"There's a Cracker Barrel!" I exclaimed to my daughter after church this morning. She thought we would have to wait until we got closer to her home to eat there, but here was one right off the interstate near her church in Marietta. It was busy, though, and a little smaller than most of these old country store restaurants. We didn't mind at all, since we were in no hurry and spent the waiting time browsing the Christmas items in the store.
This was so festive! Since we had flown on this visit, we missed the restaurants along the road, and this one was perfect with its massive fireplace and welcoming, roaring fire. "Look at these, Mom," Amy said, pointing to a rack of capes, sweaters, and fur-trimmed jackets.
"This is gorgeous!" I exclaimed, pulling a red sweater-wrap from the rack. I tried it on, loved it, then reluctantly put it back. Everything was so tempting! From irresistible things for new great-grandbabies and toys for toddlers to fleecy, plaid Christmas robes for teens. It's a good thing they called us to eat when they did.
"Let's go wait in the car," Amy said after we had eaten, steering me to the door while my husband waited in the line at the register. I figured she was tired, so we went out into the brisk air and settled into our seats. Pretty soon, Howard emerged, followed by our grandson Reid, who was carrying a large gift bag. "I think Reid has something for you and Dad," Amy smiled. Right in the top of the bag was the red sweater!
"Merry Christmas, Mimi and Pa-Pa," Reid (who had just gotten a new job), said as Howard pulled out a coffee mug for him and a jar of country apple butter. "It's a little early, but I just wanted to give it to you while you were here," he grinned. We were so surpised and pleased at our thoughtful grandson! We hadn't seen him much this week, since he'd been so busy working during the Thanksgiving holiday.
We will be going home in the morning, so we have this afternoon to rest and reflect on an amazing week. Not only had our kids from North Carolina and our grandson from Tulsa joined us, but our daughter from Tennessee along with her little girl, 9-year-old Mackenzie, and our new-mommy granddaughter, Bethany, with baby Jaxon, almost 3 months. Accompanying them was 19-year-old grandson Zach, a reassuring presence on the four-hour drive.
We had a wonderful time the last night of their visit watching a Thanksgiving video of our family, made 15 years ago. Several of the grandchildren hadn't even been born then, and everyone was trim and young with firm jaw lines. What great memories!
Black Friday bargains lured several of the adventurous among us out at midnight on Thursday, and Friday we all piled in vehicles for a long ride into the country to explore some of the 26,000 acres of Berry College, the largest campus in the world, with its grist mill and 45 foot water wheel, plenteous deer, and stone cathedrals.
I guess I'm ready for a short nap with pleasant dreams on the flight home, but first I have to figure how to get two jars of muscadine jelly that Amy made, and a jar of apple butter on the plane tomorrow!
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