Still Blooming!

I am feeling a bit guilty that I didn't make it out to work in the gaden over the holiday, especially since my flowers continue to bloom. The weather has been so mild, which seems to be what they love.



I would like to put down some cool weather annuals. Maybe this weekend...

The Finishing Touch

I spotted a package on the inside of the fence when I drove up today. I thought surely it was something Charlie had been wating for, now in a million pieces, as the box had been tossed over our locked gate.

Nope! The package was for me (or maybe it was for us..it was for OUR house). Jessica ended my search for a wreath! I was so surprised and was teary as I hung it in its place. I have already been outsde three times to admire it and brought Charlie and the dogs to do the same. I love that you can smell the fresh pine when you walk into the house! A fresh wreath we will have every year!

Thank you, Jessica. You are so thoughtful. Even from so far away, we feel your love and support.

Under the Oaks

We went to Celebration in the Oaks at City Park this weekend. No driving tour this year, but the Botanical Gardens were decked out!



We shared another kiss right here as we were married in this spot just two years ago, among the lights! Charlie loves the ice blue lights.



Elliot took a break in Storyland. Ana, however, wasn't ever in one place long enough for a photo.

O Tannenbaum

I love our tree!

When we were decorating I loved unwrapping each little ornament and finding a spot for it. That made me want more ornaments! I also think the tree needs to be bigger to accomodate the ornaments we have now AND the ornaments we are yet to buy!

A tree skirt is a must purchase this year at the after Christmas sales. I looked last year, but didn't see anything that I was crazy about. Maybe I will knit one (or would that be a crochet project???).

... A Lot Like Christmas

We did some decorating today! After finally getting the lights plugged in, my wonderful husband decided that lights on the upstairs windows are a must! I just love him.



I bought these lights on sale after Christmas last year, and was a bit disappointed because I thought I had remembered buying white lights. However, I am really pleased with the way these traditional lights look. I'll have to get more lights for the upstairs.

We must have the cutest house in the city, but I gotta do something about getting a cuter "no parking" sign.

The ficus are enduring more abuse with these lights. The giant ornaments were a great find and Charlie did a great job hanging them.



Now I just need to find a wreath. I looked at the live evergreen wreaths today when we bought our tree, but wondering if I shoud get something to use year after year. I am also not so sure they were big enough for our door.

Tomorrow we tackle the tree..all 9 geet of it. The 10 foot trees had already sold out by the time we made it to Lowe's this afternoon. It was for the best...I didn't need to spend $90 on a tree!

Art Imitates Life

Charlie reads the comics religiously. His mama even sends him the comics from Denver.

Mutts is a family favorite. I read this one every day. Amazingly, Mutts often imitates our life.



"If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice."
--Meister Eckhardt

Thankful

I am thankful for so many things, but needed to mention just a few...

Charlie's big hair that always makes me smile (even if I am rolling my eyes on the outside)

Our home, with all of it's charming leaks and drafts

The nudge of the doggies in the morning with their cold noses

Thanksgiving

Yesterday was perfect. The weather was great. The sun was shining and the temperature remained in the low seventies all day.

I did forget my camera, so have no photos to document the day.

In the morning Liz and I walked the Turkey Day Race. This is a race I have done a few times, but never without Daddy. Daddy has run the race for years and years and it is weird to think of him not out at City Park on Thanksgiving morning to run the race. Maybe next year, especially since it will be the 100th running. I did get a t-shirt for him, so he can make up some story about how he was really the winner but he's won it so many times, he thought he'd let someone else get the trophy.




Charlie and I then headed to the New Orleans Farigrounds for opening day. The track missed last year's season due to Katrina. So this reopening was, like many other reopenings, embraced by the city. It was packed! We couldn't find a spot to park in the lots, so had to hike to the grandstand from the nearby neighborhood. The lines to place bets and buy food were horrific. We stood in them and tried our best to think about it being the best thing for the track and the city. We'd much rather it be packed than empty.

We placed some bets, and had one small $14.75 win. Couldn't pick the winners. I guess I need to take into account something other than the horse's name to really increase my odds of winning. I was really there for the people watching anyway, and I won big in that department.

After the last race, we went to Mom's to have a bit of turkey and then called it a night.

What a Holiday Can Do...

I am a domestic goddess.

Today I Christmas shopped, wrapped gifts, knitted, baked mini heart shaped cakes, and made healthy dinner. Oh, I also watched Judge Judy.



Not only was dinner healthy, but it was yummy: chicken (legs only by request) sauteed with garlic and green onions, whole wheat pasta (6 grams of fiber!) with parmesan, and steamed broccoli.



It's great to be off for the week!

Amor

I love my husband.

My husband loves cake.

2 Years and Counting!

Two years ago today, we tied the knot, got hitched, said "I do."



You are just as cute now as you were the day I married you.



I know you will just get more, and more handsome as the years pass.



I love you and our little family. Thank you for being you, and letting me be me, and loving me all the while.

Averil and Joe

I found this in my inbox today...




Happy to celebrate Averil and Joe's engagement and looking forward to celebrating their wedding!

I do wish we could get together more often..we do not see them enough!

Knit Wit

One of these could be yours....



I am now in need of this....



Once again, YOU want me to have this. Otherwise, no telling how many scarves you'll end up with. You can count on one for Christmas. Some of you may even get another for your birthday. Mothers and daughters will certainly get matching scarves.

However, if I could get my hands on this book, you may get the scarf for Christmas, and then a hat for your birthday! Or even a bikini, hand knit by me! At the very least, I may be able to learn to knit a scarf with a fancy stitch.

Oh What a Night

Hot chocolate in my Nestle's Quik mug and some knitting...

I Need This

You really want me to have it.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like.....

Tree stand and decorations are out.

Charlie loves this tree stand. We will find the perfect tree to put in it the weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm looking for a TALL tree. We have the high ceilings, so why not?

Voila!

The sun stayed behind the clouds and the wind blew, making it just the right weather for gumbo!

"Whatever you do, never use leftover rice. It's too easy to make rice," said Elizabeth.

Sorry, I used the leftover rice. No matter how easy it is, I'd done enough cooking today.

The Gumbo

The ingredients are out and I'm all set to go.



Elizabeth also brought the sesonings from Jacob's. It's all there, even down to the roux mix.



As instructed, I went to the market and got the prechopped veggies. I can't help thinking of my grandmother, Danny, as I get ready to use these; she'd say I wasn't really cooking. I am just opening some bags and throwing things together, just like that Rachel Ray!



I do have to say that these prechopped veggies are great and completely worth it. It simplified the whole ordeal of cooking.

Muppet knows where the action is. He's staked out his spot waiting for the goods to hit the floor. I'll have to put a taste in his bowl since he looks to pitiful.

It's Going to be a Lovely Weekend

Elizabeth made a special delivery tonight...Chicken!



But these aren't just any chickens. Yes, Charlie can make them look like little dancing men, but that's not all...



She made a stop at Jacob's in LaPlace and picked up two smoked chickens and some smoked andouille so that I can make a pot of "smokey" gumbo, as requested by my husband.

When she walked up the stairs, the doggies knew she had the goods; they could smell it coming. Batture tried to sneak in a lick of the paper wrapped andouille as Elizabeth walked up the stairs.

The weekend will begin with some chicken and andouille gumbo. Doesn't that sound lovely?

Box of Booty

When I came home I discovered....



He must have found the box Mary sent. Never too much OU garb!

Evidently, he did as well....



He's hiding a little ball that is meant to be used for massage. Well, he needs massages too, and surely Mary didn't forget him. He will NEVER give it up now.

And I discovered just what I needed after a day of wearing super cute shoes that cram my toes into a little point...



Thank you, Mary! We love all of our treats. Chuck has set up shop at the bar with all of his new accoutrements!

Buzzing?

Last night we headed out to the New Orleans Arena to see our New Orleans Hornets v. The Houston Rockets.

We were quite surprised that given the build up to the Saints homecoming that there wasn’t too much of a fuss over the Hornets’ return. Granted, they did play a few games here last season, but all in all, this could have been billed as a noteworthy event.

We arrived at the Arena about 30 minutes before tip off and found pre-game events…the Arena was decked out, brass band playing, play stations set up for kids and men who act like kids. But, there wasn’t the energy that could have, should have been there.



The Hornets need to look at what the Saints did. They had a huge advertising campaign and Reggie Bush made sure he was present in the media. The city was on board. The mayor even asked that people be give an early release from work when the Dome opened.

I do realize that this may not have been AS big a deal, but the Hornets could have capitalized on the sentiment. New Orleanians would have gone for it.



Inside the Arena, the crowd was thin. The lower level was sold out, but those cheap $7 seats were vacant. That just shouldn’t be. The Times Picayune article says that the game was "sold out" with 18,202 seats being sold in the 18,211 capacity arena. So where was everyone? (Maybe they had the wrong time, like Lee!)

George Shin addressed the crowd, as did Chris Paul. Both expressed their gratitude for the fans and their commitment to the community. Chris Paul has been around town giving his time and money and doing what he can for New Orleans, but the Hornets don’t seem to be taking full advantage of his charm and philanthropy.

Gotta wonder if this time next year they really will be the Oklahoma City Hornets. Also gotta wonder if they want it that way.



A few beers, a hot dog, and nachos along with some impressive slams and a winning team made for a great Sunday night. Thank you Lee for managing to get out tickets as close to the only Abita tap as possible!

Our Friend Lee

Nothing much to say about this one.

Herbicide?

I think I've killed our ficus.

I think I killed both of them!

I have been all wadded up because I have had bugs on them. The bugs would cause leaves to fold over like taquitos. I tried pruning the plants, and removing the affected leaves when I saw them. This went on for weeks. Then I tried to spray with Sevin. I did two rounds of that and didn't have any luck!

So Charlie told me to try a soap and water mixture in a spray bottle. So I did. Well, I should have read up on using insecticidal soap before trying it myself. Found out that you should buy insecticidal soap, but if making your own, there is a recommended ratio of one teaspoon soap to one quart of water. Needless to say, I did not come close to that ratio.

So the ficuses are dropping their leaves. These trees have been through quite a bit, so I think they'll eventually come around, but in the mean time, they are going to look pitiful.

Watch Dog

Batture likes to sit outside and watch and wait. He can sit at the fence, enjoy the sun, and patiently wait for whatever comes his way.

Notice the bunch of irises? Chuck and I found an ad in the paper, and ended up digging yellow irises. It is the second time we have met an elderly person through an ad in the paper that just wants to chat about gardening. She also sent us home with a piece of firecracker plant and some airplane plant (a.k.a. spider plant).

Lazy Dog

He loves that baby of his. Can't sleep without it!

More Blooms

The blossoms keep on coming! The shrimp plant is Charlie's favorite! I think this one is called "fruit cocktail."



This is the purple angel trumpet that we got from a little old man in Harahan. He advertises cuttings of his plants in the classifieds and sells them for a few bucks. I think it is just a way for him to get people over to the house to talk to, and give him a chance to show off his garden. The two trumpet plants are doing well now that the caterpillars have left. Their flowers are smaller than the traditional flowers, but these are doubles!

The After

Yesterday the workshop arrived!

It is BIG! I am not sure if Charlie will think so once he moves in, but it does take up a large piece of the yard. Just as well, as we planned to put the shed there and we need the storage space.

The color is as close to the house color as we could get from the options the company offered. I’d like to grow some creeping vine on it (like what is all over the front steps) but I know that is not an option in Charlie’s book.



The men put it up in one day, less than 8 hours. I wonder what they get paid compared to what we paid for it to be built. Surprisingly, Charlie got out there and took an action shot in the morning. He simply explained to the men not to worry with him, he had to get some photos to send his parents.



Charlie is so pleased. I am surprised he didn’t sleep in it last night.



Notice the bananas? The bunch gets bigger and bigger and the tree leans closer and closer to the ground. I read in my Louisiana gardening book that after they fruit, they should be cut back as they only fruit once. The bananas will eventually ripen and can be left on the tree unless there is a threat of frost. It is doubtful that we’ll have that anytime soon, or even at all.