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Treasures in the 'hood ~ Orphan Annies
February 7, 2010
One of my strategies for enjoying the rest of winter and getting more weekly exercise is to go for a walk with the kids 2 days a week. This is working with mixed success. We are getting more exercise and I am definitely feeling better. But the kids don't particularly enjoy these outings. Walking on sidewalks is not really their thing. Hiking for hours in the mountains is more their style. I don't blame them. I like that better also. So to motivate ourselves to get out the door we are walking places we need or want to go (I am driving less errands). One of the huge benefits of living in a urban neighborhood.
Recently I had to take Celine to an orthodontist consultation (trust me you don't want to know the estimate of services) which we couldn't walk to. But instead we took a walk from the orthodontist to the library and around the downtown neighborhood of our twin city across the river. Our last and unexpected stop, "can we go in mom, please??", on this walk was Orphan Annies, a well known local antique store.
We ventured in and after reminding the kids to walk carefully and not to touch we lost ourself in glass for the next 1/2 hour.
My art appreciative kids ohhed and ahhed over, well, everything. I was constantly coming to see all the treasures they found.
We hadn't intended to buy anything and certainly most items in that store are priced way out of our reach. But shortly before we left the kiddos found the marble jar, 5 for $1.00. So they each bought a few marbles, one of their favorite toys.
That day's walk had been very pleasant. If only all of our urban walks could be so mutually enjoyable.
*You might notice on some of my recent posts and in future ones that I am experimenting with a processed photo look, like the last photo in this set. No worries, I still like most of my photos to look true to life but I am having fun with the cross processing preset in the new version of Bibble 5, the photo software I use.
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Rana on Feb. 8, 2010, 1:37 a.m.
I love going into shops like this. Looking at antiques and all the pretty things. I'm with Annie I can't take my twins into shops like this for a while yet.
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Hillary on Feb. 8, 2010, 2:58 a.m.
I swear I feel like we're riding a parallel wave right now. I've been having to make the conscious effort to walk outside to get exercise. Luckily we live in an urban area (that is surrounded by state parks and abundant nature) so we can walk most places. My favorite little coffee shop is quite close to our home and I find if I can walk there to work for a few hours I feel much better about my day in general.
Getting the kids bundled up in this weather is another story and usually we just make it out to the sidewalk to play around for a short while. Mine are much younger than yours, though, so the sidewalk is still pretty exciting :)
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nicola@which name? on Feb. 8, 2010, 4:18 a.m.
wonderful! oh, i love antique shops. and the marbles made me smile. my parents are clearing out their garage and brought to me my dad's marble and rock collections. i will have to post about each. amazing! and the processed photos? i have been testing it out, too, using picnik. downright entertaining! and it makes me feel better about my photos because now processing them, i can see how many people do, to get the looks they get. i still like 'em nice straight out of the camera. nicola http://whichname.blogspot.com
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Francesca on Feb. 8, 2010, 5:37 a.m.
I never owned a car when I lived in cities, I took public transport and walked a lot. Urban walking is still one of my favorite kind of walking - each block so different, each window shop so interesting, and even the short stops at traffic lights can be so welcome etc - and that's the main reason why I'll never get used to the claustrophobic and anonymous malls, and their universal smell of fast food. Now I live in an isolated rural environment, and need to take the car to go anywhere, and drive for at least 15 kms before I get to civilization (and groceries, gasoline, post office etc). It's kind of ironic.
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exhale. return to center. on Feb. 8, 2010, 1:07 p.m.
what fun renee!
we love where we live "out in the woods" but i do often wish we had some interesting destinations (other than lovely views of farm animals) within walking distance!!
happy monday to you...
~erin
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Kika on Feb. 8, 2010, 3:59 p.m.
We often have mixed feelings about living in our current small town vs. the city. I love the shops and fun you can have exploring in an urban centre... but don't like the constant noise, crowds, temptation (for me) to spend $. When we first moved to our town we'd walk downtown for errands; everything was centrally located. Unfortunately, with the advent of big-box stores (or their arrival in small towns across the country), everything is now way spread out and not conducive to walking at all. Yuck. We do have some beautiful walking trails in town, though, but we usually use these more in the warmer weather - when we're not knee-deep in white stuff. On another note, I quite like the look of these photos.
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Alisha on Feb. 8, 2010, 6:47 p.m.
We live 20 miles from the nearest town, 2 miles from the highway, and only have one vehicle that runs, so walking anywhere is kind of impossible. Lol... plus, with the cattle up around the house and the road to the road, (they chase anything they think is strange and will trample every thing that they think is a threat to their babies)and a lack of trees being close, then I really don't want to walk places.
I really love the pictures of the antique store. Very awesome. Do people look at you strangely when you take pictures of their stores?
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renee on Feb. 9, 2010, 1:15 a.m.
I am very discreet when I take photos and don't usually have it out when store proprietors etc. are around. I'm very concerned that people feel they can trust me with my camera. That I'm not in their face or their space.
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old recipe for a new world on Feb. 8, 2010, 6:48 p.m.
I've been trying to walk more to do errands that are within a two mile radius, and it can be tricky when my two year old decides she wants to walk, too. That's when I change plans and realize that maybe we don't have anything that actually needs doing, aside from being out on our walk. Nice when we can find things to discover in our urban habitats that bring (almost) as much pleasure as in the woods... Kyce
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Annie on Feb. 8, 2010, 12:55 a.m.
Oh Renee I am so envying how you can walk to things. I miss that and long to have it back in the near future. I am also envying how you can walk around an antique store with your kiddos. I dare not come close to one with mine for at least a few more years. And oh marbles, what a find!
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