A few weeks ago, I took a dance class in Manhattan with my mother that I promised to tell you about. Our teacher, Alex Tchassov, is one of the best teachers I’ve encountered in any discipline! He has a gift for creating analogies so appropriate and easy to understand that he had us dancing the tango, the cha cha, the waltz and the swing in no time. I felt like the children in Peter Pan when they discover that they’re flying. Only I was saying to myself: "I’m dancing! I’m ballroom dancing!"

We got to see World and US Rhythm Champions Jose Decamps and Joanna Zahorowicz perform a steamy dance number that literally left the entire room speechless for a while after their performance. It is amazing to watch such talent just a couple of feet in front of your eyes; every movement they made was so fluid and controlled. Once we were partnered with the male dancers, I started thinking too hard about my feet and about the steps and about messing up. I noticed that as soon as I judged what I was doing, things usually fell apart for me. The art of dancing contains many life lessons about communication, listening, and trust. And for me, my experience in the dance class mirrored my real-life struggles. I learned more about myself than I did about dance steps that evening!

But, as promised, Alex helped us access (even if for just a few moments) that special place where dancing transcends everything else and sweeps you into its magical, enchanting embrace. 

Speaking of going to a happy, magical place, this video on YouTube, which I discovered just a few days after the dance class, perfectly captures the spirit and joy that dancing can create. This huge group dance number (more than 200 people!) was performed to Do-Re-Mi from "The Sound of Music" in the central train station of Antwerp, Belgium after just two rehearsals.  Can you imagine what it would have been like to be either a spectator or a dancer in the train station on that morning? Just seeing the video kept my heart smiling and my toes tapping all day. Enjoy!

For a few months, I went through a reading dry spell.  That’s not to say that I wasn’t reading. I was. But with one or two exceptions, I hadn’t read anything that rocked my world. Last month, however, I hit the jackpot. The stack of rotating books that usually rests on my nightstand turned into a veritable tower of titles that delighted my imagination, made me think in new ways and stayed with me long after the last page. Here are some of my favorites from that huge leaning tower of literature:

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
A book by Jodi Picoult is what I call Reader’s Crack; it’s an incredibly addictive drug. I’ve learned not to start reading one of her books unless I have nothing to do for a couple of days because as soon as I start the book, I can’t put it down. I started The Tenth Circle around noon on a Sunday. I read all day and all night, with a few short breaks, finishing at about one o’clock the following morning.  The author’s topics are always complex and fascinating; this novel explores the journey that unfolds when a teenage girl accuses her ex-boyfriend, a star hockey player, of rape. If there’s a bad Jodi Picoult novel out there, I haven’t found it yet.

9 Lies That Are Holding Your Business Back: And the Truth That Will Set It Free 
by Steve Chandler and Sam Beckford
At  the recommendation of a friend and fellow entrepreneur, I signed up for Club Fearless, a world mastermind group that is the brainchild of business coach, Steve Chandler. I was very fortunate to have a brief conversation with Steve, and he sent me this book.  I’ve read dozens (if not hundreds) of business books, and I can honestly say that this is one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s pure genius, and proved to be a perfect catalyst to get me thinking about new ways to improve and grow our business. I’m sure I will be reading it multiple times. 9 Lies has earned a place on my bookshelf with my most dog-eared and coveted reference texts.

Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan
What do you do when you’re in a reading dry spell and you just can’t seem to find an inspiring title? You ask every reader you know for their recommendations. I’m lucky enough to know a few extraordinary librarians (actually, I think all librarians are extraordinary).  My friend and retired librarian, Joan, told me about Carolyn Jourdan’s memoir, Heart in the Right Place. She said: "I laughed; I cried." That was all I needed to hear.

Carolyn Jourdan is working as Counsel to the U.S. Senate when her life changes dramatically: her mother has a heart attack and Carolyn must return to rural East Tennessee to help her father, Dr. Paul Jourdan, run his local general medical practice. The only doctor for miles, Carolyn’s dad works as a true general practitioner, helping anyone (human and sometimes not) with whatever injury or illness they have. He accepts whatever form of payment (money and sometimes not) his patients can give.

Based on Joan’s recommendation, I already knew that the book would be delightful. What I wasn’t prepared for, was how deeply I would be touched by Carolyn’s musings on the life lessons she learned as a result of moving back home. Carolyn said of her glamorous work life in Washington D.C.: "You get to dress real good, eat real good and live real good". The same was true of my former situation in New York City. So how does one reconcile returning to a life that seems far less successful than the one you’re leaving behind? Carolyn expresses her answer to this question beautifully. This book touched me so deeply I bought three copies (one for myself and two for friends). It’s one of the most timely and personally impactful books I’ve had the pleasure of reading since My Life in France by Julia Child. I was grateful to find the answer to one of my own big "life" questions through her writing.

A Survival Guide for Landlocked Mermaids 
by Margot Datz
This book which looks like a children’s book for adults is a delight! Author and artist, Margot Datz, writes witty, yet profound text that accompanies her fabulous images of mermaids. Some of my favorites include a mermaid in a shoe store that says: "She couldn’t explain her obsession with shoes", and a mermaid being wooed by an elegant gentleman entitled: "She was the kind of girl you courted with crustaceans." I discovered this book by accident on the shelves of my local library, and I was thrilled to learn about Margot, her charming artwork, and her charmed life. Margot herself looks like a mermaid with legs and lives in a magical house on Martha’s Vineyard. You can see photos of her and her home in this article by Martha’s Vineyard Magazine.

I often wish that Paris was "in my backyard", but I don’t think I’d go as far as Gerard Brion to make it happen. Gerard lives in the South of France in a village called Vaissac. He’s spent the past fifteen years creating a model of the City of Lights in his backyard using old cinderblocks, baby food jars, discarded soup cans and other unique materials. Brion occasionally lends small sections of his mini-Paris to a "miniatures" museum in real-life. However, he insists that he created his masterpiece for his personal enjoyment and generally does not open his backyard to the public except for the occasional small group once or twice a week. I wonder if he does a mini fireworks display on Bastille Day? Judging by this nighttime view of Brion’s backyard, I’d bet it would be just as spectacular as the real show on the Champs-Elysee. For more photos of Gerard Brion’s work, check out this slideshow by The Sun in the United Kingdom.

I love La Poste, the French post office. There’s something about the way they handle the art of mailing that’s so much more creative and whimsical than our American equivalent. The color of the French post office is yellow, and all of the mailboxes are painted in this bright, happy color. It makes sense doesn’t it? Getting good snail mail (letters, packages, gifts, cards; not bills!) is one of the happiest things I can think of. I dream of having my own yellow "La Poste" mailbox like this one to hang from our pink house, but seeing as how they are government property, these great-looking mailboxes are difficult to find at flea markets and yard sales.  

In the 15th arrondissement of Paris, near the metro stations Pasteur or Montparnasse-Bienvenue, there is a post office museum, Le Musée de la Poste. It might sound boring, but I love it! The post office museum has an incredible gift shop boutique that’s filled with wonderful greeting cards, stationary, notebooks, wrapping paper, pens, and such that you cannot find anywhere else.  

Just to give you an idea of how cool and creative La Poste is, take a look at the latest stamps to be issued in France. The collection is called "bloc chocolat", or Block of Chocolate. Designed to look like a candy bar, this group of stamps pays homage to the role of chocolate in history. Chocolate has been used as a form of currency, an important part of religious worship in ancient cultures, and as a status symbol by the royal French courts. Today, of course, it is a treat enjoyed by kids of all ages. The best part about these stamps? They’re scratch and sniff! Yes, they actually smell like chocolate!

You can bet that in the coming weeks, I’ll be checking my mailbox daily, hoping for my own snail mail posted with a chocolate stamp!

At the end of this school year, Mrs. Holliday, a teacher at Bradley Creek Elementary School, invited us to speak to her 3rd grade class about chocolate. The class was reading the classic story by Patrick Skene Catling, The Chocolate Touch. The principle character, John Midas, loves chocolate. He thinks that chocolate tastes better than any other food. He spends his entire allowance on chocolate, and he won’t share it with his friends. He wishes he could eat chocolate all of the time. One day, after wandering into a candy store to buy a piece of their best chocolate, John finds out that it just might be possible that there is such a thing as too much chocolate.  Much like the famous Midas of Greek mythology, everything John Midas touches turns to chocolate!

• Can you make a Snickers bar?
• What do you eat for dessert?
• Are you the boss?  (They asked me this question, and being the diplomat of the family, I told them that Pascal was the boss.  They followed up with: "What are you then, The Manager?" I told them that, yes, they could think of me as The Manager.)
• What is your job exactly as "The Manager"? (I told them that Pascal makes the bon bons, but I talk to customers and take orders and manage our website and pay the bills.)
• Do you have kids?
• Do you make a lot of money?
• Long after hearing my job description, one little boy raised his hand and asked Pascal: "Do you ever pay the bills?" He was apparently quite troubled that I might have to pay all of the bills by myself!

• From one little guy: Will you stay and listen to my presentation about my coin from Germany? (We did.)
• How many bon bons do you make per day?