Hi John,

I'm sitting here hunched over the sewing machine assembling the curtains for the guest bathroom. But Billie and I had the nicest day and I wanted to share it with you. She's reading in the study (her room) and I'm sewing, or at least trying to sew. We're like a couple of little old ladies. The day started with freshly baked, warm & buttery croissants with cafe latte's from Colombus Cafe next door, then we took the Invalides Metro to Place de la Concorde. We strolled over to the Hotel Crillon located across the street from the US Embassy. Somebody famous must have been staying there and was getting ready to come out. There were barricades and gendarme (police) and lots of people and media types standing around with cameras at the ready. But of course, those barricades didn't stop the two of us from going and looking at the lobby and the tea salon and the restaurant and the piano bar and the boutique. We just stepped right up to the front of the hotel and walked right past the doorman like we owned the place.

Then we strolled down rue de Rivoli and I showed her some of the upscale designer shops and two of my favorite "passages". Next, around the corner to Sia to replenish my room fragrance that I ran out of. And to Resonance to buy some more bubble bath that I ran out of - and they discontinued it - how dare they! Then hopped across the street (almost getting run over) and oogled at the flower market. Lunch at Lauduree - the place famous for it's macaroons - Billie's treat. We completed the meal with a candied ginger& lemon macaroon that was to die for - and I don't even like macaroons!

Off to one of the Depot/Vente discount shops mentioned in Suzy Gershman's "Born to Shop Paris" - it didn't pan out, but glad I went. Then back home to our very own "little piece of heaven". I finished spray painting the finials for the drapery hardware in the living room - I could only get two gold instead of black so I had to spray paint them. Then we both crawled onto our beds, stretched out for a short read, and before you knew it, we both fell asleep reading our books. What a life - and all because of you!

Do you happen to have the last email that our dear friend - Arnaud, the Contractor - sent to us? I need to square that away and get him his last check. I have the file here but don't have the last piece of correspondence from him. I'm guessing you have it stored somewhere on your computer, n'est pas?

Love you bunches, me