What's on the Porch

...in my neighborhood?

We have some beautiful houses in our neighborhood

...& some that have seen better days.

I love them all equally 

...& love being reminded of their colorful past.

I love looking on the old porches 

...where you never know what you might find.

For all my friends & family still digging out from Juno 

I send love & best wishes.

Random ....

...shots of France...

...with no rhyme or reason 

for

 Dreaming of France.

Thanks for all the great comments on my post last week. It turned into a fun conversation about reading & I enjoyed hearing from each of you.

The Sun...

...has come out & it is hard to believe that today is really January 22. It's important to take advantage of a day like today. So we took a ride out to John's Island. 

 Make hay while the sun shines...... Tomorrow rain is predicted.

La France Littéraire

 There is no question that France thinks of itself as a literary country. When visiting, one can not help but notice how many people one sees reading... in parks, in cafés or on public transportation. One also finds so many beautiful bookstores in France. There is a least one if not more in every town & city across the country.  Last July the French government created a law banning discounted books & free shipping for on line books. This law aimed directly at Amazon was formed specifically to protect these small independent book sellers. You can read more about the law here.

These measures were taken not only to protect small business but more importantly to protect French culture & the very way of French life as they know it. At the same time the government declared books to be 'essential good' ...like food & other necessities, which can be taxed at a lower rate. The NY Times had two very good pieces on this subject which can be read here.

Two things I found interesting in reading these articles were:

"On average, a Frenchman reads 25 percent more books per year than an American does."

&

"In 2008... 14 percent of books published in France were translations from other languages: a key indicator of a nation’s intellectual curiosity and awareness. In the United States, the figure scrapes along at 3 percent."

One thing that I have noticed on a personal level is that when I am in France I read far more than I do when I am in the states. There must be something in the air.

I am linking this discussion of literary France with Paulita's weekly meme 

Dreaming of France.

 Happy reading everyone!

Damp and Drizzly

It has been a rainy week in Charleston....

...but people are out....

.....& about...

.....not letting the dreary weather dampen their spirits.

And the French flag continues to wave over the city of Charleston.

Je Suis Charlie

France has been paramount in my thoughts this week. I have been glued to the tv as the tragic events unfolded in Paris & today my heart marches with all of France in remembrance. Thursday  I took the photos below on upper King Street in Charleston. 

Hopefully they express the feeling of "solidarité" that I & the community feel at this moment.

I am linking to Dreaming of France to share with my fellow Francophiles the sorrow I am feeling at this time for the country I love so much.

Whats Happening...

around here....

Well, the studio walls are going up. 

You can see the window & door in the shot below.

 It's been sunny & bright in the kitchen.

 I still have a little mini Christmas tree on the table.

My husband picked me this cheerful bouquet of paper-whites that were growing wild in the back yard & were about to be trampled in the construction.

The temperatures are supposed to drop tonight all across the east coast.

 Hope you are all staying warm.

Bonne Nouvelle Année

Bonne et heureuse année à vous !!!

Here are a few memories from the summer of 2014 to begin the year.

Merci for following along! I have appreciated your friendship & your kind comments. I happily look forward to sharing another year with you.

To begin, here is my first contribution to Paulita's 
Dreaming of France 
for 2015,
 may it be a colorful & creative year.