playing hookey (from Marilyn)

Marilyn (Betsy's mom) is visiting us for a couple of weeks and has been writing about her days. Here's her note about yesterday, Friday.

dear folks -

on friday calvin played hookey with me. he is pretty good at playing hookey too, not even a hint of remorse when we showed up at his school to see the year end program for carter's class. the program was very entertaining, albeit totally in french so i didn't catch every nuance. (didn't even get the gist of a couple things apparently.)

afterward calvin took me to see the eiffel tower. i had just graduated from kalamazoo central high school the last time i went up in the eiffel tower to enjoy paris from above. the tower and the city have not changed nearly as much as i have in more than four decades.

calvin and i spent more time on a lovely, bright afternoon than one might choose to spend standing in lines to buy tickets and ride elevators. but in the midst of hundreds of tourists speaking dozens of languages, calvin and i were more than content with each others' company. he's a fearless reader of french or english and a marvelous and sincerely helpful interpreter. standing for so long was sort of hard for me, of course. but standing still for so long for calvin was even harder.

and from atop the eiffel tower, paris is unmistakably paris! the boulevards, the river, the cathedrals, the parks, and parisian life are all clear and identifiable. one might be a bird sitting on a map for all one can see. unlike the great cities of the world or big cities anywhere, paris has a strict height requirement on buildings, about five stories high. there are no tall buildings (other than graceful church spires) to obstruct any view. every street in paris sees sunshine every day. trees, gardens and potted plants flourish and bloom everywhere.

calvin is an excellent tour guide and companion. he knows the city well and has useful information about all sorts of places one can have fun or one can get a snack. afterward we strolled through the champ de mars which is much like the mall on washington. it is treed and gardened for those who love flora; it has grassy expanses for sunbathers and soccer fans; and the wide hard packed paths are perfect for bikers, baby carriages and bocce ball players.

carter and calvin have always been excellent eaters and they make cooking and eating such fun. they are both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about food. today for picnic lunch, for instance, we purchased ham on olive bread, tuna, and curried chicken sandwiches. we also had superb quiches, tomato tarts, and a tart with anchovy, olive and caramalized onion. plus several delectable pastries. and a kilo of cherries.

i hope each of you is as happy as i am, as well fed, and will sleep as soundly as i shall sleep tonight.

love,

m