I can't, I really can't.

Needless to say, I am having a very Elmyra day. I left for work this morning and found some friends waiting outside for me...



And then I got to work and someone sent me this....



Needless to say, my mascara is running and I just want to go home and hug my cats. Give someone a hug today!

Have a great Friday!!

10 Minutes in Montague

7:50 p.m.

As I pass one of the farms on Clove Road, I notice a calf no bigger than a medium sized dog. It's such a sweet sign of life. Perky ears, little waggly tail. I swear it smiles at me as I slow down.

7:52 p.m.

I turn onto New Road to go into the back entrance of the country club. I slow down at the ranch on the right. In addition to their 2 full grown horses there are now 2 ponies. Their manes are still baby fuzz.

7:53 p.m.

I turn into the country club and notice a rainstorm about 20 feet ahead of me, although the sun is shining and my car is dry. As I continue to drive it rains on my car for about 30 seconds then stops. I look back in my mirror and see that is still raining behind me, but not on me. Sunshine, lots of sunshine.

7:55 p.m.

As I think to myself "Could this day get any more interesting?", I look to my left and see this.



I stop to take as many pictures as possible.

7:58 p.m.

I continue on down the road. When I get to the driving range I slow down as always not wanting this Elmyra dream to end. I look up and see a doe chasing after 2 fawns even smaller than the calf I saw minutes ago. I watch them run down the hill and disappear into the woods. I look up and see the rainbow again.

8:00 p.m.

I run into the house screaming "Fred, I am never leaving the country!!"

I heart Philly!!!

I do!! I do!! I do!! I love it so much!! And it is so cool that Fred's parents live so close. So when I told them that I wanted to go to Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philly, they were more than happy to have us come and stay for the weekend. It worked out perfectly!
Fred & I headed out there on Friday afternoon after work. Of course, not without a stop at Arby's! We made great time so Fred took me on a little tour before we got to his parents. These are always fun. He points out the numerous places where he...would go drinking! LOL!!
On Saturday we headed into Philly. It was so much fun! We went over to 4th Street in search of fabric. Fred's mom had graciously obliged to make the table runners for our wedding. Which of course, means they will be fabulous! She is an extremely talented woman! We found the perfect fabric at our very first stop! It was a place called Maxie's Daughter. The people there were wonderful! Everyone was so helpful and helped us find the perfect fabric! I was more than pleased!
Next we went to the Famous 4th Street Deli for lunch. All I can say is I have never seen a sandwich quite so large that tasted quite so delicious! The pastrami melted in my mouth. Much to the waiter's surprise, Fred was the only one who finished his enormous, gigantic sandwich. He ordered the "Nostrand Avenue", which before this weekend was just a stop on the LIRR! But in Philly, the Nostrand Avenue is a double decker sandwich with pastrami, liver & onions on rye. After filling our bellies with 4th Street goodness, we headed down to Penn's Landing for the Art Star Craft Bazaar.



At this point the rain was picking up and the humidity was quite awful. But our spirits were up!! I was really excited to see some of the amazing artists and crafter's that I had seen on Etsy. Being surrounded by so many talented people is very inspiring. Fred & I split up from his parents and shopped around and met some great people. We got to chat with the couple that runs Sycamore Street Press, Eva & Kirk. They were great! Eva explained how they make their products using an old school Vandercook letterpress set up in their dining room! I bought an awesome hand made purse from Holly Hue, another wonderfully talented & cool lady! A very cool booth was Spokes People. They take old bicycles and recycle them into jewelry. I got a really cool pair of earrings.
Although, I do have to say my top favorite was definitely My Ugly Kitty. This was the one booth I had to see. At first I was disappointed because a lot of vendors had closed up and left due to the weather. But just as we were getting ready to leave, Fred spotted the booth. I was so excited to meet Renee, the talented girl behind the cat.



She was very sweet and didn't run when I told her I was a stalker. I merely meant that I am a fan of her work. She is a very talented artist. She uses the Gocco, which I am very interested in purchasing. She was much obliged to speak to me and let me take some pictures. She had some great stuff. I bought a really cool notebook made out of vintage recycled paper. The cover was a map of Long Island! I stood their pointing out where I grew up, where I went to school and of course...where our wedding will be held.




It was such a pleasure to get to meet these people. This was certainly one of the many highlights of the weekend. The good times kept rolling. On Sunday Fred took me to the Baldwin Book Barn, another unique place. This is an old barn from the 1800's. It has been renovated into a store that sells very old & rare books. It was so cool just looking through shelves and shelves of books. Fred found some great cook books.
Before we said our goodbyes, we had dinner with Fred's parents at the Avalon. I got to try some wonderful new foods I never had before. On Fred's mom's recommendation, I had Grilled Romaine Hearts with Parmesan Cheese, Roasted Garlic & Lemon Vinaigrette and Polenta Croutons. I never would have though a cooked salad would be so delicious! And it was also the first time I tried Polenta. This is definitely one of my new favorite dishes!
After dinner we parted ways and headed home. We arrived just in time to feed the ravenous cats, unpack our bags and snuggle into bed. But not without a big smile for the great weekend we had with Fred's parents.