Saturday was a lovely day. A few scuffles and minor skirmishes here and there as I hope is typical of a family of four....but overall it was just lovely. Owen woke me up so I could come down and watch the Advent calendars being opened and then Ernie and I took off for the antique show out at Gordyville in Gifford. We bought nothing to sell but came home with two presents for ourselves. Ernie actually bought something for himself. Yes, you read that right....Ernie, who NEVER buys anything for himself! He was smitten with a guitar he saw though. I asked him if he wanted it and he said no but didn't seem convinced so we walked through the rest of the show. I bought myself a Ruby Thumbprint bowl. I don't know why....but I just wanted it. I have a Ruby Thumbprint toothpick that was my great-grandmother's---my mother's mother's mother----the French Canadian Plouffe whose tourtiere I make at the holidays. My mother said she always loved it and one time she admired it and her grandmother told her she could take that home with her and she was so thrilled. And when I was growing up my mother had a ruby flashed compote that always sat in the middle of the kitchen table. I have it now and love it. So I guess I've always had a soft spot for ruby flashed stuff even though I've never collected it, nor even bought much of it to sell (although I do remember a gorgeous New Jersey ruby flashed covered butter in mint condition we had....and a lovely compote in Snail, I think it was....those are on my list of things I sold that I kinda wish I'd kept). Anyway....it just looked so festive sitting there on its white draped table amongst all the other things, and it was marked all of $15.....we got it for $12 and I think it will be lovely on our Christmas table. It's got a tiny chip and some nicks on the ruby but I don't care. So after that we headed back to look at the guitar again. Lord but husband looked so beautiful as he stood there holding it and tuning it, his head cocked so he could hear. So now my baby has his Christmas present: a WWII era Harmony guitar!
walking to the car:
We meandered a bit on the way home. We drove by his parent's house in Gifford----we were so pleased....it looks loved and well cared for. We drove through the dreary fields and it was just beautiful.
We drove through downtown Gifford and admired the Christmas tree by the grain elevator.
note the ornaments made of cds....
As we drove through Flatville people at the Lutheran church were setting up the nativity scene....but by the time we headed back home they were all done.
We thought about heading over to Bloomington for another show but were afraid we wouldn't make it back in time for Owen's guitar lesson. So instead we trundled home and brought in the Christmas trees. Ernie and Owen headed out for his guitar lesson (he's got Life Begins at the Hop and is now happily started on Generals and Majors in his quest for all things XTC). Leo minecrafted and I puttered about. They got back and we went outside to put lights up on our fence and a tree or two. Our beloved Heather and Evaline wandered by and we chatted to them while Leo persevered putting lights up.
Later Ernie and I went and met our friend Boo at Huber's for Kilborn Alley. The band sounded great and I was perched at the big table by the front window and when I turned around I could see some kind of teen dance going on across the street at the old Park District building that is nestled in Eisner Park. Some salty popcorn, a couple of glasses of chardonnay and a lovely group of people at the table. We walked home in the drizzle feeling happy.
A lovely day. Man, you gotta savor it when they're like that.
And no....there isn't any light on the band....
and see....if you peer through the porch at Huber's across the street---you can the twinkle of a Christmas tree through the door and people dancing through the window on the left....you may have to use your imagination a bit but it's worth it....