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Sunday, January 17, 2010
Rain
It's raining, started some time last night. Rain is expected for the entire week. A wind advisory is set for tomorrow with 40 to 50 mile winds. Lots of snow for the mountains is expected too. Should be an interesting week.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Willie's
Yesterday Gerry had to go over to Carmichael Bicycles to pick up some wheels he ordered. He asked me to go along with him. It was noon when we left home. Across from Five Points, the shopping center where the bike shop is located is a place called "Willie's". We have passed it so many times yet have never stopped. Gerry decided we'd stop for lunch there and see what it was like.
Well, were we ever surprised!! It is a hamburger place and a whole lot more and a very busy place. Ordering is done at the counter and then your number is called out when your order is ready. I ordered a taco combination which comes with rice and beans. Since I can't eat beans, I got extra rice. This was probably the best tacos and rice I've had in a long time. Better than any Mexican restaurant. I had one steak and one chicken taco. The meat was cut in little pieces and there was cheese, chopped leafy lettuce, tomatoes and a mild sauce on the taco. What was so unique about it was that they were tied up in little bundles with some kind of a vegetable strip. Well, we weren't sure what it was, it did look eatable though. The rice was very moist and flavorful. So often times Mexican rice is dry. I devoured my tacos and Gerry finished up the rice I couldn't eat. Gerry had a burger and fries. I didn't ask him what kind of burger.
The tables all had stainless steel tops with backed wooden benches. The restaurant had kind of an industrial look to it. They have beignets which are square donuts that are dusted with powdered sugar. There is a restaurant in New Orleans that serves them and have made them very famous. I am going to have to go one of these days to get some beignets. :)) They serve mostly burgers. The onion rings were huge!!
Five Points is where most of Gerry's bicycle club rides start from. The bike trail is down the street from Five Points. There is a Bella Bru restaurant in this shopping center. They serve great food and baked goods there.
Well, anyway we were very impressed with Willie's and probably will visit again. I must remember to start taking my camera with me!! (Note to self).
Well, were we ever surprised!! It is a hamburger place and a whole lot more and a very busy place. Ordering is done at the counter and then your number is called out when your order is ready. I ordered a taco combination which comes with rice and beans. Since I can't eat beans, I got extra rice. This was probably the best tacos and rice I've had in a long time. Better than any Mexican restaurant. I had one steak and one chicken taco. The meat was cut in little pieces and there was cheese, chopped leafy lettuce, tomatoes and a mild sauce on the taco. What was so unique about it was that they were tied up in little bundles with some kind of a vegetable strip. Well, we weren't sure what it was, it did look eatable though. The rice was very moist and flavorful. So often times Mexican rice is dry. I devoured my tacos and Gerry finished up the rice I couldn't eat. Gerry had a burger and fries. I didn't ask him what kind of burger.
The tables all had stainless steel tops with backed wooden benches. The restaurant had kind of an industrial look to it. They have beignets which are square donuts that are dusted with powdered sugar. There is a restaurant in New Orleans that serves them and have made them very famous. I am going to have to go one of these days to get some beignets. :)) They serve mostly burgers. The onion rings were huge!!
Five Points is where most of Gerry's bicycle club rides start from. The bike trail is down the street from Five Points. There is a Bella Bru restaurant in this shopping center. They serve great food and baked goods there.
Well, anyway we were very impressed with Willie's and probably will visit again. I must remember to start taking my camera with me!! (Note to self).
Tuesday Night Dinner
Meat Loaf, Oven-fried Potatoes and fresh asparagus. I love fixing potatoes this way. I wash them real good, cut into pieces, season with salt and McCormick's garlic and pepper mixture and then toss them in some olive oil. The skin gets kinda crispy. We got the asparagus from Whole Foods and they are from Peru. They were good, although not as good as Sacramento Delta asparagus that we get in the spring. I like some mayonaise with my asparagus. Yummy Dinner!!
Monday Night Dinner
Pan-fried Pork Chops, Stove Top Dressing and fresh steamed yellow squash. It was very good!!
Monday, January 11, 2010
A Mother's Love
I subscribe to a blog called "The Fairfield House". Another friend mentioned the blog on her blog. I checked it out and decided to subscribe to the posts.
This morning's post the writer talks about her father who suffered a major stroke some years ago and although he recovered from the stroke, he had to have everything done for him. She says she had a very strained relationship with her father.
The post made me think about my mother who died in 2002. I had a love/hate relationship with her. She was constantly unhappy with me about something. Our relationship was so strained most of the time, that we would go years without speaking to each other. There were times when our relationship was very good. Times when I could call her, crying about something and she listened and offered advice and comfort.
I questioned her love, did she really love me, did she really care. I wanted so much for her to show me that she loved me. She came to California for a visit once and was so critical and judgmental about everything I did. I got so upset with her because she would sit in her room all day and seldom spend anytime with me or Denise. This one day I was so overwhelmed with my frustration that I verbally attacked her. All the things that I had bottled up over the years came spewing out. It was not a pretty sight. She went back home soon after that incident and we didn't speak for a long time. Who could blame her?
She was always very stern with us kids, me especially. I don't remember her smiling much.
On Mother's Day some years after this paticular incident I was so overwhelmed with emotion and knew I had to call her and ask for her forgiveness and to say that I forgave her too. I really didn't need to forgive her for anything, she had not done anything wrong. After that phone call, our relationship improved somewhat. The thing I learned from that conversation was that my mother did love me and she showed it in the best way she knew how. It may not have been what I wanted or how I wanted her to demonstrate her love to me. However, her way of demonstrating her love was the best it was going to be.
There were more occasions of her being unhappy with me before she died. I saw her for the last time in 2000. She was in a nursing home by this time. The one thing I wanted from her was for her to know me when I saw her and to know that I was there. I saw her in the hospital in 1999 and she didn't know who I was. My younger sister and I drove out to the nursing home. Mom was sitting outside. She knew my sister was going for a visit, she didn't know I would be with my sister. When I got out of the car, she had a big smile on her face and said to me "I knew you were coming". I asked her if she knew who I was, she said "yes, you're my daughter Betty" I said "where do I live?" and she said "California". My prayer was answered. I spent a week at home and each time I saw her, she knew me. Before she got sick, in her letters she would tell me she loved me.
My daughter, Denise and I have always had a very close relationship. Being a single mom for a lot of years, I was strict and stern also. I probably didn't smile a lot either. However, I truly believe that Denise knows without a shadow of a doubt that I love her and always have. We have always been affectionate with each other, which was one thing that my mother was not and I wanted it so badly. Whenever I told her "no" she couldn't do something she wanted, I always made sure to tell her it was because I loved and cared for her and wanted her to be safe.
It was such a joy when I realized I could have an adult relationship with Denise. Over the years she has called to sometimes ask for advice, ask for prayer and sometimes just unload. I call those calls "Daughter needs Mom". She has also in turn given advice when warranted.
Over the years I have watched her interact with her children when I've been visiting. She is affectionate, supportive, stern when she needs to be and most of all lets her children know she loves them unconditionally. My granddaughter refers to her mom as her "40 year old BFF". (best friend forever). Nathanael is very close to Denise also.
Being a Mom is not an easy job. So much is involved in the task. I think the greatest task in being a mom is to love your children unconditionally and to let them know it in everything a Mom does. My daughter is my greatest joy and I love her unconditionally!! Always have and always will!!
This morning's post the writer talks about her father who suffered a major stroke some years ago and although he recovered from the stroke, he had to have everything done for him. She says she had a very strained relationship with her father.
The post made me think about my mother who died in 2002. I had a love/hate relationship with her. She was constantly unhappy with me about something. Our relationship was so strained most of the time, that we would go years without speaking to each other. There were times when our relationship was very good. Times when I could call her, crying about something and she listened and offered advice and comfort.
I questioned her love, did she really love me, did she really care. I wanted so much for her to show me that she loved me. She came to California for a visit once and was so critical and judgmental about everything I did. I got so upset with her because she would sit in her room all day and seldom spend anytime with me or Denise. This one day I was so overwhelmed with my frustration that I verbally attacked her. All the things that I had bottled up over the years came spewing out. It was not a pretty sight. She went back home soon after that incident and we didn't speak for a long time. Who could blame her?
She was always very stern with us kids, me especially. I don't remember her smiling much.
On Mother's Day some years after this paticular incident I was so overwhelmed with emotion and knew I had to call her and ask for her forgiveness and to say that I forgave her too. I really didn't need to forgive her for anything, she had not done anything wrong. After that phone call, our relationship improved somewhat. The thing I learned from that conversation was that my mother did love me and she showed it in the best way she knew how. It may not have been what I wanted or how I wanted her to demonstrate her love to me. However, her way of demonstrating her love was the best it was going to be.
There were more occasions of her being unhappy with me before she died. I saw her for the last time in 2000. She was in a nursing home by this time. The one thing I wanted from her was for her to know me when I saw her and to know that I was there. I saw her in the hospital in 1999 and she didn't know who I was. My younger sister and I drove out to the nursing home. Mom was sitting outside. She knew my sister was going for a visit, she didn't know I would be with my sister. When I got out of the car, she had a big smile on her face and said to me "I knew you were coming". I asked her if she knew who I was, she said "yes, you're my daughter Betty" I said "where do I live?" and she said "California". My prayer was answered. I spent a week at home and each time I saw her, she knew me. Before she got sick, in her letters she would tell me she loved me.
My daughter, Denise and I have always had a very close relationship. Being a single mom for a lot of years, I was strict and stern also. I probably didn't smile a lot either. However, I truly believe that Denise knows without a shadow of a doubt that I love her and always have. We have always been affectionate with each other, which was one thing that my mother was not and I wanted it so badly. Whenever I told her "no" she couldn't do something she wanted, I always made sure to tell her it was because I loved and cared for her and wanted her to be safe.
It was such a joy when I realized I could have an adult relationship with Denise. Over the years she has called to sometimes ask for advice, ask for prayer and sometimes just unload. I call those calls "Daughter needs Mom". She has also in turn given advice when warranted.
Over the years I have watched her interact with her children when I've been visiting. She is affectionate, supportive, stern when she needs to be and most of all lets her children know she loves them unconditionally. My granddaughter refers to her mom as her "40 year old BFF". (best friend forever). Nathanael is very close to Denise also.
Being a Mom is not an easy job. So much is involved in the task. I think the greatest task in being a mom is to love your children unconditionally and to let them know it in everything a Mom does. My daughter is my greatest joy and I love her unconditionally!! Always have and always will!!
Miles on Drive Yesterday
We traveled 119 plus miles on our drive yesterday to find the sun and have lunch.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Sun!!
We drove up I-80 in search of sun and some lunch. It was cloudy and heavily overcast here when we left. As we drove up I-80 and got close to Newcastle and Auburn, we hit some fog. Not heavy, just enough to let you know it was foggy. Then amazingly after we got through Auburn, the skies cleared and there was the SUN!! We drove further east to Colfax. Gerry suggested Madonna Inn for lunch. It is located in the "downtown" section of Colfax, across the tracks. Well, unfortunately, it appeared it has gone out of business and there is a place called "The Naked Rooster" in its place. It wasn't open, may be out of business too. Next to it was a bar that said it served food. That was not a place we wanted to go.
We saw another restaurant just off the freeway and drove back to it. It is called TJ's Roadhouse. Actually it has been several different restaurants over the years. They were kinda busy, however we did get seated right away. Gerry wanted breakfast, they stop serving it at 1 pm and it was after 1. So we had to settle for a sandwich. After waiting a good 10 minutes or more, a waitress finally came over to take our order. Our order didn't take that long to come out from the kitchen.
I had a Patty Melt with their homemade potato chips. Gerry had a Hot Pastrami with fries. Our waitress stopped once to see if everything was ok then she "disappeared" so to speak. Gerry wanted some more coffee and was able to stop her and ask for more. Well, she never came back with the coffee. After we were both done, I got up to use the restroom. I saw her, stopped her and told her my husband wanted more coffee. She put it off on the girls clearing the tables, that they were to refill his cup. Gerry had his credit card ready with our check, however she didn't take it. He finally asked the girl taking my plate if she would run it.
There was a couple that came in, they were on a motorcycle. They waited for about 10 minutes and got up and left. They hadn't even been asked what they wanted to drink. The place was busy, however not overly. It appeared our waitress was the only one taking orders. There was another woman there besides 2 girls clearing tables and seating people.
We left there and took the highway that goes to Grass Valley. It is a really pretty drive through there and we've done it many times before. After we left Grass Valley, we drove through Rough 'n Ready, Penn Valley and then some other roads. I honestly had no idea where we were. We did get on one road that took us to Hwy 49 in Auburn. We took another road off of 49 and wound around through the hills until we got to Lincoln on Hwy 65. It was pretty even though we had lost the sun and was back to the dreary skies. Saw lots of cattle grazing, sheep, alpacas, lots of horses. There's a lot of wineries through that area too. Beautiful ranches, large homes. Going down one road we came over a little hill and there was a beautiful all white home with porches all around the house. Off to the side of it was a large lake and there was a flock of geese around the water. Three or four of them flew over us as we passed through. They are so beautiful although they are pretty noisy.
I need to remember to take my camera with me when we go on these drives. I haven't been doing that because of all the trouble I was having with uploading my pictures. Now that that problem has been fixed, I can start doing it again.
Have a great week!!
We saw another restaurant just off the freeway and drove back to it. It is called TJ's Roadhouse. Actually it has been several different restaurants over the years. They were kinda busy, however we did get seated right away. Gerry wanted breakfast, they stop serving it at 1 pm and it was after 1. So we had to settle for a sandwich. After waiting a good 10 minutes or more, a waitress finally came over to take our order. Our order didn't take that long to come out from the kitchen.
I had a Patty Melt with their homemade potato chips. Gerry had a Hot Pastrami with fries. Our waitress stopped once to see if everything was ok then she "disappeared" so to speak. Gerry wanted some more coffee and was able to stop her and ask for more. Well, she never came back with the coffee. After we were both done, I got up to use the restroom. I saw her, stopped her and told her my husband wanted more coffee. She put it off on the girls clearing the tables, that they were to refill his cup. Gerry had his credit card ready with our check, however she didn't take it. He finally asked the girl taking my plate if she would run it.
There was a couple that came in, they were on a motorcycle. They waited for about 10 minutes and got up and left. They hadn't even been asked what they wanted to drink. The place was busy, however not overly. It appeared our waitress was the only one taking orders. There was another woman there besides 2 girls clearing tables and seating people.
We left there and took the highway that goes to Grass Valley. It is a really pretty drive through there and we've done it many times before. After we left Grass Valley, we drove through Rough 'n Ready, Penn Valley and then some other roads. I honestly had no idea where we were. We did get on one road that took us to Hwy 49 in Auburn. We took another road off of 49 and wound around through the hills until we got to Lincoln on Hwy 65. It was pretty even though we had lost the sun and was back to the dreary skies. Saw lots of cattle grazing, sheep, alpacas, lots of horses. There's a lot of wineries through that area too. Beautiful ranches, large homes. Going down one road we came over a little hill and there was a beautiful all white home with porches all around the house. Off to the side of it was a large lake and there was a flock of geese around the water. Three or four of them flew over us as we passed through. They are so beautiful although they are pretty noisy.
I need to remember to take my camera with me when we go on these drives. I haven't been doing that because of all the trouble I was having with uploading my pictures. Now that that problem has been fixed, I can start doing it again.
Have a great week!!
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