Cabin Fever Remedy

The last day of January.  Lots of gray days, lots of snow.  Working in our house all day.  Cabin Fever!

Sometimes you just can't stay inside a moment longer. 

I can make a production out of leaving the house and that's just to make a trip to the post office.  When we made the decision for our impromptu trip this morning we were gone like the wind. 

Our first stop was for breakfast at the only place within 20 miles that sells a NY style bagel.   

Yummy!  And their coffee is great, as well.

Then it was into Great Barrington and our favorite used book store - Yellow House Books. 

They have a wonderful white cat that lives there, "Precious," who greets all the guests and will purr up a storm if you pet her.  But by the time I thought about taking her picture she was asleep under the front counter and did not want to be disturbed.

I never seem to be able to pass up the cooking or philosophy sections.  I brought home a small book on Zen meditation from 1953 that has English on left side of the page and Japanese characters on the right.  After I cherish it for a while, it just might wind up in a piece of art.  I've been thinking about doing another altered book.

From there is was into Rubiner's cheese shop.  The building was once a bank and the open vault still inhabits the back wall. 

So many wonderful cheeses to choose from!  We finally selected a Montgomery Cheddar from England and a slice of quince paste to eat with it (they call the combination Romeo and Juliet in Portugal), some Italian salami and creamy goat cheese with shaved white truffle on the top. And a tiny package of macroon cookies.   

Can life get any better?

Around the corner and up the street, past my second favorite Japanese restaurant, Bizen and into Crystal Essence and friendly New Age store with everything from singing bowls to Buddhas.

   We found a calendar with photographs by Knox, a man who photographs feral cats that live behind his recording studio.  He has done a wonderful book Urban Tails (there is an amazon link on the right) and he donates the money from the book and his photographs to care for them and local spay and neuter programs.  I'm so glad we bought it!

Then across the street to jws art supplies for charcoal pencils and some hand made computer paper.  On the way we passed a flower box filled with bright green and yellow plastic flowers covered with glitter.  Think they are wishing for spring?

It was enough for one day and we still had two important stops on the way out of town. 

The one stop that I always make a a market just outside of Great Barrington proper. Guido's is the closest I can get to Balducci's without going to NY City.  Part gourmet market, half natural food store, fresh seafood, meat, wine section and wonderful prepared food.  Its delightful staff includes the owner who can be found ringing or bagging groceries when things get busy.  We loaded our cart with the fish of the day - pecan crusted tilapia to fry up for dinner.

The last stop was to an antique store I've always wanted to stop into.  The never seem to be open!  Today was no exception!     

I was so disappointed to find the door locked.  I just knew there would be amazing goodies inside.  I guess it will have to wait for the next trip. The picture only shows a fraction of the yard which is stacked with windows and doors, bird houses by the hundreds and signs everywhere.  Including a few that said "no photography." I'm hoped they were there for sale and not as a warning as clicked my camera and we sped away.

So if you are suffering from cabin fever and need a day away give me a call and we'll go to GB for the day and have an adventure.  I'll even introduce you to Precious the book store cat.