It's Been a Decade...

How did that happen?  I moved here 11 years ago for a 2 year job and I'm still here! It's time to renew this blog! Those little kids that moved here have flown the nest and we are empty nesters.  Wiser to many of the Louisiana ways now, yet still amazed by the beauty of the live oak trees and the food that spoils us daily here.  I embrace the beauty that exists here in the muggy air as well as the beauty we find in Tennessee as we travel home often.  I am planning to craft some travel and restaurant sharings that uniquely describe our experience here.


Being a wiser human now than the blogger ten years ago, my wisdom has grown from watching the paths of our children which include the triumphs and the snares.  Parenthood is so difficult and it never ends, but it has forced me into the shape of a better person along the way.


I am watching my friends retire and/or expire and wondering where my future will take me. I am exploring ideas for my next career which will likely be less lucrative but hopefully less stressful and I am aiming to maximize the happiness...something that I have rarely found in corporate America.  The blog journey is officially rekindled.  It will likely include my faith journey as well as my physical journey.  Be forewarned that nothing is ever straightforward in my world. 


Bon Voyage to myself.  I hope you enjoy.

No Hurricanes. No breaks. No Hiney flu. A bit homesick... but too busy to think about it!

Where has the summer gone? Fall arrived yesterday and it was the muggiest day I can remember here. Posts are few and far between folks, and unless I can figure out how to post while driving, it may be this way for awhile. The love bugs are gone, which I'm told is the old wives' tale indicator that the storm threats are gone as well. Glad that we won't worry about that anymore, but we could've all used a break and a visit to Tennessee. School started and I think all we do is drive after school/work until bedtime because we have too much going on! 3 playing high level (translate: intense and travel) soccer. The car smells like a pack of sweaty dogs and no amount of Febreeze is helping. Also football, serious serious serious ballet, gymnastics, cross-country, swimming and...alot of sailing. Kids are all getting tremendous amounts of experience on several different types of boats. They still do pretty darned good for little lake sailors. Sailing season is here and it's wonderful! Paul and I are jealous. We can't even find much time to rig our boat right now! After a dry summer, the rain has hit and I'm always amazed at how much can fall in a short time. We now know that if our headlights catch red eyeballs at night we're looking at a gator. Seems they have an extra clear eyelid that reflects red. Isn't that cool? We learned that little fact as we kayaked with friends and did a little spotlighting on our way back from Pontchartrain up the bayou after dark. Every weekend is like living in a 'Man vs. Food' episode as we experience all that Louisiana offers. Roast beef po-boys last weekend, amberjack (my favorite fish!) at the seafood counter. We are spoiled! This food sure has contributed to the size of the kids, though, and yes Paul and I are not immune to growth! (Motto: Exercise To Eat!) Zeke is perfecting his driving skills down here amidst the crazies. He has his permit and actually has driven across the 24-mile Pontchartrain bridge a couple of times. I didn't breathe at all the first trip. Second trip was better! I am teaching 3 classes at the gym every week (two early morning at 5:30 and one on Friday afternoon). Sometimes the Friday class starts with 'Five O'clock Somewhere' or LSU fight song. I think I'll eventually get brave enough to play Rocky Top, but not yet. We're not picking up the local lingo, but I've got to say that 'making groceries' (getting groceries) and 'I've been havin' it' (I've had it) are two local sayings that crack me up every time. The world is a bit off center down here, there's no doubt, but most don't ever leave. They vacation on the Panhandle. They don't leave. They're all kin. Those Boudreaux and Thibodeaux jokes. They're true. I'm not kidding! It's funny. I love it.

Surviving the Heat 24/7

What did you expect me to write about? It's hot here and it seldom cools off. Hot all day. Hot all night. Great for the skin, though! Moisturizing and sweatin' out the toxins! Creole tomatoes, snoballs and cold beverages keep us going. Some of us have been escaping to TN for visits with grandparents, friends and going to camp. The boys just returned from being away for a month, and Ellie is currently being spoiled rotten by grandparents for a couple of weeks. I escaped for a few days to Texas for work, but it was no cooler there than here.

In an effort to learn cajun dancing, we spent one evening in nearby Abita Springs. They have free lessons one Saturday each month at the town hall, followed by several hours of dancing with local cajun bands. It was lots of fun but I think it's going to take quite a bit of practice before I can hang with some of the senior citizens who were wearin' out the dance floor that evening!

We've done our first bike ride with a group from the Crescent City Cycle Club. The ride was a 'city ride' and started in Gretna (on the 'west bank' across the MS river from New Orleans). We rode along the river and thru beautiful historic Algiers. Other than that, a few runs for the boys, the company golf tournament for me at Audubon Park (I had never, ever, sweated that much before!) Zeke is out on the streets with Driver's Ed right now and will soon be getting his learner's permit. Doesn't seem possible. Look out Louisiana!

Happy 4th of July weekend to all! It's our one year anniversary on the bayou! Our afternoon destination today is the seafood festival. No bike wrecks this year! Yesterday was spent with new sailing friends at Pontchartrain Yacht Club. No real wind, so we were all trying to stay cool by the pool. Even with a load of ice added to the pool and sails rigged to shade it, the water was almost hot. Once this weekend is over, we start thinking about school starting in August and watching the sky a little closer for those dreaded hurricanes. This year we'll have our evacuation list ready. We're not 'hurricane rookies' any more!

Lagniappe...Alligators and Festivals

Lagniappe (lan-y'ap) is a regional term you'll hear around here from the locals. It means 'a little something extra' or 'a little gift'. This morning I received a text from Zeke (yes, violating school cell phone policy) when he arrived at school here at the end of the semester. Seems one of his favorite teachers, a coach and Florida alum/fan, arrived this a.m. only to find 'lagniappe' tied to a pole outside his portable classroom. With jaws tied shut, an 8' alligator was there to greet Mandeville High students and staff on this glorious spring morning. Remember, this IS Lousiana where alligators are as common as dogs and probably understood better than most of the other voodoo around here. Great senior prank to honor a great Gator fan/teacher whom they all love. Funny thing is that the Wildlife folks (Zeke said they looked like 'bouncers') didn't arrive to get the poor critter until about 10:30! No guns, no media, no helicopters circling. Nobody hurt. Seems the suspects are two football players who wrestle ('rassle') gators might've done it, but no proof. Just lagniappe for the teacher, and for me. I needed that to start my day! There is hope that harmless (well, mostly harmless) mischief still exists, goes un-caught and unpunished. This was truly good for my soul!

We are in the midst of festivals down here. Shrimp are abundant and cheap. Crawfish are even cheaper. It's also 'snoball season' at stands everywhere (kinda like sno-cones but not really...they are truly divine!). It's hot, muggy, and buggy. Seems like somebody flipped the switch last weekend and now it's not getting cool at night. Same temperature outside when you grab the newspaper off the porch in the morning as when you have your glass of wine while walking the dog to the bogue late at night to hear the frogs and smell the magnolia and sweet olive bushes. Flesh-eating gnats are everywhere and I'm experimenting with various repellants (any successful findings will be reported). Victoria's Secret Vanilla lotion seems like the most highly recommended around here. Meanwhile, I'm waiting for okra to come in because a cajun buddy tells me to cut it up and saute in onions/bacon grease with a tsp. or so of vinegar (to kill the slime). Gotta try that! Another local tells me that they eat thistle around here. Peel off the husky skin, cut & marinate in vinegar/salt/pepper like cucumbers. If this works I'm thinking it's a breakthrough for those simply fighting that nasty weed back in TN! Just eat it! Every day is a culinary adventure here. We haven't even scratched the surface. Did I mention the huge cabbage and carrots thrown from the St. Patrick's day floats? Do you remember the veggies from the radioactive seeds they planted on Gilligan's Island? Yep, that size! Everybody was makin' Irish Stew (or feeding a guinea pig like we did for weeks!). They live to eat down here more than anyone would ever believe.

Zeke surprised all of us with academic honors at the awards ceremony. (We thought we were there for Perfect Attendance! :) ) Jacob and Ellie have smoked their classes as well with honors all around. Thanks to teachers in two states for making learning so much fun (most of the time) and thank you Lord for getting us thru this first kinda tough transition year! Now...just get me thru the ballet recital this weekend!

Whirlwind of a Month

Since my last post, we've survived Mardi Gras, cruised to Mexico, and spent a weekend back home in Tennessee. For those who follow the NOLA (New Orleans LA) celebration: Yes we went to Zulu (amongst many others). Yes, we got a coconut (we had to trade for it). No, we didn't see the shooting, but yes, we had parked nearby and arrived back to our car on bikes only to be detoured by crime scene tape. Yes, it was a blast. No, we didn't mean to try to kill my parents with the parade schedule. Yes, it almost killed us. Bags of beads have travelled back to friends in TN and if anyone else needs some please let me know. I am now understanding the joke about extra girders in the attic to support bags of beads!

After Fat Tuesday had come and gone we took advantage of the kid's week off from school and made good on Santa's big family gift this year. A quick cruise to Cozumel out of New Orleans. Kids had an absolute blast! One of Ellie's soccer team friends was aboard with her grandparents, so we had immediate friends. Ellie brought home a trophy the first night rewarding her ability to 'Do the Twist' on the dancefloor. I think I lost 3 inches in 5 minutes twisting with her. What a great workout! Kids ate like there was no tomorrow. Paul and I tried not to follow suit, but did enjoy the leisurely pace and the boat drinks on deck. I slept like a dead person with the boat engines humming beneath me. It was relaxing. Cozumel was fabulous. The trip down the Mississippi and seeing the oil platforms in the Gulf was so very cool. I'd be okay with flying the next time. One of the highlights was the aroma of New Orleans food when we got off the boat on Monday morning. While regaining the ability to walk on solid ground, I could almost taste the cafe au lait and beignets, garlic and onions. The kids were back at school and I was at work by 10:30 Monday morning, but my computer screen kept rocking back and forth throughout the day.

We had just over 48 hours in TN last weekend to see friends and family, clean the aquarium, tidy the yard and enjoy all the barbeque we could find. We loved every second of seeing our buddies and we picked a few spring turnip greens to enjoy back in LA. Ellie cried for the first hour of the trip back to LA. It's tough having friends and family in two places, especially when you're 9 years old. On the other hand, it's hard at my age (not disclosed! :)) as well. I've lost some good friends lately as the grim reaper has had a field day with some old friends in my world. Just another reminder to live every day and hug our kids again and again and again, even if they do sometimes act embarassed.

Azaleas are all blooming and frogs are croaking everywhere. I've learned that alligators don't have any 'upward' power in their jaws, so if I encounter one I should step on it's snout. I hope I don't need to use that advice, but I'm headed on my first field trip for work this next week. I'll be wearing my steel-toed shoes and I will use any and all handrails while I stomp on their snouts (for all my Jacobs Enineering friends). The locals make fun of our accents, but that's ok. It's springtime and the windows are open. I reckon we don't have long before the heat hits. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the long evenings and cussin' the dark mornings like everyone else knowing all the while that I am blessed to be here.

The Bead Game...Our First Mardi Gras Parade

Mandeville's Krewe of Eve parade rolled last night before the rain started. Believe it or not, it took all of maybe one float for the kids to figure out the game. They are now sorting all types of beads, toys, hats, and doubloons. Our family room looks like a disco! If you've never experienced Mardi Gras, it's hard to imagine how much fun it is to beg for the great throws. Jacob proved to be the best 'catch' early on. However, Zeke was the best at spotting the prizes and chasing/begging for them. He's the proud owner of some great beads, a boa, and a pink feather hat. All that Ellie had to do was smile and the Eve ladies threw the treasures her way. Yeah, she's a pretty good catch, too! They're hooked. Next week grandparents from TN are headed this way for their first parades. I'm betting they'll be hooked as well. The Budweiser Clydesdales led the way tonite, and the cool old tractors (my favorite) pulled the floats. The lamplighters working for dollars along the way made it almost feel like a south shore event. Almost. Actually, I think I hear more frogs over here. Lots of frogs.

As always, the theme from here is food. Here's what I've discovered: Melt 1 stick butter (yes, 1 stick. no apologies). Add 3 tbsp olive oil. saute 1+ cup chopped green onions, generous minced garlic, a little Worcestershire, a little lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add stuff (oysters (shucked, 1 qt.), or shrimp (a few pounds peeled), etc.) Pour over cooked linguine. Top with fresh parmesan. Heaven. Easy. By the way, I think folks do a better job with eating vegetables in Tennessee.

Spring soccer is trying to find a place amongst school and the other activities. Santa's gift this year was a cruise to Cozumel out of the Port of New Orleans during the end of Mardi Gras week (kids are out of school). The way the kids eat nowadays, I'm certain they'll lose money on us.

My new job is really twisting my brain. Love it, but I've dug deep into my thermodynamics books just to be able to converse with vendors. Believe it or not, I'm not complaining! Am I going to end up loving thermo after all these years?

Zeke has decided that after years of me advising him not to be an engineer...he wants to be an engineer. Genetics (2 generations on both sides) have an impact I guess. He's got 'the knack' and he can't help it one bit. I've always told him that anything can be fixed with either duct tape, red wine, or dark chocolate. I did reach for the wine upon his announcement.

I just got my first French Valentine from Jacob. It was a project in his French class. It looks really sweet and the words look beautifully French. The translation is 'You are my duck, my sugary-wugary henny-wenny. Don't forget, you are my cabbage. And forever, without you, I am only an earthworm.'. Should I be worried?

Because the Weekend Only Comes Once a Week

That's what we've been told down here is the reason for a celebration of some kind every weekend. I've really not seen much in the way of January blahs here, but really more of a catching our breath between Christmas and Mardi Gras. We left our Louisiana Christmas tree in place, transformed with beads and lights that remind us that there's a big party on the way. A trip over to the city today to celebrate my 39th birthday (again!?) met with the usual great people-watching and fabulous food. Why is it that the 25 mile journey across the bridge seems like we've taken a short bridge over to a new country? Church at Christ Cathedral on St. Charles Ave. was so very special (even if we were late, as always, for church). Afterwards, we socialized a bit with a really neat couple who just seemed larger than life for their ages. Bob and Jan Carr. After google-searching them back home, we've learned they have been involved in New Orleans radio and TV for decades with their own talk shows. They even out-talked me! I really hope I'm half that cool when I'm their age!

Our first ever visit to Commander's Palace was all that we'd expected and more. I still can't tell you what my favorite food was today. Duck and Oyster gumbo, turtle soup, shrimp w/tasso, stuffed quail with pepper jelly/chicory glaze, creme brulee, bread pudding....well...again, it's all about the food. I left my table knowing I'd been to one of the city's famous restaurants. It's now 10:30 and none of us have even mentioned being hungry tonight.

Speaking of food, king cakes are still messing up our dieting plans, but crawfish are in now so that's a great little low-calorie delicacy for the week's menu. I can cook 'em in my new huge stockpot that Santa brought (yes, huge) over my new birthday gas burner. I can even cook in the rain with my new birthday stylin' rubber boots (another necessity down here). Bayou girls love their boots, so the love for boots that was passed down from my mom just fits right in. Leather, suede, rubber, heels, flats, it doesn't matter. It's boot season around here.

Kids and Paul will enjoy MLK day and I'll be at work. I'm learning so much so fast and it's so fun that I'm really not complaining about missing this holiday. Did you know that those platforms out in the Gulf have names? Enchilada, Longhorn, Blackbeard, etc. Another whole new world for me to explore.

I'm dusting off my mask and workin on my best 'Throw me somethin' mister!' The kids have no idea what kind of fun is just around the corner. I can hardly wait myself!