Thursday, January 05, 2006
MAY CONTINUES....2001
The next day we decided to walk around the town and take in more of the flavor and so we visited shops, took pictures of the beautiful plantings around many of the homes and enjoyed some of the local restaurants. We planned to leave Eureka Springs the next day and go to Branson so we tried to soak up as much of the atmosphere as we could this last day.
When we tired of walking, we drove to the outer limits and found many places we would like to come back to. The three days we spent in Eureka were memorable. It seemed for once time stood still and we were lost in a place called happiness. It was beyond anything I had ever experienced before. That evening we enjoyed a steak dinner and wine, vowing we would return every year on our anniversary.
The next morning we took our time and drove through the hills which afforded vistas of natural scenery in every direction. The roads were winding and steep and we ended up at Branson around noon and had some lunch, then got tickets to go see Yakov, mid-afternoon. We were both impressed with his show and took turns laughing and crying throughout his performance. He was so proud to be an American and told why in his many stories, all of which were beyond comprehension when you have lived in a free country all your life. I dare say everyone left the theatre with a renewed patriotism and thankfulness for our heritage.
After dinner we tried to see Bobby Vinton’s show but he wasn’t there anymore. The Irish Dancers were at his theatre while he took some time off so we drove around a while and decided to go back to the hotel and see an early show the next day. We had been invited by the management to return after the evening show to have an ice-cream social time in the lobby. Becky loves this story so I can’t leave it out. She has laughed about it so much at our expense that I’m thinking everyone in our end of the State has heard the story.
My love for ice-cream is legendary in the family. Growing up in the 30’s ice-cream was the greatest treat you could have. For a few wonderful moments you could spoon the frozen ambrosia into your mouth and feel it melting as it slid down your throat. It was the manna that this little girl craved. All too soon the bowl would be empty and you would have to wait until the next extravagant moment when dad would buy it again. We just had an ice-box which didn’t keep ice-cream at all. Dad would send my brother to the ice-cream parlor to buy it and he had to ride his bike fast to get home before it melted. Mom would put bowls on the table and dad would dish the ice-cream……..we had a can of Hershey’s Syrup that dad always called “goop”………I didn’t know any better for most of my childhood. “Goop” it was as long as dad lived.
This one night, I called Becky to see if everything was all right at home and I told her about the ice-cream social at the hotel after the shows were out….around 10:00. I of course, told her we were looking forward to it and had made sure we got back in time for it. Now I was a soda jerk in the local drug store my Junior and Senior years of high-school and I was privy to how ice-cream was dished up. I could imagine all sorts of delicacies to go on top…….offerings of delightful taste….my mind conjured up all sorts of fantasies.
Becky was not so impressed. “I don’t know,” she said…….“it probably won’t be much more than an individual cup of ice-cream…I can’t believe they’ll come up with anything like you’re talking about….I hope you aren’t disappointed.” I assured her she was wrong and we hurriedly made our way to the lobby. That was when the air went out of my fantasy. A few people were lined up at a folding table as a couple of teen-agers dished up some Blue Bunny in a Styrofoam cup…….and there by the gallon of ice-cream was………yep…..the can of “goop.”
People disappeared to their rooms as fast as they got their cup of ice-cream……it wasn’t complimentary…..there was a ridiculous charge for what we got….so we took our little cups and disappeared to our room. I would never have told Becky about it but, of course, she quizzed me at our next phone call. With my description of what happened, she went into gales of disrespectful laughter and never hesitates to remind me of the event.
Well, I only have this to say……when you have just married the man of your dreams it doesn’t hurt too much when the ice-cream thing doesn’t work out so good. Of course, I’ve given Becky fodder to tease me about it occasionally but I don’t mind…..it was pretty funny when I stop to think about it. I’ve always been so gullible….but I guess that’s OK too……I always think the best will happen, and it usually does…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
When we tired of walking, we drove to the outer limits and found many places we would like to come back to. The three days we spent in Eureka were memorable. It seemed for once time stood still and we were lost in a place called happiness. It was beyond anything I had ever experienced before. That evening we enjoyed a steak dinner and wine, vowing we would return every year on our anniversary.
The next morning we took our time and drove through the hills which afforded vistas of natural scenery in every direction. The roads were winding and steep and we ended up at Branson around noon and had some lunch, then got tickets to go see Yakov, mid-afternoon. We were both impressed with his show and took turns laughing and crying throughout his performance. He was so proud to be an American and told why in his many stories, all of which were beyond comprehension when you have lived in a free country all your life. I dare say everyone left the theatre with a renewed patriotism and thankfulness for our heritage.
After dinner we tried to see Bobby Vinton’s show but he wasn’t there anymore. The Irish Dancers were at his theatre while he took some time off so we drove around a while and decided to go back to the hotel and see an early show the next day. We had been invited by the management to return after the evening show to have an ice-cream social time in the lobby. Becky loves this story so I can’t leave it out. She has laughed about it so much at our expense that I’m thinking everyone in our end of the State has heard the story.
My love for ice-cream is legendary in the family. Growing up in the 30’s ice-cream was the greatest treat you could have. For a few wonderful moments you could spoon the frozen ambrosia into your mouth and feel it melting as it slid down your throat. It was the manna that this little girl craved. All too soon the bowl would be empty and you would have to wait until the next extravagant moment when dad would buy it again. We just had an ice-box which didn’t keep ice-cream at all. Dad would send my brother to the ice-cream parlor to buy it and he had to ride his bike fast to get home before it melted. Mom would put bowls on the table and dad would dish the ice-cream……..we had a can of Hershey’s Syrup that dad always called “goop”………I didn’t know any better for most of my childhood. “Goop” it was as long as dad lived.
This one night, I called Becky to see if everything was all right at home and I told her about the ice-cream social at the hotel after the shows were out….around 10:00. I of course, told her we were looking forward to it and had made sure we got back in time for it. Now I was a soda jerk in the local drug store my Junior and Senior years of high-school and I was privy to how ice-cream was dished up. I could imagine all sorts of delicacies to go on top…….offerings of delightful taste….my mind conjured up all sorts of fantasies.
Becky was not so impressed. “I don’t know,” she said…….“it probably won’t be much more than an individual cup of ice-cream…I can’t believe they’ll come up with anything like you’re talking about….I hope you aren’t disappointed.” I assured her she was wrong and we hurriedly made our way to the lobby. That was when the air went out of my fantasy. A few people were lined up at a folding table as a couple of teen-agers dished up some Blue Bunny in a Styrofoam cup…….and there by the gallon of ice-cream was………yep…..the can of “goop.”
People disappeared to their rooms as fast as they got their cup of ice-cream……it wasn’t complimentary…..there was a ridiculous charge for what we got….so we took our little cups and disappeared to our room. I would never have told Becky about it but, of course, she quizzed me at our next phone call. With my description of what happened, she went into gales of disrespectful laughter and never hesitates to remind me of the event.
Well, I only have this to say……when you have just married the man of your dreams it doesn’t hurt too much when the ice-cream thing doesn’t work out so good. Of course, I’ve given Becky fodder to tease me about it occasionally but I don’t mind…..it was pretty funny when I stop to think about it. I’ve always been so gullible….but I guess that’s OK too……I always think the best will happen, and it usually does…….
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
