Episodes Seven and Eight

Linking today with Joanne for Talking About It Tuesdays 

If you've been reading here you know hubs and I are aiming for 52 dates in 52 (ish) weeks. I'm recording them here because I think it might be fun to put them all in a photo book at the end of the year. 

I'm two episodes behind because the days are flying and full and writing it all down isn't happening the way it used to. Today will be a two for one kind of post. 

Day date episode seven. Here it is-

Backing up two weeks to this day, which was part of a week where we had stuff on the calendar every single day. Now some of that 'stuff' meant we spent time together, but I'm trying to make these moments we mark as just for us. 

Lunch at McAllisters it was. 

Hubs had an appointment in the city and I had an appointment to get my nails done. We met for lunch on his way home, after I left the salon and also after I stopped to mail a package, but before I hit the grocery store which happened to be in the same shopping center as McAllisters. 

Some weeks are like this, and I'm going to say simple is very welcome in the middle of busy.

I like their food and we each got a half sandwich with their broccoli cheddar soup which was delish. We had a nice time and talked about some of the day date places we might go and see and do in the new year. 

Day date episode eight happened on Saturday. Originally we had decided on Wednesday, but then the weather was spectacular and it made more sense for hubs to get the outside lights up while he could wear shorts since cooler weather was on the way for the weekend. 

We pivoted to Saturday and we bundled up. Actually it felt festive to put on my furry boots and my 'Canada coat' as it's been dubbed because hubs bought it for me in Canada more than 25 years ago. People still stop me whenever I wear it to ask where I got it. The boots I got in France, not quite 20 years ago but they're still a favorite and so warm. 

We headed into the city to check out a small Christmas market. When I see hubs in his hat I feel like it should have a post of its own.  He bought the hat in Austria after much hard selling on the part of the vendor. She told him she'd add the Edelweiss pin for free if he purchased so he said yes. This hat has been such a fun thing all these many years, the start of many a conversation with people everywhere who spy a pin from a place they love, or who are just curious about what the pins represent. 

The pins (currently numbering 53) started mostly by accident. He added one when he bought the hat, then ended up adding another on that same trip, and then another the next place we went, and so on and so on, and suddenly it became a thing. He's traveled all around the world adding pins to mark the miles, and now this hat tells the story of a most interesting life. 

I love going in to the city this time of year. The past few years we've gone to a Christmas show at the theatre there, but this year we can't make it work, so this might be it. 

The market was set up just outside of The Grand Bohemian Lodge, a luxury hotel whose architecture was inspired by the National Parks. Lots of stone and cedar and it's really beautiful. Besides lodging they have a spa, restaurant, bar, and an art collection featuring both local and internationally known artists. 

The Bohemian has been around for about three years now, but we've never stayed overnight or eaten in their restaurant. It was a chilly day, but we enjoyed browsing the stalls and made a couple of gift purchases before heading inside to warm up and have lunch.  

We sat at the bar, and per usual hubs immediately made friends with the people beside us. It's one of his very best qualities and something I love about him. It can also be annoying but mostly I love it. 

They had a brunch menu with some lunch options and I ordered eggs benedict because if it's on the menu that's what I order. Hubs got shrimp and grits for the same reason. Both were delicious. 

We also had to try an order of their deviled eggs which were so good-pickled mustard seeds, crispy maple duck confit, and chives. 

We walked through town and went in a couple of shops too. It wasn't overly crowded because locals were all inside somewhere watching the Clemson-South Carolina game. Yay Tigers! We were home in time to watch Tennessee play Vandy which was super painful, but we did finish decorating the tree while the madness happened and that helped. 

And now here we are, another week filled to the brim with happenings. Our next date might just be be that trip to Costco with lunch somewhere after since we've put it on the calendar. This is retirement. And December. And our life in this season. 

Which is actually pretty sweet. 

Weekend Roundup

We had the absolute best weather this weekend and enjoyed spending lots of time outdoors. A friend I've known since childhood (and her hubs) arrived from the Garden State around noon Thursday, and after lunch on the screened porch, we moved over to the covered deck, and eventually down to the dock as we caught up on our lives and all the goings on since last we spoke. 

There was very little humidity and a lovely breeze, so pretty much perfect. The little brown dog thought so too, and he went for a swim which is always entertaining. As a bonus, it wears him out a little. 

B and I met here-

A summer camp on Maryland's Eastern Shore many decades ago. We discovered we lived in the same town (opposite high schools) and the friendship grew. We spent a few summers together working at camp, time marched forward and we both married, then time kept marching and we had our first baby girls about a month apart, then our second baby girls a couple of years later. Then hubs and I moved and moved and moved some more and time rolled on and on, but whenever I'd visit my mom B and I would also get together for a visit. 

It's always like no time has passed, and aren't those the best kind of friends? 

Thursday night we had an event with our wine club and B and her hubs were able to attend as our guests. It was a fun, low-key event which included wonderful French wines served alongside a delicious beef bourguignon. 

We relaxed with our coffee on the deck Friday morning, then spent the rest of the day on the water. We could not have asked for more beautiful weather which I know I've already told you, but it's worth mentioning again. 

Even though we've had our boat summer ready for several weeks now, this was our first all day outing of the season and it was a winner. Adding more of the same to our summer calendar please. 

We saw a lot of wildlife while we were motoring around the lake, including a juvenile eagle perched beside a nest at the top of a tall tree. Hubs has eyes like a hawk (no pun intended) and he is always the one to spot birds and other animals in the wild wherever we happen to be. 

B's hubs has a fancy camera with a long lens so we look forward to seeing some of his pictures once they're back home. We encountered the same blue heron several times throughout the day and he snapped lots of really great shots of him. 

That night hubs grilled our favorite coffee rubbed pork tenderloin recipe then we went back out on the boat to check out the sunset. 

There was not a cloud in the sky which, believe it or not, doesn't make for the most spectacular of sunsets, although there's no such thing as a bad one. 

A few clouds bring out the best colors but ours was still beautiful.

On Saturday morning B and I went for a semi-power walk in the neighborhood before heading in to the nearby small big city for a late brunch. Balance, right? 

The city was bustling as we'd forgotten there was a Jazz festival happening, but fortunately we'd booked a table and were seated quickly. 

Brown butter pecan pie and a bite of banana pudding which were both super delish! 

Our friends were heading on to another city that afternoon so hubs and I had a fun Costco date. Not! I do not recommend Costco on a Saturday afternoon, but we were already in town and needed a few staples. We didn't do the usual up and down all the aisles, but we did get what we came for and got out in a reasonable amount of time so there's that. 

We actually got more than what we came for because can you not when you shop in these kinds of stores? 

Hubs and I went out for breakfast Sunday morning, then I spent a few hours trying to upload two different templates to a print site which was only a teensy bit frustrating because my files were too large or some such nonsense and then I had to rename everything and blah blah blah technology. 

We also read, watched some college baseball, and I did some laundry, spent another hour or so booking flights for a trip later this year (blah blah blah technology) and then caught up here. I had a home chef in the frig I needed to cook and that made for an easy dinner prep wise. 

And that's the weekend that was. 

What fun or not-so-fun things did you do this weekend? 

Linking today with Holly and Sarah for their regularly scheduled Hello Monday morning party.