rebecca_in_blue | But aren't French women really skinny?

Nathalie wasn’t able to take us shopping today, so Heather and I decided to walk to the store. (I needed warm clothes, and she just came because she didn’t have anything else to do.) The store, Leclerc, could be described as a French Wal-Mart but not as big – of course, stores in

France

are never as big as they are in America. The walk took us about 40 minutes, and because we left in the late afternoon, we got there about 30 minutes before it closed, so we didn’t have much time to shop. But I managed to buy a nice coat, two long-sleeved tops, gloves, a hat, and pair of jeans. I’m wearing the jeans right now; they have glittery designs that I don’t really like on the pockets and the butt, but I needed another pair, and they were the ones I could find that fit me. The vast majority of clothes in the store were much too big. It was expensive, but it was well worth it, because I wore my new coat and gloves on the walk back and actually felt warm! Feeling warm outside is not something that has happened to Rebecca often since she arrived here.

This morning I e-mailed Laura (my cousin) asking if I could stay with her and her family in London during Christmas. She wrote this afternoon back saying yes and that Johnny and Betty (her parents) were flying in from New York to also stay with them during Christmas and it would be nice if our visits could overlap. I worried it would be too crowded with all of us, but Laura assures me that they have enough room. I am really looking forward to it, because I haven’t seen Johnny and Betty since 2005, Laura and her family since 2004, and they are all very cool people. Besides, I am going to be in London, which more JM Barrie sites than any other city in the world! If I can visit the Duke of York Theater on December 27 (Peter Pan’s birthday), I might just die. But this isn’t to say that I won’t be incredibly homesick at the same time. I think this will be the first time in my entire life that I don’t spend Christmas Eve at Grandma’s house.

One thing that I have resolved to do is buy a ticket to London well in advance. Leaving my trip to

Belgium

until the last minute has been problematic, but I am determined to go. I will just have to spend some of the money that’s sitting in my French bank account. It’s meant for travel and emergencies, so I don’t know why I’m so hesitant to spend it on travel. I keep imagining myself at the end of April, about to fly back to

America

with as much money as I brought to France, because I spent all my time here waiting for an emergency instead of travelling.

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"I keep imagining myself at the end of April, about to fly back to America with as much money as I brought to France, because I spent all my time here waiting for an emergency instead of travelling."

That's cuz yuh chup! Yuh wuh chup huh and yuh chup thuh! (It's a Cowie family trait, I suppose.) Your Christmas in London sounds like so much fun! Maybe you will meet Hugh Grant the Prime Minister on the street and he and his chauffer will sing to you! Or at the very least see AB at the Duke of York theater, where you can say, "Your face is the ugliest one I ever saw." HA!

I will miss you at Christmas, Boo. I don't think it will be the same without you making us watch A Hard Day's Night and playing horrible Christmas songs like "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." But think, when you come back you will have new French Christmas songs to torture me with. Heh.

I don't think it will be the same without you making us watch A Hard Day's Night and playing horrible Christmas songs like "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."

Don't forget "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays"! And "That's What I Want for Christmas," by Shirley Temple! "I like pretty shoes to wear / But if I could give a pair / To poor little children everywhere / That's what I want for Christmas." Heh heh heh. But you like just as many horrible Christmas songs as I do! Need I remind you of, "I'll feed him there and wash him there and give him his massage!"

So glad you got a warm coat and gloves, if my hands are warm, I can exist. Since I have turned middle aged I need to keep my neck warm, mock turtlenecks are my dearest friends now. How sad is that statement!! Spend your money girl, you have alot of cheap and thrifty DNA in you, which is a good thing when you really have no choice but to survive, but this is a one in a lifetime chance and you are making priceless memories that you will have forever. I have never regreted spending money to go someplace fun and unique, my only regret is I couldn't afford a camera to take a picture of us at the San Francisco bridge or the huge Sequoia (spelling?) trees, but I can remember them like it was yesterday, even the smell of the woods and the coolness of the breeze. Spend that money and travel, I promise we'll get you back to the states.

Sorry, it's me Aunt connie, telling you to spend your money on travel. Do you have any longjohns. They are very warm and thin enough to layer under your clothes without detection. They might be worth it especially if your outside a lot. we will miss you for christmas too. Take care love Aunt Connie and Eva

hello, it is me i'm soooooooooooo sorry that i didn't E-mail you back, alot of things been happening around here. I know how to make a fire all my self i don't realy care if i get burnt becuse it dosen't realy hurt, and we have a tent in our back yard.My friend ,Darian,and i are going to sleep in it tonight.i will miss u alot on Cristmas and cristmaseve have a great time in France at cristmas time. have a reat school year Rebecca, your couisen EVA.

Do you have any longjohns.

Haha, I seriously burst out laughing when I read that. Don't know why. I don't have any yet, but I might buy some in a few weeks when it gets even colder. Can't believe it's only October and it's already so cold. But at least I'm not having as hard a time of it as Nakeisha from Jamaica. She told me that before she came here, she had never been so cold that she could see her breath. The first time it happened here, she got all panicky and was like, "What the hell? It looks like I'm breathing fire!"

I know how to make a fire all my self i don't realy care if i get burnt becuse it dosen't realy hurt.

Wow, Eva, you are a lot braver than I was at your age! But I'm not surprised, because I remember one day when you were really little, and your family had come over to swim in our pool, back when we had a pool, and your dad made a fire in our barbeque pit. You stood right next to it, and your dad kept squirting in lighter fluid to make the fire leap up, and you kept saying, "Wow, do it again, John."

Miss you! Love, Rebecca

so happy to finally be able to get on and talk to you/work the past two nights has been crazy//i am so excited that you will be in London and with family for christmas// i was planning on giving all 4 of you 150.oo,so i was thinking i would send it shortly to help with your expenses to london//also please enclosed laura's address so that i can mail you christmas presents there, it will be small little delicious packages,but i want you to have them on christmas morning//
all for now love mom

Mom -- I'm going to be at Laura's house from December 21st to 24th, then at a hostel from December 24th to 28th, if all goes as planned. There's not a big window of time for anything you mail to reach me at Laura's house, especially since there probably won't be any mail on Christmas Eve or December 23, which is a Sunday. I think it would be easier if you mailed my Christmas present to me in France before I left and I just took it to London with me. I promise I won't open it until Christmas Eve. Did you get the package I mailed you for your birthday yet?

dear rebecca--

Happy Halloween--hope you are having the time of your life!

Life passes so quickly and enjoy all the sights and places that most people only dream about seeing.

It's Matthew's birthday today, he is 21. Also your brothers birthday. Your mom's is tomorrow and I left a gift for her at grandma's and Grandma made her milk pies. She is so lucky. That is the best stuff in the world.

We dressed up at work today. We were Snow White and the 6 dwarfs. I was sleepy. I don't allow Grumpy to work in my office. if I can figure it out I will send you a picture.
Grandmas new neighbor don't have any dogs so far so she is only assaulted from two sides. She wanted me to let you know.

Love Celeste

But aren't French women really skinny?

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happy halloween