New Years Eve and also...

 My Birthday!

Today we'll celebrate quietly

because

somehow reaching the age I've reached

just seems

to say

HOW THE FUCK DID I GET SO DAMN OLD???

The Day After

I'm trying out all these fonts 

I just found I could add to the list!

I'm going to drive y'all crazy 

For a few days

And for that, I apologize 

Profusely!

I mean, it's not like I got any presents to play with

Yesterday, but I did get

some lovely handmade lotion, soap, and lip balm.

We had a lovely dinner with Cap't Chaos, BKC, Stretch, The Kid and her guy (who needs a blog name), The Doc and The Dancing Lady, super nana and BGM, Stretch's mom & dad, and her sister, Miss M and her guy, Mr J! 

Just a quiet family gathering.

Today*

 Whatever you do, 

however you celebrate,

today 

I wish you

all the joy and happiness

this season

can bring!

and for the rest of us, Happy Wednesday!

*Updated because I found I could add more fonts to the menu!

Friday the 13th

 What horrors await us today?

The realization that only 43 days are left in the Biden-Harris administration.

Isn't that enough?

Other than that bit of unwanted information,

I got nuttin, sweetpeas.

Take whatever joy you can while we still can!

What if...

 Rhetorical question follows:

What would happen if the House brought forth 

Articles of Impeachment 

on its first working day 

based 

on 

the 

evidence 

in 

Jack Smith's report?

A girl  can dream, ok?

Friday

 For my US pals, Happy Black Friday!

For all the rest of y'all, Happy Friday!

Let us go into the weekend with a smile 

and a lot of liquor!

Roses as promised

 

The plan had been...

 To post some photos of the last rose bush still blooming! It's the really gorgeous peach color rose, but sadly, it's raining outside and really gloomy 

and I really, really, REALLY don't want to get wet and cold. 

So there will be photos tomorrow.

IDV I truly promise!!

It's been a minute

I'm still not quite right yet, so here's a cartoon I nicked from our pal, Bob!

And here's one from a Dodgers fan:

The caption read, "So what do we do until Spring Training?"

I'm working on being present and positive, sweetpeas, and less pissed off  irate  pessimistic about our current political future.

I think I need to buy some really pretty flowers.

Or maybe a pistol.

Today is Captain Chaos' birthday

 Long ago in the maternity ward of a hospital far, far away (ok, not really it was Good Sam's right here in LA), the Captain entered the world easily, quickly, and with a gorgeous head of hair! Our #1 Son was an easy baby with a ready smile for everyone. He's become a husband, father, uncle, good friend, and all-around great guy!

I couldn't decide which photo to post, so I've shared them all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAPTAIN CHAOS

Just a few thoughts about California

 California's economy ranks 5th in the ENTIRE world behind the US, China, Germany, and Japan.

GDP in 2023 was $3.9 trillion which was 14% of the US's GDP.

The GDP per capita is higher than that of all of the countries ranked above it.

California's economy has grown faster than the US over the last 25 years, growing 111% compared to the US's 75%.

California had the largest tourism market share in the US with $150.4 BILLION in travel spending in 2023.

California's economy is the largest in the USA, and if it were it's own country, would be more productive than India and the UK.

All of this is to remind those who, prior to the election, called for revolution if Harris won, just remember that YOU  need us more than we need you. 

Or as that ancient proverb said,

Be careful what you wish for!

Practice self-care in the days ahead

 Today I stayed in bed, drank a couple of cups of coffee, and watched interior design shows on my laptop. I might have stayed in my pjs until around noonish. I just didn't feel like peopling this morning. When I finally got out of bed, I dressed in clothes that had seen better days and certainly smelled that way. My hair was a rats nest that had been up in a messy bun since election day, so that definitely needed not only brushing but a serious wash and DEEP conditioning! I still am lingering around the edges of family life here, but fortunately, we're all dealing with post-election blues in our own separate ways, one thing we all know how to give is grace when needed.

I'm going to keep taking these feelings minute by minute or as a wise man once said, one day at a time. 

I'll see all y'all sooner or later, sweetpeas.

xoxo

It's Fuck Around and Find Out time for the GOP and we will resist!

The Republicans have shown us who they are and now it's OUR time to show them who we are and resist their attempts to shackle and imprison us again. Sadly, we need only look to our history here in America to know that people can, and probably will be, rounded up based on their ethnicity, so it isn't a leap to say that those who are different based on religion, gender identity, sexual preference, or anything the fascists hate, face internment, or worse.

The impact of this election has worldwide implications and far more will suffer beyond our shores. Misinformation and outright guile have denied Democracy, Hope, and Joy the opportunity to move our country towards "a more perfect Union" and that brings me to tears.

We cannot fail each other as they have failed us.

Today on that other social media site...

I posted, I don't understand how this race for the presidency is even close! Perhaps it really is true about who we are on this earth.  

I truly want to believe that there are more of us who value our system of governance, however flawed it may be, than those who would embrace a fascist, dictatorial regime.

I have to believe our old blogger pal, Hope, when she said there are probably a lot of people who don't want to say publicly who they're voting for, but will Vote Blue when the time comes!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUPER NANA!!!!

 This is one of my favorite photos of our girl, SUPER NANA! I don't remember when this pic was taken, but it sums up who she is, a confident, take-no-prisoners woman! I hope y'all will join us in wishing her a very happy birthday!

There will be gumbo, a chocolate mousse cake, ice cream, and family here later tonight!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUPER NANA!!

I was feeling fine,but then I started reading the newspapers (yes, online)

 Well, kids, for those of us in the USA we have only 2 more weeks until the election. Two more weeks until we find out if Alexis de Tocqueville was correct when he said:

The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults. When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.

Everyone here is borderline paranoid about the outcome. As y'all know, I am an eternal optimist about results and outcomes, no matter how dire the situation, but sweetpeas,  I am struggling to see the light. I think that this dark cloud is part of why I'm not blogging as much. I don't know anymore. Part of the fear, is not only the election, but what comes after the election, those days until January 20th, and the future here in the US. 

All of that is the quagmire we're in around here.

This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope. ~ Princess Leia Organa

UPDATE

I just read a great quote that I must share:

The calvary is not coming.

YOU are the calvary.

Saddle up!

I'm holding on to this thought and knowing that I voted to help save the place I call home.

A week and a day UPDATE

 

Finally tested negative for COVID!

I couldn't eat for two days and slept almost straight through 3 days! All of this even after being fully boosted! This was, while mild according to medical professionals (which means I wasn't hospitalized), was far worse than the last time! I still feel body weak and haven't really regained my appetite, but given what could have happened I'm grateful. The MITM has fully recovered, Super Nana is no longer limping and will start swimming next week. She's seeing an orthopedist tomorrow to make sure everything is healing correctly.

***********

Yesterday brought sad news to Blogville. For those of you who read her blog, Past Imperfect, Pat Mckay has passed away. Her son, Andrew, announced her passing on Facebook this weekend. Over the years, Pat was a gracious and lovely blogger and I shall miss her gentle spirit. 

Kim Ayers has written a beautiful post about Pat and their friendship. Whether you knew/read Pat's blog, I hope you'll read his tribute to a good friend to us all.

It's Sunday and guess what?

 The Lady Savvy has COVID. Poor me, Supernana, am limping around waiting to get it. Everyone will have to eat Top Ramen and toast since that's all I can make.

Pray for us,

Supernana

10/10 UPDATE:

I'm still COVID-free. Savvy has eaten other things, but not much. Mostly she is sleeping. By the way, I can cook. I just really really don't like to. The MITM is better. I think he enjoys having the big TV all to himself. I knit a scarf, read some books, limped around, and watched baseball. All and all it's been a weird but quiet week. 

It's Friday and guess what

 The MITM has COVID!

@$^%&*!!! dammit

or as Cap't Chaos said, "Welcome to the Ship of the Damned!"

So what's new with you?

 Crazy times, right, sweetpeas?

I've been busy ignoring the news and watching The West Wing. The MITM has developed (started slowly) a cold (not COVID) and is sort of down for the count. Yesterday, super nana tore a muscle in her calf, so she's down (6-8 weeks healing time) as well. To top things off, BKM got sick at school, so she's down, too! At this point, I'm the only one half-standing! (Don't ask)

So, what's new with you?

p.s. I'll be back eventually

Monday, Monday...

 Where to start?

Start with politics?

The Emmys?

or

the latest attempt on TFG?

For me, it starts with those infamous Watergate quotes...

What did he know? And when did he know it?

He being the shooter this time, and not TFG, because while I'm no conspiracy theorist, I find it too intriguing that the alleged shooter sat waiting for 12 hours, and would have had a 50-80 yard shot at the tee box on the next hole TFG was going to be at! Now all of this is based on news reports and my own active imagination that comes from reading far too many mysteries and spy novels.

(The above was written to allay any possible thoughts and/or considerations of any culpability on my or any of my known associates' part.)

**************

On a happier note, the New Orleans Saints beat the fuck out of the Dallas Cowgirls Cowboys in DALLAS, 44-19!!!!

Oh, and I didn't watch the Emmys.

September 11, 2001

9/11 

I hope you'll click on the link above because Bob listed all the reasons why we should always remember what happened 23 years ago.

Even stupider hot!

 It's Monday and we can expect a high of 103 with a low of 78! September can be hot, but this is crazy weather. Fires have names, the Line Fire has exploded in San Bernadino County (not close to here), and the Bridge Fire in San Gabriel Canyon has caused road closures and evacuations (not far, but also not close). On Saturday there were rolling blackouts in Pasadena (close by, but didn't affect us) caused by higher than normal electrical usage due to AC use. We'll see how things go today. Tomorrow should see a slight dip in daytime temps, and hopefully will start the gradual decline in temps, so that we're closer to normal Fall temps in SoCal. 

Until then, I'm going to continue to talk about the weather.

Yeah, I'm going to be that lame-ass bitch.

it's stupid hot here!

 Since this heat wave started, I have been outside for exactly 10 minutes. To be clear, those 10 minutes were NOT consecutive. In fact, they were not even on the same day! I take heat advisories from the county very seriously, I even carried my emergency inhaler in my pocket when I did venture out! When they say "Stay the fuck inside" I do and happily. Not even the birds are flying! We usually have a flock of green parrots going back to their trees every evening to roost, but they've even checked into the cooling centers!

We can only hope this is not a trend that will be repeated soon, but I fear this is just the beginning of extreme weather everywhere.

********

Today marked the Opening Day of (American) Football!  My favorite team, the New Orleans Saints beat the Carolina Panthers, 47-10! Today we'll also be cheering on the Las Vegas Raiders in their match against the Chargers (formerly of San Diego and now taking up residence here in Los Angeles) (Can you tell they aren't a particular favorite of mine?)

****************

That's it for me today. I'll continue to hide inside. Stay cool and comfortable, sweetpeas! xoxo

It is H-O-T here in SoCal

 I haven't blogged in ages, so here I am whining about how hot it is here! Compared to Phoenix with 100 straight days of temps over 100F, I really have nothing to complain about since we're only on day 2 of temps over 100F. We do have an indoor temp of 72F thanks to air conditioning, which negates whatever is happening outside. The weather advisory has extended the higher temps into the weekend and issued an advisory regarding air quality that will affect children, older adults, and anyone with "respiratory illnesses" so I'm in the two strikes category.

When you weigh high temps against hurricanes down South, I'm happier where I am now!

So endeth my whine.

***********

Today's agenda is a series of indoor chores that have to be completed today because tomorrow will be highlighted by the delivery of a new washer and dryer set! Yeah, life is certainly different these days regarding highly anticipated events! To be clear, I'm not complaining, just sharing the highlights of my retiree's life. Where am I going with this today?

I'm guessing this might be a good place to end today's entry...

or come back later today in a less whining mode!

School is back!

 Yep, the two kiddos are back in school now and routines will once again rule the days, Monday through Friday anyway because the weekends are for fun and doughnuts on Sunday!

I think I'll start blogging a bit more regularly now since I absolutely have no distractions *sighing* and routine is supposed to be good for your mental health, and Lord knows I need all the help I can get.

First she was little...

 and now she's 12!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BigKidMatrix

sometimes this becomes more of a diary or in the modern parlance a journal...

 ...that is written daily but in the case of this blog only sometimes shared.

As I said the other day, everyone is away and I've been left to my own devices. Not reading, certainly no housework, no late-night tv shows, carousing, or even decent meals! But I digress, as  y'all may or may not know, in times of stress, especially of the political kind, I tend to rewatch The West Wing. 

Yes, all 7 seasons. (At present, I'm

Today, after watching the CNN broadcast of the National Association of Black Journalists Convention in which, as many of y'all may already know, TFG was asked to attend a Q&A moderated by three well-known and accomplished Black journalists, all of whom happen to be women. The performance by TFG was insulting and demeaning not only to the women on the stage, the people in the audience, and every single person within viewing, reading, smoke signal range, or possessing a can attached to a string with a can at the other end!

*insert short break to watch the one where Lord John Marbury arrives*

I had to turn the sound down and resort to reading live fact-checking on my computer because I could no longer tolerate the lies he was spewing, nor his godawful voice! I was also sending and receiving messages from others who were also watching. 

My take on all of it will not surprise anyone given that y'all know it was with great reluctance that I stopped calling TFG by a series of expletives and have resorted to calling him That Fat Git* abbreviated to TFG. In my mind, he's still the REDACTED and will continue to be that until he leaves this mortal coil.

Here's ONE of my takes: OMG, if this event isn’t enough to get POC to realize what an incompetent racist fool he is, we are doomed to a future of stupidity

I do like the take from the live analysis on the New York Times:

One clip I would expect from this event that we will see in future advertising is when ABC's Rachel Scott asked, “My question is on those rioters who assaulted officers. Would you pardon those people?” And Trump replied without hesitation, “Oh absolutely, I would.” (emphasis MINE)

The White House Press Secretary also weighed in:

“The White House press secretary, Karine Jean Pierre, just responded to Trump’s comments about Vice President Kamala Harris’s race at a news briefing, calling them “repulsive” and “insulting” and adding that “no one has any right to tell someone who they are.”

“She is the vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. We have to put some respect on her name, period,” Ms. Pierre added.”

Ok, thanks for reading.

*back to watching The West Wing, Season 1, Episode 14)

*term courtesy of Scarlet

I wanted some time alone and now...

 I decided that the MITM, BKC, and BKM should go to The Land Of Enchantment without me, so that I'd have some time to read and relax. So far, I'm not read one damn thing, but I have rewatched The West Wing, so I guess that's an accomplishment.

I'm slowly making my rounds around Blogville, sweetpeas, so hope to see y'all soon! xoxo

The October surprise came in July

 In light of the announcement by President Biden, I'm watching The West Wing starting with Episode 1, Season 1 because what lies ahead if the Democrats fail is chilling. Yes, I'm finding comfort in watching the best president we never had support the Constitution, respect the concept of checks and balances, and strive towards a more perfect Union.

To be clear, I will support Vice-President Harris in November and every Democrat running for office!

A week and a day

 Quick update:

I found the vintage fur coat and my faux fur lined winter coat! We've decided the fur's giving Mob Wife vibes as modeled by super nana!

More to come eventually, sweetpeas!

and just like that she vanished

 But only for a few days, my darlings!

The MITM and I are emptying out our storage unit after 5 years and doing what we should have done a bit more thoroughly when we left Savannah!*

If I find anything interesting I'll let you know, but for now, I'm looking for a vintage fur coat and my faux fur-lined winter coat!

*we really were party central back then, I mean, service for 48, 5 boxes of glassware, 3 sets of cutlery and there's more!!!

These kiddos!

 Big Kid Chaos (BKC) and Big Kid Matrix (BKM)*

starring in

Wes Anderson's new movie 

~PEOPLE WHO GO TO WEDDINGS ON A SUNDAY IN JUNE~

*formerly known as Big Girl Matrix (BGM)

Poppies!!

 

Today is her Birthday!!!

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STRETCH!!

Join us in raising a glass to our #1 DIL as we celebrate her 46th trip around the sun!!

🎁🎂🍸

July 4th

 There will be no red, white, and blue around here today because 

it's all about homemade (by the MITM) Lemon Cheesecake topped with Lemon Curd.

Let us hope this July 4th isn't the last one we celebrate.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you

 First cup of coffee here and this was the conversation at the breakfast room table:

Him: If he (no one around here mentions the convicted felon by name) gets elected again, you might have to watch what you write.

Me: It's damn near coming close to that.

*background conversation about SCOTUS audible from his MAC*

Him: Can you imagine that knock on the door? "We at the (pick an agency) have reason to believe you've been writing uncomplimentary things about the Supreme Leader and you must either stop or face charges."

Me: If it came to that, I have a feeling no one would be given an option. It would just be detention...

*Lots of wild rhetoric and profanity regarding possible leftist activities that went on for a few minutes*

Him: My scenario for me leading the troops out of Altadena and on to Rosemead in defense of Democracy is becoming more and more of a reality!

Me: I can hear your battle hymn now

Him: Follow me, boys, on to victory!

Monday or WTF did I look at the news? PHOTO UPDATE

 But, first some good news! 

We went to a lovely wedding and reception yesterday for a young woman we've known since she was 7 or so! (Her older sister is Stretch and married to Captain Chaos) The wedding was held at St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church (the link takes you to a bit of history about the Church). The setting was lovely and the perfect place to celebrate two lives coming together. The reception was great fun and held at one of the best examples of adaptive reuse of a site I've ever seen. The site was a former smog check location which in LA are extremely commonplace and usually non-descript. The Smog Shoppe (nice virtual tour in the link) offered the best combination of SoCal living and partying! Gotta love a reception that has a stellar open bar and bartenders!

***********

Now, back to the Monday that sucks. SCOTUS gave the convicted felon substantial immunity from prosecution! Thomas and Alito both ruled on the case despite calls for their recusal because of their own impartiality and to my mind, unethical activities. Then, I read an opinion piece about convicted and soon to be imprisoned, Steven Bannon, and his vision of and for America.

I can only whisper what my Irish friend said and that's Jesus wept.

*******

Because I can't end this on such a depressing note, here's more good news!

The MITM's California Poppies have started to bloom! I'll take a picture later when we have more than one bud!  He was so excited that he took a photo of the one bloom for all y'all to see!

I will have lots of photos for IDV's Garden Competition Exposition. It will always be a competition for me. (RIP LX)

So, here's to a better week ahead, and if not better, then please no worse!

I had to sit with my thoughts about Thursday for a minute

 It's taken me a day to finally put my fingers to the keyboard about the debate and I have a few thoughts.

President Biden DID have an off-night.

The convicted felon was his usual practiced lying self.

No one can deny either of those points.

What pisses me off is that some Democrats are talking about President Biden withdrawing as a candidate because he's old and wasn't on his "A game" and replacing him as a candidate with someone "younger?" The media also pushes that narrative with gusto, instead of talking about how he answered questions while the other guy didn't.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but why the actual fuck isn't the media and the pig-headed GOP not calling for the convicted felon, rapist, and racist to be replaced as the GOP nominee? If anyone on that stage on Thursday night sounded like an addled-brain drunk grandpa it was the convicted felon!

I don't agree with every position the President has taken, but I am convinced that if Joe Biden isn't re-elected in November, there will be no election in 2028! I truly believe that this election will determine what sort of SCOTUS we will have, what rights our daughters will have, what civil rights we ALL will have, and where we will stand within the global community. 

This November we will either be given the chance of a future opportunity to find, as Gov. Whitmer has said, a Gen X candidate for the 2028 election or we face the imposition on us of the GOP Project 2025 and the end of our "striving towards a more perfect Union."

I am concerned, nay I am worriedthefuckout

 Tonight is the first debate between President Biden and the convicted felon.

Bets are being taken on whether or not the convicted felon will show up since so many GOP members seem to be giving him cover for withdrawing. It makes me laugh over some of their reasons given that representatives for BOTH campaigns agreed to the rules for the debates, including muting the mic when a candidate wasn't answering a question. I'm wondering how the convicted felon will react to not being able to yell and act out during the debate. The bar is so low for the convicted felon that if he doesn't collapse on stage, his minions will consider him the winner of the debate.

I hope you'll check out an excellent post by Jim Wright on his observations about tonight.

Here's the reason I decided to write this today. The MITM had to go to a major studio here in Lalaland and on his way back home he was behind a car that had a bumpersticker that said:

~I'M VOTING FOR THE FELON~

Not only was he NOT surprised given where he was when he saw it, but the fact that it's become perfectly fine to support a convicted felon, acknowledged racist, and sexual predator PUBLICALLY!

And that, dear friends, is why Iamworriedthefuckout! 

I know I'm preaching to the choir, but VOTE as if your life depended on it BECAUSE IT DOES!

The Day After

Updates ended abruptly at 4PM yesterday because everyone arrived, dinner was served, the wine flowed and the beers were plenty! It was too hot to sit outside so folks congregated in various parts of the house. Conversations over Bisque were of memories of family gatherings when we weren't the eldest generation, children were young, and so were we. Food brings us together today just as it did all those many years ago when multiple generations and extended family came together for celebrations.

One of the cousins couldn't make it today, so she and her partner had to make due with a plate brought over by her sister. They had helped yesterday and were really sad to have missed out!

Next year the MITM will be Chef Emeritus because Captain Chaos has decided that he will be the one to carry on the annual tradition. He'll have two apprentices working with him, BigKidChaos (BKC) and BigGirlMatrix (BGM) who want to learn the steps that lead up to stuffing heads (which they do with great speed and agility!).

Just as the MITM learned from his Grandmother, the tradition will be handed down to the next generation, along with Big Blue!

p.s. If anyone is interested in this recipe, the MITM will send you a PDF of his recipe! Let me know

Party in the USA or Sunday at super nana's with the Krewe 4PM UPDATE

The first 2 photos are of the clean heads ready for stuffing! The stuffing is made of boiled tails, bread crumbs, and the trinity (known to all devotees of Creole cooking: finely chopped onions, bell peppers, and celery)

Currently, the MITM is making his roux for the Bisque. Once it's reached the perfect color, he'll add the trinity to stop the roux from cooking further, add the stock, let it simmer for an hour or so, with the 4 pounds of the boiled crawfish tails, and finally add the stuffed heads, green onions, and parsley.

The entire dish is served over white rice, warm baguettes, and a simple salad on the side!

More pictures to follow!

This is the pot we call "Big Blue." It's a 16 qt. le creuset Dutch oven! We had so many extra stuffed heads we had to freeze some, not that I'm complaining!

TODAY is the first day of the Crawfish Bisque party!

*

 I know many of you won't see these until Sunday morning, but we were a bit busy today with 70 pounds of live crawfish (4th pic) that had to be boiled (1st and 2nd pics), played with (3rd and 5th pics), and finally cleaned which meant pulling the tails off and removing the tail meat! Once all that was done, it was time for pizza, beer, or margaritas! BGM and BK had soft drinks.

*Photos 6, 7, and 8 courtesy of BGM

We've cleaned the heads for stuffing tomorrow (Sunday), the MITM is making his stock for the bisque, and the kitchen is clean and ready for tomorrow morning's cooking!

WTAF Louisiana?

 I can't even set this in a larger font because it will just increase my need to scream or actually spew profanities at my screen!

Louisiana is home to many of the MITM's extended family, the birthplace of jazz, and home to some of the most delicious foods ever created has just passed legislation requiring the posting of the 10 Commandments in every classroom in the state.

This piece of pandering will likely be challenged in the courts since it violates the opening lines of the First Amendment to the Constitution, known as the establishment clause, which prohibits the government from creating an official religion or favoring one religion over another. I expect there will also be some moves to demand that if the legislation is allowed to stand, every other religion will demand equal exposure. 

1. “When you hear people demanding that the Ten Commandments be displayed in courtrooms and schoolrooms, always be sure to ask which set. It works every time.”

Where is Christopher Hitchens when we need him??

Wednesday

 Today's a Federal Holiday here in the USA. Yeah, celebrating Juneteenth, the day that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, two years AFTER the end of the Civil War and the signing of the Emancipation Declaration which, by the way, did not officially end slavery in the United States. The Emancipation Declaration ONLY applied to those held in slavery in the Confederate States! Those enslaved people who lived in states that did not secede from the Union were still LEGALLY slaves and would not receive their freedom until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution on December 6th, 1865!

Yeah, so there you go.

The Roots did a great job explaining it!

Movie music "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

 This is one of my favorite Cohen Brothers movies! 

Miley Cyrus sang the same song during a tribute to George Clooney! 

My favorite Dive Bar in Savannah

First Nations got me thinking about dive bars that I've known and loved over the years, so I wanted to share my favorite in Savannah!

It was around the corner from our loft in the Historic District of Savannah. Many a night after work I'd walk over and meet the MITM and a few good friends for a drink or 4 depending on the day I'd had or for that matter what day it was! Anyway, our spot was The Rail Pub and we'd hang until the college kids descended and were, you know, college kids! 

When we moved to the other end of the district (literally a straight line from the loft to our house) we decided to upgrade our imbibing habits and stocked our own bar so we never had to leave home!

Here in Lalaland, we've stuck to our home bar routine and now that it's summer, we're enjoying drinks on the patio!

extras

 

The NEXT big Krewe party!

 Every year since we've been back in Lalaland, the MITM aka CreoleBeBop has hosted a Crawfish Bisque party for the Krewe. This year the guest list has expanded to include extended family who live nearby! He ordered 70lbs of LIVE crawfish to be shipped from Louisiana Crawfish Co. that will arrive next Saturday morning and then the prep work will begin! The crawfish arrive iced down in styrofoam coolers with all the seasonings packaged and ready to pour in the boil. Making this dish is a 2-day effort and requires many hands to make light the work! Seriously, after the crawfish are boiled, they have to be picked apart and the tailmeat removed. Of course, one of the perks of being part of the process is eating a bit of the meat while you work! This process usually takes the entire afternoon with a break for lunch! and breaks for drinks...

We're absolutely going to have to take pictures because the first day of prep is always a lot of fun and a lot of work but we all have a great time! BKC and BGM hold crawfish races and this year are planning a scene from Romeo and Juliet in the fountain. THAT will have to be a video!

Part of the cleaning process is selecting the cleaned crawfish heads for stuffing on Sunday. Here's a great pictorial explanation of the process and a recipe for Crawfish Bisque but to be clear, this is not the MITM's recipe! He doesn't share that with anyone. After all the prep work is done I usually like to chop up all the veg and bag it for the next day because mise en place makes cooking a big dish like this needs efficiency and preciseness! I'm kidding, I do it on Saturday so that on Sunday while the MITM is cooking I don't have anything to do except wait for the food to be ready!

Everyone will show up around 3 or so bearing drinks and desserts and we'll sit around until the last bit of Bisque is gone or we're all so stuffed we can't eat another bite! We're looking at 20+ family and friends helping and eating Saturday and Sunday!

Party Central is gearing up for an exciting Summer!

A gardener's tale for today

It's party planning time again, but this time it's A Family Affair so there WILL be photos (I just won't be the responsible for taking them) that will be in focus! More about the party later in another post.

Today we have a tree guy coming to treat the big tree in the back garden that seems to have been infested by aphids! One of the downsides of the infestation is what BGM calls aphid poo or the less graphic name which I prefer honeydew. 

Herein begins the lesson on Aphids. Read the article at your leisure because I didn't want to edit it down to the salient parts and spoil all y'all's reading pleasure! One of the downsides of the infestation is that all the patio furniture and anyone sitting under the tree gets pooed on covered in honeydew! When it happened last year we all thought it was just sap from the tree and ignored it. It was also not as abundant! The treatment will last a year, so perhaps we'll have to do it again! As the tree guy (his name is JERRY GARCIA!!!) said, "Maybe I'll see you again next year, maybe I won't." This garden has definitely been a learning experience for us. The MITM downloaded an app for his phone, so now we know all the proper names for all the fruit trees (the obvious one was a lemon tree) in the back garden, exactly which roses we have in front of the kitchen windows and all the proper names for all the drought resistant plants in the front garden. He's still fiddling with the herb plants and BGM's strawberry plant. In fact, he's made pesto twice since starting the herb garden!

Our garden in Savannah was so much easier! Magnolias in the back garden, a HUGE sugar oak surrounded by a boxwood hedge, pampas grass, and a gardenia in the front! Having a professional gardener helped a LOT!

Who's next?

 Somehow I managed to blog for 10 days straight, sweetpeas! It was fun and reminded me how much I enjoy blogging! It felt a bit strange to miss a few days, but that was then and this is now, so let's see if anyone else will try the TEN DAY CHALLENGE!!

I'm still trying to figure out why my photos from the party won't post, so there will probably be some pictorial posts soon!

The Saturday Baby Shower and why there aren't many photos

 I only have a couple of food photos and (a very blurry) one of the floral arrangements...

BECAUSE

this was a very private affair for folks who don't normally have iPhone photos shared on social media. So, you'll have to take my word that it was a smashing success.

Or as one of the participants said to me as she was leaving,

It was so on brand, Darling!

Followed by double air kisses.

Besides, the photos I took were blurry and were only of the food before being set out, so how many plates of REDACTED does one need to see?

Instead of photos, here's a video from the 75th Birthday party UPDATE

 

ACK! Just realized that the photos didn't post (just had a chance to look at my email to see y'all's comments), so now I have to figure out why they didn't post, too!

The video was about the appetizer selection of Corn Beignets - jalapeno aioli, Di Stefano Stracciatella - brooks cherries, balsamico, and Bluefin Tuna Toast with Kaluga caviar, and smoked tomato. 

As soon as I figure out why the photos didn't post, you'll see the complete menu. It was delicious!!

The day after

There will be pictures from last night's dinner for the MITM as soon as I get them all. He had no idea that all of the Krewe would be there, so he was COMPLETELY surprised when we walked in and they were all seated at the long center table at Republique! (I wish I'd taken a photo of his face at that moment!) If you're ever in LA, make a reservation for dinner there, you will not be disappointed.

Photos to come!

TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY!!!

 

This is one of my favorite photos of the MITM aka CreoleBeBop! I took this photo a few years ago when he was still smoking cigars. We're going to dinner tonight at Republique to celebrate his 75th Birthday! 

There might be a few surprises even though he's not a surprise-me guy!

If we get back early enough I'll post some photos, if not check in tomorrow!

You know he reads the blog, so join us in wishing him a 

Happy Birthday!!