Meeting in the Middle - and a wee bit of shopping

I met up with J in Fredericksburg yesterday, at Castiglia's who have a solid gluten free menu - including Pizza (crispy with delicious cheese and thin slices of prosciutto) and, I noticed in the desert case - a gluten free cheesecake with what looked like chocolate on top. That's their brick oven in the background. Our lives are just busy enough - and in different stages of life - that visits like this are precious and tend to be this time of year - when library work slows down and all the fiber shows are over for the year. 

We had a 2 hour lunch and caught up on all the details that emails just don't convey:  her musical son - my adventuring one - Little Miss Horsewoman - husbands, parents. Self and health and spiritual stuff. A sweet reunion. I asked her if she noticed a yarn shop on the east bound lane of Rt. 3, just as the Fredericksburg sprawl begins coming in from the west. There used to be one, now defunct, on William Street near the college. But last summer when I was coming home from Culpepper I thought I noticed one.  I couldn't be sure, though and it wasn't a convenient time to stop ... just at the beginning of the gridlock rush hour. She hadn't noticed it either and really, I don't need to shop for yarn, you know. I just like to.

Moseying down Caroline Street, we peeked into little shops, picking up a Christmas gift here or there. I noticed several book stores - some new, mostly used - and delightfully tempting. I will go back and browse soon, but I have already bought all the books I'm going to get this holiday. Time to find Other Things for Other People. And then it was time to part - she to be back west to meet the school bus, I to head south east to get started on the Christmas hat for BD that I'm knitting with the blueblueblueblueblue yarn she brought me. So you see, who needs a yarn shop when you're friends with MsSpirit Trail herself!?!

We parted with warm hugs and loving wishes for happy new years and I got into my car. As I settled around, putting a coat on the back seat, a CD into the player, I noticed a sign on the building I was parked in front of .... Yarnery. I really couldn't believe my eyes. I got out, walked up to the building, tried the door and peeked through the window to be sure it really was what I thought it was ... 

It was! Old Town Yarnery   has opened it's doors on 205 William Street. Yippeee. There is nothing so reassuring to a knitter than news of a yarn emergency relief station is less than 50 miles away. Closed Monday's, alas but I've got the whole week between Christmas and New Year's off. I can make a trip to Fredericksburg. I believe I will call R and ask her to join me there. 

So. An unexpected gift for TheQueen.