It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

The day started out a little bit shaky -- cell phone charge didn't take, congestion at the gas station, line at the bank, uncertainty about the route . . . .

But boy did it turn around!

I took a new route to Lancaster County today, and it turned out to be just wonderful. Bucolic vistas along the way, no zoomy trucks, cows (the black and white kind) in abundance. Just gorgeous.

I got to the meet-up place, The [new] Old Country Store well ahead of time and leisurely selected fabrics for my three remaining monsters, for Elizabeth's Bee Blocks, and just a couple of black-and-whites for me. The [new] Old Country Store preserves the spirit of the original with a few tasteful touristy items. I didn't go up to the second floor, but the fabric selection was abundant and nicely priced. Two delightful surprises: (1) the gracious clerk at the check-out happily allowed my phone to charge in her spare outlet while I shopped (Thank you, Lavinia!) and the cutting table personnel now cut 1/4 yards!

My dear niece showed up right on time and we tried to figure out how long it had been since we had done this. It had been too long. We bought some amazing little soft-bristled sponge-like things for removing silk from corn, and headed over to The Kling House where we began with chilled peach soup (astonishingly good!) and then shared a grilled sandwich while we caught up. Next we perused the Kitchen Kettle Village shops. Each of us had a specific errand: She needed to get a chain refinished at the Brighton store and I wanted to visit the pocketbook shop. I'm fed up with Vera Bradley's bags at present -- the fabrics are hideous and the prices exorbitant. I have a summer purse I bought at the KKV shop prolly five years ago and it is still serving me well. Today I bought one in late summer into autumn tones.

Had the presence of mind to stop at the Flourtown Farmer's Market before coming home, even though I was tired, and picked up some poached salmon and hand-made whole wheat pasta. I then thought to look at my phone, which I hadn't done all day, and there was a message from the library that the books I requested were ready for pick up. So I stopped there, just before the cleansing rain began.

I'm so tired I need a bit of a nap. But -- oh my goodness -- I've got two new books to read, ten quarter-yards of assorted fabrics to fondle, yummy fixings for an easy dinner, confirmation that the new route to Intercourse is excellent, and memory of a truly lovely visit.

What a wonderful day!