US Botanical Garden Visit

We walk through the US Botanical Gardens almost every day. But we don’t go inside the structure unless there is an exhibit of interest - like the Christmas trains, orchids, or stinky plants. But anytime we have out of town guests it is usually a place to stop in and wander about. It’s close to home and is just a pleasant experience. So we did just that when our friends from the Midwest arrived. It was their last day visiting and was a nice way to complete the early afternoon sightseeing. The orchid exhibit just ended, and the setting was less occupied than typical. The main lobby area seemed empty! But the beautiful fountain and exotic plants still abound. We ended up sitting in a section where the plant artists had an exhibit. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to go through the outside gardens - the rose garden was in full bloom. One can never get tired of the natural beauty. It’s a very relaxing place. 

Eastern Market Last Minute Items

Whenever we have guests, my husband especially wants everything to be just perfect. He is more of the food and housekeeping priority setter, while I am more the floral arrangement and activity planner. So yesterday we made last minute grocery and flower selections. Unfortunately, there were no strawberries at the grocery store, which would make the fruit tray unbearable. So on this very rainy morning we took our daily walk to Eastern Market to pick up the fruit, and also the petit b'asque cheese we love. The prices are ridiculous, but given the situation, we didn't have much of a choice. And of course, we brought our own non disposable go to bag to carry the items back home. So now we have finally done all the housekeeping and planned an itinerary for our guests from Milwaukee to select from. It's nice to have out of town guests. It's an incentive to clean everything more than usual.  But it's also so nice to see our friends that we've known for so many years. I hope we have at least one day without rain?