summer storm turned weekend get away

Friday night a massive storm hit our area and took out the power until last night (it's still out for some). Driving around our neighborhood on Saturday morning (sweating and exhausted with two grouchy little ones), we quickly got an idea of just how serious this had been and how long we'd be looking at going without power. Then when we started thinking about how crazy the city was going be, we decided to head for the Pennsylvania hills.

We just drove north until the prettiness beckoned us to stop. The first sight that lulled us from our  drive was an organic farm stand, right on the farm property (images one - four). We found baked and jared goods by the load, fresh organic corn and flowers. We stayed a while at the picnic table to eat and watch the rain roll in.  We were happily treated to fresh, warm blueberry muffins and delightful conversation. We finally landed in Brandywine Valley, took the girls for a swim and then headed to a restaurant I've been itching to try since reading about it here last winter.

Terrain is a nursery, cafe and gift shop (images five - twenty one) (holy moly, lots of images). I've never seen a nursery so beautifully put together: entire shed walls covered in flower beds, hanging terrariums and wood-mounted wall ferns, canvas tents draped in lights, and the most unexpected plant combinations in giant outdoor vessels.  If you've ever doubted that gardening is an art form, just park it at Terrain's nursery. The gift shop was beautifully curated (I didn't see one book I don't want), and the dining experience was pretty much perfect.  Who doesn't want to eat a beautiful meal in a cool green house at dusk? Every detail was simple, organic and breath taking.  We were so taken with it all that we came back for lunch on Sunday before heading home (to our stinky fridge, sticky air and warm to the touch floors).

The contrast of our lovely get away and our sweaty homecoming was pretty pronounced, but the experience of our weekend in Pennsylvania really managed to decorate our home and minds as we adjusted to a lack of electricity for just a day and a half.  We enjoyed a diet of fruit and water, walks in shady parks, showering in our clothes (so fun for the kids) and sheets sprayed with rose water. June took a four and a half hour nap and Nona was happy to watch the crews from multiple states work on the power lines from the porch and read books with her daddy (his office was closed like so many others). Which meant I got to enjoy a quiet reading of the latest Kinfolk on our damp, rosy mattress.

Amidst all those who really suffered after this storm, I'm pretty grateful that we had it so good. This said, when the power finally returned I leapt up and outside with a wet dress and a dripping washcloth on my head to thank the crew.  It's times like these when I sure wish we had some fruit trees or readymade jars of preserves to give as gifts -- I'd have showered that crew with everything we had. It's DC, so certainly people were hot and angry, but we got to see a fair amount of camaraderie, too.

All in all, I think this affair will go down as a nice memory in our book.  Now Chris and I are busy  guessing what the local media will choose to name the mini-disaster. With this being a name blog and all, here are our best (where best = most likely) guesses:

Burn This Mother Out 2012

Stormageddon 2012

Electrifamine Summer '12

Derech-oh no you didn't 2012

Any guesses of your own? 

Stay tuned for a fantastic interview coming up next! 

images: all taken on my phone. © Kristen Gregg