tag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-260700 2008-08-28T11:20:52+02:00 Stories collected while living in France. TypePad tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54794994 2008-08-28T11:20:52+02:00 2008-08-28T20:23:46+02:00

Side by side, not one in front of the other, they sat, listening to each other, without keeping track of time. one by one the pieces of past history, fit into place, and made sense, without calculation or deep observation. Last night after Sacha caught the plane, I drove to my brother's house and we went out to dinner. The conversation was one ready to hatch, full of childhood moments turned into adult observation. As we talked I felt pieces of a puzzle fall into place, a puzzle that I never thought was missing any pieces. Marty, (the oldest of my four brothers) thank you for the moments after dinner, for driving home then turning off the engine and spending time sitting in the pickup truck with me. For shooting the breeze and softly casting stars into the evening sky. Thank you for being like dad, for being emotional available and not in a hurry. What is it about sitting in a car with someone in front of one's home at night that sets the stage- ...like a confessional, like a womb, being in the dark yet with graceful light surrounding the moment. The perfect place to talk... where is...

Corey Amaro tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54741284 2008-08-27T08:31:35+02:00 2008-08-28T19:09:16+02:00

His bags are packed. The ticket bought. Sacha leaves tomorrow. In a few days time I will join my family in France. ...and now months later a deeper reality hits. I will be going home- and as much as I want to go, there is a voice inside that says no and runs. As if going home makes the reality of these seven months more real. I do not do well with goodbyes. This goodbye is a tender bruise. I keeping telling myself I am lucky to have had this time. But that is not the issue. Thinking about it the floodgate opens wide.... Home to home. Hearts carrying more than our 50 pound limit. Bittersweet goodbyes, cracking the surfaces and flooding the damns. Looking back, going forward... that is how it is... Do you have any secrets on how to say goodbye?

Corey Amaro tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54690742 2008-08-26T09:41:37+02:00 2008-08-27T13:14:29+02:00

Maci, my niece, has something to share. She is a bit shy- though her sparkling blue eyes do not portray her as a shy girl...well unless she has her eyes closed. Come on Maci tell me your secret. In French I think they would call her: Coquette! One pearly white, one dent de lait! Maci grins so the last remaining baby tooth can take center stage. I ask, "Do you want to take a bite of an apple?" Maci giggles, "Aunt Coco if I take a bite of an apple my tooth will fall out!" In which I exclaimed, "Exactly! Don't you want the Tooth Fairy to come by?" But before she could answer that I thought to myself, maybe she IS the tooth fairy!

Corey Amaro tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54639480 2008-08-25T09:06:56+02:00 2008-08-27T18:15:51+02:00

Have you ever played along the canal banks...barefoot? Have you ever played tag with a mud ball? Have you ever spent a summer in the country where the only thing you had to worry about was how many days were left of your summer vacation? Do you remember a summer of wide open spaces, cousins galore, & running around in your swimsuit the entire day? A summer where you could run and play from the moment you woke up until the night sky waved you inside? Do you remember feasting on watermelon, corn on the cob with gobs of butter and your Va's homemade cookies? A summer where your heart healed because you relived the footsteps of your past, because you soaked up a life time of memories for tomorrow... because you simply stood on the land that made you who you are? Have you ever felt summer hug you, telling you, "You're free, you're young, you're alive!" And you think it will never be better than this moment? Oh Sacha, when you become a man will you your children have a summer like yours? Will you tell them how you and your cousins coated yourselves in mud and sat...

Corey Amaro tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54609316 2008-08-24T10:19:23+02:00 2008-08-25T18:21:14+02:00

Reading through the comments regarding the post about the, "Lonely French Bull" I was struck by how many of you experienced love at first sight. From the comments it is evident that it doesn't matter what you are doing, or who you are with, or what you are wearing... nor if you are looking for someone to love. Love happens and most often when we least expect it. As my brother Mathew said, "If I had known I was going to meet the love of my life, I would have never worn a pumpkin on my head to the Halloween party. I love Ardi's story: "I chaperoned my sis and her boyfriend when they graduated from high school (yes, back in those days there were still quaint mothers who thought that necessary) as they went on a weekend backpack trip to the ocean. We hiked the 2 1/2 miles to the beach, set up camp and I left them alone as I strolled along the beach. Hubby and his buddy were also backpacking as a mini-celebration from hubby finishing his Journeyman Machinist training. They were in the camp next to ours. They had trouble starting a fire and this former...

Corey Amaro tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54583048 2008-08-23T09:14:59+02:00 2008-08-25T01:31:35+02:00

The question was asked, "If everyday you could have flowers, wine, chocolates, or some other small luxury of choice, what would you want? I rarely buy flowers for myself and yet that would be the small luxury I would pick, (no pun intended) flowers any kind everyday. Photo: A rare treat- French Husband in Westport- after collecting a handful of flowers along the coast.

Corey Amaro tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54446672 2008-08-22T08:59:00+02:00 2008-08-28T06:54:02+02:00

Last night I saw a commercial on TV and it struck me that those cows and I have a great deal in common... A lonely French bull and an American cow who speaks un peu French... or as Sacha, my son said, "Mom, that cow doesn't make sense, her French is terrible." My eyes sparkled and I thought, oh the language of love, some good cheese, a bottle of wine (or should I say milk) and the I Beam.... perfect combo. How did you meet the love of your life... care to share?

Corey Amaro tag:typepad.com,2003:post-54446308 2008-08-21T10:06:37+02:00 2008-08-27T07:02:40+02:00

1. My friends Tom and Sara have asked me to be the Godmother of Baby Daisy. Daisy continues to beat the odds and is a champion of faith. I am honored to be connected to someone who shows courage at a young age. 2. My cousin Daryl gave me a ride in his super duper extra chic and fast car. It went 140 mph in a split second and stopped on a dime. My stomach nearly went through my mouth... I had the urge to scream go faster! Do you know I dreamt of being a race car driver before dreaming of being a nun. Neither dream came true. Though I had a taste of both in my life time. 3. The Honda ninety ride took place, 16 cousins rode to Ferndale, most of them wore something belonging to my dad in their hearts. 4. A friend sent me this song and it really hit home. 5. My first cousins (just the girls and that makes 12 of us on my dad's side of the family) got together for a weekend reunion. My "city cousins" we called them the "city cousins" because they were the only ones who didn't live...

Corey Amaro