Chrysa’s Parents First Visit

So my parents have been to visit us twice now; once at Christmas and once a few weeks before that on December 13^th. We were lucky in that the snow had shown up a day or two before so they didn’t have to worry about driving in bad weather and my dad picked a really great route for them to come up. My mother raved about how beautiful the drive was and how the snow covered trees and mountains were just fabulous to look at while they drove.

Jesse and I even planned things to do during their time here. They arrived about lunchtime on Saturday so we decided to hit up the Autumn Café in downtown Oneonta. My mother loved walking around the cute town and looking in the store front windows. She even remarked that it reminded her of when she was growing up in Brooklyn and she would walk streets filled with stores and restaurants. There are some vacant shops but the area is working hard to bring more business and people to downtown Oneonta. We walked the streets a wee bit and then went in to the café for lunch. Jesse and I had been there the previous day and the woman behind the bar recognized us. She did at least reassure my parents that we are not there ALL the time, just twice in two days. The lunch was really good and we left full and happy for our drive to Cooperstown about 30 minutes away.

The other activity Jesse and I had planned was going to the Farmer’s Museum for their Candlelight evening. Evidently this is something they do every year, one night only and lots of people said it is a really nice time. We got there a bit early and were able to walk around the Fenimore Museum for a little while. They have some impressive Native American art and artifacts there and also some other rotating exhibits. We made sure to leave while it was still light so we could see what the Farmer’s Museum looked like in the day. It is very similar to a place I knew growing up on my side of NY that is called Museum Village. They have blacksmiths, doctors, lawyers, schoolhouses, churches, taverns, barns, and a pharmacy all set in the olden days to show you what it was like to live back then. Since there is no electricity they have hundreds of candles everywhere. They are in each window of each building and lining all the walkways. It was absolutely picturesque. There were also fires with kettles over them were you could get some wassail. It is a spiced apple cider that they used to use during harvest time to bless the trees and ensure a good harvest for the following year. It was good and hot so it warmed us up while we walked through the snow covered paths. We went into the buildings and saw how they lived back in the 19^th century. What is also really cool about this place is that a lot of these old buildings came from various parts around the state and they were relocated and restored at the Farmer’s Museum.

We went into the pharmacy and there were live leaches in a bowl on the counter and they showed us how they used to make gel caps back in the late 1800s. It was all very cool. They even had a barn and hen house you could check out. It was a very big place. We were there into the night and saw it all. It was getting colder and more rainy so we headed out after seeing the whole place and went to Brooks BBQ for dinner.

Brooks is a place Jesse and I had been to before and it is really good. Their ribs are amazing but they are known for their chicken. We ate a bunch and my parents seemed to really enjoy the day we had planned for them.

On Sunday Jesse made them a nice breakfast with eggs, bacon and toast. We relaxed for a bit and they packed up before we went to the Depot for lunch. Jesse and I were there to watch the Bills game but my parents were going to leave after having something to eat. We ordered the garbage wings since that is what the Depot is known for and they are awesome. It is all their sauces poured together. The wings are quite good. My dad enjoyed them. They headed home after they ate and Jesse and I stayed and watched football. It was a great visit and ended with a great meal. I am so happy that they could be with us and that they live close enough to visit for an overnight. This Oneonta assignment is pretty great so far.

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