Circling with grace

"She had always known a thousand ways to circle them all around with what must have seemed like grace. She knew a thousand songs. Her bread was tender and her jelly was tart, and on rainy days she made cookies and applesauce. In the summer she kept roses in a vase on the piano, huge pungent roses, and when the blooms ripened and the petals fells, she put them in a tall Chinese jar, with cloves and thyme and sticks of cinnamon. Her children slept under starched sheets under layers of quilts, and in the morning her curtains filled with light the way sails fill with wind." from the book Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

Today, I am tempted to scurry around like a crazy woman. There is a lot to do to get ready for Andrew's graduation party/cookout tonight. I often get frazzled in this type of situation and become a not very nice mother as I give sharp orders and frowningly rush around. Instead, I have purposed to look for ways to circle my boys with what, I hope, will feel like grace. Mom sets the tone, you know, and I am praying for ways to make it a sweet, hard-working, happy day with grace circles surrounding my helping boys.

A plug for farrier services and cowboy gear

One of the things I enjoyed while we were in NY state was watching my son-in-law, Luke, at work. He is something of a jack of all trades - or at least many trades - but his favorite pursuits these days include his work as a farrier and his growing business making custom tack. Whether he is shoeing a horse or stitching a pair of chaps, he is a craftsman. The quality shows in all he does. Enjoy a few pictures of him at work in the barn and in the shop at home. If you ever have a need for farrier services (in and around Hoosick Falls, NY) or a need for a very special item of custom tack (anywhere in the world!), I'll leave a link in the sidebar.

This is what a farrier does...

And this is the workshop of Luke's custom tack business,
Cuero Buckaroo Gear. Check it out!

We're home!

Talk about hitting the ground running. We drove for 13 hours yesterday and rolled in the driveway just in time to grab shin guards and head back out the door for soccer try-outs for Joel; songs from Hairspray, a musical offering by the high school musical theater class at Old Courthouse for Matthew (he was in the audience, not the cast this time); a rehearsal for playing his cello in a wedding this weekend for Andrew; and a visit to a special person for Thomas. I hung out at the soccer tryout while Coty got some much needed rest. He did, after all, do ALL the driving - all 13 hours! Thanks, sweetheart. It was a little crazy to arrive home after being away for a week and turn right around and get back into the car. But it all worked out fine and we knew it was all coming and we didn't want to shorten our time with Erin and Luke and leave earlier, so it was worth it.

Today has been quiet and calm with loads of laundry to do, some back to school work for three boys, and some work on the conference talk for me. Andrew is at another prom tonight - his second this spring. Thomas left a couple of hours ago to go to camp for the weekend to work on his lifesaving certification. Joel is just back from the second night of soccer tryouts and Matthew and I have enjoyed the quiet here this evening. I guess it still sounds like there's a lot going on. I suppose there always is - but it has been so peaceful here today as we get unpacked and settle back in. At least that's how it has felt for me. I've been moving slowly and deliberately today.

Here's a little more on our trip. After graduation, we enjoyed another night with Jonathan and then headed out to Hoosick Falls to see Erin and Luke. Our time there included cleaning out their storeroom and priming the insides of a few drawers and cabinets, a trail ride with Erin on a gorgeous day for Matthew and me, visits with old friends and walks to old haunts, a family movie outing, lots of hugs, shoulder and foot rubs and just good times together. Of course, Coty read to us all as we sat around the table in Erin's kitchen. Our current read-aloud is Bleak House by Charles Dickens and we have all decided that Coty is a much better reader than the lady on the Librivox recording that we listened to in the car. We all told him that someday he should do a recording of a Dicken's novel. He is such an excellent out-loud reader. Voices and expression, proper emotion and pauses in just the right places. We all agree! Not only do you do all the driving, but you do the best reading. Again, thanks sweetheart!

Here are a few pictures from the trip:

The view across the road from Erin's house.

The barns at the back of the neighboring field.

Big boys making delicious pizzas for dinner in Erin's kitchen.

Joel and Andrew exploring the Green River - behind our old house.


Broad Brook - one of Coty's favorite places in the whole world,

and the rocks in the brook where he used to go to pray.

After visiting these places, it's always rather hard for me to come back to suburbia. It is so beautiful and so non-cookie cutter in this particular part of New England/New York. But even as we enjoyed the joys of that old home, we talked of what we love about where we are now. And when we stepped out of the car last night, we breathed in the sweet smell of southern spring and felt the warmth of a North Carolina May evening. So, really, I do feel incredibly blessed...sometimes just about full to bursting with family, these places, these friends - old and new. It was a good trip. And it's good to be home again.

On a picture perfect New England spring day...

...the chairs were lined up on the quad and flags waved in the
breeze as families and friends gathered.

The band tuned up...

The faculty lined up and headed toward the quad,

followed by robed graduates, marching in by departments.
When the students neared the seating area, the orchestra
launched into the familiar and moving strains of
Pomp and Circumstance.

Jonathan's Graduation day from Gordon College.
Looks like he was enjoying it!

He graduated Summa Cum Laude with
Departmental Honors in International Affiars.
Lots and lots of hard work (especially this last year as he
completed his research and wrote a senior thesis)
was honored on this day.

He celebrated with two of his roommates, a dear friend, and many others...

including his brothers...

and sister. Erin graduated two years ago and
enjoyed visiting with professors and friends
from her time at Gordon.

Bapa and Grammie, Coty's parents, joined us for the celebration.
We were all so thankful for a sunny beautiful day.

And, of course, Coty and I were thrilled and thankful for all that
Jonathan has accomplished by God's grace and mercy
and in His strength these last four years.


J stays in the Gordon area for a few weeks before heading to India to work in an orphanage and travel for a few weeks. Back to Boston for the fall and then to Cairo after Christmas
to work as the Residence Life and Program Intern for the
Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities
Middle East Studies Program.

Congratulations, sweetheart!! More adventures ahead...

Yesterday in the garden

I worked for about four hours in the garden yesterday. Transplanted more basil and seven different types of peppers, moved the gaura (butterfly-like flowers) to their front garden spot, pruned the butterfly bush way back, pruned a couple of azaleas, prepared a spot for the coral bells that will get moved later this afternoon, readied the terrace bed for tomatoes, transplanted several more herbs (dill, parsley, chives, Vietnamese cilantro, stevia, spearmint) into pots or spots in the garden, pulled out bolting chard plants and cut lots more lettuce, cleared the front garden pathway and mulched the hydrangea, and dreamed about what to do with the front garden and all the perennials that I got for a buck a pot last fall. Looks like they may just stay in the beds they were plunked down in because they're looking very healthy and happy and it's probably too late to transplant them. I'm going to have Asiatic lilies and obedient plant in bloom before too long, I think. And for the first time, my comfrey is blooming. I also have flax that I planted from seed last summer ready to move to a sunnier spot. This is one of my favorite perennial flowers with it's pure pale blue, five petaled flowers that wave on slender stems. It'll take center stage in the front garden just because I love it so much.

When I work in the garden, I alternate between feeling overwhelmed and delighted by this acre of land. It has lots of big trees and sometimes seems like it just wants to go wild. It doesn't want to be a garden. It wants to revert to forest again. If I just left all the oak leaves where they fell and gave up raking and cultivating, we'd have a forest in a few years, I do believe. On the other hand, when I dig and add compost, plant, prune, transplant, water and harvest, I feel such delight. My garden is co-existing with the trees. I may yet cut a couple to let in a bit more sunshine, but I do love they way they define this place. Most everyone that comes to my house comments on the trees and how shady and cool it is here in the summertime when other denuded, treeless neighborhoods are sweltering.

After coming in from the work, tired but satisfied, I sat down with a cup of tea to read. I checked Tonia's blog, Study In Brown and found this video which you might enjoy - if you are a gardener and dream of growing more food. It's about nine minutes long so do what I did, settle down with a cup of tea and enjoy.

That prompted me to look up John Jeavons online. I worked with John back in the late '70's/early 80's when he was still in Palo Alto. He gave me my start in gardening at the Ecology Action Research garden which is now located in Willits, CA. Check out his website and the Bountiful Gardens website, too, if you're interested in small scale sustainable agriculture. I'm excited that John is going to be in NC in October and hope I'll get to hear him speak and reconnect in person after many years!

Good old cat

Our good old cat, Madison (named after the president we were studying when we got the kitty 11 years ago) has just gotten sweeter in his old age. He's a bit slower these days and likes nothing better than to find the patch of sun that comes in the family room in the early morning, wash himself, and settle down for a long nap.

A unique Mother's Day

I am almost bleary-eyed tired but I have to say that this was the most unique Mother's Day I have ever had. I spent it helping friends welcome a new little one into the world. For those of you who know the Halls, Levi Matthew was born at 3:34 this afternoon and weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces. He was born at home and Karen and baby - and Jacob, Isabelle, and Ezra are doing great! I had the rare privilege of serving as doula for the family and loved assisting at the home birth by running up and down the stairs to fetch needed items, holding children so they could see the newborn, refilling Karen's juice glass, changing sheets, encouraging mama and papa through the process and just being there to do whatever else needed doing. The midwife and her assistant were calm, competent, and warm. It was a beautiful, peaceful, joyous birth. (Karen may not have thought so in the process, but her feelings afterward confirmed that description). What a way to spend Mother's Day!

I came home this evening to gifts that waited for me - beautiful flowers and my favorite candy, a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure (woohoo - haven't done that in years!), a lovely new shirt in a beautiful shade of blue that Thomas said made him think of me when he saw it, and a very cool coffee mug from a very cool son. I talked to my far-away children on the phone and got to eat strawberries and whipped cream. It was a delightful end to an amazing day.

I'll write more tomorrow, perhaps, but for now I head wearily upstairs...thankful, thankful, thankful.

Reflections on Mother's Day Eve

Today was a day that made this mother proud. May I brag a moment?

Joel played in his last soccer game of the season this morning. It was probably his best game yet. He assisted on the first goal and scored the second. He played the entire game and demonstrated how much he has learned this season. He has progressed from a player who was a little lost on the field and clearly surpassed in technique by his more experienced teammates into a fine soccer player who is a tough, tenacious presence on the field. Whether his team is ahead or behind, he never quits. He plays hard and makes things happen. He doesn't have the most finesse, doesn't dribble as well as others, and still has lots to learn about defending, but he has done well. He smiles and says thank you so humbly to the other parents who offer congratulatory remarks after the game. Even to his mom who pours out praise, he replies simply and quietly, "Thanks."

What makes me so happy is not how well he has played, but how hard he has worked and how tough he has shown himself to be, joining the team not knowing any of the boys and making a place for himself by his hard work and team play. If I were a coach, he's the kind of kid I'd want on my team.

Humor me a little more, please...

Tonight I went for the second time to see the musical, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." The director told a story before the show about one of the cast members who was skeptical about doing a musical. He didn't have much confidence in himself as a singer and just wasn't sure he wanted to do it. He asked for a small part so she gave it to him - she gave Matthew the part of Schroeder. Yes, he was the skeptic - not too sure of himself and especially of his singing ability. But he did a fabulous job, learning in the process how very much he likes to sing and gaining confidence as he worked overtime learning his part. All of the cast members were clearly having a blast as they sang, danced, and acted. After thunderous applause they returned to the stage for an encore rendition of the title song. I don't know when I've seen Matthew smile so big!

Now again, the reason this is so special is not because of how well he did, but because of how hard he worked, how much he learned and grew, and how much joy he had in doing it. Like Joel on the soccer team, Matthew joined the Studio Theater class not knowing anyone and never having done musical theater. Over the course of several months he developed skills he didn't know he had and he made some new friends, too. It was fun to watch the cast hugging each other after the applause finally died down. At the moment, they are celebrating together...as they should!

And I am celebrating - quietly, in my heart tonight - for the accomplishments of sons who are willing to try, willing to work, willing to learn and unwilling to quit. I am thankful for coaches and directors who inspire, teach, and encourage. For teammates and cast members who work hard, spur each other on, and laugh together.

I feel like a very blessed mother tonight - grateful, indeed, for the gifts God has given in these boys, growing quickly into manhood. And I haven't even begun to muse about the other three sons and the precious daughter and son-in-law. Thank you, Lord God, for the privilege of being the mother of these children. Surely, my cup overflows!

Taking the plunge - Day 3

It's getting easier. Coty tells me the water is warmer...by 1 degree to be exact, which he usually is (exact, I mean) about such things. I'm not too sure I could tell a difference when I dove in! But it was easier to get in the "zone" and stroke, stroke, stroke.

I added another minute to the swim and 50 more crunches afterwards for grand totals of 17 and 100! And I was informed that I was lifting not 10 but 25 pounds yesterday. The bar weighs 15. What do I know!

Keeping track from now on in the sidebar as I go for consistency in daily exercise.

Taking the plunge - Day 2

I skipped a couple of days - just not enough time - but yesterday took the plunge again. The water was colder!!!! Andrew was swimming laps at the same time and urged me in as I stood, wavering on the edge, my mind back and forth, "Should I dive now...no, not yet. Now, oh, I don't know. It's gonna be cold. Yes, no, yes, no."

"Just jump in," he coaxed, "you'll warm up quickly."

5-4-3-2-1.....SPLASH!!!

"Oh, my goodness, it's cold!!" Stroke, stroke, kick, kick, no breath all the way to the edge, turn quickly, swim hard. And finally, after a couple of laps, the breathing evens out and the rhythm slows and the blood is pumping and the body warmer and I glide, back and forth, back and forth, the length of the short pool, having to stop and turn way too soon, but it's better than not swimming. I love very long pools where you swim forever before having to turn. But this will do. Very nicely.

I added a minute to my swim time. Just a little more each time as I build up slowly. In addition to the swim, I'm doing my crunches and yesterday added a teensy bit of lifting with the weights. The boys in the garage playing ping-pong remarked with surprise, "Are you going to bench press!?"

Well, I don't know if you call lifting 10 pounds bench pressing. Do not laugh, younger male readers with big muscles. It's a small start and mainly to give me weight bearing exercise to keep middle-aged bones from becoming brittle. And I have to start small and go slowly so that I can keep going for the long haul.

I am thankful for the encouragement my husband and sons give me to exercise. I know this body is aging. "Outwardly wasting away," wrote the apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 4:16). But as long as I have breath, I am called with all believers to "glorify God in my body." (1 Corinthians 6:19). Surely this means not just avoiding the negatives (sexual immorality and harmful excess in eating and drinking) but also making the positives, exercise and healthy eating, a part of my daily routine.

For far too long, I have been on again/off again in both eating and exercising. I am striving for more consistency in this area - and in others. How about you?

Thanking God for the...

82. trees all around my house that are now completely clothed in their summer foliage, still brilliant spring green, so full of life.

Trees give the garden its voice, murmuring in breezes, roaring in storms: their branches are choir stalls for the birds. -Carol Williams in Bringing a Garden to Life

I love Williams' words. This morning I heard the voice of my garden in the breeze as light rain and soft breezes murmured in the canopy. The other day, I stood on the top terrace, weeding, and heard its voice roar. I knew the wind was coming before I felt it, its arrival announced in the rustling of the trees as a gust of wind shook and sounded through the leaves before the oncoming storm. And, oh my yes, the bird choir from arboreal choir stalls sings joyous songs each morning. I am an eager and enthralled audience.

And God said, Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth. And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, palnts yielding seed according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. - Genesis 1:11-12

Yes, I am very thankful for the trees. At this season, fully leafed and verdant, they speak of abundance and grace, of sheltering and provision. God who made trees to be all of this, is himself the God of abundant grace and sheltering provision. Praise Him!

Taking the plunge - Day 1

This may be the earliest I have ever taken the plunge...in the backyard pool, that is. I am not a polar bear like the men in my family. I like the air to be hot and the water at least not freezing when I swim. I usually wait til sometime in June to go in. But I decided to be brave today. Several folks were in the pool yesterday afternoon and said it was nice. So, I gave it a go this afternoon.

It took me about two minutes of strenuous swimming to get over the shock of the cold water. Yes, family member reading this, I know I am a wimp when it comes to water temperature. But aren't you proud of me for not jumping right back out. New goggles, nice and snug, and sunshine, nice and warm, were strong incentives. I swam for 15 minutes and enjoyed the last 13 minutes immensely. I know, I know, that's not very long, but I'm building up and babying my shoulder a little. Don't want swimming to make it freeze up again.

Ah, swimming makes you feel like nothing else. Tired, energized, hungry! It was great. Can't wait for tomorrow afternoon's swim. Wonder how many days in a row I can keep it up?! We'll see....

Another benefit of exercise is that is always makes me feel like eating very healthy food so tonight's dinner was sauteed peppers (3 kinds - poblano, hungarian wax, and red bell) plus onion, tomatos and corn with lots of chili powder and coriander. Only thing missing was cilantro but I was out. This colorful saute went over brown rice with a tall glass of cantaloupe smoothie on side. The smoothie had cantaloupe, mint, banana, apple, buttermilk, lemon juice, ice, and just a little sugar. Very refreshing.

Oh yeah, summer's a comin'!

Another reason to plant more greens

Pond scum...er...green smoothies.

Thanks to Tonia's post back in March, I have been experimenting with green smoothies. Yes, they do look a bit like pond scum but the ingredients are far more appealing than algae, plankton, and muddy water. I am still trying various combinations but here are some of the ingredients I like to use:

some type of green (romaine or green leaf lettuce from the garden and spinach are my favorites but I've tried collards and chard)
apples
bananas
frozen berries
a little ground flax seed
water or apple juice
lemon juice
fresh mint from the garden.

I chop the greens and put them in the blender with the fruits, enough water to get it all spinning and some ice. Blend well and drink. If I have extra, I save it in the fridge for the next day. Several servings of fresh, raw fruits and veggies with all their nutrients in an easy, tasty drink. I'm hooked.

As the title says, this is another reason to grow more greens. It is very easy to plant lots of lettuce. Romaine is the most healthy. Spinach is also easy to grow in the spring and chard will go all through the summer. Kale and collards are also garden staples and I'll be planting more of them soon. Of course, mine are organic and much cheaper than buying organic greens at the store. And it is very satisfying to walk out the back door, pick a mess of greens and a handful of mint and create a tasty, nourishing drink. Very satisfying! Even Joel likes them...as long as they don't taste toooo green.

Birds of the air

Thanking God today for winged creatures...







77. The wood thrush whose "hauntingly beautiful" song I hear in the wee hours of the morning and through the day as he sings in the woods behind the house. Often heard, seldom seen.




78. The ruby throated hummingbird sipping nectar from fuschia azaleas.




79. The barred owl, who calls at night, "Who, who, whooo cooks for you?!" and who together with his mate cackles and caterwauls in the nearby oaks.





80. Baby bluebirds in the front garden box and their fragile cheeping as they await food from busy mama bird.






81. Carolina wrens, maybe my favorites, nesting in the garage again.

Expectations and greater purposes:A little retreat

Things are not always what the appear to be. Right? Well, Coty and I experienced that on Sunday night when we arrived at the lovely stone house on the mountaintop where we went for our annual two night get-away. Coty had done his research and found what appeared to be a beautiful and inexpensive place that catered to people in ministry, offering a quiet place for rest, reflection, and relaxation.

I am always glad that my husband makes the plans for this yearly retreat. He always comes up with interesting and beautiful places. This time he didn't fail. He did his homework carefully. What appeared, on the website, to be a lovely home really was...from the outside. But when we walked inside, oh my goodness! It was very cluttered, rather dirty, dark, and musty. The furnishings seemed to be thrift store leftovers - not that you can't get great things at the thrift store, but still...I was disappointed.

Unfortunately, instead of laughing at our situation, I got sad. This was our one time away this year together and we were staying here! In this musty old house! I felt so let down. I got quiet and cried. My disappointment crowded out everything else, and what should have been a lovely evening became rather silent, brooding and unpleasant.

If that wasn't bad enough, when we went to find something to eat, the restaurants in the small village close-by were either closed or very expensive. We ended up going down the road a ways to the Super Walmart (the only grocery store in town....gag!) to buy a few items for our meal. By this time, I was not hungry, not happy, and not helpful. We managed to get some salad, fruit, yogurt, and tea and went back to the house. I still felt miserable. I was disappointed in the situation and in myself. Self-pity was ruling and I was unable (unwilling!) to turn the corner and be thankful to be away with my husband, no matter what the setting. We could have been in a tent in the pouring rain but we had a warm house and food to eat. What couldn't I be happy?

Morning was not much better. I was still disappointed and still having a hard time breaking out of it. Oh, I am slow. God is, thankfully, very, very patient and gracious. So is my husband. Instead of the whole time away being a disaster of the first degree, God had his plans. Plans which were not mine.

My poor reaction brought out some issues that had been under the surface for awhile. They came pouring out Monday morning in a torrent of tears. Coty and I wrestled with them, talking on the couch in that big old cluttered room. I think now that if we had arrived at a lovely, clean, perfectly appointed, beautifully furnished home or hotel with a lovely four course meal, we would not have scratched the surface of the deep issues that needed addressing.

After talking together that morning, life seemed back on track, our relationship restored and our time away rescued from disaster. We went out to lunch at the cafe that had been closed the night before and it was wonderful. It was so good we ordered a second meal to be boxed up that we could eat that night back at the house. Good thinking! Then we drove down the Blue Ridge Parkway and took a hike to a waterfall, passing lots of wildflowers along the way and breathing in the sweet air of the mountain stream and surrounding forest with its massive rhododendrons. It was a lovely hike. One of many that we have shared together over the years.

Back at the house, I was at last able to see the humor in the whole situation and thank God for letting us start out our time away on a rocky note. We sat in the potentially beautiful great room with its walnut paneling, high ceiling and exposed beams, its picture window overlooking the mountains in the distance and played Upwords, read books, and wrote. Coty sketched out a sermon series and I worked on my stitchery project. It was just what we wanted to be doing, resting and relaxing together. The surroundings really didn't matter.

Tuesday morning we visited the other restaurant, the one that was too expensive for dinner, and had breakfast, peering out windows that spanned the width of the dining room at gardens and birds and mountains. We had the sweetest waitress ever, very southern, very mountain. Her manner was quiet, gentle, and kind and we felt very blessed by her gracious attention.

Home again to boys who took good care of each other in our absence. Thanks, guys!

There is lots to learn from our little get-away. We have been married 28 plus years and we are still stumbling, picking ourselves back up, crying, talking, laughing, loving. Marriage is never static. I am very, very thankful that my husband doesn't give up on me. I don't give up on him, either. We're both a mess sometimes but we're a mess together, striving to help each other grow more and more toward the beauty of Godliness. We will never do that apart from each other since God has taken our two lives and made them one.

I come back from that retreat thinking more than ever about the blessedness of a covenant relationship that weathers little showers and big storms to emerge again and again into the sunshine of joy. A covenant relationship that takes unmet expectations, wrestles with them, and looks for God's purposes in disappointment. A covenant relationship in which we remind each other through all of life's vicissitudes, that God is faithful and that He will keep us walking together. Lord willing, we have many more hikes to take together. And more sweet retreats - no matter what the setting! House or tent, clean or musty, gourmet meal or Walmart salad! As long as I'm with my husband and together, we are in Christ.

It's decided!

Andrew signed on the line and sent in his deposit. He is now a member of the class of 2012 at.....Furman University. He had an overnight campus visit a week ago which confirmed his leaning. He hopes to study French and Political Science (with a focus on international affairs). He'd like to play the cello in the orchestra. He has also applied for a summer trip to China which is open to 12 incoming students. We're waiting to hear about that. Great things ahead!

We have now guided four children through high school at home and navigated the college admission/decision process together. What a journey! Two more to go. I am so very thankful for the Lord's leading and provision for our children in this area. He has provided abundantly above and beyond what we could have imagined. We are blessed and grateful.

Number one son finishes college soon, graduating May 17. Wow! Those four years flew by. Jonathan will be going to India this summer to work in an orphanage for several weeks and do some traveling. Then he'll be back to the Boston area for a few months before leaving again for Egypt after Christmas. He will spend 2009 as the program intern in the Middle East Studies Program that he attended as a student back in the fall of 2006.

Why such an international focus for these sons? I think a big part of it was our year in Cameroon (2001/02). Eyes were opened to different cultures and languages and hearts moved to travel beyond the borders of our typical American lifestyle. I have a feeling these two boys will be living abroad more in the years ahead. They are both gaining facility in new languages, Jonathan in Arabic and Andrew in French, and both strive for fluency. Living where you have to speak the language is critical. Really knowing a language is a key to really getting inside a culture and coming to true understanding. Study abroad was a highlight of Jonathan's college years and Andrew already has hopes of spending at least a semester and maybe a year in France as part of his studies. Hope I can visit!