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If you are a regular reader of my blog, you might have formed the opinion that I am a person who is quite comfortable waxing poetic about the things I love (life, romance , and serendipitous adventures).  You would be correct.  (I knew you were a cut above the average blog reader for Life, Love, and Accidental Adventures seems to attract those in possession of mammoth intellects and discerning tastes) Metaphorically speaking, I have lobotomized myself on this blog and allowed you, my gentle, treasured reader, to take an up close and personal look at the brain of Leah Marie Brown. I have confessed how I get turned on by tubers  and told you about my schnoodle, Molly Muffin, aka the Girl With Balls .  Recently, I shared the details of my early morning encounter with a brave mentally-handicapped young man named Tommy Tough Guy  and my decision to stop allowing regret to be the tether that tied me to the past and kept me from the future. I ha...

Welcome Paris Originally uploaded by Marc Benslahdine | Photography I arrived in Paris just before the gloaming , and found her sensuously bathing in the amber rays of dusk. She greeted me without shame or timidity, spreading her Rubenesque arms wide and beckoning me to slip into her embrace. I complied, willingly, and soon found myself lost in the golden haze of rapture.

This blog is dedicated to my wonderful son, who, at fifteen, has already suffered wounds inflicted by sharp-tongued and petty-minded faux amis .  I hope my words and love encourage you to develop armor that allows you to ignore the thoughtless minions.  For you, my son, are a prince. Whatever you say to me, comes out of you and has very little to do with me.       Virginia Satir I've been wanting to write a blog about the impact words can have on a person for months now but couldn't find the right...well... words to convey my thoughts.  Until this morning. I was making pâte à choux for tonight's meal (It has become a tradition in our family to eat fondue for dinner and eclairs for dessert on New Year's Eve).  I was incorporating the eggs into the flour/butter/water/sugar mixture when an unpleasant memory crept into kitchen and attempted to foul the otherwise savory moment.  It was June, 1996 ...

There are many dangers associated with travelling the world.  One can become a victim to illness, injury, crime or a myriad of other unforeseen tragedies.  We've all heard about the infamous pickpockets of Italy who prey on unwitting foreigners as they gaze in awe at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the frequent  shark attacks along the Great Barrier Reef, the kidnapping of tourists in Mexico, and the frightening bird flu epidemic in China. And the media has terrified us with their relentless stories of plane crashes, tour bus crashes , airport shuttle crashes, helicopter crashes , lost luggage, stolen luggage , misdirected luggage, cancelled flights , overbooked flights, hotel fires, car bombs , volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, blizzards, capsized ferries , and insufferably rude Parisians . There is one danger, however, that is rarely reported. One of the least-known but most-insidious risks of frequent travel is the po...

In the wash of mercury moonlight, I watched the mentally retarded man struggle to pedal his bike down the icy, snow-crusted sidewalk. Frankly, it was difficult not to watch him. His many red, blinking bike lights were mesmerizing in the inky Alaskan darkness.  His pursed lips and furrowed brow begged to be noticed and bespoke the Herculean effort he was undertaking. Apart from the blinking lights and his determined expression, something else prompted me to remain parked on the deserted city street - even after the stoplight flashed from red to green to red again. I didn't understand what it was about the mentally handicapped bike rider that was prompting me to delay my early-morning bagel run - but there I was, fiddling with the temperature control on my heated leather driver's seat in my luxury sedan, and counting each excruciatingly slow evolution of his bike wheel. Was it curiosity about his motivation for being out so early and in negative 4 degree w...

As a treat for you, my beloved blog-follower, I have gathered together a plethora of Marie Antoinette related treasures available on the open market.  Get ready to click your Amazon Universal Wish List Button .  Here comes 'Tis the Season Part Two! A Pillow On Which to Rest My Shopping Weary Head - Long lines, mad mobs, rainchecks, rude cashiers, pushy salesmen.  Living the life of a Royal Shopper is exhausting, especially during the Holidays.  Although it is not the most revolutionary idea ever shared, I would like to offer you a suggestion.  Why not take a rest, recline your head upon a charming, down-filled pillow?  Pierre Deux has the most romantic little Marie Antoinette Toile Pillow featuring a whimsical pattern based on an engraving of Versailles.  Before you click the link above, let me warn you.  The $195 price tag might cause you to scream, "Sacre Bleu!"    Sure, it is a lot of money for ...

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought it might be nice to take a break from our forensic analysis of the Life and Times of Marie Antoinette and focus on an even more pleasing pastime: shopping !   Besides sharing a birthday and a slew of other characteristics, my beloved Reine and I also share a passion for purchasing, a spirit for spending, a zeal for zee sales! As a treat for you, my beloved blog-follower, I have gathered together a plethora of Marie Antoinette related treasures available on the open market.  Get ready to click your Amazon Universal Wish List Button .  If you are anything like me your Wish List is as long as your credit card statement!  (And it's surely about to get longer) **Click on the title to be linked to the product mentioned** A Marie Antoinette Masterpiece - For $189.00 (plus shipping and handling) you can own a framed 26x32 Giclee print of Elizabeth Vigee-LeBrun's Marie Antoinette with a Rose .  True,...