The kids and I took a day trip to Oaks Bluff, MA, the other day. We started the day with a cab ride to a tiny outdoor church. The community church. It was a fun experience. Certainly different from our church at home. I think I counted about 30 people there. It made it kind of special, though. They asked for prayer requests and we all prayed for each other.
Next the pastor called the children to the front. My daughter Pemberley was playing peek-a-boo with the pastor while he was trying desperately to make a meaningful point about someone in the Bible. I remember none of it because I was too busy cringing as the whole congregation was turning to look at me and smiling. I got the feeling this was one of the more exciting things that had happened there in a while. Pemberley wasn’t the only one having fun at the pastor’s expense. Hayden found his cane and was playing with it and the pastor had to take it away. Pretty sure that was the longest five minutes of the guy’s career. Next the pastor’s wife took the kids away for Sunday school. All six of them. Pemberley came back saying the lady said I don’t need to go. 😬
You know something, God certainly didn’t give me sit-and-color kids. I can’t wait to see what he has planned for these energetic, definitely not shy, comedians I have for kids. I see such great leaders in them. For now they keep me on my toes constantly and there is never a dull moment. I love them more than all the chocolate in the world. I am blessed!
Anyway, back to my story. After church I met pretty much the whole congregation. People came to me and shared their life stories. We were going to call a cab, but I decided to ask for a ride to the carousel. The pastor asked a ninety-year-old man and his friend who was older to take us. The man runs the information booth in town. Could we have gotten a ride from anyone better???
He needed to drop off his friend at home before taking us to the carousel. What a surprise to learn they were neighbors and lived in the gingerbread village. Ha! This was totally on my list of things I wanted to see. It is the cutest neighborhood ever of brightly colored mini homes. Many had names. Cute names like “Purple Angel.” The home of the lady we were dropping off had been in the family for ninety years. The big thing in the neighborhood is this huge, beautiful open-air tabernacle. It was neat to see and hear straight from a resident and info booth employee.
He then drove us to the carousel. Of course, we got the full scoop about it on the way. This carousel is the oldest in the United States. It was originally in New Jersey and was moved here. It has the brass ring game. There is a wooden arm that sticks out and you grab the rings. An announcer tells you when the brass ring is possible to get. This is when it gets exciting. We didn’t catch the brass ring, but boy you sure do know who gets it and when. People get really into it. It’s fun. Definitely worth a visit. 
After the carousel ride, we hit the Carousel Ice Cream factory up the road. This ice cream store was super cute. It had several carousel animals to climb on and had creative ice cream names like Spider-Man and Find Dory. Pretty smart way to peddle ice cream. Not that ice cream needs help getting sold. 😜 For me though having the carousel animals they can climb on was key. Really nice way for kids to be distracted when you are waiting in line, which I so appreciate. 😅
Oaks Bluff is quite different from Edgartown. It is touristy. There are arcades and more kitchy stores. The kids had a ball. I left feeling like “been there, done that.” Glad I came but don’t really need to go back. I have heard it is where the big nightlife is. I can see that. I loved this day. It started with a plan for church and took so many twists and turns to neat places and people. Sometimes not having a solid plan is the best plan of all.
