I have been charting my time in Paris by the trees. When I first arrived and was all unsure and depressed about all that I had lost, it didn’t help my mood that the first glimpse of the world above ground at the escalator exit to the Boucicaut metro was bare branches against the dull gray sky. I was thrilled this spring when all of a sudden the sky was blocked out by tiny, shiny leaves. All summer, the shade was the only escape from the heat (and even then it didn’t do much). So perhaps you can share in my dismay: today as I was walking past the elementary school by my house, keeping my focus on the ground, and a handful of dry, brown leaves fell and blew towards my shoes. Almost a full circle…

In other news, about a month ago, I sliced through my fingernail while cutting shallots. The nail was still there, just with a crescent-shaped cut in it. As the cut neared the tip of my nail bed, I became nervous, and last weekend I began to anticipate the inevitable. Today, the cut part fell off, and to my surprise, it didn’t hurt. The skin underneath also seems to have anticipated this and is healed. It’s pretty freaky and cool at the same time. Definitely my best kitchen injury to date.