THE SILVER LINING

Yesterday did not start out to be the best of days. For one thing, we had a funeral to go to, which is happening more and more often, the older we get. For another, we had to leave here by 7:30 AM in order to reach Harper -- about 30 miles beyond Fredericksburg -- in plenty of time. It rained on us the entire trip.

On the plus side, we do enjoy exploring little Texas towns that we've never been to, so I went online the night before to see what our lunch options in Harper might be. The answer was, we had none. Well, there were actually two different places that got good reviews, a Mexican place and something called Longhorn Cafe, which sounded right up Hubby's alley. However, Harper just happens to be one of those towns that pretty much closes up shop on Sundays and Mondays, which left us $%!+ outta luck. Fredericksburg, though a good bit larger and a serious mecca to tourists, is kind of the same way. So, boy, were we ever surprised to find that our favorite little Italian joint -- Pasta Bella on S. Llano -- which we haven't been to in ages, was actually open for business!

The real reason Hubby loves this place? Their fresh out of the oven bread and the spicy olive oil for dipping! I love it because it's small and cozy, you can actually carry on a conversation, and everything tastes homemade.

Cheese Ravioli Topped With Toasted Walnuts and Diced Roma Tomatoes In Basil Pesto Sauce Garnished With Fresh Feta

Chicken, Sundried Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Garlic and Spinach Sauteed with Olive Oil and Tossed with Pasta of the Day

These were both their smaller, lunch-sized portions, and we still had leftovers to take home! So, as you can see, most clouds do have a silver lining. Some days you just have to search a bit harder than others.