Doing what we do best - Sharon

Between mothering, running our home and my French lessons I stayed true to form.

I planned and I organised.

Taking in shows, going to museums, art exhibitions, seeing girlfriends, sitting in a cafe having coffee, hosting dinner parties and organising our weekends.

My letter mentions going to see Lionel Ritchie when he was in Paris and we loved his "Dancing on the Ceiling".


I describe a dinner party to Mom where I made French onion soup, stuffed veal and crepes. I think I should return to some of the wonderful French classics next time I entertain.

Map I drew Mom showing my planned holiday destinations for May
and June 1987.

Doing what I do best was planning our holidays around long-weekends.

Endlessly pouring over Michelin Guides, making bookings and just generally loving all the anticipation of the sightseeing.

I still travel twice, once when I plan and again when we are actually travelling.

I dropped Mom a letter, drew her this map showing where we were going during the early summer months of 1987 and reading the letter I can feel the joy in the planning.

I can imagine what a wonderful escape this was for me, sitting at the kitchen table writing my letters, away from the cold of Paris and a respite from nursing Shawni and Barry through all their ills that season.