Le Soleil

When I looked at this week's forecast on my telephone yesterday, I was disappointed. Rain, rain, and more rain. The sun was scheduled to, perhaps, make an appearance around Thursday. When I woke up this morning, the wind was blowing so hard that I actually heard it break something in the courtyard. I could tell from the sound that the something was made of glass, but I don't know what the glass thing was because I couldn't find it when I looked out the window. Later, when I was reading the news, I saw that the summit of the Eiffel Tower as well as all of Paris's gardens and cemeteries had been closed because of the dangers related to the high winds. And the cherry on top was that it was also raining. You know how easy it is to stay dry when it's raining and super windy.

But the rain has stopped, the wind has calmed, and the sun is fighting valiantly to break through the clouds. From time to time, a ray escapes. I'm grateful for those rebel rays.

I'm also grateful for the sweet friend who invited me to her book club this morning at one of Paris's beautiful palace hotels, The Hôtel de Crillon. The other ladies were lovely, and the venue is hard to beat. It was a really nice way to start off the week.

Another thing I'm grateful for - good books. I hadn't read the book club book (I was only invited late last week), but I'm going to read the April book, The Man Who Outshone the Sun King, because it's an interesting and sad story. The subject is a man named Nicolas Fouquet who was the Superintendent of Finances under Louis XIV. Long story short, he built the Château de Vaux le Vicomte, but just three weeks after throwing a reception for the king at his new château, he was arrested on the king's order and thrown into prison where he would stay until his death almost twenty years later. The beautiful château which was the model for Versailles is still privately owned. It was given to its current owner as a wedding gift. If I ever get married, I hope someone gives me a gorgeous château as a wedding gift.

As I type this, I'm bookended by Gracie on the left who is snoring softly and Luigi on the right who is completely silent. My heart.

So there you have a few things I'm grateful on this windy, rainy, chilly Monday. And you? What are you grateful for today?

bisous