A new cafe for lunch

Hello friends,

How is your day gong?



Last week we crossed another new cafe off our bucket list. One of the pleasures hubby and I enjoy

is finding new cafes, to lunch at.  This is the Wildflower Cafe, right here in Clearwater, about

5 miles from our home.

Those of you who follow my blog, KNOW, I am a total wildflower at heart and love all

things "wildflower".  So, a few months back, when we passed this, added it to our "cafe lunch bucket list".

So love the chippy, screen window they used for their sign in the parking lot!

This lovely chalk board menu is outside on the entry porch.

We chose the outstanding roasted portabello entry.

I love anything with artichokes, but hubby had never been brave enough to try.....

This time, he decided to try it.

As you can see from the handsome smile, he loved it.

Anyone local reading this, please stop by the Wildflower Cafe.

Delicious food, wonderful service, lovely ambiance.

Hubby taking care of our check. 

Please notice two items, especially:

The charming quote along the top edge of the walls.

and

the display case with yummy desserts.

Oh, you cannot see the display case?  No problem.......

Do you see what appears to be a pound cake with lemon icing?

It is the Florida famous Key Lime Cake. Even after half my life in Florida, I still expect,

Key Lime to be green!

Another special treat, hubby and I love, is picking out a lovely dessert, to go,

then later in the evening, enjoying our dessert by candlelight, in our home.

Since it is summer, this time, we shared it while watching our Tampa Bay Rays play ball on tv.

But of course, we still had candles.

Before our lunch, we had received surprising news from my kidney specialist.

You see, along with deafness at 39, BOR syndrome can cause kidney issues.

Like the deafness which is permanent, it was assumed my kidney disease could not be

changed, only managed.

However, my test results this time show a definate improvement!

My Dr. believes this to be a result of my recent 50 lb weight loss and lower blood pressure.

So hubby took me to the Wildflower Cafe to celebrate after my appointment.

BTW, there was only raspberry tea in the glass, even if in the picture, I look tipsy!

I am a very blessed women.  It shows in "tipsy happiness" at times, I guess. hehe. 

Wildflowers and Country Roads is going on summer hiatus.

This is the last post until August 27.

MAY ALL YOUR WEEDS, BE WILDFLOWERS!

From my heart to yours, may your day, your summer, be blessed.

Lynn

Simple joys

June 21, is the first day of summer, by the calendar.
Yet, for us here on the Gulf Coast of Florida, it has been "summer" for weeks.
Doesn't our lovely park, only a mile from our home, look cool and inviting?
Come along with me as I show you some simple beauty, I found in the park earlier today.

Male mallards, with their colorful feathers, are such fun to watch as they

 contemplate playing in the pond.
As a photographer, I love to find tree roots like this,
 adding texture to my photos.

More texture in the ripples and movement within the pond.
Also the reflections on the water always intrigue me.
Would have been nicer if this water lily was blooming.

 I just moved further down the shore of the pond to find those lilies
who were smiling at the sun.
Do you love water lilies as much as I do?

Hmm, now the mallard looks like he is trapped by a solid wall of water, doesn't it?
Not to worry, it is only the fountain, which is actually in the middle of the the pond.
Reminds me of a child, looking out a window at the pouring rain, not being able to go out to play!
What do you think?

Looks like the "rain" has stopped and now Mr. Mallard can enjoy the pond.
Do you like the reflections of the blue skies in the pond?

Of course, all one really needs to do is just look up!

The beautiful blue of our summer skies, and the clouds, take your breath away!

Of course, no outing for me is complete without my beloved

wildflowers!

Oh the joy of seeing them bloom where they are planted and

swaying and blowing in the wind!

Sure hope you enjoyed our visit to the park today.

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.
Lynn

Father's Day, softball style.

Hi everyone, happy Monday.

How was your weekend?

Saturday I had a text reminding me our granddaughter Kaylee had her softball tournament

Saturday in Clearwater.

Reminding me?????

I never knew to begin with..........

One difficulty, of deafness/CI usage,  in a crowd I can be sitting right there,

not understand "words". Overlapping speech only gives me garbled noise.

So one needs to text, email, or specifically tell me, one on one, anything of importance

I need to know. 

We estimated we were 20 minutes from the ball field.

(our two oldest grands play on travel teams, all over the state of Florida)

So,  we literally jumped in the car and off we went.

Arriving in the middle of the last game!!!

Also I need to remember to turn my cell on after charging in the am!

Perfect timing, Kaylee was up just as we arrived.

They did win all their games, so on to the championship on Sunday.

If you look between # 1 and 8, that is Kaylee in the back.

She has orange shoelaces, so we can always find her easily.

So they would continue on Sunday,  at 10am

Sunday am.......

Kaylee has a home run!

I love this picture.  Can you see her excited, happy smile.

She almost gave her dad a heart attack, not sliding into home plate.

Thing was, she hit a grounder out to right field, ran to second and.....

they fumbled the ball, so off she went to third.

Then.....here she comes, running like the wind to home plate!

I just had time to focus again through the mesh of the fence around the playing area

before she crossed the plate.

Forgive the shadows, this is Florida in the summer, BRIGHT!

The day just became BETTER and BETTER.....

Daughter Heather and family arrived to watch the tournament

since Jacob or Kevin did not have any games.

Then DIL, Erin arrived.

Here we are all watching.

Terry and my daughter Kellie, Kaylee's mom,  are hidden way over in the right corner.

The women with the dark hair and orange shirt, is another mom of teammate, sharing the tarp.

Erin, on right, Kellie in the middle.

Terry still hidden in back of Kellie.

Congratulations Christina Flames

runner ups in the Father's Day Classic 2012

Kaylee kneeling, far left.

Great job ladies!

Then....pictures of the guys for Father's Day and Grampa's Day.

Kaylee, Grampa, George, Kevin, Dylan, Jacob

I love, love, love this photo!

Isn't this beautiful?

SIL, George, on left, Mike, on the right.

With the love of my life in the center of it all.

 Erin with Kaylee and my hubby.

Then we all went out to lunch together.

Wendy, Erin's sister met us there.

Grands are way in the back, you can just see their heads.

All in all it was a wonderful impromptu family day.

How did you spend the weekend?

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.

Lynn

Quiet Inspirations

I am so glad you have joined me today for,

Quiet Inspirations Friday.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and

HE will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3: 5-6

From my heart to yours, may your day, your weekend be blessed.

May you also bless someones day, as you go along your path.....

Lynn

Kevin's first All Star games

As luck would have it both my young grandson, George, age 5, and Kevin, age 6, both

had very special events on Saturday.

On Monday, I shared with you the wonderful time we had at George's preschool

graduation.

Today, I am sharing Kevin's All Star game on Sunday. Yes! Sunday. They won on

Saturday, so Grampa and I were able to cheer him on on Sunday morning.

Even though they lost that game and were then eliminated, it was their very first

All Star games and a learning experience.

  This is Kevin's first time up to bat on Sunday.

Don't you wonder what he is thinking?

Just a few of the times Kevin was up to bat in Sunday's game.

Here comes Kevin, running to home plate......

Steps away from home plate.

Yes! He did score the run. However, as he crossed the plate, the umpire stepped directly

in front of my view.

 

Coach Mike (aka as Dad to Kevin, Jacob and Dylan) talks to the team

after a loss Sunday which eliminated them from further competition.

They played three games before they were eliminated.

My grandson, Jacob is standing by the tree.

He helps the coaches with the team when his travel team is not practicing.

All the coaches and Fossil Park 6 year old All Stars 2012

Congratulations on being picked for the team and playing your hearts out!

Kevin, Coach Mike, (dad) and Jacob.

I am blessed because both my SIL's are loving, hands on dads. Both are coaches, to BOTH

their children's teams. All four of my grands play ball.

Dylan, who is Mike's youngest son is only 3, but he will be slugging the bat before long, too.

My daughter's are blessed to have married great hubby's and dads.

I could not have picked better dads for my grands.

My hubby and I love being with family.

We also love our "special times together", just the two of us.

Hubby and I were feeling very proud and happy this weekend,

being able to enjoy the boys events with them.

So hubby and I did, something we do every so often, stop at Cracker Barrel,

order Apple dumpling dessert with ice cream and two spoons!

The two spoons is the magic.

Oh, yes, the smiles from everyone around us, especially our waitress.

It really takes so little to be happy.

I believe that gratitude is the key to keeping the door of your heart open to all

the beautiful possibilities in life

on a meager retirement budget like ours.

I start my day by Praising Him for ALL things in my life, even the hard stuff.

I end my day with Praise for the everything He has given me that day.

I just thought of a post I will do next week, another Cracker Barrel saga, of

our Cracker Barrel dishes that we stopped at almost every CB off of I-75 in KY, TN, GA and FL

on the way home from NC a few years ago.

All the stops were to find the missing pieces of the dishes we both loved!

You will see that while we don't have much money anymore,

we have a ton of fun and so many laughs, along with fantastic memories!

then this Friday

Please join me for Quiet Inspirations

you will love the beautiful photo this week I have picked just for you! 

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.

Lynn

Big event weekend

Our weekend was a BIG graduation, a BIG All Star baseball game

and dessert and two spoons at Cracker Barrel!

How was your weekend?

Our handsome 5 year old grandson,  Georgie

Our beautiful granddaughter, Kaylee Lynn

Georgie, first on the left

at his BIG preschool graduation!

He took the entire program and graduation very seriously.

A child is such a precious gift.

Being a grandmother, I could sit back and watch with eyes overflowing, not only my

daughter and SIL, but all the parents beaming with pride and cameras.

Proud "Mimi" after graduation

I am "Mimi" to Kaylee and Georgie.
"Grammie" to Jacob, Kevin and Dylan.

In front of the restaurant before we went in for lunch.

We were treated by our daughter and SIL.

Oh, the quiche was wonderful!

Naughty, Grampa, he did not give much warning before he took our picture.
BTW my daughter's family all look tanned and gorgeous as they just returned late Friday
evening from a week on the Outer Banks of NC!

We love this one!
Kellie, ordered a special dish of ice cream with hot fudge sauce and a candle on top
to surprise George at the end of lunch.
His expression says it all!
(we had all had cake at the reception after the graduation)
Photo is not the best when enlarged as it is Grampa's cell, but so happy he captured that
precious expression.
Is there anything more beautiful than being a grandmother?

Wednesday, I will share another grandson's first All Star game we saw on Sunday.
Then hubby and I "celebrated our blessings" over dessert and two spoons at
Cracker Barrel!

I sincerely wish to thank all of you for your patience lately with my lapse of
posting and blogging breaks and lapse of visiting as often as I had hoped.
I have thought of giving up blogging because of a life that is just "too rich"
in blessings in finding a man who loves my family as if they were his own,
and all that "family" involves.
Who does not just "show up" with me, but truly loves "our" grands.

Yet, all of you are part of the blessings in my life.
Your inspiration, your sharing, your love of your families, and
I so don't want to loose that part of my life, all together either.
So I thank you, from my heart, for your patience and loyalty to continue to read my blog.

From my heart to yours, may your day be blessed.
Lynn