Yes, I blog. And, you can see us vacationing. [I promise not to do this daily]

Well, that was interesting.

Mark outed me.

I've had this blog for several years now, but I really don't tell anyone about it in my face-to-face life.  I'm kind of shy about my creative output. Always have been. Probably why I take lessons instead of putting up a shingle.  My creative stuff always seemed a combination of sacred -- I don't want to take anything away from the joy I get from making things -- and in a way, frivolous.  I've heard people say they fear that everyone will think he or she's a fraud, applied to all sorts of things, even their relationships.  For me, I can feel that way about my work.  I'm trying to get past it though, because the grass really is so much greener.

Anyway, what I intended to talk about was France.  We were there for one day in early August.  Seems like a lifetime ago.  We took a boat, a train, a bus and then walked to get to a nice restaurant and have some pizza. Then, we did it all in reverse and spent a few hours on the beach.  I was crying on the inside because one afternoon is not enough, however, I put on my game face and made the most of it.

Oh, in case you wondered, same thing applies to wearing a Lands End tankini on the beach in Villafranche, France.  Yeah, you feel like you're wearing a track suit. 

Other lessons we learned about kids and European travel:
1- When in doubt, find a beach
2 - Pizza, bread and butter -- kids consider this a great meal.  Oh, but forget about getting butter in Italy.  They look at you like you asked for vegemite.
3 - A soda a day can go a long way.  Collecting the cans makes cheap souvenirs, though you go home with a suitcase full of recycling.  Especially painful if your airline charges $75 extra baggage fees.
4 - Kids love money.  Let them look at the coins, marvel at the cost of things, do the exchange rates.
5- 11 year-old boys did not seem to notice the topless girls.  Hmmm... I think they might regret that.
Mark to Max:  "This must be a very poor country."
Max: "Huh?"
Mark: "Because the girls can only afford the bottoms of their bathing suits."
6- I think we need more naked man statues in the U.S.  Might lighten everyone up a little.