BARBECUE IS A NOUN, DAMMIT!

Words matter.

I'm in Texas now, for the first time in many years. I am reminded that meat cooked over a fire is grilled and that meat that is smoked is barbecue. Not barbecueD. Barbecue. It's that simple. You don't barbecue meat. You smoke it or you grill it. If you smoke it, and if you are really good at it, here is the result...with special thanks to nephew Peter.

THE MAKING OF A FRANCO-AMERICAN TERRACE

One of the neatest features of our house in Quarante is the terrace. It's not a perfect space. As they say in the real estate ads, it's overlooked. That is, a neighbor can look in if she chooses. But the fact is that we've sort of invaded her privacy, too. So we are all sensitive to the others' spaces. We leave her to drink her coffee and have her morning cigarette looking out her window in peace and she leaves us alone to our enjoy our terrace dinners. That having been said, there's not much else to complain about. There's plenty of space, it's right off the kitchen/dining room for easy access, an electric outlet and a faucet are convenient, and because we're at the very high point of the village, there's almost always a nice breeze to break the heat.

So, here's the blank space...

Then you plan a bit and you spend a few Euros at Carrefour and Tridome and Amazon and you have a patio...