Wishing Upon a Star

July 11 --Field Trip

I think I’m a bit disappointed in how yesterday turned out. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting, but I think it must have been more than what happened.

I did start out before noon, though not quite as early as I had originally intended. I just couldn’t get my act together. Anyway, I got on the Pike and figured I’d just zip right along at a healthy clip.

Wrong.

I got to Auburn, which is just outside of Worcester, and the traffic came to a dead halt. Now this is the turnpike. Cars are supposed to roll right along on the turnpike, stopping is not supposed to be an option. Well, we crept and stopped, crept and stopped, all the way to the next exit, which is probably about a ten-mile stretch.

I think the problem had to do with traffic volume and poor road planning. There was no room for the cars that were coming on to the Pike to feed into this traffic, as it goes from four lanes (for a brief stretch) to three lanes.

It was totally irritating.

I am a very impatient driver, and while I’m far from committing acts of road rage (short of flipping the bird on occasion), I do not like just crawling along. So this got me aggravated.

We eventually started moving along again, but my momentum was slow to return.

First stop was the mall I’d been looking forward to prowling. A big disappointment.

The stores were abundant, but most of them can be found around here and the unique sounding ones were more or less carbon copies of each other. It’s unusual for me to not find things to buy, but I came out with my arms swinging.

Granted the bank account was happier, but I was not……

This mall stop ended up taking so little time that I decided to drive to Amherst to check out a stamp store that’s always advertised in the rubber stamping publications.

This was a quest.

Now, I lived in the area for ten years during the 80’s so I pretty much know my way around, and assumed that this place would be somewhere in the general downtown Amherst vicinity.

Wrong.

I finally stopped in a store to ask if they could direct me to it. Finding it required getting back in the car and driving to the outskirts of town.

This place ended up being the size of my living room, and had very few stamps for sale. Their stock was limited to one company and it dawned on me that I own more stamps than this store had room to carry!

Another disappointment.

No purchases.

At this point I felt that I was letting myself and all my fellow shoppers down, so it was important to go somewhere that I could get some gratification. There was only one place that could guarantee success…the Yankee Candle Company. Now for those of you who have not had the pleasure of experiencing this wonderful place, make time to do it!

When I lived in Northampton, this was one of my favorite destinations on a Sunday, especially in the fall when New England is at its best. The store complex has expanded dramatically over the years, from a cute little store where you could buy wonderfully scented candles to the current village.

Here I experienced victory!

I got a sugarplum scented jar candle at the tent sale then inside bought eighteen votive candles of different scents, a lamp top to put on jar candles, and a pansy candle jar topper.

I love the scent of my apartment when I have candles burning.

Currently their newest scent "Island Mango" is wafting through the air.

This is also a wonderful place to just wander through.

They have a Bavarian village, a medieval castle, and several other sections where they have themed candles and decorations. They have some of the most beautiful (and expensive) Christmas decorations.

My favorite, though, is Santa’s workshop. There is a toy machine there, that rivals the one in the Disney movie "Babes in Toyland" (remember with Annette Funicello, Tommy Sands, Ed Wynn and that great Forest of No Return?) And I’m convinced that the Santa who works there is the REAL Santa. He has a perfect face and beard, twinkly eyes and the right size belly. He’s great with all the little kids who are in awe when they see him.

I was much happier when I left there.

The barbecue I went to attend was fine. Most of the people who were there had been students of mine when I was teaching high school and directing the musical productions there. It always amazes me to realize that they are well into adulthood now, with families of their own. It makes me feel old, even though I’m not that much older than any of them.

The age gap between a young high school teacher and the students is pretty small. As we all get older, age seems to matter even less.

It was good to see old friends and catch up on their lives.

I hopped back in the car shortly after nine and was home by about ten thirty, proving that I do not always blatantly exceed the posted speed limit. I’m discretionary when I have to be.
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