Celebratory Reprieve

I felt a bit out of whack with no idea why until my friend emailed me and suggested we celebrate the successful end of chemo with a girls day out. Of course! Though the boys and I had a mini-celebration via a steak dinner, I had not truly CELEBRATED the end of the regimen.

She suggested we take a short trip to her cabin on Lake Wanetka, a "fingernail" lake near Keuka Lake. Her cabin sits right on the lake and I would be able to rest there as long as I needed. We could either pack a picnic lunch or stop at one of the little Amish shops along the way and pick something up.

It sounded perfect - just getting out of the apartment had huge appeal. The day dawned picturesque with azure skies and just a bit of chill in the air, a promise of fall. We started out around 9am with no agenda, just looking to enjoy the world in celebration of survival.

What fun we had stopping at the overlooks and walking out the Long Pier to take pictures. We ambled through a small Amish stop crammed with every imaginable home made item you could ever want - quilts and jellies and pickled things (even asparagus!), spices and girls' dresses and hand made toys. I picked up some red popcorn - my friend tells me it has a distinctive flavor - but left the blue popcorn for another time.

We stopped a second time at a place called The Windmill, an open air market with all sorts of wares, Amish and beyond. There, for the first time ever, I experienced the joy of butterflyed potatoes! Miraculous one piece of spiral cut potato deep fried to a delicate crunch. It filled an entire paper plate a good six inches deep. We topped it off with frozen custard that was very flavorful and delicious - chocolate for me, vanilla for my friend.

While we were waiting for the butterflyed potatoes, I wandered up one side of the street and back on the other. I didn't go into any of the shops or tents, and stayed away from the crowded areas. Even from my limited vantage point I could see all kinds of creative and unique gifts. When I am better, I definitely want to return and explore. Turns out they are open every Saturday until Christmas!

I sat on a bench while my friend investigated getting a gift for her husband's upcoming birthday. What a delight to watch people, be part of life again! I caught snatches of conversations (you said what to her? No wonder she is so mad; well, I just can't make up my mind whether to go to the community college first or not; the judge threw the whole thing out. i didn't even get to say anything. it was a rip off). What a treat after so many weeks of isolation.

The best part of the day was napping at the cabin. I curled up on a wicker divan on the screened in porch and sighed contentedly. I could hear water playfully slap the bottoms of the moored boats with every passing wake. Leaves rustled cheerfully as the breeze swept across a set of hanging chimes in the side yard. Boat motors droned in the distance like a neighbor's lawn mower. Somewhere nearby a flag snapped in the wind.

Ah, the sounds of a lazy summer day! Like all good lullabies, it entices you to sleep before you realize it. Memories of other lakeside experiences parade through your dreams as the cool air caresses your cheeks. Well rested, I awoke to the antics of a chipmunk family scampering across the yard.

We munched on juicy melon from Mr. Zimmerman's farm and crackers with Amish butter cheese from the little Amish shop as we watched the boats drift past, some trolling for fish, some just enjoying the water, one boat pulling a water skier (brrr). The sun gradually drifted downward until we found ourselves in shade, and finally we retreated indoors to finish out our perfect day.

The men came to take the boats out for the season and pull the docks from their watery anchors, and we headed for one last vantage point to watch the sun sink behind the "y" in the lake. Everywhere log cabins were hunkering down for the night as we turned homeward, relaxed and refreshed. What a great way to mark the end of chemo and the beginning of gaining ground to better health.

I have the most amazing and thoughtful friends, do I not?