Quick Trip to California, Part II

Day Two in California: I visited my BFF, Debra, and her hubby, Martin.

Hung out on the front porch in the rockers they bought in my neck of the woods a few years ago.

Watched the ducks play on Dragonfly Pond and listened to the roosters crowing across the street.

Admired her beautiful rose garden and then spied...two goats on a berm!

Goats like carrots. So do dogs.

OK, Buddy, here you go.

Rosie finally descended from her perch to say hello.

Debra's garden is compact and organized. Those whirligigs really do keep the birds from eating her strawberries.

And I had to stop in and say hi to the ladies.

The greenhouse smells soooooo good.

Told a corny joke to Bud and made him laugh out loud!

Too soon, it was time to say goodbye. OK, Deb, next time you need to come to my house!

The last full day I was in Sacramento, I visited my sweet yoga sister, Gay.

I felt like I was on a Food Network show: Gay's Home Cooking. "Today, Gay's friend Yami joins her in the kitchen to make some of her favorite dishes"!  First up: Bang Bang Shrimp, something I've been wanting to try ever since Gay sent me the recipe. I was too chicken to try it by myself, though. It was delicious!

For dessert, we made Chocolate Pecan Caramel Rice Krispie Treats. There are no words.

Lucky me, I got to take a whole container home with me! Thank you, Gay!

For supper on the last night in Sac, Dad and I went to one of my favorite restaurants: Espanol. I absolutely love their Eggplant Parmigiana. I based my own recipe on theirs, but instead of frying the eggplant, I bake mine. A bit healthier, but, after eating theirs again, I realize mine is not as tasty!

Man, oh man, that is good.

Dad was pretty happy to be there, too.

One last evening on the deck. Dad has done some remodeling out there and it is much more spacious.

Angel, are you ready to roll? We're getting up early tomorrow and heading north!

She says "Let's Go!"

Stay tuned for Part III, wherein we hit the road and head home to the beautiful Inland Northwest.

Quick Trip to California, Part I

I recently drove down to California to kidnap my Dad and his dog, Angel, and bring them back up to Idaho for a long visit.

I started out driving through Washington down to the Columbia River. It was a gorgeous day, the traffic was light, and I was looking forward to seeing Dad and Angel.

Looking west along the Columbia

I made my way down to Salem, Oregon to spend the night. I found an excellent sushi restaurant for supper. I miss sushi. Haven't found a decent sushi place yet around where I live now.

No, this sushi wasn't pink. It was called a Mango Tango roll. The light at the sushi bar was an electric blue.
Believe me, the sushi was delicious!

The next day I continued south on I-5 until I got to a rest area north of Mount Shasta. It was a very pleasant spot for lunch. The scenery on this trip was spectacular.

A peaceful place to rest and have a bite to eat.

I love that first view of Mount Shasta. It almost takes your breath away. What an awesome sight.

I can't imagine climbing to the top.
I don't even like climbing to the top of a ladder.

After a long day of driving down the central California valley, I finally arrived at Dad's house. He was happy to see me. And, boy, was I happy to see him! And get out of that truck.

After a delicious supper at Applebee's with family friends (Lucy, Gail, Mary, Terry and Arlene), I settled in for a much-needed night of slumber.

The next day, I drove to El Dorado Hills to visit with my dear friend, Cheryl. Cheryl and I worked together at the Dept. of Developmental Services. We had, hands down, the most fun I've ever had at work. I mean, we had fun WORKING. Doesn't get much better than that.

Cheryl with Rosie and Dixie

Cheryl lives on Folsom Lake at the top of a hill. She has a pretty awesome view from her front yard pastures.

Rosie and Dixie seem to like their digs, too.

Cheryl's backyard view is not bad, either. Folsom Lake is full again and everything is green.

Sunny D, Cheryl's Min Pin, likes to hang out with the grownups.

After chatting for a bit, we decided to take a hike down to a picnic table that Cheryl and her husband, Kevin, have by the edge of the lake.

It provides a peaceful view for a picnic or quiet conversation.

Then Cheryl asked "Are you up for a little hike? There's a nice trail right over here that loops back up to the house." "Sure!" I was going to ask if it was OK that I just had my sandals on, but then I noticed Cheryl was wearing flip-flops. So, off we went.

The trail started off fairly wide and open, but then got overgrown and barely visible. It had only been a week or so since Cheryl had hiked it, but it had rained and the grass and brush had become prolific. Soon, however, the jungle receded and we found the trail again.

Then I heard Cheryl say "Uh oh!"

The trail was underwater! It's supposed to go right over there where the trees are standing. I guess Folsom Lake really is back.

So Cheryl cut her own trail through the grass, over to where she knew the trail wound around. I followed carefully, keeping a sharp eye out for snakes.

The Goose Family cheered us on

We met up with the trail shortly thereafter and made our way back to her house, where we enjoyed a nice glass of wine with lunch.

Love the look on Cheryl's face. She didn't have another clean
wine glass so she used a short plastic glass. "Whatever!"

After lunch, we took a fun drive in their golf cart. We drove up through the wealthiest part of the neighborhood to the tippy top of the hills, overlooking the lake.

I see Cheryl's house! And one of her horsies!

A good time was had by all. Especially Sunny D.

"If only they would let me drive this thing." 

Stay tuned for Part II, wherein I visit Debra and Gay, and haul Dad and Angel back with me to the Inland Northwest.

Sewing with Peggy

I have at least a couple of calendar entries every month titled "Sewing with Peggy". Peggy is my friend and sewing mentor. She and her husband, Dave, own the local hardware store (the coolest hardware store in the INW). She is an amazing seamstress and sells some of her wares in the store. I love her aprons!

We became friends after I took in my tattered Halloween witch to ask for her advice on repairing it. She offered to take the witch home and repair it herself. She named her "Wanda" and she came back looking better than ever!

I began going over to Peggy's to sew about a year ago. I am learning not only how to sew, but to embroider, make appliqués, and quilt. So much fun!

Peggy and Dave have a charming house right on the lake.

This is where the magic happens! The measuring, cutting, ironing, pinning, embroidering, and sewing. That's Stanley on the left and Bentley on the right. They supervise.

Today, Peggy is helping me plan to make some pillow shams for our guest room.




This is the sham I'm using for a pattern.

















And this is the fabric I'm using. Isn't it perfect for a cozy cabin? I got it at Peggy's Fantastic Fabric Store.

Here's Peggy looking through her pattern drawer. That's the lake in the background. What a gorgeous view! Peggy is working on some overalls for her grandson. Adorable!

Turns out we can't get very far today on the shams because I need to wash and dry the fabric before we start cutting.

What to do? What to do? Oh, let's eat lunch!

It's a beautiful spring day, so we're eating out on the deck.

The birds are joining us for lunch at their own dining area.

Woodpeckers, blue jays and hawks are regulars here.

Mt. Spokane is looking quite majestic today.



Peggy made a delicious vegetarian chili with all the fixins. Delicious!
















Celecia, Peggy's friend and housekeeper/dogsitter, is from New Zealand. She made some tasty peanut biscuits (cookies) last time I went to Peggy's. Wait a minute, do I go over there to sew or eat?

Stanley has prostate cancer and isn't feeling very good. He was enjoying the sunshine and the breeze through his fur.

Every year, this goose and her mate use this flower pot on Peggy's and Dave's dock to start a new family. This year, she has seven eggs in the nest.



Time for a stretch break.













Here comes Papa Goose.

Back to work. Mom is nesting and Papa is patrolling.


So I'm well-fed and have the leftover chili to enjoy later this week. I also have my homework assignment to wash, dry and iron the sham fabric.

Another fun day at Peggy's house. Until next time!