Nan, I think Zola is pretty accessible in general. It is just that Nana is the one on my shelf that my eyes alighted on, and an old favorite that I enjoyed around your daughter's age. Pere Goriot is great, though longer and more complicated than Colonel Chabert. The advantage to any of the classics is that you will find lots of "fiches lectures", often even for free online.

I used to have a RHD, but mine was a surplus postal jeep. I had no problems parking or driving it generally, but I lived in a city, so slow driving on one way streets, and rarely took it on the highway (cos it didn't go very fast!). As a city car it was great and I loved it, but would I get a RHD for any other purpose? No. And resale value would definitely figure into my decision.

Here is a link to book lists from a Catholic girls school, so you know they will be "appropriate" ;) : http://www.lesvignes.org/Liste-d-ouvrages-de-litterature Some of the following might be too daring to have been included in the above linked lists, but are fine for your daughter's age: Marseillaise Trilogy by Marcel Pagnol. This is a group of plays that are easy to read and entertaining. Marius, Fanny, et César. If she wants more Pagnol, try the books La gloire de mon père and Le château de ma mère. All five of the Pagnols have been made into films. :) L’Etranger by Albert Camus is a short, easy to read modern classic. There will be lots of reading guides. Some others in no particular order, but all should be relatively easy: La petite Fadette, George Sand Colomba, Merimée Pierre et Jean, Maupassant L’Amant, Marguerite Duras Candide, Voltaire L’écume des jours, Boris Vian La Dame aux camélias, Dumas fils Le rouge et le noir, Stendhal La nuit des temps, Barjavel. Le bourgeois gentilhomme, Molière Nana, Zola Sarrasine, Balzac Colonel Chabert, Balzac

I think one W, particularly if it is not related to his field of study, would not be a big deal. If it is in his major, he might get a question about it. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.

Maybe more "modern" literature? Vian, Barjavel, Modiano... Even Beauvoir and Duras might prove easier and more interesting to her than the "heavier" classics and they are all part of the body of literature that the average French person reads, just maybe not the part that the average student of French reads, so not as if it would be junk reading.

Did you swim with the 🳠sharks? 😊

We dealt with that, too, when DS first started AoPS. It was definitely a love-hate thing in the beginning. I think they just need to get over that first hump and learn to deal a little with the frustration. I would probably give it another try.

Solar tiles: https://www.tesla.com/solar

Vis-ed vocabulary cards are fun and very portable. We often grab a handful to quiz each other while we are out and about and have some time to kill.

Make vinegar.

You should feel 100% good about Barcelona! It is such a gorgeous, interesting city. You're going to love it. :)

I always love Paris, but for something a little different you could try Portugal. There's Lisbon, of course, but then a stone's throw away is Sintra which is totally different. And it continues like that - cosmopolitan, fantastic, ancient, modern, rustic, rugged. Lots of opposing adjectives in a very short period of time. Also great food and very reasonably priced.

Sounds like fun. I'll try to come back with other suggestions, but off the top of my head I recommend most enthusiastically "America's First Cuisines" by Sophie Coe. It is an excellent book. Her "The True History of Chocolate" (finished by her husband, renown archaeologist Michael Coe, after her death) is not quite as good, but nonetheless a worthwhile read.

Ooh! Tamales, good idea! They won't be as good with Maseca, but I have enough time to make some tamales. :) We had atole for breakfast, but might as well go whole hog. ;) Thanks for the reminder.

Today is La Chandeleur. :) http://www.cntraveler.com/story/how-to-celebrate-la-chandeleur-frances-crepe-holiday

I am sorry for your loss. :(

Mine is in charge of making gnocchi, cavatelli, linguini, ravioli from scratch. I find pasta is great for kids to make because it is fun to make and gives them a sense of accomplishment. Here DS doesn't prepare an entire meal himself, just components. How about adding something simple like a Spanish tortilla or a quiche to her repertoire? They are both fun and easy and leave lots of room to improvise.

Googling Rick Bayless along with the words mole and Mexican rice will get you some good recipes.

But "Muslim on Muslim" is the new "Black on Black" for all the hip young white supremacists!

There is a link in the original post, but here you are: http://worldhijabday.com/about-us/ There is also a video on the website featuring Nazma Khan where she explains what motivated her to establish World Hijab Day. (But if you decide to participate, be prepared to be asked if you have a green card: http://www.clatl.com/news/article/20850427/antimuslim-encounter-in-east-atlanta-goes-viral)

World Hijab Day is February 1st this year. You can read about it here. You can learn how to wear a hijab here.

Yes, I suppose you are right. But my conversations with non-Christians are normal whereas my (Internet) observations of conservative Christians as well as my occasional real-life interactions with them lead me to believe that they are terribly judgmental and hate-filled. We study a lot of Conquest materials here, and have personal experience with the current Conquest going on in Latin America, so I won't pretend that this doesn't color my view of these Christians. I am not religious. If I were inclined to be, I would never, ever, ever, in a million years choose to be Christian. It frustrates me to no end when I see people justifying unjustifiable behavior based on some book written centuries ago. It frustrates me to no end that children in America are not educated as well as they could be because of this book and this religion. They aren't taught things because it might encourage them to question their own beliefs. So we wind up with a nation of people who not only can't think for themselves, but are taught to be unkind. :( I do apologize. I know that many good people are Christians and I am sorry to lump them all together. It just makes me sad that so much time and energy is wasted justifying this with such-and-such passage, and this with another and there is so much nonsensical fighting about it. You know how most people view ancient religions, astounded that people would actually believe in it, in those gods? I am sorry to say that that is how I view Christianity. And if all Christians were good, peace loving people who celebrated all people and believed that all people were entitled to the same rights and respect, it would be one thing and I could not believe myself but at least think "well, sure, it's a fairytale, but it is a nice one." But when Christians continually mistreat others and hate and divide, sorry, but I have had enough and I can't let it go without saying anything anymore. Again, my apologies to good and kind believers.

Ah, so we have moved from gay bashing to bashing Islam. Noice.

liber, this might give you some perspective on why studying other animals helps us learn about humans. It's very interesting and well-done: http://www.pbs.org/your-inner-fish/home/

Seriously. And has anything else in the world ever inspired such hatred, such judgment, such destruction as this religion? I think it has overstayed its welcome. Time to make up a new religion based on principles of love and compassion and not hateful judgment this time.