I had the opportunity to go on a little trip with my parents to Door County, Wisconsin. I’ve written about it many times in my poetry, as it holds special memories and is very picturesque. I don’t often go on a trip with just my parents because it usually includes my kids and/or other family members. It was nice to leave my responsibilities behind and just hang out with my folks. We stayed at my parent’s friend’s house in Fish Creek, which is in the middle of the peninsula and provides easy access to other small towns. It’s on Lake Michigan and has such beautiful scenery including Peninsula State Park where we used to camp when I was younger.
I’m not much of a tent person now, but I still love the wilderness. Every night we went out around dinner time and drove through the park in search of wildlife sightings and every night we were very lucky to see a few deer.
We ate at Wild Tomato in Fish Creek, Husby’s in Sister Bay, Shipwrecked in Egg Harbor and picked up some cherry-filled desserts from Wood Orchard. Cherry-picking season is next month!
We also did some shopping at second-hand stores in Sister Bay, Nan and Jerry’s in Fish Creek (for fishing and clothing items for my son), the Rock and Gem shop in Fish Creek (I picked up fossils for my daughter) and my a favorite of mine – Patricia Shoppe in Egg Harbor. They have a lot of beautiful clothes and jewelry, but most importantly, they care about their customers. You can visit online or in-person. Erin, the owner, has always been so wonderful to me for many years. She knows her stuff! There are times in the past few years that I’d get into ruts of only wearing black (I tell myself it’s easier to get dressed) and she helps me get out and try color. I’m going through one of those phases now so I’m hoping my recent purchases will help me out of the black clothing slump.
We all need people in our lives that will build us up, not put us down. It’s hard because some people are fixtures in our life and it’s tricky to maneuver and stick up for ourselves. I went to a party recently and people that I’ve met no less than two dozen times over many years acted like they didn’t even know who I was. In the past, I might have been hurt by this and wonder what was so wrong about me that I became boring and/or invisible to them. The fact is, it’s not me, it’s them. I am so fortunate that I’m able to spend time with people who are curious about me and my life and I feel the same way about them. Time is so fleeting, there’s no time to waste (if we can help it).
CHERRIES
Door County sours are soft.
Pit them gently
with a clean hairpin,
inserted just so.
Those eaten accidentally
in haste when picked,
cause an ache.
I’m taking some home to freeze
for a pie I dream
you’ll one day deserve.
Let’s chat soon.
With affection,
Carrie VS