Wow! It's been a busy week.

Elk Grove's Strauss Festival has been a local favorite for over 20 years. An orchestra performs traditional pieces while dancers tell a story. It is a wonderful event. A friend and I went last night and had a fabulous time! There are even fireworks at the end. It is a free event with a $10 parking admission, however, we hit the parking lottery when I went in the VIP entrance and realized I knew one of the girls working :) We brought snacks and wine. I know I've blogged before about Michael David winery in Lodi and how much I love their 7 Deadly Zins. Well, I bought their 7 Heavenly Chards for last night. It was the perfect choice.




Sacramento is the land of the hot, hot sun! However, there are certain advantages to living with the heat. One is the flowers! This beautiful bougainvillea graces our back porch. I put the pot here a few months ago and it is really taking off. I love the bright pink flowers against the backdrop of our pool. We also have 3 crepe myrtles in the backyard and they just started blooming. I love flowers, especially in the summer.


I was thinking this might be a quiet week with the kids gone, but it really hasn't. Having no kids this week gives us the opportunity to live a slice of empty-nest life. I must admit I have been wondering what we would do when the kids are gone, since we spend so much time with their various activities.

We might run up into Placerville wine tasting. A friend of Joe's pours at a winery up there. Plus it's a beautiful town, full of quaint little shops.