While We Were Away

While we were away eating delicious French food,

Delicious buttery flaky pastry!

 drinking French wine,

 and walking many beautiful miles in Paris,

my favorite bridge in Paris, Pont Alexandre III....

 there was a bit of funny business going on in our neighborhood with the mail delivery.  Apparently our substitute mail person went "postal"! I arrived home to about 15 emails from our neighborhood representative, aka mail fraud private eye, about the missing mail.  After many inquiries to the post office it was discovered that our mail person would just quit delivering the mail when it got dark and "hide" it back at the post office.  Like not one would notice getting no mail for days around Christmas time! No kidding! Guess our carrier just didn't buy into the Postal Service motto,  "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds".  The mail delivery has been corrected and all is right with the world and the 5 a day emails from our neighborhood rep. have ceased!

Another thing on my mind while I was away

walking through Tuileries garden

enjoying the view from the top of the Ferris wheel

admiring one of my favorite buildings, the Petite Palais

and taking in the sunset from the bar at the top of Tour Montparnasse

 was whether I should put up a tree and decorate our house this year.  (First world problems here people!) We are going to Nova Scotia for Christmas, so why bother here?  My inner Scrooge lost out to my inner sentimental self and I have a mini Christmas tree and about 25% of my decorations around the house. I still have to laugh every time I pass our mini tree in the foyer...sorry mini tree.  We even put up some of our outside lights....I just could not let down the neighborhood and all those people driving around looking at lights.  People still do that don't they?  We do....but we are nerds who love Christmas lights.  

As far as Christmas cards go this year, they will be New Year's cards.  I am going to wait until we have the entire family together at the farmhouse to take "the" picture for the cards....and I'm going to wait until I get home to mail them, even though with the way the mail goes around here that might not be the best idea!  I'm also hoping the creative powers that be invade my consciousness so I can whip out that letter!

One thing I did not think about while I was away was the chance of running into someone I knew while I was away.  Thanks to Facebook and my need to let everyone know what I am doing and where I am going, one of my Boston cousins noticed I was going to Paris and let me know that her daughter was going to be there at the same time!  All this happened during my layover in the Newark airport.  Probably one of the few good things that have ever happened to me in that airport!  

Bonjour, Boston cousin and friends on the Champs Elysees at Christmas!

There is just no telling what will happen when you go away!  Stay tuned....for the great northern adventure in a week.  Yes, it will be an adventure!