Going Back

This past Saturday I had to go visit someone in the Alamo Heights area of town and started telling the girls about my first date with their dad. I had never been on a one-on-one date with anyone since we had moved to San Antonio. I was 17. All my previous dates had been with groups of people so this was new for me. I was scared. Dumb, yes I know. As soon as I got in the car with Emil he took a left down the street by our apts. I had never been down that street in the ... ohhh... the three years we lived there. I knew the streets I needed to go down to get to school and the store and that was good enough for me. So we turn left down the street next to our apts and there is a highway to our right. Who would have thought... I certainly didn't know. Now I was scared. I was thinking.. oh my gosh.. I have no idea where we are.. he's taking me on this highway... he's gonna kill me! My heart was pounding.. he was listening to this crazy heavy metal music... I didn't know what I had gotten myself into. I was just thinking... I hope I told my mom I loved her before I left. Dramatic, yes.... but it was so out of my comfort zone I didn't know how to react. He wouldn't tell me where he was taking me... which made it worse. I saw high highways and tree tops... I saw signs for the zoo... WHAT WAS GOING ON?? Then we pulled into the the Japanese Tea Gardens... or Chinese Tea Gardens..depending on which sign you look at there. It was absolutely beautiful. Lush green plants and cherry blossom trees.. huge goldfish swimming in the ponds... stone bridges and stairs.. a waterfall... it was beautiful. We walked up a little hill and over a wooden bridge to a gazebo. We stood there and talked... another couple was there as well. When they left he kissed me. It was our first kiss. Oh man.. it still makes me smile thinking about it. And we kissed and kissed and kissed some more. So I decided that I would take the girls there to see where our family started.. where it all began. Well, smart me was thinking... we've had weeks of temperatures over 100 degree. So here we are... with our Sonic half price happy hour drinks.... going to the Tea Gardens. As soon as we stepped out of the car I think we knew the mistake we made... but we did it. For about 20 mins.

The entrance.. Lena was wearing leggings under her dress. She's so modest. When we got back in the car the leggings were off!!!

See the smiles.. as the pictures progess the smiles began to go away!! It was just too hot!




Lena with her leggings...



The stairs behind the girls going up to the large gazebo over looking the ponds and gardens. I didn't get a picture of that though. There were too many people and it was way too hot!

My Lena still smiling..



This is the opposite the entrance of the gardens



CC and Lena on one of the higher bridges. CC was so scared and could hardly smile.

CC took this picture of herself. Lena and I were off running because the bees kept chasing us for our drinks... CC thought it was funny.. me and Lena.. not so much!



Me with the waterfall behind me.. you just can't see the waterfall..



Smiles are going away...

Don't you just love the Sonic cups in every picture?

This the water fall. The water had just finished and of course I didn't get the camera out in time... so all you can see (if you really really look) is some trickling...



The girls just walking one of the stone bridges... Of course CC was scared...



Hot and tired...




On another bridge...



Me and Lena right after being chased by bees.. see... we're smiling we didn't get stung...



A picture of the largest bridge. The waterfall is to the right...



CC on the bridge to the gazebo where the first kiss took place...



It had these wooden planks so of course they were scared to walk on them..



The last picture of the day. We never made it to the gazebo...



Sunday morning I got up early and made banana bread for Emil. He had been begging me to make some, so I thought I'd get up early and make it.

The batter before going into the oven..



And the after. Ignore the wine. That was for the beef and mushrooms Emil and I made the night before..

I like the recipe for banana bread from my Betty Crocker cookbook. It turns out so moist. I like to add extra vanilla.. and I mean extra... and extra sugar and nuts, both pecans and walnuts. I also sprinkle a little extra sugar on top once it's in the loaf pan.



I still need to post pics of my weekend with my nephews. You would think by all the pics on this posting that I got the hang of pictures.. it's getting better but not at all easy. This posting took me two laptops, two hours and two drafts.. but I'm getting there.