Ah, birthdays. How I love thee. So much so I took the day off ….just to play!

Today was an adventure, a joy ride of sorts. After pampering myself at the salon I decided to go for a surprise adventure. Down a road, any road. And then Chuckanut Drive was right in front of me. So I took it.

With sweeping views of the bay.

And places to pull off the road to take photos and paths to walk.

Then I found myself in a little, tiny town called Edison. Oh, Edison, you are so quaint.

With yummy foods to eat!

The only problem was, after ordering my meal I was informed the cafe only took cash — or checks. Cash or checks? I usually have none of these things in my purse. Bank cards, yes. But cash? I had to check.

I scrounged through my wallet and pulled out six dollars. I was ten dollars short of a meal. And I was on my surprise adventure so I didn’t even think to bring my checkbook. It sat in my desk all the way back home.

“You can just mail us a check.” The beautiful young lady said to me with a smile.

“Mail?” I repeated. “Like …send you a check in the mail?”

“Yes!” She smiled and wrote the cafe’s address on the back of my receipt. “You’re good for it.”

Wow. What a birthday gift I thought to myself.
And then I thought… where am I?

This level of trust never happens in our modern world. Did Chuckanut Drive whisk me down a time machine portal and plant me back in the 1950’s? To a little town that still accepted cash and CHECKS. To a store clerk that just shrugged it off with an I.O.U. handshake for a future check to be sent via SNAIL MAIL?

As I ate my avocado toast (which tasted simply divine) I counted my lucky stars and the minutes on the clock before the cafe closed. I was the last customer they would serve on this day.

Then I popped across the street to another artful adventure. A yarn studio.

Actually, I’m not really sure what to call it — but it was artful and beautiful and all made of yarns and silks. With my newfound joy of crocheting, I asked the artist all about her yarns and was mesmerized by the process.

We compared notes on yarn and I told her about the “finger” crochet blanket I am attempting. We laughed about the insatiable, irresistible pull a skein of yarn can have on one’s heart. And the need to finish just …One. More. Row.

Then she hugged me goodbye. She hugged me. Physically hugged me. And I hugged her back. What a surprising little store and friend to make over the beauty of art.

She told me to stop at the bread store before leaving town. So I did. Afterall, she hugged me. I trusted her advice. And she said that this store had the best bread in the entire state of Washington.

The bread store was also a quaint throwback to a simpler time. Packed with cookies and pastries and loaves of bread with an open bakery to watch all the action behind it all. I picked up a gluten-free treat and headed to the counter to check out.

As I stood in line I saw a sign that said, “Cash or Check Only.”
Seriously? With all my cash gone and an I.O.U. already in my wallet, I put my cookie back on the shelf. Saving it for another day.

As I left the little town of Edison, I stumbled upon a Blueberry patch.

And a crop of birds!

But the best part of the day, and my adventure was coming home. To a dinner out with Justin and a surprise dessert tray delivered by our waiter.

It included a little white box and two cards.
The first card was from Pup and Brady (of course!)
And the second was from Justin.

The white box contained a jewelry box and these gorgeous, one-of-a-kind earrings. Which is the best complement to a flourless chocolate torte that a girl could ask for!

All in all, the day was more than a joy ride. It was a surprise joy ride.
And aren’t those the best kind?

Just like life is, really.
We may never know what’s around the next turn, but with a few hugs and maybe an I.O.U. here and there, we can make it through with flying colors.

And, of course, tons of joy.

More tomorrow…

Lovemore,
Jamie

{joy ride}
#lovemore

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Tags: Birthday, bow edison, chuckanut drive, edison, goals, happy, happy birthday, joy, joy ride, joyful, joyfulness, promises, studio, success, tweets, Washington, yarn