Tuesday, December 29, 2009

What Grace Got for Christmas

Since this is my week for whining and goalsetting (both more closely intertwined than one might think!), I almost forgot to say what I got for Christmas.

Yep--my rich sister came through in a big, big way.

She's taking me to PARIS!

Soon! The last week of January, in fact!

As it turns out, this was to have been my 60th birthday present, but given that I spent my 60th recovering from open heart surgery, it was not to be. In the meantime, she had her own medical problems.

But both of us are now healthy, and we're looking forward to a much better 2010.

We're going to France with two other women, one a banker friend of my sister's and the other, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef who is already planning which restaurants we will visit in Paris.

I suppose it might have been more useful if my sister had gotten me appliances or paid to have the interior of my house painted, as she has in the past. But I am SO ready for a vacation. And I'm SO grateful to be going to Paris with one of my favorite people in the whole world.

Au Revoir!

15 comments:

In Debt said...

WOW! What a gift! I hope you thoroughly enjoy your trip.

Anonymous said...

O M G !!!!!!!
How wonderful and amazing. Trust me, Paris is WAY better than new appliances! Paris is the most beautiful city in the world AND the food is to die for! I am sooooo green with envy.
Oh, Grace, have a wonderful, fabulous time and please, please, please take oodles of photos and share.
Bon Voyage, mon ami.

CT Mom said...

Wow! I wish I knew how to say "what a great gift" in French, but my vocabulary is limited to food words, like "fromage" so that wouldn't work ...:-)

Have a wonderful trip! Post pictures!

MasterPo said...

Nothing wrong IMO about giving good gifts as long as you can afford to keep on doing it. Similarly, nothing wrong in cutting back when money is tight.

I've learned the hard way that people - even family - don't always reciprocate good gifts back even for the special times/events of your life, much less regularly for holidays etc.

ps- As for your $40k/yr retirement income, when do you plan to retire? Don't forget to take into account the time value of money. $40k/yr in 20 years isn't the same as $40k/yr today.

pps- And don't forget you'll have to pay taxes on that $40k so you really don't have $40k to spend a year at retirement.

MasterPo said...

Oops. The comment about retirement should have been under another post. Appologies.

Not My Mother said...

Wow, that's a wonderful gift! Enjoy Paris, it's really a wonderful city.

Sharon said...

AWESOME!!!! It sounds like a great trip, and you so deserve it...enjoy!!!

Florence said...

Not to rain on the parade, but who is paying for the restaurants?

Bucksome said...

Grace, you deserve to have a wonderful vacation!

I owe money too, but still budget for vacation. As shall I say, more more mature women you have to make sure to enjoy life on the path to retirement.

Grace. said...

Florence--the chef runs a fairly famous California restaurant and has hosted many of her classmates from her time in Paris at the Cordon Bleu. She's calling in favors, at least two of them 3 star favors! Basically, all I have to pay for are gifts for the kids back home and the occasional cafe au lait.

Louise said...

what a great gift! thats wonderful, I hope your going to take lots of pics to show us!

HappySlob said...

You absolutely deserve this trip! :) I read your blog occasionally and just love it. I don't know about you, but watching Julie & Julia really made me want to go to Paris more than ever.
Have a wonderful time.
Christina

frugal zeitgeist said...

Have a wonderful time, Grace! So happy for you.

Fede said...

We almost made a side trip to Paris this past holiday, (we're glad we didn't in light of the Eurostar problems. My hubby talked me out of it as we had not budgeted for it!.. l would have done it anyway!) Now , l am glad as l will vicariously through you until l can visit there again. You will have a blast. Bon Voyage!!!

Shevy said...

Have a wonderful trip!