Ahoy, Mates!

Yesterday was a day that we were rewarded for our flexibility! Our original plans may have been cancelled, but we found something even better to do. I love days like that!

The girls and I had plans to check out a thrift store I read about in last week's paper. The article boasted that this shop carries (working!) bread machines for $3 to $5 regularly, and I've really been wanting one. The store is in KG, which is a little country town about 25 minutes from us. I grew up in KG, so I thought it would be fun to drive the girls around town before meeting up with a friend and her daughter.

This is the Opp Shop, and it was completely packed when we walked up. It was hard to even get in the door. The Opp Shop is only open three days a week, so when they are open, it's apparently a mad rush to get in the doors. Navigating with a toddler and a preschooler who was set on playing on the front porch was interesting, to say the least!

We didn't find a bread machine, but we did find a few treasures for a grand total of $2.20. Check back in to see what we found!

Here's a shot of KG's main street. No stop lights. A few old churches, some shops, the Courthouse, Library (my favorite place growing up!), and Post Office. The rest of the county is fairly rural, but I noticed several new neighborhoods with some luxury properties.

Our friends ended up not being able to meet up for a play date, so I drove the girls around instead. We stopped at the old elementary school, but the playground was locked up for summer. I attended kindergarten here before my parents started me at a private school in the 'Burg.

Natalie was so bummed about not being able to meet her friend, that I promised her a treat. We stopped at a "Cake & Candy" shop that's been around for ages. She was like, well, a kid in a candy store. (Don't you love her necklace? She also chose a hot pink plastic bracelet and a canary yellow "diamond" ring.)

She settled on a chocolate butterfly.

She even shared some with her sister!


Afterwards, we had the brilliant idea to go and visit my father-in-law, who does civilian work on a military base just outside KG. He's a scientist who works with some classified stuff, so he had to get us cleared for a visit. Natalie kept asking "why does Granddaddy work in a vase?"

{The neat thing about this base is that my dad also did civilian work there, and he hired T's dad in the early 80s. The two guys hit it off and became fast friends. That's how our families met!}

Pop (that's what I call my father-in-law) chauffeured us over to the base's marina to see his new boat. He's completely renovating it!

Good warning for us:

Michaela Byrd's first thought was to jump right off the pier. She would have splashed right out into the Atlantic if we'd let her!

Pop was so sweet by reassuring Natalie about the "bridge." She was a little scared at first, but excited to see the boat.

The houses lining the marina have a beautiful view!

I was pleasantly surprised when we reached the end of the dock. I think I was expecting some kind of a row boat or canoe or something. I've always turned down offers to enjoy the old boat because I envisioned being shipwrecked on an island (off the Virginia coast?) somewhere. I've seen too many episodes of LOST to know about the Others, and smoke monsters, and all that jazz. Plus, I've seen Titanic about 67854 times.

This changed my mind!

Here's Pop's big project in the works!

A little table unfolds from the wall and you can sit on a bench to eat. There's another bench opposite the one pictured, and I believe they both fold out into beds.

Cute little kitchen being redone. The stove has a latch on it so it can rock back and forth with the boat in bad weather.

He's completely refinishing the floors! The bathroom is a little scary...reminded me of something you'd see on an American Airlines flight...except you have to shower in there too. Wish I could have taken a shot of the back bedroom, but it was a warm day and kind of hot down there.

Neat little lantern on the wall above the table.

I know someone who'd like to sign on as first mate!

It was so quiet and peaceful out there! I wanted to give myself a time out.

Back to the car!
We had a tour of Pop's office and got to see a bunch of the spots around base that I remembered from visiting my own dad where he worked.

After lunch at McDonald's, it was back to the 'Burg and naptime for the landlubbers, but the girls talked about our boat day all afternoon. (Well, Natalie talked about it. Michaela Byrd just said "Boat. Water." alot, so we knew she liked it too)

Today was a great lesson in flexibility for us. If you go with the flow, so to speak, fun things can happen!