Photo credit: My eight year old cousin.There’s nothing she loves more than a good exploratory sniff.
Last week, Beau and I were in New Orleans. She wasn’t supposed to come with me, but extenuating life circumstances meant she ended up in NOLA for the first time. I wasn’t bummed to have her all to myself for a week, and she wasn’t bummed to be the sole receiver of all the attention plus an eight year old new best friend. About a year ago, I agreed to spend a week watching my cousin’s daughter while she and her husband went on a cruise to celebrate her 50th birthday. Allison and I get along great, so I was happy to spend a week with her. We did a bunch of really fun things, but Beau had a blast chasing her around the house and getting loved on.
One of the first things we did was go for a walk on the levy. If you don’t know what a levy is, it’s a big retaining wall to keep a river – in this case, the Mississippi – from invading homes, businesses, and causing utter destruction – think Hurricane Katrina. Allison’s house is a couple blocks away from a levy running along the Mississippi. You can walk along the top and even go down to the water’s edge. The river was incredibly high, which made it even more enticing to my water-loving dog. After a forty-five minute stroll in one direction, where I received quite the arm workout keeping Beau from swimming with the fishies and potentially alligators, (No me gusta.) we decided to turn around and head home. Beau was sufficiently tired, and Allison walked her the rest of the way home… I don’t know why she can walk in an almost straight line for an eight year old, but zigs, zags, and bounds when it’s her mama. Oh well, at least she didn’t drag Allison head first into the river.
Beau loves exploring and being outside. If she could sit in the backyard with me all day, she would. We always try to take her for a walk shortly after arriving at our travel destination. These walks put her at ease and let her know we will not be abandoning her to strangers in a foreign land. Although, these strangers came with cats to poke, so it wouldn’t have been as bad as strangers with a house sans cat-beings.
She’s happy to be home and in her own chair, but she had a great deal of fun in NOLA and walking on the levy.
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
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I’m not much for resolutions or goals, but these aren’t resolutions. These are small things I’m going to do this year because I’m going to need a reminder of the things I thought about doing at one point when I’m bored and can’t remember what I want to do. These are all blog focused because I have loads of ideas, and then I forget about those ideas the moment I sit down to write anything at all.
Make a point to see more murals in Houston.
Try new restaurants.
Take better and more unique pictures.
Be better about sticking to the schedule I set for myself.
Create a list of my favorite coffee shops in Houston.
Write about the things that are important to me.
Go on more Blips for Trips (short, drivable day trips) in my spare time.
Learn how to create a mailing list.
Write about the Iowa Law Library. (finally)
See more of Texas.
Support as many wonderful women as I can.
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
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Christmas in London by Anita Hughes has a lot of things you want in a Christmas story, but it falls short in just as many ways.
Louisa is a small time pastry chef working in New York City. Kate is a producer for a local cooking show. They spend Christmas in London to be a part of a holiday cooking show. Louisa grows close to an assistant from New York, and Kate revisits people from her past.
I’m fairly ambivalent about this book. It’s not bad. It’s definitely not great, but it’s what people want and expect during the holidays. Loads of ridiculous romantic stuff and drama for no reason. Hughes writes in the third person and switches between Louisa and Kates’s point of views throughout Christmas in London. It’s mostly told in the present, except for when Kate has flashbacks to the past for a muddy subplot. Honestly, the writing is really boring and cliché. There is an abundance of similes. Hughes is overly descriptive to the point of monotony. It became so repetitive when as the narrative said in one way or another “a man showed up and she realized it was Trevor/Noah.” Yuck. It doesn’t build suspense. It’s just boring and a waste of ink.
I could get past the writing if the characters were more believable or even likable. Louisa and her love interest felt like they were in high school more than adults starting out in a romantic relationship. Kate is more mature but not by a lot. I have a hard time identifying with adults in relationships who are completely lacking in mature communication skills. At the same time, their conflict resolution comes far too easily after they’ve bungled the whole situation from poor communication skills. They’re also not very likable. The parallels drawn between Louisa and Kate are not subtle; they’re basically living the same story arc.The male characters are the worst. Honestly, I don’t know why either woman put up with it? No man is better than any man.
Anita Hughes’ Christmas in London is a decent mindless read to keep you busy instead of spending time with the in-laws or family. It’s not great, but it could be a lot worse.
Memorable Quotes ““But there isn’t time to be passionate about more than one thing. If you want something in life, you have to sacrifice everything else to get it.”” “She had never been able to separate love and attraction.” “That was the problem with sex; it made it impossible to think.”
I love candy. I don’t it eat the way I used to, but I love candy. It triggers the happiness centers in my soul.
My best friend, Alex, has been telling me about his dad’s high school best friend’s candy store/apple orchard for ever. Literally, as long as I have known him. Turns out, Jim’s Apple Orchard is the biggest candy store in Minnesota. I practically skipped through the entire place in complete awe the very first time – and last and every time between. I should have known; Alex is not prone to giddy excitement or hyperbole. (Shh… don’t tell him; I like to pretend he blows everything out of proportion.)
Alex did kind of lie to me. He invited me to come hang out with him in Minnesota, now that he is out of the military. He mentioned he’d be working at the store a bit… I didn’t have to if I didn’t want to. I think he forgot who I am because if there’s work to do, I’m going to do it. A “bit” was a major understatement. Jim’s Apple Farm was in the midst of their busiest weekend of the year, and they wanted all the help they could get. Granted, I like to work, but it’s been a long time since I’ve worked fourteen hour days on me feet. Fourteen hour days behind a computer at home are a totally different beast.
Jim’s Apple Farm started out as an apple orchard after a soldier came home from World War II and grew into the family business it is today. About twenty years ago, they branched out into candy after a hail storm made the year’s apples less than fruitful. What was once a table full of candy is a barn stuffed full of candy and soda and puzzles and delights from around the world to excite your inner child or your real children. They still run an orchard of tens of thousands of apple trees. The candy store is open from the beginning of May to the end of November; the owners may lock the doors, but they’re hard at work inside in the off months, keeping things fresh adding new and interesting thrills. They are some of the hardest working people I’ve met, and their success is completely due to their hard work, creativity, passion, and innovation.
You’ll know it when you see it because the bright yellow barn is all but impossible to miss – although, someone did find the side of the barn with their car. Jim’s Apple Farm is a delight for all ages, unless you hate fun and happiness. There’s a sense of humor around every corner reflecting the warmth and laughter originating from the owners. The bathrooms are hidden behind Porta Potty doors with “World’s Largest Porta Potty” painted on the walls. Don’t worry, it’s just a door. There is no end to the amusements. In house baked goods make the entire store smell like grandma’s house at Christmas. Elsa and Anna twinkle with a little castle for children to climb in. Marvel and DC heroes and villains stand guard or ready to pounce. The back room is a full circle featuring a revolving ceiling; if you’re not careful, you might get lost. At the center, is TARDIS built to scale. Star Wars ships spin above head against a starry sky. You can find Zoltar, which only reminded me of Tom Hanks. You don’t even need to go for the candy/soda/apples/baked goods/treats, your attention will be kept by the amazing decor.
Robert and Renee, the owners, hold a lot of trust in their employees and their customers. Pumpkins and merchandise are everywhere out front, but all you have to do is tell the cashier how many you want and load them up on your way out. No one will check to make sure you’re not taking more than you should. Whether it’s the small town charm or faith in humanity, this is just one example of the many moments of sincerity. There staff is comprised of all ages. Most of the cashiers are in high school. Shift leaders are as young as sixteen, giving them responsibility and management experience at a young age is helping build confidence in an increasingly marginalized age group.
I only lent a hand at Jim’ Apple Farm for two days. It was quite the experience. Just being a customer would have been wonderful, but being behind the scenes brought a completely new perspective. There’s probably as much storage space as there is shopping space. People are hard at work before doors open and long after doors close. It is an amazing amount of coordinated effort and planning to make sure the shopping experience is smooth and exciting for everyone. I was absolutely exhausted after every day being on my feet. The days went by in a whirl as there was always something to be done. I can’t imagine doing it day-in and day-out for months on end.
I took huge advantage of my employee discount, though. I walked out with a ginormous back of candy and soda from all around the world. I haven’t even made a dent in it yet, but luckily it doesn’t spoil quickly.
Facebook is the only place you’ll find Jim’s Apple Orchard. They have almost no social media clout, and honestly, they don’t need it. They don’t even have a website. The barn was designed for Instagram long before Instagram existed or even smartphones, but they don’t care. They’re catering to the child in all of us. People were putting their phones down and looking up. Not just at each other but at the ceiling, walls, and corners to find all the treasures hidden in every nook and cranny.
Hurry before they close for the year on December 1!
bisous und обьятий, RaeAnna
Jim’s Apple Farm
20430 Johnson Memorial Drive
Jordan, MN 55352
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Three years ago last Tuesday, I moved to Houston. I knew zero people. I knew almost nothing about the city except: NASA and it’s an hour away from the beach. Dylan and I were very, very poor. We didn’t even have a couch at that point in time. We were saving money in every way we could, which means we didn’t get out and do much at first.
There are tons of perks to being in a big city, especially one as international as Houston. Food is my favorite part of a diverse cities because of the access to obscure and unknown foods. The problem is food costs money. When I moved here, there was very little money and a lot of food to try. It was easier not to tempt myself. I did go on the hunt for gelato. I love ice cream a lot. I love gelato A LOT more.
I found Sweet Cup shortly after moving to Houston. I fell in love with them for their gelato. I liked them even more when I found out they are a female owned business. The owner is even sweeter than her gelato! Sweet Cup was the first Houston business to follow my blog on Instagram. Actually, they were the first business to follow my blog on Instagram. I had no following and no real direction. Although currently, it could be argued my direction is no direction. I bop in literally whenever I’m in that part of town. I’ve even been known to drive across town for a cup. It’s delicious.
Houston has been home for three years, and I love it. I wasn’t sure if I would that first year because life was hard; I was poor. I couldn’t enjoy the city to its fullest or tastiest at first. Over the last two years, I have fallen more in love with the city, met friends, explored, and tried new foods. But for me, Sweet Cup tastes like Houston. In the beginning, it was all I could afford. Now, it’s a reminder of how far I’ve come and the dreams I’m still chasing. Three years have come and gone in a flash. So much has changed, but some things are just as sweet.
Spoiler, I can’t stand Nicholas Sparks’ writing. It’s boring, formulaic, and extremely unrealistic. Sorry, but I like my reading material to be somewhat grounded in reality. The one thing he gets right: the setting. Almost all of his books are set in the Carolinas, focusing in on North Carolina. Why? I don’t know, but probably because he lives there. Specifically New Bern, North Carolina, which is a forty-five minute drive from where I visit with high frequency because my bff is stationed in Jacksonville.
This list actually has nothing to do with Nicholas Sparks and everything to do with the beauty of North Carolina. I no longer loathe the writing of Nicholas Sparks solely because the state is gorgeous. So we see eye to eye on one thing. Maybe more, I don’t know the man.
Bald Head Island This is numero uno on the list because it will eventually be on my top 11 favorite places in the world list. Bald Head Island is about as far south as you can get in the great state of North Carolina. You can read more about it here.
Lighthouses I LOVE lighthouses. They are my favoritest things. Maybe not my absolute favorite, but I have an intense fascination with them. I have only seen two in real life, but I’m working on upping that number significantly.
MCAS New River This is actually kind of a crappy place, but I will always have rose colored glasses for it because my bff-for-always-and-ever lived there for five years. Happy memories for the win.
Wild Ponies I have not personally seen the wild ponies, but they exist in the Outer Banks. I love the idea of wild ponies, and hope to see them for myself at a respectful distance someday.
Sea Turtles Sea turtles lay their eggs on the beaches of North Carolina. I have not been able to see the hatching of these miraculous babies, but I have seen the nests(?), which is sand with a sign saying leave this space alone or something to that affect.
Beaches There are beaches all over the world, but I seem to frequent the North Carolina ones with the most frequency. They’re lovely.
Oak Island I just recently found this gem. It is an island right across from Bald Head Island. It has a lighthouse of its own. I can play in the ocean and see two lighthouses. It’s magic. Not really, but it made for a magical day.
Biltmore Estate I’ve never been to this grand place in Asheville, North Carolina, but I hear it is super duper fabulous. I hope to make it there one of these days.
Proximity North Carolina is five hours away from my best friend in DC and four hours away from my close friends in Virginia Beach. Gotta love the East Coast and their tiny states.
Blue Ridge Mountains I have not had the pleasure of exploring these mountains in earnest or at all, but I have driven through them a good many times. They are beautiful. The first several years I drove through them was solely in the dead of night…
Charlotte Douglas International Airport I really love the Charlotte airport. It has huge windows and Adirondack style rocking chairs. Also, they do a fabulous job decorating it for Christmas.
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