Katharine C: lunch with the US Consul General

Jessica, Consul General  Monique Q, and Cerese

The new Consul General from the US Consulate General in Marseilles came to Montpellier to meet with Americans in her territory, and AWG had the privilege of hosting her for lunch at Katharine and Phil's home in Ecusson. 

 The CG was accompanied by her Public Affairs Assistant, Vanessa P.  (the CG on the left, Vanessa on the right with their backs to the camera).   AWG President Jessica thanked the CF for honoring us with her presence and presented her with a copy of Season and some AWG greetings cards.

Rachel and Katharine

On the CG's left is Jessica, on her right is her Public Affairs Assistant, Vanessa P

Everyone brought wonderful food to share - we started with Peggy's spicy red pepper soup, followed by quiches,  vegetable casseroles, many salads, salmon steaks, and an elegant chocolate decadence cake with fruit salad for dessert.

 We had some questions/issues for the CG, mostly tax and finance-related. 

Noel, Kim, Peggy R, Dennelle, Dalene, Monique, Katharine, Cerese, Rachel, Susan Re, Jessica

The CG has immense charm, and showed an interest in finding out about those of us present.  She herself has a background in cultural affairs, and an international background which serves her well in her appointment.    We all liked her immensely. 

Rachel, Vanessa and Monique

Vanessa spoke about the cultural outreach (of American culture, values) in which she's involved in the greater community that the Marseilles Consulate serves (France's border with Italy, through to its border with Spain, and north as far as Lyon)  and invited AWG participation in her outreach projects - which include explaining American cultural traditions such as Thanksgiving, July 4th, etc.  Vanessa is a "foreign national" for the State Department - she remains in Marseilles, and does not rotate to other embassies/consulates.

Dennelle and Noel

 The CG's appointment is for 3 years.  I do hope we'll get to know her well. 

Photo credits:  Cerese

Katharine C: AWG/FOAL Book Quiz

Book Quiz IV took place on January 23rd at MLK.  Three organisations fielded teams - the BCA's (British Cultural Association) Clubs led by Donald C;  FOAL's (Friends of the Anglophone Library) Hearts, led by Edwin H;  and AWG's Diamonds, led by Maggie P.

Thank you to Phil, the Quizmaster, who took us through the quiz rapidly - each team was given 30 seconds to answer their question, with a chime halfway through to encourage an answer. 

Maggie and the AWG Sparkling Diamonds team

 Maggie is wearing her Diamond tiara in honor of AWG's team.  Each team captain had chosen "seconds". 

Scorers Katharine C and Philippe M

In order to mix the groups up, each attendee was given a playing card (a club, heart or diamond) and that was the group one was supposed to sit with:  didn't happen.  Most (but not all) of the AWG membership sat in the Hearts team. 

Phil C was the Quizmaster

Anyone who didn't like the questions should complain to Katharine C, who set the quiz.  Katharine watched Jan C leaving, with Bruno, just seconds before the AWG team was given a question on a book that Katharine Cknew Jan would answer correctly - about the book The Time of our Singing, by Richard Powers.    Timing is everything!  

Edwin H was captain of the winning team, FOAL's Hearts

 Thank you to Maggie for leading AWG's team and for the support from her team members. Thanks also to Edwin and Donald for leading their teams - it was great to have the addition of the BCA this year for the first time.

Thank you to everyone who came and supported this event. 

Orla and Phil during the social hour

It was well-attended, and the usual raucous time was had by everyone.  The Gardienne left us the key to Salle 1, so we had an extended merry social hour after the quiz. 

AWG members at the event

 

 

Maggie: media coverage of women

Thoughtful commentary on the media's coverage of women from long-time women's rights activist Gloria Steinem: “How hard is it to be a female human being in the media? Anne Hathaway is a pretty good measure. She learned everything she could about sex trafficking and prostitution to play Fantine, and knew only too well that modern-day Fantines were probably living within blocks of the Academy Awards. As she said in her Oscar acceptance speech, "Here’s hoping that someday in the not too distant future the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and never in real life."

Did that get coverage? No. Instead, the huge and expensive media beast speculated on her nipples. In a way, that makes Anne’s point. No wonder there are still Fantines, so many in the media think like pimps, traffickers and johns.”

For an excellent documentary film that explores the often disparaging portrayals of women and girls in the mainstream media and how they contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence, watch Miss Representation for ages 12 and up at http://www.amightygirl.com/miss-representation or watch it instantly on Amazon at http://amzn.to/1r81xRU

 
 
For many stories of both real-life and fictional girls and women challenging gender stereotypes, visit the "Gender Discrimination" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/…/soci…/prejudice-discrimination…
For books for parents that explore the effects of media on kids, as well as the impacts of commercialization and the sexualization of childhood, visit our "Media / Commercialization" parenting section at http://www.amightygirl.com/parenting?cat=451

To learn about books for young readers on children's struggles to go to school in modern times and the recent past, check out the blog post "Honoring Malala: Mighty Girl Books on Children's Fight for Education" at http://www.amightygirl.com/blog/?p=4057
For fictional and biographical stories about girls and women who love sports, visit the "Sports & Games" section at http://www.amightygirl.com/bo…/general-interest/sports-games

Pam: Garden group outing to the Quissac nursery in St Etienne d'Escatte, Gard

A cold rainy day didn’t keep the hearty garden group from driving beyond  Sommières to visit the Quissac nursery where we had a rendez-vous with our hostess Miriam Quissac. The plants she and her husband grow and sell are those adapted to the Mediterranean soil and climate.

The well-marked display of plants has a number of different varieties from the “families” of Cistus, Salvia, Myrthus, Phlomis, Santolina,Rosemary, Boxwood, and more. There was a mulch spread around the plants made of Flax straw (“paille de lin”) which works very well to keep the humidity in and the weeds out.  This can be found in compact bails at a supply store for horse stables. Other suitable mulch is wood chips which can be found by phoning local town authorities to ask when its garden team is scheduled to have the cut wood “chipped” .

Miriam invited us into her cozy “green” house which, she explained, is built out of bails of hay and a thickness of clay. It is built on pillars to have air flow under the house. We gathered around tea and snacks to hear more of what our learned and passionate gardener had to say.  Among the tips and truths which the garden group is happy to share with other AWG members are:

Most Mediterranean plants do not flower in summer. However, if you water such plants as salvia, gaura and perovskia, you will have flowers.

Trim PHLOMIS severely after flowering
Stipa tenufolia (grass-like plant called “graminées”in French): don’t cut back in winter
When trimming lavender, cut back 1/3 of the green, leafy part after flowering.
A good type of LAVENDER to plant is “Séguré”: big flowers, easy to manage, etc.
LEMON TREES need fertilizer.
An effective fertilizer: URINE.  One pipi session diluted in 10 liters of water.
Water your plants with this liquid and the plants get the nutrients they need.  (Editor:  no need to send feedback on this tip if you use it). 
ORCHIDS:  give them a half-hour “bath” in a bucket in which there is a brew of soaking tree barks (of any kind) and water.  This brew can just sit indefinitely and does not go bad.
If you want to know more, look at the nursery website:  HYPERLINK "http://www.jardin-ecologique.fr" www.jardin-ecologique.fr .

The best time of year to go out to this lovely site is in April or May when everything is blossoming. The plants are very reasonably priced and the guidance you get is priceless.

Peggy F writes:

Many thanks to all who made this excellent outing happen!  Pegrig! Pam! our hostess, Miriam Quissac.

In spite of horrible weather, we had a wonderful visit to this amazing nursery, and will certainly all want to come back in the spring to see everything in bloom and to make our purchases.

Thank you Miriam (and Agathe and Marie) for welcoming us into your unusual and warm home. We enjoyed our improvised Tea Party, your delicious cake and interesting hints about gardening, and your adorable girls.

Photo credits:  Peggy F

Maggie writes:    

I'm sorry I didn't get a photo of the gorgeous glowing ember of a sunset on the way home.  That's about the only time we saw the sun.

A heavy sky in the distance. 

Sue Rich and Peggy F, well-wrapped up against the gloomy weather

Tea inside, and respite from the cold weather

Keeping watch.  What a handsome dog. 

Thanks very much to Pam for organizing the visit, and thanks very much to Miriam Quissac for sharing her knowledge with us and welcoming us into her unusual home.

Photo credits:  Maggie

Robyn: multinational hike in St Guilhem le Desert

AWG joined forces with the BCA (British Cultural Association) for a vigorous hike on a clear and sunny saturday in January.  It was the perfect day for hiking and we counted there were 7 nations represented. Photo credits:  Robyn

A group pause.  That's Mariannick on the right, with the BCA President Donald C on her left

Katharine C: January Coffee Clatch

 Here we all are enjoying our relaxing date for monthly coffee at the Mercure Hotel in Montpellier.  Kris brought baby Solene, and the rest of us - Mariannick, PeggyF, Katharine C, Susan Rey, Sue Rich, Cerese - enjoyed one another's company in the elegant and quiet environment of the hotel. 
A welcome respite from busy post-holiday days. 

Thanks Cerese, for making this happen.

Photo credits:  Cerese

Cerese - The Golf Cart Gang

AWG's golfers;  this is also a mens' activity (that's Dominique P on the right with Cerese

Winter days in the Languedoc find our golfers out on the course, with a backdrop of sun and blue skies.  Who wouldn't wish to play, especially at the beautiful Massane course in Baillargues?

Our gals stylishly decked out for play

 What's that cart doing there?  Who's not walking the course? 

Linda learns from the Pro, Romain

Maggie: essay by Robin Meloy Goldsby entitled Having it All

Editor's note:  scroll down to the December Scriveners' items for photos from Maggie's trip to the UN
Forum in Geneva.  

I loved reading Robin Meloy Goldsby's recent essay about having it all, or at least enough, and want to share it first with all of you, particularly the writers, but will also share it with the other members of AWG.  Kim has already shared it on the AWG Facebook page, but if you haven't seen it there, you can use the link below. 

Robin's daughter Julia is FAWCO's first Youth Ambassador, and I have proposed to the board that Julia visit AWG-LR after the conference in Rome.  She is as great as her mom.  You can find out more about her on the FAWCO website.

But first, I hope you can take time from your busy schedules to read Robin's essay.

By the way, there is a copy of Robin's Book "Waltz of the Asparagus People" in the FAWCO lending library, in case anyone wants to borrow it.   -m.

#####

Dear FAWCO Friends,

Some of you have seen this, some not. Here is a link to my new essay, which documents our UN trip (through the eyes of your humble piano player)!

If you scroll down to the bottom, you'll see you are all featured players. 

http://robin.goldsby.de/enough/

Feel free to comment, quote, or share with your clubs or on FB.

Thanks so much for everything—looking forward to seeing you soon.

May 2015 be the Year of Enough for all of us.

Best,

Robin

Want to stay up to date with my latest essays, music projects and events?

Sign up for my monthly newsletter here.

Robin Meloy Goldsby

 

Maggie: Beyond Right and Wrong (cf. Campaign against gender-based violence)

Photo credits:  Maggie

Here, belatedly, are the photos from the orange-accented viewing of the film Beyond Right and Wrong, FAWCO's suggestion for club participation in the 2014 edition of the 16-Day Campaign against Gender Based Violence.  I wrote to the Task Force coordinator, who sent me the DVD, and told her that we were disappointed that the film did not really address the question of violence against women.  Perhaps more members of the club would be able to see the film at a later date, and in a different context - and definitely with better viewing equipment.  Thanks again to Robyn for hosting, and preparing the orange-flavored goodies, and to Cerese for lending her computer for the viewing, and to Peggy and Susan for participating.

      -m

Jane: AWG celebrates Galette des Rois chez Jane

Galettes des Rois - Almond, Praline or Crystalized Fruit?

At the AWG Galettes des Rois tea today at my house, a debate started as to what was the best type of galette.  The patisserie in Sommières had let me down because the pre-ordered galette made with almonds wasn't ready when I went to collect it. Indeed, it's possible that the baker got to work late because the almond galettes I was given from the shop's display did appear, on tasting, to be a day old.  However, the galette with crystalized fruit proved a huge success and the praline example attracted a good deal of interest because it had not been seen before.

But nevermind the galettes, the 'fèves' or ceramic trinkets that were hidden in the galettes were the real treats.  These beautifully made gems represented circus characters from the 'Cirque Bouglione' which I discover is a real circus!  I so very much hope that this tradition of putting ceramic trinkets in galettes des rois never ceases, they're wonderful.  We could have had circus animals - the choice was very difficult!

Photo credits:  Jane R

Maggie writes:

Thank you again, Jane, for inviting us, and for providing such gorgeous weather.  The drive home was even lovelier than the drive to Bancel, since the sunset and the clouds were putting on a beautiful show for us.  Sorry I didn't stop to take a photo of that.      -m

Sue Rich, Robyn, Peggy R, Jane (standing), Louise, Anne, Dalene, Susan Rey, Denise (Maggie was the photographer)

 Photo credits:  Maggie

Caroline Grasset: Je suis Charlie

 Editor:  this posting was written in the immediate aftermath of the Paris terror attacks

 

Caroline writes:  I would like you to post my message on Scrivener's, it is my definition of Je suis Charlie. 

Last night I posted on Facebook "Je suis CHARLIE!". A couple of hours later a friend from the States who obviously hadn't seen International news yet commented on my status asking for a translation.
This is my answer:

 

"Translation:  I AM CHARLIE. Today however it is a cry for freedom of speech and liberty of the press. It is an exclamation against yesterday's terrorist attack at the Paris headquarters of the newspaper Charlie Hebdo where 12 people were killed and amongst them four of France's best comic artists who used pencils and humor to fight terrorism and fundamentalism and were gunned down by automatic weapons.

This is the translation of" I AM CHARLIE"!