Happy Fourth!

Yesterday I spent a restful Fourth of July with one of my favorite people: my mom. The difference between a regular 2-day weekend and a special 3-day weekend is amazing! It is quite liberating!

I went over to my mom's house and hung out with her for a while, played with the cats, etc. Then we decided to go to lunch. On our way out of the neighborhood, we found a little turtle trying to cross the road. Worried that it would get hit by a car, we turned around and I went on turtle patrol. Turtle patrol consists of picking up said turtle and carrying him/her across the street to a shaded, grassy area. I did have a small moment of panic when I wondered if the turtle would snap at me. He didn't, so we are now best friends.

After saving the wildlife, Mom and I went to lunch at K&S Cafeteria. Little factoid about me: I enjoy cafeterias. Go figure. After chatting and chowing, we rode over to Apex and did a little shopping. I love going to Apex - it's so quaint! Here's a shot of the downtown area.

While in Apex, we stumbled upon a gorgeous yard of daylilies. They were breathtaking (and best of all, no lawn to mow!)

Then we went to Barnes and Noble and bought out the store. Just kidding. They were having a huge sale, so I got 6 books for $15! Here's what I purchased:

• Assassinating Shakespeare: Confessions of a Bard in the Bush
• Art Game Book
• A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature
• In the Cage
• The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
• The Most Common Errors in English Usage and How to Avoid Them
• The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate

Well, I really have joint-ownership of that last book. My mom bought it, but we're each going to read it and then go to the author's reading later this month. Very exciting! I've only read about 50 pages or so, but I appreciate the author's commitment to primary sources, so I'm looking forward to learning more about his research process.

Finally, the night was capped off with a substantial thunderstorm. Very big, very loud, and it lasted for a while. I had toyed with the idea dragging mom to a park to listen to the symphony and watch fireworks, so I'm counting it as a blessing that we didn't end up going and getting wet :)