I've been having so much fun with Jacques and Elodie for the past three weeks over at Writer's Island that I've decided to participate in National Novel Writer's Month 2007 (NANOWRIMO). I started over from scratch yesterday and did 1702 words in an hour and a half. I'm using the same story line but it's now in the first person as opposed to the third.
I foresee a slight problem in the fact that I will be away for the last two weeks of November. I'll be in Texas at my son's home for Thanksgiving week and then we travel up to San Antonio, Tx., for an anesthesia continuing ed. conference. For NaNoWriMo we are supposed to write a 50,000 word, (175 page), novel in thirty days. The way I see it, I'll need to do most, if not all, of it in the first two weeks.....we'll see. I'm excited because I think there is a good story here and I want to see it play out. Plus, I'd like the satisfaction of proving to myself that I can write a novel.

In the mean time let me tell you about my birthday day from last month in the south of France:
On the twenty-first of September(not my birthday), D. and I made the acquaintance of a blog friend of mine when she and her husband joined us for drinks after diner at our chateau's dining room.
Corey from "Tongue in Cheek", and her French husband are the warmest, most engaging, down to earth people you could ever hope to meet in your lifetime! We warmed to each other immediately and that set the stage for a fantastic week in the south of France.
In the photo on the left is Corey sifting through treasures at a local flea market!
On the day before my b'day, D. and I had driven to the village where Corey lives and D. almost had a heart attack. We were unable to find a grocery in the little town of Nans les Pins near our chateau so we drove to the nearby village. To get there you must drive from the top of the mountain, where the chateau is located, to the valley where Corey lives. It only takes 3 minutes to descend the mountain, D. timed it...everytime, but you must negotiate thirty or more hairpin turns all the way down. Being my first time on this byway, I surely went slower than the posted speed limit, much to the chagrin of the drivers more familiar with the route. A couple of thimble brained drivers even passed me, adding greatly to D.'s and my apprehension. Over the course of the next few days and many more trips, I was beginning to feel more comfortable negotiating the turns and may have even done the speed limit the last time.

That said, Corey offered to pick us up at the chateau on the morning of the 23rd and we were to seek out a flea market in the area.
Corey arrived bright and early and joined us for coffee while we finished breakfast. On the road by eight AM, it was a bright sunny day and the first thing Corey says is; " keep a close eye on me, because I've been known to fall asleep while driving. Talking is no impediment to this narcoleptic happening either." The scary thing is that she was as serious as can be. Now, mind you , up until now, we've spent a total of 2 hours with this woman. Well, I'm happy to report that Corey never nodded off on any of our excursions. With plenty of conversation to occupy us, in no time, we arrived at the village where the flea market was taking place. We had to walk a few blocks on a dirt road to a humongous field outside of the village where, easily, between 100 and 150 people had set up "booths" to sell all manner of paraphernalia, from buttons and bows to paintings and all sort of what-not collectibles. I was interested to a point, but D. and Corey were in their glory. And the deals that the two of them made, made them happier than clams.

D. and Corey contemplating a woman's offerings. I think, here, Corey is inquiring as to the cost of a set of dominoes. She said they were too new to justify what was bing asked.

We spent the morning browsing and each of the girls made some wonderful deals and came away well satisfied with the day's haul. Corey dropped us off at the chateau around noon time. She was going home to spend some time with her daughter who was home from college in Aix and doing laundry. Some things are the same around the world. ;)
We, D. and I, went into Nans for lunch and a look around plus a visit to the travel office...but that's a story for another day.

Corey said she'd ask French husband to pick us up in the evening to bring us to their home for a diner to celebrate my birthday. Can you believe it? I'm still in awe of the hospitality and true warmth of this couple.

Next: The birthday dinner.