All Juliet, All The Time

It's Saturday, and the headline in the paper says, "A Taste of Summer". Parisians will go crazy this weekend because it's unseasonably warm, sunny, and it's a three-day weekend. Yes, it's another May holiday! I know you're wondering how many holidays can fit in one month. This time it's Pentecost, seven weeks after Easter (which is celebrated on Monday here), the time when the Holy Spirit descends on the Apostles, giving them the ability to speak different languages so that the word of Christ can be spread around the world. And, as the clerk in Denmark noted, "It's a day off."

Beth and Charlotte stowed their luggage at the hotel and arranged for a taxi to pick them up there at 5:00. Since their flight to Denmark is at 7:45 P.M. they have the whole day to enjoy Paris. Then the three of us, and my luggage, took the metro to Levallois to see Matt, Jeanne and Juliet. I'll stay with them until my flight leaves early Tuesday.

Juliet was alternately sleeping and being fussy this afternoon. Very un-Juliet like! Matt and Jeanne attributed her fussiness to immunizations earlier in the week; the doctor had told them it can take up to ten days for symptoms to appear. Beth and I thought she might be teething, although she would be a little young for that. But she was drooling a lot (Juliet, not Beth) and Matt thought he could feel a little ridge on her upper gums. Later, when we took her for a stroller ride, I could see her eyes were red, and wondered if she might have allergies. So here we were, four otherwise sane adults, trying to figure out what could be wrong with our Juliet, and hypothesizing all over the place. I guess we will have to wait until tomorrow to see how she's doing. It's just so hard, not knowing how to help her feel better. This afternoon I asked Jeanne what she wanted for Mother's Day (another holiday--May 30), and she said, "I want Juliet to be well."

Beth and Charlotte stayed for lunch; Matt and Jeanne made a pasta salad, and we had goodies from the bakery for dessert. Conversation kept Beth and Charlotte there until almost 3:00, when they left to see the modern art at the Pompidou Centre before they met their taxi for the airport. After they left, Jeanne went to run some errands while Matt and I stayed with Juliet, and she was alternately fussy and sleeping again. Poor little thing! Finally about 6:30 we took her for a stroller ride, and she fell asleep on the way home.

Tonight we had a late dinner; a lovely quiche made by Matt under Jeanne's direction, a green salad, bread and cheese. Simple and delicious. Laundry, computer work and conversation kept us up way too late; I'm hoping Juliet will sleep in past her normal 6 A.M. wake up time. But that's probably wishful thinking. Today was a great day; I didn't do anything but wash a few dishes, but I got to hold my granddaughter, take her for a stroller ride, change her, help bathe her, kiss her sweet head and feet and tummy, and spend some time talking to her parents. I look forward to another quiet, wonderful day tomorrow. A day of all Juliet, all the time. Except hopefully not at 6 A.M.