Safe and sound

Well, I'm back in Fredericksburg after a whirlwind trip up and back to Boston for Mommy, Esq.'s baby shower and a nice visit with some college and childhood friends. I ate way too much and drank just enough and had a really great time. Big thanks to Theresa for hosting and letting me invade her life (and the lives of Rob, Lizzie, Tillie, and Scout) for a few days. I took lots of pictures of baby shower food preparation (okay, just of the cake and frosting) and will send those to Theresa for her blog just as soon as my camera charges back up. (Sorry, T!)

I'd have to say I really enjoyed traveling by train. I know some may say I'm crazy to waste 9-12 hours sitting (and Mommy, Esq., I too had cankles by the end of my journey!), but I loved watching the East Coast fly by and I was smart and brought a blanket and feather pillow to crunch up against the window and slept rather well. Met lots of interesting people too, like the family who was from down south and was traveling all the way up to Boston as an adventure - and to see a Red Sox game; or the man who lives in Boston but came down to Virginia for his parents' 50th wedding anniversary; and the woman who now lives in New England but was traveling home to New Jersey to spend time with the extended family she left behind. People seemed friendlier on the train. Maybe it was just me - the women in my family tend to 'never meet a stranger' - but the train was relaxing and kind of romantic. I can just imagine how travel actually was during our grandparents times when the train was the norm.