buying French groceries

There is simply no comparison between buying your groceries in a supermarket and buying them fresh from an open air market - especially when the sun is shining, the air smells good and all the summer fruits are out on show.

I always return from the weekly market with a spring in my step - stimulated by the beautiful colours, the gentle bustle and the friendly banter between vendors and clients.

Clients dress nicely to go shopping, they often meet up with old friends, share a coffee on the market square, their overfilled baskets sitting at their feet.

In France, when you go to le marché, you know you will find good quality produce, fresh, often sold by the producer directly.  

For the vendors - who work hard on their farm all week -  it's a highlight too, not only do they make some money, they also interact with their clients and catch up on the latest news and gossip in town.

Freshly roasted chicken  yummmm!  soooo difficult to resist when you're already hungry for lunch!

I love the way that in the middle of the fruit and vegetables you'll find hats, baskets, saucepans and even fabric.

Clients are encouraged to taste, and often extra pieces of fruit, or bunches of parsley are added to the basket.  I know this is  a commercial gesture , but I always think the vendor looks like a n artist putting the finishing touch to a work of art, as he offers a lemon or a bunch of herbs.

So now you know one of my remedies for feeling lazy or energy-less
- a trip to a local market.  100% guaranteed result.

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Stainless Kitchen Interior Design Ideas

Stainless Kitchen Interior Design Ideas. This is an example of interior design for the modern home, kitchen interior design color siiver uses material from stainless.

This design is also suitable for smaller homes, because there is a stainless kitchen design small and large sizes, fancy, simple and elegant.

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Fourteen of the Nation’s Top Hospitals Show Commitment to LGBT Healthcare Equality

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 30, 2011

Fourteen of the Nation’s Top Hospitals Show Commitment to LGBT Healthcare Equality

U.S. News & World Report’s top hospitals also participate in HRC Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index

WASHINGTON – Fourteen of the nation’s top 17 hospitals also participated in the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s 2011 Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). The hospitals, earning the top honor in the U.S. News & World Report 2012 Best Hospitals Edition, show that a commitment to quality healthcare includes LGBT healthcare equality. The complete list of the nation’s top hospitals, on newsstands today, can be viewed at http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals. The 2011 HEI is online at www.hrc.org/hei.

The exclusive hospital ratings, issued annually by U.S. News and World Report, are based on data from nearly 5,000 hospitals in 16 adult specialties and 10 pediatric specialties and are widely accepted as the official national healthcare ratings.

“This year’s U.S. News & World Report’s best hospital ratings demonstrate once again that providing quality healthcare goes hand-in-hand with healthcare free of prejudice and discrimination of any kind,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We congratulate these 14 top hospitals on this honor, and appreciate their dedication to healthcare equality for LGBT patients and families demonstrated by participating in the HEI.”

"It's not a coincidence that our medical center consistently is ranked among the nation's top hospitals by both the Healthcare Equality Index and U.S. News & World Report," said Mark Laret, CEO of UCSF Medical Center. "Providing equal treatment to all patients is central to delivering the highest quality, safest and most effective health care."

The Healthcare Equality Index is an annual survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The HEI 2011 reported on the voluntary participation of a record 87 survey respondents, representing 375 facilities nationwide. As facilities transition to more LGBT-friendly policies and procedures, the HEI can serve as an organizational assessment tool by assisting hospitals in modifying their policies, and can help hospitals comply with Joint Commission standards addressing non-discrimination, and new HHS regulations on visitation.

HEI 2011 participating hospitals making U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 Honor Roll include:

• Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD
• Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
• Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
• Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
• Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
• New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, New York
• UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
• Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
• Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
• Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University, St. Louis, MO
• University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA
• University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers, Ann Arbor, MI
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
• Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA

View the HRC Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index 2011 at www.hrc.org/hei. The HEI 2012 survey will be available for completion in October 2011. Interested healthcare facilities should contact hei@hrc.org for more information.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

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Feigning, Swerving and Jangling

1 Tim 1:5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: 6 From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling;



The commandment, referred to in verse 5, is the command to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind. Jesus told us that the commandment next to that is to love our neighbors as ourselves. So, the first command ends up causing us to obey the second and that takes place due to charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience.



However, a wrench gets thrown into the works when our faith is faked, or when we swerve away from the commandments to empty jangling, or babbling.



So let's knock off the fakery and and getting off track with talking about nothing and get back to loving God whole-heartedly and loving our neighbors enough to give them the gospel.



My God, I love Thee; not because

I hope for heaven thereby,

Nor yet because who love Thee not

Are lost eternally.

Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me

Upon the cross embrace;

For me didst bear the nails, and spear,

And manifold disgrace,

And griefs and torments numberless,

And sweat of agony;

Yea, death itself; and all for me

Who was thine enemy.

Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ,

Should I not love Thee well?

Not for the sake of winning heaven,

Nor of escaping hell;

Not from the hope of gaining aught,

Not seeking a reward;

But as Thyself hast loved me,

O ever-loving Lord.

So would I love Thee, dearest Lord,

And in Thy praise will sing;

Solely because Thou art my God,

And my most loving King.



Francis Xavier, 1506-1552

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My 2nd BOAT (Bloggers On A Table)

      Happy holiday! and happy Eid ul-Fitr for anyone here who celebrate it as me. Please forgive me for all of mistakes I ever did. hehehe :D  Err.... I'm still enjoying my holiday. So, I think I cannot tell you guys all  my latest activities. But, I have something to share right now. It was my experience some days ago, when I met some Padang bloggers. Yaay!

This "Kopi Darat + Buka bersama" was an event by PALANTA, a community of west sumatera bloggers. I was just invited by one of its member to come. Sooo, do never think I was the one who held this event, COZ  I WAS NOT. hehehe.....

     Actually there are many members of PALANTA, but only 5 members attended because the storm and the heavy rain stopped their steps. But nope, it was an amazing event for me personally, even the participants were not complete. Uda Rian, Kak desti, Kak Nissa and Dhila were kind a fun bloggers who have unique characters. They told me manythings. And I also laughed many times because of their jokes (u,u)

     At last, I wanna say Thank You Very Much for Uda Rian, Kak desti, Kak Nissa and Dhila. Thanks for giving me this experience. Special thanks to Kak Desti, who took the 6th and the last pics. And one more thanks to PALANTA for giving me the chance to join the event. I love it so :)


See-Yaa in the next post! Happy holiday and happy Eid ul-Fitr...!


~Toowhit Toowhoo...!!~
            -Aul-

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Elegant Bedroom Interior Design With Green Color

Elegant Bedroom Interior Design With Green Color. Bed design interior design uses a combination of green color, very naturar and comfortable sleep-like garden, bed interior design looks very elegant and unique, especially for the newlywed couple who will occupy a new home or for children.

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french, feminine and chic

With the change of seasons, my redecorating time of year is approaching and I'm looking for ideas at the moment, scouring magazines and blogs for interiors I like.

This one slowed me down.  I spent a long while looking at how the girl has achieved an interior that feels pared down although there are plenty of collector bits;  that feels feminine; that feels modern although the flat is early 19th century and there are plenty of brocante pieces used.

I'm loving the colour scheme, adore the bathroom - who wouldn't?! - admiring her use of huge Venetian mirrors and definitely envious of the lack of clutter... sigh ...

How comfortable would you be here?


PS.   Great excitement here today as the new computer arrived YAY!!  The handover however has not been totally seamless, and some people are having trouble leaving comments or sending me mails.  Please persevere, and if you need an urgent answer from me by mail, you could always message me on fb for safety!  Merci!

all photos thanks to journal de la maison

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Stay Focused

Timothy learning at the lap of his grandmother - Rembrandt



1 Tim 1:3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.



Paul is admonishing his son in the ministry concerning his pastoral duties. He had been installed as the pastor of the church in Ephesus, where he would later be dragged through the streets by the locals for preaching the gospel and then stoned to death.



Paul was adamant that Timothy and his parishioners stay true to the gospel message and not be sidetracked by nefarious doctrines, urban legends and genealogical interests. It is so easy, even today, to get knocked off track by these very same types of things. It happens to churches all the time.



As I was getting ready to preach a revival in Mexico recently, I was given this same type of encouragement by one of our modern day Pauls. Warren Wiersbe admonished me, "Just preach the simple gospel, stay close to the Word and don't get sidetracked."



What happens is, to illustrate a point, preachers are tempted to use contrived stories that are probably nothing more than fables.



If a preacher is going to use a story for illustrative purposes, which he should, he must employ one that is credible. For example, I read just yesterday about a 61 year old sheep farmer in Australia who showed up to enter Australia's ultra-marathon, a 500+ mile foot race across the continent. He was wearing a coat and had goulashes over his boots. To make a long story short, he won the race with his shuffling, unorthodox style! In our age of information and our day of instant internet verification, it was easy to find this man's story to be true. Here is a usable story to illustrate how that "the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong..."



On the other hand, do you remember hearing preachers tell about how Jacques Cousteau heard the screams of hell while diving in the Devil's Triangle? Or what about the strange proliferation of buzzards in the Valley of Megiddo preparing for the feast of flesh that would be provided by the battle of Armageddon? I could write a book about the fables I have heard from pulpits across America. Add to that endless genealogies and false doctrine (hyper-Calvinism, glossolalia, works for salvation, etc.) and you will find a pastor and church which has gotten the gospel train derailed.



Paul's warning to Timothy, and to us is, stay on track, stay focused on the message.

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Moving Roofing Supplies With a Lift

A large part of the reason why most people decide to redo their roofs is because they believe that doing it themselves will save them money. While this is usually the case, if someone becomes injured, it will have the exact opposite effect. Using a lift of some sort to carry the materials onto your roof will not only prevent injury, it will save precious time and energy that you can in turn devote towards properly redoing your roof.
Most people fail to consider the amount of physical stress that goes into redoing a roof. Not only is it exhausting tearing the old roof off, simply getting the materials onto your roof can literally lay you up for days if you aren't in the right kind of shape to do the job. Remember that hauling heavy objects, sometimes overhead, on a skinny ladder requires the use of many different muscles that even people who work out on a regular basis often neglect to attend to.

Not only are you setting yourself up for the physical pain that comes with repetitive roof lifting, this sort of work can make you so tired that you are much more likely to either take a fall or injure yourself in the process of doing work. If this happens, all that money that you thought you where going to save by doing your own roofing job is suddenly going to become a huge expense. Between possible hospital costs, doctor costs and missed work, your beautiful new roof could possibly end up costing you more money than you bargained for.
There are many different types of lifts that you can use both for carrying materials up to your roof as well as for collecting the old roof as you tear it off. Having a roofing scissors lift, a telescopic boom lift, fork lift or even some of the specialty lifts that are out there will certainly save wear and tear on your body as well as free up time so that you can crank out a good job in considerably less time than if you tried hauling thousands of pounds of shingles up and onto your roof. Anyone who has ever done some roofing will tell you that this is literally back breaking work!

A wise way to go about getting one of these lifts is to either use the internet, or the telephone pages and look up a local roofing supply company. Even if a place like this doesn't have the right vehicles for you to rent, they will certainly be able to direct you to one. If there happens to be no local roofing supply, you can always contact a general contracting supply warehouse. If for some miracle you cannot locate one of these, a call to your local hardware store should be enough to find the information you need to find someone to rent a lift from.

Once you have planned out your tear off, plan to take a few days getting your shingling nailed back onto your roof. Big projects like these often end up taking longer than expected. Work this out with the people you are renting your lift from and see if they can be flexible with the time they need their lift back. Though keeping one may end up costing you more money, it is worthwhile to continue to use it until the job is completely done. As I mentioned before, when you consider the savings in terms of injury and making sure the job is done properly and unrushed, you will actually be saving money in the long run

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3225042

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yesterday's loot shoot and a small country town

Yesterday morning found me up early , driving through open fields as the  sun rose.  I wasn't alone, we have lovely Dutch guests in our cottage and Esther decided to come along for the ride and hopefully find some treasure of her own.

For once the best fair was in a small town.  I generally prefer to treasure hunt in fields, but with the recent rain, dry road offered its advantages.

I forgot to take pictures of the fair, these shots were in the quiet roads leading back to where our car was parked.

Pickings were fairly good and I think that Esther was happy with her share.  I let her snap up any linen we saw and helped her negotiate the prices.   She was particularly happy with the old baskets we found for her, and for the beautiful piece of sculpted wood.

I am in love with the old Provençal hat that I found, it's hanging on a wall downstairs, elegant and feminine.

Also pleased to find these balls of old linen string, the sweet inkwell and the turquoise siphon.

the metal moulds in this shot would have been used for cheese making, probably goats cheese in this shape.  Today they are fun for small plants, or for candles as the light shines through the holes onto the table around.

More little 'perigordine' glasses, but you know I love these for individual flowers on a table.

Maybe the most unusual piece I found was the patented copy binder, brought out for the Universal Exhibition of 1889, the same year as the Eiffel Tower.

I hope you all had a great weekend.  Special thoughts to any readers in the States affected by the hurricane, hope you're all safe.  Also special thoughts to those of you in Australia who are enjoying the first moments of Spring as we begin to pick up the scent of Autumn.

Have a good week!

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