Bonsoir, mes amis,
I am at a little hotel near the CDG airport, in order to simplify the departure process. It is a bit of a strange world, because there are many many huge hotels like this one all up and down the road. The energy of rootlessness, of things temporary.
It's hard to believe that I am leaving France. It is so perfectly natural to be here. But, at the same time, I feel very full and complete. It has been such a rich 2 months, inside and out, so overflowing with life's best gifts.
I had a little adventure with an unexpected and happy ending. Tuesday, it rained particularly hard, and the wind was strong. I went to the D'Orsay bright and early that morning, thinking it was a perfect day for the museum. When I got there, I saw that many people had had the same thought. I had to stand in line for around 40 minutes of drenching rain, so I broke down and brought an umbrella, something I had been avoiding, because they blow in and out. That night, I stopped at two food stores before heading home, and had an awkward moment with umbrella and purse and vegetable "sac." About two hours after I got home, I saw that my wallet with passport and credit cards had been stolen, I''m assumng during that time when I was fumbling. After a moment of panic about the passport, I went online and looked up how to get a new one. Then, I cancelled the credit cards. Wednesday AM I went to the embassy bright and early (not raining that AM, good walking). I am happy  to report that the embassy makes it extremely easy to get an emergency passport. I was out of there in 2 hours. It did not feel very Anerican, tho, because most of the employees were French. So, a little adventure and then on with my day.
Very early Thursday morning, I got an email from my former landlady in Santa Fe, who had received a call from someone who had found my passport! The phone number she had was incomplete, but, fortunately, he sent me an email as well. We made an appointment to meet later in the day so he could return the wallet, etc. He (Sid) came with his wife and they turned out to be kindred souls. We talked for well over two hours and are going to stay in touch. It turned out that he Googled my name to try and locate me. He found me on Buddha at the Gas Pump (!), which contained my website information, which in turn contained my contact info. Wild! A very happy ending, tho. Two new friends.  
Friday, I returned to a sunny Luxembourg Gardens, home base for me, and in love with every inch of the place. I also wandered through the Mouffetard, a very old part  Paris, with lots of small and charming shops and tons of food shops. Great street musicians as well. And a final visit to Notre Dame. I was goingto go up to Montmartre o Saturday, but it poured on and off all day, and this time the rain was turning cold. I live in such a good place, because I could take short journeys and return home in between. Went back to the Mouffetard for a wonderful lunch and then up to L'Eglise Madeleine. What a force Mary Magdalene was! What a powerful embodiment of the divine feminine! She was the one who really brought Christianity to Europe.
Today, a hard rain in the morning. I moved out of the house only slowly, waiting for the predicted sun, which did come, bright and beautiful. A cold but gorgeous autumn day. I went right back to the Luxembourg Gardens. I love that they are always full of people, engaged with life in their own way. Lots of people doing Tai Chi, meditators sitting on the grass, creating still places in the park, children playing, lots of runners, and then the strollers, like me, and those who just sit and enjoy what is.
Ate a delicious lunch, walked along the river and around the Ile-St.Louis, an area of great peace and beauty in the midst of the busycity. The Seine was looking its very best today, rushing along full of rainwater, reflecting the sky, catching golden leaves. The sky was alive with shifting clouds in a blue sky. The trees glowed in the sunshine. Everyone was out enjoying, which to me is the essence of Paris.
Look for photos in a few days, when I get my  computer out of storage. Bonsoir.