It's Labor Day

I can say without hestation that it's been a lovely, low key holiday weekend. I think it may be my fave Labor Day weekend ever. Well, there was the sailboat trip to Catalina and but then the seasickness and the seven hour return trip, and the news of Princess Di's death. Okay, this weekend, you win. Cocktails on Friday, and we actually stayed past Harlow's bedtime. Whoopee! A fun, productive day at the store on Saturday. Dinner involved prosciutto, figs, goat cheese and the world's most perfect food - naan. I finished a book and was asleep by 10:30. Yes, that qualifies as a lovely Saturday night. Sunday, oh the Sunday! Brunch at the Beauty Shop with my buttermilk biscuits of bliss. A brief blip in the food buzz as Harlow's nefarious, invisible toof decided to poke around. Orajel was applied, happiness reigned! Caleb played an excellent show at the Heritage Festival downtown. There was a great turnout; we were just so excited to see people out and about on Main Street.

We popped into Circa, the new wine bar for apps. As it was one of the new fancy, sleek establishments downtown, I was a little concerned by the appearance of our particularly windtossed, sunsoaked, corndog-stank selves. And that we were pushing a stroller the size equivalent of a Hummer. But the staff could not have been friendlier. The hostess even offered to take us around back so we could wheel her in without any interference, but we opted to sit by the empty bar. Our waitress asked us if we were planning to see the Lion King at the Orpheum and when we said no, she handed us only five or so menus - if we had said yes, we would have scored the Lion King menus that they had prepared specifically for families out getting some culture. So don't be fooled by the sexy decor - they are family friendly. As I didn't see the menu, I'm not sure how family friendly the prices are. But what I did like was the Sundays in September menu - a really yummy sounding made-for-date-night tasting menu with several wines and dessert at $45 pp. We split some crepes and a salad, and I even nursed the bebe with nary a weird glance. We drove around downtown, totally surrendering to our fantasy of finding a lot where we could build a sleek, modernist Greenhouse with a rooftop garden and indoor rope swings, and then there was the requisite visit to my fantasy building in the Pinch district where I would have a first floor card shop and live on the second and third floor...and play with the indoor rope swing and rooftop garden. We even stopped by Harbor Town which is looking suspiciously more and more like the panhandle of Florida, and we scored some insanely delicious cookies from Miss Cordelia's. I couldn't help but be excited by the fact there were people other than white folk strolling around, riding bikes with their kids.

And then we come to today. Today gets my vote for one of my favorite days ever. Why? I got a 2 hour massage. I have been in the stupidest, most ridiculous pain over the past month, and I got to lie flat and have someone politely but firmly ask the golf balls that have been hiding under my shoulder blades and neck muscles to get lost. If you are a Mothersville mama, you will be happy to know that Miss Tammy Jo lives right around the corner from the store or can come to you.

And when I got home? I got a pretty exciting phone call. I found out that I am the runner up for a work in progress grant for my novel, so I'm getting a check in the mail and most importantly, some much needed encouragement to keep writing, keep writing, keep writing.

Did I mention that as I'm typing this, my cat is walking back and forth along my back? Thank you, Shiatsu Kitty. Thank you.