Shish Kebobs and Greek Pastry

I went to the Greek Festival over the weekend, and I always have a great time when I'm there.  I ran into my friend, who is Greek, and talked a bit.   She was one of my best friends growing up, and she helps run the festival every year.  The tables were set up with blue and white checkered table cloths, and the food was amazing, as usual.  When we first got there, they were preparing the meat for the hungry visitors.  Along with the many dishes they served, my son enjoyed a shish kebob and a spinach and feta pastry.    The view from the festival was very pretty overlooking an array of trees.  We usually step inside the church, which is so beautiful.  I have always loved religious Greek art.  There was one particular gold hanging lantern that I admired.  We brought home some dessert, and I was drooling over the powdered sugar cookies even more than the Baklava this year.   What a fun day we had, and this festival is a must  to attend every year.   As I walked around listening to the Greek music and seeing the lively faces and atmosphere, I felt so connected with these people.......my heritage.

 

~Sheri

Farewell To May

The end of the

May days.

 

A day at the nursery.

 

 

Toy planes at the park.

 

 

This gnarled tree looked

very mysterious.

 

 

Stressed spelled backwards

is desserts.  Coincidence?

I think not!

~author unknown

 

 

The first of my

pink roses.

 

Looking at my pink roses

through my blinds

today.

 

 

The first of my

yellow roses.   I love

the color

when it starts to fade.

 

 

 

I get excited when I see

a ladybug
for so many reasons.  : )

 

 

The first of my

white roses.

 

aahh, my first red rose.

 

 

My son planted these

purple flowers

in my back yard.  He

has such a green thumb.

We'll see how

they do.

 

 

Chocolate chip cookies

and milk.....

it doesn't get much

better than that.

 

I've always wanted a gnome.

Found this one

at Hobby Lobby, and

he was too cute to pass up.

 

 

I always wish you

peace and tranquility.

 

 

~Sheri

A Little Something For Jess

I got my ears pierced!........again.

I had them pierced when I was growing up, then again a few years ago, but one of them closed so I had them re-pierced this week.  I wanted to be able to wear pretty earrings to Jess' wedding.  They have an after care cleanser now that makes the healing process in three weeks instead of six!  Now I can wear pretty dangling earrings once again,

and casual hoops.

 

So, there you go.

Surprise Jess!

I got my ears pierced for

your wedding!

 

 

~Sheri

Today's Your Lucky Day

I was driving through Starbucks recently and ordered my usual, and while I was waiting in line I thought to myself, "oh no, I left my card at home.   Well, I'll just ask them if I can come back later and pay."  After all, I'm a regular, and they know me.  When I got up to the window I said to the woman,  "I left my card at home," and she said to me,  "today's your lucky day, cause the guy in front of you paid for yours, and he said to have a nice day."  I smiled and was relieved.  I thought about how total strangers can be so nice at times, and that I've had my coffee paid for a lot lately.  So, I wanted to return the favor, and today I paid for the person in back of me.  Sometimes it's the pleasant strangers in your life who bring the most joy.

These are the flowers

I see when I'm

waiting in line to get

my coffee.

 

 

 

I hope today will be your

lucky day.

 

~Sheri

Someone At The Door

The doorbell rang.  When I answered, it was the florist delivering a bouquet of Sunflowers, and the card was signed Darla.  She is my best friend, and we've been friends for about 41 years.

They looked like young blooms, as they didn't have the dark center that is usually seen on Sunflowers.

I love the glass jar they came in, and maybe I can use it again for Jess' shower.

People often asked us if we were twins back in the day.

(we were cracking up at the person taking the picture).
 

Here are some fun facts about the Sunflower:
 

*Sunflowers are one of the fastest growing plants.
 

*Sunflower seeds are rich in oil, which they store

  as a source of energy and food.
 

*Sunflower plants can be from 3 to 18 feet tall.
 

*There are more than sixty different kinds of

  Sunflowers in the U.S.
 

*There is only one flower on each Sunflower

  stem.

*The State flower of Kansas is the Sunflower.
 

*One Sunflower can have up to 2,000 seeds.

 

A friend is one who
overlooks your broken fence
and admires the flowers
in your garden.
~unknown

 

It was a nice surprise getting these flowers delivered at my door, and I will enjoy them for as long as they let me.  : )

~Sheri

Sacramento Zoo

I had a nice birthday.  Thank you for the birthday wishes.  I went to the Zoo with my kids, and had a wonderful time.  It was so good to see all the silly animals once again.  It's been way too long.

This is going to be a long post, so get a cup of tea and enjoy these delightful animals with me.  To start off with........this is the most fascinating and amazing bird to me, and Jess loves them.   The Flamingo.  I love how it stands on its one skinny leg.

This Pelican had a broken wing.  I felt so bad for it.

The Wallaby looks very similar to the kangaroo.

The Giraffe is another fascinating animal.  Its long neck stretches out and eats the food in the buckets that are placed way up high.

 

All the different monkeys were being shy and wouldn't turn around for us.

This is probably the most amazing, out-of-the-ordinary, spectacular animal that roams the earth.  They say that no two Zebras are exactly alike.

 

The bamboo grows extremely tall.

I forgot what the name of this animal was, but it was funny to watch it jump from one branch to the next.

I have to stop always when I see an orange flower.

Oh, someone's hiding.  Can you guess what it is?

The Ant Eater is so peculiar looking, isn't it?

The Tiger is always fierce and grand.

Some of the facts about the Vulcher were very interesting to read about.

This mallard duck was sitting so still that I thought it was a decoy, until I got a little closer. 

I used to take my kids here when they were little.

After the Zoo, we went to Olive Garden for dinner,  and Jess made me a homemade cake with homemade frosting.

And gifts..........I used to drink this tea during my days when I lived in So Cal.  It's the best tea ever!

I had a fun birthday weekend, and I won't wait that long to see these extraordinary birds again.

~Sheri