My Delightful Little Trip

   We drove to my hometown to attend the fundraiser dinner that they have every year. This was the 35th dinner, so it was a special one.  Also, to celebrate my birthday, which is actually in May.  My son drove with me, and let me tell you, I'm grateful for that, cause I'm just not good at navigating the roads myself.  This will be a long post, just to let you know, so get a cup of coffee🍵and join me as we take a little trip to my hometown.  Our first stop was Starbuck's, of course.  We left very early, and we wanted coffee and pastries for the road.  It's only about 50 minutes down the mountain.

We made it to my hometown, and we were hungry, so our first stop was at our favorite Mexican eatery.  Jess' family met us there, and I was so pleased that my brother showed up as well.  We all loved visiting with him.  After, we headed over to Kohl's to do some shopping; Jess needed to get a few things.  That night, we met at the pizza place.  Since it was Friday, and no meat, we ordered a huge veggie pizza.  It was so delicious.  Jess was getting ready to take my picture, and I had a piece of food in my teeth, so I was trying to get it out, and I guess I made a face, and Francesca started laughing, and her laugh is so contagious that I started laughing, then she laughed even louder, and we both couldn't stop laughing.  You had to be there.  ; )

Now, I always live in the present, but I also appreciate and cherish the dear ones who have left us.  They are not remembered as often as they should be - I am reminded that my children and grandchildren also came from them.  So, the next morning, me and my son visited the cemetery to see my mom and dad.  I used to always put flowers on their site when I lived there, and wondered if there would be any on my visit.  I was so surprised to find beautiful silk roses on their site, and found out later that my youngest brother put them on there.  They light up at night.  It's good of him to keep that area nice with flowers.  There were so many birds fluttering about, it was very peaceful.

We drove over to the park, and I noticed the enchanting tree was still standing.  Do you see the pig face on it?  I used to often come to this park, coffee in hand, just to think, pray, and reflect.  I think it's my favorite park in town.

In another area of town, there were some red flowers that were unusually lovely.  I kept taking pictures, they were that pretty.  Not sure what they are; maybe a small bottlebrush flower in a crimson color?  A red-winged blackbird stopped by and said hello too.

Pool time for the kids!  Little Charlotte also dipped her toes in the pool.  They had a lot of fun swimming, and are learning a few techniques in the water that will last a lifetime.  Uncle B. surprised them with donuts and brought them back to enjoy after swimming.

  Later on that evening, we headed over to the fundraiser dinner, which I'll share later.

  The next morning, we all met at our favorite breakfast place.  They have the most amazing cinnamon rolls.  This restaurant is right next to the railroad tracks, so you can hear the sound of the train whistle blowing while eating.  The owners even have a small active train that goes around the upper part of the cafe'.  The kids love to watch it as it comes around.  Mia saw some pink flowers, and stopped for a moment to see and touch them.

In the distance, you will see a tall blue building.  It is the local theatre, and it's been there since 1940.  This is their 85th year of movies and entertainment.  The first movie I ever saw there was the delightful Willie Wonka.  I'll always remember that.

I opened up Nel's presents in the Cafe, and Jess said hers will come later.  Harney & Sons is one of my favorite teas.  Here's the gifts that Nel gave me.  If you notice, the gold spoon has a rose handle, and she got it from our favorite home shop in her town.  Now, we all have that same spoon.

After that, Jess surprised me with some chocolate cupcakes, and we were all getting ready to drive back home.  It was a beautiful time with my family.  My hometown has gotten quite crowded; we couldn't even find a parking spot at the pizza place in old town, so we had to go to another.  I was glad to be driving back to my peaceful little home in the mountains.

~Sheri