614. If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast. ~Earnest Hemingway

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I love Paris every moment
Every moment of the year
I love Paris, why, oh, why do I love Paris
Because my love is there.
~Excerpted lyrics by Cole Porter

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Ooh la la! Je t’aime, Paris! It was my high school French teacher and lines like these above that began my love affair with the French language and Paris, the city of lights. Now more than half a century later, I still have to agree with Audrey Hepburn that “Paris is always a good idea” and with Earnest Hemingway that “Paris is a moveable feast.” In fact I thought it was such a good idea way back then, that when I went off to college, I decided to major in French in hopes that one day I’d be able to go there and live for awhile or for that matter maybe for the rest of my life. But alas and alack, as the poet said, “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” And so they did! Before I graduated from college, I met and married my husband, a born and bred Texan who vowed he’d never leave this place, but being the young romantic that I was, I thought I could change his mind. It took awhile but eventually I did. During the summer of 2013 after we’d been married 50 years, my daughter, her husband, their three children, and James and I left Texas for a whirlwind visit to London, Edinburgh, St. Andrews, Dublin, and Paris, all places that we thoroughly enjoyed.  But go figure! James fell in love with Paris at first sight, so much so that if all goes well with my knee replacement next month, he and I are going to Paris again this coming summer. The rest of the previously mentioned crew will head to Italy while James and I stay in Paris, and then we’ll all come together in Strasburg for a 5 day Rhine River Cruise before coming home. The moral of the story: No matter how old one gets, he or she should never give up on his or her dreams, and God is always good!!! Four weeks, four days and counting…

Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose
~Excerpted lyrics by Guglielmi, Luis Gugliemo/Gassion, 
Edith Giovanna/David, Mack

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“You know, I sometimes think, how is anyone ever gonna come up with a book, or a painting, or a symphony, or a sculpture that can compete with a great city. You can’t. Because you look around (in Paris) and every street, every boulevard, is its own special art form… ~Quote from the movie, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

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Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. ~Proverbs 13:12  ✝

**All collages created were by Natalie from images via Pinterest

33 thoughts on “614. If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast. ~Earnest Hemingway”

  5. Oh Natalie, I’m so happy and excited for you!!!—whereas I do love France and Paris—there is magic to be had in Italy..especially Rome and Florence—you may want to journey with the others for a little dolce vita!!! France is refined order whereas Italy is beautiful chaos!!!
    My aunt and I, plus a friend, are all heading to the green Isle in September. I personally would go back a million times to Italy, but my aunt wanted Ireland, so we’ll be off for that pot o gold—-and like you, I married a man who vowed never to leave the good ol USA—he lived for a year on American Somoa as a young man out of college running the Bulova watch company that was newly build on the island. Once he got back to the continent proper, he swore he was staying put—-lucky me. . .so hence my traveling partner in crime, my aunt—who by the way is exactly your age 🙂 my mom’s younger sister.
    I have gotten him to Canada on several occasions and I hope to get him to Italy before I perish 🙂
    Au-revoir mon amis—-travelin’ cookie

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    • Well, we thought about Italy but they want to do some hiking in places and we would just slow them down. And there’s no way I’m going to risk damaging my new knee climbing up and down where only billy goats should go. Maybe another time we’ll be able to make a trip there. I’m thrilled that you are gonna go to Ireland. Be sure to take warm clothes because we nearly froze to death in July when we were there.
      I do hope you get your husband to go to Italy with you one day. Love and hugs, N 🙂 ❤

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  9. I am always going to remember the Moral of this story 🙂 , I am so happy for you that you finally visited your dream city. And looking forward to hear more of the Paris story after your next visit.

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  13. Oh,sweet Natalie!Such a glorious Paris post my friend!Full of memories and with brilliant photos.I can see you preparing … for the next summer holidays in the romantic city of Paris! Hugs,Doda ❤ 🙂

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  14. Please I need some help … Completely mystified by your Paris narration and your personal life.Yesterday,it seems I read the synopsis of the book you suggested,I wrote a comment on that,but you didn’t mention anything that I was wrong and had msinterpreted everything … Am I right dear Natalie? xxx

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    • My personal life isn’t necessarily mystifying; it just is what it is. And no, I did not suffer any of the awful things that Mary went through. But her story is compelling and I was so taken by her courage in telling it as well as the amazing work the Lord had done in her life. I taught long enough and am old enough to have known people like Mary who have suffered great hardship, and it always breaks my heart to know that there are those who have to endure such things. All of us face trials and suffering but I certainly never had to deal with what she did. Her story needs to be told so that it offers hope for those trapped in the same kind of situations. Hugs, N ❤

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      • Thank you so much for the clarificatios dear Natalie!That’s what I suspected after reading your Paris post.Glad to hear about your happy family!My family and I strongly believe in the sacred institution of family … Hugs,D ❤

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