Notice the simplicity between the above phone booth and this smashing one which was taken during a trip to London last year.
For more information on this little used and antiquated device: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_boothNext stop put me in the friendly little town of Gilbert, IA, that had a nice whimsical store on the Left Bank of main street. Love the periwinkle blue trim against the old red brick.
After leaving Gilbert, I pointed the car in the direction of Ames, IA, which some of you may know is not a small town but is home to the Cyclones of the Iowa State University, direct rivals of the Hawkeyes (U of I). Only reason I know this is you just can't help to know it if you live in IA. Fierce fans. Lots of discussions among the guys in my spinning class.
No pictures of Ames, but I will leave you with a mental image instead. I entered into the high school in Ames and was greeted with very well dressed and behaved students. I was impressed. The school itself was very nice and modern and inside I could hear overtures of Beethoven playing through the loudspeakers. Class act.
Ciao
Thursday morning rolled around and, after consulting with my boss, it looks like Muscatine is on the agenda. Fiddled around with some email and snail mail and off I go into the great blue yonder. Armed with coffee/cappuccino, a few healthy snacks and a new audio book, I set out for the long drive. This audio book was just the ticket though. It was Sandra Brown "Play Dirty".
So where does the wishes come into play? Well, I'll get to that. As I entered the town my first reaction was total disappointment. I knew Muscatine was situation on the river, but my first view was strip malls, Walgreen's and Applebee's. I plugged a few addresses into my GPS and started out to the high school and a few gyms, and physical therapy clinics.
Since it had gotten long past lunch hour I pulled into a HyVee and grabbed a deli sandwich, and by that time I was long past hungry. Did I make a good choice?
It was delicious, all that pungent ripe blue cheese and roasted peppers. But once again, I let my stomach rule my head. Ut oh, my container of breath mints are all out. Will I never learn? How am I supposed to check in with customers smelling like I had just visited the local fromage shop.
What to do? Well for years and years I've been told how important it is to carry an emergency kit in your car. Bingo. I've listened well. Tucked into my glove compartment is my emergency kit.
Probably won't do me any good if I have a flat tire, but hey, at least my breath will be fresh when someone stops to help.
After visiting with prospective customers all day I am ready to go find those gems. I was given directions to the historical section by one of the receptionists at a physical therapy clinic. All I really needed to do though was point my car in the direction of the great Mississippi. Here are some shots taken along the river.
Looks like this boat got stuck in the ice:
And then some architectural beauties:
So what about wishes coming true you ask? Now for the rest of the story. I happened down a street that really caught my attention. A little background; I've recently taken up knitting. I used to do this when I was a young girl, but gave it up after I developed an interest in boys. Dropped those needles like a hot potato. Several years later I decided that all those beautiful yarns were just screaming at me to touch them. So I did and fell in love all over again. I still like boys but figure there can be room for two interests in my life.
Oh wow, I must admit I got a little bit excited when I saw this place. So I snapped a few pictures of the side building so I wouldn't forget where it was. How could I? Next door was a sweet shop featuring all sorts of yum-yums and Hill's paint store.
I walked inside to drool over the yarns and found myself in a middle of a charming group of women sitting around a table knitting and visiting together. I was immediately filled with longing to be a part of the group. Very friendly and inviting. I browsed around but bought nothing as I already have one project going on and still new to the craft.
I went home and thought some more about how I wished I could be in a group of knitters in my local area. So I did a Google search and almost came up empty. But finally found an article in our local paper that talked about a new shop that opened up in Cedar Falls, IA. http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2008/12/20/features/lifestyles//10860495.txt
Imagine how excited I was to read that it was the very same shop opening up in my area. "The Crazy Girl Yarn Shop". Looking forward to stopping by and getting to know other knitters. Nice that wishes can come true.
Thursday morning rolled around and, after consulting with my boss, it looks like Muscatine is on the agenda. Fiddled around with some email and snail mail and off I go into the great blue yonder. Armed with coffee/cappuccino, a few healthy snacks and a new audio book, I set out for the long drive. This audio book was just the ticket though. It was Sandra Brown "Play Dirty".
So where does the wishes come into play? Well, I'll get to that. As I entered the town my first reaction was total disappointment. I knew Muscatine was situation on the river, but my first view was strip malls, Walgreen's and Applebee's. I plugged a few addresses into my GPS and started out to the high school and a few gyms, and physical therapy clinics.
Since it had gotten long past lunch hour I pulled into a HyVee and grabbed a deli sandwich, and by that time I was long past hungry. Did I make a good choice?
It was delicious, all that pungent ripe blue cheese and roasted peppers. But once again, I let my stomach rule my head. Ut oh, my container of breath mints are all out. Will I never learn? How am I supposed to check in with customers smelling like I had just visited the local fromage shop.
What to do? Well for years and years I've been told how important it is to carry an emergency kit in your car. Bingo. I've listened well. Tucked into my glove compartment is my emergency kit.
Probably won't do me any good if I have a flat tire, but hey, at least my breath will be fresh when someone stops to help.After visiting with prospective customers all day I am ready to go find those gems. I was given directions to the historical section by one of the receptionists at a physical therapy clinic. All I really needed to do though was point my car in the direction of the great Mississippi. Here are some shots taken along the river.
Looks like this boat got stuck in the ice:
And then some architectural beauties:
So what about wishes coming true you ask? Now for the rest of the story. I happened down a street that really caught my attention. A little background; I've recently taken up knitting. I used to do this when I was a young girl, but gave it up after I developed an interest in boys. Dropped those needles like a hot potato. Several years later I decided that all those beautiful yarns were just screaming at me to touch them. So I did and fell in love all over again. I still like boys but figure there can be room for two interests in my life.
Oh wow, I must admit I got a little bit excited when I saw this place. So I snapped a few pictures of the side building so I wouldn't forget where it was. How could I? Next door was a sweet shop featuring all sorts of yum-yums and Hill's paint store.
I walked inside to drool over the yarns and found myself in a middle of a charming group of women sitting around a table knitting and visiting together. I was immediately filled with longing to be a part of the group. Very friendly and inviting. I browsed around but bought nothing as I already have one project going on and still new to the craft.
I went home and thought some more about how I wished I could be in a group of knitters in my local area. So I did a Google search and almost came up empty. But finally found an article in our local paper that talked about a new shop that opened up in Cedar Falls, IA. http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2008/12/20/features/lifestyles//10860495.txt
Imagine how excited I was to read that it was the very same shop opening up in my area. "The Crazy Girl Yarn Shop". Looking forward to stopping by and getting to know other knitters. Nice that wishes can come true.
Au Revoir
2 comments:
Athena, those old building are magnificent, thanks for preserving them, one more time. Loved the old bank, looks like history of better days.
Glad you wishes came true,can't wait to hear the stories you encounter sitting in the Crazy Girl and knitting booties. Well, maybe scarves or such.
Enjoyed following your day.
T
Thanks, Travis. Always happy to share my day with you. I am simply amazed at these old buildings. Gorgeous structures. Little gems along the way.
Athena
Post a Comment