weekending, food and fun

With my return to work last week, this weekend has actually held the significance of a weekend, and not just a string of two days that start with the letter S.  And a good and full weekend it was.  We had a Friday morning visit from my mama before wrapping up the work week.  Saturday morning was breakfast at the grand opening of a new biscuit shop in town, Blue Ridge Biscuit Company (Nichole, if you come in October, we must go here!) followed by a visit to the market and an afternoon of hanging around the house and loosely discussing fall (and next year) gardening plans.

My plans for today had been to make blueberry jam and go to a baseball game with my dad and brother, and finally meet my brother's girlfriend.  Jam did not happen, but the baseball game did.  But, before baseball happened, Claire and I walked into town to check out another new place that was having their own grand opening this weekend, Dobra Tea House.  We wrangled up our good friends on the way and so it was two mamas and two girls for tea and snacks.  The girls, of course, chose a little platform with a low table and many small cushions for us to sit on.  The menu was overwhelmingly large, an entire binder of tea.  There were bells that we were told to ring when we had a question or were ready to order.  It only got accidentally rung once.

yum, yum, yum.  A pot of herbal tea for the girls, and tea biscuits.  Tulsi chai with lots of cardamom for me, and the most amazing black sesame and pear dessert.  I want to go back to this place again and again, to linger over pots of tea and get lost in a book, or to people watch and chat with friends....

And then, for something entirely different, after quite literally running home from the tea shop to pick up the tickets, make a couple quick pb&js and a wardrobe change (complete with a somewhat harried mama) we got in the car and headed to Asheville for a ball game.  Where there were french fries.  Wonderful french fries.

She was into watching the game.  And playing with her uncle and grandpa of course, which was quite special because (even though we all live within 25 minutes of each other) the three of us haven't all been together in a long time.  My dad fell into dad mode, buying us snacks and drinks.  Pretty cute.  After the game they let all the kids onto the field to run the bases if they want.  She watched, then hesitated when I asked if she wanted to do it.  But then it was all yesyesyes and I walked her out then watched her gloriously run all the bases by herself.  Well, with loads of screaming kids, but not with me.  Which was great, because she's not always into being thrown into large crowds without one of her people.  Smart girl.  I got the biggest smile on my face watching her- so happy, so proud of herself.  It was one of the cutest things I've ever watched.

There was a saxophone player at the gate afterwards, who Claire was pretty into until he played a high note right in her face and caught her off guard.  He was trying to be fun.  Sometimes she has a very clear and unwavering definition of fun.

She did not approve of the high note in the face move.

On the way home, maybe because I realized we hadn't done the ice cream-for-dinner thing all summer, maybe because I was wanting ice cream, maybe because it was unexpected, we stopped and had ice cream at 6pm.

dark chocolate with sprinkles for her, a mix of fresh ginger and mountain berry for moi.

And then, home.  For dinner and bedtime, which means a few chapters of Little Town on the Prairie, as we make our way through the dear Little House series.

*weekending with amanda