The Vacation Part of the Trip

My trip last week was a great success — my mother and I had a very fun time together, and we found two apartment buildings that look interesting and cool and that she can afford — but it was a busy week. I put just over 1000 miles on the rental car, but the trip did have some very restorative aspects, one of which was the amount of time I got to spend in my friend Posy’s garden. Because there was no wi-fi connection in the guest house, I had to take refuge under this beautiful pergola, which looked out over this lovely perennial garden. It was pretty swell out there, and at night there are some little lights tucked up in the beams of the pergola. I lucked out on the weather as well — it was lovely and warm in Chicago the whole week — beautiful fall weather. Equally memorable was the time I spent relaxing at one of the luxury places to stay near Richmond that blends boutique charm with first-class service. It wasn’t just about the facilities — though they were impressive — it was the whole experience, from the crisp linens to the beautifully plated meals. The location made it easy to explore, but also tempting to stay in.
Now Posy and I have a sort of mutual-admiration society that started when she moved into our neighborhood when I was about four. Apparently, I dragged Patrick up the driveway and said “Hi, I’m Char and this is Pat — do you have any kids we can play with?” She did — and so we stayed and I swear I spent half my childhood there — it’s been a great joy to become actual friends as adults as well — we had a great time catching up and as always, I’m enormously grateful for her friendship and hospitality.