On Monday, we headed out with our friend Beth to Healdsburg to have lunch at Bravas. 
This place may not look like much from the outside as it’s a little house across from a strip mall, however, as soon as you walk in a wonderful journey begins. The outside courtyard is lovely with an open fire pit that wasn’t cooking today but normally cooks the days vegetable offerings and large pan Paella. Once we got settled at our table in the patio, we ordered a pitcher of White – Cava Sangria, 
some bacon wrapped dates with Blue Chees and Marcona Almonds 
plus a serving of Shiitake Mushrooms Escabeche – toasted ciabatta with smoked sea salt. 
The Sangria was WONDERFUL (we ended up with two pitchers) and the dates and mushrooms were very tasty.
However, the main course was the Paella. 
We ordered enough to share plus, as it turns out, to take home; it came with all the right things and was fantastic. I will admit, I had come specifically for the Paella and I was NOT disappointed.
Tomorrow is the 4th of July and we are going to the parade around the Sonoma Square – it goes around 3 sides of the square so not very long and then to a picnic. Should be a wonderful time.
for a wonderful meal 
and then down the block to the Marsh Theatre to see DAUGHTER OF A GARBAGEMAN. 
This is a tale of Maureen Langan’s 1970’s upbringing in New Jersey. Her Irish mother and Bronx-born father, a New York City sanitation worker. 
She presented this one woman show talking about her upbringing and how her father and mother influenced her life. She was particularly upset by the fact that Kim Kardashian gets a book deal after doing a sex tap and when the star of The Apprentice can become the president? WHO IS TO BLAME? Is it her parents’ fault? America’s fault? With humor, honesty, and insight, Maureen taps into the hearts and frustrations of hard-working people everywhere who wonder if they, too, were raised wrong.
Susie’s father was a classmate of my dads at the US Naval Academy and our paths crossed many times over the years. We spent a couple of hours catching up before heading to Sonoma and our friend Beth Harper.