An extraordinary day ... close to home

I've been thinking that my editorial theme this week should be around vacation (duh) but specifically the idea that there's lots to do right here in Saginaw.

For me, the best vacations are the ones where every square nonometer is not planned out. When Lizz and I travel, we like to soak up the local flavor. If there are "must-see" or "must-do" attractions, we assess them. Historical value, aesthetics, raw interest, time, quirkiness and memorability all factor in. For this reason, we've ended up exploring a lot of off-the-beaten path type venues.

It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I love unstructured days. I promised Lizz we would not have a to-do list this week, but as usual, from the time I picked her up at work on Friday we began the "we should do ..., we should go ..." litany for our limited time together. This time, it went like this:

• We should cook together - shrimp coconut curry, macadamia nut brownies, Caprese salad, tomatillo pico de gallo, rhubarb pie ...
• We should go get pedicures
• and get coffee at Morning Emporium
• and have lunch at Fralia's
• We should take Ashton, Sammy and Molly to the LEGO exhibit in Midland
• and the new splash pad by the Y
• We should go for walks
• and go to yoga at the Y
• We should take naps. Every day.
• and watch movies
• and read books
• and explore

So, how are we doing with our list?

Well, after my post yesterday morning, we:

• Ate tofu blintzes (from Trader Joe's freezer section) with fresh local peaches for breakfast
• Went to the Farmers Market
• and bought an abundance of produce as usual
• and met a young man who recently moved to the area from Northern Michigan; his wife is teaching creative writing at SVSU and he makes soap and is the stay-at-home dad ... I had to buy some soap from him just because I love how they're living their young lives ... a deliciously fragrant and nubbly lavender-oatmeal bar is now on a fish-shaped dish in the downstairs powder room
• and bought Bean Bunny t-shirts
• Chatted with the neighbors in the driveway (a treat because even though we are steps from each other's doors, our busy lives don't leave much room for neighborly visits ... something that needs to change)
• Teamed up on baking apple pie with a crumby crust and top (Lizz's recipe - I was just in charge of peeling and slicing applies)
• Made tomatillo pico de gallo (recipe from a chef at the Farmers Market)
• and sampled and seasoned and sampled some more
• Read and took naps
• Went to a friend's house for dinner
• and had a delightful time catching up with friends Deb, Al and Ellen
• and got to know two college students from our sister city of Tokushima, Japan, which Lizz and Ellen visited five years ago (and where they were so warmly and lovingly welcomed, tears still come to my eyes when I recall the memory)
• and feasted on a variety of delicious foods blending the cuisines of several cultures
• Finished watching a movie
• Fell blissfully to sleep after counting my blessings for an extraordinary day full of moments and memories in the making

Amen. (We're off the church now. Seemed a good way to end the post and begin the day.)