Sip & Shop - Dec 2025

We met for brunch at Simply Crêpes, the way we always do. Late morning, when no one is in a hurry yet. The light was low and gray outside and warmer inside.

Boozy Brunch at Simply Crepes

Traci was with us this year. She and Ken were the first friends we made when we moved to Canandaigua, nearly thirty years ago. We sat at the table and ordered boozy coffee. Then mimosas. Then another round. Crepes came and went. So did a lot of stories.

Some of them were old. Some of them hadn’t been told in a long time.

We stayed longer than planned. We always do.

Latte Flight

Eventually we paid the bill and went outside. Downtown was already dressed for the season. Pine in the windows. Lights strung where they always are. We walked from shop to shop, buying small things and saying hello. The sidewalks were busy but not crowded. The air had that early winter edge to it.

We didn’t buy much that mattered.

What mattered had already happened.

By late afternoon we were tired in the good way. We stood for a moment before heading to our cars, talking about nothing in particular.

It was the fifth year.

No one said that out loud.