Friday Few....

We are on the road to Naples, FL, to see our grandson graduate from high school tonight!

Someone asked, in their comment on my blog about our nieces visiting, what the paper wedding flowers looked like.  I don't have Linda's photo, but I can tell you hers were exactly like these.  She got the pattern from Pinterest and that is where I found this photo, so I'm sure it's the one she used.  Gina originally wanted them made from the pages of books, since they are using a book theme for the wedding, but Linda talked her into some color.  If you search for "paper wedding flower bouquets" on Pinterest, you can see the ones made from book pages.  They are actually kind of cool, but no color at all.  Keep in mind that Gina and her intended are graduating from SCAD this weekend.  They are artsy and kicky....(Savannah School of Art and Design).

Here is the link to the instructions on Pinterest:  http://liagriffith.com/diy-paper-rose-wedding-bouquet/

Linda said it took some practice to figure it out, but hers are perfect.  She is very creative and talented. I'm not sure I would have the patience...  And she is ready to be done with them, but I think has enjoyed the challenge.

That's all until we get back on Sunday!  I'll have photos to share!!  Count on it!!  :)

Thanks for stopping in.  Peace & hugs.

Thursday Throwback and Etc.....

My random thought in yesterday's Hodgepodge post was about the blessing of family.  I cruised through some old photos last night and found a couple to post... (You can always click on the photos to enlarge them.)

Joe and his two brothers, Nick (youngest) and Lou (oldest).  Joe is on the right in this photo, but he is the middle son.

For Lou & Joan's 50th Anniversary, all they wanted was a family portrait.  This is them, their kids and grandkids.  Love this photo!  Linda and Alaina (our visitors earlier this week) can be found to the right in the last six-person grouping, which is the Keller family,  plus Lou & Joan's youngest daughter, Lisa.

This one is a throwback only to yesterday morning.  I opened the curtains on the back door and saw this beautiful reflection of the sunrise on our pool.  

I spoke with my sister, Patti last night (hi Patti!).  She received her birthday gift and we also wanted to talk about our reunion beach vacation, coming up in July.  It was good to catch up with her. We gave my grandma a call.  She is doing well and it was fun talking with her, too.  We talked with our son, Joey, night before last, and look forward to seeing him and Darlene at Tristan's graduation this weekend.  

Family.  Priceless!!

My friend, Fran, sent me Six Little Stories by email. I want to share it with you...

SIX LITTLE STORIES 

{1}  Once all villagers decided to pray for rain, on the day of prayer all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella.

That's FAITH

{2}  When you throw a baby in the air, she laughs because she knows you will catch her.

That's TRUST

{3}  Every night we go to bed, without any assurance of being alive the next morning but still we set the alarms to wake up.

That's HOPE

{4}  We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future.

That's CONFIDENCE

{5}  We see the world suffering, but still we get married and have children.

That's LOVE

{6}  On an old man's shirt was written a sentence 'I am not 67 years old.... I am sweet 16 with 50 years experience'

That's ATTITUDE 

Have a happy day, live your life like the six stories.

Thanks for checking in!  Wishing you a good Thursday!  Peace & hugs!

It's Hodgepodge Wednesday!

Thanks to Joyce at From This Side Of The Pond, for this great meme!  Join in the fun.  She asks the questions and we jump right in with the answers!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 222

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back HERE tomorrow to share answers...see you there! 

1.  Did you do anything 'memorable' this past weekend?  I did and blogged about it already, but we enjoyed a little cook-out with friends on Sunday, and on Monday our nieces came for an overnight visit before heading to Universal Studios for the rest of the week.  We had lots of fun!

2. Ronald Reagan is quoted as saying-

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same."  

Your thoughts?  Loved Reagon and wish we had another like him to lead our country!  Do you somehow acknowledge and appreciate the freedoms you enjoy?  I count my blessings daily and mourn the fact that so many have turned their backs on this great land of ours.  Did your upbringing contribute to that sense of appreciation?  Most definitely.  I was raised at a time with God was first in the home and in school.  If you're a parent, are there specific things you do to pass on this sense of responsibility and appreciation to your own children in regard to the freedoms they enjoy?  Our 'boys' are 47 and 51, so they are old enough to have learned to appreciate what we had and to recognize what we have lost.

3. Loudest noise you've ever heard?  Probably the motor on an air-boat.  They are really LOUD!

4. What was the last thing you ate that might be considered 'junk food'? Did you enjoy it?   The ice cream cone I had last night! 

5. When was the last time you were somewhere the crowd felt 'packed in like sardines'?  First of all, I hate crowds.  Hate them.  But the absolute worst was being packed in like sardines on the water taxis in Venice, Italy.  I nearly fell off the dock trying to get into one and then it was impossible to even move once the boat started to move.  Never again!  We were there over the May Day holiday and it was way too crowded for my comfort.

6. Are you organized when it comes to packing for a trip?  Yes. Do you make a list weeks in advance or toss items in last minute?  I don't write a list but have one in my head that I keep checking off.  Are you a carry-on only sort of packer or do you need an entire suitcase for your shoes?  I can pack a small carry-on for a weekend trip, with a garment bag.  I only took one larger suitcase to New Orleans, with a garment bag.  I typically only take one extra pair of shoes. I try to take only one set of jewelry that goes with everything.  I do plan on an extra day of clothing, just in case we get stuck somewhere.

7. What was the last sporting event you attended in person?   Probably a spring training game for the Phillies baseball team.  That was last year (we didn't get to one this year).  Did your team win?   I seem to remember that they lost to the Yankees.  Did you care?   I did not really care but am happy when Joe is happy.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.  Not so random, but I've been thinking about how important and special the blessing of family is.  We so enjoyed having Linda and Alaina here for their (too short) visit.  We will be with family this coming weekend and the next, then have a wonderful family reunion to look forward to in July.  I am counting the blessings!  I should also mention that we count many of our dear friends as family, so I include them in my blessings.

And speaking of blessings....that means you too!!  Thanks for stopping by today and for your comments!  Your time is so appreciated.  Peace, love & hugs.

Tuesday Tidbits.....

I'm late posting for Tuesday, but I have a good excuse!

Our nieces came to visit yesterday and stayed the night with us!  We talked and talked, went to dinner where we talked some more, then went home and talked and talked.  Finally went to bed.  Got up this morning and talked and talked.  Went to breakfast where we talked and talked....

So much to talk about.  We rarely get to see this side of the family (Joe's older brother's kids & grands), so there was lots to catch up on.  In addition, Alaina just graduated from high school (the Orlando trip is her graduation gift from her mom) and then they will be going to Savannah for Gina's graduation from college.  Gina (middle child) is getting married in July, so we got to see MOB dress photos, wedding flowers (all hand made from paper by Linda) and hear all the details about the wedding we will be missing because of our family reunion at the beach.

Anyway...I need to get off because I am at work, but wanted to touch base and share the photo we took at breakfast this morning.  Thanks for checking in!  Peace & hugs.

Memorial Day Holiday....

It has been a good holiday weekend so far!  Yesterday, we decided to cook some burgers on the grill and invited our friends Helen and Cheryl to pop over after church.  We also included Gregory, my co-worker and our techie guy, who came by Saturday to help Joe with a computer problem.  He brought his dog, Paisley, with him.  It was not an especially lively group, but we had a good meal and some good conversation.  To complement the burgers, we also had watermelon, potato salad, macaroni salad, three-bean salad, sweet coleslaw, deviled eggs, and Helen brought a blueberry and a cherry pie.  I think everyone got full, and we sent food home with our guests when they left.

Today, our niece Linda and her daughter (our great niece) Alaina, are coming from Maryland for an overnight visit!  (Linda is Joe's older brother's daughter.)  We are so excited to get to see them!!  Alaina just graduated from high school (Valedictorian) and is going to Gettysburg College, as an Abraham Lincoln Scholar.  She is brilliant, a ballerina and an accomplished violinist.  She wanted a trip to Universal Studios, to see the Harry Potter section of the park, for her graduation gift.  They will be staying the rest of the week over in Orlando.  We are thrilled that they are spending some time with us!!

When they leave Orlando, they are heading for Savannah, where Linda's other daughter, Gina, will be graduating from SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design).  Gina will also be getting married on July 3rd!!! Whew!  Thier dad would be so proud of his girls.  Their older brother, Nicholas, is already out on his own and is an accomplished engineer, living and working in Connecticut.  Larry (husband and father) died suddenly almost two years ago of undiagnosed heart disease.  It was a shock and extremely sad for all (needless to say).  Much too young to die and so loved by all.

Back to work tomorrow, but we are heading down to Naples on Friday, for Grandson Tristan's graduation.  Such excitement for so many of our young family members heading off to college, jobs and new lives away from home.  The circle of life....

I hope you have had a good weekend, as we remember those who died for our country and all that we enjoy every day as Americans.  Thanks for stopping by!  Peace & hugs!

Sunday Stealing!!

If you want to join in on this Sunday Meme, find the questions and link up HERE!! 

Very Much Questions Meme

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we try to credit the blog that we stole it from. We also provide a link to the victim's meme in our "Previous Victims" widget. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") Sometimes we edit the original meme, to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, to select the best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from this new meme or recently asked questions from a previously featured meme. 
Cheers to all of us thieves!!! 

Very Much Questions Meme

Stolen from: Lots of Questions

1. What was the last clothing item that you bought?  A gift for my sister, for her birthday (it's in the mail, Patti, and should arrive on Tuesday or Wednesday!).

2. If you could stay one age forever, what age would you choose?  35

3. When you say “lol”, are you really laughing? Usually a giggle, but rarely really laughing out loud.

4. What is the most interesting thing you’ve done in the past year?  My work is always interesting, but meeting old blogging friend, Vic, and learning about crawfish (and trying them for a first time) was the most recent interesting and memorable thing I've done.

5. If you started a business, what would it be? Been there, done that. I'll stick with getting a steady paycheck and benefits.  (I owned and was the sole operator of "The Wedding Cake" - a little bakery.)

6. Do your friends/family/coworkers know about your blog?  Yes, and many get it by email.

7. How long does it take you to write an average blog post?  Probably 15 to 20 minutes.

8. How do you keep up with the blogs you follow?  I try to read them all daily or they stack up and I can never get to all of them.  After my week away, last week, there were over 100 waiting in my Feedly account. Impossible to get to them all.

9. What is your bedtime?  10:00 p.m. on work nights.

10. Introvert or extrovert?  More introvert, but the older I get, the more bold I have gotten.

11. What is your biggest wish? The our grandchildren will be happy with their life choices.

12. What is the best job you ever had?  I have it right now, at Polk Museum of Art.

13. Dog person/cat person/both/neither?  I'm a cat person who loves dogs too.

14. If you had $1,000 to spend any way you wanted, what would you do with it?  Can I save it toward new kitchen counters?

15. How do you “dress” your toast?  Lots of real butter and cinnamon/sugar.

16. How do you feel about snow? Hate it with a passion and that is why I moved to Florida 26 years ago.

17. What was the worst job you ever had?  Cleaning rooms in a motel.

18. What song can you not stop listening to?  None come to mind.

19. Love your name or hate it?  Hate Teresa but can live with Terri.

20. How did you choose your blog/twitter handle?  It just came to me. I could have been more original, but it is how I am known now.

Thanks for checking in!  Wishing you a good Sunday!  Peace & hugs.

Saturday:9 Battle Hymn of the Republic...

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Saturday 9: Battle Hymn of the Republic

(From the archives)

Memorial Day was introduced to honor the men and women who died while serving the in the United States Armed Forces. We want to make sure that message is not forgotten this weekend.
 

1) This recording was made live at St. Patrick's Cathedral, during Sen. Robert Kennedy's funeral. (Hear it here.) While both of Bobby's older brothers were decorated war heroes, he served too -- enlisting in the Navy in 1943. Are you a veteran? Are there veterans in your family? (We are grateful and want to hear about it.)  No, I am not a veteran but my husband is and my dad was.

 
2) Memorial Day also kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food?  Sweet watermelon.

 
3) Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life.  Lilacs blooming in my childhood backyard reminds me of my folks and wonderful summer picnics in our backyard.

 
4) When was the last time you had your hair cut or trimmed?  Two weeks ago.

 
5) Crazy Sam runs on Dunkin'. Are you loyal to a particular brand of coffee?  No, but I do like Dunkin' coffee (don't care for Starbucks).

6) If money was no object, what home improvement would you like to make this summer?  A new kitchen.

7) What was the last thing you bought purely for your own enjoyment?  A delicious seafood dinner, just last night!

8) When was the last time you rode a bike?  When I was 33 years old, on the boardwalk in Atlantic City.

9) Sam worries that many of her song selections reflect her decidedly Baby Boomer sensibilities. Is there a song or a performer that you'd like to see featured in a Saturday 9 this summer?  I'm a Baby Boomer too and love Sam's picks.  Partial to the Rolling Stones and Three Dog Night though!!  :)

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend.

Thanks for stopping in for my Saturday:9.  If you want to join in, just visit Crazy Sam HERE and link up!  Wishing you a good Saturday and holiday weekend!  Peace & love!

The end of our trip....

TGIF!!  It's nice to have a three-day weekend ahead!!  On this Memorial Day weekend, we honor those brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.

We woke up last Friday morning to the promise of rain in New Orleans.  We set out walking toward the Riverwalk area, where there is an outlet mall, next to Harrah's Casino.  We walked both levels of the mall and stopped at the Cafe DuMonde that was located in the mall.  It was cleaner, not crowded and the beignets were actually better than in the French Quarter.

 These two sculptures on Poydras Street look SO real!  We really thought they were Mimes posing, but they are sculpture.  They are in the median strip of the street, so you can't really get up close and personal with them without endangering yourself.  

It started pouring rain so we decided to buy tickets for a city tour, on an air-conditioned bus.  We have done the city tour a couple of times before, but this time they took us into the 9th ward, where Katrina hit the hardest.  It was worth the money and was very interesting.  The driver told us that 75,000 of all those people who left the city have never returned to New Orleans.  The bus driver also told us that the Superdome had 25,000 people living there.  On our news, back then, they made it sound like the entire population of New Orleans was in the Superdome.  It was a terrible time, and many are still suffering.

There was the mandatory stop at one of the cemeteries (this is #3). We stayed on the bus. It was raining and I have pictures from other tours of the above-ground graves. It's interesting, but I didn't need to get wet for it.

 Entering the 9th Ward, one house still has the markings from the search and rescue teams.  This home was visited on September 12th. They didn't enter it (NE) and they determined there were no bodies (the zero with the line through it) I don't know what the TFW stands for, but it was tough to see and the bus got real quiet for a couple of minutes.

The owner of the home has turned it into his own little attraction for the tour buses.  He came out and waved at us, and has all kinds of stuff sitting/hanging around, with the sign below, over his driveway.

Harry Connick, Jr. and Wynton Marsalis worked with Habitat For Humanity to build a "Musicians' Village" so the low-income musicians would come back to the city and get the music playing again.  The neighborhood is neat, colorful and well maintained after 10 years.

We got back to the hotel and had dinner there one last time.  We got our room organized and ready to finish packing up the next morning to start the journey home.  Breakfast was again in the hotel's wonderful Cafe on the Square.  It was a different menu for the weekend, and I got this wonderful dish with crawfish!!  It was so delicious and I was so excited to have crawfish again!

The weather was still rainy, but we had decided to take the scenic route home.  It meant about four more hours on the road, but would be along the Gulf of Mexico and much more interesting than I-10.  I started doing all the driving years ago, when Joe had really bad cataracts and was afraid to drive, especially at night.  They have been removed and he has good vision now, but I think he likes being the passenger.  He'll drive if I ask him to take over for awhile, but I just do the driving.

We made it to Biloxi, Mississippi and decided to stop at the Beau Rivage Casino.  It's been a long time since we visited a casino. We forgot how bad they smell from all the cigarette smoke.  Joe and I both used to smoke, but it was years and years and years ago.  We can really smell that odor now and it is very unpleasant.  Anyway, we made a deposit of $30.00 with no withdrawals.  It took us about 30 minutes to lose that $30.00 and then we were heading for the parking garage!  LOL

It was still pouring rain. Pouring. So we gave up on the scenic route and got back on I-10, where traffic was moving, but only at 45 mph and everyone had hazard lights flashing.  Fortunately, we saw no accidents. People were being sensible.  We made it into Alabama, where we saw a double rainbow and felt good about the rest of our trip home.  Tallahassee was a good place to stop for the night, after being on the road almost eight hours.  We were both tired, even though it was only five more hours to get home.

We got up early and made it safely home by 1:00 p.m.  I was able to get laundry done, and we went to the grocery. If sure felt good to be back in our own bed.

Now you are caught up on our whirlwind anniversary get-away.  Next weekend we head down to Naples for grandson Tristan's high school graduation, and the weekend after that, we are going up to Georgia to visit with my sister and brother-in-law.  It is Tammy's birthday weekend, and Bruce's birthday is the 31st of May, so we will celebrate his birthday too.

Thanks for stopping by!!  Wishing everyone a great weekend and Memorial Day!

New Orleans on Wednesday and Thursday....

My post on Tuesday was about getting to New Orleans.  This one will be about our Wednesday and Thursday.

I already posted about meeting my long-time blogging friend Vic, and his sweetheart, Tina.  Joe and I enjoyed our trip to Port Allen, which is outside Baton Rouge.  While there, we also toured the Nottoway Plantation.  As a recap, Vic was a blogging friend on Multiply, from where quite a few of us moved to Blogger when Multiply closed.  Vic is a great photographer, has a wonderful garden full of beautiful flowers and plants.  He helps out at his sister's business, Cajun Critters, during crawfish season (right now).  He taught us all about crawfish, showing us the bait, telling us how they are bagged for sale, and how they are boiled to eat (with his special secret seasoning).  When he closed, we all met for dinner before Joe and I headed back to New Orleans.

The Nottoway Plantation, which survived the Civil War intact, has been turned into a special event venue and a hotel/spa destination.  Their advertising states they are the "largest antebellum mansion" in the south. John Randolph built the 53,000 square-foot home, which was completed in 1859.  John and his wife, Emily, had 11 children and were sugar  planters.  He owned 155 slaves and had 42 homes for them to live in.  The number of slaves made Nottoway the largest plantation at the time when most owned 20 or fewer slaves.  The Randolphs' bodies were brought back to Nottoway and they are now in the family cemetery, on the grounds.

The place is spectacular!  We enjoyed our time there very much!

Thursday, we took off for the French Quarter!  We had beignets at Cafe DuMonde, we had lunch at one of Emeril's restaurants, NOLA, where we sat at the 'food bar' and had a great time talking with the baker at her wood-fired oven.  I had shrimp and grits.  Joe had a burger and fries.  Delicious!  We visited the French Market, we visited A Gallery For Fine Photography and saw friends who are connected with us at Polk Museum of Art (where I work).  If you get to New Orleans, definitely look up A Gallery For Fine Photography.  The historic photographs by amazing photographers are so worth seeing.  We walked along the Mississippi River for a little while. We took a bicycle taxi for a few blocks.  The architecture in the French Quarter is iconic.  It was such a good day!!

  A mime in Jackson Square. They are amazing!

 St. Louis Cathedral, in Jackson Square and right across from Cafe DuMonde!

 Joe put the sugar on his face, on purpose, but you get the idea!!  

He LOVES beignets!

Jenny Bagert is a famous photographer, who was mentored by Herman Leonard. We exhibited her work at the Museum a few years ago.  Click HERE to read about it.  It was so fun to find her at the Gallery that day.  It was just by chance!

More photos and the last few days of the trip, tomorrow!  Thanks for stopping by.  Peace & hugs!