Four Weeks

Juliet with her daddy


Tom reminded me tonight that four weeks ago today I got on the plane to come to Paris. Four weeks! In some ways it seems like I've been here a long time, and in other ways it seems too short. I haven't gone to...I haven't done...I didn't buy any...We never ate at...

But it's definitely time to go home. I woke up with a cold today, and then my umbrella died. You can live with a cold, but you can't live without an umbrella in Paris. I think I'll buy a beautiful new one to take home with me. Because as much as I love my granddaughter, I miss my husband. It's time to go home and be with him.

Tonight I got the most beautiful gift ever! Jeanne's sister, Marie, composed a book of photos of Juliet and her extended family, and she had it printed by a company called mypix.com. It's like a photographic history of my month with Juliet. The photos were taken by Marie's husband, Stephane, and they're wonderful. He has a real eye, and Marie has a great artistic gift of putting the photos together. It will be a treasured keepsake.

Matt and Jeanne are planning a trip to Tunisia the week after next. I innocently inquired a few days ago, "Will Juliet need a passport?" Turns out, she does. So Jeanne and I spent the afternoon getting Juliet's photo made, buying the special passport stamps at the Tabac, then going to the Mairie (Town Hall) to get the emergency passport. That is good for one month, then she'll get her real passport after that, in plenty of time to come to the U.S. for Thanksgiving. For now, Juliet is all set for her first trip outside the country! She'll be eight and a half weeks old when she goes to Tunisia; she's getting a good start on travel. Knowing her grandparents and her parents, she'll probably travel a lot!

For me, travel is one of life's great pleasures. Going home again is another great pleasure, and I'm getting myself ready.