Birthday bash!

Images: The picture of me in the top hat and drum is a first grade program - my little example that time marches on!

We had a great dinner at the Uptown Grill in LaSalle. We started the meal with a garlic, asiago cheese and shrimp stuffed portobello mushroom the size of my hand. It was really the best part of the meal. Next I had a bowl of asparagus vichyssoise and Jerry had the gumbo with fried okra. I had cedar plank Norwegian salmon fillet and Jerry had roasted duck breast with blueberry port wine glaze for the meal. Then, to make sure we totally over ate, stopped on the way home at a little Tastee Freeze for a chocolate ice cream cone. I'm just sure I will never eat again - oh, sure...

We visited the public gardens at Hornbaker Gardens. The poppies had all started to bloom and hostas (their specialty) are huge this year. I'm not a hosta expert and many look the same to me but they DO have some beauties. We also looked at possible shrubs to replace along the back side of the house once the contractor finishes the basement wall. All in all lots of fun.

Jerry was taking notes for making a metal praying mantis sculpture. I had inquired if this one (pictured) was for sale but it was the last one an 87 year old sculpurer had made and they didn't want to part with it - who can blame them.