Halloween fun

Gee and I spent the weekend in the woods - at a very scary Halloween party! Our artists friends, Brent and Sandy, create and display various scary scenes in the woods on their property - and have a party! The art work is unbelieveable - fighting skeleton armies, a huge Medusa, and various scary creatures are hanging out along 4-5 trails. It's really amazing! Of course everyone costumed! We enjoyed good friends, food and an enormous bonfire which is expected to continue to burn for a week. Thanks Sandy and Brent - for another great halloween party.

Today we watched some of the Saints game - go Saints and LSU! - at Britt and Jimmy's before heading home. So nice to have them in New Orleans.

Two weekends ago we attended a couples shower for the future bride and groom. We had fun hanging out with Britt, Jimmy, Zac, Pam, Peter, Lacey, Clint, and a bunch of Jimmy's friends and family. Jimmy's family and friends are really nice and very welcoming - and definitely know how to have a great party.

Lots more things coming - baby Adam, engagement party for a friend's daughter, another shower, KBA party, trip to NC - and that just brings us to December! Life is busy and good - we are blessed!

Parties, games and work - oh my!

We attended our first "Brittany & Jimmy" party Saturday night. It was a western theme so we had on cowboy hats/boots/scarves. The home (Jimmy's sisters) was so beautiful - loved the centerpiece on the dining room table - boots with flowers in them. It was nice to meet Jimmy's sister and friends - and to see Britt's law school friends. We had a great time!

We spent the night at Britt's and I must say her house looks so nice! They painted the living room - the color is perfect with her furniture and pictures. I love the new furniture arrangement also - the living room definitely looks bigger. My favorite is the guest room - the purple/blue color is really beautiful and the bed with Granny's quilt is cozy and comfy. Very nice - Britt!

Sunday morning was lazy -beignet's for breakfast - and then off to the Saints game. The dome was unbelieveably loud - and of course the Saints ROCKED!!! We had such a great time! I really prefer watching a game on TV - but I LOVE being in the dome with that crazy crowd! LSU and Saints are undefeated - life is good!

Work is still crazy busy - IEP's - parents that don't attend meetings - progress reports - reevaluations - therapy, therapy, therapy - SACS walk through is coming soon. Things are better now - I'm getting in the groove - but I am so tired when I get home. Oh well - at least I'm not bored and looking for things to do!

Well school started and I stopped blogging! This has been the hardest beginning of a school year that I remember in a long time! We have lots of changes - most are good but still hard to get used to. We have a problem parent which is never a good thing. I still love working with the students - but it wears me out! I'm tired in the evenings - and not working out on a regular basis. I know things will get better - and they already are. Maybe since I am eligible to retire that's in the back of my mind.

We tailgated last weekend at LSU with some friends. It was pretty hot during the day - but the evening was nice. Gee cooked a jambalaya - his new receipe is so delicious. We slept at Zac's Saturday night and had lunch with Zac, Britt, & Jimmy on Sunday. Love, love, love my kids!!!! Gee and I are so lucky to have such great kids!!!

Time to address invitations for the wedding. I volunteered to address them all - and have until 11/16 to get them done - so that shouldn't be a problem. We have a western theme party for Britt and Jimmy next weekend so today I shopped for a shirt. What I bought is really tacky - and I am already having second thoughts. Will probably trade it in for a white shirt & cowboy hat instead - I'm just not that brave!

Crabs and beer

Last night we went to a seafood restaurant at the end of the bayou where then have delicious boiled crabs and the beer is free! That's right - drink all the keg beer you want as long as you are eating. We had boiled crabs and fried crab fingers. Everything was delicious - but it's kind of like being in a Seinfeld show except instead of the Soup Nazi there is a Crab Nazi. The owner is quite a character.

We also went to Downtown Live at the courthouse square to listen to a band we like. The lead singer is a friend of ours. We had a great time- beautiful night - good music. It's good to be home again.

Michigan warmed up and we had fun!

The rest of our Michigan trip was lots of fun. On Sunday we went to Mackinaw Island where we ate fudge and toured a really cool fort.








Then we went to the Soo Locks in Sault Ste Marie where we watched a 1000 foot ship enter a lock with only 2 1/2 feet to spare on each side.


On Monday we went to a lighthouse on Lake Superior:





and lower Tahquemenon Falls. Jean rowed a boat over to an island where we planned on spending some time in the water but instead ran from mosquitoes. It was really beautiful there and I was really disappointed that no one had warned us about the mosquitoes.





We then traveled to Upper Tahquemenon Falls which was equally beautiful:




Our next stop was Munising, Michigan where we went on a boat tour of Pictured Rocks National Park. It was stunning:



We headed back to Jean's house the next day. We tried to go to a Detroit Tigers baseball game Wednesday night but left early due to a rain delay. I was glad to be home on Thursday - with lots of great memories - especially of family time together. Thanks Jean and Kathy - we had fun!

It's cold in Michigan!!!

So packing mostly shorts and short sleeve blouses wasn't such a good idea for this trip - it's pretty cool here. Daytime in the 60's and nights in the 40's! First thing I did was buy a sweatshirt. So far we have spent our time in Midland - the downtown area is really neat - lots of cute shops and a great park area where there are three bridges that meet in the center of a river- they call it the tridge. We went to the Loons baseball game last night where we won a free burger and saw some great fireworks. The baseball game was good - the loons won. Today we toured the Alden Dow house - he is a famous architect in the area who studied under Frank Lloyd Wright. His house is amazing! Tomorrow we head for the Upper Penninsula. I think the best trips combine visiting with family and seeing a new area!

Cruising

Well - that was crazy fun! We just got back from a four day cruise (Carnival - Fantasy) out of New Orleans - with 55 family members - do I have to say more? We laughed, danced, swam, had a few cocktails, ate, then started all over again the next day. Even though there were 1600 people on the ship - everywhere we went we ran into someone we knew. Our accommodations were nice and the food was good -- not great. Our only disappointment with the ship was the pool was way to small and there was only one so it was always crowded - and it was July heat. We hope to have many more family vacations - and hopefully in the future everyone can come!
Best part of the trip was vacationing with our kids - all six of them - yes Mr O - you are now offically adopted.

Now - a rest at home - then Michigan. Can't wait to see Janice, Jean, and family.

Home again

Gee and I just got home from a week's vacation in North Carolina. We are both a little tired today - from a week of playing with the kids and the long, long, long drive home! Highlights were swimming in the pool, listening to Erin's conversations and her trying to say the name game (at 22 months!), Leah waking me up every morning when she gets up, snuggles while we were reading books, swinging on the front porch swing, hugs, hugs, hugs. I love visiting with Angelle and Mike - just experiencing a glimpse of their life. Everyday life is so precious! Anyway - there is no place like home and it's nice to be here.

We needed a quick easy supper tonight since LSU baseball was on TV so here's what we did. We cup up youkon gold potatoes (3), a few carrots, a vidalia onion, and one stalk of celery - tossed everything in olive oil and kosher salt, and baked it in the toaster oven at 400 for 30 minutes. We bought a baked chicken at Rouse's, brewed some iced tea and with 10 minutes of preparation we had a delicious meal. I love easy suppers! Any ideas for tomorrow night?

I bought a dress!!!

I'm in Orange Beach Alabama with my friends for a beach week and today we had to go to Mobile to bring a friend's daughter to the airport. On the way back we stopped at Dillards for something for a friend and while we were leaving we walked through the long dress section. My friends were asking me what I was going to wear to the wedding and I asked for suggestions and we found the most beautiful dress. They didn't have my size so I tried the size smaller - which normally doesn't work - but it fit beautifully. It a dark sage/gray green with a thin jacket to go over it and tiny beads on the bodice and collar of the jacket. Some of the beads have a little purple in them so hopefully I will blend with the purple bridesmaids dresses. The materials is really sparkly - I just love it. So - that was easy and I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The beach is great - not too hot in the shade and the water is calm. We have had such a good time so far. I am sooooo lucky!!!!!!!!!

Summer time!

It's finally here - I lOVE when school ends and I can just relax - well not really - just get busy with my summer projects and travels. So far I have trips planned to Florida, North Carolina, a cruise, and Michigan. I'm starting to think that work is intefering with traveling so something may have to go - and it won't be traveling!

My main summer project is going to be to clean, organize, and get rid of stuff!!!! Ugh! I hate clutter and that's how this house feels at the moment. So Goodwill/St Vincent's - here I come. I also plan to exercise more this summer - swimming/body pump mainly.

But the main summer project is to help Britt with the wedding!!!!! Hopefully we will get most of it done in the next two months so it won't be too crazy in the fall. I did not raise an undecisive daughter which is great! You are doing a great job so far, Britt.

Well - I guess I better get started...

Bachlorette Party

Last night we had a bridal shower and bachlorette party for two teachers at my school who are getting married soon. The shower was at Copelands and at the end a limo picked us up and took us around for several hours. We had a great time - singing, laughing, and dancing. Lots of fun.

Today was just a relaxing day at home. A little yard work, lots of reading, and a nap in the hammock. I researched "knock out roses" and have decided to plant a couple of them in my garden. They are care free and bloom most of the year. Mom has a couple and I really like them. We worked on digging out a Sago Palm that died today - good spot for the roses!

Tomorrow we are going to New Orleans to visit with Britt and Jimmy - go out to eat - maybe a snowball (Angelle - you have me craving them!) and see the baby kitties. Should be fun.

Two weddings and a funeral

Actually - two funerals - but one is in Washington State. My Mom's sister-in-law died last week - Aunt Margaret. She was a wonderfully different for all my other aunts mostly because she was a "northerner". Her accent - her vocabulary - her life experiences were so different from ours. I didn't know her very well but found her to be warm, happy and loving. The other funeral was my Dad's sister - Aunt Bertha. She was one funny lady - always teasing and fun to be around. She was the female version of my Dad - and although I never knew my grandpa - I was told he was the same way too. She will be missed. My parents are now the only surviving siblings from their families.

We also had two weddings this month - both lots of fun. One was in Houma and one in Point Clear, Alabama. The Alabama one was very memorable to say the least. I went with two girlfriends and stayed at the Grand Marriot Resort - what a great place to stay. The grounds were beautiful - right on the bay - and there was lots of activities planned - croquette - bike riding - kayaking. One of my friends said it was like being in the Dirty Dancing Movie. The rehersal supper Friday night was held at Five Rivers Resort - lots of fun and delicious food. Saturday we took a short walk along the bay to a beautiful old home where we had shrimp and grits and mimosas under the oaks with of course the beautiful bay views. The dessert was apple cake with candied pecans and caramel sauce. WOW!!! The wedding was at the Grand Saturday night. Highlights were the appletini's (which were the exact lime green as the bridesmaids dresses), the food, the awesome band, dancing and - get ready for this - the fireworks!!! Yes - fireworks - over the bay - un be lie ve able!!! We were all astonished - then our friend confided in us about the cost of the wedding. I'm not going to put it in the post - but I would say it's easily 10 times the cost of any wedding I've ever been too. The mother of the groom is a very close friend - and we had so much fun dancing and enjoying a few cocktails. After the wedding we sat in until the wee hours of the morning on a swing overlooking the bay laughing about old times. Sunday morning we had breakfast in a great little cafe in Fairhope before heading home. What a great area - I will visit there more often!

It's been a while...

I just reread my blog and realized it's been a while - so here goes.

The crawfish etouffee festival was delicious. We met Janice and Lige there - Kristin, Scott & friends had a booth so we hung out there. We tasted lots of delicious varieties of etouffee and listened to cajun music. The day was spectacular - cool and sunny (although I did get sunburnt!). We had lots of fun and hope to make this an annual event.

One of my friends and I (Sharon) headed to Baton Rouge on a Saturday to eat at Sangria's and do a little shopping. We explored bead and pottery stores on the way there (I resisted the pottery although I was tempted) and hit the sales at Ann Taylor Loft. It was a great girls day - good being with you Sharon!

Nothing is better than being with family - and that's just how Easter was this year. Angelle, Mike, Leah and Erin arrived on Friday and we spent the day eating and relaxing. Gee had planned on getting a blow up pool for the kids but we decided to improvise instead and filled a boat we had with water and had a boat pool! The girls loved it! We took a family photo at a local photographer's (our Christmas present from the kids - great idea!) and had a delicious meal of steaks, potatoes, asparagus, and strawberry pie! My husband is the best cook!!! We then spent the afternoon visiting, playing with the kids, and just enjoying being together as a family. We are so seldom all together that those times are even more precious - each moment treasured. Easter Sunday was crazy with Gee's family here - lots of people and lots of fun - and MORE FOOD!!! I am so full!!! Monday we went took Daddy's boat to Lake Decade and Leah tried fishing while Erin explored the boat and everything in it. Tuesday we drove to Baton Rouge to eat at Sangria's. We took a side trip to see Mike the Tiger also.

MarchAprilMay

I love it when the third nine weeks ends and we are in the last stretch of school! We have three weeks of testing this nine weeks - so that only means 6 weeks of therapy. Just about all of my students are where I want them to be so progress has been good. We also have an Americal Idol contest going on - each week we predict who is being voted off and we keep track of who predicts correctly. Right now we all have 0 points!

Last week I went with my GRITS friends to paint a picture at a local framing store. We painted Fleur de lies! It was fun - although it was more like coloring with oil paints that true painting. Mine is decent although I wish I had some more paint to work on it. My Mom always used to say her painting wasn't finished - now I know what she means - although my ability is no where near hers! I wouldn't mind trying another one!

Gee and I spent last weekend cleaning the garage and planting flowers/veggies. It was a beautiful weekend and we really enjoyed being outside. Daddy and Gee ran the crawfish pond on Sunday - they caught a few and boiled them at Mom and Dad's. Gee also ran it this week but we think someone ran it before us so we didn't get very many. So Gee cooked steaks instead - yum!!!

Sangria's is the best ever!!!

Well I must say I that the food I ate at Sangria's Restaurant is the best food I've had in a long time! We were treated to a palatal feast - san pedrito, brisket burritos, sangria special salad,
camerones de diablo, lime pie - we had so many delicious samples. Mmmmmmmmmm. Another successful gourmet with good friends, good food, good drinks!!! If you haven't been there - go now!!! I wish I could!!! Check out website

http://sangriagrillandbar.com/index.html

Friday night was a good time also - Brittany, Jimmy, Zac, Jenna, Gee and I saw Cirque du Soleil - Saltimbanco - in Baton Rouge. This was my second Cirque performance and I was not disappointed - it was outstanding. We went to Sangria's before and after - love the white Sangria. We spent the night at Zac's and played with Brie - she is precious and a bundle of energy. It was nice to spend time with the kids.

Pumped!!!

Body pump classes are finally getting easier - and I increased my weights! I'm still a light weight compared to some of the others in the class but it does feel good to be past the beginning - constantly sore - wondering if I should be doing this - stage. My only problem are lunges. Do to old age (yes I am briefly admitting it) I have a wierd foot problem and can't do lunges (woohoo). But - all other exercises are good to go!!!

Last Sunday we went to John's viewing stands on the parade route on Veterans. I'm impressed! The stands are huge and a large part of it is covered. There was lots of room to stand, sit, or whatever. We stayed for two parades and in between I went with Britt and Jimmy to meet Jack and Sam - their new kittens. They were so cute - and of course loved their Mimi. We had lots of fun being with the family and enjoying the parade - even saw Dave and Lige on the float!!!

I am so ready for a few days off next week - and so are the kids. Mardi Gras has them hyped up and the atmosphere at school is a little crazy. We all need a break - two more days!

Time to watch the end of American Idol so I can see who they kept...

Weekend Fun

Gee and I had such a fun and relaxing weekend. Friday night was my dad's birthday and we had a party for him with family and friends. Gail's gumbo was awesome and I think he really enjoyed his presents. It was nice to see my family - we just don't do that often enough.

Saturday morning we left for Lafayette. It was Kayla's 21st birthday so Janice and Lige had a crawfish boil in her honor. It was a beautiful day with high's in the 70's (my favorite temperature!) and we had a great time visiting and meeting Kayla's friends. Most of us ended up at the Tap Room later that night - including Zac and several of his friends. It's really nice- has a very upscale feeling and tons of people were there. It's located in River Ranch - a beautiful community - sort of a town within a town.

Some of you may know that Gee and I have terrible luck in hotels - we ALWAYS end up by the noisy people and we never get much sleep. Well Gee and I are telling Zac about some of our experiences as we are walking to our room and what do we hear but a room full of people laughing and talking really loud. And the closer we get to our room the louder it gets. They were right next door - unbelieveable! - not again! So we decided that if they didn't settle down that night we were going to complain. Well it ended up being fine and we were able to sleep - but really - of all the luck!

Sunday we went to Bass Pro Shop in Denhim Springs. I've been to several of these stores but never one like this one. It's huge - way bigger that any I've ever seen and absolutely beautiful inside. It was like being outdoors! I didn't look at much of the merchandise - I couldn't get over the building! We didn't buy anything but we did have fun. We also went through a few antique shops - I bought a pretty blue glass bowl for $6.50 and we bought a bay leaf tree at a nursery - Gee has been wanting one - now all we need is the crawfish!

So our weekend was the greatest - my husband is the greatest - and now - time to read my book! Bye!

I Love Ribs!!!!

Angelle was right - ribs in the crock pot are awesome! Here's what Gee did:

For two racks of ribs - serves 4:

Mix together 1 small bottle paprika, 2 TBS white sugar, 1 tsp onion powder, salt and pepper. Rub on raw ribs and place in a ziploc bag to marinate 4-6 hours or overnight. This is a receipe from the Neely's I believe - and actually we only marinated ours for about and hour and an half. Gee also added a little BBQ sauce to the bag - just use your favorite.

Place in a crock pot on high for 5 hours. Slice, resauce, and put back in crock pot for another hour to hour and a half or until tender. YUM!!! Enjoy!

Miscellaneous stuff

I just brought a book that Gee and I are talking about right now - it's called "Eat This, Not That". There are several versions - one for eating out - one for kids - but I bought the one for the supermarket. It compares lots of stuff like different cheeses and makes recommendations for what is healthier. Angelle - your white/wheat bread is on the Eat This! side. Anyway - the book is faily inexpensive and I think we will use it to identify healthier choices at the grocery store.

Gee and I have lots of upcoming plans - I'm so excited because we have been staying home a lot. But we have a trip to Lafayette to go the the TAP Room and a trip to Baton Rouge to go to Sangria's and a trip to LaPlace for a superbowl party! We were hoping for an overnight trip to New Orleans and basketball game but that was canceled for a fishing trip for Gee - oh well - it's a really neat fishing opportunity. I also have a wedding shower that I am helping to give, a Mardi Gras tea, and a spring wedding in Alabama. So - yeah - things to look forward to!

I went to an art festival in Houma today and although there were very few booths (it's a new festival) I bought two beautiful, inexpensive necklaces. The artist is making earing to match both necklaces - can't wait. I have a beach glass bracelet that I'm not happy with - maybe I'll get her to redo it into a necklace. Hmmmm.

Well after my first week back at work - of which I missed about half since I was at home/doctor's office sick! - another Friday night is here. And although all I'm doing is surfing the internet, reading, and watching a little tv - I love it!!! Wierd - how we are supposed to try to enjoy each moment of our lives - not always looking back or forward - but still there is the lure of a Friday night for working people - the beginning of the weekend.

I am a little tired - today all of the students who had an A or B in conduct for the 2nd nine weeks - got to attend a "dance". We had a DJ in the backyard along with other fun things for the kids to do. This went on all day because the kids attended one grade level at a time. I think those of us who "worked" the event enjoyed it as much as the kids! How many jobs allows you to spend the day dancing with a bunch of little kids with a DJ all day? They were precious and we had a great time. Once again - I love my job!!! It's so cool that I could retire in April and I'm not ready. I am NOT one of those burned out teachers counting the days - I am so blessed!

So I just finished the book Angelle gave me for Christmas - "The Hour I First Believed" by Wally Lamb. He is such a great writer - but his characters suffer so much. I'm never sure after finishing one of his books if I liked it or not - but I am always glad I read it. So do I recommend that you read it - hmmmmmmmmmmm - I just don't know!

Tomorrow Britt and I are going wedding dress shopping- woohoo!!! How will it be to see my precious daughter in a wedding dress? I can't imagine really. Another moment in time to be treasured always! I can't wait - B. Love you!