Rose Garden

 

There's a rose garden

in my town that

I sometimes go to,

 

 

close to the

railroad tracks.

 

 

Me and husband

sit on the benches

there, and just

talk and talk.

 

 

They have an

assortment of roses

in all colors.

 

 

 

 

 

It's one of our

favorite places to

go in town.

 

"A single rose can

 be my garden...

a single friend,

my world."

 

~Leo Buseaglia

 

 

~Sheri



Showered with Love

One of my best friends from high school is getting married this summer, and though we live half a state apart she was so sweet to ask me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. 

Her wedding shower was this last weekend, and it was so great to see her! She's one amazing girl--beautiful, smart, hilarious, and so very hard-working. So I thought she deserved a little bridal pampering.

As a gift, I created this breakfast-in-bed basket. I found a cute breakfast tray and gathered some delightful morning delicacies--pecan cinnamon roll pancake mix, salted caramel hot cocoa, and English breakfast tea.

Add a couple of classic white coffee cups and saucers nestled in a plush velvet blanket...

and a few finishing touches...

and we're ready to go!

I'm always on the look out for cute and creative gift ideas for the special women in our lives...are there any you would like to share?

~Nel~  

June Days

It's going to be a

hot one

this weekend.

Are you enjoying

the lazy days

of June?

 

 

 

 

What's it like

around your neck

of the woods?

 

~Sheri

A Father's Day Story

This story I've shared with just my family, but let's face it, my blog friends mean a lot to me, so I hope you enjoy reading it, as it is one that is close to my heart.

What a Wonderful World

When my dad passed away, I was sad, very sad for a long time after.  I was only 28, and not at all ready to lose someone that was so dear to me.  I would hear this song quite often - What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, and it reminded me of my dad very much.  I would hear this song in the store while I was grocery shopping, in the car while I was driving, just anywhere I was.  Sometimes I had to walk out of the stores because I couldn't help crying.  One day, I picked up my son from Kindergarten and we stopped at the park.  While he was playing he said, "Mom, I learned a new song at school today."  I said, "Really?  Sing it to me."  He started singing "I see trees of green, red roses too," and I just looked at him in surprise.  After he finished singing he said, "Do you know that song mom?" and as tears ran down my cheek I smiled and said to him, "Yes, I know that song very well."

Thank you for being a
part of my world.

 

 

 

~Sheri

Creole Cooking in the Crescent City

This last week, my husband and I joined Jess and her boyfriend in one of our very favorite cities...New Orleans!

Jess will be spending another couple of leisurely days in the Big Easy, but when she gets back she'll be posting about all our travel adventures. In the meantime, I thought I'd share with you some of the more adventurous foods we sampled during our stay in this exciting and vibrant city.

My husband and I are always ready to try the local favorites when we travel. This plate of raw oysters, peel-and-eat shrimp, and boiled crawfish came highly recommended, and for good reason! Our waiter taught us how to pull out the tail meat and suck the spicy juices from the crawfish shell. We washed everything down with the house special--a Cajun bloody mary, garnished with pickled green beans!

We indulged in all the exquisite Creole dishes that have made New Orleans famous for its culinary traditions: jambalaya, red beans and rice, gumbo, shrimp etouffee, and muffalettas. 

But it was a lot of fun to try the more exotic foods too--like these fried alligator bites!

Of course, we couldn't pass up the sweeter treats...bananas foster, pecan pie, bread pudding, and these delightfully crispy, chewy, powdered sugary beignets from Cafe du Monde.

From the sweet, to the savory, to the spicy, the Crescent City is simply bursting with flavor! I'll be breaking out the gumbo pot tonight for dinner--how about you?

~Nel~

Lovely Lantern

 I just bought a lantern
at Pier 1 Imports
with the gift card that
Nel gave me for
my birthday.

 

This one was so

cool because it opens

in the front and

you can put holiday

décor or candles

inside.
 

 

 

I found a white

candle with the scent
of jasmine.

 

 

"Nothing can dim the

light which shines

from within."

~Maya Angelou
 

Thank you,

Maya Angelou,

for letting your light

shine for all to see.

 

love,

~Sheri, Jess, Nel

In The Green

Last weekend, we took a drive to Foresthill.  It's such a peaceful place, and we had a picnic lunch overlooking the view of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

The tall cedar trees smell so good.

Do you know what this is?  I thought it was so pretty, and it looks like some kind of wheat?

The dandelions and butterflies graced the forest.

This sign caught my eye.

Leaving Foresthill, we crossed the Auburn-Foresthill Bridge, and it is the highest bridge in California, and the fourth highest in the United States.

I always love my visits here.

~Sheri