Good Friends, Tea and Gardens

Although the past week has been busy it has been a fun filled week. As I wrote in my last post we were in San Diego for a business convention. It is always fun to reconnect with the many friends that we have met over the years and this time was no different.



San Diego was an especially fun trip because I have a dear friend who lives there. Although the area is just a few hours south from us, we seldom get a chance to get together due to conflicting schedules. We go back many years to the time when we were both military wives stationed at the same places while our husbands were in flight training. She actually watched our now thirty eight year old son when I went to the hospital to deliver our second son. This trip allowed us some wonderful time to visit.



Barb had made reservations for the two of us for tea at a positively charming tea room. Not only was the food fabulous, but the ambiance was delightful as well. There are small tables set up throughout the shop and each one is as charming as the next. All are done with lace and china - a very elegant setting. One does not receive a menu for the food as it arrives on a tiered server. One does, however, receive a menu for which tea one wishes to be served - two pages of teas!! Each person has their own tea pot and heated stand to keep it warm.









Here is our tiered service. The bottom plate had two of everything as did each tier after that. It included cheese muffins, egg salad sandwiches, savories, cucumber sandwiches, many fruits, chocolate mousse, bread puddings and almond cookies. And as if we weren't stuffed enough after that we were brought two freshly baked orange scones. Everything was delicious.









After practically rolling our bodies out the door we went to visit a quilt shop. This is a quilt shop unlike any that I have ever seen. One cannot even begin to imagine the number of fabrics that this shop had inside of it. The "rooms" were broken down into colors. I mean this shop was HUGE! There was also a room for quilting supplies, a room for books, a room where they had classes going on and a room of batting. Next door to that shop was the Gam*mil longarm education center and dealer. Oh dear......what a shop. We got to "play" with the various machines and my heart was immediately captured. I could have spent a lifetime there. I so wished that these shops were closer.



The following day we ventured out to my other weakness - a nursery. Again, this was a fabulous place to visit. They not only sell plants, but they also have many darling small gardens which they call fairy gardens. They have these tiny gardens tucked in old wheelbarrows, garden carts, bird baths and anywhere else one put one. I really want to build one in my yard somewhere. Everything is in miniature with trellis plants, birdbaths and garden furniture.








There is a calming coffee shop in the middle of the nursery. It was so peaceful to lounge in big rattan chairs and sip tea amidst the plants and running waterfalls.



They have one maze that is replanted several times a year in different plants. It is currently in morning glories but I understand that the spring sweet peas are also beautiful. As you can imagine, it was a day enjoyed by all of us, including my friend from England.








Speaking of gardens, I have to show you a sculpture of a woman in an art garden that we recently visited. Is this great or what?









The hotel where we stayed in San Diego was right on the waterfront. We looked out onto the water and the Hotel D*el Corona*do. As you can see, we were high up - on the twenty fifth floor. I definitely got weak knees looking down from our balcony.









We returned home to the tragic news of the deadly train crash in our area. It has shaken our entire community as so many of the victims lived locally. Our hearts an prayers go out to all of the families as they try to understand and cope with the deaths of their loved ones.



It will hopefully be a couple of quiet weeks ahead while we await the arrival of our 20th grandchild which is due towards the middle of October. This will be our daughter and SIL's first and everyone is making guesses on what it will be - blue or pink. It is so much fun to not know.



I hope everyone has a great week ahead.