the sibs and mom
Sometimes things don’t turn out the way you planned. For me, the plan was to go back to the states this summer and visit the family.
But, things happen, and it just didn’t happen.
One of the things that did happen, that we didn’t get to participate in, was a family reunion, and my mom’s 72 Birthday.
I did get to call during the reunion, and I got to talk to some cousins, and an aunt and some nieces and nephews that I haven’t talked to in a while. And I got to talk to the sibs. And mom.
So it was almost like being there.
But I miss you guys.
And I’m hoping that things will open up for us this fall. So we can come and enjoy a barbecue, and sitting up late and talking about the ‘good old days’, and laugh over the way we used to dress in the old photo albums.
My father-in-law, Roger Antier, on his 86th Birthday
This is my third post in the Ultimate Blog Challenge! (I didn’t start until the 4th, which means I have to make 4 extra posts to get caught up with everyone else who got started on the first!)
So, I wanted to talk a little bit about my fabulous father-in-law… He’s an absolute sweetie and I love him dearly. The photo above is ‘beau-dad’ on his 86th birthday.
He’s also one of my favorite travel companions when I’m doing restaurant reviews for the Examiner. (I’m the French Riviera Travel examiner.) One of the things I love about beau dad is that he is a man who really knows how to enjoy a good meal… good wine… and good company. And he knows a lot of restaurants that most tourists would never visit, which makes my job of getting to discover new restaurants and check them out a whole lot easier!
Beau-dad (which is my own translation of ‘beau-pere’ – which is what father-in-law means in French), is also like a walking dictionary when it comes to knowing about old movies – American and French ones. He knows the names of the actors, the directors and what they’re about. He’s also really good with songs!
I also like listening to his stories about the old days – he was here in Toulon during World War II when the Germans were here.
By the way, that’s something else that’s interesting about Toulon. On the top of Mont Ferron (the mountain that looks down over the city), there is a World War II memorial museum that is worth visiting if you visit here. It’s got some really amazing artifacts, and paints a very real picture of what life was like during that time.
I tried to post some more photos of beau-dad in the post, but it didn’t work – the joys of technology! But anyway, he’s a sweetie and I’m really glad to have him in my life and French family.
