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Eklonicki

I'm a freeance writer who lives in Raleigh. I write magazine and newspaper articles and have written three books. I'm interested in family and relationships, parenting, senior care, psychology and therapy, women's issues, writing, and American history, particularly the WWII era. Please visit my othe...

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Staycations and saddles

Elaine Luddy Klonicki

Where did the last two weeks go? Seriously, time has been disappearing on me. Is this happening to you guys too? I wrote this (below) on August 22nd, then checked with my friends to make sure they were cool with it, and that’s the last thing I remember...

I had the best day yesterday! Several friends and I celebrated our friend Sue’s birthday. We started at the Olde English Tea Room in Wake Forest, NC, where we tried on vintage hats before being seated.

The food was delicious, as always, although for the first time ever I didn’t actually have tea. (And for a hot-tea-addict like me, that’s saying something!)

Wake Forest is a quaint Southern town with a downtown area just made for a lazy summer day. The temp was in the mid-eighties, with a light breeze from tropical Storm Fay, unusual for NC at this time of year. After our meal we browsed through some of the antique and gift shops. I bought a little pillow for my guest room, embroidered with these words: Friends Welcome, Relatives by Appointment.

Next was a small art gallery owned by six female artists. We were greeted by Suzanne, who was doing a pastel work of a Wake Forest cottage. It was a sunny, happy piece and I would have liked to stay and watch her work, except that Pam was nudging us towards the gelato shop. Pam is a big-hearted woman with a never-ending smile, but I’ve never seen that smile so wide as it was when we approached the counter. Pam’s a regular and had been wanting to share her special place with us.

Even though I’ve been to Italy, I never really knew the difference between gelato and ice cream. The woman at the counter explained that gelato has much less air whipped into it, and is made with milk rather than buttercream. The result is a flavor which is slightly more intense and a texture which can only be described as silky. Happily, the store encourages tastings, and allows you to mix flavors, even in a small cup. (I had Belgian chocolate, berry berry, and strawberry!) It’s topped off with a small, sweet waffle-type wafer. The shop has games for kids and adults and the game tables were filled with happy patrons. There is the typical long ice cream counter, but rather than swivel seats, it has horse saddles!

Our final stop was to The Storyteller’s Bookstore, where our friend Megan was working. Earlier that day I had met the owner, Drew, and he had accepted three of my books on consignment. Out of gratitude, I made a purchase of Becoming Jane Austen. I’d seen the movie but was hungry for more detail about Jane’s life. On the way out I noticed that All on Account of You had been placed on the “What’s New” shelf.

The day was so fun that Sue said it was the best birthday she ever had, and our friend Linda said she felt like it was her birthday too. I’ve been reading all summer about staycations, and now I understand how it’s possible to leave your home even for one day and feel like you’ve truly been away.