Fetch: Beacon and Beyond!

As mentioned in my previous post, we had a great time today in Beacon, NY. We've been there a couple of times but never really relaxed into the day and just looked at everything. It was a gorgeous day today, a wonderful last gasp of summer. We were on foot most of the day and my bald lil' head is a tad pink! (Would you just LOOK at the perfect blue sky in the background of the Beacon clock photo? PERFECT!)

I had so many mini-adventures today, many of them deserve their own post. Over the next couple of days I'll be bringing you those. You can look forward to a great review of the Beacon Barkery, which features all natural gourmet food, treats and accessories for dogs (and cats). We got Duncan and Finn several presents there. More on those later.

You'll also hear the exciting story of how a very fancy piece of Hudson Beach Glass became my new salt well! If you think you could be excited about a new salt well, well then this blog is definitely for you (and we could likely be best friends).

After we'd seen the best of Beacon, I gently nudged my husband to drive down the road to Woodbury Commons, the premium outlets in Central Valley, NY. One of my favorite places on this planet is located there... the Williams-Sonoma Marketplace!!

(Yes, that's a toothpick. I'm still very much an Oklahoma boy at times...)

The fine folks at the Williams-Sonoma Marketplace were having a barnburner of a sale. Most things were at least 25% off, but many were a full 50% off. We also found a Italian, small batch, 100% Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a whopping 75% off! Also scored 8 adorable mini-trifle dishes that will definitely be used at our next dinner party. Dave and I are triflin' fools! I'll make sure to feature my favorite blackberry one here in the near future. Got some prep bowls with the best tight fitting lids at the Crate & Barrel outlet (and a new door mat for the front porch, too).

Buying things for my kitchen makes me a very happy boy... evidenced below by my grin as we drove home with all our booty (btw, those aren't the only bags, the trunk was FULL).

Oh, this was the gorgeous sky near the Bear Mountain Bridge as we drove home. Ain't life grand? It sure was today.

Fetch: Grand Central Market

Some people hate to shop. I am not some people. Even though I have no problem searching stores for clothes, shoes, tennis racquets or Charlie Brown memorabilia... what I really love to shop for is groceries, foods, sundries, cheese. I like to go up and down every aisle and often spend inordinate amounts of time in produce sections. Before the expansive Whole Foods and Trader Joe's began popping up all over Manhattan, most grocery stores were cramped and had very little choice. Not that fun, really. When we finally moved out of the big apple a couple of years ago, I was so thrilled to walk the wide aisles of Westchester County's numerous gigantic grocery stores. And, whoa boy, when I take a rare trip back home to Oklahoma... they're mostly Wal-Mart Superstores, but a grocery store there literally takes up hectares. It can be an all day affair for me.

Now, that move to Westchester I mentioned made it necessary for me to take a commuter train into the city to my office. Because my Metro North train often arrived every morning on the same track, there was a long time, perhaps a year even, that I never wandered around Grand Central Terminal. I just got off the train and headed for the first exit out. I had a very specific route and it didn't cover much ground in GCT at all. Then one day, one glorious day, my train arrived on a track on the near opposite of the one I was accustomed to and I discovered the Grand Central Market. I stood at the door, mouth agape.

The fact that I had been in the same building as this heavenly place twice a day without darkening it's door nearly brought tears to my eyes. I'm serious about food shopping. Serious. This place had my name written all over it. Have a gander at some of my favorite parts:



This is just a taste of what you can find there. I'm going to be profiling some of the fine purveyors here so you haven't heard the last of the Grand Central Market.