Patou

@windwardgal.bsky.social

Animal lover who enjoys drinking good wine with good food in good company. Learning Japanese is my passion along with reading and cooking. Woke Democrat counting the days until the filth of the orange abomination is washed away.

We just got back from 16 days in Japan, just such an amazing place. I was disappointed with my Japanese, I was able to get by in an N5-ish way but I should be better by now. I invested in some books and am going to do better next time. #Japanese

A set of 7 books for learning Japanese

One of the lessons I’ve learned in Japan is that you have to stay in shape. I’ve seen people in their 80s climbing up Mount Inari or walking around Senso-ji at 5 am. I’ll be able to drag my ass over the finish line but I’m definitely going to change my lazy habits. #Japan

The hardest part about leaving is saying goodbye to my beloved dog Phoebe and my kitty cats, Leo, Gigi Marie, and Ella Bella. It’s only for three weeks but I’ll miss them so much.

A beautiful fat catAn orange kitty with his teddy A black and white kitty A black and gold Shih Tzu

T-1……Japan here I come. The journey starts tomorrow, 8 hours to Paris and then 14 to Tokyo. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. After years of studying Japanese (I suck, I’m probably high N5 low N4) I’m finally going. I feel so lucky and grateful! I managed to pack for 3 weeks in that bag! #Japan

A green suitcase in front of a swimming pool.

I bought 24 kilos of cat food in preparation for our trip to Japan. My five cats are now on a hunger strike because they hate the very expensive salmon variety. Here are three of my precious divas. #Cats

Orange cat with a teddy bear Black and white cat sleeping on a white couchKittens having a snooze

I went to grab a bottle of champagne out of the fridge and my husband told me not to take that particular bottle as he was saving it for when “ it” happens. You can all imagine what ‘it” is….😊

I can’t say I have a calm mind these days, I’m very much affected by what is going on in the US. On a positive note, we leave for Japan in three weeks, a dream of mine is about to come true.

Bild

We Americans maybe deserve what is happening to us due to our apathy and ignorance. Maybe it’s just a lost cause after all. From the Electoral College to the Supreme Court, with a little gerrymandering thrown in for good measure, I just don’t see how we can dig ourselves out.

I’m going down the Betty Broderick rabbit hole again. There are just some cases that stick with you. I think she deserved prison and seemed to remain remorseless to the end. She felt at peace knowing her husband and his new wife were gone. Was she inherently bad or pushed to a breaking point?

@cnn.com Why is Jennings allowed to drop f-bombs and still keep his job? I guess cursing while white and MAGA is acceptable. You’re trying to cater to people who watch Fox and your old viewers like me would never tune in now as you have abandoned truth.

Hubby and I have different names for our cats. My Gigi Marie he calls Raccoon, my Ella he calls Ice Pick and my Sky he calls Leave (he’s the latest rescue and hubby complains about the price of their food but it’s all for show). We call our other two cats, Leo and Pilot, by the same name. #Cats

I’ve lived in France for 35 years so I’ve seen a few strikes in my day. While it has been heartwarming to see the No Kings demonstrations, you have to be in the street every day to obtain some kind of a result. It’s hard, you lose money, but it’s the only way to go. #MayDay #GeneralStrike

"'There are about 70% more bookstores now than there were six years ago in the United States. After 20 years of declining numbers, they’re coming roaring back.' "Since 2020, ... American Booksellers Association membership has grown from 1,900 to 3,200."

Independent Bookstore Day: Bookshop.org founder on how small retailers are taking on Amazon

After 20 years of declining numbers, indie booksellers in the U.S. have come ‘roaring back,’ says Andy Hunter.

fastcompany.com

I understand everyone has the right to express themselves but showing videos of emaciated dogs or any mistreated animal is too much for me. I love animals, have rescued many but I can’t bear to see those images. Instant block.