Stella Passed Le Bac!

A great delight touched the family when word reached us here on July 5 that Stella had passed her baccalauréat. Many fingers had been crossed and earnest prayers said in the evenings as the test approached. Le bac is officially a national examination administered to determine if students are qualified for college or university examination. It is administered by locally by delegation from the Minister of National Education in France. It looks like a high school diploma but serves another purpose. Hence, in the European cultural setting, it is far more important. Stella wishes to study music. She had applied for acceptance at a well known academy—and had been accepted there provisionally. She would be enrolled if she obtained her baccalauréat. Not only did she do it, she also had very fine grades, not least in philosophy, where the test assignment was to write an essay on a text from St. Anselm. At the moment we lack other details on that particular part of the test. Fireworks and Jubilation! And Congratulations, dear Stella. So happy. So glad!

Stella's Keys

Original art appears rarely on this blog, and when it does it tends to be the work of granddaughter Stella. Here is her take on our recent trip to the Florida Keys, a little piece she prepared for Anna and Lexi, the two girls who live next to Monique's house here in Metro Detroit—good friends of Stella’s from summer vacations. Stella has captured all of the highlights in her own very original way. The usual advice: click through to magnify, Esc to return.

The 2011 Welcome Sign

While celebrating the achievements of the Paret branch of the family, I thought I’d bring here the Welcome sign marking our reserved parking spot at Wolverine Lake ahead of the July 3rd fireworks. Most of these signs over the years have been drawn by Stella, Michelle’s second child, whose many gifts include a penchant for design. Indeed the only image on this blog of me is one that she drew and I presented here. The signs are different every year, always hiding behind what looks like ink-work, from a distance, images that arise from Stella thoughts from the paper at the movement of inspiration. In this family, so far as I know, several people write their dreams down—but only one paints hers…

Two Generations Over

Wrapping up the summer, running a little late, I thought I'd make note of the fact that Ghulf genes stalwartly carry talent from one generation to the next and then on beyond—as illustrated by this sketch rendered by granddaughter Stella Paret of me. It was one of serveral artistic gifts she gave me for my birthday.

The text, for those handicapped by Gallic, is “A writer who doesn't smoke a cigar—that's a journalist.” The quote is attributed to Christophe la Pierre. That name is also an invention. It delights me to think that for Stella, who just turned sixteen—indeed we both celebrated our birthdays together—the year 1998 would seem to be reasonably far enough in the past to lend authenticity to the fake quote.

The spelling is spontaneous, showing that you don't have to be a perfect speller to be a skillful écrivain. It also pleases me that she accidentally rendered fume as pume but did not mar the sketch by erasing this little oversight.

Picture credit: Magee Prowess in Scanning Inc.