a perfect day...
Kevin has been talking a lot about taking a "Sunday" drive this fall. Nothing fancy, nothing planned, just setting out and seeing where we end up. Well, that's exactly what we did yesterday. I wasn't playing this weekend so we hit the Saturday night service and headed out Sunday morning for Hannibal. I ended up deciding to head to Clarksville instead to see how much it had changed since we last meandered that direction, which was when Shawna was a little squirt, so off we went.
It was nice to see Kevin relax and take in the drive. Ironically, given his usual inability to stay awake at the wheel, he drove the entire day. Map in hand (it had been a while...) we turned east at Louisiana. Map in hand (my hand...) I had him turn a block too soon. Realizing the mistake, I had him turn south again and in doing so, spotted a steep hill on the street ahead of us. Somewhere in the ballpark of 25 years ago I had been here before. "We" had been here before. Trusting my memory, he drove up the hill and we were both delighted to find a small, but gorgeous riverview park. Though he doesn't remember being here before, I was amazed at finding the spot again after all these years. A spot, I was convinced had been in Hannibal, all these years, but in several attempts to find it again, had never been able to do so. It made my day. I remember his jeep parked there. I remember his portable black Weber grill. I remember our picnic and the romance of such a lovely impromptu drive. It was such a wonderful discovery; this small proof there was such a spot and not just in the recesses of my mind.
I wore flip flops like a dork and the air coming across the Illinois river was more than I was up to, so I wimped out and we headed back to the van. The grill has long since disappeared anyway, and I had directions to a bistro farther along where a nice hot bowl of soup had my married name on it.
We spotted a nice little pewter shop driving through Louisiana and decided to take a look. It took longer to agree on a parking place than it did to walk through (beautiful, but pricey) and once again we were on the road. He didn't seem to remember any of the landscape, but much of it was as I remember it. The river was lovely with enough color in the trees to bounce back the autumn sun. We found Clarksville in no time. The skyride wasn't open but it showed signs of the new ownership so we'll have to go back and take the kids.
We parked by the riverside park and made our way across the street to the bistro. The one I found on the internet. The one with the nice hot bowl of soup with my married name on it. The one with the big closed sign in the window, next to the FOR SALE information. We ended up slowly making our way through a block or two of artisan shops, taking in this little window into a life put on hold while we earn our keep and go about, and it was lovely. And simple. We followed the directions to a local winery I picked up in a glass jewelry shop, and more in pursuit of their bistro for a nice hot bowl of soup...than the wine, we went exploring.
Not sure why there's a resort in the hills of Clarksville (if they build it...) but there she was and in we went. There was a wine tasting and live combo. Neither whet my appetite. But I sucked it up and read the menu. A cold, pre-made chicken club out of the cooler, it is. The soup wasn't in the cards for the day as it turns out. We ate, we politely applauded the duo, and we left the premises with an opened bottle of local wine that ended up giving me heartburn. Retraced our path to Louisiana and crossed the Illinois into Illinois. Pathfinders we are.
An hour later I was in HyVee purchasing the ingredients for cheeseburger soup; not at all weight watcher friendly, but way up on the list of nice, hot bowls of soup. Took me over an hour to prepare but the hour after that, family was circled around it laughing and catching up. Game two left John upstairs alone by the 7th inning and found the rest of us playing a round or two of traveling bingo in the room below. It was a fine day. A memory day. A perfect day.
It was nice to see Kevin relax and take in the drive. Ironically, given his usual inability to stay awake at the wheel, he drove the entire day. Map in hand (it had been a while...) we turned east at Louisiana. Map in hand (my hand...) I had him turn a block too soon. Realizing the mistake, I had him turn south again and in doing so, spotted a steep hill on the street ahead of us. Somewhere in the ballpark of 25 years ago I had been here before. "We" had been here before. Trusting my memory, he drove up the hill and we were both delighted to find a small, but gorgeous riverview park. Though he doesn't remember being here before, I was amazed at finding the spot again after all these years. A spot, I was convinced had been in Hannibal, all these years, but in several attempts to find it again, had never been able to do so. It made my day. I remember his jeep parked there. I remember his portable black Weber grill. I remember our picnic and the romance of such a lovely impromptu drive. It was such a wonderful discovery; this small proof there was such a spot and not just in the recesses of my mind.
I wore flip flops like a dork and the air coming across the Illinois river was more than I was up to, so I wimped out and we headed back to the van. The grill has long since disappeared anyway, and I had directions to a bistro farther along where a nice hot bowl of soup had my married name on it.
We spotted a nice little pewter shop driving through Louisiana and decided to take a look. It took longer to agree on a parking place than it did to walk through (beautiful, but pricey) and once again we were on the road. He didn't seem to remember any of the landscape, but much of it was as I remember it. The river was lovely with enough color in the trees to bounce back the autumn sun. We found Clarksville in no time. The skyride wasn't open but it showed signs of the new ownership so we'll have to go back and take the kids.
We parked by the riverside park and made our way across the street to the bistro. The one I found on the internet. The one with the nice hot bowl of soup with my married name on it. The one with the big closed sign in the window, next to the FOR SALE information. We ended up slowly making our way through a block or two of artisan shops, taking in this little window into a life put on hold while we earn our keep and go about, and it was lovely. And simple. We followed the directions to a local winery I picked up in a glass jewelry shop, and more in pursuit of their bistro for a nice hot bowl of soup...than the wine, we went exploring.
Not sure why there's a resort in the hills of Clarksville (if they build it...) but there she was and in we went. There was a wine tasting and live combo. Neither whet my appetite. But I sucked it up and read the menu. A cold, pre-made chicken club out of the cooler, it is. The soup wasn't in the cards for the day as it turns out. We ate, we politely applauded the duo, and we left the premises with an opened bottle of local wine that ended up giving me heartburn. Retraced our path to Louisiana and crossed the Illinois into Illinois. Pathfinders we are.
An hour later I was in HyVee purchasing the ingredients for cheeseburger soup; not at all weight watcher friendly, but way up on the list of nice, hot bowls of soup. Took me over an hour to prepare but the hour after that, family was circled around it laughing and catching up. Game two left John upstairs alone by the 7th inning and found the rest of us playing a round or two of traveling bingo in the room below. It was a fine day. A memory day. A perfect day.
posted by ret at 10:15 PM
3 Comments:
It was relaxing just reading about your day!! Way to take time out just to enjoy life, we all need to do a little more of that!! Oh and that soup sounds amazing!! Love ya
If I'd have been there, I'd probably have taken that bowl of yummy soup and joined John in the upper room unfortunately. That's where I found myself last night, on the couch by myself, grilled cheese in hand and watching the Cards win Game #3 til about midnight. Living in Eastern time really stinks somedays!
On another note, thankful you had a relaxing day with your man...how fun. And I can only imagine how beautiful the scenery was with the leaves changing. It's fun to travel down roads that we've taken before...memories are priceless.
Ang-the soup will not only change your life, it will change the size of your thighs. (It's in the MPCC cookbook, Linda Hyde. YUM.)
Sara-we didn't completely abandon ship...we kept an eye on the game...I think John was just too nervous to play Bingo. So unlike him, he usually lives for taking my winnings away from me :)
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