The best laid plans ...

I had hoped to have a wonderful story about my visit to Guthrie, Okla., when I expected to meet a doll friend with whom I'm planning a Hitty gathering in October. Alas, it was not to be -- her daughter became ill and had to stay in the hospital over the weekend we were going to meet.

I did get a chance to visit Guthrie, though, and it is an interesting town. Definitely geared for tourists (lots of antique stores and other interesting shops, a number of museums, etc.) but also a living, breathing town. The downtown is nice and compact, which makes it easy to browse all the shops and get a little exercise without overdoing it. One thing that always strikes me about Oklahoma towns is how "new" they look -- new being relative, of course. Guthrie was founded in 1889 and Oklahoma became a state in 1907, but to someone who has lived in Charleston, S.C., which was settled in 1670, it hardly seems "old."

I was particularly disappointed that so many shops were closed, since it was a Monday. One place I definitely plan to visit again is the drug store museum. Peering through the windows just wasn't enough, though I enjoyed walking through the apothecary's herb garden next door. Did you know that boxwood (now used as a shrub in formal gardens) was used as a emetic and had a reputation for curing leprosy, among other things.

The Hittys I took along on the trip were disappointed that I didn't allow them out of the box during the visit, but given the wind and dust I don't know if they would have stayed put.