Finding inspiration

I've thought about applying for a grant from Fund for Teachers for a couple of years now, but had difficulty narrowing down my ideas for projects. You have to come up with a project proposal and budget, so it really allows teachers a lot of freedom in what they want to explore over their summer vacation.  My problem was that there simply were too many things that interested me.  It was by chance that, while reading about another grant opportunity for French teachers, that I stumbled upon a cooking class in Grenoble that inspired me.  I began to dabble in cooking when I lived in rural France a few years ago, and was forced to feed myself to survive.  I had some pretty proud moments that began with simple things like home made applesauce and then lots of vegetable soups.  I also had some disasters, like pecan pie soup and volcanic pumpkin bread.  My new collection of Le Creuset has been begging to be put to good use, so I spent a dreary January weekend furiously writing my grant narrative and planning my budget, because of course I waited until nearly the last minute. And to my great pleasure my proposal was accepted!

Everything went as planned, until I arrived in Paris the other day. After just two days in the capital city, I learned that the program in Grenoble had been canceled due to low enrollment. Naturally, I was disappointed. Fortunately, I hadn't yet headed to the Alps when I received the bad news, so I contacted FFT with a backup plan, submitted a revised budget narrative, and enrolled in courses at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.  As the French say, "Youpie !"