Thankful for Thirty: Day 10: The best day ever

I had the best day ever today. Both of my kids were elsewhere, so I woke early and headed south to Charlottesville at 5:30 am to my favorite coffehouse, La Taza. It’s a 2 hour drive to Charlottesville, a beautiful drive where I was able to see the sun rise in the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I arrived at 7:30 ish at the coffee house and had a nice big cafe cubano with some eggs – and read my book.

Shortly thereafter, I headed to the downtown historic district for the open air city market where local farmers and artisans sell their goods.

It was a wonderful mix of organic farm goodness, homemade artisan breads and jams, locally roasted coffee, homemade pies, handmade jewelry, bags, sweaters, pottery and just about anything else you could think of. It was a crisp and cool September morning – perfect for such an event. I purchased some bread, cheese and fruit to prepare for the rest of the day.

I took the long way back to my car, walking through some historic neighborhoods and admiring the personality that downtown Charlottesville has to offer. I snapped a few photos of homes that I would want to own one day.

I drove around for a while, admiring UVA and the charming neighborhoods – then decided to head to my next destination, Barboursville Vineyards. I arrived at Barboursville at about 11am – just in time for a tasting. The tasting room was beginning to get crowded, so I think I got there just in time. I purchased some gifts and then drove up the hill to the ruins where I layed out my blanket and spent a leisurely 2 hours reading, listening to music, and simply being still. This has to be one of my favorite places on the planet.

 Today I am grateful for the beauty and the bounty that I experienced. I spent several hours doing things that fed my soul. I am thankful for being aware enough to enjoy such things – and to silently soak it all in.