Cape Chick Weekend VIII

Plenty of reasons to smile at PB Boulangerie

As I packed my car, fretting if I had all the food, supplies, guinea pig stuff, I wondered why I bothered with the stress for a long weekend away.  Would be easier to take a few days off and stay at home.  Or sneak off to Cape Cod by myself.  Friday was so hot and humid.  I was a puddle by the time I had everything brought in to the cottage and the guinea pig cage set up on the porch.  Whew.

Then my friends started to arrive, full of smiles and laughter.  This.  This is why I organize Chick Weekends and stuff this cottage full of babbling women.  I had a blast.  I'm pretty sure they did, too.

Most of the gals arrived on Friday afternoon.  We walked the beach.  Made dinner.  Had chocolate cashew coconut tart for dessert.  This weekend is all about conversation, food and relaxing.  My morning stress was forgotten.

Saturday was a laid back day.  The fifth member of our group arrived at lunchtime and we moseyed out to the craft fair, the windmill green and a drive-by of the ocean.  We arrived at the sand sculpture contest well after the judging, and caught the entries as they sank under the incoming tide.  My favorites were the Winds of Spare Change and fanciful representation of a recent kayak/shark incident, complete with the quote "We're gonna need a bigger boat."

There was one sculpture that puzzled all of us, of a hand with seaweed nails, a compass ring and hole dug near the finger and thumb that made me think of a mirror.  I wish we'd been there early enough to question the artist.

Sunday morning was a whirlwind of activity.  The last of the chicks arrived and we immediately packed into cars to head north.  Oh!  Our favorite part of the weekend!  Espresso.  Croissant.  Breads and pastries.  Yum!  Then up to the spice shop with our lists for tea, spice, cocoa and dried fruits.  We returned to the cottage loaded down with loot and promptly dug into our stash.

The rest of the day was much more leisurely: hanging out in the back yard and more walks on the beach.  We were down to four chicks by late Sunday afternoon.  Those of us remaining watched a beautiful sunset and spent the evening drinking wine, eating tart, playing Yahtzee Free for All.  And laughing.  Oh, yeah, there was lots and lots of laughter (to the point of tears).

Before I knew it, it was Monday.  Everyone went home and I was all by myself.  Well, me and what was left of the tart.  It didn't survive very long.  A nice, quiet end to a great weekend.