A Little Vacation Time

With childcare things are both pretty flexible and totally not flexible all at the same time.  I can take vacation how I want….BUT I can’t take so many that the families get irritated and all of them are taken with no pay.  UGH.  Each in home childcare provider sets their own policies on when and how parents pay.  I’ve gone with the theory that they can pay me for holidays (as they are also getting paid) but my vacation days, I don’t make them pay as they likely will have to pay someone else to watch their kids.

Anyway…I took some time off over the 4th.  It was GLORIOUS and just what I needed.  I ended up taking the Friday before and the Monday off.  It was great.  Friday Kelli came and we had a sewing day….Saturday I had a bum day.  I went and did things that I love.

It started with a trip to the Amish.  I really wanted to get on the list to order peaches.  Every year I order a couple cases of peaches.  A shipment comes in and they notify us to come and get them.  In order to get some though,  I have to have my name on the list.  I went and was surprised that peaches are in early this year.  The first shipment had come the day before and she happened to have two cases left.  I snatched them up in a hurry!

I hadn’t really had breakfast so I ate one fresh out of the box.  Oh my…THE BEST PEACHES!!  The juice ran down my arm.  Oh my.

I’m still debating if I want to get on a list for another delivery of peaches.  Typically I buy 3 cases…this only gave me two.

From there it was on to the “bent and dent” grocery stores and the bakery….At the bakery the lady saw me walk in and apologized that the rolls I love had sold out.  She did have these lemon filled ones though.  That didn’t bother me a bit.  These were fabulous too.

From there it was on to Oelwein.  I shopped a bit and did errands.  I even clothes shopped and got a dress and pair of capris.  I’m in love with the dress!

Before I left town I got a caramel iced coffee from McDonalds.  It was what I consider a perfect day.  I had slow easy time…I could be where I wanted when I wanted and stop only at the places I wanted.

On the way home I hit up a couple garage sales along the way….I found a gas can for our neighbor, a few goodies for Hubby and this for me….Little Golden Books.  I have a collection of them.  My favorites are those illustrated by Eloise Wilken.  They are so precious.

I dug through the pile of books and found my favorite books as a child…”B is for Betsy”.  It was a series by Carolyn Haywood.  I read all of them that the New Richland library had.  When I was looking I looked and looked sorting through the books and pulling all the books from the series.  I didn’t see the original “B is for Betsy” book.

Then I found it…It was the last book in the stacks.  It has the same cover I remember.  I was tickled.  Books were 5 for $1 so I was extra happy.

It’s crazy but this one is going my my night stand and I’m going to give it a read all over again.  Did you see the “Little House in the Big Woods” too?  What a fun find!

When I got home, Karl had come.  He was moving some things home from college and stopping for a visit.  Hubby had the idea to make a drive to a place we love to eat but rarely get to as it’s 45 minutes or so away.  We jumped in the truck and drove.

Along the way we saw this and had to stop…..antiques is Claremont.

It was a cute store but EXPENSIVE!

This little wooden scooter was made with a roller skate.  I want to talk Hubby into making these for my childcare kids.

Check out the funky boots.

We made it to our destination…the Irish Shanti in Gunder Iowa which is the home of the Gunderburger.  That’s what Hubby ordered.  It’s a 1 pound burger!!  I gave him half of my American fries…

Me…I had a half pound Irish burger.  They put corned beef on the top of the burger.  It was delish.  Next time I think I’d order it with no mustard though….but so good!

After that we went back home.  Karl stuck around for a bit more and then back to college he went.

For me, I don’t need a fancy site to see, airplane ride or tropical beach to have a great day…I just need slow easy time without the rushes of life.  I couldn’t have had a better day!  But tomorrow it’s back to work for me.  I sure did enjoy the time I had.