Life is a Carnival!

Large Combo Appetizer Plate

Today I met my long-time friend, Shayne for lunch at Carnival Restaurant. This is a Middle Eastern restaurant in Sherman Oaks.  Shayne lives in New Mexico, but visits L.A. often.  Whenever we have the time, we meet at Carnival for lunch or dinner.  We LOVE the food here!

Shayne and I have known each other since high school.  We lost touch for a bit during the 80's, but we reconnected in 1990 and have been bf's ever since.  There's nothing like having friends who have known you forever!  What's that song, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."  How true.

Carnival is in a strip mall on Woodman Ave., north of Ventura Blvd.

Innernets grab-shot of interior

We have been to Carnival for dinner.  The portions are HUGE.  The chicken is great, so is the lamb.  For me, the felafel, hummus and baba ganoush are outstanding.  The appetizer plate comes with warm pita bread and a refreshing parsley and tomato salad.  Yum!

Shayne and I had lots of catching up to do.  After comparing crochet and knit notes, Shayne presented me with the BEST birthday gift EVER!  Shayne is a fantastic cook and bakes the yummiest mandelbread.  She brought a big bag of her delicious home-made mandel for me.  Yum!  Shayne suggested I freeze some of it for later, but I don't think it's going to last that long at our house!

Ellen's Mandel!

After our delightful lunch I had to get outta that hot v-v-v-valley!  I zoomed back over the hill to Culver City and went on a search for a small amount of yarn to finish off the sleeves of my BoHo Blocks tee shirt sweater.

Annette at The Knitting Tree found the perfect yarn.  Beth gave me the most beautiful yarn, Sanguine Gryphon, a few years ago for my birthday.  I didn't have quite enough for a cardigan, so I made a t-shirt style top, adding some Debbie Bliss Rialto in the back and sleeves.  I wanted the sleeves a bit longer.  This beautiful Koigu should do the trick.  After I finish the sleeves, I'm going to add some Koigu flowers to the neckline to tie the whole piece together.

It's been a perfect stay-cation day.  Soon, we're off to dinner with friends at the H.M.S. Bounty in the Mid-Wilshire section of L.A.