While in NYC we were only 3 hours away from Sherburne, New York, the city our beloved neighbors moved to. My daughters grew up right next door to the most generous, intelligent, humorous, creative and loving couple. They were like grandparents to them and mentors to me. Keeping me sane and offering advise for 15 plus years.
I cried when they told us they were moving.
We were and are still blessed by these great neighbors. So we left early Saturday and headed upstate.
I don’t believe I have ever crossed the Tappan Zee bridge before. It really stood out from a distance.
Beautiful really. Amazingly very little traffic, it was a perfect Sunday morning drive.
When we pulled off the highway and started hitting the country roads, there was snow already on the ground.
Quite a regular scene for this part of the USA, but for me it was my first snow of the year. I snapped this photo out the front windshield while my kids were sound asleep in the car. Driving in silence with this view was so peaceful.
As soon as we arrived, John made us some moscow mules – a perfectly refreshing lightly alcoholic beverage for the mid afternoon reunion.
Their house is so welcoming and represents their spirit perfectly. We felt so comfortably at home with them.
I brought some Hive&Barrel mead for them to try. George’s mead will be tried all throughout New York!
Our visit with John and Colleen was barely 24 hours, but enough time to get in some hugs and catch up a bit with each other’s lives. We decided to hit the return road home earlier than originally planned because there was snow expected. We didn’t want to get stuck at night driving on the icy roads.
After getting us through the winding country roads to a main highway, I switched drivers. As I sat in the backseat, I tried to figure out a lunch spot, or a cute place along our route that wasn’t too far away, but looked interesting to explore.
We veered off to see one of the finger lakes named Canandaigua. It was such a great little town. Originally the plan was to just grab coffee at their local coffee shop, but instead we ended up spending an hour shopping on their Main Street and enjoying the afternoon. Everyone was super friendly and their stores were filled with perfectly unique items, just in time for Christmas.
I made Zoe pose in her floral coat by the mural in the alley. It was lightly snowing which added to our delight here.
Quaint town decorated and ready for the holidays.
Historic horse and wagon ride waiting for some customers.
The architecture of this building looked out of place a bit. The store was a food/kitchenware, British owned shop.
Always a town clock in these communities.
Inside the coffee shop there was a chalk wall asking for what people were thankful for. There was also a customer playing the piano while he waited for his sandwich. I thought he was hired to play. It was such an inviting atmosphere.
After grabbing our brew and a home-made muffin, we drove just a couple blocks further to check out the lake. There were these cool houses right on the water that you could drive your boat into, like a garage.
Assuming these are not year -round homes, as there was no activity on the chilly lake.
Beautiful looking out on the lake.
The seagulls were on the rocks aligning perfectly with the shoreline.
After passing Rochester, right outside Erie, Pennsylvania the snow hit! Fast and furious. Many cars ended up off the side of the road but Sedona did a great job slowing down and taking her time. It’s times like these that we are thankful for our 4 -wheel drive.
After we got out of the snow, there was a blue sky break in the clouds, yet again reminding me to always look up.
On our drive into the city in the middle of the night, I was teasing my daughter that she should make an itinerary. She is a personal assistant to an executive, so this was right up her alley. She jumped on her lap top in the passenger seat and started googling things to do and places to see.
She stumbled across the Museum of Ice-cream. I thought it sounded perfect being that she started her career at Aglamasis, a local Cincinnati ice cream parlor. We had to book tickets in advance for a specific time slot and of course show ID and proof of vaccination.
There was a mobile Covid testing van right out front on the street, I wondered if it was there to service people that did not have their vaccination cards? Testing is always the alternative option.
The theme was a pink wonderland.
The first stop was the bathroom, which was overwhelming being surrounded fully in all pink. I really loved being fully immersed in a color. It’s indescribable how a color can affect your mood.
This was on the outside of the elevator doors.
I snapped a photo of the inside of the elevator as it opened up. It looked like a Where’s Waldo of cherries.
We headed down a long pink hallway for our first ice-cream tasting.
I thought it was clever how they had the bar set up in a Christmas tree shape using the bottles and labeling them with clever names.
Soft serve peppermint complete with sprinkles was the first stop. It was delicious. We found our little corner and separated ourselves from the crowd. This was a smart thing, as we were the last in our time slot to move throughout the rooms and it allowed us time to really absorb the museum before the next crowd started in.
Up a fluorescently lit pink hallway to our next destination. I had no idea what to expect.
Zoe snapped a photo of me trailing behind. I am learning from the girls to bend one leg to help my thighs look thinner 🙂
We entered a candyland dining hall which had ceramic balloons and faux desserts.
At this stop we were given cherry flavored popsicles.
I loved the touch of the little people incorporated. It reminded me of a Japanese Instagrammer I follow- tanaka_tatsuya- check him out, he is so clever and creative!
Behind the curtain was a wall of mirrors and we had a family dance party inside.
My absolute favorite set up was this pink subway! The windows even had a movie moving that made you feel like you were actually riding on the train.
“Skybecca- clever twist to Tribecca.
Love the little map behind Yvonne.
Special effects. Wish I knew how to post a video. I need to start a vlog one day.
Girls being girls.
The banana room was next and it was hilarious. Solaire had the cool idea of the twins standing back to back between the colors.
Solaire being a model herself! After she took this shot, we saw the sign that said don’t touch the bananas 🙂
Creative and cool. Would be fun to be involved in setting up one of these Instagram-able places.
Selfie shot.
Was cool having a room of all these magnetic letters. On the opposite wall it asked what your dreams were. Someone put to own a Louis Vuitton 🙂
Little wonderland of pink. The arched window view to the outside was a nice touch.
Cool rainbow hallway. At the end was another ice cream stop. I think we had a total of 5 treats throughout the walk.
The pillars were made to look like melting ice cream.
Not quite sure what the bees had to do with any of the theme, but it was fun. You could step on the bee and then it would scoot/move.
There was a royal bee chair that we enjoyed posing with.
Queen bee 🙂
I absolutely adore this photo of my twins. Reminds me of when they were young.
I swear this could be a commercial.
Selfie shot of us by the swing set.
Then we entered the sprinkle pool. It was hilarious. They made you take off your shoes to get in. It was only 10″ deep.
Reminded me of the pit of balls the kids used to play in when they were younger. They are just different shaped plastic, same concept.
This was probably the only true “museum-ish” or educational part. Along the hallway they listed facts in regards to ice-cream as you waited to go down a slide to the end.
There is a lot to be thankful for every year when we reflect back. Personally, I can’t believe how far both mentally and physically I’ve come. Then there’s my daughters both graduating from college with honors and landing jobs almost immediately. My other daughter getting married and transitioning back to NYC.
There are always things that divide us and I feel that even stronger this year, but with that conflict comes change and evolution. It’s interesting how the world works. The inevitable waves of life continue to flow, taking some and leaving others.
Trying our best to be in the moment, share memories while making new ones. Love at the root of it all. Even after divorce, I still feel welcomed at my in-laws and was happy to have been able to enjoy Thanksgiving with them.
The Thanksgiving dinner table was set with Yvonne’s finest china.
I was able to capture this genuine candid moment of the grandparents with our girls. It’s these moments, in between the others, that we must remember. Pure joy and love.
We purchased lychee sparkling wine as a treat. Reminded me of the fruit in Thailand.
We also opened all three bottles of George’s mead from Hive&Barrel. I think the girls wanted paid for an advertisement and rightfully so with this shot!
For dessert we had some panettone. My Brazilian students were impressed when I sent them this photo. This is a common specialty in Brazil over their holidays, we happened to find it at a local grocery in the Bronx.
The following day we headed into the city to visit a museum and do a little shopping.
The city’s landscape is always filled with diversity.
Even with Uber and Lift in full swing, nothing beats the site of a traditional yellow New York taxi.
We of course had to go into this store!! They were selling original subway maps overpainted with graffiti for 120.00$, I was tempted, but dont have any wall space left.
The streets never lack character. The saying reminds me of the tattoo I have on my ankle that KangKang designed.
Feels vintage with the Soho brick street.
Retro street art. Beautifully simple.
A great shot of the modern angles of the skyscraper so interestingly contrasting with the historic brick buildings of Soho.
After Thanksgiving, before heading Upstate, I of course had to drop in to visit the Souply-Repetto clan in Rye. All their kids were home from college and it was so relaxing being in their house again. Chris made me an amazing holiday drink, not sure what all was in there, but it was comforting and made me miss the days when my business trips would take me to their place.
Chris, Abigail, Kassie (who I have known since literally birth), Kellen and Karis.
Kassie and I decided to take brisk walk to the pier to get some quality conversation in along with some fresh air and exercise. I was loving the shadows and the quiet in the night.
The textures, colors and peace. I love being back water side.
Can you even see Kassie in between the posts?
This pier is where the movie Big’ with Tom Hanks was filmed. Where the fortune teller machine ended up. Nice to have it walking distance from her home. She was telling me how she would walk this loop every day during Covid just to get out of the house.
Leave it to my twin daughters to convince me to road trip through the night in order to reach NYC for Thanksgiving. It’s one of many benefits of remote work. As long as you have wifi and a lap top, you can go anywhere. All three of us are working from home and living together through the endless pandemic. We needed a change of scenery.
We started off at 6pm and arrived in the Bronx at 4:30am. Thankfully grandma was not sleeping too soundly as she was anxiously awaiting our visit.
I have to say travelling with two 20 somethings is a lot of fun, but can also be a bit trying. We drank red bull, ate cow-tails (a gas station classic) and I endured Korean pop music and factual, horrific, podcasts that I wish I could delete from memory. We belted out tunes with Cher, Michael Jackson, and of course the queen herself, Beyonce’.
I worked all day Wednesday while the twins explored the city. Later that evening Yvonne (grandma) and I took the train to meet them.
We met on the upper west side and I was thrilled to be able to see a few of the Macy’s Day Parade balloons blown up waiting for the big event the following day.
The girls connected with their big sister Solaire and we all sat in a cozy outdoor venue for dinner.
They are all heading to Guyana in January, to see where their father is from and further appreciate their heritage. They each were given a thin gold bracelet from that country and were showing them off along with their fabulous nails.
We picked this restaurant after reading the positive reviews about their cocktails, which came in handy as we celebrated Solaire’s wedding. She informed us she got married remotely during the pandemic to her high school and long term love. We knew she got engaged, but did not know it was completely official. Celebration was in order!
We were all so happy to be reunited again. Girl Power!!!
Showing off the ice cube in my lavender cocktail. It was filled with the herb.
Sisters- together again. Solaire moved back to NYC last year after 7 years in San Francisco.
As we waited for our Uber, I was noticing all the unique sites of this city. Here a hot dog street vendor.
Police and their smart cars. As you can see just like every other city in the USA, there was tons of outdoor seating added to the sidewalks.
We arrived in midtown at Rockefeller Center to see the big tree, not yet lit. The plaza was surprisingly not busy for it being the day before Thanksgiving.
Not sure who this character is, but my daughters did!
Kate Spade shop – classic New York logo.
The classic rink with the gold statue you always see in the movies.
Tiffany’s store in that perfect color they patented.
My daughters were freiking out about this store of a designer they knew, but I sadly didn’t. Guess I’m officially out of touch.
Always the classic white angels at Rockefeller during Christmas time.
The unexpected surprise was around the corner on Saks Fifth Avenue’s store front. They had an amazing light show complete with holiday music which I danced to. The kids got me on video 🙂
My daughters in awe, silently watching. Zoe is sporting my suede boots I purchased back in the 90s, pre -children, at Gallerie Lafayette in Paris. As I got older they hurt my back- damn body, so I put them away in a chest and gave them to her when she was a teenager. LOVE that they live on!
Love being a tourist. Seeing NYC as if I haven’t a hundred times before.
We crossed the streets to admire the storefront windows. Such talent!
Her flower eyelashes are a great touch.
Christmas windows in NYC are the best. Such creative theatrics.
As we were looking at all the displays, Anthony, Solaire’s husband had “followed her iphone” and tracked us down for a surprise meet up! Such an awesome guy.
Appreciating our differences.
Capturing our family’s colors.
We wandered our way to Bryant Park which was lit up and alive with shops, hot cocoa and ice skating.
Such a fantastic night. I couldn’t have asked for better weather, or a better family.
There is also so much new architecture to see in NYC with the buildings going up. I am always surprised how the landscape here changes, but yet also stays exactly the same as I remember.
George and I have had this on our schedule for over a month but were ecstatic when we discovered there was going to be a ceremony during this game to retire U of L’s alder Mater Lamar Jackson’s jersey.
It’s only the second jersey to be retired here in Louisville. It’s a big deal.
We watched Friday night football where the Baltimore Ravens unfortunately lost with Lamar as their quarterback . But today the University of Louisville Cardinals showed up strong in his honor. When we left after the third quarter they were up by over 30 points.
After downing a couple of ciders tailgate style, we decided to wander into the game.
Was quite a scene walking in with vendors and tailgaters on every side of us.
Selfie shot once we made it into the stadium.
Inside it was quite an architectural wonder climbing to the higher levels. .
We were lucky to have tickets in the 200 row. Perfect view!
I dragged along my outdoor blanket Kassie bought me for my birthday. It’s made out of recycled plastic. I love it. And it’s soooooo insulated and warm.
Over 600 people stormed the field to play the half time show. I may be exaggerating.
They spelled out Lamar’s number 8.
I haven’t ever attended a university football game. Even when I was back in college. It was a fun experience!
Lamar showed up sporting a Gucci outfit and insulated bright green hoodie!
Definitely admirable.
They revealed a permanent tribute in the stadium.
You could feel his smile through the distance and felt his humble spirit. I don’t know him. But am looking forward to learning more about him.
May recommended this place when I saw her in Cleveland. She reminisced that her son loved climbing up the tower and walking over the narrow suspending bridge. I had no idea what she was referring to. But when someone I love and trust recommends a place, I go. Heck if a stranger advises me, I’ll go too,
And again, as always, following spontaneous recommendations is never disappointing.
This willow tree was being overly dramatic, but as most drama does, it gets attention.
Then there was Christmas in November. (ode to Debbie who will be sorry she didn’t go)
Fall was definitely showing off its colors here. I was so glad I decided to come.
I loved the added architecture which caste awesome shadows.
Such a serene walk, totally worth the 16$ entry fee.
This guy’s bark was unique.
The reflections in the water are amazing this time of year.
I felt covered in yellow, with a lime teaser.
This was the bridge. Like walking among the trees. There was a huge line to get on filled with many families with small children. I decided to skip it.
But I did wait a small amount of time to climb up this cool tower! They were doing a great job making sure there weren’t too many people on at a time.
Cool looking up from the bottom once inside.
This was the view from the top. Quite a height. 120 feet.
There were many trails off the beaten path. I think you could discover a new area every time.
I sat by this pond for a bit and noticed this thin tree was perfectly centered and the yellow leaves felt above the others from this perspective.
From a distance this stump looked just like an old chopped down tree. I thought it was strange that they didnt remove it. So I walked over to touch it, and as I got closer I discovered the carvings along its base.
Can’t believe I almost missed these. Nobody was near this stump and no one was coming.
Felt like it was speaking to me. These artist did a good job showing its soul.
Winter is right around the corner but I am so happy Mother Nature gave a few sunny warm days to appreciate the transition.
Looking up always. Can definitely look up today because its FRIDAY- and I forgot how difficult work weeks can be. It’s aging me. Thank God I have this blog to save a piece of myself and remember who I am. It’s tough during work days to stop and appreciate. It was so much easier when I was freelancing.
Lily pads still afloat.
I took a leaf trail and discovered these cool little bridges.
Selfie on a bridge.
Love the little country straw hat hanging above the natural arches.
As I as neared the exit I saw this staircase heading down to some hiking trails. But I concluded that I needed to call it a day snd give my hips and calves a rest. So I didn’t dare adventure down.
I headed back to Cincy by cutting across the top of Ohio so I could veer down through my hometown of Findlay and deliver some mead for them to enjoy for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
Once I got closer to Cincinnati I viewed this amazing sunset. Just completed my Sunday in the most perfect way.
Waking up Sunday morning after bar hopping in Cleveland Saturday night was a bit rough. Getting older, its tough to sleep in, you just lay awake and think, which honestly is never good.
So I got my butt out of bed and wandered to the living room only to find Debbie had been awake for hours before me. I asked her if she wanted to go get breakfast. The thought of food repulsed her. She couldn’t believe I was up and okay. Truth be known, I wasn’t, but I was in Cleveland, so I wasn’t about to waste the day.
I googled best breakfast place and followed my google map to Grumpy’s Cafe.
Driving down from where I was staying I was in awe of the trees and the colors of fall. This Sunday was peaceful. Sunny,. Another beautiful day, I was not going to waste it.
Next thing I knew I was taking a bridge into the city.
It was pretty quiet this Sunday am.
Next I was circling around and ended up back in Tremont. Having a bit of deja-vu.
Grumpy’s Cafe did not disappoint. I always ask the server what they are known for, and she recommended the breakfast tacos. I scraped the plate. Devoured all of it.
While I was at the cafe, I texted May to thank her for coming out the night before and she asked my location. I told her I was at Grumpy’s, which of course she knew. She told me the Christmas Story House was only a couple blocks away. I honestly have never seen this iconic Christmas movie, but I thought I would check it out anyway because I was so close.
Here it is in all its glory. It actually was on a very quiet street. A lot of dead end roads. Was nice. Like a perfect family neighborhood.
I love how the sled and shovel were positioned on the front porch.
The fishnet stocking lamp. I see this appear every Christmas but have no reference to it. I snapped this photo because everyone there visiting the house was making a big deal of it.
I crossed the street to take a photo of the retro car. It was cute. Had a personality of its own.
I found an instagram site called wanderlustinohio, and it’s all about Ohio and places to see here. One post listed the top ten places to see fall foliage and three out of ten were in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This park is up near Cleveland and Akron Ohio which is a bit of a drive for me, but the foliage down in the southern parts of Ohio are not transitioning well so I decided to make the trek up North to see if the views were any better.
I asked my childhood friend Debbie if she would meet me there. (It’s only a 2 hour drive for her….about a 4.5 hour drive for me) We set a date on our November calendars and set to meet. Ironically this same weekend, her son who lives in Cleveland was heading out of town, so now we had the bonus of a free place to crash. Now we have the potential of bar hopping after the hike. My favorite combination- nature and beer.
A lot of the trails on my app said they were closed, but the one starting at the old Stanford house was not. So we met there.
A loop with a waterfall. What more could you want on a trail?
I love these bulletin boards they post right at the trailheads. I never really read anything that’s on them, but they make it all seem so official.
I noticed the shadows and how dominant they were on the bridge, but also how it was looking as if the trees were already bare.
A little further in it was beautiful. Golden leaves covered our path while the sun was peeking through to add a hint of warmth to the air. It literally was weather perfected.
I told Debbie she was my model today. So she struck a pose beside the grafiti tree. We both wondered if people were killing it by adding their mark, or if this was simply like tattooing and instead adding to its character.
There were a lot of steps throughout this trail. Was definitely a work out.
Debbie posing on the bridge. One of many we crossed.
Pastel leaves amongst the autumn colored palette, really stood out.
The sun was perfectly hidden. The woods are always a great place to catch up with friends. You get to talk and walk and the time just flies by.
Looking up always.
I wanted to climb down this hill to the river below. The roots provided a great natural staircase, but there wasn’t much to hang onto as you went further down. Debbie stayed up top while I went down a bit to check it out. She snapped this photo of me.
And I took this one of her up above. Roots have so much to give and strength to stay.
Selfie by the drop off while leaning on the tree.
We hit a boardwalk and Debbie did a jig. Funny how in our 50s we have more fun just being ourselves and embracing life and the moments we have together.
We finally made it to the falls.
It of course used to be an old electrical source back in the day. Whatever happened to us using water as an energy source?
Happy together. Debbie is always open to meeting for a hike which I love. Its the only time we get to see each other these days.
When we got to the top of the falls, I mentioned that if I were in Thailand, I would be able to walk out onto the flat rock surface, but here it was completely fenced off.
As we looped around to the other side there was this cute bed and breakfast complete with two sheep and a scarecrow.
A great bench spot but I refused to pause since there was a family with young kids loudly behind us and I was hoping to get ahead.
Debbie catching me taking off.
A cool trail runner up ahead, passed us in his shorts and patriotic knee highs.
Admiring the fallen always.
Natural beauties showing off their textures.
Look at this one!
Debbie shot ahead of me on the trail and found a path down to the water’s edge. It was so peaceful down there. Exactly where I wanted to be but coming at it from this side of the loop was a better choice for sure.
Shadows of strength. Or is she doing the YMCA dance?
Capturing both of us as we paused by the water.
Loved watching the leaves float by.
Even captured the leaves raining down on us at one point.
When I saw this log over the water, Debbie told me to go and walk the line.
It was a bit unstable and it took awhile to get used to the sway, but eventually I tried a plie” but Debbie said it just looked like I was squatting to go the bathroom, which wasn’t too graceful of a look.
One last look before we headed back up the trail.
A very narrow bridge with great shadows.
Looking over the bridge to see what it was helping us over.
Seeking through.
I absolutely love this tree’s face.
Always look for the beauty amongst the norm.
The yellow color was so dominant here. Reminded me of Robert Frost’s poem quoted in the movie “The Outsiders”. Every first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold ……
When the hike ended we had walked over 4 miles and approximately 2 hours. It was time for lunch.
I warned Debbie that on my way to the park, I was chatting aimlessly with my sister and didn’t notice that my gas light was on until I exited. I made the decision to drive to our hike location, since the nearest gas station was about a 15 minute drive away. Wasn’t sure if I would make it to either place, but chose the hike.
We debated about whether or not I would make it to the gas station but I thought for sure cars can go many miles on an empty tank. I especially thought that because I have never run out of gas before. Until now.
I started heading to the gas station and at the stop sign, my car just died. So I put on my hazards, jumped in Debbie’s car and I purchased a tank and filled it with gas. I have never done this before, I was pretending to be a pro.
Debbie laughing and taking this photo of me as I came back to the car carrying my 5 gallon tank.
When we got back to my car, the police had arrived. They tried to call me earlier but I didn’t answer since I didn’t recognize the number. They were about to tow me since my car was illegally parked.
Instead he helped me pour the gas into my tank. He was super helpful and kind. I was so happy and thanked him profusely, only to get into my car to find it wouldn’t start.
My battery was now dead. I honestly did my best taking it in stride but as time passed I was getting quite hangry and impatient with myself and my situation.
The police officer said that AAA (my car roadside assistance) would come quicker if he went through his dispatch. Once the tow truck arrived to jump my battery, he said he didn’t take AAA. So I had to pay him 50$. At this point, this was a costly lesson, as mine always tend to be.
Two hours lost because of my distraction and 75$ in expenses. This was not the way we planned our one and only day in Cleveland to be spent together, but it sure makes a hell of a story. Often life throws you these curve balls and then there are stories to tell.
After wasting two hours dealing with my own stupidity in allowing my car to run out of gas and then having my battery die, I was hangry and needing a beer! Debbie and I set out to find lunch at 3 pm on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and did not stop until the bars closed at 1 am.
As we were walking and trying to find a lunch spot I noticed a Banksy tribute.
Murals were being painted all around this up and coming area of town just to the west of Cleveland.
This about sums up my mood pre-alcohol intake 🙂
We found this cozy cafe. Decor was awesome, food not so much. But it was edible and the beer compensated for my calorie needs.
George asked us to check out this Cleveland meadery in Tremont. It was already on Debbie’s radar since she loves mead.
Decor at the Western Reserve Meadery was simple, utilizing all the same wood tone creating an uncomplicated atmosphere.
We tested just about everything on the menu and ended up buying a couple bottles for later. Highly recommend the Hopped Apricot.
We tried two at a time and it was just as much fun as a beer flight.
While we were at the meadery, Debbie’s son sent us this photo of his girlfriend as they were out drinking in the early evening too. So we attempted to mimic their photo.
May (one of my NYC friends who I met in Phili a couple weeks back) and her husband Tom (who I only met once before at their wedding) joined us! By the time they arrived Debbie and I were getting “crunk” as my daughters would call it.
We decided fresh air would do us good so we wandered a few blocks to Ohio City and Debbie, still in her modeling role, struck a pose out front of the station.
We walked by their West Side Market and peered into what looked very similar to German markets in Frankfurt. Booths waiting to be filled with local meats, cheeses and produce.
Capturing their neon sign.
We hit an open square in route to the famous Great Lakes Brewery.
A chalk message reminder.
An iconic Cleveland brewery. So glad I got to try it!
Inside was packed. It was a 45 minute wait for a table.
The bar was beautifully antique, probably imported from days past.
I snapped a photo of our feet as we sipped our beers waiting. I love how each of our shoes capture our personalities.
Sitting across from these two was inspirational. Their appreciation of each other after 19 years. Love. How it should be.
After the Great Lakes Brewery, May and Tom headed home and Debbie and I decided to keep bar hopping.
We were now walking distance from home and decided to try a sampling at the Terrestrial Brewery which is right along the coast of Lake Erie.
It was housed in this historic rehabbed factory.
Love the Ohio flag hanging above the tanks.
We bellied up to the bar.
Both of us ordered flights with different beer choices. Then we tried each others and swapped if we preferred what the other had.
By this time we were pretty drunk and debating about feminism. Can you be a feminist and allow a man to open your car door? We decided to ask this guy sitting next to us. He was a bit intoxicated also and the next morning Debbie and I both admitted we couldn’t understand a word he said!
Sometimes an escape is all I need. People may say its running away. To me it has always provided a reset. A time for myself to rethink where I am and what I see. It always brings me back to a calmer reality with focus on nature and proper, not society induced, priorities.
After starting a new job, where all the systems are new to me and my brain is aging but not yet powerless, I was feeling the pressure of proving myself again. That nagging voice that always tells you, you are not smart enough, quick enough or have what it takes to be successful. All utter nonsense, which the clouds helped me realize.
For me nature has always come to my rescue. Helping me find peace to that chatter in my head. Helping me to see things more clearly. God’s creation exists with all the answers, you just have to be silent, observe and listen to that inner voice which is not yours.
The sun was rising as I was boarding the plane to Philadelphia. It looked like a beautiful day to fly.
I always take a window seat. For this reason alone. The guy sitting next to me seemed confused as to what I found so fascinating.
To me this is as soul filling as looking out at the sea. The last time I flew was when I came back from Thailand. July 2020. Damn I missed this view.
Clouds were constantly changing as we flew at high speeds that felt more like stillness.
This view reminded me to revisit the joy I find in myself when I’m discovering new things. Not everyone, unfortunately, has found that or knows yet how to get there. I shouldn’t allow their anxiety to unsettle my stability. I just need to observe and try to empathize with their situations. Still treading as I float.
Like water, clouds just move and change and evolve with whatever nature throws their way. They don’t fight where they are being sent.
I mean really, this God given Earth is all it should be. And when we get away from the chaos, the beauty is clear.
I needed a reminder of this feeling. To not get lost again in the madness of retail and money making.
The clouds in contrast to the metal wing, show how man can never compete with Mother Nature.
As we started to descend, I noticed the beauty in urban planning. The complex and yet artistic layout of the highways below.
After landing, the airport was busy and uncomfortable. I was tempted to pay the 50$ lounge fee to plug in and work, but instead I ended up Ubering to the local Panera, to use their wifi and partake in their Fuji Apple Salad. I remained there for 4+ hours until May arrived and Karen swang by to take me back to her place. Panera was my go to when I was road tripping in May. Always reliable wifi. Always a place to plug in and there are always other remote workerbees being productive. I never felt alone or odd typing hours on end at a Panera.
Once 5 o’clock rang on Friday, I grabbed a glass of wine to join my friends who had already started catching up. I looked up. And again appreciated the view of the clouds and their watch over us.
The following evening, the clouds gathered and darkened but you could always find a hole revealing that amazing blue sky that was always hiding above the surface. Reminded me to always remember my flight. Above the clouds. Blue as can be. Away from the life below where it storms and sometimes shadows us from life’s true beauty.
Tonya Takes Thailand 