Christmas outing

Every year, my Bible study group goes on an outing. Well, two outings. One at Christmas and one at the end of the study in May.

Usually around 6-8 girls can go. One year only Mary Ellen and I went. This year only 3 of us could make it. The others all had conflicts.

Mary Ellen suggested that we go to Hutchinson to the Dutch Kitchen, run by Amish ladies. After a hearty breakfast, we went next door to Stutzman's greenhouse. It was wonderful!

Mary Ellen's daughter told her about the next place. Back in the '70's, when we had come back to the States and I was a junior/senior in highschool, I remember shopping here with my Mom for groceries. Hutch was the place we went to shop as Pretty Prairie, a town of 500 where we lived didn't really have stores to speak of.

Smith's is much more than a grocery store now! Such great finds!! (Family, you may not shop there before Christmas because I got several of your gifts here!)

We stopped at a very nice restaurant where the old Peques store used to be. (I don't know how you spell that, but it was a clothing store). It was by the train station. I have been thinking wouldn't it be neat if Newton turned its train station into restaurants and small specialty shops?

We ordered spinach/chicken alfredo pizza. And I got raspberry mango tea. Love that!

We continued shopping at an antique store. You can spend hours in places like this!!

On the way out of town, on the way to Starbucks, we saw this sign.

Good to know that!

(Actually Graber is an elementary school in Hutch)

Precious times, precious friends. Wish all of them had been able to make it. Hopefully in the spring more of them can.