But we didn't. We just didn't feel like driving 2 hours, nor did we want to get stuck in the possible thunderstorms of the weekend. So instead we opted to hang around here a bit and try to explore a little. Try not to get stuck in the same old same old rut of what we usually do on our days at home. Computer, errands, cleaning, putzing around the house.... Now, we do a lot of that stuff and it all has it's place and there are many many days when staying around here doing nothing is exactly what we need. Most days, really.
But with my return to work this week (I am starting on Thursday at an afternoon art program for kids) and papa's last 4 day off stretch before that happens, I felt like I wanted a little mini vacation.
Nothing extravagant. But I had a couple "rules". We would make some yummy meals together, explore a little, eat out a little, and not turn the computer on at all on Sunday.
It went a little something like this:
On Saturday, we did the market in the morning, which was a lot of fun after a 2 week hiatus. Afterwards we lazed about a bit and then went out to dinner at a local Mexican place. I loved my chipotle shrimp, Mike thought his burrito verde was a bit so-so, and we happily split the 32 ounce $3.50 Dos Equis. Claire ate chips in bean dip and quite a bit of hot salsa and not much else. Afterwards, we walked around the park a little and put pennies on the railroad track with plans to retrieve them later, then headed down to see what the Sourwood Festival had to offer. Things were being packed away for the day but Claire enjoyed watching the live music and the ferris wheel spinning, and Mike and I laughed at the assortment of things people were selling at the booths. I noticed the Ursa Minor coffee cart and planned then to come back by in the morning and try it out. We left quickly when we heard the train whistle blow. We had plans, ya know. We made it in time to watch the entire train of well over 100 cars pass by and with a little help from the headlights we were able to find all three pennies. One for each of us, of course.
On Sunday, we (by which I mean Mike) made blueberry muffins (Claire and I picked another gallon last week!) for breakfast and then slowly got things together to head out for a bit. I picked up a Bombay Blast (espresso with steamed milk, cardamom, rose petals and pistachios, not unlike a kulfi) at the coffee cart and we headed towards Flat Rock. The goat barns at the Carl Sandburg Home being our destination. We made it in time to enjoy them for about 25 minutes before a thunderstorm rolled in.
Maybe it was silly to drive 35 minutes to pet goats for 25, but I don't think so. We like goats. We dashed back to the car and drove to the Flat Rock Village Bakery, a delicious little place that bakes bread and pizzas in a huge wood burning oven. Of course there are sweet treats, as well. We split a pizza and got bread and treats to go. Including quite possibly the most delicious chocolate chip peanut butter cookie ever made.
After a failed attempt to get Claire to nap a little once we got home, we decided to go see if those apple trees at the abandoned factory still had any fruit on them. This time, we borrowed an apple picker from neighbors to bring along. Good thing because there were many apples left, all way up high. Mike was up in the trees in no time and between he and I and that nifty picking tool we brought home about 2 bushels of free unsprayed apples.
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| how much can a string market bag hold? not this much, apparently. |
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| we have a photo very similar to this one from our neighborhood apple picking jaunt last year, though the toes were much, much smaller |
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| there's one much like this, as well |
I'm rather fond of rogue fruit picking, ya know.
And with that, we called it a day. I LOVED the bit about not turning the computer on all day. What a difference it makes. I can see why they've made it a ritual over at Unplugged Sunday. I just may have to join in.
On Monday we started with french toast for breakfast and a bunch of hanging around the house, with a little bit of me fretting about what we were going to do to make it a "special day". Surely I'm not the only one who gets like that sometimes, right? Of course any day we are all together is special and all, but you know, I wanted that "quality" and "togetherness". Or maybe it was just that I really wanted a little spice in our day..... something making it different from all the others.
I think part of it is that now that Claire is old enough to really seem to appreciate these outings, I want more for us all to be able to do things together when schedules and such allow.
So yes, I fretted. But just a little. Maybe Mike would put it differently. Hmmm.
We ended up trying out a nearby swimming hole that we'd heard much about.
It was wonderful. Not at all crowded, just a friendly woman and her giant foster dog Silas, a polar bear of a Great Pyrenees.
We jumped off rocks, swam with Claire, walked up the beautiful river a ways, snacked on our blueberry lemon scone from the bakery the day before..... I spied the perfect sandy little spot to squeeze in our little tent some night. Hopefully soon.
Though wouldn't it be a drag if we got all cozy and set up by the river, just the 3 of us (4, including Wolfie) and then some big group came out around midnight and partied all night?
It's not that I'm old and crotchety. Really.
It's that I'm a mama and I'm just in a different place than all that right now, you know? You know.
After our swim we went to the playground by the lake and had the good fortune to bump into our good friends Michelle and Keegan. (Keegan is one of Claire's best little buds, for sure) Then, home for some homemade lentil soup on a somewhat chilly (relatively) late summer night. I swear there have been hints of fall in the air these last few days. I love it.
And that was that.
A lovely three days with my two loves.
Staycation! Love it.
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