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Friday, September 2

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Everyone needs a brother-in-law and sister like we have – especially after you and they retire. 🙂

I was nine and a half years old when my sister, Nancy, was born. That seems like a wide age gap. By the time she was ten I was married. By the time she got married I was 29 1/2. But, by then it began to feel like we could communicate as sisters.

We are still 9 1/2 years apart – but by now we are both retired. The age gap doesn’t seem that far apart anymore.

We started going out on road trip excursions earlier this year and almost feel like we can’t show them anything new because Marlin knows every back road in Lancaster County. 🙂

This time our first stop was Weaver’s Store in Fivepointville. It wasn’t the first time we had been there, but it has been many years.

Our first stop was the restaurant where I ordered chicken corn rivel soup. It was the best I have tasted in a long time. (Rivels are a kind of small dumpling made with flour and egg.)

After lunch we had fun browsing their interesting aisles – with almost anything you need for your kitchen, garden, children and body or feet. It was fun meeting friends from several hours away who were in the area for a gospel music concert and shopping at Weaver’s for the first time.

Our next stop was Good’s Feed Mill – also near Fivepointville. Marlin thought we would enjoy this unique place where they have almost any kind of food for any kind of animal or bird.

If you took time to look under shelves or behind them, you might find a cat or kitten.

Upstairs was quite noisy with a large variety of birds, chickens, ducks and other kinds of fowl for the house or farm.

If I remember correctly, her name is Luna. She thought she was queen of the store – and not a very friendly queen.

Cerwin had fun talking to her and causing her to squawk and question his presence near her “throne”.

Nancy said the last time they were here the momma of these two was nursing them right in the middle of one of the aisles.

After purchasing suet for our birds and Marlin and Nancy were talking to a friend, I walked around outside. I think they may have been “playing” a bit with their name – Good’s Feed Mill – with this Bible verse. 🙂

Mamma cat was returning to her young ones after visiting another part of the mill.

After this Marlin took us on a tour of back roads over which we had never traveled.

Our next stop was Village Farm Market in Hinkletown – at our request – because we were in the area and Cerwin was in “need” of some of their desserts.

I chose a half vegetable quiche.

We always like to get a ground cherry pie this time of year, in memory and honor of Cerwin’s mother who made these.

From the Internet. Also known as Husk Tomatoes, the Ground Cherry is famous for its unique flavor balance – the perfect mix between sweet and sour. Plus, this fresh, flavorful plant is super versatile and able to grow in raised flower beds, containers and beyond.

We hadn’t thought of peach dumplings, but they were there, so got a pan of two.

We can freeze most of the items, but the fresh peach pie will not freeze well, so it will be eaten in the next few days. I am glad that they sell half pies.

After that we went on a few more unfamiliar roads – with the goal of a farm market that we didn’t know existed. They carry a golden delicious apple that Marlin and Nancy like, but it was a bit too early in the season. We bought a few potatoes.

I love local farm markets.

I feel sorry for any of you who don’t have Marlin for a brother-in-law and a sister like mine.

It will be our turn to choose a road trip in a few months. We usually can’t take them to a new place, but that won’t matter. A day hanging out with them is always fun.