Lunch with Grandma Elly

Last weekend, Mom and I went shopping at Alderwood Mall for some new spring shoes and clothes.  We had fun trying on lot of different styles of shoes, and then met Dave and Kaila at Azteca for lunch.  It was good to have the family together over a nice meal.

After lunch, Mom and I went to Macy's and found some nice sweaters and blouses for the warmer weather and for upcoming events.

Signs of Spring!

There are signs of Spring everywhere this last week!  The rhubarb is poking its leaves out of the garden soil, the Flowering Currant tree is in full bloom, and we weeded the raspberry patch and removed the old, dead canes from last season.  Once we mow the back yard and the pasture, the larger jobs will be done, and I can get to the smaller projects, such as finishing up a couple of new flower beds along the fence, and buying a half-dozen rhododendrons.

Maltby Piano Studio Group Lesson Today

Today, we had our "Performance Anxiety Boot Camp" class at the Music and Arts Auditorium in downtown Bothell.  We had a large group of students, and enjoyed a fast-paced program during our 90 minutes together.  We discussed what anxiety is, and how we can learn to control it.  Our three teams competed for prizes as they worked through ways to relax and calm themselves before and during a performance.  We always learn so much from each other!

Now that our Spring Recital is on May 7, we have 8 weeks to practice what we learned today so we can continue to improve our piano playing as we share our music with others.

The Yakima Fruit Market

This was the week that the Yakima Fruit Market (YFM) opened!  This is always a special event for me, since they have been closed since Christmas.

I took in the sights and sounds of the market today.  It was packed with people, and the parking lot was full.  Everyone is waiting for spring to arrive!

First Camellias of the Spring Season

Only 15 days until Spring!  I am SO ready!

Here are my first two camellias.  Aren't they lovely?  The light was perfect this afternoon when I took this shot.

Chocolate Bliss

Here are a few closeups of the chocolate we saw at the Chocolate on the Beach Festival.  There were chocolate-themed dinners, a chocolate baking contest, chocolate appetizers and drinks, and a chocolate-eating contest.

Whidbey Island Fudge

Pecan Dream

Assortment

Yum! (that's all I can say!))...

More Chocolate Festival Pictures

Here are a couple more pictures from the festival.  I bought enough chocolate to satisfy our sweet tooth, and plenty to bring home for our neighbors and my piano students!  We've been doing chocolate tastings with Starbucks pairings all week!

Captain "Savvy" Jack

More Pirates!  Arrrr!!!!

Hand-Made Individual Chocolates

Chocolate on the Beach Festival!

We attended the 8th Annual Chocolate on the Beach Festival this year!  It was the first year for us, so we made an effort to see it all.  What a great experience!

We arrived in Pacific Beach around 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon, and went straight to the town of Pacific Beach.  The elementary school was hosting over 70 vendors of chocolate!  I couldn't wait to get inside!

It was an experience of great smells and sights of delectable confections!  There were even pirates there, willing to trade their booty for chocolate.  :)

Here are a few pictures that capture our experience.

Poster and Program Cover

Main Auditorium

Chocolate!

A Walk on the Stormy Beach

Sunday at Seabrook was dark and brooding, and we just had time to get a walk on the beach before the wind and rain started.  We ran back to the car, adding this mad dash to our expanded exercise routine!

Pacific Beach

Seabrook Anniversary

We celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary at our favorite Seabrook house, "Beach Music".  We named our travel trailer after this wonderful cottage!

We left home last Saturday at 11 a.m., and took our time traveling the 150 miles to Pacific Beach, WA.  It was the weekend of the "Chocolate on the Beach Festival", and I was so excited to be able to take part in this event.

Here is a picture of the cottage, and Seabrook.

Two Bedroom, Two Bath Cottage with Sunroom

Seabrook Entrance

View of the Pacific Ocean