reasons to be thankful......

Several reasons to be grateful......this Wednesday Stella came to clean ......when she arrived she invited me to go with her to do some errands afterwards.  She had some items to return........would I be ride along company?  Sure, of course.....yay!

So when she's done cleaning she changes into street clothes and off we go.....first stop, LUNCH.  WhaAAAT?  She is taking me to lunch for my birthday........not my birthday.....well it was and so we are going says she.  laughter......she tried to take me out near my birthday back in February and i was too wonky to go.  she also gave me a present for Christmas........she kept forgetting to bring it to me.....it was a lovely towel her Mom made.......she took an extra thick fluffy white towel and added beautiful designs to the towel.  How to explain, well she trimmed the ends of the towel in a summer fresh green........then she embroidered a flower basket on the part of the towel you see when you hang it......the basket holds pretty bright flowers with sparklies in the center of each flower.  I have it hanging in my kitchen......ahhh, so sweet! 

We go to a Mexican place I've gone to before.....Stella wants to know if they have Ochate....oh - chah- tay.  They say no, but then a few minutes later the waiter brings her one.  I don't know if I've spelled this right or not.....it's a latin drink made of rice & milk, it's creamy and sweet, flavored with nutmeg and cinnamon all poured over ice in a giant glass.  It was too sweet for me, but it's always fun to learn of something new.....Stella is very pretty......so it wasn't long before a guy sitting with his buddy came over to try to talk to Stella.  She is relatively tiny and this guy looked like Hoss on Bonanza.....but imagine this Hoss is not as sweet as the tv Hoss....and tiddly.....uh huh, he's had a bit too much margarita juice ......whoopsie daisy.  So he asks her what she is drinking......she starts to explain and he interrrupts her to ask what kind of alcohol is in it.  She says there is NO alcohol, and with that he literally turned abruptly and went back to the bar to sit with his pal.  For whatever reason this made me laugh buckets.......I guess he figured a sober woman was toooo much for him to take on.......!  A little bit later he toddles back over to ask her name......he shakes her hand, he puts in hand on my shoulder and pats it like I am Grandma Moses.......he is obviously younger than I am, but not by all that much.......something about the gray hair and cane.  LOL....oh well, tiddly Hoss only has eyes for Stella......poor Stella. 

The food was good, we both cleaned our plates, I didn't even know I was that hungry til the waiter set our plates down.....yum!  Then we went to Roses Express, followed by a trip through Beall's.....after that we went to visit one of her friends, a fellow Columbian lady named Elizabeth who lives in Winder (where we were shopping). She was lovely......friendly and had to very excited happy dogs.  Oh dear what are the dog's names??? Ummmmm, wow really Ruthie.......nope can't recall their names.  They were so friendly and happy.  We had a nice visit......a mix of English and Spanish......Stella has the loveliest network of Columbian friends.  I wish we could have the real life connection she has with her pals.  I wish , I wish , I wish!!!!!!

On the way home we stopped at a small Latin market where she picked up some plaintains and other goodies.  Then she took me to my home, sweet home all clean and shiny thanks to Stella! 

The Easter plan is to go to Martha & Wendells at 3 this Sunday.  I plan to make some goodies.  I found a recipe for Sweet Berry Custard Crunch in the dentist's waiting room, thanks to Redbook Magazine.  I already planned to make either devilled eggs or Cresent Sausage Bake.....I have the ingredients to make both.  Not sure just yet.  We'll see how the energy levels pan out today.

The dessert is a sweet creamy custard topped with crumbled cookie bits and fresh berries, I picked raspberries and blueberries with some shortbread cookies, the recipe called for Amaretti Cookies but I have no clue what those are......so shortbread won!  I want to make 1/2 to take to Martha's and the other half to take to my new neighbors, who I have not visited as yet.  They have lived in the house next door now for a few weeks and here I've been barely getting my trash to the curb.  You do what you can when you can.....words to live by.

I think I've talked enough, I'm working on a sewing project today, and yes my spirits are in a contented place overall.  Wishing you a Blessed and Happy Easter!

He is Risen!  Hugs from Sparrow Cottage....Moi, Rio and Mia