walt (and Lily) Disney - founder of Disneyland
William Delahunt - politician
Willie Mays - athlete

et pour le francophone...Josianne Balasko,.... n'oublions pas notre "Djony" National et son épouse Laetitia.

Celebrities that have been adopted / Les stars qui ont été adopté #2

There are some more to be added on the list...il y en a encore à ajouter à la liste...

Matthew Laborteaux - actor
Melissa Gilbert - actress
Michael Reagan - author, talk show host
Moses - Biblical leader
Nancy Reagan - First Lady
Nat King Cole - singer
Nelson Mandela - politician
Patrick Labyorteaux - actor
Peter and Kitty Carruthers - figure skaters
President Gerald Ford - politician
President William Clinton - politician *1
Priscilla Presley - actress
Ray Liotta - actor
Reno - performance artist, comedian
Sarah McLachlan - singer
Scott Hamilton - figure skater
Sen. Paull H. Shin - politician
Sen. Robert Byrd - politician
Steve Jobs - entrepreneur: co-founder of Apple computer
Surya Bonaly - figure skater
Tim Green - football player/commentator
Tim McGraw - country singer
Tom Monaghan - entrepreneur
Tommy Davidson - comedian
Victoria Rowell - actress
Wilson Riles - educator

*1 Also known as William Jefferson Blythe IV
President of the USA
President Clinton's father was killed in a car accident shortly before he was born. His mother remarried in 1950 and he was adopted by his step-father. He was governor of Arkansas, and US president.

Airline news!

Interesting information from my cousin's company, Sunbelt Software in Florida.

Some Laptops Face Airline Ban

Virgin Atlantic, Korean Air, and Qantas Airways of Australia have stopped passengers using their Dell and Apple laptops for fear of overheated laptop computer batteries. Forget catching up with email off-line or watching a movie on these airlines. U.S. airlines have not followed suit yet, that could potentially affect thousands of international travelers. If you fly first class you can use the power outlets, so here's finally your justification for a "slightly more expensive" air ticket!!

Thank god Mark is not travelling with any of these airlines especially in October when he is due to attend a conference in Sydney!

International Day of Peace / Journée Internationale de la Paix #2

Our friend Vicki sent us an email on Friday, explaining what she did on September 21...here it is...

Hope you celebrated the 21st Sept in grand style -- yesterday being the UN's International Day of Peace.
At our children's school the Ecole Francaise in Luxembourg, G & I donated a tree, about 80 children made harmony ornaments, we planted and decorated the tree. They also wrote peace wishes which they tied to balloons which they let go.
Here in Lux we have had it talked about on ARA radio, a Round Table discussion, and this weekend a bit of a fest in town with music and activist stands are planned.
The attached picture is from our event.
The kids enjoyed. Now, next year I'd like to get more schools involved and talk even more about how to resolve conflicts without aggression.
If anyone is interested in doing something similar with their own school or home/work, please let me know, and I will happily pass info on to make it effortless, the UN and different organisations provide a lot of educational materials. I also have copies of a good english DVD on the subject which makes good viewing for adults and teenagers alike which I am happy to loan out, or play on our cinema here at home.
Maybe if we people take more note of the UN, our governments will.

Vicki
Xx

Please fill free to pass this message onto anyone who you believe could be interested in promoting the day, and focusing on how we resolve conflicts without violence.


Voilà! Well personnally I would love to do something...if you are, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment and I can get you in touch with Vicki.

Celebreties that have been adopted / Les stars qui ont été adopté

J'ai trouvé une liste de personne qui ont été adopté...j'ai trouvé intéressant donc je partage...

I accidently found a list of Adopted celebreties. Thought you might find it interesting.

Andy Berlin - entrepreneur: chairman of Berlin Cameron & Partners
Anthony Williams - politician
Aristotle - philosopher
Art Linkletter - comedian
Bo Diddley - musician, performer
Buffy Sainte-Marie - musician, actress
Carl-Theodor Dreyer - Danish film director
Charlotte Anne Lopez - Miss Teen USA
Christina Crawford - author
Clarissa Pinkola Estes - author
Crazy Horse - Lakota war chief
Dan O'Brien - decathlete
Daunte Culpepper - football player
Dave Thomas - entrepreneur: founder of Wendy's
Debbie Harry - singer (Blondie)
D.M.C. - hip hop artist
Edgar Allan Poe - poet, writer
Edward Albee - playwright
Eleanor Roosevelt - First Lady
Eric Dickerson - athlete
Faith Daniels - news anchor
Faith Hill - country singer
Freddie Bartholomew - actor
George Washington Carver - inventor
Greg Louganis - athlete
James MacArthur - actor
James Michener - author
Jean Jacques Rousseau - philosopher
Jesse Jackson - Minister & Politician
Jesus - adopted by Joseph the carpenter (Bible)
Jett Williams - country singer and author
Jim Palmer - athlete
John J. Audubon - naturalist
John Hancock - politician
John Lennon - musician
Langston Hughes - poet and writer
Larry Ellison - entrepreneur: chief executive of Oracle
Lee Majors - actor
Leo Tolstoy - writer
Les Brown - motivational speaker
Lynnette Cole - Miss USA 2000
Malcolm X - civil rights leader
Mark Acre - athlete

and last but not least...my little Star...Bhavishya

I love ayou

I cannot believe how blessed we are to have such a wonderful little girl...tonight as I was putting her to bed I told her how much I loved her and kissed and hugged her. She put her little hands on my face and caressed it, kissed me back and said I love ayou!

I was so moved...she is only 2years old and she's been with us for only 6 weeks 1/2. but it seems she been with us since ever!

Precious...

Je n'arrives pas à croire combien on est béni d'avoir une petite fille si extraordinaire...ce soir alors que je la couchait, je lui dit combien je l'aime et je l'embrasse. A son tour elle pose ses petites mains sur mon visage, le caresse, m’embrasse à son tour et me dit « I love ayou » !

J’étais si émue…elle n’a que 2 ans et est avec nous depuis 6 semaines 1/2 seulement bien que cela me semble qu’elle a toujours été avec nous!

Adorable

To a wonderful life together Sophie & Kris!!!

Dearest Sophie and Kris,

I am so sorry that your brother’s (and brother-in-law’s) girls cannot join you in the celebrations of this joyful day but we are there in our thoughts, spirits and prayers.

I am ecstatic for both of you. I can’t say I know you Kris very well at all, but it appears you truly complement one another. I understand you met as friends and it evolved into a love that so many people rarely find today. Love after all, doesn’t make the world go around… Love is what makes the ride worthwhile. And it’s a wonderful thing when two people who were made for each other manage to fall in love.

Remember life isn’t always what you expect it to be…sometimes it is better…sometimes it is worse…sometimes you think that all the doors in front of you are closed and even locked and then suddenly you see a little light appearing out of the blue from one door that wasn’t closed after all


So Bhavishya, Pashmina and I would like to propose a virtual toast… and I’d like to make it with this thought in mind: If there is such a thing as a good marriage, it is because it resembles friendship. So this is to you, Sophie and Kris, and a wonderful life together.

Ladies and Gentlemen, to friends, lovers and soulmates.

Nikita

Coucou Ma Grande!

Eh bien aujour'hui est une grande journée pour toi et je voulais te dire que nous pensons tous à toi et nous t'embrassons très fort.

Comme je l'ai dit sur le blog de ta Maman...que cette journée soit ensoleillée dans vos coeur à tous!

A tout bientôt ;-)

CHERCHE / LOOKING FOR...

Does anyone know where I can find a:
Vintage blue enamelled French house number "6"?

Y-a-t-il quelqu'un qui peut me dire ou je peux trouver un:
Ancien numéro "6" de maison en émail bleu?

International Day of Peace / Journée Internationale de la Paix

I am so grateful that we live in a country that is not at war!

Je suis si reconnaissante que nous habitons dans un pays qui n'est pas en guerre!