One of my favorite things about Rhinebeck is walking through the area where the animal pens are. These guys are so, so cute. There are lambs, sheep, llamas, alpacas, goats, rabbits…all so adorable you can’t stand it! And I must admit, as a vegetarian, I don’t understand how anyone can look at one of the lambs and ever eat one again. My sister and I are always shocked at the line of people waiting to have lamb for lunch. We just shake our heads and quickly walk away. I know many people, in fact, most people, do not share my feelings on this subject. Someday I’ll share the story of my decision to commit to vegetarianism, but that is for another day. Pardon the blurriness of these photos. I think there is something wrong with my battery.
Autumn in New York
Isn’t there a song with that title? I think there is – if there isn’t, there should be. The last two weeks have been spectacular here with brilliant colors everywhere. My sister left today after visiting for a few days and I miss her already. We went to Woodstock for the day on Friday and had a great time. The sun was warm and golden as we walked through the streets and visited all the shops. Since my sister lives in Florida, she needs to get her dose of fall weather. We were raised in Michigan and grew up with fall = football games, back to school, and crisp leaves on the ground. I really missed this time of year when I was living in Southern California. It is our favorite season. It was so great to spend time with her, talking, knitting, sitting on the front porch, playing with the dogs (they love her) and going to our favorite event – The New York Sheep and Wool Festival!!! This annual event is held in Rhinebeck, NY, which just happens to be across the Hudson River from our little cottage. It attracts thousands of fiber artists from all over and is often just called “Rhinebeck” by knitters. I first discovered this mecca of yarn 3 years ago when I saw an article in the paper talking about it. I talked my husband into going with me and when we arrived late in the afternoon on Saturday my jaw dropped open when I saw how huge it was! We covered as much of the area as we could in the time we had and I immediately went home and called my sister and said “You have to come next year!” And she did! We thought she wouldn’t be able to come this year, but her plans changed and she came. The Dutchess County Fairground is filled with yarns, sheep, llamas, alpacas, looms, knitting needles, knitting supplies, rug hookers, hand-dyed yarns, you name it – its there. It is simply fantastic. I didn’t buy any yarn this year because I already have too much on hand that I haven’t used, but I did get a few treasures which I will share with you in another post. My sister got some great yarn and lots of treasures.
Anniversary Celebration
Sunday found us in Woodstock, a charming town that we love, to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Don found a restaurant called The Garden Cafe, where we had a reservation for a secluded outdoor table and where we had a lovely lunch. The Garden Cafe is a Vegetarian/Vegan restaurant and the food is so scrumptious that you don’t care (if you’re a meat eater.) I am a vegetarian so this was perfect…it couldn’t have been more beautiful or more delightful. After our entrees we ordered a brownie covered in hot fudge sauce and our waitress, Darla, made a heart with the topping.
Sunday was one of those unbelievably beautiful fall days where the sun shone all day, it was relatively warm, and the colors were at their best. After lunch, we walked around Woodstock and did some shopping. It was really our kind of celebration. We’re not the type to dress up (maybe because we both wore costumes for so many years in the theater) – we’re casual, no-fuss, kind of people. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 10 years of marriage.
On the day we married, our minister gave us two white roses. He asked that we exchange white roses on every anniversary to remind us of our vows to each other. We carried our roses with us:
This week my sister comes to visit and I’m really excited. So I’m cleaning like mad…
More later.