PARIS BIRTHDAY!

I am now one year older!😲.  If, for some reason, I didn't know it was my birthday (which isn't really possible but these days I rarely know what day it is!!!!), when I opened the computer it slapped me in the face....

Monday was my birthday,  and David asked me what I wanted to do.  I really don't care about fancy, expensive outings and my request was pretty simple...I wanted to go by The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore and pick up a copy of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (I just learned it was more than a movie!!!!!  Who knew!!!!!).

While there, we met a friend of Penelope's (the owner) who's an astrologer!  People really do that???!!!  Anyway, they were out of the book but are ordering it for me.  Just a short, little fun read for another time.  Leaving there we walked across the street to Le Jardin de Luxembourg and strolled a little before lunch.  It was a little cloudy, cool but not raining.  The park is much quieter this time of year.

This picture at the garden was taken last summer so things weren't quite so green when we went and there were no boats in the water!!  I definitely prefer going in the warm months!!

By this time, we were getting hungry so we walked to a new little restaurant we'd noticed other times when visiting the bookstore.  It's just a few shops down from there.  Treize au Jardin is a darling little place with distressed white metal tables outside with plants and vintage decor and inside are antique, shabby chic-styled tables, garden-like planters, wreaths, flowers and miscellaneous vintage teapots, pictures etc.  English is spoken by the kind staff, the food is wonderful, prices are moderate.  I can't wait to go back and sit outside!!

Treize au Jardin

There were several signs with "y'all" - the owner is a young woman from Charleston, SC

This picture doesn't do it justice-look up the website!

The Monday special was a "Southern Plate Special" that was pulled barbecue pork, sausage, a biscuit and a side salad.  David chose that.  I decided to try the  "Quinoa Salad" that was quinoa, greens, apples, and nuts with a citrus dressing.  Large and delicious!

Quinoa Salad-gotta save room for cake!!

If you are thinking of being impressed that this Birthday Girl chose such a healthy choice.....STOP!!!  I was merely saving a bit of room for the cake I had seen them bring in earlier!!!!!  A 4-layer chocolate cake with a nutty frosting between the layers (kind of like a German Chocolate Cake).  David and I shared a slice (that was way more than one person could eat) that was fabulous.  Only thing that might have made it better was ice cream on the side!!!!  Who doesn't love birthday cake???!!!!🎂🎂🎂

I've decided to try and learn calligraphy so Nikki and Andy sent money to David and he bought a book Nikki recommended, a pen and nibs (that's the tips for the pen!!!) and paper.  Courtney got me a beautiful dusty pink scarf that is so soft and warm.  Again, she paid and David purchased it from a shop here.  We hate to see them pay the shipping costs and David loves getting out.  It's a win-win!!

David bought me a star.  That's right..a star.  One of our favorite churches, the 500-year old St. Germain des Pres is renovating,  and you can buy a star for the ceiling and the money goes toward the renovation.  So, we walked over to the church on Monday and sat in the sanctuary and David gave me a card with a picture of where my star is located and then we found it on the ceiling.  Pretty cool!

You can see by the darker areas that not all the stars have been purchased yet.   The twinkling stars are the ones people have purchased.  If you look closely, you can see where the black box in the corner points to my star.   Don't misunderstand...there was a time,  in the not so distant past,  when jewelry or shoes would have been loved by this Birthday Girl.  But today, right now, I don't have need or  space for either,  and the idea that my little star could help this beautiful worship place welcome people visiting Paris or people wanting to sit and worship or pray means much more to me.

BSF ended my birthday with a class fellowship (no one knew it was my birthday and I didn't tell anyone).  I baked Chocolate Chunk bars and they went fast!!!  No one brings homemade goodies (so many of the women work) and I'm home now and have time (and desire) to bake.

Today (Wednesday) we continued the celebration by having lunch with Jim and Odette, good friends of ours.  Remember my earlier post about friends you just connect with?????  Well, here's another couple we've loved spending time with and they're getting ready to go back to California until October.  Odette has been ACP's visiting pastor and she has given me a different perspective on women pastors.  They love movies as we do and good Tex Mex......

Posing for these pictures is a nightmare!!!

The scarf I'm wearing is the one from Courtney

...we will be going back to Fajitas!!!!  Just for a little while, it felt like home.  And the food was sooo good!!!!  We came home with a package of corn tortillas!!

When the day is done, birthdays are celebrations of a blessed life and, to me, one of the blessings I hold closest is the friends I've made along the journey and the time we've spent together.  How blessed I am!!!