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windinthemaplesMonday morning, we were all determined to make the most of the day since it was Sarah and Jenn's last before heading home. Daniel, babysitter extraordinaire, watched Graeme some more so that the four of us girls could go thrift shopping in town. (We'd been passing the same roadside Salvation Army nightly and were determined to get there in the light of day.) The store was, to be fair, dismal. We each found a few good treasures but really, the pickings were slim for such a large store. We are some serious thrift shoppers, together we're a force to be reckoned with, so it seemed especially disappointing to be so excited about something that turned out so anticlimactic. We found an antiques mall nearby with a Garmin search and drove over to check it out. What looked like a small storefront was gigantic...an old three story department store downtown cluttered and packed with all kinds of beautiful things. We split up and spent hours combing the store's collections. The prices were very reasonable but I tried to resist since so much was breakable and I didn't have much in the way of luggage space. I made it to the third floor emptyhanded until I found the most beautiful handmade round broom, a true witch's broom, hanging in a shaft of light from the windows. The birds sang, the heavens opened, the price tag said $10 and I was sold. :D I also found a weighty metal bookend, a 1920s Egypt-styled one, well distressed and gorgeous for $3. That kinda broke the seal on shopping, so to speak, because I had to ship the broom home and if I was going to ship one thing, well it got that much easier to justify shipping more. :)
All of us were triumphant with our purchases. We hauled them back to the house where I got Graeme into the tub while Sarah and Rhiannon started work on our vegan farewell feast. We had dinner together in front of the TV, the girls trying to introduce me to The Neverending Story. (They had to leave shortly after dinner and Graeme was noisily uncooperative with the plan so they did not succeed. ;) ) Dinner was a big, delicious production. We had a winter squash and veggie stew, spinach risotto, steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes, hearty slabs of bread with vegan margarine, and apple cider. There was also a no-bake chocolate peanut butter pie which we never ate and later were forced to cannibalize for parfaits. (The chocolate layer was yeck. Something wonky happened with the recipe.)
Sarah and Jenn had to pack up and drive home Monday night. Luckily, Rhiannon had been able to take the whole week off of work, so we were like peas and carrots. Happy together.
"Imagine me and you,
and you and me
no matter how you toss the dice
its meant to be
the only one for me is you
and you and me
so happy together!"
Excepting that I told her laughingly that she was mean and hurt her feelings or the time that she walked through our bedroom and saw me sleeping topless (I'm a cosleeping nursing mom, this is not unusual for me), mortifying her. Otherwise, yeah, peas and carrots. :)
Tuesday, she and I played with Graeme in the yard. We stalked honeybees, smelled flowers, sampled fruit from the backyard garden, gave the apple tree swing a try, and tried to teach Graeme things like tree climbing and apple picking and flower sniffing.
Rhi in the apple tree swing.
Graeme and I try it out. It was a very treacherous swing! I was holding on for dear life. :D
Graeme picked and ate his own apple. He was pretty excited about the novelty of it.
Our farewell the night before had been eased by the knowledge that we were going to drive to Buffalo Tuesday and meet Jenn and Sarah for dinner after work at Amy's Place, this great vegetarian diner. Our plans to get there early and explore Buffalo were derailed, though, when we discovered a big curving rod of metal puncturing our rental car's tire. With two air refills, a couple irritatingly unhelpful phone calls to Avis Roadside assistance, and the sheer luck of finding a mechanic willing to plug the tire for $10, we got on the road safely at last, switched the rental car out for another at the Buffalo airport, and cruised in just in time to make our dinner date.
(I ordered a vegan B.L.T--toasted wheat bread, vegan mayo, crisp lettuce, tomato, and thin slices of smoke-marinated tofu as well as a mustard and nutritional yeasty bowl of mac & "cheese" and a locally brewed cola. Daniel, Rhi, and I also got three orders of vegan french toast to heat up for breakfast the next day. Mmmm. :D)
After dinner, we caravanned to one of Sarah and Jenn's favorite thrift stores, a giant AmVets. I found some great vintage children's books, a toy measuring tape for Graeme, and a fun book on painting rocks for our SpiralScouts to play with. We, all of us, went home with a haul. :D
It was a great evening, especially fun to feel like we happened to live just a few hours from Sarah and Jenn and could do such pedestrian and joyful things as meet up for an after work meal or two.
Wednesday was rainy and Daniel had to get some work done. Rhi and I bundled the baby into the car and drove back to that fabulous antiques mall we'd been at the other day. I was already accepting that I'd have to ship things home, so I went back through (Graeme asleep in his carrier on my chest) with an eye to getting the things that I'd passed by regretfully the day before. We had another few hours of sheer pleasure eying everything in the place again, collecting a little basket of gifts for ourselves and our friends (though not, Sarah, the one you'd hoped we'd buy for you!). I found a few things like a crescent shaped offering bowl, a stained glass heart, and an autumn-themed salt and pepper set that I'd loved on first sight and a few things I'd somehow managed to overlook the first time. Once we'd had our purchases wrapped up, we took Graeme to the grocery store for lunch in their cafe and a little bit more shopping. Daniel had handwritten some directions to a local apple farm for us to visit. We finally found the unmarked dirt road it was on but the place looked not-open-to-visitors despite their many radio ads to the contrary. We didn't even stop, just stopped the car in the laser gaze of the workers in the yard, put the car into reverse, and headed home. ;) The orchard sold cider at the grocery store, so it was just as well. :)
Wednesday night, Rhiannon and I gadded around. We had food and curled up to watch episodes of So You Think You Can Dance and Glee together like the TV-loving girlfriends we are. :) It was perfect. :)
All of us were triumphant with our purchases. We hauled them back to the house where I got Graeme into the tub while Sarah and Rhiannon started work on our vegan farewell feast. We had dinner together in front of the TV, the girls trying to introduce me to The Neverending Story. (They had to leave shortly after dinner and Graeme was noisily uncooperative with the plan so they did not succeed. ;) ) Dinner was a big, delicious production. We had a winter squash and veggie stew, spinach risotto, steamed broccoli, mashed potatoes, hearty slabs of bread with vegan margarine, and apple cider. There was also a no-bake chocolate peanut butter pie which we never ate and later were forced to cannibalize for parfaits. (The chocolate layer was yeck. Something wonky happened with the recipe.)
Sarah and Jenn had to pack up and drive home Monday night. Luckily, Rhiannon had been able to take the whole week off of work, so we were like peas and carrots. Happy together.
"Imagine me and you,
and you and me
no matter how you toss the dice
its meant to be
the only one for me is you
and you and me
so happy together!"
Excepting that I told her laughingly that she was mean and hurt her feelings or the time that she walked through our bedroom and saw me sleeping topless (I'm a cosleeping nursing mom, this is not unusual for me), mortifying her. Otherwise, yeah, peas and carrots. :)
Tuesday, she and I played with Graeme in the yard. We stalked honeybees, smelled flowers, sampled fruit from the backyard garden, gave the apple tree swing a try, and tried to teach Graeme things like tree climbing and apple picking and flower sniffing.
Rhi in the apple tree swing.
Graeme and I try it out. It was a very treacherous swing! I was holding on for dear life. :D
Graeme picked and ate his own apple. He was pretty excited about the novelty of it.
Our farewell the night before had been eased by the knowledge that we were going to drive to Buffalo Tuesday and meet Jenn and Sarah for dinner after work at Amy's Place, this great vegetarian diner. Our plans to get there early and explore Buffalo were derailed, though, when we discovered a big curving rod of metal puncturing our rental car's tire. With two air refills, a couple irritatingly unhelpful phone calls to Avis Roadside assistance, and the sheer luck of finding a mechanic willing to plug the tire for $10, we got on the road safely at last, switched the rental car out for another at the Buffalo airport, and cruised in just in time to make our dinner date.
(I ordered a vegan B.L.T--toasted wheat bread, vegan mayo, crisp lettuce, tomato, and thin slices of smoke-marinated tofu as well as a mustard and nutritional yeasty bowl of mac & "cheese" and a locally brewed cola. Daniel, Rhi, and I also got three orders of vegan french toast to heat up for breakfast the next day. Mmmm. :D)
After dinner, we caravanned to one of Sarah and Jenn's favorite thrift stores, a giant AmVets. I found some great vintage children's books, a toy measuring tape for Graeme, and a fun book on painting rocks for our SpiralScouts to play with. We, all of us, went home with a haul. :D
It was a great evening, especially fun to feel like we happened to live just a few hours from Sarah and Jenn and could do such pedestrian and joyful things as meet up for an after work meal or two.
Wednesday was rainy and Daniel had to get some work done. Rhi and I bundled the baby into the car and drove back to that fabulous antiques mall we'd been at the other day. I was already accepting that I'd have to ship things home, so I went back through (Graeme asleep in his carrier on my chest) with an eye to getting the things that I'd passed by regretfully the day before. We had another few hours of sheer pleasure eying everything in the place again, collecting a little basket of gifts for ourselves and our friends (though not, Sarah, the one you'd hoped we'd buy for you!). I found a few things like a crescent shaped offering bowl, a stained glass heart, and an autumn-themed salt and pepper set that I'd loved on first sight and a few things I'd somehow managed to overlook the first time. Once we'd had our purchases wrapped up, we took Graeme to the grocery store for lunch in their cafe and a little bit more shopping. Daniel had handwritten some directions to a local apple farm for us to visit. We finally found the unmarked dirt road it was on but the place looked not-open-to-visitors despite their many radio ads to the contrary. We didn't even stop, just stopped the car in the laser gaze of the workers in the yard, put the car into reverse, and headed home. ;) The orchard sold cider at the grocery store, so it was just as well. :)
Wednesday night, Rhiannon and I gadded around. We had food and curled up to watch episodes of So You Think You Can Dance and Glee together like the TV-loving girlfriends we are. :) It was perfect. :)
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-12 03:10 pm (UTC)And I just have to tell you: I'm thinking that the first picture in this post deserves a bottle and three imps: The Lion and the Bee, yes? Mebbe? :D
And I am still longing for that antiques mall! It was so great! Best I've ever been in, I swear. I had such a fun week, Rachel. So, so happy. ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-10-12 03:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-12 03:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-12 03:48 pm (UTC)That picture of you and Graeme in the swing is so sweet, even if you are in mortal danger...
no subject
Date: 2009-10-13 07:22 pm (UTC)*LOVE*!!!
(And I'll survive. ;D *LOVE*!)