Christmas is only a few days away. That’s right, CHRISTmas!! And so I wish you all a very Merry CHRISTMAS!! Not “happy holidays”, but CHRISTMAS!!! I resist the attempt by a morally corrupt, secular (sick-ular?) society of politically correct, holiday usurping, self-centered, my-way-or-the-highway, left-wing, pantywaisted denizens of this world who want to take a Christian celebration and turn it into a non-sectarian, almighty $$-driven (look at the crowds in the stores day in and day out for weeks) excuse for a day off from work. Given more time I’d tell you what I REALLY think!
As they say, “Jesus IS the reason for the season.” Like it or not, there wouldn’t be “happy holidays” were it not for Christ.
A hand down, please, as I step off my soapbox. At least for the time being.
Tonight we went to Tunica, in Mississippi, to the Gold Strike casino. We met our good friends and fellow deacon Richard and his lovely wife, June. They are from my diaconate formation class, the Class of ’99. This weekend was June’s birthday, so Richard brought her up from Slidell for a few days R&R. Taking advantage of their proximity, they invited us to meet them for dinner and a show at the casino. As luck would have it, we weren’t able to get tickets to the show, but we went anyway to have dinner. It was fabulous, in the grand tradition of casino restaurants. We all had the prime rib special, and even had desserts (mine was “double dutch chocolate” cake. M-m-m-m-m!!!). It was SO good to see them again, and we talked and talked for so long that they ended up missing the show. While I feel badly that they didn’t make the show, Linda and I truly enjoyed our time with them. Thank you, Rich and June!!
Richard mentioned something his pastor had said during his sermon this weekend. He said that while you see the signs, as I mentioned above, that “Jesus is the reason for the season”, actually we, you and I, are the reason for the season, and Jesus is God’s gift to us. I like that thought. We should be grateful for the gift, and we should try to keep in mind that all the gift giving that we do for family and friends is nothing when compared to that greatest gift that we have received from a loving Father in heaven.
Holy Name of Mary had their annual Christmas program tonight. It’s the first one we’ve ever missed in 20 years of having family members participate. I wish we could have been there. It was our granddaughter’s first as a participant (she’s in Pre-K), and we hear that she enjoyed the whole experience immensely.
The news just announced that it’s 25 degrees in Memphis. I get the chills just thinking about it. Today’s high was only 37! Still it was a sunny and beautiful winter day. I hope the sunshine continues through the weekend, but the forecast isn’t cooperating. Rain, though, no snow predicted.
As I watch the dog sleep and the birds complain about the lights still being on, I realize that it’s time to call it a day. Merry Christmas and may God bless you with life, love and laughter this Christmas season. Our love and prayers to all of you! - Dean
December 19, 2005
December 17, 2005
He asked her, and she said....
For those who don't know, Kenny and Ellie are ENGAGED!!! And we are thrilled!!!
Happy Birthday to ME!!!
Fifty-six years old yesterday (fitty-six if you’s from the lower Nine’t Ward). It’s been a pretty good ride so far. I’ve seen and done a lot more than some, less than others. All in all though, it’s been a good life, I think. This was going to be a bit of a trip down Memory Lane, but once I got started I decided there just wasn’t enough room on this blog for everything I remember, even if I limited it to just the good things.
Instead, I think I’ll make a list of things I wish my kids could remember.
I wish my kids remembered sledding down the mountainside in winter, and having horse chestnut fights on that same mountainside in the summer.
I wish my kids remembered ice skating on ponds and flooded tennis courts, and flopping down into snow banks with your friends.
I wish my kids remembered hay rides, and toboggans, and hot chocolate and popcorn in front of the fire.
I wish my kids remembered watching their grandfather marching down Main Street with the other legionnaires in the Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and 4th of July parades.
I wish my kids remembered playing hide and seek in the fields of corn, and the sickly sweet smell of silage as they helped feed the cows in winter.
I wish my kids remembered walking into Grandma’s house and being hit by the wonderful smells of dinner cooking on the wood burning stove.
I wish my kids remembered Memorial Day weekend, when all the parks and pools opened, and going to the lake and jumping into the water because it was too cold to ease into.
Hmmm… Maybe this is a trip down Memory Lane after all!
Got calls with birthday wishes from all the kids. Of notable mention are the singing of Happy Birthday left on my voicemail, daughter-in-law’s, “Happy Birthday, Dad. So, how old are you now? 72?” and not to be outdone, H2’s, “So, you’re what? 56? I guess you’ll be dead soon then, huh? Don't forget to pay off the mortgage, ok?” Let’s see now, where WAS that Christmas list again????
Sometimes it’s a bitch being loved, you know?
Anyway, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a GOOD NIGHT!!!! - Dean
Instead, I think I’ll make a list of things I wish my kids could remember.
I wish my kids remembered sledding down the mountainside in winter, and having horse chestnut fights on that same mountainside in the summer.
I wish my kids remembered ice skating on ponds and flooded tennis courts, and flopping down into snow banks with your friends.
I wish my kids remembered hay rides, and toboggans, and hot chocolate and popcorn in front of the fire.
I wish my kids remembered watching their grandfather marching down Main Street with the other legionnaires in the Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and 4th of July parades.
I wish my kids remembered playing hide and seek in the fields of corn, and the sickly sweet smell of silage as they helped feed the cows in winter.
I wish my kids remembered walking into Grandma’s house and being hit by the wonderful smells of dinner cooking on the wood burning stove.
I wish my kids remembered Memorial Day weekend, when all the parks and pools opened, and going to the lake and jumping into the water because it was too cold to ease into.
Hmmm… Maybe this is a trip down Memory Lane after all!
Got calls with birthday wishes from all the kids. Of notable mention are the singing of Happy Birthday left on my voicemail, daughter-in-law’s, “Happy Birthday, Dad. So, how old are you now? 72?” and not to be outdone, H2’s, “So, you’re what? 56? I guess you’ll be dead soon then, huh? Don't forget to pay off the mortgage, ok?” Let’s see now, where WAS that Christmas list again????
Sometimes it’s a bitch being loved, you know?
Anyway, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a GOOD NIGHT!!!! - Dean
December 14, 2005
It's raining, it's pouring, the old man... Oh, never mind. Actually it's drizzling and chilly out but not cold. A very fine mist of a drizzle, like it wants to snow, but it can't because it just isn't yet cold enough. This would be a great evening to cuddle in front of a nice fire, with a glass of wine, and a good book or movie. Did I mention how comfortable Maynard has gotten? I got up this AM at 4:15 for a nature call and found him crashed on the couch. He didn't even move as I crossed from the bedroom into the bathroom. This evening as we returned from supper we were greated by a dog without a collar on. Lo and behold, it was laying in the middle of the bed. Can you say, "Spoiled?" Sure... sure... I KNEW you could! There are almost no Louisiana license plates left in the hotel parking lot. I noticed that most have gone since the first of the month. I guess with the threat of the FEMA money running out people have begun to move on. It would be nice if we could, as well. Linda still has no idea what is happening with her job. Last month her command participated in a survey conducted by Senator Vitter's office. The results split the command at almost 50/50 as to who wanted to go back to New Orleans and who wanted to remain in Millington. Yesterday he (Vitter) was supposedly speaking with someone from the Chief of Naval Operations office about whether EPMAC (Linda's command) would return or not. So far no word. Today (Tuesday) I finally broke down and wrote a letter to Senator Vitter asking him to at least try to get some sort of communication established where Linda works. The big guns where I work have been very good about keeping us informed of any developments and situations that might impact our return. Since September they've tried to project our return and kept us informed in the process. Not so with Linda. Very frustrating, indeed.
It's now Thursday and I still haven't posted this blog entry. I didn't think anyone would notice until I received this comment to my last post: "You know, I could have sworn that this was an active blog. Hmmm, must have been thinking of somewhere else. hehe". That comment comes from my daughter-in-law, who NEVER (yeah, right!!) let's a day go by without posting on her own blog, Taunt Society (Warning!!: NOT for the faint of heart! Read at your own risk.).
So, anyway, I'm going to take her lead and try and finish this up (at work) and get this posted.
Tomorrow is the 56th anniversary of the day I took my first breath of air on my own. Perhaps I will have more to report then.
Christmas is close, and our thoughts and prayers are with you all… family, friends, fellow evacuees still displaced. May the joys of Christmas bring peace and contentment to the hearts and minds of all of us this season. God bless!! - Dean
It's now Thursday and I still haven't posted this blog entry. I didn't think anyone would notice until I received this comment to my last post: "You know, I could have sworn that this was an active blog. Hmmm, must have been thinking of somewhere else. hehe". That comment comes from my daughter-in-law, who NEVER (yeah, right!!) let's a day go by without posting on her own blog, Taunt Society (Warning!!: NOT for the faint of heart! Read at your own risk.).
So, anyway, I'm going to take her lead and try and finish this up (at work) and get this posted.
Tomorrow is the 56th anniversary of the day I took my first breath of air on my own. Perhaps I will have more to report then.
Christmas is close, and our thoughts and prayers are with you all… family, friends, fellow evacuees still displaced. May the joys of Christmas bring peace and contentment to the hearts and minds of all of us this season. God bless!! - Dean
December 11, 2005
Weekend Ramblings
We had a lovely evening Friday. Fr. Kirk, the pastor of Church of the Holy Spirit had invited Linda and I to join him, Fr. Matthew, deacons Ned, Richard, Bill, Werner and their wives Barbara, Barbara, Chris, and Provie, respectively, for an evening of prayer, dinner, and socializing. It was nice to be included in their annual clergy gathering. The event was held at the home of Richard and Barbara. We sat around and chatted and drank some wine while waiting for everyone to arrive. Then we prayed together the evening prayers of the Church. A scrumptious dinner followed, consisting of baked salmon, grilled steaks, potatoes (both irish and sweet), a carrot souffle, a salad of greens, fruits and nuts, cake for dessert and more wine. Everything was absolutely delicious! Even the salmon (for those who don't know, I am NOT particularly fond of fish)!
To show our gratitude, Linda had prepared some small New Orleans style gifts for each couple and the pastors. The colorful bags (two purple, two green, two gold... go figure!) were filled with cajun hot peanuts, pralines, a fleur de lis keychain, and topped off with Mardi Gras beads. Everyone seemed delighted, and the women immediately put on the beads.
Saturday was another good day. After sleeping in a little late, we went to Applebee's restaurant for a salad lunch, then on to the mall. It took forever to find a parking spot, but we did. Then into the mall we went. We shopped until I dropped (Linda could have gone on and on and on). When we finally finished, it was time for dinner, so off to Outback which, by the way, is right next door to the Applebee's where we ate lunch. We had to reminisce a bit about the kids, since we've shared so many family get togethers at the Outback restaurant in New Orleans.
Gerald rode his Kawasaki home to NOLA yesterday. Today he returns and tomorrow will drive back with all his "stuff". The Navy command that we work for has rented eight trailers to put onsite at our Lakefront location for about 75 people to work from, starting tomorrow (Monday). We are going to miss Gerald. He and I worked next to each other in Millington. He was great company and joined Linda and me frequently when we went out to eat.
Actually I, too, am on the list of people returning to NOLA to work. I've asked to be allowed to stay through the first of the year in order to keep some obligations we have already made outside of work. I may ask to remain longer, as the team of contractors I work with are not returning any time soon, and Linda's command has made no commitment to return, either. If I do come home in January, I guess Maynard will come with me while the birds remain with Linda in Memphis. What to do, what to do!?!? It would be nice to be back in my own house, but lonely without Linda. It will be like when I was in the Navy and gone to sea, but in reverse.
We are hoping that our daughter and son-in-law will come up for a short visit New Year's weekend. Our daughter is excited about the possibility of "going to any restaurant I want and choosing from a menu that isn't a photocopy of a list of limited items, and not having to wait in line an hour and a half to get a table". She's also looking to go to a real shopping mall for a change! It will be a whirlwind weekend!
We're looking forward to seeing family again at Christmas. It's only been a week, and it seems like we haven't seen them in ages.
We're bad. After that wonderful Friday evening, we went to a different church today. We went to St. Francis of Assisi. What a beautiful church! Bright and airy, and they have KNEELERS!! Yeah!!!
Gerald is back! He's sitting on our sofa even as I type. He says he froze his @$$ off riding to NOLA yesterday. He's driving his car back tomorrow. Things will be different without him here.
OK. I've bored you enough for one weekend. Take care. God bless you. Happy Advent.
Dean
To show our gratitude, Linda had prepared some small New Orleans style gifts for each couple and the pastors. The colorful bags (two purple, two green, two gold... go figure!) were filled with cajun hot peanuts, pralines, a fleur de lis keychain, and topped off with Mardi Gras beads. Everyone seemed delighted, and the women immediately put on the beads.
Saturday was another good day. After sleeping in a little late, we went to Applebee's restaurant for a salad lunch, then on to the mall. It took forever to find a parking spot, but we did. Then into the mall we went. We shopped until I dropped (Linda could have gone on and on and on). When we finally finished, it was time for dinner, so off to Outback which, by the way, is right next door to the Applebee's where we ate lunch. We had to reminisce a bit about the kids, since we've shared so many family get togethers at the Outback restaurant in New Orleans.
Gerald rode his Kawasaki home to NOLA yesterday. Today he returns and tomorrow will drive back with all his "stuff". The Navy command that we work for has rented eight trailers to put onsite at our Lakefront location for about 75 people to work from, starting tomorrow (Monday). We are going to miss Gerald. He and I worked next to each other in Millington. He was great company and joined Linda and me frequently when we went out to eat.
Actually I, too, am on the list of people returning to NOLA to work. I've asked to be allowed to stay through the first of the year in order to keep some obligations we have already made outside of work. I may ask to remain longer, as the team of contractors I work with are not returning any time soon, and Linda's command has made no commitment to return, either. If I do come home in January, I guess Maynard will come with me while the birds remain with Linda in Memphis. What to do, what to do!?!? It would be nice to be back in my own house, but lonely without Linda. It will be like when I was in the Navy and gone to sea, but in reverse.
We are hoping that our daughter and son-in-law will come up for a short visit New Year's weekend. Our daughter is excited about the possibility of "going to any restaurant I want and choosing from a menu that isn't a photocopy of a list of limited items, and not having to wait in line an hour and a half to get a table". She's also looking to go to a real shopping mall for a change! It will be a whirlwind weekend!
We're looking forward to seeing family again at Christmas. It's only been a week, and it seems like we haven't seen them in ages.
We're bad. After that wonderful Friday evening, we went to a different church today. We went to St. Francis of Assisi. What a beautiful church! Bright and airy, and they have KNEELERS!! Yeah!!!
Gerald is back! He's sitting on our sofa even as I type. He says he froze his @$$ off riding to NOLA yesterday. He's driving his car back tomorrow. Things will be different without him here.
OK. I've bored you enough for one weekend. Take care. God bless you. Happy Advent.
Dean
December 8, 2005
Bedknobs and Bumper Stickers
Were you ever out driving and a bumper sticker catches your eye that really grabs you? I saw one today that did just that. Perhaps you’ve seen those bumper stickers that say “Visualize world peace”? Then that gave way to “Visualize whirled peas”. Today as we were coming home we saw one that tickled both Linda and I. It said, “Forget world peace, visualize using your turn signal”. Now THAT’s a concept!!
While blogging I’m watching CSI:Crime Scene Investigation. Does that qualify as multi-tasking?
On a more somber note, today there was a murder in New Orleans, on our street, across from our house. For several years there has been a gay couple living there. They’ve long been suspected of robberies and drug use. Apparently one of them was stabbed in a lung last night and the other is being charged with 1st degree murder. It would be so easy to lose sight of who they were and focus on what they were, extracting some measure of satisfaction from the way they have ended up. I find myself thinking more about them as human beings, however flawed, children of God. No matter what they may have done in the past, no matter how much of a pain in the butt they were to us as neighbors, no one deserves to die so violently. And the one who stands accused is well known to have suffered all forms of abuse at the hands of another when he was younger.
I’m not making excuses, I’m just trying to understand something that is impossible for me to understand, because I can’t imagine ever doing drugs or trying to hurt another human being.
Our hearts go out to the parents of the accused. Through thick and thin they have stood by him and tried to help him. We’ve known his parents for many years. They were, at one time, landlords for “little grandma”. Nice people, hard working, kind, and generous. As hard as it is to imagine committing a crime such as this, it is equally hard to imagine the pain the parents are now experiencing.
Please join me in prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased, and for the parents and their son. Please also pray for the family of the deceased man. A season of Joy has become for all those involved a season of Sadness. May God be with them.
- Dean
While blogging I’m watching CSI:Crime Scene Investigation. Does that qualify as multi-tasking?
On a more somber note, today there was a murder in New Orleans, on our street, across from our house. For several years there has been a gay couple living there. They’ve long been suspected of robberies and drug use. Apparently one of them was stabbed in a lung last night and the other is being charged with 1st degree murder. It would be so easy to lose sight of who they were and focus on what they were, extracting some measure of satisfaction from the way they have ended up. I find myself thinking more about them as human beings, however flawed, children of God. No matter what they may have done in the past, no matter how much of a pain in the butt they were to us as neighbors, no one deserves to die so violently. And the one who stands accused is well known to have suffered all forms of abuse at the hands of another when he was younger.
I’m not making excuses, I’m just trying to understand something that is impossible for me to understand, because I can’t imagine ever doing drugs or trying to hurt another human being.
Our hearts go out to the parents of the accused. Through thick and thin they have stood by him and tried to help him. We’ve known his parents for many years. They were, at one time, landlords for “little grandma”. Nice people, hard working, kind, and generous. As hard as it is to imagine committing a crime such as this, it is equally hard to imagine the pain the parents are now experiencing.
Please join me in prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased, and for the parents and their son. Please also pray for the family of the deceased man. A season of Joy has become for all those involved a season of Sadness. May God be with them.
- Dean
When You Wish Upon A Star
Christmas wish lists are beginning to surface in our household. Since the kids kept picking at me I succumbed and ginned up a short list of STUFF that I wouldn’t mind possessing, but if I didn’t get any of those things, I would still be happy, because I have the things most important to me already. I have a loving wife, children and grandchildren that I’m very proud of, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces, cousins (including the in-laws!!) each of whom holds a special place in my life and in my heart. I have dear, dear friends who brighten up my world when we’re together, and leave me with memories to cherish when we’re apart.
With that being said, I’d like to share with you my Christmas wishes:
I wish that Jesus Christ were more the center of my life and my being than He is today.
I wish that I could be more attuned to others’ needs. With that, I wish that I were more inclined to be a “good neighbor” to those less fortunate than me. (And less fortunate doesn’t necessarily mean having less money!)
I wish that more people could see that what we are, what we have, who we know, is all a gift from God, and that being faithful to Him and living our lives with love for one another is small recompense for those gifts.
I wish that Christmas were not so commercialized.
I wish that one day would go by without any deaths by violence…Then one week… one month… one year…
I wish that my entire extended family knows how very much I love them and cherish them in my life.
I wish that each and every one of you gets everything you wish for.
Most of all, I wish each and every one of you true happiness. I wish you the complete and utter joy of knowing and reveling in the love that God and Jesus Christ have to offer.
May God bless you with a Christmas season that is full of joy and laughter and the pleasure of unconditional giving, with no thought of getting anything in return. The warm glow that you feel inside is God’s way of saying, “You done good!”
Merry Christmas! - Dean
December 6, 2005
Tuesday, December 6th
Colder, colder, colder still! Forecast for Wednesday night into Thursday is freezing rain or even, (dare I say it?), SNOW!!! We’re talking about some real possibilities here, folks. Snowballs, snow angels, snowmen (snowpersons for all you PC folks). Too bad the grandkids won’t be here to enjoy.
However, it looks like Grandson is going to return with us from NOLA at Christmas and stay until New Year’s, so there’s still a shot at him getting to frolic in some real snow. We’re going to try to get tickets to the Liberty Bowl and go watch some football together!
As I sit here typing this I’m munching on cracklins. What a delicious Southern treat! Fried pigskins. You know THAT’s got to be healthy. Uh-huh!
Just so you know, our friend Gerald spent two nights in the hospital, but as it turned out, everything came out ok (groan!!). I mean, when he speaks I can’t tell him he’s full of cr_p anymore (ouch!!). It’s good to have the old Gerald back.
The days until Christmas are flying by! Get your Christmas shopping done early so that you’ll have some time to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday. Think about the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, Son of God, who’s suffering, death and resurrection has won for us the hope of eternal salvation! May you all enjoy the Peace of Christmas! - Dean
However, it looks like Grandson is going to return with us from NOLA at Christmas and stay until New Year’s, so there’s still a shot at him getting to frolic in some real snow. We’re going to try to get tickets to the Liberty Bowl and go watch some football together!
As I sit here typing this I’m munching on cracklins. What a delicious Southern treat! Fried pigskins. You know THAT’s got to be healthy. Uh-huh!
Just so you know, our friend Gerald spent two nights in the hospital, but as it turned out, everything came out ok (groan!!). I mean, when he speaks I can’t tell him he’s full of cr_p anymore (ouch!!). It’s good to have the old Gerald back.
The days until Christmas are flying by! Get your Christmas shopping done early so that you’ll have some time to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday. Think about the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ, Son of God, who’s suffering, death and resurrection has won for us the hope of eternal salvation! May you all enjoy the Peace of Christmas! - Dean
December 4, 2005
Baby, It's Cold Outside!!
We're living in the SOUTH!! Hey, Mother Nature, the SOUTH!@!@! We left NOLA at 4PM to 80 degree temps. We arrived in Memphis at 9:45PM to 32 degrees! What is UP with that? When we finally had stopped to grab a bite to eat we had to quickly get our coats from the trunk. Jeez!
You know, I have a theory about what really happened to New Orleans. We were all prepared for the devastation of a Cat 5 hurricane, so on Monday when Katrina had passed with minimal damage we all heaved a collective sigh of relief. Now that's a lot of people exhaling hot air at the same time. Hot air rises, so all this expelled hot air rose quickly, dragging cold air down into the area. The more condensed cold air created a vacuum which pulled against the levees, weakening them to the point that they failed. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it!
The TV just gave the weather forecast. Low tonight 27, high tomorrow 43. The low tomorrow will be 26, high on Tuesday 43 again. All our kin up North are probably laughing their collective butts off at us, and would be down here with shorts and tee shirts in a heart beat. I guess Linda and I have lived too long in the (deep) South and our blood has thinned.
Next weekend is son Numero Uno's birthday. We want to wish him a Happy birthday and wish we could be in NOLA to celebrate with him and all the rest of the kids.
Time to hit the sack under piles of blankets! Y'all take care and God bless. - Dean
You know, I have a theory about what really happened to New Orleans. We were all prepared for the devastation of a Cat 5 hurricane, so on Monday when Katrina had passed with minimal damage we all heaved a collective sigh of relief. Now that's a lot of people exhaling hot air at the same time. Hot air rises, so all this expelled hot air rose quickly, dragging cold air down into the area. The more condensed cold air created a vacuum which pulled against the levees, weakening them to the point that they failed. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it!
The TV just gave the weather forecast. Low tonight 27, high tomorrow 43. The low tomorrow will be 26, high on Tuesday 43 again. All our kin up North are probably laughing their collective butts off at us, and would be down here with shorts and tee shirts in a heart beat. I guess Linda and I have lived too long in the (deep) South and our blood has thinned.
Next weekend is son Numero Uno's birthday. We want to wish him a Happy birthday and wish we could be in NOLA to celebrate with him and all the rest of the kids.
Time to hit the sack under piles of blankets! Y'all take care and God bless. - Dean
December 3, 2005
HIPPO BIRDY 2 U
Happy birthday to you. Happy BIRTHday TO You. Happy BIRTHDAY DEAR Linda... HAPPY BIRTHday TO YOU!!
Yep, it's that time of year again. Linda is once again two years my senior (at least for 13 days).
The ride on Thursday was great! We made it to New Orleans in less than 6 hours again. Listened to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on the way. Got in fairly early and had an outstanding supper of homemade tacos and tostadas at our daughter's house. Her husband is an incredible cook, and he enjoys doing it. His guacamole dip is, as they say, "to die for"!!
Friday we went to the Covington Craft Fair, in Covington, LA., on the North Shore. It was good to see that almost all the vendors were there, and the crowds were excellent, in spite of Katrina. We went with our daughter and her husband, and our good friends Mickey and Beverly and had a really nice time. We started the morning off with hot chocolate and funnel cakes for breakfast. Funnel cakes with cinnamon and chocolate syrup are killer!! After wandering up and down the aisles and in and out of tents we stopped for lunch. Polish sausage on a bun with onions, and fresh fried potatoe chips. Delicious. Finally, around 2PM we wrapped up our day by buying our annual fudge and kettle corn. Then a trip home across the Causeway and the day was done. Almost.
Hearing that China Doll restaurant had reopened, we met again, this time Mick and Bev, and our daughter and grandkids for Chinese. The limited menu still had enough options for everyone to find something they liked. We shared all the dishes among us and had a great time. The dinner was followed by our traditional "after dinner coffee" with Mick and Bev at a newly opened coffee shop on Manhattan Blvd called Tapioca and Coffee (something like that) where we burned a table or two between us.
Saturday dawned warm and bright. Mickey D's provided breakfast, we showed one of our apartments to a potential renter who decided against it (too bad, she was HOT!!) and struggled with the remains of our metal garage trying to finish dismantling it to have it hauled away. Hopefully number 2 son will be able to get it finished next weekend.
We leave again for Memphis tomorrow afternoon. A cold week is predicted. Poor Maynard. He really hates that crispy, crunchy frosted grass in the mornings.
As we begin the second week of Advent, may you continue to look forward to the coming of our Lord with love, faith, and hope. God bless. - Dean
Yep, it's that time of year again. Linda is once again two years my senior (at least for 13 days).
The ride on Thursday was great! We made it to New Orleans in less than 6 hours again. Listened to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on the way. Got in fairly early and had an outstanding supper of homemade tacos and tostadas at our daughter's house. Her husband is an incredible cook, and he enjoys doing it. His guacamole dip is, as they say, "to die for"!!
Friday we went to the Covington Craft Fair, in Covington, LA., on the North Shore. It was good to see that almost all the vendors were there, and the crowds were excellent, in spite of Katrina. We went with our daughter and her husband, and our good friends Mickey and Beverly and had a really nice time. We started the morning off with hot chocolate and funnel cakes for breakfast. Funnel cakes with cinnamon and chocolate syrup are killer!! After wandering up and down the aisles and in and out of tents we stopped for lunch. Polish sausage on a bun with onions, and fresh fried potatoe chips. Delicious. Finally, around 2PM we wrapped up our day by buying our annual fudge and kettle corn. Then a trip home across the Causeway and the day was done. Almost.
Hearing that China Doll restaurant had reopened, we met again, this time Mick and Bev, and our daughter and grandkids for Chinese. The limited menu still had enough options for everyone to find something they liked. We shared all the dishes among us and had a great time. The dinner was followed by our traditional "after dinner coffee" with Mick and Bev at a newly opened coffee shop on Manhattan Blvd called Tapioca and Coffee (something like that) where we burned a table or two between us.
Saturday dawned warm and bright. Mickey D's provided breakfast, we showed one of our apartments to a potential renter who decided against it (too bad, she was HOT!!) and struggled with the remains of our metal garage trying to finish dismantling it to have it hauled away. Hopefully number 2 son will be able to get it finished next weekend.
We leave again for Memphis tomorrow afternoon. A cold week is predicted. Poor Maynard. He really hates that crispy, crunchy frosted grass in the mornings.
As we begin the second week of Advent, may you continue to look forward to the coming of our Lord with love, faith, and hope. God bless. - Dean
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