After work, I rushed to Trader Joes (just this time it happened to be the one in Columbia). I didn't have many minutes to spare, so I dashed in and out grabbing a beautiful assortment of flowers--much better than the day before! These were for MY mom. A woman who stands the test of time and displays to me the meaning of being a godly woman constantly! I'm not even a fraction of the woman she is, but I know without her I wouldn't be a fraction of the woman I am now. She's tenderhearted (where I get mine from), doesn't hold a grudge, forgives easily, loves unrelentlessly, selfless, and always puts others before herself. She loves the Lord, and it shows! So thankful and privileged to call this woman Mamma.

When I was just a young lad. Lady.

I hit the clearest traffic in a LONG time on the way home. I seriously have no idea how I made it home from Forest Drive in like 23 minutes. I can't even do that from work, and I passed work on the way home!

Angle 1

Angle 2

Imagine them right by that table. :)

This restaurant is beautiful. It's the oldest restaurant in the same location in all of South Carolina--according to Southern Living. They've just celebrated 75 years in that building, which is the brick building that used to be a firehouse. They've got the old fire marker from the smaller building next door, that if you didn't purchase fire insurance, you didn't have a marker, and the fire department would not put out your fire without it! Glad that's not the case today. Across the street from Villa Tronco is an old bus depot that has been a number of things, most recently I believe a plastic surgeons office, but they won't let them put the name on the building because it's a historical site--and well plastic surgeon doesn't scream historic.

Although the Greyhound words & logo are no longer there.

Also, Villa Tronco was the first restaurant to serve pizza in Columbia. Something so unfamiliar at the time, that the grandmother had to give the pizza away to the soldiers that arrived in on the bus station, because no one would buy it! Of course that changed quickly. Now the restaurant is 3rd generation owned, and you can tell they take pride in what they do.

A funeral pitch was being done in the back room tonight, not this!

So that photo will give you an idea, but this is actually the stables the horses would be in, the ones that served to transport the fire department in times of need! So you can see the beautiful old stable door on the back wall, the peaked ceilings with original beams and brick. It's beautiful!

Such a beautiful building.

We walked to our cars, and my parents gave us our anniversary present, we'll be celebrating 5 years in about 2 weeks! They got us a picnic "basket"! We're going to have some fun days with this in the Hank the Wagoneer!

Cutting board, cups, napkins, salt & pepper shakers, plates!

Table cloth (green is my favorite color) & silverware!