Captured by the Snowfall

I am looking out at a serene backyard, dappled with sun. Yet in my part of the woods, the winds rage, the rain pours down on top of the big snowfall. Happily plugged in, I manage to ‘kill time’ a bit here in NJ while rides home are sorted out and routes don’t include traveling over snow. Plans to board a ‘Hound to get home were scrubbed, which left me a chance to visit a shopping mall. Weather has wreaked havoc over my schedule, so I pass time here in NJ instead of at home.

This mall is Princeton’s oldest, and dates back to when I was very young. There is still a sentimental attachment to this little mall, with outdoor walkways, and no big chain tenants. It was once the home of the Acme Supermarket, now it’s a high-end grocer. I noticed that the stores I like the best, both here and in a traditional mall, only pop up at this time of the year. They are coming through and hoping to cash in during December, and by January, they’ll be gone. Sort of itinerant retailers…too timid to jump in all the way, so they only open in December.

It was rows and rows of dog breed calendars that commanded a lot of my attention that day. Portuguese water dogs, isn’t the the Presidential breed now? I did some shopping and am relaxing now in that famous home that I grew up in.

Princeton Shopping Center is where Jon and my sister first opened a cafe, theirs was right here, on the corner, and out front was a bookstore. Now in its place was a great kitchen store called Ace Housewares. I thought they were only for hardware, but this place was stocked!

I think that was when I got the cafe bug, to open my own place like my sister had done, (twice) and now my cousin Chelsea is working at a cafe. Her’s features a forklift right in the cafe area and super fancy, stainless steel espresso machines. Plus a shiny grinder that made me very envious. Visiting other cafes always gives me equipment envy.