THANKSGIVING IN PARIS

Thanksgiving in Paris this first year was memorable indeed.  We had invited two couples we know to share Thanksgiving dinner with us-none were Americans so we wanted to show them a typical American Thanksgiving meal.

On Wednesday we went to the market to pick up the turkey we had ordered the week before.  When we ordered it, we didn't ask the price.  It really didn't matter since we were going to order it regardless.  Wednesday when we arrived to pick it up,  they didn't have it so we had to kill an hour...no problem in Paris, we just walked to a cafe and had a hot chocolate!!

When we went back, Tom Turkey was ready and waiting(no head or feet!!!!yea!)!!  We had asked for 7-8 kilograms (15 - 17 lbs) but Tom was 9 kilograms (20 lbs.), remember we were feeding six.  I know I must have had a turkey that weight before, but he looked huge!!!!

They cleaned him up a little, put him in a bag (which David carried home) and said "135 Euros, please" (not exactly those words but that's the translation!).  Oh my gosh!!!!!  The most expensive turkey we've EVER had, or will have!!!  But it is, after all, our first year in Paris.  A splurge!!!

Dinner wasn't until 7:00 p.m. Thursday so we had all day to cook and clean.  We had a little break at noon and went to an interfaith Thanksgiving worship at the American Cathedral across the river (we could walk) that our church was participating in.  The day was cold and damp and seemed very much like the midwestern Thanksgiving days I remember growing up.  I really like that.  We were surprised there weren't more people in this beautiful church (it's English speaking also).  Our pastor did one reading, a rabbi did one reading and a staff member of their church did one reading.  The hymns were ones we had grown up singing at Thanksgiving (that was nice) and the message was given by an Episcopal bishop.  He was informal and very thoughtful in his not-too-long sermon.  All in all, I thought it was a very nice service and a wonderful way to take a moment to reflect how blessed I've been and how grateful I am for God's presence in my life.

After church, we walked home and the work began in full force.  We did just the normal things...sweet potato casserole we've made many years now that was a recipe from a friend in Chicago, mashed potatoes, gravy, Brussel sprouts (not always the veggie), dressing (not cornbread this year, just bread from the boulangerie so lots of wheat), cranberries (again a little different than in Texas because of what we could find), and pumpkin pie for dessert.

We lit the candelabra we bought and it was wonderful!  I had to decorate with the gray because of our dishes...not very "fall-like" but it worked!  I also used the new silver we bought at a Marche-I love it as well!!

Promptly at 7:00 p.m. our guests arrived.  They didn't really know each other, which was a slight concern to us.  You never know how people will interact with one another, how good the conversation will be, and how comfortable everyone will feel.  We had planned a couple of "icebreaker" questions but never needed them!!  Our friends acted as if they'd known each other for years and the conversation never stopped.  It was wonderful!

Four hours and pumpkin pie and coffee later our first Parisian Thanksgiving ended, and our friends left to return home.  I think this is the first Thanksgiving we've celebrated without some family.  I thought that would be strange, and, in a way, it was.  However, the fellowship we shared with these friends was warm and comfortable.  We spoke about family, traditions, growing up, Paris and our personal journeys here and ended the evening with spiritual thoughts.  There was laughter, contemplation and thoughtfulness.

It was a Thanksgiving that we will forever hold close in our memories.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE CHRISTMAS IN PARIS!!!!

Thanksgiving is this week, and we've invited some non-American friends to our home for an authentic American Thanksgiving.  We ordered our turkey from the market (minus, I hope, necks, feet etc.!!!!!) and will pick it up tomorrow.  We have no idea how much it will cost so this could be the most expensive Thanksgiving dinner we've ever cooked!!!  I'll write about our Paris Thanksgiving  next post.

As I write this, it's spitting something outside...a combination of rain and snow and is pretty cold, 36 degrees, and I'm listening to Rod Stewart's Christmas cd.  Feels like Christmas!!

Can you see the snow falling on the page???  I was so excited!

Prior to moving, everything I read talked about how late (compared to the US) French people begin preparations for Christmas (and most any other holiday).  Now, I know by Halloween you begin to see Christmas decorations out in the US.  I didn't know what to expect here.  Well, it wasn't Halloween,  but I'd say I started seeing touches of Christmas early November...sooner that I had imagined.

I can't wait till the lights on the streets are turned on!

If you look closely, I think you can see the trees in the lights

Here are two early shots of decorations over two streets where we live.  I realize these were taken during the day so it's hard to really see.....they won't be turned on for several days.  The second picture, if you look closely, is lights with small Christmas trees in the middle.  I told my sister it reminded me of downtown Kansas City when they decorated the intersections with big crowns and lights (they may still do that).

While Carolyn and Dan were here, we had lunch in a little cafe as we were out and about shopping.  They seated us upstairs by a window looking out to the street at a table with upholstered chairs...so comfy for eating and visiting.  They had decorated the window, which was fun!  You can see it was cloudy and rainy that day too!

It was a whimsical little window 

The malls and shopping centers are getting on board too.  We've been to several in the past few days,  and each has had its decorations to welcome us.

You can just barely see the lights on the outside of this building

Many of the past years we have participated in the Samaritan's Purse Christmas shoebox ministry at Christmas.  Several times,  we got some of our "little boys" involved in the shopping and packing with the reward of a special treat following.  Other times we have taken the number of boxes we have grandchildren...kind of a one in honor of each grandchild we are blessed to have (and, yes, we always chose seven!!lol).  We were able to participate in something similar here in Paris.  It's called Love in a Box.  You have to provide your own shoebox (not so long ago that would not have been a problem for me!!!!), but this year we had to go out pre-shopping and get three boxes from retailers.  Easy-peasy except the boxes are larger than what we've used before!  Anyway, they give you a "must have" list then an "other ideas" list.  We filled the three boxes for girls (since I never get to buy girl things), two 8-10 year-olds and one 5-7 year-old.  Monoprix (similar to Target) was our shopping place of choice , and we got them all packed up and ready to take in.  Oh, yea.  We also had to wrap the boxes...no problem either.  Most of these boxes stay in Paris, I think, but some do go outside the city. Anyway, it was just another "Christmas is coming" activity that began this holiday season for us.

I hope our little girls will like our choices!

As I finish this post, it's the day before Thanksgiving.  Tomorrow I'll post about our first Paris Thanksgiving.  We baked our first "holiday bread" (pumpkin) today...had to make a few minor adjustments in the recipe and pans, but all in all, success.  Later a slice will be perfect with a hot cup of tea.........and maybe "Miracle on 34th Street" - the first scenes are on Thanksgiving Day!!!!

FALL, FAMILY AND FRIENDS - THE END!!!!!

What a fall it's been!  All the visits have really been wonderful, and, contrary to the concern of some of our friends, rarely in the visits have we visited something we've already visited.  In fact, each visit has been unique and fun.

Our last visit until Courtney's after Christmas visit was from Dan and Carolyn Lawson.  They'd been in London and were good enough to give us a few days at the end of their trip.  We were so excited to see them and catch up on the news of their family and the small group from church we left.  Dan had mentioned they were "drive by sightseers" so we weren't quite sure what that would mean as we considered where to go and what would give them a good feel for Paris.

They got in and we got them settled into their hotel just around the corner from us.  We had all decided to take the non-dinner boat tour on the Seine,  but there was an hour wait so we just stopped and got a coffee/hot chocolate and visited.  David and I have done the dinner cruise several times, and it's a really nice experience.  However, this hour-long cruise was just right.  It was dark by then and pretty cold (at least for me!!) and we sat on top which gets the best views.  It was perfect!

The Lawsons

Assemblee Nationale-where French Parliament meets-ready for the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I

Following the cruise, we went to a little restaurant new to us not far from the apartment.  It was quiet and cozy so we were able to visit easily.

Saturday they really wanted to go to the market with us so, umbrellas in hand, we walked to the market and did our weekly shopping.  Carolyn loves the market environment and is a big Central Market shopper so this was right up her alley.  They perused the different stalls as we shopped and even picked up a few little things they were interested in.  In the process, Carolyn and I talked about the woven market bag Nikki and I had gotten at that little French shop, La Super Marquette, while she was here.  She wanted to go there so.....that was our next stop after putting our goods away.

I felt as though they really got a feel for the "real" Paris as we took the bus and then walked in the cold rain.  This is our life (of course, it's not always rainy and cold!!) and how we live each day.  We found La Super Marquette and Carolyn got her bag.  She was thrilled!

Ready for the market French-style!!

I thought they might like Julia Child's favorite kitchen supply store so that was our next stop.  Along the way, we visited, noted some little shops, patisseries and just the uniqueness of Paris.  Walking in the rain is tiring, I think, because it's hard to hold an umbrella over two of you and talk and watch out for unevenness in the sidewalk.  But we managed!!! No purchases from E.Dehillerin but I'm really considering buying a copper pot or two to take home!!!

You know we always have to pop into a church,  and we were in the neighborhood of St. Eustache so stopped in.   A church is always a good place for a moment of peace in a busy day and, on this day, a little respite from the rain.

One of the things we love about Paris, and Carolyn even mentioned this, is as you're walking you turn a corner and there's something wonderful to see.  Even now, after being here nearly nine months and walking in many of the same neighborhoods repeatedly, that happens to us.  As we walked with Dan and Carolyn,  we passed this detective agency that is the the agency belonging to the main character in a set of Paris-based mysteries David and I have gotten addicted to.  The author, Cara Black, has written a story (The Aimee Leduc Mysteries)  for each of the 20 arrondissements (actually, she hasn't quite covered the entire 20 yet but that's the goal), and she comes to Paris and researches for the books so the details are accurate (even though the books aren't set in 2018).  I love her characters and the books aren't gory or scary.  We met her at one of Adrian's Apre-Midi events and recently bought her newest book.

The Leduc Detective Agency

Saturday evening we stayed in and all had dinner at our house.  After such a busy day and all the walking, it's nice to sit and just relax.  David and I have entertained quite a bit here, and while the menu may change (usually not the dessert because I have a new recipe that may become my "signature" dessert!!), the fellowship is always warm and intimate.

The Lawsons left after church on Sunday, and while we were sad to see them leave (as we are with all our guests), we so appreciate friends taking the time to give us a few days while they're vacationing.
Now we'll be preparing for our Thanksgiving feast with friends, again at our house.  They're not Americans and we're going to show them what  American Thanksgiving!  Gobble!  Gobble!!!!

FALL, FAMILY AND FRIENDS - MORE OF NIKKI'S VISIT!!!!

I know it's hard to believe but Nikki was only here Monday through Sunday!  We did a lot, but, while our days were very full and busy (mostly) from 10:00-5 or 6:00, we had most of our evenings to be quietly at home watching movies and relaxing (for the next day!!!).  That helped.

So...after the day at Giverny, we chose to have a quiet morning on Thursday.  Nikki wanted to visit the Musee Marmottan Monet museum,  and we hadn't visited it before so off we went.  Again, the day was cloudy and cool but at least not raining.  It's tough to walk very fast under an umbrella..especially sharing!!!

David and I are not art enthusiasts, but we have decided we like he Impressionists.  One of our favorites is Gustave Caillebotte.  We went to the Kimball Museum in Fort Worth to see an exhibit of his.  While at the Musee Marmottan Monet, I picked up one of his prints in the gift shop.  It will have a place of honor when we move back!

I doubt ours will be framed like this, although I do like it....but then, mine is just a copy😢!!

As often happened, we were all a little hungry after the Musee but it was too early for lunch so we had to have a snack!!!😉. One of the best snacks in Paris is......a crepe from a street vendor.  It was Nikki's first (at least on this visit).  I'm not sure what kind she had, I think she chose a berry filling.  Me?  Nutella and banana!!!!  I figure the banana is healthy!!!!!!!  I actually started carrying a bag of mixed nuts in my bag to munch on as we went about our days.  It helped a lot.

Nikki had also found another cute shop, La Super Marquette, a little shop where you can find anything French.  It really is a tiny little shop but is so cute, and the owner is delightful.  Nikki and I both bought large woven market bags--I'd been wanting one and she said hers will be the perfect yarn holder!!  They were only 15 Euros (a steal) and can easily fold up for packing.  We were doing the happy dance!!

The basket hanging on the left is the one we bought!

Coming out we were greeted by a cold rain (but we were prepared!!) and, because I need a winter coat, we all (even David-it may have even been his idea-I know, crazy, huh???!!) decided to hit the three stores near to find a bargain.  Now I'm not sure David thought it would take three stores...but it needed to "call my name" and I didn't want to spend a fortune.  After all, who needs a big coat in Dallas?????  Am I right???

After looking (and trying on) at H&M and Zara and with only one option left nearby, Mango, I hit the jackpot thanks to Nikki!!!  I was looking for black wool, midi, classic style.  What I got is camel wool, knee length, fairly classic and simple.  And it called my name!!!  Done!!  We were all happy as we were all ready to go home.

Coat in hand, bus ticket in other hand, we left for home where we had a quiet evening watching movies and eating homemade Croque Monsieurs!

The week was winding down, and one of the things we were all looking forward to was a walking tour of "Hemingway's Paris" with Chris from Paris-Walks.  We met Peter Caine (owner of Paris-Walks) at Bloom where he spoke.  Paris-Walks has an array of walks where you just show up at the designated location, pay 15 Euros and go.  No reservation.  There are also some tours that do require a reservation...ours didn't.  Chris was wonderful and talked not only about Ernest Hemingway and his life in Paris but also about the times in which Hemingway lived.  It was really enjoyable and informative.  Not too "booky", if you know what I mean!!!

While some thought Hemingway lived above this little cafe, he actually had a small loft here where he wrote.  He lived around the corner...he could come here to have the peace and quiet he wanted to write.

This is where he actually lived in one of the shaded windows to the right of the pipe.  It really is amazing to think of such a great writer being here, in this place, writing what has become great literature.  He lived here with his first wife, Hadley, and though he was married many times after her, Chris said it is believed he never stopped loving her....that's my kind of story!!!!

Part of the tour included visiting this church, St. Etienne du Mont, where St.Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, is entombed.  She was a peasant girl who, at 15, wanted to live only for God and became a nun.  Shortly before the attack of the Huns under Attila in 451, Genevieve and the archdeacon persuaded the panic-stricken people of Paris not to flee but to pray.  It is believed this intercession of Genevieve's prayers caused Attila's army to go to Orleans instead.  It just makes me think how much God can do with a willing, obedient heart and prayers of believers.

Being the movie freak I am, I loved this--the steps Owen Wilson sat on waiting for the car to take him back in time in the movie "Midnight in Paris".  When you stand there, it looks exactly like the movie scene.  Pretty cool!!

The inside of the church is very different from most of the other churches we've been in.  Most are very dark while this one is very light with the scalloped-looking walls and light colors.  It is a beautiful worship center.

Our walking tour lasted about two and a half hours as we explored the charming Mouffetard district with its old streets, secret courtyards and lots of little shops and markets.  The weather was cool but didn't rain.

At the tour's end, after all our walking, we needed a snack!  We walked around and found this little Boulanger patissier where we got these delicious treats.  Mine, of course, is the chocolate pain and Nikki chose a raisin pastry.  Yummy!!!!

Then it was time for some fun and games!!  We came upon this hopscotch board with "land" on one end and "sky" on the other.  Nikki had to give it a try!!  You can't be serious and studious all the time.  I thought of the little boys and what fun this could have been with them around.  We would all have been playing!!!  Would they even know what hopscotch was????!!!!!

After snacking and playing, we walked to the Pantheon.  It was intended to be a church dedicated to St.Genevieve and house her relics.  However, during the Revolution, when the church was shutdown, it was taken from the church and began functioning as a secular mausoleum for distinguished French citizens.  It's a phenomenal place with the tombs of many great French people.

Voltaire

In the center of first floor  you can find the Foucault pendulum, a 67-metre (220 foot) pendulum that demonstrates the rotation of the earth.  It's pretty interesting to watch.

Nikki and I thought it was pretty amazing and kept checking in on it to see if the time it was showing was the same as our watches!  It was!  Amazing.

By this time, even after our snack, we were ready for lunch.  We all opted to go to Breakfast in America for a good ol' American hamburger (actually, I think David had chili!).  We love the American breakfasts there, but they also have a great lunch menu, and I absolutely love their B.I.A. Burger.

By the time we finished lunch, it was getting late so we decided to head toward home.  On the way, we stopped in two churches, St. Severin (where David and I have visited before) and St. Nicolas du Chardonnet (this was new to us).  St. Nicolas's was different in that it was decorated in bright blue and white instead of the more muted whites and creams.  It was a pretty church.

Saturday was Nikki's last day here and it was spent quietly.  We all went to the market in the morning and then had lunch with Jim and Odette Lockwood-Stewart, our friends from church.  After lunch the three of us walked down rue Cler and over to the Eiffel Tower (Nikki had seen it years ago but not this trip-you can't come to Paris and not see the twinkling tower!!).  One selfie and we were home eating pizza and watching a movie.  A perfect end of a perfect trip with our Nikki Anne!!!

FALL, FAMILY AND FRIENDS - PART 4

As you can see, it's been a busy couple of months with visits from lots of people, much of it back to back.  But we have loved seeing everyone, catching up on life in the US and showing them this beautiful city.

As Erin and Faust were leaving, Nikki was arriving.  This was a visit we never expected...we hoped her family would make it here while we were here, but we never imagined she would come alone.  We would have loved seeing Scott and the boys, but it was nice having Nikki alone too.  She came with a tentative agenda of what she wanted to see and do (which she and David had previously worked out), but she was also open to just "flaneuring" (strolling) and taking in the city.

She arrived Monday,  and David met her at the airport.  Once she got here, we more or less hit the ground running!  She freshened up, we had some lunch and then we were out!!  We first visited the Delacroix Museum where David and I had been before.  Because it's where he lived and worked, it's small and not crowded so easy to walk through.  One of our favorite churches, St.Germain des Pres, was our next stop.  You know how David and I like the churches, and, of course, so does Nikki.  This was the first of many we visited during her time with us.  She wanted to go to a French bookstore for gifts for the boys, so we went to Galignani's because they carry both French and English language books.  I think by this time she had begun to fade so we grabbed a bus and came home where we had a quiet evening.  Not bad for a first day!!

Tuesday the big item on our itinerary was The Picasso Museum.  Sam is interested in him so we wanted to check it out to see if he would enjoy it should they get to come in January.  Most of time Nikki was here the weather was typical Paris in the fall...cloudy, colder and rainy.  However, the rain usually held off until the afternoon and early evening so on our morning outings we were okay...at least for a while!  This was a very nice museum and we thought well put together.  Instead of each area having the same type of art, each area had some different styles placed together which gave some variety as we were looking.  It made it more interesting as we entered each room. I think we would all recommend it to Paris visitors.

From here we took a little stroll through the Marais with one thing in mind...the Passage de Grand Cerf, a passageway Nikki had found online that had a yarn store she wanted to visit!  Off to the yarn store we went!!  Paris is full of these passageways where you can find hidden treasures, delightful little cafes and protection from the rain!  When we got to the right street, we noticed one side was full of sex stores and clubs!!  But it didn't seem to be a sleazy neighborhood (at least in the daytime!!), and we were excited to reach our destination.

Passage de Grand Cerf

We had lunch here at a little cafe on the corner because we were all hungry (we seemed to always be eating lunch late and our breakfast was always long gone) and then went down the passageway.

I love these passageways!

The name of the yarn store is Lil Weasel and they have two little shops, one on each side of the passageway.  The colored flags in the picture above go from one shop to the other.  They're very cute shops with all kinds of sewing, needlework supplies (as you can see from the thread stand on the right).  We left Nikki there and strolled down the passageway where there were all kinds of little shops...we went into an antique odds and ends shop but bought nothing😢.

I'm not much of a mall/department store shopper; in fact, since we've been here, I think we've only gone into one of the big stores and that was for home needs.  Nikki wanted to visit one of the large department stores, so we went to Galeries Lafayette and looked around.  The crowds were overwhelming (worst than Christmas, I thought) but we went to specific floors for Nikki to browse the things she was interested in.  I even got the chance to look at the shoe department, but, alas, the crowds zapped any interest I might have had in finding a new, cute pair of shoes!  However, Galeries Lafayette does have its Christmas tree up already (which is contrary to most of what I'd read about how early the French decorate!!) so we were able to see it (although I have a feeling it's better at night because we think it may light up).

I'm not overly impressed with it as it is so I certainly hope it does something like light up!!!!!  You can see just a small portion of the spectacular dome ceiling Galeries is known for.  It really is something.  I'm just hoping we won't have to deal with this kind of crowd the next time we're out...is that my Hallmark movie mindset kicking in???????? lol. But I'm sure you can find anything you would want or need if you just have enough $$$$$$$.  I'm still glad we went-it did kind of put me in the Christmas spirit (not hard to do!).

One of the things Nikki really wanted to do was a day trip.  She had several possible choices,  and we all finally decided to go to Giverny, the home of Monet.  We woke to pretty cool temps and a forecast of afternoon rain, but we dressed warm, comfortable and prepared for rain with an umbrella!  We took the train to Giverny which took about an hour once we got to the train then there was another bus to take us from the train station in Vernon to Giverny.

What a beautiful place!  The little town is charming, just like you would think (or perhaps see in a movie), and doesn't feel touristy (though it certainly has its share of tourists).  Wednesday was the last day of the season, however, so it won't be open to the public again till spring sometime.  Good to know if you're planning a trip here and want to visit.

No surprise-David was often ahead of us!

Once through the little town, we visited the gardens (created by Monet himself) then his house.  As pretty as the gardens were, we all wondered how they looked in the spring or summer.  I thought of my daughter-in-law, Catherine, and her love of all things garden and how this might have inspired her as she creates her own garden.

How quaint is this?

The Monet house was, as you would expect, quaint and cozy.  I told Nikki I really love English decorating..all the florals and prints.  But there are certain aspects of the French country I also love..chandeliers, mirrors, curvy legged tables.

Just a small little bungalow...!

I want a cozy sitting area like this...with a great view!

I loved this!!! Maybe not the teal, but blue.  I just may have to buy a copper pot at the shop where Julia Child shopped....

I know...none of these house pictures shows any of the things I just mentioned I like....what can I say??!!  I'm drawn to many things!!!!!

We had lunch at a little cafe in the town Nikki learned about from our favorite tour guide, Rick Steves!  It was called La Capucine and was decorated for Halloween (the day we were there) which was really fun.  It was a nice respite from all the walking.

If you look closely, you'll see the young woman helping at the register is wearing a witch's hat!  I love that!!!

After lunch we walked to the town's church, L'eglise Sainte-Radegonde.  On the way to the church, we spotted a couple of interesting things...

...flowers growing out of the stone wall.  I loved this!!  It wasn't just in this one spot.  There were many spots along this wall where flowers had been planted.  And then...

...goats on a hill!!!!  For this city girl (or suburban girl may be more accurate!!), this was quite the sight!!  Obviously, they're fenced in up there....it just caught my attention.  This is one reason I'm a great  "flaneurer"  (is that a real word???) - I go slow so I can look at these small things that I might miss if I were moving faster.

We reached the church, a quiet space on the edge of the town where there was a small cemetery with the tombs of Monet and others.  Nikki and I had to do some googling to figure out exactly who was who and who was related to who.  Those things matter!!!

We weren't sure if we could get in but, after walking around, we found the entrance.  Compared to the other churches we've visited, this was a small, intimate place of worship.  When we walked in, we were greeted with this sign..

..as you can see, it was also written in French.  I loved the sentiment of this and the intimacy it created in all of us who call ourselves believers.  Maybe this should be in all our churches.

I often take the opportunity in a church to pause and reflect....looks like I'm not the only one..Nikki does too.  On one side of the seating, I found this little cutie (perhaps not the most appropriate word for an angelic being!!) hanging around...

..it gave new meaning to "angels watching over me."  I liked it.

Coming out of the church, we noticed quickly the weather had changed and it was colder and beginning to sprinkle.  We walked to the bus pickup location, arriving earlier than our bus, and sat under umbrellas till it came.  Luckily, we had all dressed for inclement weather (that's being prepared in Paris and David and I have finally learned the lesson!!) so it wasn't too bad.  This bus took us to the train station, we headed back to Paris and arrived in cold, rainy weather where we had to wait quite a while (at least it seemed that way!) for the bus home.  We were ready to get back to our quiet corner of Paris and were welcomed with Zuppa Toscana soup (an Olive Garden copycat recipe) in the slow cooker which we ate with baguettes and cheese.

It was a wonderful day..better than I think any of us anticipated even with the weather, which didn't begin till we were ready to leave so...yea!!!!

This has been a longer than normal post...you can see we were busy while Nikki was here.  Tomorrow I'll finish up her visit with some other great things we did...some familiar to David and me but many new things!!!  Stay tuned.....