Arrival in Henrietta occurred around 2:15 and it seems that arriving later, rather than sooner, proved to be a good idea. It was overheard that the place was mobbed at the start of the show. There was a drizzle of traffic when I got there and very few remained at the end. I stayed until "last call". Every penny of my budget was spent (I shall not reveal the amount lest the reader thinks me a fool). Suffice it to say that I could have broken the bank and spent ten times the amount of my budget very easily.
There was a HUGE selection- mostly semiprecious gemstones, all of beautiful cuts and dimensions. Strands and strands of them covered the tables. Every color that you can possibly imagine was represented. The glory of God never ceases to amaze me. A majority of the gemstones are naturally occurring, with man's intervention being the cutting and polishing of them to further bring out their lovely features. Others have intriguing patterns enhanced by coloration,
dying and stabilizing techniques.It was hard to pass up this opportunity and in hind sight I wish I had tucked away a bit more cash. You see the pricing on almost everything was 50% off the label/retail price plus 15% more off the half-off. This was outstanding considering the prices of many items. The most expensive strands I looked at were over $150 and of course my eye was drawn to some of the more costly items. However, I did not indulge in them or I w
ould have broken my piggy bank of a budget. They were modest choices I had to make so that I could leave with more than a couple of strands!Traveling was expedient due to the sunshin
e and clear roads. Always I kept an eye out for deer. With so many cornfields between here and there they had many hiding places to burst from. The day started off overcast, followed by a glorious variety of interesting cloud formations, ending with a wonderful sunset.Dinner was served at the Cracker Barrel restaurant on Hylan Drive. It was mobbed with customers as it was evidently supper time for many others, as well. I had chosen to eat little early in the day so that I could treat myself to a "special" meal and that is how I spontaneously chose this place. A rest was needed and my belly soon was filled with country fried steak (gravy on the side felt less guilty), fried okra, pinto beans and c
ornbread. Iced tea to drink and applesauce for dessert. Briefly, I almost felt like I was in West Texas again.No road trip worth it's salt is without a jaunt off the main trail, and that is exactly what happened. It was after dark and one wrong turn...the next thing you know I am 15 miles west and I don't know how many miles north, of where my brother and his wife live. I am a hard-headed sort so I was determined to find the place no matter what! I did but it was quite late in the evening, past when it is respectable to visit someone. Their welcome mat was out nonetheless.
It was good to see them both and the puppies, too. We chatted for about an hour, a good cup of coffee, a potty break and then I was on my way.
While traveling to and fro this day, I so fully enjoyed my Ipod. Katy had let me use her "converter" so that I could listen to the Ipod thru the stereo and it sounded so good. There is something about pleasurable music and driving that soothes my savage beast. I could drive endlessly in this state. Recollection of my trip cross country for Taylor's graduation a few years ago occurred, wherein I drove for hours after hours listening to CD's with no interruption. Some how it transports me to a different level of consciousness, no substances involved.
This ends my prattling about my outing, weary body as a reminder. Now it is time to take a quick nap before waking the kids and starting another day. There are distinct benefits to early rising and getting Todd off to work at 5. I can understand why my mother always had her "me" time before we arose in the morning.
A picture of my cache....wait till ya see what comes from this pile of stuff!
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