|| 28 August 2016

Of Cantaloupes, Cats and Computers — And Waiting For Plumbers

I will always believe that Samuel Beckett’s inspiration for his play Waiting for Godot was waiting for plumbers to arrive at his Paris apartment to fix a water leak. Unlike Godot in Beckett’s play, my plumbers eventually arrived after three days waiting. Now the water leak in my bathroom is repaired and I am no longer running in and out of the house turning on and off the house cut off valve every time I wash dishes or do laundry. Or other water-related activity.

Cantaloupes

The best news in this Nouvelles is that I have devised a system for ripening cantaloupes that works better than any I have previously tried. It requires picking a promising cantaloupe at the market and bringing it home and putting it in a sunny spot on the back patio. Sun and hot nights are said to be good for ripening melon. When (after several days and nights) I can smell a definite cantaloupe perfume when I open my back door, that’s the sign that the melon is ready to eat.

Cats

On the cat front, good news that Kiri’s allergy problems seem to have abated, but she has skinned her nose and I am doctoring that. Sam had a fall and slashed a cut under his eye (but fortunately not his eye). The infection from that has been successfully treated, but now he has developed allergy problems. (It’s the season.)

The old cat MacDougal has been showing signs of decline for several weeks. Now he is housebound and requires help eating and drinking. He can take a few shaky steps, walking across a room is almost beyond him. He is a cat totally adverse to cat carriers and vets. I am hoping that he can pass on naturally without his having to endure either.

Computers

Do computers and their peripherals have spats and refuse to speak to each other? My iMac and its keyboard are no longer properly communicating. (Rather complicating the writing of this Nouvelles.) The iMac works with another keyboard (but it is not a very sophisticated keyboard. No this. No that.) The keyboard works with my Mac laptop. That keyboard got cranky once before and I figured out how to fix the problem. Only now I can’t remember what I did — other than it was something very simple. If I ever remember it, you can be sure that THIS TIME I will write it down.

Chic & Slim Anniversary

28 August is always a special anniversary day for Chic & Slim. 28 August 1997 was the official date of publication for my independently published Chic & Slim: How Those Chic French Women Eat All That Rich Food And Still Stay Slim. The book was originally written in 1992 and was rejected by every publisher to which my agent submitted the manuscript. I still am (not) amused when I reread all the letters the editors wrote saying that NO ONE would be interested in how chic French women stay slim. But 19 years and counting quite a few seem to have found the subject interesting and useful.

be chic, stay slim à la française — Anne Barone

images: Les Chats de Paris coasters by Editions Hooa