Merry Christmas

How do you like my Christmas tree? I thought about buying a little tree for Matt's apartment, but we've been running around too much to find the time, so after the kids went to bed, I went to work... so this is my kitchen drawer Christmas tree... a Perrier bottle, some aluminum foil, cling wrap and grocery bags... plus a few ornaments the kids grandma sent with their gifts. Being so far from home, I didn't do much in the way of gifts, but I did fill a small stocking for the kids I knew would be here Christmas morning... it's how funny exciting things like a new toothbrush are, even to college kids, when they come in a stocking from Santa. My kids also had some gifts from their relatives, so it was much like a "normal" Christmas, even though we were far from home. I really enjoyed having all 5 "kids" here, eating and laughing and watching skateboard videos. Now that my kids are off at school, I miss the buzz and activity of a house full of kids, this mornings full house was a pleasant Christmas gift to me. (Can I call them kids when they are 18-23?)
A Christmas tree in the metro...


After Matt made us a nice breakfast, we headed out on the metro to Eiffel Tower. The weather had cleared up so it was sunny, but it was really, really cold, especially when you have to wait in line forever. The wait was entertaining, we had about million opportunities to purchase little Eiffel towers in a myriad of colors and sizes from any number of illegal merchants. Every now and then you would here someone yell "Police" and dozens of merchants, being chased by officers on bikes, would scurry off the premises. Unfortunately, we were not able do ascend to the top of the tower, as it was closed due to ice. We also never walked the grounds, because after waiting in lime and ascending the tower and enjoyed the view it was dark and cold and everyone was frozen solid. We may have to go back another day.


Sarah and I kinda liked the Eiffel Tower lollipops!


The sun sets early here, it was dark by the time we left.

My kids and I.

After the tower we had a nice Christmas dinner, delicious ham from the butcher, vegetables, and wine Matt had purchased on one of his school excursions wine country. Matt's friends surprised us by going for walk finding and open boulangerie and returning with a couple cute little yule log cakes for dessert. They must have read my mind because as I had been totally fascinated by the Christmas cakes I saw in the case at bakery next door to Matt's place, so I was glad to get to taste one!

Yum!!

Christmas Eve...

I went to mass... catholic mass. Kind of unusual for a non religious girl like me, but as we walked into the Notre Dame Cathedrala Christmas Eve mass was starting so we stayed and watched. Mass was in French so of course I could not understand, but I enjoyed the music and the chanting and the feeling of being momentarily connected to a bit of religious and cultural history. Of course I was also awestruck by the immense size and architectural detail of the building. It is so hard to perceive how it was ever built in the pre-industrial era 600 years ago.



Christmas surprises... Last night Matt and Amos were out all night at a concert. In Paris the metro quits running at 1 AM or so, but the clubbing and concerts often go past that time so it is not uncommon to simply stay out all night and catch the morning metro home. Since Matt and Amos were dead to the world, Sarah and I planned to explore alone. First stop was out for coffee. On the way back we heard a loud "Hey" and who was standing on the sidewalk but Matt's friend's Nate and Ben. Nate lived with us for a semester last year so he is like family. He's doing a study abroad in Spain, and came up to Paris to stay with his friend Ben for Christmas. I sure didn't expect to run into him on the street!!! (Que up "It's a Small World") So after hugs and coffee and breakfast we went downtown to shop, adventure, and see the cathedral. And throw a few Paris Christmas snowballs!



We later caught up with the now rested boys, and went out for Christmas eve dinner. Who would have ever thought I'd be spending Christmas Eve in Paris, eating Moroccan food with my kids and three of my sons college friends. It is a small world, and a fun one!!!

Grocery shopping...Paris style

One of the things I looked forward to about this trip was that my son has actually been living on Paris, so he would be able to to show us real living in Paris, rather than just tourist Paris. This morning we went out shopping for food for Christmas dinner. First stop was the butcher shop... Yes, I said butcher shop, something that is virtually non existent in the U.S.. The case was full of meats that all appeared to be high quality as well as interesting looking sausages and things you never see in the U.S., like fois gras, and tiny pressed meat ducks. I sure can't think of the last time I saw a real butcher, the guy's in our grocery store hardly count. But here in France apparently they are common place, and the butcher was happy to recommend the proper ham for Christmas dinner. We also left with one tiny duck, because I couldn't resist, and a laugh, because even at the fancy French butcher, you could find breaded chicken nuggets that looked like the icky things my kids loved when they were little. Who knows, maybe they are better in France, but I'll never find out. I suppose they are the testament to kids being the same everywhere.




From the butcher we headed to the supermarket. Matt said this was the "rich person" store, as opposed to the tiny market nearer his apartment were we stopped the other night. The piles of fresh foods were pretty impressive, especially the sea food! I am also amazed at all the french cheeses, and how positively inexpensive they were. A round of Camembert, that would easily cost $6 at Smiths marketplace back home is only about $3 here in Paris. Same for the wedge of brie. No wonder my son is living on baguettes and cheese! The salami selection was pretty impressive too. Many different types, unlike anything in standard grocery back home. Of course besides the fresh and (by American standards at least)artisan food, there were plenty of canned goods and even Uncle Bens rice, so I suppose this means not everyone here is a fancy fresh chef.

This store was also a super store (although not nearly the size of stores back home) so we were able to get Sarah a warmer pair of socks to wear with her rain boots, and we could have even bought a Christmas tree.

Christmas in Paris

If your son is studying abroad and living in Paris, how else can the family be together for the holidays? The sacrifices we make for our children! Sarah and I arrived this morning, and considering the global winter weather, widespread reports of airline delays, departing Salt Lake in a snowstorm, landing in Cincinnati in a snowstorm, it was surprising we were only about an hour late arriving in Paris. After fumbling our way through Charles de Gaulle airport and out to our shuttle, we arrived at Matt's place. We were greeted by 2 sleepy young men who had stayed out way too late last night. Matt's room mate at Ft. Lewis is also here for Christmas, so they have been out doing Paris partying. They were as tired as we were jet lagged, so after a quick trip to the market for cheese, baguettes, and, well, toilet paper(I don't think Matt was too concerned about preparing for our arrival LOL), we all took a nap and then headed off to the Christmas market at the Champs-Élysées... Sadly it was raining, not snowing, but it was beautiful and festive none the less. Adorable little shops unlike anything I've seen in the states, cheeses, dried fruit, piles of chocolate, bakeries and mulled wine sellers(yum!).

I'm a little too jet lagged to want to write much so I'll let my pictures speak. Not my best photographic effort as it was hard to take the time to get the perfect shots and mess with camera settings in the rain while trying not to lose the kids and not make Matt too embarrassed that his mom was (gasp) playing tourist!

After all these years.

My first Christmas in Utah was spent in Ogden, about an hour north of where I live now. I really enjoyed the downtown Christmas display, a Christmas village of tiny cottages with windows exposing the cute Christmas scenes within; busy elves and jolly Santa's, sugar plums and teddy bears. I'm such a sap for the cute Christmas things that remind me of my childhood, like the ice skating animated puppets at the Oakbrook mall in Chicago, and the fabulous Santa's workshop in the downtown Shillitos department store in Cincinnati, so Ogden's Christmas village was just my thing, a perfect but of Christmas magic.

Well, 25 Christmas have come and gone since then, and I often expressed interest in seeing the Ogden display again. I'd suggest that heading up there would be a perfect birthday present for me, or that it would be fun for the kids, but somehow in all these years it never happened. We were always too busy or the weather was bad, or nobody wanted to take the hour drive.

When my sister(a fellow sap) said she was coming out for my birthday I knew I had the perfect partner in crime for such an excursion. So finally after 25 years, I experienced those magical lights and displays again, and they were as goodg or better than I remembered. It kind of made me sad that I never took my kids there when they were young, as they would sure have liked it! This big kid sure did!

The Princess Diaries

December is a month of festivities, and I get an extra one, as it is my birthday month. A big one this year, turning the big 5-0.
The Saturday prior to my big day was the December birthday celebration with my singles group, two of us turned 50 and the other gal arranged a party prior to dancing with the group during which we were both gifted with tiaras. I'm not at all bothered by turning 50, to be honest, my 40 sucked. (Marital hell and a divorce) So I was happy to don my tiara and dance my way into my 50's!

I had actually planned to let the event slide by unnoticed but a few weeks before my big day my sister called and asked "What are you doing for your birthday", and I answered "it's Wednesday, so pottery class", and she said "How about I come and spend it with you? You should't have to spend you 50th alone,"... so wow, my birthday quickly went from non-event to "Princess Week".

On my birthday I wore my tiara to the coffee shop, where I was gifted my morning beverage, and also to work for a short time before heading to the airport to pick up Donna.. I wore it to the credit union and up to and into the hot springs, and to dinner at Roosters and wandering the Ogden Christmas village. I was digging the princess gig!

My princess day turned to princess week...When I found my sis was coming I wanted to do something special and arranged a spa night for us on Thursday. We had massages and facials and a lovely dinner out. And if those princess activities weren't enough, my sister came with a surprise. When my cousins heard she was flying out here, they decided to do something nice for us and arranged a Friday night stay for us at a swanky Deer Valley hotel(in-room fireplace and all), where we had a lovely dinner and played in the outdoor hot tub and pool in falling snow. Saturday we checked out the galleries and shops on Park City's main street, and then had a dinner party and merriment with my friends. Sunday, after running Donna to the airport, I went skiing with two girlfriends, one who actually had free passes for us that day.

So I really had a week fit for a princess and I feel so blessed by my family and friends. Special thanks to Carolyn for gifting me the tiara!!! I think my 50's are off to a really good start!!!
Picking up Donna at the airport.
Soaking at Crystal Hot Springs
Dinner at Roosters Brewpub
Ogden Utah's Christmas Village
The Chateaux at Silver Lake
Donna, soaking at the Chateaux
A little winter swim!
Wandering Park City