Fleur de Aleta

The first time I saw the Statue of Liberty (before 911) I had a horrible sinus cold and was miserable.  It was so nice to go this time, feeling well and able to enjoy the sights, to take it all in. I took this next picture once we arrived on the island, because of the date :)  I'll think of the 125th year for the Statue of Liberty on my birthday :) We had an audio tour on the island, which was very informative, but I won't repeat all of that at this time. I did find this "fun fact" picture: The part about the statue being only 2 pennies thick was wild! This next picture is my favorite of the Statue of Liberty  It's almost as though she's reaching for heaven :)  The picture is on my screen saver.  My husband loves the shot too :) The below video is the view of Ellis Island, which is the next stop and will be in the following post :) Next Post - Part 6 - Ellis Island Previous Po...

You know what the monkey building is, right?  Every time we said this, we received odd looks.  It's one of Dad's quotes.  The kind of terminology that is funny enough it sticks with you.  Ok, here's the monkey building: Empire State Building My Dad bought the tickets ahead of time and also opted for the more expensive "express" passes, including the 102nd floor (very top).  Those who go to the top are called the 102 Members :) If your'e going to visit the Empire State building, get the express pass!  It's great!  There are rooms and rooms and rooms of crowds being herded like cattle through maze lines.  But the express pass?  We bypassed all of that and had preferential treatment for the elevators going up and coming back down.  Mom said, "Half the fun of going there was passing up the Disney like forever long lines!"  But ohhhh, the dirty looks we got, as if they wanted to yell out, "Why do they get special treatme...

So, I'm a little off today.  It's Tuesday and I cooked Red Beans & Rice, a MONDAY New Orleans tradition.  I don't know why it's a Monday thing, but it is :) I cheated with this recipe, because I don't have the patience to soak beans.  I used Blue Runner Red Beans.  Very easy recipe: Ingredients: 1 Can Blue Runner Red Beans (I didn't use the small can, it was the next size up) 1 Onion 1 Bell Pepper 2 stalks of Celery Smoked Ham diced Smoked Sausage Liquid Smoke and other Seasonings (salt, pepper, etc) Green Onions (for Garnish) Rice Directions: Saute Onions, Bell Pepper and Celery Open Blue Runner can and pour into a nice sized pot. I also added about a half a can of water to get the consistency to what I prefer. Add onions, bell pepper, celery, ham, sausage, seasonings. Cook on low for about 1 hour, enough time for the seasonings to meld together. Cook Rice. Serve over rice and with green onion on top for garnish. Ok, about the rice, I cheated too.  I can ne...

My parents used to buy season tickets to the Saenger Theater in New Orleans and at the Mahalia Jackson Theater.  My husband and I have also seen performances in Boston and California.  But this is our first NYC Broadway Show. And oh my gosh!  What a difference!  The Book of Mormon was held at the Eugene O'Neil Theater.  It's smaller than the Saenger, but it's very decorative and more of an intimate feeling while maintaining a lovely elegance. The cast was original, no substitutes and let me tell you... it was fantastic!  The quality of the performance was top notch from beginning to end - total entertainment from the second the lights went down until the standing ovation!  Now, keep in mind that it's a musical satire of the Mormon faith.. and it was written by the creators of "South Park" and "Avenue Q" - so if you offend easily, don't go to see this performance. This was the highest ranked performance of the plays on Broad...

We stayed at the Staybridge Suites on 40th, between 8th and 9th.  Yes, I have that memorized after saying it so many times to the cab drivers!  The hotel is located just a few blocks away from Time Square and is considered "Mid Town".  There's also an UpTown and DownTown, sometimes the cabbies called it "Upside and Downside." Our hotel room had a full kitchen available.  This is nice when you go to restaurants and have left overs.  We had a refrigerator, microwave, stove, sink, dish washer, coffee maker and dishes, cups, utensils - fully stocked. The hotel was located in the Fashion District.  Below is the symbol that we saw throughout our district area.  Needle and button for fashion :)  Which made me smile, thinking about my thread and needle for making jewelry. (Speaking of which, the necklace I made for Mom, the one she had on at Tony's restaurant, was a huge hit.  Lots of compliments on it :)  I thought, "Oh Wow - compliments fr...

At the end of May, my husband and I traveled to NYC with my parents along with Rob and Roda, for a family vacation.  It was during the Memorial weekend.  Dad created the travel itinerary and oh my gosh, was it jam packed.  I might have to break up the days in a few posts, because we did so much within just a few days. We flew in late on Friday, May 26th (Yes, I know, I'm behind in blogging about the trip :)  The only newbies to NYC were Greg and Roda.  I was in the city before and after 911, but it's been a long time. The best man at our wedding, Danny, suggested that we go to Tony's Di Napoli for supper.  It's located at 147 West 43rd Street, NYC.  I love this part on the business card, "Between 63rd and 64th Streets."  This is how it's said.  Not the street name, note the place of business, but the "between the streets" location.  You can't tell a cab driver, "I want to go to Tony's Di Napolis," because no matter where you...