French Friday: Le Pont Neuf

le vendredi 13 octobre 2017 (286/365)

« La vie est un pont, traverse-le, mais n'y fixe pas ta demeure. » - Sainte Catherine de Sienne 

Despite its name, Le Pont Neuf ("The New Bridge") is Paris' oldest bridge. It was named Pont Neuf to distinguish it from the older wooden bridges lined with houses that crossed the Seine in the 16th century. Henri III laid the first stone on May 31, 1578 and the bridge was inaugurated in 1607. The Pont Neuf spans the Seine in two sections, one of five arches joining the Left Bank to the Île de la Cité, another of seven joining the island to the Right Bank.  Along the top of the structure, there are 381 stone mascarons, each representing forest and field divinities, satyrs, and sylvains from ancient mythology. I think they are appropriately spooky for today's vendredi treize post!

Bacon's Back!

October 11, 2017 (285/365)

"The things that make me different are the things that make me." - Piglet, Winnie the Pooh

You know it's going to be a good day when it starts with a pig in a pumpkin! Welcome back to PHS, Bacon

🐷 + 🎃 = 💛

Maple Leaves

October 11, 2017 (284/365)

"In October, a maple tree before your window lights up your room like a great lamp. Even on cloudy days, its presence helps to dispel the gloom." - John Burroughs 

The Butterfly Effect

October 9, 2017 (282/365)

“You have been created in order that you might make a difference. You have within you the power to change the world.” - The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters. 

The butterfly effect is a scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the universe forever. At Marquette, we were taught to "Be the Difference," to trust that the smallest acts of kindness, wisdom, and innovation have the power to transform the future. What a wonderful philosophy for educators! It is an awesome task that can leave one feeling a bit battered like that butterfly in this picture. But what could possibly be more important?

Peck & Bushel

October 8, 2017 (281/365)

When I was a little girl, Grandma Dodo always used to sing "I love you a bushel and a peck" before I went to sleep. Today, when I saw the sign for Peck & Bushel, I had to stop to taste some apples and take some photos. Despite all the hype about pumpkin spice, to me, autumn really tastes like apples. My dad would always bring home bags of crisp Macs in early fall and later in the season, bushels of "windfalls" -- imperfect Cortlands for baking. Our garage was perfumed with apples from late September throughout the holidays, and the aroma of tart apples and cinnamon often wafted from the kitchen as my mom made gallons of apple sauce and her weekly apple pie. The sight, smell, and taste of all these apples today combined with that song playing on a loop in my head makes me miss my family even more. Sometimes the simplest memories are the fondest.