When in doubt, sing loud.
Robert Merrill (1957)

Blair and I spent part of the week sending out proposals to paint baseball teams around the US.  We have been "working" the East Coast, where the weather is always sunny.

It's Ascension week in France -- 40 days after Easter when everyone needs a holiday. It always rains Ascension week here-- I dash outdoors during sunbreaks with my paints to record the new trees in the Jardin Luxembourg:  palms, empress trees in purple bloom, a bright orange beech.

Many businesses are closed for the long weekend.  We've had lots of guests.  O, the piano player from upstairs has two new lovebirds:  Nestor and Katja.  I told him that Mozart was reputed to have starlings that could sing his music back to him.  O  invited us up to meet the new stars, and have a glass of scotch.  I was ready to sing with the birds, but instead we came downstairs and I made risotto and salad.  We talked about Wagner -- O is writing about philosophy and music.  "One of our first dates was to hear an episode of Wagner's "Ring" series," we confessed.  We left the theatre and rode on the bumper cars at Seattle Center after intermission.

Conducteur is the French word for driver.  It also means to direct, to lead, as it does in English.  Chef d'orchestre -- leader of the band.

A musical friend from Philadelphia arrived this week.  He has two musically gifted (adult) children -- we listened to his daughter's latest CD over dinner.  R himself conducted the Lutheran choir in Chicago, and now has a classical radio program.  We discussed the different view of the world from outside of America.  I got on my tirade against the Mafia and the effect they are having on the second and third worlds -- who do you think sells Iraq all those plastic explosives, anyway?  As we sit in our living room chuckling over the Sopranos, the Mafia exploits Bulgaria.

We decided to take the airplane to Rome on Thursday, rather than drive.  Michelin's estimate for gas and tolls is 200 Euros one way, 14 hours straight through.  Although Blair is a good conducteur, my shelf life is about three hours.

A third friend came for dinner this week (gorgonzola penne with black peppercorns).  We told her people have been reluctant to admit we are Americans -- a man at the Cafe Doucet insisted we should be voting against Tony Blair this Thursday.  "It's because you are so polite," she stated. "I have had terrible Americans in the store today -- won't say hello, bonjour...nothing!"  We learned new words for "to have a lot of nerve" and "inconsiderate".  I die a thousand deaths when I hear things like this -- Blair and I work hard to be ambassadors, knowing that all Americans will be judged here by our individual actions.  In parochial school, I often had a bad mark in conduct -- too much laughing and life enjoyment.

To conduct electricity, the new plasma physics power plant is being built in Cadarache, France.  We were just there one month ago meeting a young friend's pen pal.  In fact the pen pal's father is a plasma physicist working on this new ITER project.  The hydrogen plasma torus produces megawatts at over 100 million degrees celsius. Nuclear power is the main energy source here in France. Responsibility (responsibilite) is also a French word.  I am not nervous about such power here.  The main thing is responsible disposal of spent fuel, something Technology Review assures me is just around the corner.

I've gotten a few preliminary responses on the pitcher painting proposal:  one good for next year; a couple of no-s, and some friendly offers to help.  Meanwhile, I'll guess I'll just sing loud.

NOTE: for over 30 years, Robert Merrill, a well known operatic baritone, sang the Star-Spangled Banner at opening day (and selected other games) for the New York Yankees.  He died last year watching the first game of the world series.



Laurie (painting and text) and Blair PESSEMIER
"Conductor" acrylic on wood  20 x 6 inches