A busy time for me. Spring, with all its attendant chores, is here. With my family’s help, I’m in the process of tweaking Maya and the Book of Everything, a young-adult fantasy novel I recently finished writing. And, Earth Day will soon be here, which for me means organizing a Mostly Maine Potluck Dinner for Winthrop. (Earth Day also, coincidently, happens to be my daughter Shannon’s birthday.)

Still, I did find time to go to The Flaky Tart for lunch yesterday. I go there once a week and spend about $5, which, in my opinion, is money well spent. The Flaky Tart has really jazzed up Winthrop’s main street, which, truth be told, had become a little ragged over the years. (It was much more vibrant when we moved here 28 years ago). A snappy little café can really add heart to a community, and even though our budget is modest, I feel as though The Flaky Tart is worth supporting. I feel the same way about other places in town—Mia Lina’s, Tubby’s, and, when I was eating meat, Pete’s Roast Beef.

Other people must feel the same way as I do because the little café was busy as can be when I was there yesterday. How nice it was to sit at a table by the window, eat a tuna sandwich made with delectable fresh whole wheat bread, and watch the comings and goings. Richard, the library’s director, came in, and we had a chat about all things library.

After lunch, I did some shopping. I went to Foshay-Carlton and bought some birthday gifts for Shannon, and I went to Becky’s Second Time Around and got some “wicked” good deals—$14 for four tops that were in excellent condition. Good thing I brought my knapsack because it was stuffed full when I left.

After a quick trip to the library, I rode by the lake. Above, the sky was a deep blue, and Lake Maranacook was a perfect reflection of this. What a pleasure to ride my bike into town on a spring day, have lunch, and do a little shopping.

You might even call it a Winthrop kind of day.