Dry Creek

Dry Creek is part of the Creek Group in my fair city.

Located in The Heights (one of the funkier neighborhoods),

Dry Creek was originally a 1930's gas station.

Now it's a burger joint ... and a good one.

The Creek Group is a charming group of cafes dedicated

to the 'country folk' mentality.

Slow down and listen to some good ol' country and blues

and have a good time. 

It's like fishing without the pole.

THE KIDS are getting married later in the year.

Dry Creek was a good place to get the families together and for

his folks to meet the Auntie (the woman behind the camera)!

Funky Decor

His folks.

Can you tell we had a great time?

And, the food was good too!

I had the regular burger with a side of jalapeno and sweet potato fries.

Then there was a West Coast Burger -- turkey burger with avocado and sprouts.

THE KID tried the house specialty--

the Triple Bypass Burger -- cheese, bacon and fried egg.

He liked it .

Good Food.

Good Company.

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Remembering Love

From a Box of Kisses postcards published by Chronicle Books

remembering love

the look in the eyes, the smile

YES, we were lucky

A big thank you to our hostesses:

Beth for Postcard Friendship Friday

and

Rebecca for Haiku My Heart

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled weekend.

Up, Up and Away!

It's Friday and that means Postcard and Haiku day!

I have two postcards for you.

Another from the Memento Box.

The back of the postcard reads:

Experiment, 2000, oil on board, 36" x 24"

c 2004, Inez Storer, from Mementos, 30 Postcards, 

published by Chronicle Books.

And the second postcard from the 

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

(my old home town).

The back of the card reads:

"The launch field is the site of the Balloon Fiesta's mass ascension

when hundreds of balloons at a time go up in  waves. Actual

flight times for balloons average one to two hours, but the

entire ballooning experience -- including pre-flight preparations,

flight, and post-flight celebration -- may take three hours."

And, lastly, a photo from my memories.

October 1981, the first year we crewed for a balloon in the Fiesta.

I'm the photographer, recording for history something every balloon pilot 

and crew dream about ... landing the balloon in the chase vehicle!!!!!!!!

Mr. Dragon is the one in the back on the right with the big smile.

I miss him. 

up, up and away

memories of other days

love gone to the stars

***

A big thank you to our hostesses:

Beth for Postcard Friendship Friday

and

Rebecca for Haiku My Heart

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled weekend.

Cows On Parade!

Going through photos each week,

I never know what I will find.

Mr. Dragon had started putting photos in albums (the non sticky kind).

I'm trying to finish what he started.

This week I found photos we took of the Cows On Parade In Houston.

I just had to put the space shuttle cow in the middle to honor its final flight. 

The cows were painted by artists and sculptors and were on parade 

in the late summer and early fall of 2001.

We took photos of the cows we found in the museum area of Houston...

just a few of the 325!

They were auctioned off to benefit Texas Children's Hospital.

***

This is a Better Homes and Gardens Recipe that I just had to share.

Chocolate and strawberries ... a combination that is hard to beat!!

Better Homes and Gardens

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

6 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced strawberries

1/4  cup sugar

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 beaten egg

2/3 cup milk

1 cup whipping cream

Chocolate ice cream topping (optional)

Whole strawberries (optional)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Lightly grease a baking sheet.  Combine sliced strawberries and the 1/4  cup sugar. Set aside.

For shortcakes, in a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, the 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in buter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine egg and milk; add all at once to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Drop dough into 6 portions on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in 450 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool slightly on a wire rack.

To serve, split warm shortcakes in half crosswise. In a chilled small mixing bowl beat whipping cream, the 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spoon a little whipped cream on shortcake bottoms. Top with sliced strawberries. Add shortcake tops and top with remaining whipped cream. Drizzle with chocolate ice cream topping and garnish with whole strawberries, of desired. Makes 6 servings.

MAKE AHEAD TIP

Prepare and bake shortcakes; cool completely on wire rack. Place in freezer container or plastic freezer bag; seal, label, and freeze up to 2 weeks.  To serve; wrap frozen shortcakes in foil. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until warm.

***

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful, Joy filled week. 

Memories

I've been busy scanning photos again.

I found one of those old, horrible, sticky paged photo albums.

What nasty things it does to the photos!

I thought I better get busy scanning.

When we lived in New Mexico,

we were part of a hot air balloon crew.

These photos are from my very first hot air balloon ride.

Beautiful Barnes balloon.

Piloted by a woman who I worked with.

30 years later, she is still a friend.

My first balloon ride was in beautiful Angel Fire, New Mexico, August 1981.

 A lifetime ago.

It was a small gathering of balloonists and their crews.

Silent running until the burner was turned on. 

Moved along by the wind.

Amazing! 

Mr. Dragon wanted to become a balloon pilot in his spare time (!!!!).

Before he started lessons, we moved to Texas. 

A beautiful place, a beautiful time, and beautiful memories. 

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Watery Wednesday

To see other watery posts visit Watery Wednesday.

Memories.....

I found this while cleaning out Mr. Dragon's closet. 

It was taken June, 1997.

I can smile through the tears and remember............

Strong back, soft heart

Memories

I've been scanning photos and thought I'd share some from Paris in 1995.

The magnificent Eiffel Tower was built to impress visitors to the Universal Exhibition of 1889.

It was meant to be a temporary addition to the Paris skyline.

Paris is dotted with many areas of parkland, intimate gardens, and attractive tree lined squares.

Each is a reminder of the French capital's past.

The flat Jardins des Invalides and the landscaped Champ-de-Mars were the grounds of the 

Hotel des Invalides and the Ecole Militaire. They were the site of the Paris Universal Exhibition, whose reminder is the Eiffel Tower. 

It seems as if you can see forever from the top of the Eiffel tower.

On a clear day you can see some 45 miles.

This was not a clear day.

The Palais de Chaillot with its huge, curved colonnaded wings each culminating in an immense pavilion, houses four museums, a theater and the Cinematheque. Designed in Neoclassical style for the 1937 Paris Exhibition, it is adorned with sculptures and bas-reliefs. 

The shady Jardins du Trocadero sloping down to the river from the Palais de Chaillot were planted after the 1937 Universal Exhibition. Here is the largest fountain in Paris and fine views of the river and the Eiffel Tower.

There is no better way to see Paris than to walk along the River Seine.

Thank you for sharing this short trip down memory lane.

A big THANK YOU to Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.

Wishing you well and a JOY filled week.

Memory Lane

When the Vermont Country Store catalog arrives in the mail, it is a trip down memory lane for both of us. We always look through the catalog and we've helped the economy on several occasions. Mr. Dragon loves the "old-fashioned candy" (have I mentioned he has a sweet tooth?) and we check out the books (remember Dick and Jane?) and toys (pull toys that clack and squeak and wobble and entertain everyone for hours and hours), Raggedy Ann and Andy.

In case you don't already receive this catalog and would like to make a trip down memory lane, or if you are a youngster and wonder what in the world I'm talking about (you haven't reached *wise* in age yet), try this: Vermont Country Store.

Remember the commercials and the song "her windsong is on my mind"? Here it is, Windsong perfume, Interlude, White Shoulders, handmade powder puff, Yardley Lavender. All the scents that bring me memories of people, places, events. Oh, my! And a real, puffy, soft powder puff -- powder????? What's that? !!!!!

Or a little Evening in Paris, Arpege by Lanvin, Heaven Sent, Jungle Gardenia, Maja.

Who wouldn't want Jackie Kennedy's special secret sauce (!!!!) for the skin? Tangee lipstick and rouge. Rouge reminds me of my mother.

How about chenille bedspreads? Not my style, but I can enjoy looking at them and remembering the feel and just look at the opulent designs.

Lastly, a little something for the garden -- metal table and chairs.
I remember them well.

Enjoy your memories!