Top to Bottom: Kremlin Façade 1969 (note the changes); St. Basil's Cathedral under renovation 1969; Our guide, Sacha, negotiating our entry to Lenin's Mausoleum (Skip says he told the guards we were American dissidents-- so we were able to jump to the front of a very long line.); Outside the Kremlin, a picture of "Kansas" in the background, the guy who was responsible for our 8 hour delay at the Russian border because of his playboy magazines. Judy Farrar and Skip who is getting a free Russian shoe-shine in Moscow. Judy and me in front of the famous "Aurora Cruiser" in Leningrad (now, St. Petersburg, of course).

Speaking of Russia, here are a few snapshots that might ring a bell. Here we are in the train, going to or leaving Russia, clockwise : Skip, Judy, Linda, Maggie and Kim.

Bordeaux wines

The Soulful Side of Bordeaux (NYTimes article sent by Susan Grayson)

Leslie Gerson and Aleen Grabow meet at Leslie's

Leslie and Aleen discovered, thanks to Anna Kay, that we are both Foreign Service employees--Leslie for over 30 years and Aleen relatively recently as a third/fourth/fifth (you tell them, Aleen!) career. Aleen is a regional medical officer-psychiatrist tranferring from her first post in Moscow to her second in Beijing. She takes care of all of us Foreign Service officers and our family members with mental and emotional health issues. Last night we recalled our spring 1969 trip to Moscow, then-Leningrad, and Warsaw that I am sure a few others of you were on too. Aleen is sending the photos to go with this commentary so stay posted. We both are looking forward to our reunion--whenever that may be.

 Aleen and Leslie at Leslie's, August 2010

Micro-reunion chez Meredith à Lézignan

Driving past Pezenas on our way home from the Ardèche last week, Alain and I stopped in Lézignan la Cèbe to see/meet Meredith and Jean Pierre.  Sorry the photo of Meredith and Anna Kay is blurry.  We'll just have to schedule another "photo-op" date, Meredith!

 Anna-Kay (Ross Bourg) and Meredith (Schuyten Escudier)

 Alain (Bourg) and Jean Pierre (Escudier)

Le Conjugueur du Figaro

Language teachers say one has to work on both "fluency" and "accuracy" in a foreign language and that most learners are better at one than the other... which means you have to work hardest at the one you are least good at :-(    Although I have never had any trouble speaking French, writing is something else again.  After 48 years, including 40 married to a Frenchman, almost 40 spent living in France and 30 as a translator, I am still not comfortable with written French.  For those of you out there who are like me, here's a super-duper site I just happened onto.  http://www.leconjugueur.com/frconjonline.php  The author also sells a modestly-priced  downloadable version that enables the user to work offline.

I happened onto this when typing the sentence "Je ne me suis pas relu/relue" in an email and was wondering whether or not to faire l'accord. Le conjugueur not only has a complete conjugation of the verb "relire", but also of "se relire", "se relire" + negative, "se relire" + question, "se relire" + negative + question, and for both men and women speakers... 

New, updated, list coming out soon.

Bises, Anna Kay

Trish Cunningham

I, too, am also not in that picture, although I do recognize some good friends right in the front row. Maggie and Jane and I traveled a lot, a whole lot, during the year. Don't remember much about my classes. I never lived in the dorms at all. I shared an attic with another girl from our group, and a French student. When I wasn't traveling, I spent weekends with my French family, winemakers in Berson, a whole experience in itself. I can't say I remember too many people from the American group but it is fun to reconnect. I live in Alaska now for the past 35 years and have done many Alaskan things. No they don't speak French here, but it is a different country from the Lower '48. Anybody can contact me, although you probably don't remember me either. Trish