I have had cats for my whole life, which means I have been very
lucky. My parents loved cats too, and I think we had cats before
we had dogs as children. But I grew up with both, and Steven
and I have a cat, Monet (a girl), and a dog Sally, (also a girl.)
Today we had breakfast in a French restaurant. Here is some
of a blog post I wrote in the past about French. It leads
at the end to the cat in the drawing. Since I wrote this
post we have been to Paris five times, and I've exhibited
in the Louvre three times. Plus currently we've been
watching a French TV show from France with English
subtitles every night for six months. That definitely
helps. I had a sweet conversation in my stumbly French
with the server this morning.
"I was raised for part of my childhood in Ottawa,
and we started French in school early. I was sad
that some of my understanding disappeared through
lack of use in English Toronto. In recent years our friends
speak more Italian than French. But the roots of the
language linger in my baby girl unconscious.
I was probably five going on six when I first learned
some French words.
Every year we go to Quebec city on our way to Nova
Scotia, and on our way back home to Toronto. I know
enough French to know that I wish I was fluently bilingual.
In Europe children easily learn five or six languages, but
the English in Canada have been somewhat reluctant
to learn even one other language. Some people place
their children in French immersion schools. The school
across the street from our house is a French immersion school.
Falls seems to make us nostalgic. We were talking today
about the great animals we've owned and loved. Here's a
drawing I did of Clown the cat. Indirectly Clown brought
Steven and me together. He took care of the cat for me when
I was away on a trip, because his sister asked him to, and that's
how we met.
So this story loops back, because without Clown,
I wouldn't have met Steven, and without Steven we wouldn't
own a place in Nova Scotia, and without the place in Nova
Scotia, I wouldn't go to Quebec City twice a year, and stumble
through my poor French."
Have a loving your life day!
