40th Retreat Day Two November 24 - Part Two

Thursday 24th November-Part Two


To re-cap I think you may need to re-read part one as I am just going to continue on from that. I've discovered I can't get on to post as often as I'd like so I need to waffle less and get to the point more!!! (Em are you laughing knowingly right now!!!).

By the way, I love the colours of your new necklace dollies and how they are snug in their own little felt blankies. Just in time for the weather to change! They are gorgeous. Ok I am NOT waffling, I'm COMPLIMENTING!!

So off we went, more trying on clothes and window shopping.

Here's a little crochet detail of a tunic Em tryed on and bought. Lovely isn't it? This style looks really good and you Em and it shows off your Elk necklace beautifully.

While I just wanted to sit down and rest in the sunshine when it suddenly struck us that it was 4pm. I have 2 words for this moment OP  and SHOP! As an 'op shop a day' slips away we come across the Vinnies, a very big Vinnies and our arms we're laden.

Clothes again. Anyone must think this is all we did. Well it was close but when you have been deprived of trying anything on as clothes shopping with the kids usually ends in disasterous purchases or despair or both, this is all we wanted to do - for now.

So we both squeezed into the same cubcle to avoid the whole show and tell thing. This way we could quickly go through our selections as by the time we had purused the racks it was almost closing time. I tried on a few things, no, yes, no, no and then I tried a pretty, ruffly shirty thing and I LOVED it but Em said it didn't look right for some reason even though I really WANTED it to look right and if Em hadn't have been there I probably would've bought it and risked fashion disaster. See, that is the reason you take your best friend with you when trying on clothes, they keep you honest and tell you how you REALLY look. Plus you can giggle and laugh at each other and give honest opinions and do an awful lot of justifying why one should buy something and I can't imagine what we sounded like from outside the dressing room AND we were told not once but twice that they were closed which meant it was 5pm or past and we had out-stayed our welcome..... but we had FuN. Looking rather apologetic we purchased $27 worth of joy and left promptly with big smiles. I think my best find was a zip lock bag with 6 balls of Rowan Cotton Glace in orange, purple, deep red and forest green for $2. I've since looked up the retail price- at best $7.95 a ball !!! Gotta love it!!

FOOD

A recommendation from Jules led us to DOC. An Italian deli that ended up feeding us veery well a few times on our sojourn. We took great solace in thinking if we couldn't get to Italy, then a little bit of Italy could come to us!!

And OMG it was SOOOOO GOOD!

Bresaola alla Caprese with woodfired focaccia

Just look at those gorgeous sweet tasting roma tomatoes and REAL buffalo mozzarella all milky and fresh with peppery rocket and Umbrian extra virgin olive oil all over. Gosh we were impressed and hungry.

A vegetable and farro salad with a plump dollop of ricotta was so delicious and plentiful. Actually it was all so plentiful that we shared everything and all but licked our plates clean.

With the sun on our backs and sangiovese rose in our glass we were happy, VERY happy. And the young, good-looking, charming Italian waiters had us a little giggly behind our napkins. Well, we're allowed to!!!

All this and it was only 7.30pm. A quick shop stop to purchase supplies and we fell in the door of our apartment at 8. But No it's not over yet. I suggested to Em that we should have a cuppa and some chocolate when we settle in just as she had finished writing in the diary that we should have a cuppa and some chocolate when we settle in- oh we laughed at our syncronised thoughts. As we bustled about the place doing our settling I shouted out that we should put our pj's on just as Em walked out of her room whilst putting her pj's on !!! Doesn't this happen when women are in close quarters they begin to syncronise thoughts and actions? It has happened so often to us that we just roll our eyes. Em and I have lived together with our families at various times in our life and often, to the amazement of our families, we would come out wearing the same clothes after getting dressed quite independantly of each other. And you should see us at charades- look out, it's hilarious!!!

 So now we sit and chat, drink cups of tea, dunk dark lindt chocolate (thanks Rach!!!) and crochet.

Finally at 10.30pm we said 'goodnight' and go off to bed. I take my Better Homes and Gardens mag and Em takes her crochet. It didn't take long for me to drift off and day 2 is over.......

xx Le xx