The last couple weeks have been very eventful. My friend, Christal, came up from Tennessee for a visit. She flew into Pittsburgh and we spent the night there then hit a few stores the next morning before heading to WV. I got to introduce her to IKEA. She had some preconceived notions but is now a convert! The rest of the visit was spent relaxing and chatting. We took a walk around the property and got this great photo of our neighbor's barn.
After dropping Christal back at the airport, I got to spend an hour or so with Becky and her children.
The next day, the kids and I headed to New Jersey to visit our friend, Shannon and her children. Her hubby is TDY right now, so it was a girls week! The main reason for the visit was to go to NYC and watch a taping of the Martha Stewart Show. The show requested knitters for the audience. So, Shannon and I got tickets!
We had to wait outside the studio for about an hour before they opened the doors. Then we had to check in and go through security. After that we checked our coats and enjoyed the most delicious oatmeal cookies I've ever had.
After awhile, some of the managers came around and looked at our knitted projects. And Joey coached us about the appropriate times to clap, and ooooh & aaaaaahhhhh! Then it was upstairs to the studio!
The show was taped in seven segments. You can see a preview here:
The Martha Stewart ShowThe show will air on Monday, February 25th.
Martha spoke briefly about the yarn she had made from her Chow Chow's fur. She's knitting a scarf for her smaller dog with it.
After the taping, Shannon and I trekked around NYC for awhile. We wandered into the Chelsea district after taking a wrong turn looking for Broadway. After getting turned back around, we found Whole Foods (http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/). It's the largest grocery store I've ever seen! They had the best soups. So, guess what we had for lunch???? It was a little difficult trekking while spooning soup into our faces but we managed. We also managed to find a yarn store called School Products. We were told that they used to sell school products and when it changed to a yarn store, they didn't bother changing the name. Makes sense!
After trekking "just a few blocks", we finally found Tiffany's! Who knew it was THIRTY-TWO blocks away! THIRTY-TWO????? Don't believe Shannon when she uses the term "just a few". She lies!!! :-)
In any case, we awarded ourselves for all of that trekking with this:
Beautiful Tiffany teacups in the "Summer" pattern. We felt so big walking to the train with our little blue Tiffany bags.
When we got back to Shannon's that night we had tea in our new teacups and toast with freshly ground honey-roasted peanut butter from Whole Foods. Yummy! It was a good thing!
The rest of my visit at Shannon's was fun too. Since she lives on a military base, we got to visit the base thrift store, BX, and Commissary. I really miss those perks.
We spent the last evening baking. I made biscotti and she made a loaf of pumpkin bread for me to bring home to Frank.
It's always a lot of fun to travel, see new places and visit old friends. And it's always wonderful to come home. Every time I drive back to WV, it feels like I'm driving back to the center of the earth. As I wind my way through the hills and mountains, it feels like I'm going back into a deep, protective place far from the rest of the world. Knowing that my little country house and my wonderful hubby are waiting for me, makes me even more eager to return home. Because even with all the sights and sounds, excitement and adventure beyond the mountains, home is where my heart is. And that's a VERY GOOD THING.
