Half-Stitched (The Musical)

During our brief stay in Shipshewana, Indiana, this past week, the lovely Robin and I were treated to a performance of Half-Stitched (The Musical, at the Blue Gate Theater in bustling downtown Shipshewana (no, seriously--it was bustling, due not only to the theater but also the nearby flea market and auction). The play was written by Martha Bolton, based on a book by Wanda Brunstetter.

It was delightfully acted and sung by the cast of seven performers. We laughed and even teared up a few times.

After the performance, we went with our group to the spacious dining area in the same building for a delicious and generous meal served family style. The fried chicken, in particular, made me say, "Thank God for chicken! Didn't have to do it but he did!"

Fireside Cafe, Shipshewana, IN

The lovely Robin and I were hosted this week by our new and good friends Glen and Carole Caddy for a three-day retreat in Shipshewana, Indiana (I spoke twice on Wednesday and twice again on Thursday). On Wednesday, they graciously took us to lunch (or "dinner," as it is called in Amish country) at the Fireside Cafe inside Yoder's Shopping Center on SR 5. It is a combination sandwich shop, barbeque restaurant, and ice cream shop.

Robin and I each had a delicious and fresh (but not over large) cranberry and pecan salad that was quite good. The ambiance was quite nice, and the company outstanding.

Glen's brisket sandwich, though, made me jealous. I can't believe he ate the whole thing without offering me a bite.

Fireside Cafe is located at 300 S. Van Buren Street in Shipshewana, Indiana.

Blue Gate Garden Inn, Shipshewana, IN

The lovely Robin and I had the honor and joy of sharing a three-day retreat this week with a group of Salvation Army officers from northern Indiana and western Michigan at the Blue Gate Garden Inn in Shipshewana, Indiana.

The Blue Gate Garden Inn was a lovely place to stay (although some disappointing changes to our group's arrangements were made at the last minute, forcing some disadvantageous adjustments).

But our room was more than comfortable, the retreat was successful (despite my speaking), and the sprawling hotel (with ice cream shop, pool, fire pit, and other amenities, right next door to the Hostetler Hudson Museum!) makes a fine place to stay.

The Blue Gate Garden Inn is located at 800 S Van Buren Street (State Route 5), the main road coming into Shipshewana. You can't miss it.

The Cats Restaurant and Tavern, Los Gatos, CA

It ain’t easy getting to The Cats Restaurant, south of Los Gatos, California. Especially if you’re coming from Santa Cruz. But the lovely Robin and I made it there last Sunday in the company of our kids, Aaron and Nina, and grandkids, Mia and Miles.

The restaurant doesn’t claim to be named for Los Gatos but for two large concrete cats that stand nearby, guarding the entrance to an area known as Poet’s Canyon since 1922. Writer Col. Charles Erskine Scott Wood and poet Sara Bard Field bought 34 acres in 1919 with the intention of building a “castle in he sky,” a place where they could write without being interrupted by visitors. They had a custom house built, then planted a vineyard and installed giant wine casks at the bottom road as a protest to prohibition. The Cats Restaurant and Tavern itself was originally a stop on the old stage line, a way station for the horse-drawn lumber wagons on their way to San Jose, as well as a rowdy social club for area residents. At the time the road was first paved, around 1920, it was one of the area’s most notorious speakeasies and bordellos. During the 40s and 50s the building housed (at various times) a realty office, gun shop, and sporting goods store. The restaurant and tavern were re-established in 1967; it is one of the last remaining Roadhouses in the United States.

The current owners purchased the building in 2008, after it had been closed for two years. The Cats is decorated with artifacts and décor from old saloons around the west, including original 1800s Wells Fargo stage couch wheels, a solid mohagandy curved railing from the oldest courthouse in San Jose, and a boardwalk made from old water tanks from the 1800s found in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

They boast about their award-winning barbecue, so I had to try the St. Louis-style ribs and a side of “burnt-end baked beans.” They were good, but not the best I’ve ever had (I’d take Montgomery Inn ribs in Cincinnati over those ribs any day). But the creme brûlée I had for dessert was excellent. And of course, the company we ate with was out of this world—a great memory in a unique setting.

The Cats Restaurant and Tavern is located at 17519 Santa Cruz Highway in Los Gatos, California.

The Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, CA

Aaron, Nina, Miles, and Mia took me and the lovely Robin to "The Mystery Spot" near Santa Cruz Sunday afternoon for a cool (fifteen degrees cooler than San Jose's high of the day) and fun time together as a family.

Despite the traffic, we arrived in time to browse the gift shop and for the kids to eat popsicles before starting our tour, which was so much fun.

The Mystery Spot's website claims it is a "gravitational anomaly," which I suppose is fair enough. The tour guides say there is something strange going on, though I'm guessing the majority (or totality) of the phenomenon is an optical illusion.

I almost flew like Superman across the room. The photos we took really don't do justice to the disorienting effects of the place.

Miles and Mia got to participate in one of the demonstrations, in which participants heights seemed to change according to where they stood. They both went home a little taller, I think.

It was a wonderful time together that I enjoyed easily as much as the grandkids, if not more.

The Mystery Spot is located--appropriately enough--at 465 Mystery Spot Road in Santa Cruz, California.

Sweet Rendezvous, San Jose, CA

The lovely Robin and I do more than eat when we travel to California to visit our family...really. Friday evening, we had the joy of sharing a visit to Sweet Rendezvous Ice Cream Shop in San Jose with Aaron, Nina, Miles, and Mia.

The place was packed (it was a Friday evening after all), but the folks who served us were extremely pleasant, attentive, and efficient. I had a sugar cone of "1020," the flavor named for the address of their supplier (I forget the name, but somewhere in the general area).

Sweet Rendezvous offers customers something they call a "teaser;" they will top any order with a little scoop of any other flavor they request. I chose the chocolate chip as my teaser. Miles had burgundy cherry with a 1020 teaser, and Mia had a chocolate cone with burgundy cherry teaser.

Sweet Rendezvous is located at 668 Blossom Hill Road in San Jose.

Bill's Cafe, San Jose, CA

"Bill's Cafe in San Jose" has a nice ring to it, don't you think? It does for me and the lovely Robin, as it was our first stop for brunch after being picked up at the San Jose airport by our California kids, Aaron and Nina.

Man, it was soooo good to see them. Can't even begin to describe how much we miss them and their kids, our two oldest grandkids. We sat on the patio and though it took a while for our food to arrive, we weren't pressed for time and the company was first rate.

I had the "organic steel cut oatmeal" and fruit cup. The oatmeal wasn't quite hot enough when it got to me and cantaloupe could have been riper. But Robin enjoyed her french toast, Aaron his "Parisian French toast," and Nina her omelette and hash browns.

Bill's Cafe has five locations in San Jose and one in Pleasanton (wherever that is). It was a good experience I wouldn't hesitate to repeat.