Saturday, March 10, 2012

Mamma-cita's Birthday


It's my mom's birthday.  Today we celebrate.
My mom, dad, sister, niece and nephew arrive at 8:30 am.

                              

Next, my brother in law, another sister and another niece arrive.
   
 We greet each other with big smiles, hugs and excitement.
Then, we're off for a special day in the Georgia wine country.       

First stop: shopping in the charming town of Dahlonega.  Home of the first gold mine site in America.

It was a perfect day for walking.  Clear skies, crisp weather, warm sun.

All sorts of things to catch the eye...

...and the imagination.

This is 'Marble Mecca' for my dad.  He loves marbles.  
Not because they take him back to childhood.  Rather, he grows fruit trees and feeds wild birds and grows a garden.  The squirrels wreck havoc.  They are his Archenemy.
He makes homemade slingshots and marbles are his ammo.  Get my drift?
He has five buckets worth of marbles scattered throughout his yard.

The shops in Dahlonega had all sorts of interesting things.

This may have been the most interesting, entertaining and creepy thing, all rolled into one.  An 'animatron' telling your fortune, describing your character and ending with your personal lucky numbers.
The little ones were glued.  So were the big ones. 

An uncle sharing a special moment with his little niece.

Then, a lovely family homestyle lunch to carry us over until...

...the great wine tasting begins.

Some were full-bodied, a robust bouquet of plum and blackberry, finishing with soft tannins tickling the pallet... 
Only kidding.  We're novices and don't know the first thing about describing wines other than, "We like this one," and "Ewww... that one's awful."

"To Healthy Living, Good Health and Life with Loved Ones.  Cheers."

Mamma-cita unwraps her birthday gift in the vineyard.

The cousins share a moment on some kind of high tech gadget.

While this little girl finds pleasure in the simple things.

It was a lovely day.  The sun is beginning to set.  
And it's time to make the journey home.
Happy Birthday, Mamma-cita.

May there be many more beautiful sunrises and sunsets in your life.

Love from Whippoorwill Road,
Bernadine

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