Apple pie on a carousel with halibuts

This is usually reserved for someone's birthday in June but I was feeling a little neglectful so I surprised him with a deep-dish apple pie at the beginning of the week. He tells me that it is great - very juicy, perfect crust, and the apples are al dente.
Do you ever have those mornings where you just do not want to get up or you do get up early but you would rather putter in the garden or do some quilting or go for a hike, anything but go to work? Every blue moon I will have one of those mornings but then I get to work and find that someone has left a little gift on my desk. Such was the case the other day - one of my dear co-workers has gifted me with this sewing carousel. Some of the items inside are missing but it will be fun to add my own to this great little sewing kit.
Heading north to my hometown. The once Halibut capital of the World.
Have a great Victoria Day long weekend.

My Mother's garden

My Mother's kitchen

New fillers for my holes

My obsession with earrings started when I was about a year old; that is when I got my ears pierced. But when I grew up, I had a second set of holes put in; just another reason to buy more earrings. I will buy earrings just about anywhere - a vendor selling on the street corner, a hospital giftshop, the farmers market, Italy, of course, from a friend who crafts them from pine needles, the thrift store, our favourite truckstop on the freeway, and believe it or not, a winery.
Silver is my metal of choice but I do have a few made from that wonderful Italian gold. Mother-of-pearl, abalone, amber, recycled glass, wood, pine needles, thread, crystals, pearls, amethyst, and buttons have all dangled from my ears at one point or another.
But yesterday a package arrived with a special pair of earrings. Handmade by a wonderful artist, Nina Bagley, they are a combination of some of my favourite things. I may not have the latest styles in clothes but my ears will always look good with these babies.

The Blue Bird of Happiness?

Just looking at this little guy makes me feel good. Yes, I know I don't need anything to give me that feeling, just having a healthy family is more then enough. He (has not been named yet)perches on my computer table along with our family photo taken so many years ago, a cup gifted to me by a co-worker, postcards and letters from Korea, and a green stone heart with the word PEACE etched across the top. What is on your computer table that makes you feel happy?

Coming home pictures

The morning we left it was drizzling but at the coffee shop in the village we were greeted by pots of sunshine.



Another favourite stop on our way home is Il Giardino. I wandered through all the greenhouses admiring the hanging baskets, ran my fingers over all the different mosses, and checked out all the lavender pots.

The Country Store in Hedley has become another of our favourite stops. The store dates to 1904 and there is no prettier building in town.
This is the junk store in Hedley which I did not have a chance to check out - something to look forward to on our next trip.

Souvlaki anniversary

What better place to celebrate an Italian-Russian union then at a Greek taverna. After the disaster of last years anniversary dinner at "the Best Italian restaurant in Penticton" (Villa Rosa) we decided to try Theo's once again even though our first visit there was not enjoyable, to say the least. But we did recall that the food was good.
So this time we went early and ordered our food to go. The place was empty except for one table so while we waited we sat by the patio and toasted the day with a glass of red and some crusty bread with olive oil dip.

We were only at Theo's for about an hour but it was so relaxing to be able to sit back on the cushioned bench and enjoy the quiet and the special details - the fig plant touching the ceiling, the polished pine steps, the mismatched espresso cups, the terra cotta tiles, the luscious rosemary plants, and the old wood doors that welcome everyone into this slice of Greece right here in BC.