MB Meets World

Stopping to see my amazing cousin Lori Grant and her wonderful husband David Tew in the Catskils was an obvious way to start my travels.  First, food will be a big part of my adventure and David is a fabulous chef, having cooked in many restaurants in NYC and in his native England.  Second, they a beautiful little shop in Callicoon called Spruce Home Goods. https://sprucehomegoods.com/   hello@sprucehomegoods.com.  #sprucehomegoods  I love going in there for a homemade (read: David made!) croissant or donut and a latte while I am perusing the exotic cheeses, cozy throws and looking over my shoulder in case Debra Winger or Mark Ruffalo stops by (they live in Callicoon; just name dropping).  Third, and most important, Lori and David are such kind, warm, welcoming friends, who just happen to be related to me.  Am I ever lucky!!  

Arriving a little frazzled on the evening of January 27, I was greeted with an amazing chicken curry David had made, followed with pastries and ice cream for dessert.  We talked for hours in front of the fire and cuddled with their two cats and one dog: Dahlia, Petunia and Tulip.  I was in bed by 9:30, content and happy.

In the morning, I wandered down to the shop, where they were already working.  As I enjoyed David’s pain au chocolat and latte, Lori helped me find the perfect hostess gift for my friend.  I had to leave to go to NYC, but I could have stayed in the comfort of their shop all day!

When I got in the car I realized I had forgotten to charge my phone the night before.  AND, after driving a bit I figured out that the car’s phone charger wasn’t working.  I am directionally impaired, but I did not panic.  I knew I just had to go southeast to get to the city.  Insert a freaked out emoji face, because that is what I told myself, but it is not what I believed!  I stopped several times along the way to try to buy a charger, unsuccessful.

One of those stops was in a country store in Woodstock, NY.  Yes, THE Woodstock!  I didn’t realize it was so close to Callicoon!  (It was over an hour, as it turned out!) The store had chargers, but not the one I needed.  No worries – I just used the owner’s charger for twenty minutes while I bought a fridge magnet and chatted.  I was only five minutes away from the monument that indicated the location of the famous concert, but I didn’t stop.  I was on a mission to get to NYC.