Happpy Easter!
Easter weekend! Our fabulous bakery is full of homemade chocolates, pastries and tempting goodies of all kinds. The village is filled with vacationing visitors, including our good friends David and Jane, Bernie, and various newcomers whom we don't know as of yet.
The sun is finally shining, although the mornings can still be on the chilly side, but there is a definite feeling that spring is truly here.
I never get tired of watching the seasons change here in the Possum Kingdom. It's alway beautiful and interesting to watch. I think the Horde of Cthulu is enjoying it as wll, since they seem to take a great pleasure in the new and interesting smeils that they run across on our multiple walks. I need to check, but I swear that I smelled skunk yesterday morning on our walk. I didn't think we had skunks here, but I may be wrong, or else there is definitely some other wild creature about that smells like skunk. I was glad I didn't let Shmoo or Maggie off their leads, because I don't have enough tomato juice to use on them in case of a close encounter of the skunkish kind!
It is also Presidential election season here in France. It's so different than in the U.S. First of all, no television ads. The candidates do get air time to be interviewed and talk about their platforms. They get lots of newspaper coverage and do personal appearances all over the country. Plus, we get flyers and brochures in our mailbox. But, for an American, not being beaten over the head with sensational ads is a real pleasure.
JM and I received our voting registration cards yesterday, so we are both quite happy at that. We did vote in a French presidential election once in L.A., but it was kind of absurd as by the time we cast our ballots, people in France already KNEW who had won! Kind of a pointless action, to be honest. I do look forward to voting here, as it will feel as if there's a possibility our voices make a difference.
The French system is quite different than the American one. First: no Electoral College! I love that, because I think the Electoral College is an outdated, outmoded, completely absurd throw back to a different period of history and should be abolished. I much prefer my vote counting on its own, and not having anything to do with WHERE I cast it.
Second: We vote on Sunday. That means there's no real excuse not to vote; no work, no shopping, just go to your local town hall and cast your ballot. A paper ballot, btw, no computers that can be hacked.
Third: there are two rounds of voting. In the first round there are multiple candidates. The two candidates who get the most votes then go on to a run-off the following week. This is good in one way, as you can vote your conscience in the first round, then the second round lets you pick the candidate whom you hate the least. Of course, this can backfire as it did in the last election, when far right candidate Jean-Marie LePen shocked the entire country by getting enough votes to be in the run off! No one ever thought that would happen, but the candidates on the left split their voters so both were left out in the cold, leaving an opening for LePen. Now, fewer people feel they can take a chance on the first ballot, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Well, time to go out and see what's happening in the Market. Have a wonderful Easter, eat lots of chocolate and enjoy Spring wherever you are.
Ciao for now,
Randy
The sun is finally shining, although the mornings can still be on the chilly side, but there is a definite feeling that spring is truly here.
I never get tired of watching the seasons change here in the Possum Kingdom. It's alway beautiful and interesting to watch. I think the Horde of Cthulu is enjoying it as wll, since they seem to take a great pleasure in the new and interesting smeils that they run across on our multiple walks. I need to check, but I swear that I smelled skunk yesterday morning on our walk. I didn't think we had skunks here, but I may be wrong, or else there is definitely some other wild creature about that smells like skunk. I was glad I didn't let Shmoo or Maggie off their leads, because I don't have enough tomato juice to use on them in case of a close encounter of the skunkish kind!
It is also Presidential election season here in France. It's so different than in the U.S. First of all, no television ads. The candidates do get air time to be interviewed and talk about their platforms. They get lots of newspaper coverage and do personal appearances all over the country. Plus, we get flyers and brochures in our mailbox. But, for an American, not being beaten over the head with sensational ads is a real pleasure.
JM and I received our voting registration cards yesterday, so we are both quite happy at that. We did vote in a French presidential election once in L.A., but it was kind of absurd as by the time we cast our ballots, people in France already KNEW who had won! Kind of a pointless action, to be honest. I do look forward to voting here, as it will feel as if there's a possibility our voices make a difference.
The French system is quite different than the American one. First: no Electoral College! I love that, because I think the Electoral College is an outdated, outmoded, completely absurd throw back to a different period of history and should be abolished. I much prefer my vote counting on its own, and not having anything to do with WHERE I cast it.
Second: We vote on Sunday. That means there's no real excuse not to vote; no work, no shopping, just go to your local town hall and cast your ballot. A paper ballot, btw, no computers that can be hacked.
Third: there are two rounds of voting. In the first round there are multiple candidates. The two candidates who get the most votes then go on to a run-off the following week. This is good in one way, as you can vote your conscience in the first round, then the second round lets you pick the candidate whom you hate the least. Of course, this can backfire as it did in the last election, when far right candidate Jean-Marie LePen shocked the entire country by getting enough votes to be in the run off! No one ever thought that would happen, but the candidates on the left split their voters so both were left out in the cold, leaving an opening for LePen. Now, fewer people feel they can take a chance on the first ballot, so it will be interesting to see what happens.
Well, time to go out and see what's happening in the Market. Have a wonderful Easter, eat lots of chocolate and enjoy Spring wherever you are.
Ciao for now,
Randy
Labels: Easter, French elections, spring
