I guess I'll never have what I had always considered a 'grown up house'. In my head, when I had a house that did not need any major remodeling or repairing (new floors, whole house of popcorn ceilings, dysfunctional kitchen, etc), I would officially be a grown up haha. You know, the kind of house that when the doorbell rings, you don't glance around to survey the chaos and then consider not answering the door. I lived in our 'starter home' for 24 years. I purchased this house because there is a small house in the back that was remodeled for my father. I'm able to care for him without us living together in the same house. My son moved back in while he hopefully finishes his degree. I feed and do my best for a colony of feral cats. I can't remember the last time there were no Chewy or Amazon boxes to break down and recycle. I can't remember the last time there were not kittens underfoot that are being socialized for good, indoor homes and grouchy old cats dodging them and hissing. But.....that's ok. Because what I have is lively and fulfilling. My home serves our needs like a champ, popcorn ceilings and all. But one of these days, when I am feeling very, very brave, I am going to be asking for help from all of you decorating geniuses!

funkyart, you can find good looking flats but some will be expensive. My new go-to flats for spring/summer/fall, are by Toms - cheap and SO many varieties. They also work with the orthotics I must wear in my shoes. When I need to look a bit better, my old standbys are my Belgian loafers <http://www.belgianshoes.com>. They are only sold in NYC or by catalog. I take a 7 1/2 in most brands but in my Belgians, I take a 7. They come in many widths - in regular shoes, I wear a C width; in Belgians, a M. Ordering from them is a pain - they make a run of one color/leather at a time in Belgian, so one asks what is available in ones size and one gets whatever they may need for the next 2 years! They are unfailingly rude to everyone, no matter how many years one has been buying them. But they're worth it! They're wonderfully comfortable shoes, can take an orthotic, and are very attractive. I can wear them with church clothes and a fur coat and they "work". When one buys them, they come with a sole that is soft, just like the leather of the uppers. Wear it that way for at least 6 months to a year - doesn't matter if the sole gets worn or even is beginning to develop a small hole. Then, when they've truly molded to your feet, take them to a local shoe shop for a VERY thin sole to be glued to the bottom. If you're not sure of your local shop, send them back to Belgian Shoes and they'll do this for you. They also offer a refurbishing service - they can really make a tired pair look like new again. If you can wear a low heel, Ferragamo's classic bow low heel shoe is a classic winner - comes in a jillion colors. They are now also making it in a flat. Again, expensive, but I have ones that are 20 yrs old and still look good! If you're really willing to splurge on a low heeled shoe, Roger Vivier makes their classic pilgrim buckle in a low heel and a flat. I one of each. I've had both now for about 10 years and they have held up very well.

I've purchased salt-free blends from both The Spice House and Penzeys. As stated above, because of their history, many of their spice blends are similar. I pretty much alternate between the two companies. But only The Spice House has the Cajun salt-free blend, and I use that a lot. For baked/roasted chicken, fish, tuna salad -- just about anything that could use a dash of flavor. Their chili blends are good, (I usually buy chili con carne & mild regualr chili) as is the adobo. It's another flavor profile that is great with chicken and pork chops. I've been using the Parisian Shallot blend in tuna and chicken salad this summer and quite like it. I think if you use your best judgement, you'll be OK. It's a very thoughtful gesture. It'll probably be difficult for them to make the transition at first. But there are so many low sodium products available now, that it's not as daunting as when we started 14 years ago.

Not counting one trip in a previous life, I've been going to Paris solo twice a year for the past 5 years, lately I've tacked on a week in Rome to one of those biannual trips. Trips 11 and 12 are already booked for 2020. I speak and understand very minimal French (and Italian) but can (barely) read enough to get by :-) I think that I'm fairly nice and polite, I've never been treated poorly and no one has ever been rude to me either. A lot of people in the service industry speak enough English for both of us to understand each other. Bonjour, merci, au revoir and a few other pleasantries will take you far. I prefer to just roam around and do my own thing, not much in the way of tours - I did go on a Champagne tasting cruise on the Seine with O Chateau this past trip and it was fun. I'm not a fan of the Metro at all and never use it but find it easy to either walk or take the bus wherever I want to go. Uber and taxis are also options. I've rented an apartment on the left bank from the same person each time and it makes life so much easier. No one to disturb you, being able have your coffee in the apartment at your leisure and loll around until you're ready to start your day without housekeeping knocking on your door. I like to eat my (not very) big meal earlier in the day and then hang in a cafe later for apero time. When I get back to the apartment in the evening, I enjoy noshing on sausage, cheese, olives, baguette and delicious French butter - oh yeah, I always bring a pastry home. Grocery shopping is one of my favorite things to do in Paris. I travel with a Roku streaming stick so it's nice to relax with some entertainment while I catch up online - both apartments have high speed wireless. I use the $10/day Verizon International Plan for my phone, there are other options that people tout but it's easiest for me and works seamlessly. You can also rent a personal WiFi hotspot that can be shared with multiple people for about the same daily cost. I did that on my first couple of trips and rented it from Travel WiFi - great service and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again. As for fashion, most of what you hear and read is stereotypes. People in the city pretty much dress like people in big cities in the US - think business casual in NYC and Chicago. I get by with a black trench, crossbody bag, black pants, black jeans, ankle boots, a pair of comfortable shoes, and for color - some nice tees/tops, a couple of sweaters, and a few scarves - I fit in just fine with the locals and have never felt out of place, people constantly speak to me in French and I respond in my pitiful French that I don't speak the language. If you can get past the few crabby regulars, the TripAdvisor Paris Forum is searchable and a wealth of information. I love traveling solo, give it a try.