two questions:

[thanate]

1) Has anyone familar with Baltimore-ish a recommendation for a restaurant we might want to go to for our anniversary dinner next friday? The rules so far are that it be someplace at least slightly nice/interesting that we haven't been before. This year somewhere fairly nearby (southern Baltimore/Glen Burnie/Columbia/Ellicott City is probably our ideal range) with assured parking, open for early dinner, and not so upscale that they'd mind us bringing the baby along would be preferred. (We have theoretical babysitting options, but aren't quite mentally ready to deploy them yet.)

2) Does anyone have useful knowledge about acquiring paving stones for garden settings? Ideally what I want is something with the look of the natural-pieced slate walkways (ie not square pavers), possibly in a stone that has better traction when wet. However, I do NOT want to support fresh quarrying if there's an option that doesn't do so... and if there is, my internet search skills are completely inadequate to the task of finding out about it. (Also not a fan of the recycled plastic pavers, as they reputedly will float away in heavy rains, which is also a problem with the mulch paths I have now.) Anyone have thoughts? Besides stalking craig's list, that is?

Comments

[cheshiretiffy.livejournal.com]

I've seen these paving stone molds that you scoop concrete or what-have-you into that have irregular shapes. You can dye or stain it if you want something other than grey. It's not lovely hunks of natural stone, but might serve you well.

Dommy's gone to every anniversary dinner we've had since he was born. It's nice to get to take them along.

[thanate.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, concrete is usually not a lot more eco-friendly than new-quarried stone, since there's usually quarrying involved in making it, as well. The nature center I volunteer at in Columbia just got some exciting new stone pathways, so I'm going to ask where they got that, and if it's a source I could use as well. We'll see.

[cheshiretiffy.livejournal.com]

That makes sense.

[cheshiretiffy.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking.
My front flower beds are bordered with these flatish stones (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v382/chshiretiffy/House/DSC01102_zps87b95a22.jpg) that I do not care for in the least as a border. They fall down and look sloppy, and have spaces between that critters really love to burrow in. They're cut in random shapes and would probably work for a walkway with some creative placement. There are a lot of them, too. If you're at all interested, I can see if Harris would be willing to trade some or all of the stones for mulch, dirt or a different border or something all of which I need for the yard.
Someone would have to come and pick them up, though :(

[thanate.livejournal.com]

Those would be awesome, actually, if neither of you want them. I'd have to think about the transport, though, since it's a little more complicated in these days of post-baby. Though I guess there's probably not any actual reason I couldn't just drive out one day...

[cheshiretiffy.livejournal.com]

You can send Husband by himself, if you'd like.

I'll talk to Harris about it since he has a hard time with change, but they really do look sad as a flower bed border. How long of a walkway are you looking to put in? There are quite a few stones, but I don't want you to go through the trouble if there aren't enough.

[dancinglights.livejournal.com]

Somehow I had failed to realise just how unfriendly pretty much everything I like is to at least one of babies or parking.

La Palapa is close enough to the main Ellicott City lot to count as having its own parking even if the rest of the main drag doesn't, as is Ellicott Mills Brewing Company, and I've seen twee children in both at early-dinner hours. Mango Grove recently reopened in an even more strip-mall location in Columbia, but is very small person friendly and because of the location has parking, and Pho Dat Thanh is another Columbia strip-mall gem. Everything else I can think of is a chain, a dodgy bet on the kid factor, or a parking nightmare.

[thanate.livejournal.com]

Thanks-- the Ellicott City ones are out, since we've already been to both of them (several times, in the case of the brewing company...) and grauwulf wants a meat option.

It turns out there's a new Indian place that's actually in Linthicum, so we're going to try that for friday, but the pho place may go on the list of things to check out later. :)

[dancinglights.livejournal.com]

I'd guessed you were already familiar with Main Street locations, but I couldn't let them go unremarked just in case. Enjoy the new place, and pho if you ever get the chance!