Labor Day Weekend: Country Time

I journeyed out to the Catskills this weekend. Never heard of it? To sum up, it's the area in upstate New York where hills roll, cell phone service takes a nosedive and Baby spent the summer carrying watermelons and breaking daddy's heart by dancing provocatively with Johnny Castle. 

We stayed in Palenville, a town so small the houses got official addresses only a few years ago.

It's the kind of place where farmers sell fruit and vegetables a few feet away from where they're grown.

And charge you a third of what city folks would. 

We stayed here, at our friend Bridget's country house. One of the greatest perks of partnering up with my boyfriend are the incredible friends he has brought into my life. Our group consists of his best friends from high school and their wives, husbands, boyfriends and girlfriends. Everyone is smart and hilarious and we love each other like family. We're lucky enough to retreat to this great house several times a year, and every time we stay here it reminds me of an 8th grade slumber party, only better, because we don't have to sneak out to score beer or see cute boys playing guitar.

Recognizing the irony in a bunch of 30-something yuppies singing the blues in a country house, Mitch's riff included a line about how difficult it's been choosing countertop materials for his new kitchen. 

This is my boyfriend Vin I've been telling you so much about. 

He's so adorable he can sing about whatever he wants.

Saturday morning, I got up early and took a quiet walk by myself. No Ipod, no cell phone, no distractions. It's amazing what you can hear when you allow yourself to really listen. This little squirrel looks like it's had its fair share of alone time.

So does this Chevy.

I stumbled on a great yard sale. Actually, I stumbled on about 15 yard sales. Seriously, if people aren't shopping at a yard sale in this town, they're having one. 

Ol' Smokey. Man, I haven't seen him in a while!

On Saturday afternoon, a group of us toured an animal sanctuary on a 100-acre farm. 

They housed the largest pigs known to man. 

It was a special place, and I'll be posting some gratuitously adorable animal pictures tomorrow.

Saturday nights in Palenville are "family dinner" nights. We plan a special meal and gather around a big table, like Jersey Shore without the fake tans and Ed Hardy t-shirts. Last Labor Day weekend we did a clam bake and lobster boil. This year we made three different kinds of grilled pizzas, a big salad, and tons of grilled vegetables. I'm the gal in the red shirt; it's best you not see me from the front while I'm eating. Trust.

Pizza Party!

*Tomato-basil-mozzarella

*Fig-blue cheese-arugula

*Pineapple-ham-red onion

Activities for the weekend included golf, poker, football and karaoke. True to my gender role, I also begged Bridget to take me into Saugerties to go antiquing on Sunday. 

Rachel picked up this hot little number for nights at da club.

A parade of carousel horses lined the streets of Saugerties. They were so whimsical and cute.

If everyone smiled as much as I did this weekend, the world would be a very peaceful place. 

How did you spend your Labor Day weekend?