it's good to be home...

but we had an awesome trip! We left NH on Tuesday and drove to New Haven, CT to celebrate Danielle's birthday. We had a great meal at Tre Scalini in the Italian district that night and the next day lunch at Plan B Burger Bar (best burgers ever!). On our way to Plan B, which is in Orange Ct, Jeff saw a sign that said "PEZ visitors center". I had no idea that PEZ was made in CT and after lunch I convinced everyone that we should go!

Can you tell I had to coerce Jeff and Danielle to get in the picture? My sister-in-law calls this the "PEZ Standoff".
The visitors center is definitely a nostalgic trip back to childhood. While we were there John Ratzenberger, Cliff on Cheers, and the voice of Hamm in Toy Story, came in looking for a Hamm PEZ dispenser. They didn't have one in the shop but they did find one for him out back!
All of us came home with new dispensers, this is what Jeff and I chose...

I don't think Danielle ever thought she would spend her birthday at the PEZ factory! After PEZ we went back to New Haven and took a walk on the beach at Lighthouse Park.

There is a beautiful old carousel there. It is inside a building with a very pretty function hall with big windows that can open up and overlook the ocean... I can imagine that it would be a beautiful setting for wedding should Danielle and Jason ever decide to tie the knot!


Danielle ponders her birthday wish...

Jason and I should have talked... she ended up with TWO birthday cakes!

On one hand I was sad to leave on Thursday and on the other anxious to get home. Before leaving CT we stopped to visit potter Hayne Bayless who lives about 20 minutes from New Haven. Jeff and Hayne  know each other from their time at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts in Maine. Of course we had to come home with some new cups...

I am anxious to get back to work, the start of a new work cycle after a long break is always exciting.