We had a great New Y

We had a great New Years eve and day with Bryan and Deena. They have really done a great job on their house. We are thinking of buying the one next door to them and fixing it up. We sat outside in the fabulous weather and drank and talked and occasionally Bryan would send up a Roman candle. All the neighbors were showing their feisty nature and determination to recoup Slidell by sending off showers of great, loud fireworks. We enjoyed the show and contributed with our “pow”, “pow”! Ha! We ate quail and hen gumbo, then on New Year’s day we had cabbage, beef and pork roast that Bryan had stuffed with onions and garlic. Deena made cornbread on the grill and a great dirty rice with eggplant in it. From now on, we’ll put eggplant in ours!

Gina came over with her boyfriend, Gordon and cousin April and her boyfriend. Davy and his wife and children were there. We had a great family day! Michael and I looked at the house next door to consider buying it and fixing it up and being neighbors to Bryan and Deena. It was a beautiful start to a new 2006! We drove home to Fairhope and had a nice meal the next day with our children.


Above is the mural that Bud Torres painted for Pop’s pool hall. I have the other half.

Bryan and Deena in their new post-Katrina kitchen.

Gina and Gordon. 2006

The picture above shows the gorgeous slate floor that Bryan and Deena put laid themselves.

This is our house (dining room) set for our Christmas dinner 2006.

Thanksgiving Recap

We had a nice, if over fed, Thanksgiving at Mama and Daddy's house in Mobile. Lots of food and friends. Bryan and Deena opted to stay in Slidell and work on their home. Me, Michael, Alyssia, Jonathan and Noah all atteneded the festivities. I'll post some pics soon. I have just finished my last exam for this semester. Only three classes left and then I'll have my Master's in Library Science.!! Yeah!! Happy Thanksgiving and all that. By the way, the original Thanksgiving held by the Acadians with the Micmac Indians in Nova Scotia was quite different from the prudish one being held by the Puritans in the colonies. The Acadians and Micmacs had huge feasts with lots of dancing and storytelling and drinking (kinda like the way we do it now!) and everyone had a good time. I'm sure that along the way, they remembered to say thank you. Mostly, it was too cold to go outside and so they entertained themselves the best way they could think of, by dancing, eating and drinking. Some things never change. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

O.K. so, no cynicism this year during the holidays. I won't make a new year resolution because I probably can't stop being cynical for more than a day or so at a time. Anyway.... we'll be going to Mama and Daddy's house in Mobile. Mama called to say they will fry two turkeys, Keith will cook a pork roast or something huge and meaty; The Millers will come over (must remember to bring Cheyenne a really good book and something for Dakota, too); Big Bryan and Fran will also be there. Bryan is good at keeping the fire going at night when it gets cold and we still want to sit outside. I need to bring a turkey this weekend (Iron Bowl) so they can start frying it before we get there Turkey Day. It should be fun. I wish Bryan and Deena would be there, but they will probably go to Fordoche to see Deena's family. They are working on their house in Slidell getting it repaired after Hurricane Katrina. So far, they are still living in the camper, but the cat, Munchkin, has moved back into the house. Smart cat. I nearly inherited him. All of our children will be there. Noah isn't working; Alyssia is out of college for the holidays; Jonathan is moving back in anticipation of being admitted to Ozark-Enterprise Aviation Technical college in Mobile. Two year program, then he's out! Enough for now. Run turkey run!

Katrina damage

Today is October 3 and I haven't heard from Bryan and Deena since I saw them at Mama's house and gave them the garfish balls my friends Heath and Rochelle brought to me from Opelousas before the storm. That is the day I locked myself out of my car and had to call Keith to come and rescue me. He kindly drove me across the bay to meet Alyssia who retrieved my spare keys (after much discussion about location and bearing) and brought them to me in the Home Depot parking lot in Daphne, AL. It took an extra long time because she was parked at Office Depot across the street while we sat in the hot, hot September sun running Keith's gas out which he promptly charged to Acadian Enterprises. To be honest, he was busy making very important phone calls and writing seriously on his clipboard all the while. I drove so he could work. I did finally make it to work. While stopped at the gas station where the vile incident took place, two people asked me if they could buy me a drink (it was a gas station, for Pete's sake) but this indicates the totally loving, giving and caring attitude of people here on the gulf coast after the Hurricane Katrina disaster. EVERYONE is so KIND! We have finally been given an opportunity to show our kindness. I really needed to see Bryan and Deena to make sure they were O.K. I gave them my precious garfish balls that my kind friends had brought to me unbidden; my dear sweet brother Keith had absolutely no problem picking me up after I locked my keys in the car and he volunteered to take me across the bay, about 35 miles to meet my dyslexic daughter with the spare keys to my car. I relayed the information to Heath and Rochelle about the transfer of the loved and coveted garfish balls. Heath came to the library the next day and said Rochelle cried when she heard about the joy that those lovely, garlicky, Soprano's garfish balls had given Bryan and Deena. Who says love is not to be found? They haven't watched the movie "Love Actually" with delicious Hugh Grant in it and its profound statements about the various kinds of loves that exist in the world. Love abounds. Go out and get some. You might have to pay attention to something besides your wide screen T.v. and your Clark shoes.