Fleur de Aleta

Its a bird Its a plane

2012-02-01T10:24:00.000-06:00

Ok, how cool is this?

People FLY in NYC

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1f1_1327966906

Mardi Gras Beads

2012-01-31T10:54:00.003-06:00

If you grew up in the greater New Orleans area, the above picture will make you smile and bring back happy childhood memories. At least, for me it does. First, it was on a truck for a company that makes King Cakes - Yummm.. But it's the bead dog that had me smiling.

What do kids do with Mardi Gras beads after the parades are over? They make those bead dogs. We used to make them in a variety of shapes and sizes with long ears or long tails or short legs and multi-colored ears, etc. My brother and I used to have contest to see who could make the largest dog (some of the beads are tricky to turn into dogs).

I asked the truck driver if it was OK for me to take the picture and he said, "Sure! If you go to the main office location they have a picture of the bead dog in really pretty colors." Cool :)

Our Dog

2012-01-29T09:00:00.002-06:00

Penny learns a new trick - BANG

Penny knows what the Bark Park is

She has a cute yawn :)

Having fun at the Bark Park

My Husband the Movie Director

2012-01-25T15:36:00.004-06:00

My husband created the below movies using his iPad....

Street Sign

2012-01-22T11:34:00.003-06:00

New Orleans is known for its street signs. The names of the streets are on the corners in the cement, made of tile with blue lettering. There's a company that went around and took pictures of each letter of the alphabet from various street signs. The company used the pictures to create tiles and sells them individually or creates custom Christmas ornaments. The name of the company is nolatiles.

Greg bought tiles that spelled out my name and then he created a sign. It's for my parking place in our garage :)

For Hollis

2012-01-15T16:15:00.009-06:00

Yesterday was a difficult day. Beautiful, but difficult. I cried. I thought I could read what Mom wrote for Hollis' service, but I broke down and cried.

My parents bought the urn for Hollis' ashes. It was a beautiful urn. They also had 8 smaller urns to share with the family members, which was thoughtful. Didi picked up Hollis' ashes. Then Mimi picked them up from Didi and brought them to my parents' home. Kevin went to my parents' home to put the ashes in the various urns.

Mom said that she couldn't be in the same room, she had to leave while Kevin did that.... She said that Kevin had a difficult time doing so, but he had my Dad and Erica, Kevin's girlfriend, with him for support. They placed paper down so that if any of the ashes fell that they could roll the paper and use it to put in an urn. Kevin used a spoon and put some in each of the smaller ashes and he spilt some on the paper. Dad slapped Kevin on the shoulder and said, "Your Daddy told me that if you drop any more of him that I'm gonna have to kick your ass!" Kevin busted out laughing... when Kevin told my Mom about this, Kevin added, "When someone can make you laugh during a time like that.. it's talent."

Hollis had us laughing during the video'd interview that Celeste did of Hollis back in 2008. Celeste asked Hollis some good questions and Hollis' answers were beautiful for his own service. But Kevin laughed.. saying... "If my Dad knew that this was his epitaph, then he would have worn a nice pair of pants." Mom and Didi laughed, saying, "Only Hollis could get away with wearing shorts to his own funeral."

Difficult day, but beautiful and much needed for the healing to begin. I merged still pictures, video footage from the service and video footage from the interview (including parts where my uncle plays the clarinet) to share with family and friends who were unable to attend. Click Here to view.

My cousin, Kevin, is also sharing a link for free to his father's music. He'll probably only keep the link up for a month, but you can download the music for free. If you enjoy listening to a native New Orleanian, professional jazz musician, click here.

Penny at the Bark Park

2012-01-10T18:38:00.000-06:00

Confession about Attics

2012-01-08T01:00:00.002-06:00

I can't stand attics. I don't like going up the creaky step ladder. I don't like the heat in the attic or the insulation. I am glad that we have a floored attic. But you won't find me storing anything there. That's right, all those decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Mardi Gras - it's all stack, racked and packed into closets. Christmas takes up 2 closets, in fact.

The reason is that I've seen too many things get ruined in the attic or broken. Not that I have treasures or anything, but what I have I'd like to keep in good condition :)

Tiger Eye LSU necklace

2012-01-07T17:45:00.003-06:00

Most of the time, I only post pictures of my jewelry on the jewelry blog, but Greg liked this one so much that he said I should post it on my Fleur de Aleta blog as well.

I designed the tiger eye for the LSU football team. Geaux Tigers! (I say this, while getting ready for the Saints to play tonight - Geaux Saints! Woot!)

Fun Game

2012-01-07T08:30:00.000-06:00

Greg introduced me to this game from the app store. It only costs 2.99 and was a lot of fun. We played it together. The nice thing is that there no blood and guts, no guns or knives, etc. It's just good clean puzzle fun. There are puzzles within puzzles within puzzles.

When Greg first told me to try the game, I didn't think it would be for me. It appears that my husband knows me better.... I was addicted to the game in no time and didn't want to stop playing it even for supper :)

Only one complaint about the game... I wanted it to last longer!

Oh, yeah, the name of the app game: The Tiny Bang Story. The theme is you have to collect certain items and solve puzzles in order to help rebuild the world for the people. The graphics are well done and the puzzles are fun for various levels.

Leather Anniversary

2012-01-03T20:56:00.005-06:00

Another thing I love about Greg is how much he enjoys traditions. He knew that the 3rd year wedding anniversary is the symbol of Leather. When he mentioned this to me, he jokingly said, "Whips and chains?" Have I mentioned my husband's wonderful sense of humor?

The day started with a card that made me smile. He somehow finds the right card that matches our emotions and things we're experiencing together. Then, this afternoon, Greg surprised me with my leather gift.

His gift inspiration came when he saw what I carry my beading stuff in... when I bead with my good friend, Sally, Beverly and Carol, I bring my beads in a little white, thin bag. Greg bought me a lovely, soft leather case. It's great because there's plenty of room to put my beading supplies and hey, even my iPad :) I took a "before and after" shot in one.

For supper, Greg made reservations at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. When we walked in and gave our name, the hostess wished us a Happy Anniversary and so did our waitress and other various staff members. Ruth's Chris is romantic with it's dark wood ambiance. It's up-scale dining but not uncomfortable, does that make sense? Greg had a delicious stuffed chicken (fast becoming a favorite dish) and I had steak and shrimp, yummy.

During our meal, we walked down memory lane, talking about memories of our wedding day and honeymoon.

The waiter brought out our desert and had a candle on the desert sampling, a little something extra special for our anniversary. Awwww.. It's a little dark, but the waiter took our picture. Written in chocolate on our plate are the words, "Happy Anniversary."

When we got home, we looked at the Picasa pictures of our honeymoon and lit our unity candle. What a romantic evening.... Thank you, My Love... for making my dreams come true... with your love.....

XOXO

Cat Playing on the iPad

2012-01-02T15:59:00.001-06:00

My parents' 16 year old cat, Snitch, playing the mouse game on Greg's iPad

Confession about New Years

2012-01-01T01:00:00.002-06:00

I have a confession... I don't plan on making any New Years Resolutions. I hear about people claiming New Years Resolutions and it seems like a plan to fail. "I'm going to do this or I'm going to do that..." but why wait until the New Year? Each day is a New Day - a new opportunity.

I guess what I'm saying is that I won't wait for a New Year to make plans and goals and dreams. It's year round :)

Z is for

2011-12-28T01:00:00.001-06:00

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Welcome to “ABC of Your State” ~ This challenge is based on friends and bloggers asking about Louisiana, as well as my interest in travel and learning about other places. Please feel welcome to join in.

Z is for

~ Zydeco. It’s bluesy Creole Music. It’s… unique. First couple of songs you’ll enjoy because it’s so different…. But then, by the third zydeco song, you’ll start to think it all sounds the same. If you have the chance, enjoy some of it, just because it is so different.

~ Zoo – I think I might have already mentioned the Audobon Zoo, and they “all asked for you.” They have white tigers there, two beautiful white tigers. I think those are the prettiest cats there. But lots to see and do at the zoo.

~ Zea’s Restaurant in New Orleans – everything is good off the menu and I think we tried just about all of it over the years of living here.

~ and last but not least… after going on all the tours, walking through the heart of the French Quarter, shopping in the French Market, feeding the gators in the swamps, riding the street cars, going to all the restaurants and eating mudbugs and gator and who knows what else, listening to our jazz and Dixie and zydeco, visiting the plantation homes, walking through haunted houses, catching beads during Mardi Gras, experiencing the D-Day Museum, eating beignets and seeing Lake Pontchartrain… and oh my gosh, all those other things and more… be sure to take the time to … catch some ZZZZZZZZZZZ’s….

I made it A to Z about Louisiana! I challenge all you wonderful bloggy friends to do the same and let me know when you do, because I’d love to read about your home state!

So, the end of my A to Z also ends 2011. May the 2012 year be filled with wonder and joy and laughter and cheer.

Now.. I need another good challenge to begin for next year. Any suggestions??

Prayer Request

2011-12-26T20:48:00.001-06:00

My uncle passed away on Christmas day. Asking for prayers for our family.

I posted a picture of my uncle and two poems (one that my father wrote) on my photography site.

Confessions about Subscriptions

2011-12-26T01:00:00.002-06:00

Normally I do confessions on Sunday, but that just didn't feel right for Christmas day!

My confession: I love blogs that offer email subscriptions! Please, if you don't have this on your blog, consider it. It's a great way for your blog followers to quickly get the latest update on your blog post. I added it to my blogs, other than the photography one, because I can't figure out how to do that. Grrrr.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T01:00:00.003-06:00

Wishing everyone a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Arizona- Antelope Canyon and Hot Air Balloon Ride

2011-12-24T09:00:00.001-06:00

Arizona – Antelope Canyon and Hot Air Ballon Ride

I’m combining some days here, because it’s the day before Christmas and stuff needs to get done. Santa and all that… and family gatherings and Joy to the World!

Ok, so back to Page, AZ. The morning after the Horseshoe Bend, we went to the Antelope Canyon. You have to use the Native American tours to do this, because it’s considered sacred grounds.

A jeep took us off road and into the sand dunes, sliding along the way. The Antelope Canyon was everything I dreamt it would be and more. The canyon walls are cool to the touch, smooth, wavy lines caressed by water, made to look as though it’s silk. We were fortunate enough to catch some sunbeams shining through. I loved the feeling of the canyon, loved being there. Here are some pictures and maybe you’ll understand why this was on my bucket list of places to go..

After that magical walk through the Antelope Canyon, we drove back to Flagstaff and spent the night with Greg’s cousin’s family. We had a lovely afternoon with them… and then another early morning start.

There was only one company that was willing to take a hot air balloon flight out of Flagstaff, Roping the Winds. Our pilot was Scott. This was my third hot air balloon flight and Greg’s first. I was worried that after the helicopter ride, Greg would find this mundane. But he found it just as peaceful as I did…. That is…. After he got over some initial fear. Not of the hot air balloon flight…

Here’s the humor in the situation, or maybe not humor, but it’s funny to look back on it…. We were meeting Scott and his “crew” at a particular location close to where Willie’s house is. Scott picked us up in his truck and then drove us to various points to find a good area to lift from.

That’s when we met Hank, “the crew.” I’m used to the crew being more than one person, so that had a red flag flying halfway. Then we got to know Hank a little more. He was free with information about himself. The word “colorful” comes to mind when I think of Hank. I liked him, but he was a little scary too.

Hank told us how he was in the Vietnam War. We thanked him for his service. He told us how people treated him when he returned back to America and how it really messed with his mind. And how his Dad then took him to Europe where he basically took a year off and drove his Harley bike… oh, did I mention that he was a member of the Hells Angels and that’s why he had his jacket on when we first met him to cover his tattoos in case it scared the clients…. Oh, and then… Greg was wearing a hat that he bought during our San Francisco vacation.. the hat said, “Alcatraz.” When Hank saw the hat, Hank said, “You been to Alcatraz? Yeah, me too. Only, I wasn’t on a tour. I was there for 10 years.” Gulp.

Now, we were getting all this info from Hank, while Scott was driving here and there and stopping there and here to “test the air” for lift off and we were getting further and further into the mountain range. Greg actually took a picture of Scott and Hank, “Just in case something happens to us, someone can see the pictures on Greg’s iPhone.”

All that said, Scott and Hank are good guys. They gave us an excellent hot air balloon ride and were very informative. I’ve never seen a black piball used to test the wind currents – they sent up a black helium balloon to see how fast and in what direction it travels. We didn’t want to go up too fast.

When we were up in the air, Greg asked about the direction of the current and Scott said, “There are lots of different mechanical tests you can look at, but the best is the spit test.” Yep… Greg and Scott spit off the hot air balloon and watched their spit get carried in the wind current!

Here are just a few pictures from the hot air balloon ride.

If you want to see more pictures of the entire trip on my Picasa site, click here. Believe me, there’s a lot more than what’s on my Picasa site, but my darling husband asked that I limit it as much as possible, so I tried.

It was a great trip, beautiful sites from cactus and mountains, to helicopters and hot air balloons, from red rock to the Grand Canyon, from the Horseshoe to the Antelope Canyon, from nature to family. It was a vacation that packed a lot of treasured memories!

Previous Post: Horseshoe Bend

Arizona - Horseshoe Bend

2011-12-23T09:00:00.010-06:00

Arizona Trip – from Flagstaff to Page

Did I mention that I did all the planning for this trip? Greg did all the grumbling because well, you can’t go see all that Arizona has to offer unless you don’t mind driving. A lot. And we drove… cough… that is, my wonderful, loving, sweet, thoughtful, fantastic husband drove. Thank you, Sweetheart. Grumbling and all. I love you.

It was another early morning leaving Flagstaff. We stopped by the Sunset Crater lava flow. There was a nice path to walk. (Though after our Hawaii trip, where we literally climbed a volcano, this was nice, but just not as impressive)

We also went on to see the Wupatika National Monument, but we didn’t stay long.

Greg wanted to get the drive to Page, AZ over with. Think of it this way… we started off in Phoenix, towards the bottom of AZ. Page is alllllll the way at the top of AZ. Yeah, lots of driving.

Before we reached Page, we were given a treat, because the route took us through part of the painted desert! (which kind of makes up for the ickiness of the Petrified Forest)

We had some scary driving along the way. Rocks looked like they could tumble down at any moment. There is one section where we drove through a mountain. It was something else. Eerie. Below is a picture of it. (And the next day, when we drove back to Flagstaff, the lane going to Page was blocked due to huge rocks that had fallen right at this point in the picture!)

There are two reasons I wanted to go to Page, AZ. A couple of years ago, I heard about a particular canyon in the area and after doing research, it’s been a dream of mine to go to it.. only I figured we really wouldn’t be able to do so on this trip. Then, after looking at what else was in the area, I came across the Horseshoe Bend and knew that between those two things, it would be worth the drive. I was hoping Greg would feel the same way. I wasn’t disappointed and neither was my husband.

The Horseshoe Bend is outside of Page, AZ. It’s a long walk. Even during the cooler month of October, it’s a HOT, long walk. In red sand. First, you climb a hill and then you walk a long path that slopes down hill in sand. That part isn’t so bad. It’s long, but it’s doable to get to the bend.

And ohhhh, the view! You need to take a wide angel lens to get this shot… and be willing to do a belly crawl to the end of the cliff. (Which my husband was brave enough to do so)… but look at this…. (if you see the white dot at the bottom, that’s a big boat)

Where I’m standing in this next shot is about as far as I was willing to go, though it was closer than most people who were there. Did I mention that a couple of years ago a tourist was at the cliff of the bend and the cliff fell off…. Take your breath away beauty!

The walk back, not so fun. High elevation, no shade along the path, entire walk in sand and an uphill battle. I started to feel my blood pressure go up as we climbed and had to stop, because I was feeling faint. Greg kept telling me to stop and take a break, but I was afraid I would get sick. He insisted that he use his jacket to shade me from the sun, holding it up as we walked. A couple from Germany saw us and Greg said, “I don’t know her (pointing to me). She just hired me to give her shade.” They laughed and the lady responded with, “That’s love!” Yes.. it most certainly is, very lucky me.

I’m so glad we went to the horseshoe bend! It was an experience well worth it, but word to the wise, bring lots of water and an umbrella for shade, no matter the season!

Previous Post: Grand Canyon

Next Post: Antelope Canyon and Hot Air Balloon Ride

Arizona Trip - Grand Canyon

2011-12-22T09:00:00.012-06:00

Arizona Trip – Grand Canyon – Southern Rim

The next day of our trip started early in the morning. We drove from Flagstaff to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon.

It was on the way that we saw a Road Runner! No kidding! Do you remember the Road Runner cartoon… Beep Beep! It was hilarious to see the Road Runner. And let me tell you, that sucker is FAST! Greg was driving 75 mph. The Road Runner dashed in front of our car and away from us without getting hurt. Greg said, “I’m waiting for the AMC box to fall” (cartoon reference again).

We stopped outside of the Southern Rim entrance to see the Little Colorado Gorge. I was wearing a turquoise necklace that I made right before the trip. It was here that my necklace fell off. Fortunately, I was able to retrace my path and found it. I have to admit though, if I had to leave something behind it couldn’t have been in a lovelier setting!

When we arrived at the Southern Rim, I had an “America the Beautiful Pass” which allowed us to enter without paying anything. We arrived in the morning and oh my gosh, the colors were beautiful. This is at the Desert View point:

I think we went to at least 6 or 7 viewpoints. This is at the Lipan point.

Ravens were everywhere….

Moran Point…

Do you see our shadows? Hehe

Ok, why would I take a picture of this tree? Because I have a picture of this tree back when I walked the path with my brother in 1999, along the Grandview Point.

My husband and I like to walk the paths with no railing on them.

Here’s a view from Mather point.

I’d recommend going to all of the points. Each is breathtaking; the entire area is God’s canvas. It’s a romantic place and I’m so glad to have created the memories with Greg.

Ohhhh, but I have to be honest. I wish the day had ended there and we had just gone back to Flagstaff for the afternoon. My husband tried to talk me into that and I should have listened to him, but I really wanted him to see the Petrified Forest and painted desert (something I did back in 1999 and enjoyed). So we drove… and drove… and drove.. and drove….

And drove to the BIGGEST disappointment you could image!

I don’t even have pictures, because there’s nothing worth to share. When we arrived at the entrance and asked the lady working there if she could recommend any good locations to take pictures, she shrugged her shoulders and said, “No.” Red Flag Alert, but we kept on going.

It was Barren. There were signs everywhere that stated, “do NOT take the petrified wood.” No need to worry, because there was none to be seen!! It was ugly and barren and a big disappointment.

We didn’t even make it to the painted desert part of it. We drove about an hour into the Petrified Forest and turned back around to leave. Back at the entrance there’s this big shop that SELLS petrified wood. Greg said, “I’m stopping in. I want to see the store.”

He asked the storeowner, “How can you sell petrified wood when there are signs everywhere not to take the wood?” The owner responded, “The natives who own the property can remove it.”

Well they took it and it’s nothing like what it looked like years and years ago. Greg said, “The land was raped. They should be ashamed to charge to get into the Petrified Forest.” (We didn’t have to pay, because I had the “America the beautiful” pass… but this was not beautiful…)

It was a very long, very sad drive back to Greg’s cousin’s home.

Carrie lightened our mood with some yummy jambalaya and the kids had us smiling in no time. Willie’s friend, Gary, stopped by to visit and Aunt Ellen was there too. It was an evening of interesting and entertaining conversations. Thank goodness the day had a happy ending!

Arizona - Previous Post - Red Rock Sedona - Helicopter Ride

Next Post: Horseshoe Bend

Arizona Trip - Sedona to Flagstaff

2011-12-21T13:00:00.015-06:00

Arizona October Trip – Sedona to Flagstaff

Oh My Gosh! If you go to Sedona, give yourself the fantastic, awesome treat of a helicopter ride over the Red Rock area. We used Arizona Helicopter Adventures and it was worth every single penny!

This is the second time that I’ve been on a heli ride. The first time was back in 1999, a heli ride over the Grand Canyon with my parents and brother. This helicopter ride in Sedona was unbelievably better. Ok, ANY heli ride is cool, but let me explain the difference.

The Grand Canyon ride - the helicopter is glass closed in with doors and the helicopter is large enough to fit 6 people. The company puts headsets on you and they put a tape on while you’re flying around the canyon. A nice smooth sailing type of ride.

The Sedona ride was an adventure in leaps and bounds! First, it was a tiny helicopter and NO DOORS, no side windows! That’s right, you were strapped in and you’re told not to put your hands out (duh). You feel the cold air blasting around you and see the wild turns with nothing keeping you in except for the strap. It’s not for the faint of heart. It was like a roller coaster ride without the rails!

Our pilot, Floyd, didn’t put a tape on. In fact, he showed us how to work the speakers and prompted plenty of questions from us about the area and the rock formations.

Floyd flew an apache helicopter in the first Iraqis war. He hot-dogged the ride for us, flying super close to the rock formations, dipping and turning and going through small openings along the ridges.

When we came to the cliff dwellings, well preserved because there are no roads to get to them, Floyd hovered the heli so we could get some good shots.

Awesome! Totally freaking awesome! Would do this again in a heartbeat!

After the helicopter ride, the second part of our “adventure” with the company was a jeep ride. Kevin was our “spiritual tour guide.” Or Mother Earth Guide… he knew just about every type of plant growth, taking us off the road (Kevin called it the “internal organ check” part of the trip) into the bumpy red rock heights. It was nice because Greg was able to be a passenger and Kevin knew the areas to get some pretty shots.

This part of the tour included a picnic, yummy food, but it also attracted bees (which Greg is highly allergic to)… So when it came time to eat, we made an offering of apple slices to the bees.

The location of our lunch was on the side of a cliff, under a tree, feeling the light cool breeze with an amazing view.

It was fun talking with Kevin. We saw a jack rabbit and Kevin said, “When you see a rabbit, it symbolizes that you need to face your fears.” Then we saw a raven (they are huge!), Kevin continued, “When you see a raven, it means you need to seize the opportunities.”

When we took the heli ride, Floyd said it was perfect weather to do so with a clear blue sky. Well, by the time we took the jeep ride, a brush stroke of clouds appeared and it was perfect as well. Greg said, "It looks like God is whispering to the earth."

I love this next shot - the blend of blue, white and red rock:

After our heli/jeep/picnic adventure, we drove through Oak Creek Canyon, on our way to Flagstaff.

In Oak Creek Canyon, there’s a lovely Vista viewpoint. We took some pictures, then bought a couple of craft items from the local Native American artists who set up displays along the viewpoint path.

Greg’s cousin, Willie, and his family live in Flagstaff. It was a delight to spend time with Willie and his wife, Carrie. She has a new online business of olive oils and balsamic. It was neat to hear about the process of her work. If you want to visit her online site, go to www.olioprimo.com. While we stayed there, we sampled a variety of the oils and they were all excellent!

Willie and Carrie’s four children were so sweet! The first night we were in Flagstaff, we attended a Violin performance where Zachary, their oldest child, played in the group. Of the group, Zachary was the one we could see really getting into the music as he played, which I thought was great.

John Avery had us smiling when he had a Saints shirt on. He’s the sports guy, having fun throwing football and playing baseball with Greg.

Natalie had me wrapped around her little finger. She dressed in a mermaid outfit one day, had on a lovely dress another time and had a smile that lit up a room. All of the kids play the violin and Natalie played for us too.

Nathaniel was eager to teach how to play various games on their iPad. He was very patient and thoughtful with his instructions. He was quiet in a sincere way that reaches out to you.

Greg said, “The Odems have smiling eyes and Willie married a woman with smiling eyes; their children have those eyes too.”

Oh and we can’t leave out the dogs. There’s Boudin, this is more horse than dog – Huge! But thinks he is still a puppy and there’s Cindy, shy and friendly.

We stayed at the “mother in laws” house, a separate large building with all the necessities and more of a home, spaced with a generous amount of land between the main house….

We also meet Carrie’s sister, brother-in-law and her parents. Greg’s aunt Ellen (Willie’s Mom) was also in town. They had a delicious spread of food, then afterwards a nice cultural experience with their son playing in the violin group, which was followed by a Scottish band, Old Blind Dog (they were excellent; we even bought one of their CD’s).

It was a day of adventure and family!

Arizona Trip - First Post

Arizona Trip - Next Day - Grand Canyon

Celtic Women and One of my Favorite Christmas Songs

2011-12-21T08:14:00.001-06:00

Y is for

2011-12-21T01:00:00.001-06:00

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Y is for

~ YAT. Hehe, you didn’t think I’d find a “Y” did you. If you visit New Orleans for a period of time, you will become a “yat”. A Yat is a native who talks like this: “Where ya at” only “ya at” tends to get slurred together, “where yat”. To get a better taste of it, listen to the “12 Yats of Christmas”… here are the lyrics (kind of neat that I thought of this right before Christmas.. lol)

The Twelve Yats Of Christmas

1. On'da foist day'a Christmas mah
Mawmaw gave'to me a Crawfish'dey
Caught in Arabi

2. In'da Christmas Picayune I seen it
Dere'n Section E, Tujaque's Recipe

3. On'da thoid day' a Christmas we
Stopped at McKenzie for Three French Breads

4. On the fourth day I said OK let's get a
Christmas tree Before'ya Drive Me Nuts

5. On the fifth day of Christmas we
stopped at A&G for Frrried Onion Rrrings

6. On'da sixth day'a Christmas we
stopped at K&B's for a Six Pack'a Dixie

7. Cemetery traffic got backed up to
Metairie at the Seventeenth Street Canal

8. On'da eighth day of Christmas me and
Rosalie Ate By'ya Mama's

9. On the ninth day of Christmas we drove
down Delery in'da Lower Ninth Ward

10. I used'ta be at Kaiser now I'm woikin
down'da street at'da Tenneco Chalmette Refinery

11. On the eleventh day at Vetran's
Highway try'ta cross the street with Eleven Schwegmann Bags

12. On the twelfth day of Christmas my
true love gave to me a Dozen Manuel's Tamales

Arizona October Trip

2011-12-20T15:24:00.005-06:00

Arizona Vacation – October 2011

Greg and I flew to Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, October 8th. After getting our rental car, which was the exact same model and color as Greg’s company car, we drove to Carolina’s restaurant. Carolina’s is a Mexican restaurant and it’s where we met up with Mari, a good friend of Greg’s. I felt as though I knew Mari, even though I never meet her in real life until this day, mainly because we corresponded a lot through Facebook. Mari is a lovely person with a great sense of humor and excellent taste in Mexican food.

On our drive to Sedona, we passed through Mari’s hometown, named Surprise, Arizona. Mari said the reason for the town name is because the person who named it thought it would be a surprise if it amounted to anything. It’s a cute, quaint town with adorable street signs.

We took the scenic route to Sedona. I need to stop here and explain. See, when I told Greg I wanted us to go to Arizona, he said, “Go ahead and make the plans. Just tell me what to do when we get there.” He gave me carte blanche with plans and... I’m my father’s daughter. If you’ve read any of the other vacation trip journals, then you know what this means.

Within a few minutes of the drive, we saw a rock painted to look like a frog. I immediately thought of Dad, because he’s always saying, “I’m fine as frog’s hair.” Greg turned the car around to take pictures and into the mountains we continued.

Greg made the comment, “I thought we were going to see the Grand Canyon, all I’m seeing are mountains!” That’s the beauty of Arizona. We would have missed the cactus tree (the only trees that we saw) in Phoenix and the transition to switch back mountain roads in deep, rich forest terrain in Sedona if we had flown straight to the canyon.

We stopped at a Wickenburg, Arizona for a snack at the Cowboy Café. Not far from the café, we saw a Mexican wedding. There was a Mariachi band playing outside of the church while the bride and groom greeted the guests. It was a treat to watch the band play.

With plenty of driving left to go, we got back on track, taking lots of pictures along the way. I have to admit that Greg was very patient with me wanting to stop so many times to snap shots, including a cowboy cross along the road. I’ve seen crosses along the highway, but this one had a cowboy hat and a pumpkin for the Fall season.

Unfortunately, we also saw a dead skunk on the road. Please, drivers, whatever you do, don’t hit skunks. Believe me when I say that the skunk gets the last word/smell in and it lasts forever! In fact, Greg was having gaseous issues from the Mexican food and I told him, “If you need to fart, do it now, because the skunk’s smell is stronger!”

It took some time, but we finally did make it to Sedona… with an unbelievably beautiful sunset with the mountains draping the background. We could even tell where there was rain coming down from the lines in the sky. A sunset with rain and the mountains in the distance really is a sight!

Next Day - Helicopter/Jeep Tour in Red Rock and Visiting Family

NOEL

2011-12-19T21:04:00.005-06:00

I shared pictures of our fireplace and you might have noticed the "NOEL" on the mantel in the middle. Our TV is above the fireplace and when we turn the lights out and the television on, it backlights the NOEL letters and looks really lovely. My husband took a picture of it.

Confession of a Collection

2011-12-18T01:00:00.002-06:00

I have to confess... I love to collect cards. Not the kind you get in the mail. Business cards. I don't know why. But I like them! Below is just a small sample of some of the cards that I have :) I think I started my collection when I saw that my Dad collected business cards for business purposes.. but then I took it on as a personal collection wherever I go. :) If I spread out all the cards that I have, it would most likely cover my desk!

Christmas Trick Not Treat

2011-12-14T19:39:00.000-06:00

Ok, I had to laugh with this...

X is for

2011-12-14T01:00:00.001-06:00

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X is for

~ Xavier University of Louisiana. It’s a private institution that was founded in 1914.

Ummm, any other natives know any other “X”’s out there. I’m stretching on a limb…. I'm determined to see this through the end of the alphabet! I can do it!!!

Electric Fireplace

2011-12-12T10:31:00.002-06:00

It really is nice to have a fireplace, but not have to worry about the mess of ashes, etc. Greg said that having a fireplace makes it feel like Christmas. It's romantic to sit in front of it and listen to Christmas music :)

It didn't bother the dog, other than she wanted to go after the stockings. The cat, however, was scared of the fireplace. Then he realized the fireplace heats up and it's his new favorite room.

Confessions about Hotel Rooms

2011-12-11T01:00:00.002-06:00

My husband used to laugh when we'd go on vacations together. He laughed because I had the habit of cleaning the hotel room. Ok, not CLEANING it, but straightening it up.

I would put garbage in the garbage can, not leave soda drinks out or paper anywhere. I would "sort of" make the bed - throw the covers on it, along with pillows, just enough to straighten it out.

He would watch me do this and say, "Why? There's a maid service for this."

I replied, "Because if it's neat, there's less of a chance that things get lost or forgotten."

Then... one business trip my husband left a part to his CPAP machine at a hotel room. It's something that he has to use nightly for sleep apnea.

And now? When we go on vacations, he helps me straighten up the room. It only takes a few extra minutes, but it sure can save you in the long run. If a room is neat/organized, you know where stuff is and have less of a tendency to forget to pack something :)

(Did you think I would write about the hotel sheets and such? One of the ladies who used to work for my company was also a maid prior to working with us... she told me that what she knows about hotel industry would scare people... she brings her own sheets and pillow cases when she goes on vacation!)

W is for

2011-12-07T01:00:00.001-06:00

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W is for

~ Waterpark – Blue Bayou Waterpark is located in Baton Rouge. This is the place you want to visit if you come here during the summer. There’s also a new waterpark at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.

~ Warehouse District – it’s the artsy side of New Orleans. Walk down Julia Street for the art galleries. I love the exposed brick that you’ll find in the condos and various buildings. Emeril’s Restaurant is located in the Warehouse District and a “must do” if you don’t mind the fine dining and fine price. We were fortunate that one of Greg’s best friend, Danny, took us there to eat. It was a treat!

Confession about the Car Port

2011-12-04T01:00:00.003-06:00

We have room for two cars under the car port. Greg says, "This is the Queen's space." Meaning, where I park the Ford Edge... it's the closest to the house side door :)

My husband tried to show me where he wanted me to park.. "Look to your left and when your head reaches that point on the house, then stop." He wanted it where the side door could open without hitting the Ford Edge and where the Ford Edge was under the car port enough for the garage door to come down.

Only, I never made that "perfect mark".... I either drove up too far or not far enough. And then, Greg bought me one of those yellow balls. Yes, he did... the kind that you hang in the garage for distance. Lol.

He didn't just hang it up, he left me a surprise too. I love it when he does things like this! My husband makes me smile so often. Now, when I come home and see that yellow ball, I have to smile and all of a sudden the pressure for the work day disappears.

(On the other side, he wrote, "Welcome Home" :)

Feels Like Christmas

2011-12-03T14:51:00.004-06:00

This morning, my husband and I went outside and decorated the trees. I have red and gold round ornaments that typically stay in storage. This year we took them out and decorated the outside trees. It was fun, but the weird thing was... people driving by slowed down. A lot. One woman even stopped in the middle of the street to watch us! I wanted to ask, "What's up with the slow downs? It IS Christmas, right?"

Greg is tickled with our "early Christmas gift" to each other. We decided to get an electric fireplace. When we first built the addition to the house, we considered a fireplace, but it's messy to deal with (I used to have a house with a fireplace and couldn't stand cleaning it) and would have been too much of a trouble with the roof.

Having the electric fireplace is neat! All the benefits and none of the mess. We get the heat (or can put the flames on without the heat) and it's "spectra" colors, meaning it has the red, yellow and blue flames. We can set it on timer for how long to keep it on and it has a pretty mantel and marble look to the base. We have the fireplace in the office room, which is probably the most used area with our computers, my husband's work and my jewelry area. (We bought the fireplace from Lowe's as they had the best selection.)

V is for

2011-11-30T01:00:00.001-06:00

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V is for

~ VOODOO “I put a spell on you.” There are all sorts of Voodoo shops in the French Quarter. There’s also the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. I have to share this weird snippet. I have a second cousin who used to own a Voodoo shop. His shop was in the paper… he had ordered a coffin for his shop… when the coffin was delivered…. Inside it was a dead body! And no, he didn’t order any dead bodies! Yuck…

~ Vermilionville Tours are located in Lafayette, Louisiana. There are demonstrations of life during the early Acadian settlement.

Monday Giggles

2011-11-28T12:29:00.000-06:00

Tell me that you can watch this and not laugh.... Happy Monday!

Confessions about a Ghost

2011-11-27T01:00:00.002-06:00

Do you believe in ghosts?

I think we might have one in our home. It doesn't do scary stuff or anything. No banging of kitchen cabinet doors, no creepy tales to share here...

But yes... I think our house has a ghost. A ghost that likes to use the bathroom. Seriously.

I go to sleep at night and get awakened by the motion light in the bathroom, but nobody has gone in there. (And no, it's not the cat or dog, because the dog stays in her kennel at night and the bedroom is closed so the cat doesn't come in.) The motion light won't go off until something moves well into the bathroom, so it's not as though it's picking up on something moving in the bedroom.

We have a haunted bathroom. Toilet doesn't flush on it's own. Sink and shower don't come off and on. Just the motion light. Weird, huh?

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T01:00:00.001-06:00

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

U is for

2011-11-23T01:00:00.001-06:00

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U is for

~ U-boat. You thought I'd have to skip "U" didn't you? I thought I might too. I had to do some digging for this. I found an article in "The Gambit" - a local newspaper that Greg loves to read. Click here to find out the information about a German U-Boat sunk in the Gulf right outside of Louisiana.

~ Ursuline Convent – It’s one of the oldest buildings in the city. There’s a tour of the ground floor and garden. This is one tour I haven’t been on but would like to do.

Confession about Reading

2011-11-20T01:00:00.002-06:00

I love to read. That's not a confession, I know....

But here's the thing... even if it's a BAD book, I have to finish the story, because I have to know what's going on. Because I know that about me, I've become a little more particular about what book I start :)

So, I've read some really good books, which is great! But... bad. Because when I say, I have to know how the story ends, I mean... like SOON! I will read through the night and into the morning without stopping. And if an over-nighter didn't get me to the end, I'll read in the morning, go to work, come home for lunch and read some more, go back to work, come home and read, read, read.

That's bad. Because my husband every now and then feels neglected. I have to space out my readings. Lol.

Then again.. if I'm reading Romance.. my husband really likes that *wink*

Happiness is

2011-11-18T01:00:00.002-06:00

Happiness is hearing your husband say, "I love you more and more each day. How is that possible?"

Happiness is... knowing that same feeling for him.

ADULT Birthday

2011-11-17T19:45:00.002-06:00

Today is my brother’s birthday. I won’t say how old, but I will say that even though he’s two years older than I am, he still looks like he’s 18. He just has that youthful look to him, which I think is great.

It was a nice party gathering of my parents, Kevin and Erica, Greg and I and Roda and the birthday boy. It started off with delicious cooking (Roda, the chef) and the birthday song…. And then the gifts.

Mom wanted Rob to open her gift to him first and here’s the reason….

It’s fleur de lis pants (think Saints football fan). My brother said no way was he going to wear that; it had to be something for a woman. Then Greg asked, “Does it have a weenie hole, because that’s important you know!” And yes, it did, so it’s definitely a pair of pants (PJ’s) for a guy.

The group laughed over the pants that Greg coined “Fleur de Weenie.” And then…. The conversation escalated into stories… like how Mom’s purse was stolen one year and the person who stole her purse charged her credit card over 100 dollars of merchandise.. the thief bought edible panties and candy condoms!

It went from there to the story of how Rob asked me in front of Mom if I knew what a “Rabbit” was (this was back when I was in college). And my reply was, “An animal… a bunny.” Rob asked me to describe it and I said, “It has long ears and whiskers” to which Rob just about rolled on the floor and busted out laughing. It was then that Rob told me what the “other Rabbit” was..

My Dad…. Hearing this story…. Said, “But I don’t get it…” And so, Greg takes out his iPhone and does a google search to show Dad a picture. Dad said, “It’s a good thing this was an “adult” birthday group!” (My Dad is known for buying gifts online and there were jokes around the table about what Mom might be getting for Christmas coming up!)

I haven’t laughed so hard in a really long time and it was great. We had lively conversation, family involvement, great food, fun topics…. Life get so stressful at times… and when we need it the most, laughter lifts us up.

T is for

2011-11-16T01:00:00.001-06:00

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T is for

~ Tours. There are tours out the yazoo. I've mentioned quite a few already: swamp tours, plantation tours, French Quarter tours, Cemetery Tours, Southern Comfort Cocktail Tours. You name it, it's here.

~ Trolley Stop Café. I haven’t been here yet, but it’s one of my “wish list” items. The casual dining restaurant has received good ratings for their breakfast.

~ Tipitina’s. If you don’t want jazz but you want to enjoy more New Orleans night life, stop by Tipitina’s for live music. The couple of times that I went, they actually had two-step dancing. They play a variety of music there.

Sleep Confessions

2011-11-13T01:00:00.000-06:00

Sleep Confessions

You thought this might be about me talking in my sleep? It's true, I do that. Greg has actually asked me things in my sleep and I answer. He found out the Christmas gift I got him one year by doing that and PROMISES HE'LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN! (cough)

But no, it's not about me talking in my sleep. This is about a pattern before sleep.

Some people like have to keep the TV on at night. Greg is like that. He falls asleep to the TV on, with a timer set for one hour. My problem with that is I get into a show, no matter how stupid the show might be (late night shows are really bad). Or worse... I'll watch something scary and it ends up in my dreams. Ugh.

Some people like to fall asleep to the radio. My parents like the radio. But they set it to the talk shows. Oh my gosh, that would keep me awake too.

I prefer something more relaxing, matching tiles. Not floor tiles. Mahjongg tiles. I play it on the iPad. It takes me back to the years of childhood, when I had to match up cards and remember where each one was (it was a memory game, but ironically I don't recall the name of the game). The iPad is great for playing Mahjongg. I find it a soothing game. So, that's my sleep secret.

Happiness is Expressing Yourself

2011-11-11T01:00:00.002-06:00

I was at a red light and saw a vibrant color in the side mirror of the car in front of me. It made me smile. She has candy cotton colored hair. Hey, she was expressing herself! I'm all for trying red in my hair but I don't know about pink :) Did you know that kids are using Cool Aid products to dye their hair and it's supposed to last longer than regular dye. No wonder kids are coming out with pink, blue and green hair!

S is for

2011-11-09T01:00:00.001-06:00

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S is for

~ Swamp Tours, but I already mentioned this

~ St Luis Cathedral, I covered this with the French Quarter

~ Segway Tours in New Orleans -oohhhhhh, we're going to do this soon! I got a great deal on Groupon for 2 Segway tours. They are pricey, but if you keep up with Groupon, sometimes you get a great bargain. Greg and I have been on segways before when we went to Disney and thought they were fun. Hopefully I'll have a blog post about this experience in the near future.

~ Street Pronunciation.
"Burgundy" Street - don't pronounce it like the color.
It's pronounced: "bur GUN dee."
City of "LaPlace" - it's not La Place, it's "LaPlass"
Want to give Tchoupitoulas Street a try? Hehe

~ Street Car
Say it 3 times. Street Car, Street Car, Street Car. It's NOT a Trolly! Everyone was thrilled when the street cars started running again after Katrina. I thought for sure we might have lost them. I love the mahogany seats and the rumbling sway of the car along the "neutral ground". There's a certain charm and romance to the ride. During the holidays, people will get on the street cars and start singing Christmas carols.

Confession about Medicine

2011-11-06T01:00:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's laziness. Ok, yes, it IS laziness.

My medicine gets automatically refilled each month at the pharmacy.

My confession is that when I get an email from the pharmacy about my medicine being ready, I NEVER go to pick them up in time. I stretch it to the point that the pharmacy calls me to say they are about to re-shelf the medicine before I go.

Very lazy on an important thing. Blood pressure medicine, Thyroid Medicine and Glaucoma Eye Drops. Bad me!

LSU WON

2011-11-05T22:59:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's true, I watch football :) When it's LSU and the Saints playing... and tonight was a great game - LSU (currently ranked # 1) versus Alabama (currently ranked #2)... and LSU kept the #1 rank tonight - oh yeah! They had to go into overtime and it was a low scoring game. Lots of fun to watch it.

Greg met up with some of his friends to join with the tail gating party outside of the New Orleans Superdome. Here's a picture of Danny (and Greg is towards the bottom right). I love the purple and gold colors on the Dome.

Happiness is Blue Bell

2011-11-04T01:00:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in Jade's "Happiness Is"

Happiness is.. Blue Bell's ice cream "Dessert Trio." Have you tried this yet? OMG, it's SOOO good.

I actually ended up getting it just for something different. Greg wanted Double Dutch Chocolate. I got one of the little containers of that and I saw "Dessert Trio" and thought, "Hmmm, why not try it." I had no clue what was in it.

When I got home, Greg tried some of his double dutch chocolate and then some of my dessert trio. My husband, who so wanted me to go to the store for his chocolate, said, "I think I like your's better." Because it has little pieces of brownie in it! YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM. Happiness indeed!

(In no way am I getting paid to advertise Blue Bell. That would be cool if I was, but I'm not. Lol :)

R is for

2011-11-02T01:00:00.002-05:00

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R is for

~ Rivertown. It's located in Kenner, not far from the airport. Every now and then I like to go there. It's a small, quaint section of the town. There are a couple of museums, some nice restaurants and a few shops.

~ Ralph's On the Park Restaurant. Some bloggy friends from Philly went to this restaurant, located in City Park and said it was yummy. It's Creole cuisine in the City Park setting (a little pricey though). I asked Greg to take me here for our next anniversary (HUBBY REMINDER ALERT :)

~ Rig Museum. I haven't been to this museum, but would like to one day. It's supposed to be the only place where the general public can walk on an offshore drilling rig. The museum is located in Morgan City.

I have to admit, part of the fun of doing this ABC challenge is that I’m finding things I haven’t done in Louisiana and would like to do :) I really do recommend this challenge – it's fun, informative, makes you get creative and you'll find new things to do in your own home state.... plus, whenever someone comes to visit and asks, "What can we do while we're in town?" Just start singing the ABC song :)

How to Get Women To Exercise

2011-11-01T01:00:00.001-05:00

This was TOO funny - had to share it!

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T01:00:00.002-05:00

I Love Halloween!

Even Tigger gets into it :) Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Halloween!

Confession about not being here

2011-10-30T01:00:00.004-05:00

*whispers* I have a confession to make...

I haven't been at home one of the weeks in October.

My husband and I took a vacation!

I have another confession to make.... I don't like to blog and announce to the world when we're gone.

But we've been back for a while. I haven't had a chance to write about the trip or put all the pictures together. It'll give me something to do for a post in November.

Something to look forward to :)

Halloween Funny Adult

2011-10-29T01:00:00.003-05:00

Someone sent this email to me. I thought it was funny, because I've heard some parents say things like this to their kids or the kids saying it...

10 Things That Sound Dirty On Halloween, But Aren't...

1. So...What'd you get in the sack?

2. Once you get under the sheet, start moaning and groaning!!!

3. Just hop on that broomstick and ride it!

4. Those small suckers are gone in a few licks!

5. I got the best piece from that house.

6. Quit screwing around on the porch!!!

7. Stick your hand in and guess what you're feeling....

8. It was so filled and heavy, I had to use TWO hands!!

9. They'll suck you dry if they get their teeth in you.

10. I bobbed and bobbed, but couldn't get my mouth around it!

Happiness is Birthday

2011-10-28T01:00:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in Jade's "Happiness Is"

Happiness is.... being born!

Thank you, Mom & Dad, for my life :) Thank you for having me and raising me :)

Today's my birthday - Woot!

(I'm 30 with 12 years experience Lol)

Question Round Up Time

2011-10-27T01:00:00.002-05:00

Na Blo Wri Mo is coming to a close soon… I was thinking about those “challenge questions” that I started a while back. I think I’m going to wrap it up with one post :)

• Question 21 - How you hope your future will be like
Spent with Greg, lots of laughter, hugs through the more difficult times, saving money, paying off mortgages and having fun

• Question 22 - Your academics
Bachelor of Arts – Sociology
Bachelor of Science – Business Management
Minor in Psychology
Partial concentration in human resources

• Question 23 - Something that you miss

When you see a child and they have no burdens, no concept of time, no worries, no responsibilities. I like my life now and I wouldn’t want to be Peter Pan, but maybe I miss that a little.

• Question 24 - words/phrases that make you laugh
“It’s getting’ hot in here, so take off all your cloths” – my husband and I sing that song during the hot summer months and it makes me laugh.

• Question 25 - Something that you are currently worrying about
Health, that’s always a concern, to become healthier

• Question 26 - Things you like and dislike about yourself
Like: Look for the good in people and find acceptance
Dislike: Gullible

• Question 27 - A quote that you try to live by
“Ya gotta believe to achieve” Lol

• Question 28 - Somewhere that you would like to move to or visit
Yellowstone
Ireland, France, Spain, Germany, Italy
NYC, Colorado
Mexico (cruise from New Orleans would be neat)
Where I’d like to live other than New Orleans? Colorado – it’s beautiful there year ‘round :)

• Question 29 - 5 weird things that you like
Hmm, I’m not that weird. I’m mainstream, which I know is boring

Question 30 - One thing that you are excited for
The future! Today! Tomorrow! My Dad once told me, “Death is not the thing to fear. It’s part of life. It’s what you did with your life between being born and dying.” He told me that before he went in for heart surgery, the morning of. (By the way, after three surgeries within 30 days, the doctors (7 of them) gave my Dad a good bill of health. The cardiac doctor said that Dad could live to be 100!)
So, yes, I’m excited for each day.

Q is for

2011-10-26T01:00:00.004-05:00

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This challenge is based on friends and bloggers asking about Louisiana, as well as my interest in travel and learning about other places.

Q is for...

~ "Queen of the South".... I've read that New Orleans is called this and I'm really stretching, because I just can't think of any other "Q".... errrrr.... any native Louisianian's come with up any other "Q's"?

Oh Oh! I know another Q!!!

~ Quarter View Restaurant, in Metairie. The food is always great, good Creole items to pick from and I've never been disappointed. AND... I love the paintings on the wall - makes you feel as though you're in the French Quarter.

This time of year

2011-10-25T01:00:00.002-05:00

I love this time of year. It's not the candy, the decorations, the cool weather, the color changes (well, we don't get fall colors in New Orleans much any way with the ever green trees)...

It's knowing that family gatherings are upon us. Holidays are in the air. You can feel it with the crisp cold fronts and winter dreaming.

It's the ending of the year, taking a glance back and realizing there are only a few more months of 2011 to make it the best that it can be... to get the most out of it...

Memories are so precious. When family gathers, that's the time to make those wonderful memories.

Question 20 - Fear

2011-10-24T01:00:00.001-05:00

Question 20 - Your fears

Abadonment. This is a childhood one that haunts me. I can recognize it from that tickle in my throat or tears that want to gather when I feel the abandonment emotion creep up. And it creeps up at the oddest times and when I really do know better.

Mom and I talked about this years and years ago. We traced my emotion back to when we lived at Green Acres Road (this was before I was in the second grade). My brother was in the hospital. He had pneumonia 9 times and that last time, he had to be put into an "oxygen tent."

My parents sent me to my grandparents to stay with while they stayed with my brother in the hospital. My grandparents lived about 2 hours away. In a child's mind it might as well have been a world away. I stayed with my grandparents for a little over 2 weeks. In a child's mind, it might as well have been forever.

So, see, I know the reason, the cause. I understand it and it's a rarity to feel it. But it licks at the back of my mind every now and then. PMS can bring it on if I let it, you know, those emotions that have no rhyme or reason. But mostly, it's just a ghost of a fear.

Otherwise, keep snakes away, though I'll hold one if it's not poisonous. Heck, I held a gator and a lion cub. I'm not afraid of heights. Yep, abandonment is it. It kind of feels weird to share that...

Oh and I don't like scary movies :) They give me nightmares :)

Confession of pinterest

2011-10-23T01:00:00.002-05:00

I have a confession.... I don't get the Pinterest fad. It looks like a grouping of pictures that you like. A collage of things you want or enjoy or.... but why? What's the fascination with it? I know this is late in the game to be asking this... but I don't see why people were rushing into it with such... addiction.

Question 19 - Lust

2011-10-22T01:00:00.001-05:00

Question 19 - 5 items that you lust after

1) Greg - Ok, he's not an item, but he's a sexy man! I can lust after him and love him! Lucky me!

Lust though? for an item? Eh, that's kind of strange, don't you think? I guess maybe I'm just a little too content with my life.

I'm not complacent. There's always things to do and see and visit and enjoy and strive to make better.

But lusting after an item, makes me think of someone foaming at the mouth to buy something and there's nothing out there that I want that much.

Just Greg. :) drool.. ;P

Happiness is Pop

2011-10-21T01:00:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in Jade's "Happiness Is"

Ok, don't laugh.... happiness is getting something delivered and it's wrapped in bubble wrap. I love to pop the bubble wrap. That little quick snap sound and even better when you twist it and here the series of pops. Ok, I'm strange, I know.... I think it has to do with popping the bubble wrap when I was a little kid. It brings back those happy memories :)

Question 18 Problem

2011-10-20T01:00:00.001-05:00

Question 18 - A problem that you've had

Hearing. I wasn't born with bad hearing. At least, I don't think I was. When I was a baby, I had a high temperature; doctor said if my parents had waited another hour to bring me to the ER, I wouldn't be alive. Yeah, that kind of high temperature. Doctors didn't know what caused it but it burnt the nerve endings in my ears, that's the best way I can explain it.

When I was in the 2nd grade, we had hearing tests at the school. The lady told me, "Raise your right hand if you hear the beep in your right ear and raise your left hand if you hear the beep in your left ear." I didn't hear anything, so she repeated it and made me feel like I was an idiot. So, even though I didn't hear anything, I watched her hands on the machine and started to raise a hand here and there. I figured I had a 50 percent chance of getting one of the hands correct while she was moving something on the machine. My parents received a letter in the mail about a week later stating that the school thought I was deaf. Not so!

But hearing problems, most definitely. It's hard for me to understand the difference in some letters. I had to learn how the tongue feels when you make the "R" versus "W" sound, because it sounds the same to me. When someone spells out a word and they say, "B, D," - I can't tell the difference so I have to ask "B as in Boy or D as in David?"

My Mom said that I was reading lips when we were in a crowded place and I understood what she was saying. My brother didn't believe I could do that (neither did I) until he mouthed a sentence super fast and just as quickly I said the words outloud to him, shocked both of us.

It's a problem. I live with it. The bonus is that the world is pretty quiet for me. And I happen to like quiet :)

P is for

2011-10-19T01:00:00.001-05:00

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P is for

~ Plantations

Destrehan Plantation isn't that far from New Orleans. It's an antebellum home, established in 1787 and "remains the oldest documented plantation home in the lower Mississippi River Valley."

Oak Alley Plantation. It's what movies are made of. Best time to go is during spring to see the oak foliage. It's stunning. I remember going there with my family as a little girl, I didn't even want to step inside the plantation home, I just wanted to wander in and out of the big oaks. It's called the "Grande Dame of the Great River Road" for a reason. Greg and I went there recently. He had a specific perspective shot of the picture he wanted to take (see below). To see more pictures of our visit to Oak Alley Plantation, click here for my Picasa site.

Laura Plantation. This is not your typical plantation. Greg and I toured this a couple of years ago and throughly loved it. The tour guides give a lot of detail and I love the colors of the home. I'd definitely recommend putting this on your plantation tour list!

Question 17 - Pride

2011-10-18T01:00:00.000-05:00

Question 17 - Something that you are proud of

Hmm, "pride before the fall"... It feels a little strange to say that I'm proud of something, because it sounds pompass and arrogant.

I'm happy to have worked hard through college and obtained two degrees.

I consider myself fortunate to have my parents as role models; with the proof of love by their example, I'm happy I did not give up on love, in finding Greg when most women would have stopped looking for love.

I'm happy when I create jewelry or play the piano or paint or photograph something into art.

But proud? I'd rather be happy! I think that's why I like my "happiness is" posts on Friday so much :)

Question 16 What If

2011-10-17T01:00:00.001-05:00

Question 16 - Something you always think "what if" about

"What if Greg and I had met earlier, when I was in college?" I truly believe that Greg is the man I am meant to be with. Soulmate sounds hokey, but you know... yeah.... what I know is that I've never been happier and it's because of Greg.

But what if.... wouldn't life have been that much sweeter for that many more years if we knew each other in college or highschool?

But... what if... just doesn't work, because I know that my personality was different back then. I wasn't mature. I was young and naive (and Greg thinks I'm naive now?)..

I meet Greg in a calm of my life and he meet me within a calm in his life. Neither of us were trampled in drama or college years or career changes or youthful inexperience.

The here and now is the perfect timing for us. The past is not a "what if" it's a "what was" and ehh to that... I have a lot of "what will be's" in the future years and THAT is a blessing!

Confessions about driving

2011-10-16T01:00:00.002-05:00

Remember how I wrote about not liking to drive. Here's a great example... I used to drive a 2003 Chevy Malibu, gold, 4 door. It was in great condition and I knew exactly how to turn it to make that perfect parking job. 2003.... and when I went to sell it... this year - 2011. The mileage on the vehicle? 57,462. That's right from 2003 to 2011 that's all the miles I put on the car.

My confession though is about my husband's SUV. See, the reason we put my Chevy Malibu up for sale was because Greg got a company car. 2 people, 3 vehicles. Fortunately, both of our vehicles were paid for, but Greg's SUV was the newest (2009). And yes, it's true, the Ford Edge is a far cry nicer than my sweet Chevy.

So, I had to learn how to drive the Ford Edge. It took me 2 months before I was finally willing to let my Chevy go and take on the Ford Edge full time. I love it now. Still don't have the parking down as lovely as I did the Chevy, but I'm making friends with the Ford Edge :)

Question 15 Zodiac

2011-10-15T01:00:00.002-05:00

Question 15 - Your horoscope/zodiac & do you believe it fits you

Scorpio and I used to love reading about the zodiac signs when I was a little girl. Do I think it fits me? I think it fits anyone. It seems to me that each zodiac is a personality and every human being is a mixture of personalities depending upon moods and situations and interests. That's why it's easy to relate to our sign, because it's just one part of a personality. It's fun reading though :)

(Ok, it is funny though that Scorps and Leos are supposed to be a good match... which is my match with Greg... and my friend, Kristen, also a Scorp, is happily married to her Leo, Bill.) Ah, go figure! *cue creepy music *

Happiness is Mornings

2011-10-14T01:00:00.001-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in Jade's "Happiness Is"

Happiness is.... getting up early in the morning.... ok, wait, I'm going to stop this before my husband says "SEE, I TOLD YOU I'D MAKE YOU A MORNING PERSON." I'm not... but...

Happiness is.... getting up early in the morning to go on an adventure with my husband, be it to take pictures of the sunrise over the lake or to Oak Alley plantation or for a vacation.

I'm not an early morning person, but I will wake up early to go on adventures like that, something different, something quality, something fun.... it makes the day feel special.

Question 14 Wearing Today

2011-10-13T01:00:00.002-05:00

Question14 - What you wore today

Ok, someone needs to snazzy up these questions. I mean, seriously? "Whatcha wearing?" Err, cloths. Now... let's make it fun!

How about this.. a racy, heavy breathing phone call question "What do you have on right now?" ;P I can do that voice... You know the GPS sexy lady's voice? "Turn left... and take me with you.." I've got her tone down pat... and my husband loves when I talk like that... so back to the question...

My husband likes lace, black, white, red, doesn't matter (though he says I look best in red - it's a lover's color, I'm happy)... and as long as it's see through (most lace is :) Sexy cloths with the sexy voice...

Now that I'm thinking about this, I need to drag my husband into some privacy - toodles!

O is for

2011-10-12T01:00:00.005-05:00

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O is for

Oy Vey! I'm surprised I made it this far and I better not stop now!

Ok... seriously.

~ Oysters! Grill 'em, fry 'em, rockerfella 'em... even ... eat 'em raw. Yes, I tried that... once and never again. My brother loves them raw, but I can't handle that. But I do like them any other way.

Best place to go to for Oysters? Hands down - Drago's in Metairie. (It's the section in Metairie called "Fat City.") When Greg has out of town business associates, he brings them to Drago's for the oysters. Yummmm... and don't forget to try the Fleur de Lis Shrimp - heaven!!

~Onion Soup. Not the soup, the restaurant. It's located in New Orleans. A little pricey, but great food.

Question 13 - Body image

2011-10-11T01:00:00.000-05:00

Question 13 - Your opinion about your body and how comfortable you're in it

Well, it's my skin, so I'm pretty sure I'm comfy in it. My opinion though? Eck. I think those 3 way mirrors in dressing rooms are kinda cruel.

I wish I had know that I had hypothyroidism when it first started. I'm not happy with my weight.

Trying to exercise and eat right.

I want to live a long, healthy, happy life with my husband. We want to grow old together :)

Hurricane Tip

2011-10-10T01:00:00.000-05:00

Something good to know if you live in a hurricane prone area:

We received a tip from the severe weather seminar this morning. Prepare
your freezer before leaving for a hurricane or severe weather, put your
items into black plastic bags and tie---also put a dixie cup of water in
the freezer, let it freeze and then put a penny on top of it. When you
return if the penny has dropped to the bottom and been re-frozen you would
know that your power had gone out. You can then discard the black bags and
save your freezer or refrigerator.

Confession about pizza

2011-10-09T01:00:00.001-05:00

I have a confession...

What do you like on your pizza?

Pepperoni?

Ham?

Canadian Bacon?

Sausage?

Breakfast Bacon?

Bell Peppers?

Tomatoes?

Onions?

Mushrooms?

Cheese?

My husband can order his pizza any way that he wants it. And he can have it all. The entire thing.

Because I don't eat pizza. I know, that's.... un-American. But it's true. I just don't like it. Just thinking about it makes me want to gag!

Question 12 - 5 Guys

2011-10-08T01:00:00.000-05:00

Question 12 - 5 guys whom you find attractive

Oh, that's SOOOO easy!

1) Greg

2) GregO

3) Gregory Patrick

4) Gregory Patrick O'Brien

5) My Love

Ok, I'm super biased. He's handsome and his mine! Woot!

Happiness is Rain

2011-10-07T01:00:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in the Jade's "Happiness Is"

Happiness is... a gentle rain in the late afternoon. The type of rain that soothes the earth and quiets the mind. It's a soft sound, Mother Nature's orchestra on low volume, lulling me to sleep.

Question 11 Family

2011-10-06T01:00:00.001-05:00

Question 11 - Your Family

(That's it? Your Family... Ok, simple enough and I'll answer quickly :)

The simple version: Me, My Wonderful Husband, One Cat, One Dog

The extended version: Ditto above, plus my parents, my brother and his wife. My husband's parents, his 3 siblings, an in-law (who has the same name as my husband), 6 nieces and nephews (It's SO cool being an aunt! It helps that they are awesome nieces and nephews!!)

The way extended version: Look, let's not go there... please. My Mom is one of 8. One of Greg's aunts or uncles has 8 kids. I mean, it's a community, seriously! We're very fortunate.

My husband and I are not just fortunate for having large families, but for having close families. We have loving, generous, thoughtful parents. I don't know if I've told our families "Thank You" recently.... so here it is, "Thank you, for your love and support. We cherish it."

N is for

2011-10-05T01:00:00.002-05:00

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N is for

~ NOMA - New Orleans Museum of Art. I think it's free on Wednesdays, if I remember correctly.

NOMA is located right in City Park, so after climbing the oak trees and having a picnic, this is a nice place to enjoy some air conditioning and see extensive art collections. It's not a museum dedicated to New Orleans; it has a diversity of appreciation.

I believe the Faberage Gallery is there year round. You can check their site to see what exhibits they have throughout the year. I've gone there a number of times, but probably not as often as I should.

Question 10 Shuffle Time

2011-10-04T01:00:00.001-05:00

Question 10 - Put your iPod on shuffle and list the first 10 songs that come up.

Beethoven - The Complete Symphony Collection
Heart - These Dreams
Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer
Kelly Clarkson - All I Ever Wanted
Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On
Aerosmith - Dream On
Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything for Love
Jim Brickman - Angel Eyes
Lady GaGa - Paparazzi
The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There
Toby Keith - American Soldier
Carpenters - Top of the World
Jewel - Foolish Games
Nelly - Hot in Here
Pat Benatar - All Fired Up
Berlin - Take My Breath Away
Sarah McLachlan - Possession
Christina Aguilera - Fighter
Carrie Underwood - Just a Dream

Whoops, that was more than 10. I got carried away :)

Question 9 Education

2011-10-03T01:00:00.001-05:00

Question 9 - How important is education to you?

Highly. My Mom is a teacher. Need I say more? She's an excellent teacher, by the way. She was also my speech therapist when she recognized that I had a hearing deficiency.

I'm hopeful that parents are teaching their children the value of education and to respect teachers.

I thought about being a teacher. When I first attended college, my major was education.. but you know what happened? The professors in the educational field looked down upon grammar school and high school teachers. This one particular professor snubbed teachers and the students looking for such a career.

I knew about the pay. I knew about the parents, the students, the red tape of schools, the politics, the grading, the long hours, the dedication.. but what I wasn't prepared for was the negative attitude of college professors towards their own given field. You know the saying about the straw that broke the camel's back? The professors' attitudes were such a turn off that I turned towards Sociology for a degree and also Business Management for a second degree.

Part of me wishes to retrace those steps.. I shouldn't have allowed one professor to dictate a change in college education. But then, life is about changes. Who knows what is in store versus what we plan. That said, no matter the path, education is important!

Confession about being living here

2011-10-02T01:00:00.002-05:00

I have a confession to make about living in New Orleans....

I don't think I was meant to be born here.

I love New Orleans. I think you know that from reading the ABC's and various things about doing fun stuff in the area.

But... I've often said, "I shouldn't have been born in New Orleans. I should have been born up north!"

I can't stand the heat. The humidity.

It's one of the reasons I love fall and winter. Well, "summer lite" as well call it over here :)

NA BLO WRI MO

2011-10-01T01:00:00.003-05:00

Every time my husband sees "NaBloWriMo" he says it sounds kind of dirty. :)

It stands for National Bloggers Writing Month, which is in October. Bloggers are encouraged to post once a day. It can be a regular post, a guest's post, pictures, just post something each day.

It's a great way to get creative with every day life. To find ways to keep you motivated. This is my third year participating in NaBloWriMo and I'm tickled to do so again.

For those of you who are new to my blog, I'm Aleta. *waves hand* Hello. My blog is more like a personal journal... think of someone sitting at your kitchen table, over a cup of tea (or coffee if you prefer) and having a conversation about the day's events. That's FleurdeAleta for you.

I write about my husband and our cat, Tigger and dog, Penny, about family, etc. I also have an on-going ABC "Your Home State" Challenge, which is on Wednesday's. This is when I write about Louisiana.

On Friday's I participate with Jade's "Happiness Is" ~ posting something that makes me happy :)

Sunday's I might post confessions, "might" is the key word there. ;)

I'm also participating in 31 questions.. it's a challenge list of questions from another blogger. I've broken those questions down to 1 or 2 a week, but I might answer the questions more frequently for the NaBloWriMo month :)

If you're a blogger, I hope you join the challenge. It's a lot of fun. The posts don't have to be long, just participate and enjoy!

Happiness is NaBloWriMo

2011-09-30T01:00:00.001-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in Jade's "Happiness Is"

What makes me Happy today? Knowing that tomorrow is the start of NaBloWriMo! Woot!

It's when brave bloggers dust off the keyboards and click away each day. That's write, for 31 days straight you create a post for your blog. It sounds daunting, doesn't it? But it's not!

It's actually a lot of fun and it gives you a good kick in the tush to know that you can do it :) Hope my bloggy friends will join in with the NaBloWriMo :)

M is for

2011-09-28T01:00:00.004-05:00

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M is for

~Mighty Mississippi. While you're in the French Quarter, head over to the Riverwalk, where you'll find tickets to go on a boat ride - The Paddle Wheel Tour. I did this with my good friend, Kristen, not long ago. It's very relaxing.

~Mardi Gras. It's not just for New Orleans, it's in the neighboring cities as well, on the Westbank, Metairie, Chalmette, North Shore. The city shuts down for a day (and night) of partying! If you want wild - go to New Orleans. If you want family oriented, go to the neighboring cities. Either way, you'll have fun. Yell, "Throw me something, Mister" and catch beads, plastic cups, frisbees, stuffed animals, blinking necklaces. You'll come back with all sorts of stuff that you don't need and had a blast catching!

But what if you aren't in town for Mardi Gras? Visit Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World. They make about 80 % of the floats there, with many on display. Sometimes there's even an artists on staff creating the floats or costumes while you visit. You can also try on Mardi Gras costumes AND sample King Cake.

King Cake was served at the ball, back in 1870; they used a "bean in the cake" to choose the "queen of the ball." These days, you don't have to be invited to a ball to enjoy the King Cake. (Though I did attend one ball and if you get invite, do go - it's an experience.) Instead of a bean, there's a plastic baby inside the cake. Tradition is: whoever gets the baby has to buy the next king cake.

If you'd like to see some movies and slide shows that I created from this past Mardi Gras, click here and here.

Question 8 What did you eat

2011-09-27T01:00:00.000-05:00

Question 8 - What did you eat today?

Simple enough.

My husband is a great cook. I have to start with that. I'm good at keeping the house clean, but cooking? Eh, not so much.

My husband has the perfect omelet down pat. He uses "fake eggs" (that's what we call the egg substitute, no cholesterol) with low fat cheese and chopped up bell pepper. I don't care for meat in the omelet. It's yummy!

Lunch, well, it can be either a "heat me up meal" (what I coined for the frozen dinners) or "road kill" (left overs that my parents send over and those are Dad's words)...

Supper, that's the question of the day. Sometimes soup, sometimes my husband will barbecue, sometimes we go out to eat.

Confession about Pets

2011-09-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make. Greg says that I'm mean.

i think animals are just so darn cute when they are sleeping. The cat curls into a ball and does the "broken neck" turn, you know that "I feel comfortable and can trust where I am" look. The dog, well, she doesn't care what position she's in as long as she's next to you. They are just too cute... and I can't help it.

When I see our cat and dog sleeping, I have to pet them, thereby waking them up.. sometimes just for a brief moment and then they go right back to sleep. I don't try to scare them or anything. Greg says I'm mean by doing that...

Happiness is an Attitude

2011-09-23T01:00:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in Jade's "Happiness Is"

That one sentence above sums up this post. I'm happy to focus on the joy in life. It's a choice. There are so many things that are negative in this world. Sometimes we have to hunt through the dust and darkness to find that little glimmer of hope... but the good news is that we have the choice to do so.

My husband is always saying, "Make it a good day." That's the truth. A lot of things are not in our control, but our attitude is the one beautiful thing that we can take charge of. We CAN make it a good day.

I'm happy to focus on the joy in life. Thank you, Jade, for the weekly reminders :)

L is for

2011-09-21T01:00:00.004-05:00

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L is for

~ Longue Vue House and Gardens. On the merging lines of New Orleans and Metairie, tucked away is a lovely home and beautiful gardens. The house reminded us of Biltmore, where we went for our honeymoon. I blogged about the house, if you’d like to read more, click here.

~Lafreniere Park. Want to get out of New Orleans and into more of the suburbs? Metairie is a great place to go. It’s as much of a restaurant meca as New Orleans. Lafreniere Park is one of the largest parks in Metairie and the drive goes around a lake. There are rabbits, roosters, chickens, ducks, geese, swans and all sorts of feathered friends living in the park.

~LPO. Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. If you’re lucky, you’ll be in town when the LPO gives a free concert at Lafreniere Park. They do this every year and every year, the locals come out, bring their lawn chairs, kids, food, dogs and enjoy the lovely music as they watch the birds glide across the lake. Greg and I have attended a number of LPO performances and always enjoyed them.

~ Lake Pontchartrain. It’s the largest inland estuary in the US. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway spans 23.9 miles. My cousins used to marvel at how when they got on the Causeway bridge they couldn’t see the end of it. It’s a great place for boating or have a picnic on the levee. Or to catch some beautiful sunrise pictures.

~ "Le Bon Temps Roule" - It's French and means "Let the Good Times Roll." It's a favorite saying around here :)

Question 7 Five Pet Peeves

2011-09-20T01:00:00.001-05:00

30 Question Challenge

Question 7: Five Pet Peeves

1) Tapping or Slapping the table. You need to make a point, do it with your words, not by abusing the table top.

2) Texting and Driving. Talking on the phone and driving. For some people, the driving becomes SECONDARY in these equations. They don’t notice they are swerving into another lane or the light has changed colors or they didn’t see that right turn they had to make while in the left lane.

3) Too close talkers. This is my space. You’re invading it. Back up! (And can I offer you a breath mint?)

4) People who complain that it’s always someone else’s fault and never take any responsibility for their actions or life style.

5) Bad table manners. I’d prefer not to see what you’re drinking or chewing or have to duck from flying food. Closed mouth chewing, it’s a good thing.

Confession about Mom

2011-09-18T01:00:00.002-05:00

I have a confession to make about my Mom.

We didn't always get along. Our's wasn't a loud, horrible, break the bond rebellion, but it was there. Me wanting to stretch wings and Mom wanting me to land safely.

For the Mom's out there with young teens... it'll get worse for a while. Just remember yourself at that age. Kids think they have enough experience under their belt and enough wisdom to garner good ideas and the right path to make.. and sometimes the young adults need to make the mistakes. We all do, young and old.

But love always finds a way to bring it back together. Mom and I went through a silence in our relationship, but we made it through. I'm all the more grateful, because of everything we've gone through and how she's been there for me.

Today is my Mom's birthday. I love you, Mom. Thank you for being there, for letting me make the mistakes and for holding me in your arms when I needed to cry and for lifting me back up when I was ready to stand again. Thank you, for being my Mom!

Happiness is Being a MAC

2011-09-16T01:00:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in Jade's "Happiness Is"

I'm happy to be a Mac!

I used to be a PC, while my husband was a Mac. I would go to his computer and toy with the iPhoto and learn about the iMovie. Ohhhh, those iMovies are so cool.

I first became a Mac when my husband gave me his iPhone (he upgraded to a iPhone4).. and then again when we bought a iPad. It was until I had a Mac Mini that I took the Mac label though.

It looks a little different from a PC point of view, but with a touch of training - ZOOM, I was hooked! I can't ever go back :) Happy to be a Mac :)

K is for

2011-09-14T01:00:00.002-05:00

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K is for

~Katrina. I wish I could tell you that New Orleans is fully recovered, but that isn't the case. You can see the damage spread through out New Orleans, Chalmette and even here and there in Metairie.

There are "Katrina tours" but I've never been on one and don't need to. I have the memories. I even have the magnet "My refrigerator survived Katrina" (which is a major accomplishment, believe me)...

I can't say that I can recommend the tours, there's too much burned into my mind about that hurricane. It brought out the best of the best and the worst of the worst. Mother Nature is everywhere. Nobody on earth can escape her...

On my Picasa site, I have pictures that I took soon after Katrina, to see them, click here.

Question 6 Mainstream Music

2011-09-12T01:00:00.001-05:00

30 Question Challenge

Question 6: View on Mainstream Music

Well, this is going to be a short post, because heck if I know what mainstream music is. I’m not a song snob. If I like it, I like it, but don’t ask me the singer or group or type of music. Or even the name of the song, Lol.

If we’re talking Pop Rock as mainstream, mostly I like it. But I also like Classical songs and Country tunes and Oldies (my parents’ childhood oldies music).

If we’re talking Rap as mainstream, eh… there are songs few and far between that I like coined as rap, but there are some.

September 11

2011-09-11T01:00:00.003-05:00

I've been to New York City, before 9/11. I had a crappy little camera with me. But I treasure those pictures.

I've seen NYC skyline after 9/11 and it reflected that hollow emotion of loss.

One of my bloggy friends is from NYC. She told me that they constructed a memorial for the towers. Supposed to be a fantastic design and then she joked, "without any bathrooms!" Only, she was serious too. I want to go back to NYC in the next few years.

To our fireman, our soldiers, our police officers, those who serve and protect. God Bless You and Thank You. To those who lost loved ones ~ prayers each year in memory. God keep us strong and safe.

Happiness is Photography

2011-09-09T01:00:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in Jade's "Happiness Is"

Happiness is Photography

What is it about taking pictures? I think a lot of it has to do with art, but there are very special times in life too. I love to capture the moment. I'm also someone who loves to look back on pictures. The Internet has made that so easy - post a picture and you can look at it quickly and repeatedly with ease. I remember after Katrina, I put all of the pictures I could online. If a hurricane comes again, I have those scanned pictures at least...

Memories are precious. When I see the picture of black sand beach, it takes me back to our time in Hawaii.... when I see the Diamondhead Volcano, I remember "oh my gosh, that long, long, take your breath away climb" to the top of it and that sense of accomplishment from doing so. When I see pictures from our wedding, January 3, 2009, I know how fortunate I am to have that day with the man of my dreams.

I don't need pictures for the emotions, but having the pictures helps to bring those special times back into focus. It's a good thing to remember the good times in our lives.

J is for

2011-09-07T01:00:00.007-05:00

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J is for…

~ Jazz. The best place to go for Jazz music is Preservation Hall. It's along Bourbon Street, but not a "typical bar" type atmosphere. If you stop by there during the day, you can find out if there's a performance that night and who is playing. I don't recall the guy who was there when we went just recently, but he was fantastic with the horn!

~ Julia Street. For those who want to take a stroll down artsy lane, go to Julia Street. It's in the "Warehouse District" of New Orleans, close to the French Quarter. There are some nights where the art galleries will open all the doors and serve wine and appetizers.

~ Jean Lafitte Park. If you don't want to go on a swamp tour and prefer to walk but would like to get an experience of the swamps - enjoy Jean Lafitte Park. Greg and I went there when we first started dating. It wasn't too hot or cold when we went there and we saw two young alligators.

~Jackson Brewery. This was across from Jackson Square. It used to be the 10th largest single-plant brewery in the country, but now it's a place for shopping. For me, I think it's a little on the pricey side. I'd still recommend the French Market over the Jackson Brewery for shopping, but the Jackson Brewery is air conditioned (which is will if you come down here during summer months).

Question 5 Things You want to say to an Ex

2011-09-06T01:00:00.001-05:00

30 Question Challenge

Question 5: Things you want to say to an ex.

What a doozy of a question! Ok, which ex?

I know most woman might respond with, “I hope she cheats on you like you did on me” or “I hope someone doesn’t tell you the truth, just like you lied to me” or “I hope she is as horrible to you, blah, blah, blah”.. you know the old “eye for an eye” thingy.

Me? What would I say to an ex… ok, here it goes and this is for both of them:

I hope you are living a great life! I hope it’s so wonderful that you never think of me. I hope that you closed that chapter in your life and that it’s in the past. That you lived, learned and moved on, because I have.

Truly, I hope you are happy. I can’t wish for otherwise, because I’m too darn happy with my life, with the love of my life. I don’t want any bad karma by wishing something otherwise on another person and I don’t have any ill will towards you.

Oh and I don’t regret my past. Because it is part of who I am today and I’m happy in the right here and now.. past and all :)

Confession Fork and Knife

2011-09-04T01:00:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make... I use a fork and knife when I eat. Oh, that doesn't sound like a confession, right?

But I use it for just about everything! Yes, I will eat chicken with a fork and knife. If there is corn on the cob, I will use the knife to cut the corn off of the cob and use a fork. Believe me, I can do a great job with a rack of ribs using the fork and knife too!

(Mind you, I'll use a spoon when warranted as well)... Even for sandwiches, if I can get away with it, I'll cut it into pieces and eat it, though I WILL eat a sandwich without a utensil. But then again, I'm not into eating a lot of bread, so I don't eat many sandwiches.

I don't know why I'm like this.... my family will pick up food with their fingers and eat. My husband teases me about it. In fact, one day, he cooked this awesome, delicious ribs and it was so good, it was finger licking good... when I grabbed the rib to eat it without a utensil, he threatened to take the camera out. Lol.

Tropical Storm Lee

2011-09-03T09:19:00.003-05:00

I didn't sleep last night, because of the storm. At 5am, we received an automated phone call that there was a tornado alert in our area. We received 2 of those types of calls within a 30 minute span.

We went out in the weather. Call us crazy. All because we needed fat free cheese. We couldn't make an omelet without cheese! So, we called some local grocery stores to find out if any were open for the storm and lucked out.

At 5am, my street was already flooded (picture below).

We had to go down a bunch of different streets, turn around, try other routes, but we did make it to the grocery store. When we saw other people there, I said, "At least we're not the only idiots going to the grocery store in the middle of a tropical storm."

On the drive back home, I was grateful Greg was driving. I had to cover my eyes when we went through some deep waters on the streets. Below is a picture of the canal on W. Napoleon - very high.

Two Dollar

2011-09-03T01:00:00.002-05:00

My husband sent me this link. I had to laugh. I remember when they came out. My Dad started to collect them, because he didn't think they would last that long in print. I have a few of them too and after reading that link, makes me want to go buy something with them!

Happiness is Beads

2011-09-02T01:00:00.005-05:00

I'm happy to be participating in Jade's "Happiness Is"

Happiness Is Beads

I love to make jewelry. Seeing all the pretty shades of colors and sparkles, it makes me smile. Put me in a bead store and I'm like a little kid in a candy store. Only, it's a lot more expensive than the candy.

But, I'm not going to write about the jewelry I make.. the beads I'm talking about right now are Mardi Gras beads. Those plastic, cheap "Throw me something, Mister" trinkets.

My Mom's school collects the beads and then uses the beads in their art classes. I think this is SO cool! They twist or cut the beads so they are individual little rounds and then glue them on a painting, to give a 3D appearance. Below are some pictures. Some pictures are completed with the beads, others are not, so you can see the process. Seeing the beads being used this way makes me want to be a kid again!

MARDI GRAS KING CAKE

(Below picture you can see the beads on some of the black and the green)

Boiled Crawfish Painting (you can see the bags of beads - bottom of picture)