For a long time, Madagascar was a colony of France--until 1960, in fact. We were living in Madagascar during part of the 60's, and we left the island in July of 1967. But I didn't seriously study the French language or culture until I was in college at Luther, in Decorah, Iowa. I took my "junior year abroad" and studied in Nantes, France, from 1975-1976. Two years before and for a short period thereafter, I was the student of Professor Ruth Caldwell, an inspiring and skilled teacher of the language. The serving tray you see in the photo, with the word ELLES on it, was a wedding present from her and her husband, Uwe, when Arland and I got married in early June of 1979. We have moved many times since with that dear French serving tray. (The petit Tour Eiffel, by the way, was a birthday gift from an NRC coworker.)