Shopping and Swimming

Lynn tells us that it's customary to bring your friends and family at home small gifts of food snacks from your travels, wrapped candies, for example.  We decided that the best selection of such things is at the Mast General Store in Greenville. It's kind of a cross between the Vermont Country Store and LL Bean. Eric and Lynn went over there this afternoon. For any of you who've been there, you know that it's a kid's paradise. What Lynn decided to do was to buy one of several types of candies to bring home and taste. If she thinks they'll fill the bill, then she and Eric will go back and buy a bunch of them.  One item that Eric and I strongly urged her to try is Maple Sugar candy. It's a North American (gotta include Canada) specialty that most kids who grow up in the north are treated to from time to time. I gave her a taste of pure Maple Syrup tonight to prepare her for the taste of the candy, and she liked it.

After they returned from Greenville, Eric took Lynn for her first swimming lesson.  Her teacher, Barbara Piekutowski, is the mother of one of Eric's childhood and high school friends. She teaches in her own pool, so it's quiet and private.  Barbara's a good teacher. Apparently, by the end of Lesson One, Lynn was swimming on her own!  She'll practice with Eric here at the Keowee Key shallow indoor pool a few times, and then will take a few more lessons from Barbara. It was so nice to hear Lynn say, "I'm not afraid of the water anymore!"  Is there anything this young woman can't do? I don't think so!

They got home about 8:00, tired and hungry.  Eric wolfed down a huge bowl of Gazpacho (one of his favorites from his time studying in Spain), and Lynn couldn't really conceive of a cold soup, so she heated hers in the microwave. Presto: hot vegetable soup.  Why not?

We're all winding down now.  Tomorrow: a little swimming, maybe a nice walk along the edge of the lake, and dinner (Dad's treat) at a very nice restaurant in the conference center run by Clemson University. On Friday, Eric's 33rd birthday, we'll head up to Highlands, NC (4200' above sea level) just one hour north of here. Highlands is a quaint little scenic town, but the ride up there is half the fun (great views down the mountains).  Dinner will be at a famous Italian place we haven't been to in years.

That's all for this day.  We're still just having a ball together. So happy, so lucky.