Happy Birthday Julia!

Today is Julia James' birthday!  She is my "oldest" grandchild and the main reason we moved back to Louisiana from Houston, TX.     She is the firstborn of my daughter Alicia and her husband John.    They are the "travel nurses" and so now Julia is mostly on the road and NOT in Louisiana near us.    Today, she is in her favorite place...Disneyworld....staying in a luxury room in the Animal Kingdom Lodge overlooking the savanah and watching wild animals and eating in fabulous restaurants and having breakfast in bed and  enjoying a special birthday cake in the shape of Barbie!

Ah...what a life.  I'm so happy for her and Joshua her 6 year old brother who lead a very special life traveling with their parents, being homeschooled (or roadschooled).  They are trully enjoying a life of freedom along with education!

Joshua James



With what is going on in our world today, especially in Egypt, I can't help but think how fortunate we are to live in a country of freedom and opportunity.    I praise God everyday for His Hand on our children and our country.  We should work to preserve this for our children and grandchildren preserving their innocence as long as we can.

We will be traveling to see our JuJu and Josh in March and enjoy some of their time in Florida.  We have other family there and we all will be going to a wedding on the beach in Sarasota (my first beach wedding!) and of course getting in some "Micky Time". 

Have a great time today Julia and know how blessed you are!!

Little Mikey

I experienced something this past weekend that I had never before.  We had to put our Yorkie to sleep.

 While I was out of town in Houston, Wayne called to tell me that Mikey was not doing too good.  He was laying in the same spot in our bedroom and had not moved.  That did not sound good.
Mikey had been with us for 15 l/2 years and in the last 2 years he was showing signs of deterioration and old age.  He had lost his spunk, was aggravated with the grand kids, was not going outside very much, etc.  He had developed a stomach condition and threw up quite a lot.  He had lost most of his teeth.
He was starting to relieve himself in the house (we changed most of the flooring to tile for that reason), and he was getting blind.  We knew the day was coming for the dreaded trip to the vet.

When I returned from Houston on Friday night...Mikey was still laying almost lifeless in the middle of the walkway into our bedroom.  It was almost like he didn't want to go to his normal spot under the dresser...like perhaps he wanted to let us know that he was not well.  The vet had told me that dogs do not show their pain...they hide it.  I wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in his bed.....he didn't move.  We went to bed knowing that the vet was open l/2 a day on Saturday and we would take him if he wasn't better in the morning.    Early in the morning, I heard him moan....well, that was it.  I didn't want him to be in pain.

We got up and I tried to offer him water (he had not gotten up to eat or drink in over 24 hours).  He just turned his head away from me. 

At that point, I picked him up and held him wrapped in the blanket, and said my goodbyes.  It was sad.  He had not really been an "active" participant in our family for some time...but he was with us for so long that Wayne and I both felt sad and moved by the way he looked.

So, off to the vet.....I had a meeting to attend that I could not miss....so I didn't go....I don't think I could have watched the procedure....even though I knew it was painless and he would no longer have to feel bad.

It's taken me a few days to write this....to document the last days of Mikey.  I've tried to find a picture of him...I guess he never came out of his cave long enough for us to snap a picture.  He was cute in his day...a little big as Yorkies go...so the girls had named him Yorkzilla.

We still have Coco  who is our female Boxer....she is 13 years old...so getting close to her end.  However, she still has some spunk....sleeps most of the day, but has a great appetite and is loving and great with the kids.

I'm trying to get her used to getting in our 5er and feeling comfortable there...so we can take her on trips with us.  We'll have to see....she's pretty set in her ways!

Fun Day with Family & Friends

We had an extension of our Christmas Celebration with the arrival of our daughter and family from Tampa, FL  where they are travel nurses.  They came home on their 5 days off to see a new baby born in John's family, to celebrate Julia's birthday with family and to exchange Christmas presnts with everyone since they could not be here in December.

I was requested to cook Julia's favorite meal....Roast Beef, rice and gravy and Joshua's yeast rolls.  I added a family favorite of Broccoli covered with white sauce and cheese.  I had a ball in my kitchen cooking a 10 lb. sirloin tip roast  as per "Emeril" and it came out excellent if I must say so myself!  Nana (the other grandma brought fresh fruit salad, cajun rice dressing and 2 KING CAKES....yes, it's that time.  Alicia had of course brought the Birthday Cake decorated in "rock star" motif and Julia dressed like Hannah Montana.  It was a fun day, complete with Miley Cyrus music!

Julia James (9 years old)

Here's the progression of the food...

I did the tradtional (my family) stuffed roast ....stuffed with garlic and green pepper...cutting slits in meat I season with a rub....into the slits and all over then stuffing with the garlic and green pepper...now this was a 10 lb. sirloin tip roast so I used about 5 or 6 toes of garlic and about l/2 pepper...the rub I used was Emerils Essence which I made up from Emeril's recipe which he posts with many of  his  recipes.  After seasoning and stuffing I dredge the whole thing with flour and then brown in a large skillet.

After browning I put into a large roasting pan (I needed my oven for other things),   I love the Nesco Roaster for large roasts, turkeys, etc.  I baked at 325 degrees for about 4 hours (l/2 hour per lb.)  If cooking in a regular oven I put in granite roaster and bake at 350 degrees...see earlier posts...(The Way Momma Did It)

this is a 12Qt. roaster and the 10 lb. roast and a 12 lb. turkey fits perfectly

While that was baking I started on the white sauce for my broccoli casserole:

added grated cheese

poured over steamed broccoli and topped with more grated cheese

and of course the "Joshua" rolls.....rising to to be baked

Josh loves bread and rolls and especially these yeast rolls...so we call them "Joshua" rolls

Josh is on the left, Lindsey (neighbor) is in back and Alexa (cousin) is next to the birthday girl, Julia.

Another cousin, Jacob, has his back to the camera helping with opening the presents!

The youngest at the party...twins Jessica and Katie had a good time too!

Beautiful Day

It's 61 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

  Man I wish I could spend the whole day outside....however, I had work to do for my business this morning.  So...got that done and then went out for a mile walk...then Wayne and I had a punch list of things to be done in the "Pointe".   The glass in the Overhead cabinets had become loose and on our maiden voyage we even had a crack happen  

This overhead was empty except for a rack from the refrigerator which probably banged up to it in the ride.  Oh Oh!  So, upon checking Wayne found that all of the glass inserts were loose....so he took the time today to secure and glue all of the overhead glass inserts 

We also are thinking about taking our Boxer with us on our next trip.  Now Coco is 13 years old and has arthritis.  When we go into the RV for any work or packing...she stands at the door and cries for us to come out.  She doesn't seem to want me in the RV....so we thought we'd invite her to come in and "check it out". 

 We have a wonderful neighbor who takes care of our pets when we travel.  But for an extended trip...we just don't want to impose.  We have to find a house sitter or take Coco with us...so...up in the rig she went.  Now...she cannot climb up the steps any more....so we worked with her and tried but she just would not do it.  So here we go lifting 45 lbs. of stiff muscle....and long legs...into the "Pointe"!

She acted very nervous....went around the whole rig sniffing....made it upstairs without much effort....but she was as anxious to get out as she was about us being in there.  She went to the open door and jumped out landing on her face....I screamed....she twisted....didn't know if she would be able to walk....but jumped up apparently OK.  We cleaned her off, and lifted her back into the rig.    We tried to sit with her and make her comfortable, but she was not a "happy camper"!  Don't know if this is going to work....but we'd love to bring her with us.  She is old, but still has some spunk.    Maybe she is too old to teach her some new tricks  or another way of life!    We'll see!!

Happy New Year!

Out with the Old....In with the New!    That's a favorite saying of mine.  I cannot believe another year has flown by...can you?  Time used to drag....when we were younger.  Now....whew....the days, weeks, months and years are like a mouse on a wheel. 

I am looking forward to a new beginning.  So much I still want to accomplish, even though many people my age are looking at retirement or have already "retired".  What is retirement really??  Certainly not sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch watching the neighbors drive by.....or complaining about every ache and pain...or bugging your kids for a visit.  That was in the prior generation.  No, today things are different.  We want to be active and healthy and keeping up with what's new and happening.   We still need to make money...even in retirement...thanks to the downturn in the economy, inflation, and the diminished 40lK.

Wayne and I brought in the new year watching back- to- back funny movies on the big screen TV in our media room....well, really, we're not that rich...but we do have a rather large bedroom complete with not only bedroom furniture, but also a table & chairs, recliner, entertainment center and of course the HD TV.  It feels like a media room when we lower the lights and settle back to watch....I love it.  Don't get to do it very often but that's one of my choices for the new year.....watch more movies that make me laugh and cry.
Now, as we were finishing up with the last movie the clock was nearing midnight....the weather has been rainy all day...so the fireworks were few and far between.  What a let down....not one big boom for the stroke of midnight.....what??  Where are those people who would spend $$$$ on the beautiful and loud fireworks?  Maybe the rain and stormy weather got to them....or maybe it was  the 2010 economy.  In any event, we had a quiet ending to the old year.

My prayer is that January 2011 will usher in a stronger economy complete with more jobs, more home sales, more cash flow....etc.  Also, with God's guidance I want to remember and reflect on who and what is most important in my life....to savor the moments and happiness and not take anything or anyone for granted.
This past year was marred by family tragedy and friends who lost loved ones.  Also some of us had health issues to deal with....I don't want to take health for granted anymore.  We need to preserve it....take care of yourself and those close to you.  I love to cook....as you all know by now....but I commit to cutting down on the butter (sorry Paula), the salt and cooking and eating more fiber, fruit and veggies. 

Life is so precious...we should relax, have fun in work and play, appreciate more, laugh more, cry more (and with those that are hurting)  and eat less..    Be vulnerable.  Be spontaneous.  I love the song "It's not the breath you take, the breathing in and out...but the moments that take your breath away"!

 I want more moments like that...or at least I want to be available for them...be aware of them. I want to visit my kids and grandkids when they can't come to visit me...(buying the RV will help with that).  I want to visit family and friends that we rarely see....also spend some time with lonely people who no one visits.

It's now 1:30 AM Jan. 1... an hour and a half has already been taken from 2011....I thank all of those who read my blog.  It's amazing that anyone would be interested....but I know that I love to read about others and their lives...it's a new phenomenon....this blogosphere....I love it...it's therapy for me.

When I'm feeling up, or down, or anxious...I can express through the keys and it makes me feel more at peace.

I wish for you peace....love.....joy and a wonderful, successful, happy New Year!

Christmas Gumbo

We started a tradition in our family many years ago....presents would be open on Christmas Eve after a meal of Chicken & Aundouille Gumbo (aundouille is a German Sausage made in south Louisiana with the best place to buy it being LaPlace, LA where we lived for 20+ years).  LaPlace is the AUNDOUILLE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD....this is even written on the water tower of the town!  The Jacob family has been making it for as long as I can remember and beyond and they have a product that has not been duplicated anywhere else...even here in Acadiana where I live now.   Anyway...I'm sure I'm spelling it incorrectly...it's not a word found in the dictionary and I cannot ever remember how to spell this sausage.

So, every Christmas Eve I would get going with the preparations....making potato salad to go along with it and of course crispy french bread!  We would eat the gumbo...and then in a circle, with gifts given to each child, they would open them one by one in an orderly fashion savoring every exciting anticipated moment!

Advance ahead about 20 years and you will see 3 daughters who have produced 5 children ranging in age from 8 to 2....3 spouses and of course Wayne and I.....the candle-lit Christmas Eve dinners are a thing of yesteryear...and forget any type of orderly opening of the presents!  By the time you get the kids situated around the table...and then you serve yourself and your spouse...the kids are through...or spilling, or trying to get down and run around the tree, etc. etc.   I think you  get the picture.

Well, the gumbo still is good.   I still take out the fine china....the candles are lit...however, Gracie (the 4 year old) cannot stand to see one burning and wants it put out...Hunter (2 years old) wants to chew on them....but with a promise that we will pick up the tradition maybe by the time they are 10 or 12....we do enjoy the gumbo!

I thought I'd give my step-by-step guide to how I make a Southern Creole-type Gumbo in this blog.  By the way, you may have noticed that I use "creole" a lot when describing certain dishes that I prepare....what I mean by that is NOT just a Cajun using cayenne pepper....but a recipe using the "trinity" of seasonings: 

ONIONS      CELERY     BELLPEPPER

Step 1:
Get out the gumbo pot and boil the sausage which has been sliced (this year I had forgotten to purchase my LaPlace Aundouille ahead of time, so I had to use a local smoked sausage....not  as much flavor.

Step 2:

Season (with Tony Chachere's) the chicken and brown in a skillet

I use thighs since my family likes the dark meat

Step 3:

Start your roux which is equal amounts of flour and oil which is browned to a deep caramel color

I do my roux in the microwave...cooking and stirring every 3 minutes, then 2 minutes, then 1 minute then down to 30 sec. between stirring to get it to the right color and NOT burn it





you can see the natural progression of the color

At this point you will throw in a bag of Picksweet frozen seasoning (onions, celery, bellpeppers) and about 3 toes of minced garlic and you will fry it down in the roux mixture until soft.....then it all goes in the gumbo pot

which has the water, sausage and the chicken pieces from the fry pan

Let it come to a boil and then turn down to medium heat and let cook....finally to simmer (covered)...one thing about gumbo..the more it cooks the better the flavors....you will also want to add more cajun seasoning (tony's)...or salt and pepper to taste

You may notice that I don't give measurements except for the roux....this is not a scientific recipe...it's one I watched my Mother do and just tweeked it for my lifestyle....i.e., frozen seasoning and using the microwave to make the roux.  My Mother and Grandmother would chop all of the seasonings and cook that roux in a black iron skillet on the stove!

In a few months from now...I'll share with you my Shrimp and Okra Gumbo.

Before I leave you.....here's some pictures of 2 of our grandchildren playing on Wayne's display in the yard on Christmas Day....

Grace and Hunter who love to follow their paw paw out in the yard and play with the wooden lighted displays!  By the way, our two oldest Grandchildren Julia and Joshua were already in Tampa for Christmas, but they are coming here in 2 weeks for us to celebrate the holiday with them and Julia's 9th birthday celebration....maybe a candle light dinner will be manageable for that dinner.......I'll keep you "posted".

Till tomorrow when I'll share some thoughts on 2010.    See you then!



Rain Is Coming Down

I'm feeling very cozy in my home office room behind the computer and the writing desire is taking over....especially listening to the rain coming down, the flashes of lightening and rounds of thunder...ummm...besides wanting to curl up in bed...the fingers get the itch to type! Thought I'd share the experiences we had on our short RV trip as I stated in my last post.

We were going to Mississippi for Wayne's family reunion and my daughter and two grandchildren were going to come with us. Ah...let's take the Paradise Pointe and try it out by staying in a campground (Percy Quin State Park) which was about 25 miles from the event.

So, loaded up...buckled in Gracie (4 yrs. old) and Asher (2 years old) along with my daughter, their mom, Jena. We pulled off, not knowing how the truck would do, or the trailer, or me...not to mention Wayne driving (and our nurves!)

Well, the truck towed like it was designed to...the trailer followed and we got there 2 l/2 hours later (140 miles) in tact and with enjoyment. The only learning curves were:
1. The hitch is a little hard to unhitch unless the truck is pulled forward a slight little bit to disengage...should not be that way...but it is what it is.
2. Got a very pretty site, however, the sewer connection was further back then normal so we needed the extra hose length Wayne had prepared for...the only problem...forgot the extra fittings..(lesson learned)! We did know not to unhitch until all connections were measured and sure they would fit!

Everything else worked great....had hot water in no time...did find that we had a slight overload with heater and coffee pot going at same time...had two overloads...but quickly learned where the fuse box was!

We did have a little issue with the furnace not working all the time when we wanted it to (temps got down to 30 degrees both nights) however, we had brought an electric blanket and little electric heaters.

The kids really had a great time...inspite of Asher developing a fever and a bad cold...oh well, such is life.

We are looking forward to going back to this park...it's very pretty and has a beautiful lake.

Even though we did not put out our awning for this trip (too cold to stay outside) I'm posting a picture of it...it's brand new a replacement from the RV Dealer when we purchased!

So, we made it back in an uneventful trip...just a few mishaps inside: One glass front to the overhead fell out (did not break) and one cracked. Don't know what could have caused that to happen since nothing was in the cabinet...however, some of the roads in Louisiana are so bumpy maybe that is what caused it. Who knows.

I do know this....loved the experience and can't wait for our next trip!

Speaking of next...I will share some of my Christmas Eve cooking in my next post....till then...listen to that rain... I wonder what that would sound like in the "Pointe"??