Restaurant Spotlights: Paraiso Vallarta

I used to eat at Paraiso Vallarta after church with friends. That was quite a few years ago. I miss those days. The last time I ate at Paraiso Vallarta was with my Mom. I treated her to lunch. It was a lot of fun as it's one of my favorite places to bring my Mom with me. We both really like Mexican food. This time, I went with my friend Cheryl. I plan on going back again to try new foods with my Mom, too. For some reason, I was nervous about the going yesterday. I'm still learning to venture out with my social anxiety - which is funny, because I like to eat out. I'll never understand myself. But I'm getting used to the idea, so I did it.

I mentioned Paraiso Vallarta to my friend Cheryl. I don't know if she's been there before or not. But it sounded like a great place to eat, enjoy, and blog about. The only other places I can think of that has Mexican food are El Sombrero - which I also like to eat at. If there's one locally that I'm forgetting about, please let me know! So, yeah, I got ready for the day and drove to Paraiso Vallarta. I'm always early. It helps my social anxiety. I got there and procured a booth. I took some pictures and waited for my friend. She arrived soon after. I got a lemonade (this is what I usually order for a drink). I had already looked all over the menu and knew what I wanted (another part of my anxiety). I was eager to eat - so hungry!

While I looked around, I admired the decor, the paintings, and booths. Everything was vibrant and fun. They must have had someone come and paint it all. Whoever did it, did a wonderful job. When I was there that day, it was nice and calm. My friend ordered what she wanted from the menu, and so did I. I got the Enchiladas Verdes. It's two enchiladas with your choice of meat. I got ground beef (I usually get this when I have enchiladas). It also came with rice and beans. It didn't take long to get our meals. I immediately gobbled up my food. My friend enjoyed the nachos she got. Maybe someday I'll be adventurous and try something else, but for now, I'll stick with enchiladas. They were delicious, by the way.

So, I forgot to get a photo of my food before I ate it. I was bummed that I didn't get a photo, but maybe next time when I stop by Paraiso Vallarta, I'll get one. But I did get a photo of me with my friend Cheryl. We had a great time, and on our next meeting, we plan on eating at Koi Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi. She's never had Japanese food before, so I think it'll be a cool experience for her. I'm super, duper excited because I also love that restaurant, and I already know what I'm getting. Can't help it! That won't be until the end of April, however. But I digress, I recommend Paraiso Vallarta for Mexican food. And if you like enchiladas, get the Enchiladas Verdes. I think it's an awesome choice. Thanks, Cheryl!

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Photo Quests: Life Is Growing

Intro: There are a few flowers blooming - two are violets and daffodils. When I went outside with my camera, my goal was to capture growth. I was able to find some plants making progress in growing. Soon, there'll be flowers. Like you, I'm sure, I can't wait!

Quest Ending: The photos I took may not be thrilling but seeing them gives me joy. When life is overwhelming, I look to nature. It fills me up with hope when I see life growing. It's so encouraging to witness new life emerging from the ground. And may they keep growing!

Meeting Authors: Carmen Peone and Paty Jager

On March 22nd, I was working at the bookstore ...And Books, Too! Part of my shift was during a book signing for two authors - Carmen Peone and Paty Jager. I was excited to meet them as I'm friends with them on Facebook. They're both wonderful authors, and I'm so glad they had a book signing at the store. When they came, I happily met them and purchased two books - Broken Bondage by Carmen Peone and Perfectly Good Nanny by Paty Jager. I look forward to reading them both. And they're both signed! I was really eager to get their autographs. They both write romance. Carmen Peone writes with a western, inspirational theme, and Paty Jager does a mystery theme (she also does cowboys). Both are great!

Before the signing, I connected with Carmen and Paty on Facebook. I love connecting with authors, especially since I like having them as guests on my blog. It reminds me of an old blog I had a long time ago. It was called The Christian Scroll and the focus was on authors and books. It actually became popular, but I was burnt out keeping it up. I had giveaways, interviews, and book reviews constantly being posted. I had made connections with many different authors. I sometimes wonder if I should have kept it up, but it became too much. I had overworked myself, and it was time to give it up. I'm now encouraged to do more of that again, but only on Thursdays. Thursdays I reserve for authors and books. Super fun!

With this blog I'd like to do all kinds of bookish posts on Thursdays. I've already done some author interviews, book reviews, and a small number of giveaways. If you can think of something else, let me know. I try to blog five days a week. That doesn't always happen, but it's what I strive for each week. If you, yourself, would like to be featured on Thursdays (if you're an author), let me know! You can email me: thewanderingwithgrace@gmail.com. I'd love to connect with you! I'm sure we can set something up. Interviews are especially the most popular, so if you'd like to do one with me, shoot me an email! Or even leave a comment on this post. Thank you so much! I look forward to connecting with you! 💓

Going back to the signing, I was pleased to have met two authors that day! I'm hoping to meet more when they come into the bookstore for a book signing. So, if you plan on doing one, connect with me! If you're interested, yourself, in connecting with Carmen Peone and Paty Jager, you can find them provided: Carmen's website at carmenpeone.com, and Paty's website at patyjager.net. I want to thank Carmen and Paty at the signing. They were so incredibly kind and friendly! I hope to see them again when they stop by! I would also like to thank the store for hosting them! If you got the chance to meet them at the signing, I hope you enjoyed it! More to come, I'm sure! To stay connected with the bookstore itself, you can visit the ...And Books, Too! website: andbookstooonline.com. Thank you! 😀

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Wordless Wednesday: There Is Hope

Devotional: Waiting Patiently

If you're like me, it's hard to be patient. Especially, when we are hopeful about something. In reality, we can wait for something unseen. We may even hope for something that's not tangible. And we can face adversity during our wait. There might be a delay, too. We may not know why, but we need to be patient in waiting. I know it's hard. I've struggled with this all my life. There are some big things that never happened that I just still don't fully understand. I struggle with being patient and sometimes hope eludes me. But I don't want to give up. I want to wait, nonetheless. Even if it takes years, I'll be patient for the future.

We can't give up on hope. Hope for what our spirit longs for. Hope for the world. But to truly hope, is to be patient. We have to wait for God's timing. His timing is not ours. That's why we must remain patient. We know that God can give us what our hope longs for, but we don't know when He'll give us that gift. We can face anything while we wait - struggles, delay, and uncertainty. As children of God, we can become impatient with our Father. It's wise to listen and wait for His Word. During this time of waiting, we can find answers and comfort in the Bible. We can also speak with Him and praise Him during it.

He has reasons for us waiting. Because of that, we must keep hoping. We simply can't give up. We must keep looking for encouragement, understanding, and humility. And waiting builds perseverance, love, and strength within us and others. I, myself, don't want to rush. I've learned that being patient opens up a different perspective. We discover a lot when we surrender to God. When we rely on Him completely, sometimes He reveals why we're all waiting. It can come from His Word. I would be careful, though, about receiving it from someone, unless it's backed by scripture. But if we listen, He can speak to us.

Our complete hope is in Him. We have the hope that we will be with Him one day, forever. This is our hope as Christians. This hope can get us through anything that we face. Truly! And while we wait patiently here, Jesus is preparing a place for us in Heaven. This is one hope that we can wait for. Although, some of us can be impatient at times for it. Waiting patiently is good for us. It really is. It can strengthen our spirit. It may not always seem like it's good, but we can trust God when our soul waits. He knows what's best for us, and I have faith that He does for my own life. Right now, I'll keep waiting and hoping. 

Waiting patiently.

"But if we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for it." - Romans 8:25 NASB

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Business Spotlight: Skalicky's Sweet Sensations Bakery

On a weekday, I wanted to meet up with a friend of mine, so we decided on Skalicky's Sweet Sensations Bakery. It's located in Newberry Square, along with other shops inside. I had never been to Newberry Square, so I was both excited and nervous about visiting. On my way to Newberry Square, I was filled with curiosity about the place. I had seen how interesting Newberry Square could be, so naturally I was looking forward to trying the shops there. I approached a glass door and stepped through it. I then walked down a nice hallway to the bakery. There was a table and chairs, so I sat there waiting for my friend.

I didn't have to wait long as my friend approached me at the table. We went into the bakery. It struck me as a fun little place. It's not just a bakery as there's records, books, and old-fashioned candy available. After looking around, I walked up to the yummy treats. They didn't just have their popular bakery items, but ice cream and drinks, as well. I didn't get any ice cream or coffee, but I was keen on trying their macaroons. I had seen them on their Facebook page and wanted to try them (I had never had macaroons before). My friend hadn't had macaroons before, either, so it was a treat to select them. They had various flavors. I picked two - raspberry layer cake and key lime cheesecake. 💕

I bit into the macaroon. It was so good! I eagerly ate both. While enjoying our macaroons at a table, we talked about books and other subjects. After our visit, we explored a lot of Newberry Square. We entered a few shops in the process. I intend to go back to Newberry Square and write about my adventures at those shops again. When we satisfied our full curiosity of the shops, we wandered back to Skalicky's. I chose four more macaroons. Three Twix ones (one for me, my Dad, and my brother). I also chose the raspberry layer cake one for my Mom. While the Twix and Key Lime Cheesecake were both awesome, I loved the raspberry layer cake the most. And I think I've become a fan of those dear macaroons!

Besides the lovely macaroons, they offer brownies, fudge, doughnuts, and more. My overall thoughts are, I'm going back to try their other delights. I also want to grab a drink, like a cold brew. I highly recommend visiting Skalicky's Sweet Sensations Bakery. Bring a friend with you, too! And be sure to check out what else Newberry Square has to offer. It's a pleasant place to explore, and I had fun with my friend. I hope we can explore more together in the future! If you can think of somewhere new for me to experience, leave a comment. I'd love to hear about it. Thank you, my friend, for sharing about Skalicky's. I really enjoyed trying those macaroons with you - I think I'm hooked on them! 💙

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Wordless Wednesday: It's Beginning

Devotional: Spring Brings Hope

Spring officially starts tomorrow. I've been looking forward to it, and I'm sure that many others have, too. Out of all of the seasons, though, spring seems to be special. There's just something about it. I think it's because of the symbolism behind it. It's a season of rebirth, birth, and hope. It's also when everything comes alive. The flowers bloom, which is one of my favorite parts. Because of that, spring is my second-loved season. I love walking outside with my camera to take pictures of the birds, flowers, and yes, even bugs. This season itself awakens something inside me. I can't quite explain it, but it's wonderful.

Hope. It's what spring brings with it. A new beginning. Whenever this season enters my life, I get excited. I start planning, organizing, and preparing for the future. I look forward with anticipation of what God has waiting for me. Sure. Hard things can still happen, but I want to water the garden that's also within me. I guess that's what I'm trying to explain about how I feel with spring. Not only are there flowers blooming outside, but within my heart, as well. That garden is a lovely feeling all-together, and I know that God is preparing my heart for what's ahead. I can then tend to my growing garden within, too.

I know right now a lot of people need hope. I remember going through some of the toughest days without it myself, and it didn't matter to me if it was spring or not. I wish that I would've held onto hope, even if it felt like there was none. It may not have changed my situation, but maybe it would've helped me more in some way. The first time I went through hardship, I was devoid of hope. I couldn't believe things could get better. They did. But a second time came around, and once again, no hope. I'm in a better place now, but I still struggle. And maybe, things will get hard again. But I'll have hope this time.

If you're struggling, I pray that you find hope in your life. Even if it's in the small things. Even if you have to take one day at a time. Spring is coming, even so, an eternal spring someday. I hold onto both. And the hope of God. I know that I can still cling to His hope. I'm not giving it up. If you ever need hope yourself, read scripture, you'll find it there. It's also in the small, everyday things of life. Looking at the sky or at a flower, reminds me of hope. It's there. I promise. It even seems like the world itself is looking for some kind of hope. My wish is that many people will find it because God is hope's answer.

Spring brings hope.

"The blossoms have already appeared in the land; the time has arrived for pruning the vines, and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land." - Song of Solomon 2:12 NASB

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

Wandering At Home: Searching For Clovers

I found it before - the elusive clover. It was many years ago that I chanced upon one in our backyard. I can't remember if it was three-leaf or four-leaf, but I found one, nevertheless. Since it's St. Patrick's Day, I decided to search for one. I had eaten a really quick lunch and headed outdoors with my camera. I was skeptical at finding one, but I wanted to search, anyways. It's a cloudy, rainy day, and I went without a coat on. I love grey days, so it didn't bother me much. I actually always thought I'd do well in a country where it rained all the time, but I don't know for sure. But I digress, I walked around the green patches of grass.

I found many weeds, grass, and flowers amidst the green patches. All the green was, and is, lovely. My hopes of finding a clover were looking slimmer as I walked around, however. I came across some budding daffodils, purple violets, and flowering weeds. I enjoyed seeing that spring was upon us. Even though, there is often hardship, beauty still remains. All the greenery and flowers remind me of this. I don't know if hardships will ever truly lessen for anyone, but beauty is ever constant. You can especially find it in nature. I guess that's why I love take photos of the living, to preserve it for myself, and others. Beauty will live on.

As I was walking, I discovered some desert parsley, which was surprising to me. I usually think of it as a summer plant, but I guess I never noticed it blooming this early. I then found some other kind of plant that I have no idea of, and also, some pretty moss on a railroad tie. Still no clovers. I came across something that looked like one, but I had a feeling it wasn't. So, I pressed on. With spring coming near, I couldn't wait for more flowers to bloom. The birds were already anticipating it. I could hear the many birds chirping away. Everything seems to wait. Almost waiting impatiently, though, like the earth can't wait. 

A few droplets on a blade of grass. It had previously rained. While the earth gets a shower to prepare it for rebirth, I admire its whole process, impatiently. On St. Patrick's Day, I felt like I enjoyed the holiday the best way I could by looking for clovers. And truly, just taking in the greenery around me. I do have a little Irish in me, but not a lot. I always just like to celebrate this holiday in a simple manner, not doing much, except for being out in nature - one of my favorite places to be. I didn't do the traditional meals or drinks, only a walk for thirty minutes. It was really good to stretch the legs and take some wonderful photos. 💚

Close to the end of my walk, I found more of those plants that looked like clovers. I'm certain they weren't, and aren't, but it was fun to find them. They resembled close enough for me, and I was satisfied with them. While I didn't find any clovers, I still found treasure. And a little bit of luck. Getting outside for a brief walk was beautiful, and going on a hunt for clovers was pleasant. I felt blessed by God for this day. I'm just thankful to Him for His creation, and the beauty that I get to discover in it. By the way, today's post was special. It's a new series that will be posted on Mondays. Not every Monday, but it'll be posted randomly. I hope you liked today's post, and I pray you have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson

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Website Spotlight: CMADDICT (New, Improved Site)

Kevin Thorson is my brother. He's also the owner of the Christian music website CMADDICT.com. The website has been up for many years, and it's gone through many changes. Recently, the website was changed to a new, improved site. There's a lot to discover on the website. There's articles, reviews, Spotify playlists, podcasts, interviews, and much more. If you love Christian music, I highly recommend checking out his website. I, myself, especially love the Spotify playlists. He's got so many of them, and they're popular playlists. I really like listening to them - check them out for yourself here.

Right now, I'm a contributor on CMADDICT. I write album, book, and movie reviews for it. You can read my newest review here of Skillet's latest album. At the moment, I'm working on another album review to be finished today. I'll also start listening to an audiobook of Rebecca St. James' new book, Lasting Ever (that I'll be reviewing next). I'm not sure what album to review next, so I'll have to see what I can find. If you have any ideas of what I should review, let me know! It would be fun. I really enjoy contributing to the site, and I'll continue to look for new things to review. Because there's a lot out there. 💓

If you don't know the history of my brother, I'd like to share it with you. Many years ago, my brother was in a life-altering accident. He broke his neck. He endured months of hospital care, going through physical therapy, and learning how to drive a wheelchair. He was later able to be transported home (something they said would be impossible). His story is just so incredible as they said he wouldn't be able to do what he's accomplished so far. My family has been through a lot, but we're together taking care of each other. I'm constantly amazed at how my brother deals daily with his limited mobility. I know it's not easy, and I'm always there to help him. As a family, we do what we can to keep moving forward. My family's perseverance is remarkable as we all work hard to endure this journey of faith.

I'm so excited about Kevin's revamped website. He's put so much into it. You really have to check it out. I'll also be writing reviews more frequently. So, expect a lot of reviews on movies, books, and albums. Also, if you'd like to learn more about my brother, you can visit his page here. He has a page for his current reads, too. You can check that out here. If you enjoy what CMADDICT has, I'm certain you'd like his Facebook page. You can like and follow his page here. He has over 1,000 likes/followers! You can find him on X, Spotify, Instagram, and YouTube, as well. If you're a musician or an author, and want to get in contact with Kevin, you can email him here. We might be able to set something up with him. If you have any questions for me, you can email me at: thewanderingwithgrace@gmail.com

Thank you, and Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson