Rainy Sunday lunch and shopping

Sunday it was  rainy like it was the day before.  Steve and I took a drive to Lewis Ginter Gardens where we like to have lunch or early dinner some days when we can.  
Lunch was had  in the cafeteria , then a look in the garden shop.
 Steve had roasted red pepper crab bisque with shrimp salad,  tuna,  vegetable bean salad

marinated tomatoes with mozzarella

we sat next to the patio door so we could watch the rain fall.

A rabbit greeted us as we entered

this birdhouse was sitting in an urn

A rockin family

I am liking these bright colors

Such a pretty arrangement of painted eggs from Austria

I have never thought to clean an egg from the long side of it instead of the end

The lamb is pretty

engraved or stamped spoons for the garden

my mom has one of these she got out of a tree many moons ago

pretty decorated boxes
I wish I could have bought one of many things.  Love this garden decor so much here and it's always arranged nice.  

lovely hand painted bird houses

a good start

Breakfast this morning is a Thomas raisin bagel - my favorite, not hard or chewy. They are to me a cross between an english muffin , which they also make and a bagel - good blend.
.

I like them with  a mixture of 4  ounces of cream cheese and 2 medium strawberries smashed with about a tablespoon of honey

Spread on a warm bagel

I take big bites -  yummm

I may have another.

Dried wreath

I found  magnolia leaves that I used on the doorway this past Christmas and made another wreath.   I may spray it a color later on,  but right now I like the color.   A copper shade may be nice too.
They are brittle so I had to be very careful gluing them on the circle I cut from foam board.   An acrylic spray finish in a couple coats made the wreath shine somewhat.

 

 

A paper clip to use to attache to door

 

 

Acorns I found when I visited Cape Hatteras

 Always finding something from nature where ever I go

I am sharing with time travel thursday at Brambleberry cottage 

 

 

Homeward --3

The day before we left we spotted this German restaurant, Steve loves bratwurst and I do love saurkraut.    

 

We pulled in only to find they are closed like lots of places on Monday.

 disappointment for sure

we will try it next time around

 

onward home

this date was the 18th and still some snow

 

 

not far from home and we had a great mid day meal

Steves ribs

 

My barbeque

 

nice fire going

We enjoyed our meal while gazing through the window at the rain that started to come down

 

As we were leaving  I looked up above the doorway to words I so agree with.

 

Next stop is home

 

 

adalyns garden

Our little grand daughter Adalyn with the help of Mom and Dad made her own flower garden.   It has sunflower seeds,  and other flower seeds,   will keep updates on the progress.   Here is a picture of the first planting day.

she picked out this little flag of the happy snail and pot of flowers with her mom

her daddy made her sign that says "Adalyns Flower Garden " with a sunny face

 

 

she is up to something

she's such a doll,  and she is not supposed to be playing with the channel selector to the t.v.

she looks happy she did.

Raphine Va. in snow -- 2

What difference from yesterday,  we got up Monday- took  a look out of the window and snow cover , lots of it.

I took this picture from hotel window with zoom lens to get closer.  It looks like a cozy place to be on day like today

taken from car - hazy day

I want to live here

Raphine -  the word "raphis" a  Greek word is what Raphine was taken from which means "to sew".
James Edward Allen Gibbs on June 2, 1857 patented the first chain stitch single thread sewing machine , he in partnership with James Wilcox became the Wilcox and Gibbs sewing machine company.   Their commercial sewing machines are still made and today.


Raphine is an unincorporated community in Rockbridge county ,and is located in the Shenandoah valley  of Va.
It is in what was known as the breadbasket of the south.  

cozy

making our way on Raphine road which all of the roads were in good shape free of ice and snow

serenity

Rockbridge Vineyard

 

definitely back to visit in summer

 

 

 

 

beautiful farms in the landscape 

 

in crumbles,  but pretty somehow

close up of icicles on house

closed on Monday and Tuesday - shucks.

Wades Mill is a working water powered grist mill. 
An early settler in the Shenandoah valley of Va.  Capt.  Joseph Kennedy a Scotsman, built the mill around 1750.

area around the mill

pretty ride back