Weekend

It was a busy and fun weekend.  I went to Sit and Sew on Friday night and started making Brady's Easter outfit.  Saturday morning I went with Amy and the Boyz to the Botanical Gardens for Hikes with Tykes.  Eamon wasn't very interested in the guided tour and all the talk about early signs of spring, so we conducted our own tour, with Eamon as our guide.  He loves to fun free.  His favorite thing there were the big fish in the Japanese garden.  After our hike, we asked Eamon what he wanted for lunch and it was french fries and ketchup.  Of course, we knew it would either be french fries, pizza or quesadilla, his three favorite foods.  We ended up at Purple Onion and got a table outside on the patio and all enjoyed our food.  Brady was very happy and content all morning, as he always is. 

After my busy morning, I went home and took a nap.  Saturday evening, I picked up my friend, Pat and we went to LaVoy's for dinner and the to see a play called Bubba's Revenge.  It was a comedy with lots of country music in it. My favorite tune was 'You're the Reason Our Kids are Ugly'.  After the play we ran into Amy's friend, Kristi and her date who has also been at the play. 

Sunday morning I skipped church and stayed home to cook brunch for the family.  I fixed Monkey Bread, Eggs Florentine casserole, some other egg casserole and cheese grits.  Everyone but me seemed to enjoy the food.  The Monkey Bread had not baked long enough and was a little chewy.  There was sausage in both the casseroles, which I don't like but fixed them because I thought everyone else did.  I've decided that this is my last attempt at brunch, next time I'll do lunch instead.  I think I'm better at that.

I took a long nap after everyone left and then woke up and read a bit.  I've discovered and author that I've never read before, Catherine Coulter.  She writes FBI thrillers and I'm hooked.  I read three last week and started a fourth over the weekend. 

Lee and I went to see True Grit last night.  A good movie, but a little too gorey for me. 

Back at work today. Bad weather in the forecast, wating for the tornado sirens to blow. 

Eamon's Third Birthday Party

Eamon's third birthday party was at Gymboree and lots of his little friends (and some older friends) came to play.

Tracy, Jennie and Ashley

Emily and Kim

Eamon under the parachute

Grandma and Pat holding the parachute

Kathleen and Emily

Sadie and Pat

 

After Eamon blew out his candles he decided he only way to eat his cupcake was to dive right in.

Sewing Fun

Here are some little pants I made for a little girl named Sadie for her birthday.  Aren't they fun?

 

Winter Storm??

We were supposed to have a serious winter storm here this weekend, but it didn't turn out to be such a big deal afterall.  I came down to Amy's yesterday afternoon to weather out the ice and snow for a couple of reasons, first because Ed was at the fire station and Eamon was running a temp and I didn't want her stuck her alone, second because she doesn't usually lose power (selfish, I know).  Ed was able to get home this morning, but officials are asking people to stay off the streets unless they really need to go somewhere, so I'm going to stay here one more night.  I'm sure I can get out of this neighborhood, but I'm afraid to drive over the bridges and also afraid of driving on the hills in my neighborhood.  Hopefully, tomorrow morning things will begin to thaw out and I can get home, get ready for work and then get there.

Visiting New Orleans

Visiting New Orlenas sounds like it should be a fun time, but as the years pass, it's not so much fun anymore.  Visits back now entail visiting the sick. My brother, Newell, who has lymphoma and was receiving chemo recently accidentally set himself on fire and is having a hard time recovering.  The chemo was taking it's toll and the burns just added to the misery.  He is pretty much disabled and it was hard for me to see him like that.  He has aged so much since I saw him in May.  One encouraging thing is that he doesn't feel sorry for himself and is not wallowing in self-pity.  He's pretty much a person who takes things as they come. 

I took a bunch of pictures of abandoned houses and empty lots.  The abandoned houses tug at my heart, I guess the word 'abandoned' says it all.  I feel so bad for those who have come back, remodeled or rebuilt to have to live next door to an empty house with it's doors and windows gaping open.  No sign of life, no sign of hope.  How can they cope with seeing that day after day.  Maybe you just learn to ignore it after a while.  Although, one person I spoke with whose street has only a handful of rebuilds and mostly empty lots and empty homes, spoke of the dismay of his neighborhood not coming back. He's back home, but not really. 

At least one family member has lived to regret rebuilding in the old neighborhood because of the crime level.  It was bad before the storm, it's bad now.  The storm washed away a lot of things, but not the criminals. Maybe these are new ones, who knows.  Cars are stolen, shots are fired, police cars with spotlights shining search for culprits....everyday.  I sat in the living room on the sofa with my back to the window expecting to feel a bullet pierce my skull at any minute.  And, I can't tell you the angst I felt knowing my cute, shiny red car was sitting outside, unprotected. 

My brother, Newell.  I can only see a glimpse of the man I once knew.

My nephew's new home built where is old home used to be.

Two empty lots and an abandoned house on one side of my nephew's house.

On the other side an empty lot and a house that someone is still restoring.  While I was there he spent most of the day cutting his grass and edging his lawn.  He lives in a trailer in the driveway on the other side of his house.

Another view from the side of my nephew's house.

A random abandoned house.

Looks like someone might have been doing some work on the house on the left, but no one was there when I passed by.

Note the writing on the bricks that was put there by the searches right after Katrina.  I can't remember what the codes meant, but one stood for a body count, I beleive.

More desolation. 

I did manage to get one delicious oyster poboy and some king cake while there, both comfort foods to me.  However, I was so glad to be back on the road to my home, my loving family.  I am so blessed by all that I have. 

Jenni and our littlest elf

Christmas 2010 still more

I was soooo sick on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but we all had a good time anyway. 

I managed to put up the Victoria Station from my Dicken's Vilage.

Eamon making cookies.

Nick and Jenni.