Week 4

After three days of playing outdoors last week at work last week, our return to PowerPoint culture all of this week has been rather anticlimactic. This weekend is definitely making up for it, though.

Yesterday, we drove out to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. It was very, very sunny, but aside from that a pleasant way to spend the day. My 6-year-old cousin was quite taken with a dog that could say "Mama" on cue: "Who's the boss, mama or papa?" "Mama." I always knew dogs were smart. The costumes were something, as they always are at a Renaissance festival. Some were gorgeous, others made you do a double take, despite your better judgment. And the food! I'd never seen such variety at something like this before. Everything from the mandatory turkey leg to steak on a stake, falafel, hot potato chips, gooey yam fries, croissant sundaes, and more. It was quite something. Food aside, the 6-year-old got knighted by Henry VIII and had his face painted (a very manly fire-breathing dragon), and we saw several of the shows going on throughout the grounds. A good time was had by all. I forgot my camera, but my aunt and cousin took lots of pictures, so I may be able to get some from them.

Today, we headed out to the Blueridge Mountains for a country breakfast and apple festival with extended family. The coffee cake and cinnamon apples were awesome. I found out that I've missed fresh biscuits, too. There was this nice hill outside the lodge where we ate that that little ones had fun running around on. The 6-year-old also got a kick out of throwing rocks into the stream at the bottom of the hill, which is apparently an annual tradition. I stuck around the festival long enough to watch the 6-year-old climbing a pile of hay bails and help one aunt pick out apples to top off their box. Then said aunt and corresponding uncle absconded with me to their house (with a detour to Safeway and down their mainstreet to show me around town) where the rest of the group would join us for lunch. My uncle barbeques a mean chicken breast, and my aunt makes a very tasty chicken salad and chocolate cake. And it was so peaceful sitting out on their deck, enjoying the view of their large, sloping lawn and the treeline at the bottom. Once more, a good time was had by all. I was sent home with a large helping of assorted cut vegetables, thanks to me and my vegetarian tendencies, and samplings of several varieties of apples. When I got back to my other aunt and uncle's house (my regular weekend haunt and Family Central on this coast) this afternoon, with said aunt and uncle, I napped and finished a book.

Could this weekend get any better? It's had outdoor excursions, great food, down time, lots of wonderful family. Could really get any better? Oh, yes. Tomorrow is a holiday. Thank you, Federal Government, for observing Columbus Day.