A question

Which would you rather do - spend $100 on out of this world chocolates, wine and cheese, which will be gone in a matter of weeks or get a really great pair of shoes that will last you for years to come.

Well if our vacation proves anything, it's wine, cheese and chocolate all the way.

Jack and I got home from a few days up north which led us to a trip into Newburyport, where we were introduced to fabulous cheese shop and spent some cash in a bakery on nut squares, key lime pie and oatmeal/peanut butter cookies. Later in the week we traveled to Portsmouth, NH where we were told our trip would not be complete without a chance at Byrne and Carlson chocolates. Of course, some time at Jewel Towne vineyards was well spent, as we found some delicious wines that seemed just right for the cooler weather that was approaching.

Once home, our annual apple picking day with Christine and boys commenced at Sun High Orchard. Little Jack was a riot this year, with boundless enthusiasm and loving spending time with "Big Jack". And Carter enjoyed his first outing to an apple orchard, even at 6 months. We were spending the night at Chris & Joe's and decided to celebrate fall with some sweet potato ravioli, but the supermarket was out of wonton wrappers, so we improvised and made sweet potato stuffed shells. When little jack climbed up to the table, asked what it was, licked a shell and said "that's delicious", I knew our plan b had succeeded.

And the week off of work was completed with a few hours at Slow Food's bi-annual event, Urban Harvest, where we found some great local foods, including more cheese, some coffee, tea, foccacia and pizza rustica, and maitake mushrooms.

The only bad part of it all - I woke up with a sore throat and beginnings of a cold. I blame little jack, he must have been incubating some plague, as he's now in school. So all the yummy foods we've got will have to wait till my taste buds feel a bit better.