No end to the excitement.

How ironic it is, that one should never expect to be able to take a vacation when one works full time, without paying mightily for the time off - whereas, it's fine to take a vacation when you are NOT going to be skipping into a hornet's nest in the office.  But.  Then you'd be retired.  And you wouldn't need a vacation.  Would you?  Ask me in three years.

I took advantage of my dear sis' offer to home sit for me and toddled off to South Portland, Maine, for a short visit with Sylvie.  It was an interesting trip out...

We got everything...

It started as rain, then sleet, then snow, then sleety snow, then rain.

Once again, my GPS turned on me.  I hadn't been out for a couple of years, so I wasn't worried that some of the route didn't look familiar.  Until, three hours later, I was still going through small towns and stop lights.  Egads.  It had decided to take me the shortest route, not the fastest.  It took me over five hours to make the four hour trip.  Rain/snow all the way.  Pfft.

I knew I wasn't home when I woke up
on Saturday.  No dust motes.

I finally arrived and Sylvie and I made our usual pilgrimage to the SoPo Goodwill, we visited a great shoe store, where I got a pair of boots that I adore, then went back to Sylvie and Jim's darling little house for a gourmet meal, a bottle of wine and invigorating conversation.  I felt like such an adult!  Saturday was another rainy day, but we managed to squeeze in quite a lot.  We visited a marvelous farmers market - populated by friendly local farmers with a beautiful array of fall vege - I couldn't get over the abundance!  And the prices were great!  I brought home two big bunches of leeks ($3/bunch) and a huge bag of organic carrots for $4.  I would have moved there just for that market.  Sylvie and I did a quick sweep of Reny's, where I got to check quite a few things off my 'needed clothing' list at great prices.  We packed a lot into Saturday - market, Reny's, trip to an Oceanside park, fish tacos (THE BEST) at Taco Trio, checked out Jim's woodworking gems at a local coffee shop/gallery, and drinks at the bar of a wonderful little restaurant.  Jim's daughter (gorgeous) was the bartender that night.  Then home for another gourmet meal.  I was in a daze of happiness.

 

The park we visited, Ft. Williams, was scenic even in rainy weather.  There were also plenty of folks there - rain or not.  We saw a man creating these giant soap bubbles and Jim sauntered off to talk to him while Sylvie and I enjoyed the effect of the bubbles on the kids.  Jim had a go and the fellow gave him a homemade bubble maker to use with his grandkids!  Very typical of Portlanders - open and friendly.

Ft. Williams Park



Bubble Man

Bubble Magic!

Speaking of magic...

 

While Sylvie and I were chatting away and catching up, Jim disappeared.  That evening, just before we set off for drinks at his daughter's bar, he gave me this:

Isn't it lovely?

I had admired Sylvie's mom's stool (beautifully tole-worked) and Jim had made a pattern from it.  I said I would like to commission one, thinking that some day - in the future - Sylvie could bring it with her when she came through.  Jim is a man of action.  He cut, fitted, glued, clamped and sanded this little gem so that I could have it before I left!  Amazing.  And it is a lovely, useful thing.  I can't wait to finish it - I have so many ideas...

 

My trip back was uneventful - and faster.  The dogs missed me.  Scrappy, it seems, got very stressed and threw up.  My poor boy.  Good thing he recovers quickly.  I had taken Monday off so that I would have a buffer between vacation and work.  Otherwise, I find, one forgets their vacation almost instantly.  However, the Universe had other plans and I woke up Monday with what I thought was a head cold.  By Monday evening it was a full-blown flu.  Blech.  I was down for the count for a couple of days, although I managed to get outside yesterday (it was 65 DEGREES) and prune the peonies and dahlias, yoink the rest of the tomato and pepper plants, and get some washing on the line.  I also made a loaf of einkorn bread (my favorite recipe - 2 hour, non-dairy) so I could have something to go with the endless bowls of soup.  Lovey decided to down half of it while my back was turned.  There were bad words spoken loudly.  All my attempts to break her of this counter-surfing habit have failed.

 

So back in the saddle today.  I walked into a firestorm and I've been putting out fires all day.  I could use another vacation....