I finished my MTI hat and wore it yesterday as we visited La Conner on Red Hat Day.

First we stopped at Calico Cupboard for lunch.  It was lovely, as always.  But this restaurant has a special place in my heart that I thought I would mention.  I usually do not discuss work stuff on this blog, but this involves work stuff.  A long time ago Calico Cupboard in Mount Vernon saved me.  I had a long term patient die and the next day found signs of sexual abuse in a foster child.  I couldn’t go on anymore.  I reported the abuse, left the clinic and headed to Calico Cupboard.  At the time there was a bookstore attached.  I bought a knitting book, sat at the table in the restaurant, ate their comfort food and regenerated myself.  So forevermore I am indebted to Calico Cupboard.

Next we headed to the Skagit County Historical Museum.  The view from the parking lot seemed like a microcosm of the town.

I was able to see for the first time Tom Robbins’ desk.  He was a hero of mine.  As a teenager  I read Still Life With Woodpecker, and it changed me.  I felt proud to be a redhead.  I read all of his books then and loved them all, although Woodpecker is still my favorite.  So it was amazing to see where all the magic happened.

But the urgent reason we went to the museum on Thursday was to see the Cigarette Diaries exhibit.  It is an exhibit of a WWII POW who wrote his diary on the back of cigarette wrapper.  His daughter found out about these diaries in 1994 when he was being honored for his war time efforts on the behalf of Poland.  Here are the diaries.

And here is the exhibit describing his experiences.  I teared up several times but was also amused.  It was an amazing exhibit.  Unfortunately it ends March 1 which is why it was imperative that we went yesterday.  So glad we were able to make it.  Tom loved the exhibit as well.  We did purchase the book as well which I look forward to reading.