Hello, NC!

I got home last night! It is SO GOOD to be home....Hello house, I missed you! Oh, yard...your trees are so green and lovely! And oh....SUCH A HUGE PILE OF MAIL! 0_o

My last post was on Sunday..and here it is Wednesday! Can you tell that I was having just such a super time with my friend and her family that the blog took a back seat!?

I will need to back up even before my Sunday post. Saturday was such a fun full packed day, that I can't leave it out!

We started out nice and early with a drive to Napa for picnicing and wine tasting, the whole clan. There were 8 of us to start with, if you include Ryan, the cutest 5 month old you have ever seen.

AND...since it was a 2 hour drive in the car to Napa from Scotts Valley, I of course worked on THIS in the car...it's getting done! All I've got left to do is finish that inner cheddar border, and it is DONE! (I'll need to find another project to baste and take to Kansas with me on Sunday....adding that to the list of must-dos this week!)

Have you ever had Paella? If you haven't.....you've missed a treat. Our picnic sat languishing in the car because this amazing paella was being served at the wine tasting. Just LOOK at this! Of course, I am seeing things in vivid quilterchrome (Remember kodachrome? LOL) color!

There were succulent VERY LARGE shrimp...and mussels, cod, chicken, peppers, onions, rice..just simmering away in big huge wok type pans until it was ready. There was music...it was so lovely and festive out on the patio. YUM!!

Here is a pic of Gerard doing his THANG...and he does it so well!

Of course, Napa is all about the scenery. Growing up in California, I can honestly say that somehow I missed out on the wonders of Napa because I left when I was 19. But it was such a beautiful day for a gorgeous drive..these are all pics I took from the car as we were driving:


Napa California May 2010
If your browser or reader does not view the slide show, you can click to the link to my actual webshots album to view them.

It was SUCH a gorgeous day!! The hills were still green...and I love seeing them that way the most. In the summer they get dry grass brown, but it was so lush and lovely...oh California, I missed you! I hope it is not another 15 years until I get to go back.

And that wasn't IT for the day...we had HOCKEY TICKETS for the Stanley Cup Playoffs game...The San Jose Sharks vs Detroit Redwings! GO SHARKS! I was so excited to be there. My Minnesota relatives are very hot and heavy into Hockey...but honest to truth? The last hockey game I watched was when I still lived in Idaho, and my Oldest son Jason was about 12-14 and playing on a street hockey team! Still...Hockey, I can get into and understand a lot easier than football. And it was a fast paced exciting game...down to the last 5 minutes...can they pull it off? YES! And Sharks win!

It was so exciting, even leaving the stadium and hearing the crowds just cheer and cheer and pennants flying and cars beeping and it was just SO FUN! So needless to say, I am now a Sharks fan, got the tshirt :c) And I had no voice for the next couple of days!

There is so much to catch up on here....so I'll call this good enough for today and resume with you next time!