Bread

This little piece is to let you know how much different the bread is here in France.

The usual fair is a bagette which comes in a long form of various sizes. We usually get the size that is about 14" long and is about 3" around in the middle and tappers at each end to form the "croute." That is why the when the French want to eat they often say "casse la croute" or break the end. The smaller bagette will last us one evening meal with a little left over for breakfast. There is a bigger bagette. It is about 5" in the middle and about 3' long. The bagette comes in many types; wheat, country, grains, and about five other types with different ingredients. We now buy the polka bread. It is full flavor and the last piece that is left goes down with peanut butter, which isn't all that bad. The French bread with peanut butter is going to be missed when I come home. I know they try to make French bread in the States, but it is the oven and grains that make the difference. Some bakers in the country still use wood for their oven heat. The cost is anywhere from $1.00 to a buck and a half. But that is not all, there is round bread, oval bread (in all the grains), black bread, brown bread, white bread and everything in between. They even have the American type bread so we can have French toast (which is, of course, a misnomer). We love to eat our French toast with apricot jam and it is to die for.

The French carry their traditional bagettes in all sorts of ways, but the way still seen is with it under their arm. I think that is the reason for the hard crust. Joanne has found a cream cheese spread here that is better than the Philadelphia cheese spread from back home. She has started to keep the company in business and there was an announcement last week that they were increasing their production because of the influx of buyers in Angouleme. Little do they know. I am a big fan of the peanut butter method.

The American carrot cake is sweeping the Charante and we are headed tomorrow to bake it at Sister Lucette Denis home. She will get half and Brother Mangou will benefit from the other half. I will go down as the greatest person to sacrifice because none will come home with us. I have gone through my life not believing in the idea that giving for the cause of the church was a sacrifice until now.

We will travel to Perigeaux for conference. It is 70 miles away and we will see one session on Saturday evening and on Sunday we will see the priesthood session and Saturday afternoon and the Sunday morning direct transmission.

We are well even though we have set backs with the wins we have. We have won one more today with a sister in a rest home. She wants us to come. With her request, there is nothing the rest home can do to keep us out.

Love Elder Dad (Jack, grandpa, and Papa)