We went to Dallas this weekend and met my parents for dinner.  My mom ordered a roasted chicken, and this is what she got!!  It was so funny as it came with that knife in it.  The restaurant  was called Brio Tuscan Grille and it was in Grapevine at the Southlake Town Square.  The whole area was beautiful and we got to enjoy 70 degree weather.

I love foggy mornings.

Our room was upgraded to a King Suite with a lake view which is $100/night more than we actually paid.

Here is the hotel’s marina which does not seem very busy on a cold fall morning.

There are quaint spots all over the hotel grounds.

Sophie – the poodle.

It looks charming, but then we all know there is a very thin line separating charming from nightmarish.

I wonder what is in those cans to the left….  I probably don’t want to know.  Is that an old refrigerator to the left…??  It looks like an old appliance of some sort.

Speaking of old appliances…here are some that still in use:

The knick knacks were so old they were considered antiques and for sale should anyone want to take home a momento…

I assumed these momentos were free to take…

Wait….I promised a coyote.

Oh my!!!  There are two coyotes…I under promised and over-delivered.  Does the hubby look a little tired.  Well that could be because we got the honeymoon suite featured below:

It was really called the the honeymoon suite, because the bed had a bouncy problem.  At the slitest touch the bed would convulse with bouncing.  I don’t know how else to describe it.  It was unlike anything I have ever seen.  It felt like I was being “bounced-to-sleep.”

Everything was within walking distance.

Try getting these three fellows to all look at the camera at the same time….

Another summer is right around the corner and, with it, more memories to be made.

PS. I don’t have a picture of the conditioner, but I have 7 eye-witnesses.  Thank goodness I took my own.

]]> http://www.petuniabloom.com/family/once-upon-a-summer/feed 1 http://www.petuniabloom.com/family/spring-break-another-video http://www.petuniabloom.com/family/spring-break-another-video#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:10:12 +0000 egillette http://www.petuniabloom.com/?p=577 Here are two more videos of the Show Choir.

Guy Song from Petunia Bloom on Vimeo.

Below:  Jazz Choir within the Show Choir.

Jazz Choir from Petunia Bloom on Vimeo.

Here is my husband, me, my sister’s friend – Tanner, my sister, and my Mimi.

Their show choir performed two nights in a row as the opening act.  The first night was great!! We got video of it.  The second night was very good, but they all seemed tired.  I’m sure they didn’t get a whole lot of  sleep while they were there.

Same group….my Mom instead of Mimi at the right side.

I could have used a little more make-up!!!

Here is video of my sister and her partner singing and dancing to a song that I did when I was in Show Choir!!

Jump Jive from Petunia Bloom on Vimeo.

Here are some more pictures of this beautiful place I didn’t know existed!!

Here is interesting information about Hallslatt and pronunciation.

On the way to the farm, Oklahoma built a welcome center on the border.  It has a dog park in it.  There is a section for large dogs and one for small dogs.  Sophie looks forward to using that sometime.  I didn’t let her play there this time, because there was too much poop.  Maybe next time…

Here is a view of my dad’s farm from our house.

Sophie LOVES the farm.  Did I mention Sophie LOVES the farm???

Sophie was like a flash of lightening!

There are more pictures to come.  I could have dropped the camera and it would have been a good picture….except trying to catch Sophie.  That was quite a challenge.

One of the recipes that was demonstrated while we were there was this Apple Salad.  I have made it TWICE since getting back.

Ingredients:
7-8 apples (I used Gala)
1 can crushed pineapple
1/3 bag small marshmallows
Nuts (I like Walnuts)
*optional* cut up orange slices
1 cup fat free half and half, give or take
small container of light cool whip

Directions:
Drain can of pineapple into large bowl and fill the bowl up half way with water.
Cut up all the apples in to small pieces and place in bowl with pineapple juice.
In another large bowl, whip up cool whip, crushed pineapple, and half and half.
Stir in nuts and orange slices.
Add apple pieces, stir, and store in fridge for up to a week.

Notes:
The orange slices make this salad really sweet.  I would prefer the salad without them, but my husband likes them added.  The teacher at the culinary craft school said that she adds different types of candy depending on the holiday.  Orange slices are good for Halloween, etc…