So how did the rest of the vacation go? Unbelievably great. Just wish the price of gas up in New York wasn’t over $4 a gallon. That will teach me to offer to fill 'er up. Where next? A stroll through Bennington, Vermont where we had to force ourselves to finally leave the Village Chocolate Shop, home of  Benny and Molly, two moose made of chocolate weighing in at a total 180 pounds (what is the plural of moose, anyway..can’t be mice...), where the pastry is created right in the front window, and the scent of fudge has more allure that any perfume. I behaved. Kind of. Only bought 1/4 pound each of Lemon Meringue Fudge and the Salted Carmel. Heaven! Loved all the painted moose up and down the street.   That’s also where we found the Crazy Russian Girls Neighborhood Bakery, and a turkey sandwich that made me think of the day after Thanksgiving; it had all the right elements of slices of freshly roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and more all on a whole grain bread that was among the best I’ve ever had. A massive sandwich built for two. Oh, please don’t ask the chef if his collection of cookbooks is for sale. No sense of humor whatsoever.

    Then back on the road, and along the way, seeing the sign that says to watch for moose. ‘Nuff said.  Finally, the pile of books that yes, I could have shipped, and no, did not. The bookstores in Brattleboro, Vermont were a treasure trove, as well as a cool little flea market in Ravena, New York. I wanted to read on the plane, I wanted to dive right in when I unpacked and start thinking of what to do next. Check out my treasures! Next trip instead of buying the Fabulous Beekman Boys books, I want to head over the Sharon Springs and see the farm and meet the guys. You can see them on the Amazing Race! 

   And the views. The endless, magnificent, you-can’t-see-this-in-Florida views. Does the heart and soul good. Yes, it was all too good. Good enough that when I checked my bag in Albany that I was just a few pounds shy of being over the weight limit. My bad...not! 

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN - We should come home from adventures, and perils, and discoveries every day with new experience and character - Henry David Thoreau