While eating our breakfast this morning, Dad surprised us with his plans of what he thought our family should do today. He exclaimed to us, "Let's all pack into Mom's car and drive on the [Blue Ridge] Parkway until we get to Buchanan. Then, we can stroll along Main Street, visit antique shops, and have lunch at the Soda Fountain."
So instead of mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, or scrubbing the front porches, we went on a family outing. Even Paul Burton joined us, which was a rare treat. We enjoyed Buchanan until 4:00pm, then came home and had naps before accomplishing a few things on our to-do list. Today was another one of those bonus days that I dreamed about while in the hospital. The drive on the Parkway was breathtakingly beautiful. The weather was perfect. The antique stores were a feast for the senses. And the Soda Fountain lunch was delicious. Thank you to Dad for creating some fabulously wonderful memories with our family!
The quaint town of Buchanan, Virginia:
I thought this was a pretty bright but charming roof:
Qavah and I tried out one of the chairs in the Family Furniture Store:
Dad and Qavah sitting on a couch we contemplated purchasing:
Paul Burton's new table and chair set for his apartment re-do: 
I absolutely loved the look of this home! Also, any place that has a sign like this one above the front door gets my immediate attention:
