The cat posse is ready for my full undivided attention.
Check this out of your public library. It’s great.
Flower offerings from a friend.
Dear Ma & Aunty Critch a bunch of dipshits have taken over the White House. What are we gonna do?
Solace in books!
Let’s go on a long walk under an oak canopy.
The clouds have secret messages to deliver.
Liseli and I went for lovely walk this morning.
The colors of spring in the city of angels.
Which area shall I relocate to? Hmmm…
It all started with this free book from the library.
Rereading this. So good! The first time I listened to the audio version.
Study the bees. They have all the answers.
Back when I was a little 12 y.o. Now I’m going to retire. What do you think of that Ma?
The way forward.
Balancing act.
I’ve abandoned succulents and am going all in on geraniums.
Greetings middle-aged mammals. By that I mean senior mammals, but that doesn’t have the same ring exactly. It’s a cool grey day in the city of angels. Spring break for the teachers of my district. Retirement draws near. I only have to drive to the salt mines 34 more times. 34 more entries in my classroom journal. This is going to be another random thought postcard. Whatever pops into my head. My fingers are taking dictation and the teacher brain is not going back to edit.
France has entered from stage left and I am watching Adrian Leeds non-stop on the Youtube. It started with a free book at the library and has escalated. You know how these things go. Anything I find on YT about solo, single women over 60 moving to France. I’m there.
A delicate new shoot has risen to the foreground in the fertile soil of my fresh spring mind. A lovely idea of retiring to another land. Moving off to live another life. A land with world class healthcare, cheaper property, a more social lifestyle, a departure from car culture. The south of France is calling my name. Remember the sea-side-trailer-park-commune-for-little-old-ladies idea I’ve shared over the years? Can we do it in France? Let’s dream big, gentle readers!
I’ve begun French lessons via comprehensible input with Alice Ayel (24 euros for 3 months) and Lucas
My mind is in retirement bliss mode. Imagining all that my still young life has in store for me.
I’m utterly sick of all the manure the trump regime is throwing on our democracy. His fawning meetings with other dictators. Rounding up innocent people and sending them off to Salvadoran torture chambers. Bullying our free press and universities. Intimidating our trans friends. Erasing Black history in the Smithsonian. Supporting Israel in its destruction of Gaza. Deliberately tanking our economy all for ego gratification. His idiotic Christian handmaidens wearing their crosses and parading their “faith” while at the same time supporting violent, oppressive, unjust policies. The entire thing is a disgrace to our country. If you have a different opinion than I, feel free to write about it on your own platform. I won’t give space for supportive comments or opinions on the shameful dictator and his goon squad & billionaire boy’s club. NO! This is no time for staying silent and I won’t. Let’s make a racket together. Scream it from the rooftops. Somethings wrong and the little old ladies of America aren’t going to stand for it.
resistance reading & watching resources
PUBLIC CITIZEN’s newsletter is awesome!
Please share your own in the comments! There are so many more that I enjoy and I’ll be sharing regularly.
I hope you’re making good trouble in your own neck of the woods. Keep me updated on every last thing. Travels, books, walks, dreams, and resistance of all forms.
Making good trouble here, protesting in the state capital. I feel like we’re living in 1939 again, where “undesirables” are forced to sell their belonging for pennies on the dollar and “self-deport” to another land. Or be rounded up and sent to a place of horrors beyond imagining. So we do all we can, in our own limited ways. Yet also, we have to be a part of a life that goes on. My sister said yesterday, “you know, the people who lived in the time of the Decline of the Roman Empire probably found good things in their lives to be happy about. Babies born, wine on the veranda, a spring day sitting in the grass.” We have to stand up for what we believe, but also try and carve out whatever happiness is available to us. For me, that’s moving home to CA. For you, 34 more days, and then being able to use the bathroom, step outside, or take a walk whenever you damn well please (self-autonomy was the biggest pleasant surprise of retirement from teaching for me lol). You’re almost there!
You are preaching to the choir, Mary Ann. Congrats on your imminent retirement. We, too, think often of moving to France. I’m nearly 85 years old, though, so it may just be too late for me. Like others, I adore Heather Cox Richardson. Jennifer Rubin, Robert Reich, Andrew Weissman, Steven Beschloss, Joyce Vance, Harry Pitman, Paul Krugman, any number of others on Substack now. I fear we are just on the cusp of a huge explosion, as people finally realize just how horrible things have gotten, and are at the point of saying, “Enough is enough!”
Ooops, that should have been Harry Litman, but auto-correct changed it…grrrr!
Great resources, Dianne. I thank you for them. The tide may yet turn. I think it will.
Sister! Departement 11! Aude! in Occitanie! Southwest-ish France! A great place to live. Cheap real estate! Come to visit!
Also, a general service announcement! Any friends of MAM are friends of mine! Anyone interested in my area in the S of France, near the Spanish border, get in touch! faithmclellan@gmail.com. Hope to see loads of you in our area!
On my way!
Congrats on your retirement, MAM! Though I’m usually quiet I love following your adventures all these years.
I listen to the Daily Beans podcast for news with swearing and Good Trouble actions.
Do you know the Join Us in France podcast? Highly recommend not only for art, food and travel tips but there are many eps about relocating to France.
Ohhhh I don’t know of anything you speak. I am thusly EXCITED to research especially the Join Us podcast. Can’t thank you enough for chiming in, Jill. xo
Loved every word, every beautiful photo… count me among the anti dipshits xox
We are thinking the same. I too am exploring the south of France for my retirement and I’m scouring both YouTube and Substack for those who have gone before. I need the moderate climate having been a Floridian my whole life. I am waiting for my beloved felines to pass though , because I dare not impose that kind of move and stress on their precious 13 and 14 year old selves. So I rent for now and wait. And hope it is not too late when the day comes. I also follow your resisters and many more. Check out critical resistance on Substack.
Beth, I understand about your fur people. I myself would have to grind my own raw cat food for Otto & Iris from fresh rabbits that I believe are available from a small butcher. Somewhere in France. Most raw isn’t commercially available in France and my dearly beloveds can’t eat regular cat food. I’m so happy to find others here in the comments that are on the same page of the same book as myself. Thrilling!
Go Mary Ann G0! I’m all for your consideration to move to France. I’d do it in a minute if we could. I’ve got a few books in rotation about Americans moving across the Atlantic to sweet France. I am totally excited for you. Jumping up and down cheer mode (that’s saying a lot for this 66 yo) anyhoo. Right there with ya on the current regime. And like you find retreat within books. We are under a heavy-handed thumb of a hand I wouldn’t shake in a gazillion, trillion years. I am over here raising a toast to you Mary Ann and equally excited for the adventures to come, whatever they may be and whatever direction they take you. Sending you all the good vibes I got for these last days to be full of sunshine and every good moment that comes.
Thank you dear Susie, your words always bring cheer. Perhaps you can come visit me in France in the not too distant future!
Making little noises of excitement about your upcoming retirement. So close!
You might take a look at Bormes les Mimosa, up on the massif above Le Lavandou. I spent a month there once and loved it. Far enough away from the tourist routes, close enough to the sea.
Sending love.
I have been reading The Atlantic, very good authors.
I continue to watch Rachel Maddow and a couple of others on MSNBC
As well as my concerns for flagrant human rights violations and lawless DOGE, I am deeply concerned for our public lands and all the animals & plants and trees.
What will happen to our air and water
I’m really impressed with Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter for the historical context she gives to today’s outrageous behavior.
As for your timeline, how has it all gone so slowly and simultaneously so fast?!!
I fondly remember your posts from years ago of your trip to Paris. The pictures told a wonderful story and I was right beside you and enjoying every minute of your time there. It’s no surprise that France has come up as a place to spend your retirement.
I ADORE Heather Cox Richardson, history Professor in Boston. Jessica
I see you are reading a book about Thomas Jefferson We recently watched a 2 part older series on PBS about him- I learned a lot of things about him that I didn’t know. France would be lovely-and I get the wish to escape-but we need people to stay here and stand up for democracy! Substack: The Bulwark– Heather Cox Richardson–Joyce Vance — Chop Wood Carry Water (just a few of my favorites) Happy happy retirement!! As always I love seeing your photos and reading your blog!!
My desire for France is not politically motivated. As I enter retirement, I dream of a different sort of life. Wondering what is possible…and looking outside the U.S. at options I’d never considered. It’s YOUTUBE not DT that has motivated me.
Thumbs up for France. There are so many beautiful villages to choose from. Will sed you a list of my favorites .
I am into Ezra Klein, Michael Wolff, Mary LTrump, and so many more. Will check out the above mentioned too.
If you come to France we are closer and could possibly meet again. Take care
If only Sweden was warmer… How I’d love to see you again, dear Ingrid.
Heather Cox Richardson is a must. She gives me the long picture and a lot of hope and facts. She makes me feel factually fortified. The women at Strict Scrutiny do a lot the same but from the perspective of the judicial system and with a whole lot more swearing. I need both right now. I need classy academic Mainer historian and angry, swearing law school academics all of whom bring the receipts to support their arguments to keep me sane right now. I am furiously angry but I am also remembering that every joyful, loving thing I do, every act of creativity and every refusal to give into the fear and overwhelming hopelessness they want us to embrace is an act of defiance. I often dream of escaping to France but for now I’ve got a girl to raise into a strong woman and students to turn into compassionate critical thinkers (please God). Happy final teaching spring!
Strict Scrutiny new to me so I’ve subscribed to their newsletter. Thanks! I love the cursing women at I’ve Had It. How they make me laugh. Thanks Josie for chiming in…
So enjoyed your comment!
Oh my dear friend. I couldn’t love you more. Keep making a big racket. I am so proud. I’ve forgotten how to say. Hugs and kisses in French but you get the idea.
truly madly deeply. always xoxoxo
Thanks for stating your political position! I agree. As a public librarian I’m worried and angry. I’m following historian Heather Cox Richardson her daily posts about current events and history have really helped me keep abreast of the dumpster fire going on. Congratulations on retirement! Oh dreamy southern France sounds great.
Love HCR! Love that you’re a librarian. Books keep us sane in dark times. Onward upward!
Dear Ms Mam
Re Moving to France: you may want to check out this website and YouTube channel –
Janice in France, a 70+ years young retired school teacher who made The Move 3 years ago.
JaniceinFrance.com
https://youtu.be/coRk69IJ3XQ?si=cHeoZFJnWxRz8AuX
A Bientot
A
I love watching Janice! Her move at 70 was quite an inspiration and I’ve just found another woman who moved at 78. She’s a former French colonial reenactor from Boise. “The Little Old Lady Who Could and Did and Does”on Youtube.
I am with you! Silence is complicity and I’m not good at “silence” under way too many circumstances!
So excited for your retirement finally happening after following you all these years! So grateful as always to see your beautiful photos and hear your no nonsense opinions, I couldn’t have said any of this better myself , I’m always with Team MAM! 👏👏👏
THIRTY-FOUR! How utterly thrilling. And France, too. All good thoughts to you.
Equally heartbroken, annoyed, angered. Sheesh.
Stitching ‘Resist’ pins like it’s my job and sending to friends in the resistance! If you would like one sent to you, email me or dm me your address on IG!
Would love to see your resist pins so I could possibly make some too…. with your permission of course. Tried to find you on IG with no luck. Thanks
I loved Conilhac de la Montagne about 1 1/2 hrs south of Toulouse – beautiful countryside! Also look into Malta – just had a story about it on CBS Sunday Morning.
MAM – So excited for you as you eagerly head towards the next chapter of your amazing life! I hope it will include continuing to keep us all informed of your adventures as I am always inspired by your musings, pictures, & opinions. Wishing you the BEST!
I’ve been enjoying Jeff Tiedrich as well as postings from GOD
You and I may be neighbors yet. I just found a place through Adrian. See you there … On y va ..
Your images continue to grow more beautiful as do your years Mary Ann. I have loved your photography and art from the beginning.
These are testaments to the nature of practice. Practiced not for results but for the joy of doing and being.
Seven weeks! 😍😍😍😍
Susan! I hope your son is thriving and happy and that you are too. Soon I shall be retired like you. xoxoxo
Meidas Touch Network and Jim Acosta on Substack. The guests have taught me so much. Occasionally there is a person, professor, who has studied authoritarians and tyrants and even the techocracry. It’s a true shitshow, and shameful and sad. But the cowardly congress folk who are afraid of Trump? They’ve ended their political careers, so bye Felicia. I have more (including 4 huge disappointments) about Newsom, but he’s not our answer. The people are – those who know that Abrego Garcia is not a distraction but a threat to all of us who could be disappeared, too – will not stop. We love this country and democracy. And we shall scream until our last breath, if need be.
Excellent resources, I thank you for adding them! Trump and his minions are troubled people. Broken. They live for adulation, ego gratification. The little girls with the crosses want daddy to love them. It’s a sick sh*t show.
Yeehaw for Good Trouble!
SOOOOOO happy for you that your day of liberation is only 34 more commutes away!
I started with Alice Ayel back when she was doing private tutoring on Verbling and have enjoyed her site since it’s inception as well. She is terrific! Somehow i missed that you were interested in Franch and the French language or I would have told you about her long ago. I too dream of moving to France. I have also imagined hiring Adrian Leeds to help find a place to live… 😂
I am flat out scared now about what is happening here. He seems to be targeting random Americans in order to send them off to El Salvador now. It could be any one of us.
France just appeared like a vision. I’m rolling with it. Got my old French atlas and maps out. Seeing what I can see. Good to hear from you, madame.