MONDAY MUSINGS: A SHOT IN THE ARM

 COVID took away the spontaneity of get-togethers  So if this past couple of weeks is a reflection of makeup time, I am in full swing. 

The Happy Bookers, my Wisconsin Book Club, descended upon Arkansas for 6 days.  Starting in Little Rock with one huge bunking party filled with laughs, our first night included dinner at the Flying Fish and strawberry shortcake for dessert at Trio's.

Then we took our tourism to northwestern Arkansas: a snack stop en route for southern fried grizzies and livers before ending up at our spacious suburban AirBnB in Rogers. 

For dinner we were sated by The Railyard's pizza & salad back on their enclosed patio. Thumbs up on all our eateries.

 and a stop for dessert at Trash's  yummy ice cream.  

Their accent wall is a big accent for sure... 

Saturday held the Bentonville's Farmer's Market and some purchases followed by lunch and 

enjoying art at Crystal Bridges Museum, Alice Walton's gift to the people of Arkansas. It's under major construction as another wing is being built...

Last year's silent auction win came to fruition as we enjoyed a book discussion with a wine and appetizer soiree in author Talya Tate Boerner's Fayetteville home.  We heard about how Bernice Runs Away came to be... WE concurred to make the most of our 7th decade.

Sunday morning we headed to architect Fay Jones' Mildred Cooper Chapel in Bella Vista and what a bella vista it was-

We returned to Rogers for a wonderful family-style brunch at Mirabella's Table.

Satisfechas we drove back to the Little Rock with a garden center stop, of course. 

Dinner was home smorgesborg buffet or was it the Bleu Monkey that night?

It was more serious than Monkey business on Monday with the world issue sculpture globes and The Clinton Library ...

We needed sustenance so lunch was at Camp Taco. I love the checks being returned in paper books. 

We certainly challenged our servers no matter where we went...

Off to the famous Old Mill...reknnown for being in the first scene of Gone with the Wind, offered a little reprieve before an airport trip for one of us. 

Check out those windows.

Dinner followed and a rambunctious game of Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza. These women take their game-playing seriously. We laughed so much. 

Tuesday am took us to the newly remodeled Delicious Temptations for Breakfast before our last stop together at Central High National Historic Site before our airport trek.  

The last guest left in the group  Oregon bound got more shopping at the remodeled Arkansas Fine Arts Museum, lunch at Roots (farm to table) and SOMA (South of Main)

Everybody helped our visit go off without a hitch self delegating as coffee makers, picker uppers, extra drivers, organizational mavens, direction givers, being pretty punctual and happy campers. 

The consensus was that it was definitely just what we needed. The right kind of shot in the arm... medicine for the soul!