Small town connections....are great!

So time is starting to fly with all my classes, taking italian, giving supplementary english lessons, and social life. I have met some really great people here in the past few weeks. For one, the owners of the book store here has family in the USA and so invited me over one night to talk about the differences between France and the States. It became a four hour long heated discussion mostly about politics and as a result i think i have friends for life. They ordered an international english newspaper for me and so now i know whats going on! In addition, one of the finance people at the high school has pretty much adopted me. I eat with her and her family a few times a week and our rendez vous together are always so fun and interesting. There are three girls in the family and last weekend for example we all went to their little chalet in the mountains for a traditional french dinner complete with red wine and chocolate mousse. I ate so much i couldn't move afterwards! They have all taken an interest in the USA and have been helping me learn french idiomatique phrases and cultural facts especially when it comes to food. I feel truly blessed to be able to spend time with them. Speaking of food, another employee of the high school invited me over and after i expressed an interest in finding a job in a bakery, offered to teach me how to make french breads and patisseries. I can not wait to make my own baguettes and tartes! We made a 'fruit cake' the other day and it was so good. Its the first time in my life i can make something worth eating! SO with all this food you'd think im getting fat, but on the contraire im slimming down and since im so active here (walking; hiking, traveling) i really feel good. In other news, i finally got a cell phone so let me know if you want the number.....oh and if anyone wants to send me something, pumpkin pie filling is the first on my wish list. I would like to make it for the family that has made me feel so welcome here. Thanks and take care!