Category: Newsletters

May 8: Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day or VE Day) was on May 8, 1945, the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. (from Wikipedia)

National Holiday.

65 years later. We’ve come a long way.

(TGIM8!) In fact, I hadn’t intended to send out a newsletter this morning … but something unexpected happened … as usual … in additon to this experimental format …

When I was on my way to get a fresh baguette for my daughter’s breakfast, I ran into my neighbor A. who was visibly enjoying the cool morning air as he bicycled just past the front door of my building. He was on his way to buy some cheese. At his favorite cheese shop.

This sparked an idea. Suppose I created a new category on the Paris Savannah Connection called “Favorites” ? Whoever wanted to share their “favorite” places with others connecting to the Paris Savannah Connection could do so …

So in the spirit of the Buzz/Yahoo/Google//Texto world we live in, I wrote it as it is pronounced:  Favoritz, rhyming with Ritz.

If you’ve got a Favoritz in Paris or in Savannah to share … let me know and if it’s postable … up it will go!

I hope this May weekend is special for you, too.

Related Images:

The forecast here in the Paris area was for a weekend of rain. And we didn’t get any at all! It was actually quite nice.

But let’s not be disappointed. Maybe we’ll get some later this week! There are lots of good things about Spring rain, not the least of which is that when it’s over, we’re so grateful to bask in the sun again.

Forecasting the weather has always been tricky business. And pretty safe business too because we all know that … it’s only a forecast and that whoever REALLY claims to tell the immediate future is quite like the fortune teller or the astrologist…though I do remember an old man who could predict the weather quite accurately by observing a frog. His margin of error could be measured in minutes, especially when the dark clouds were visible. A Frenchman by the name of Charles who lived in a tiny hamlet in the hills of the Massif Central in the Limousin region of France.

This being said, I’ve planned a few new posts to entertain you with this week. Today’s top post is sincere: It’s a first few words about saying “Thank you.”

But also … over the weekend, I added a new category: Favoritz. If you have a favorite place and would like to share it with the others who read The Paris Savannah Connection, just send me a few words. Everyone will be grateful. And some may even thank you. As long as it’s postable, we’ll post it!

Have a good week,

And thanks … a million for sharing in The Paris Savannah Connection !

Mark

Related Images:

Remember TGIF? Today’s the day. Every day, somehow, is a special day. Every day is unique. Today’s May 7th. Your birthday?  An Anniversary? A happy day or a day of remembrance …

There’s a time for everything. A time for work. A time for play. So today … how about a time for some poetry?

Like this silly rhyme written for kids by Shel Silverstein in a book he published called Where the Sidewalk Ends :

Ridiculous Rose

Her mama said “Don’t eat with your fingers.”

“OK,” said Ridiculous Rose

So she ate with her toes.

Why don’t you try writing – or drawing – something today. Anything. You’ve got a heart – and that does rhyme – with … art. “And there ain’t a man alive ain’t got a heart!” ((Oh dear, I can see all those serious English teachers just closing their eyes at this …))

That “ain’t” made me think of something … A song … A fun and beautiful and powerful song from George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. You probably know one song from that folk opera: Summertime. One of the other masterpieces is … It ain’t necessarily so. And while the only credit I can take is finding this for you, it’s a real find. Enjoy.

And thanks for opening …

The Paris Savannah Connection.

Hoping you have a special weekend,

Related Images:

Remember TGIF? Today’s the day. Every day, somehow, is a special day. Every day is unique. Today’s May 7th. Your birthday?  An Anniversary? A happy day or a day of remembrance …

There’s a time for everything. A time for work. A time for play. So today … how about a time for some poetry?

Like this silly rhyme written for kids by Shel Silverstein in a book he published called Where the Sidewalk Ends :

Ridiculous Rose

Her mama said “Don’t eat with your fingers.”

“OK,” said Ridiculous Rose

So she ate with her toes.

Why don’t you try writing – or drawing – something today. Anything. You’ve got a heart – and that does rhyme – with … art. “And there ain’t a man alive ain’t got a heart!” ((Oh dear, I can see all those serious English teachers just closing their eyes at this …))

That “ain’t” made me think of something … A song … A fun and beautiful and powerful song from George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. You probably know one song from that folk opera: Summertime. One of the other masterpieces is … It ain’t necessarily so. And while the only credit I can take is finding this for you, it’s a real find. Enjoy.

And thanks for opening …

The Paris Savannah Connection.

Related Images:

I hope yesterday’s pix and story about incomprehensible signs didn’t offend anyone. Everyone knows that Parisians don’t pay any attention to those signs anyway and tourists and foreigners don’t bother as there are so many of them … that in the end, well, the bottom line, so to speak, is … just watch where you’re going. Follow the old 3: Stop. Look. Listen.

I’ve been thinking about a few of the recent  NATURAL disasters: Katrina, the Icelandic Volcano eruption, eathquakes, tornados, hurricanes and tidal waves. All of these lead me to suggest to my daughter L. that she go for an “S” (Sciences) diploma because there’s probably a real future in figuring out how the earth works … and then there are all the environmental issues and questions of sustainability.

But natural disasters are only half of the equation. The other half are miracles. Why do I say this? What do they have in common?

They do have one thing in common: their unpredictability.

Despite Murphy’s law and a general tendency toward narrow-mindedness … you’ll find a little natural optimism in …  The Paris Savannah Connection.

Hope you enjoy it … and even if we can’t do anything about natural disasters … maybe it’s about time we ought to stop shooting ourselves in the feet …

Keep smiling,

And thank you for reading … The Paris Savannah Connection.

Mark

Related Images: