Some years it seems, my birthday comes and goes rather unremarkably. (That's my own word I think as my spell check doesn't recognize it! It's really a word, isn't it?) This year however, I have been really touched by the thoughtfulness of my husband, family and friends. I started to think, gosh, I don't deserve this. I don't know. Maybe I had been down in the dumps and suddenly I saw that everyone really did care about me and love me. I know they do, but sometimes I need little reminders. It's a good feeling. Good feelings can be flighty and so I plan to commit this wonderful day to memory and rehash it again and again by visiting it on my blog often...just as a reminder on those days when I am in doubt.
I would like to tell you about my day. Perhaps it won't mean much to you, but it meant a lot to me.
It started early in the morning after I said my morning prayers (I'm working on being regular at prayer time this Lent.), I found my husband's card.
The message inside is very precious to me.
Later we ate breakfast at the Dead Fly Diner.
The lovely lady sitting on a stool is Marlene, the proprieter if I'm not mistaken. She turned and smiled at us as we sat down.
The Dead Fly is the ultimate in comfort food just like the sign says and there is plenty of it.
That's a "Sky's Special" omelette with "all the veggies" (mushrooms and spinach and onions with tomatoes and avacado on top) and Swiss cheese. It was so filling that we asked for to-go boxes and then drove down to a gas station and bought a bag of ice to keep our remainders chilled. It would become dinner. I don't know what my arteries have to say about it, but it was every bit as yummy as it looks!
A very nice waiter took our photo twice, but the pictures came out very fuzzy. I didn't have the heart to ask him to try a third time.
Just outside in the parking lot we saw the sign
pointing us in the direction of the Shenandoah Valley. If you don't know, this is one of California's many wine countries.
That would be our next stop after Mass in Sutter Creek. I took a few photos of Annunciation Church.
and their grave yard. I do love grave yards and they have a fantastic one!
Just look at those fabulous headstones! My husband says I am creepy, but I don't think so. I think old grave yards are romantic. Didn't Anne of Green Gables love cemeteries?
After Mass we drove back to the Shenandoah valley.
We stopped at the C. G. Arie wine tasting room
to ask for directions to the Amador Flower Farm.
C. G. Arie makes really delicious wines. My most recent purchase was a 2008 Barbera.
It is delightful!
Years ago I did some plein air watercolor painting at the C. G. Arie winery. I met Elisheva who is a very talented artist and her husband Chaim who is a very talented wine maker. Chaim is also the brilliant mind behind the "Power Bar" candy bar and "Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing." No kidding!
Please visit their website http://www.cgdiarie.com/
Well, now I am losing track of time...where was I? Oh yes, we were on our way to the Amador Flower Farm.
During the summer you can see thousands of daylilies
Of course it is winter now and many are asleep. But there is always something to see at the flower farm.
Including the Pumpkin House
and friendly sheep.
The White garden is lovely in the Spring and Summer. The flower farm has fun yard art.
And poppies in bloom.
Wherever I go I can always spot the hares.
For my birthday I received very many nice gifts (You'll remember the Learn and Master Painting course I'm taking. You can read about it here. )
including a nice chunck of money to buy flowers for my garden. I happen to love daylilies and so I invested in two while at the Amador Flower Farm.
Broadway Pink Delight
which you can see
and
Siloam Tee Tiny
here.
Last year I bought one named Wineberry Candy.
Perhaps you can see my fascination with daylilies?
And and when we got home, mama deer came to visit.
And at the end of a very lovely day
I knew that God was in His Heaven and all was good and right in my little world.
