A trip to PARIS!!!!

NO - don't get excited - it is not THE Paris, just Paris, Ontario!!

A friend of mine recently moved to Paris and she had picked up something for me and I thought - what the heck - I will make the trip to go and pick it up rather than have it shipped. Hey - gas is cheap right now!

I had also gotten a call from another friend who was moving and she had found a bag of stuff that belonged to me at her house. I took a bit of a round about way to get to Paris, but I was able to do both pick-ups in one day.

Actually I am very happy that I did the detour because instead of taking the highway - I took a couple of back roads. And as I was driving down one of the roads - WHOA!!!   Someone recently told me about the rail trail that goes from Cambridge to Pairs - and there it was!!!!!!!!

The multi-use rail trail!!!!!    And right along the Grand River - it must be gorgeous in the summer.  OK - that is a MUST bike trip for me this summer.  Could I ride to the start of the trail????  Or should I take the car???

The highway along the Grand River.  So beautiful

I no longer have a working GPS and while I could use my Google Maps on the phone - I do not.  Before I go anywhere, I do a bit of research on Google Maps and write out basic instructions.  And I can't believe that I made it to Robin's house and did NOT get lost.  It was twisty and turny!!!!   Her house is chaos with three dogs - I didn't get pictures, but they are totally crazy. And I have to say for having moved three weeks ago - her house was remarkably completely unpacked.  The other people who are moving - same thing - where are the boxes people?????   I live in boxes for months before and after a move!!!

Then we went downtown Paris for a bit of shopping.

A log cabin sign on a light post

Want to buy a house????   Great prices!

Then we went into this place.   OH MY GOD - it is like stepping back in time.  Really (and I mean really old buildings - OK - not old like THE Paris, but by our standards - old). 

They even sell fabric - this is part of it.  The picture on the top left shelf is a picture of the store many years ago. 

And look what was hiding on the stair case. These are pattern holders for Butterick patterns!!!! Hold off Carol - I don't think the guy was receptive to them being bought. I mentioned them to the store owner and he didn't really comment!!!

The view from the back window of the store

Well we'd worked up an appetite so we were off to lunch.

Stillwaters for lunch

My view as I ate lunch.   Beautiful spot - would be fabulous in the summer.  Hmmm - a ride down the trail, have dinner and back on the trail!!!!

Since I was in Paris - I decided to take a visit to Mary Maxim.  Oh my god - they have some great stuff - a HUGE store. I had been here once before but still - there is lots to see.

 Great sign to Mary Maxim store

I did pick up a couple of things which I won't show you at the moment, but I can show you this.

I found this fabric - does that bring back some memories?????   In case you can't read it - it is the spines of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books!!!!

I took a scenic route part way home and it was so nice to not have to drive on the highway!!!

Well I promised that I would share the organizing stuff - but I don't have time this morning. I am in a mad panic to find a photo and I have memory cards everywhere (might as well download the damn things to the hard drive while I have them all out and they are getting deleted after they downloaded - yep - that means I won't have to buy a new card when this one is full.  And I think dealing with the 50,000 plus photos is going to be a MUST for this coming year. Make that 50,000 DIGITAL photos - there are many paper photos which I will deal with AFTER (does that mean never???)  the digitals are done. And really - if I deleted those that really don't mean anything (they were taken for the blog)  - that 50,000 would diminish very quickly!!!!


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!!!!!!!!!!


I found the rest of the tablerunner pictures that were missing. Yikes - I took them with my phone on that Saturday and of course - completely forgot about them.

Go to this link to see them - they are at the bottom of that post.