Joie de Vivre
I requested two books from Alan this year which he obliged: Joie de Vivre: Simple French Style for Everyday Living and A Year in Provence. I started reading JOIE DE VIVRE yesterday and I managed to finished the chapter on breakfast yesterday afternoon. I enjoy reading the book because of the way Robert Arbor relates the French philosophy about eating, food and life in general. It’s a meticulous guide not just to what they eat, but how they eat it and why they eat it the way they do. Arbor dispenses his own brand of wisdom while giving the reader an insight into his personal history. Each page rings true of the subtitle of the book “Simple French Style for Everyday Living”.
For starters, breakfast is simply toast, butter and/or jam or honey and coffee — but despite what seems to be lean fare, it is a time to spend mulling about the day ahead. As Arbor aptly ends his chapter, he says “My advice to you is to enjoy your breakfast and to give a quick thought to each day’s potential. This is the first big step in discovering joie de vivre.”
So enjoy my breakfast I did, this morning. I’ve finished my toast with Mountain Maid Strawberry Jam (straight from Baguio — I bought it myself during my last trip to Manila in April of this year), and a few dollops of I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT BUTTER. (Okay, it’s NOT butter..) I have my 16 oz Starbucks San Francisco mug here, still half filled with coffee.. Angel is beside me watching Dragon Tales, and we’re just sitting elbow to elbow on the couch, chilling.
I am suddenly reminded I’ve all but given up on my French lessons. Time to get that on my list again. Soon.. Meanwhile, I have to prep my kitchen for the new stove that’s being delivered this afternoon. (See me smiling from ear to ear?)
