Let the good times roll!

Yesterday was our first parade that we rolled in, but we only took the small children's float. We unveil our big float in our local Minden parade and that's not until Feb. 7th. We left at 9 and got back home at 5, so it was a long day, but a fun day. When we got there and started hanging our beads in the float, it was really cold and unconfortable, but by the time we rolled at 1 the sun was out and the weather was perfect. We also discovered a well kept secret in Shreveport, a hole in the wall restaurant called Herby-K's. Best hamburger and REAL onion rings I have eaten in a very long time.

I hate shopping!

Who knew that buying a watch could be so difficult? I guess I am rather picky, but I have three watches and two of them died. I have an expensive Croton brand that I have had 20 years. It's my dressy watch and I haven't even taken it to see how much it would cost to fix it. Another is a Guess moderately expensive watch that I did take to see how much it would cost and it wasn't worth fixing. The cost would have been too much for a 20 year old watch. My other one is a $25 pink watch and it runs fine, but it just doesn't match much. I thought I could find a cheap watch that would fit loosely and had a big face with numbers easy to read! Didn't happen! I finally bought these two at the Fossil Outlet store.

The food gods smiled today!

Yesterday morning, before the monsoons, I went to Mom's and picked collard greens. Today she cooked them, fried cornbread, made sweet potatoes, and I cooked a pork tenderloin to add to the feast. That was soul food at its best. Tonight I found some Zummo's boudain, cooked and packaged back in my old stomping grounds in Texas, and it was awesome. North Louisiana knows nothing about boudain, so to me that was a treasure. Now I am topping it all off with Dreyers vanilla bean ice cream topped with chocolate syrup!

I deserved all that goodness because all the in between time was spent gathering income tax stuff. I had lots of charitable contributions and a really lot of out of pocket medical expenses. I sure hope they help!

It's Mardi Gras time!

Tonight opens the Mardi Gras season and what am I doing? NOTHING! I am just too lazy to go to 12th night which is the official opening....well, after the opening mass they had this morning. Twelfth Night is when all the royalty from all the krewes is introduced. It's Mardi Gras informal attire, which means our decorated tux jackets and blue jeans. It was 82 degrees here today, which just makes me mad! I like cold weather during Mardi Gras season plus it's freakin' January.....it's supposed to be COLD! This is our logo this year. I love it!

I'm so over it!

This is about the extent of my celebration. Many hangovers ago, I quit partying to bring in the new year. I'd rather bring it in sleeping!

My bulleted day!

• Short trip to Shreveport
• Filled tank  for less than $20  :)
• Took 93 more pounds of pecans to be cracked..total of 181 pounds this year
• Got car washed
• Got groceries while in Shreveport
• Had time to eat half my Heavenly Ham sandwich
• Went to get Dad to take him to doctor to remove his stitches
• Took him and Mom to see their daughter-in-law at the hospital
• Took them back home
• Came back to my home and ate the other half of my sandwich
• watched some TV
• Fed my Facebook addiction
• Ate PBJ sandwich (there's a pattern here)
• Now I'm about to crawl up in my bed and watch my DVR programs that I missed today!
• WHEW!

Update...

Sister-in-law is recovering, but is not a happy camper. She still has a tube through her nose going down into her stomach. She thought it would be removed today, but the surgeon says it is still pulling a lot of stuff through that tube. She still has had nothing to eat or drink since Thursday and she is getting hungry. They found a large pocket of infection which involved a tube, an ovary and the appendix. All of them were removed and the whole cavity washed out to get rid of infection. Obviously, this could not be done laporoscopically. She had too much company today and is now suffering from a really sore throat from trying to talk with that tube down her throat. I hope tomorrow is a better day for her. I have to take my dad to get his stitches out where he had his port removed tomorrow. His surgeon is the same as my sister-in-law's.

It's over!

Another Christmas is over. Frankly, I didn't expect my father to be alive at this one. Once again we were at Mom's for lunch with all the same people from last night. I would be glad to do it at my home, but I just don't have room. We are all stuffed and happy and glad it's over. Since my sister-in-law is having surgery tomorrow, I will be focused on her and my brother. She is the only one who knows how to make gluten free meals for him, but I have a pork loin marinating now to cook for him tomorrow. I know he can eat meat and he loves meat. I'll be at the hospital with him tomorrow until we know what they found.

Merry Christmas!

I am already on my second cup of coffee on this Christmas morning. The crossword puzzle, as is my daily first activity, is done, the kitchen is clean, the dishwasher is running and the scalloped potatoes are ready to go in the oven. We had a wonderful Christmas eve, which is when we do our gifting. As always, I am so grateful to still have my parents and that at Christmas they tend to help out my bank account considerably with a donation to my finances.  My brother was thrilled with his because it will pay for his new 4 wheeler which he will be getting as soon as his wife is well. Our friends that we always share Christmas eve with furnished 24 quails for dinner and while my family went to church services, I stayed at Mom's and cooked the quails. We always have Christmas eve at my brother's lake house, but yesterday the plans changed rather quickly. His wife is really sick. In fact, she is scheduled for surgery early tomorrow morning. Seems that she had been in pain for about 6 weeks and the geniuses have finally decided that there is an abscess somewhere in her abdomen...probably on an ovary. They won't really know until they look in there with a scope tomorrow. Anyway, she is on lortab just hoping to not be an emergency before tomorrow. Because of her illness, we moved dinner to Mom's house. I went down to her house yesterday morning and got everything cleaned up and ready so that she didn't have to do anything, but cook some beans. I cleaned everything up last night to prepare to go back there today for her chicken and dressing, which she has already made. It just has to be cooked. I'm trying to make it as easy for her as I can. She is just not able to do much, but she will die trying.

I'm jus' sayin'

Why must you bring your whole damn family with you to Wal-Mart and talk to rest of the hood on the phone while you are supposed to be shopping? Why? Why? Why?

 

Of course, my sanity could be questioned for going there today, but I love my mama and she needed some stuff! She has no clue how bad I hate going there any day, but most especially THIS day. Ok....it's done and I'm not going back! Merry Christmas! I'll get over it. but I'm traumatized!

No Scrooge here!

Our Mardi Gras krewe is called the Krewe des Ambassadeurs and as the name indicates, we try to be good ambassadors in our community. Our main project is the local homeless shelter, which right now houses two families that include 4 children. The email went out last night that the person from the krewe who makes this her project needed money. She is trying to get something for everyone there and provide a nice meal. I bought a nice spiral ham and took her a check. To me, this is what Christmas is all about...helping others. I would much rather buy for them than my family and friends, who don't need anything. I also think my family and friends would agree with me. We also have a youth ranch here for boys who don't have a home. Another of our krewe members was heading up the drive to buy some clothes and shoes for each of these kids. He needed $10,000. I don't know if he got it all. I donated enough to buy for one boy all the things they hoped to give them. When I went to give my check to the homeless shelter chairperson, the other chairperson was in there donating as well. This is a very giving community.

I'm an Anti-government gunslinger!

My Conservative Identity:

You are an Anti-government Gunslinger, also known as a libertarian conservative. You believe in smaller government, states’ rights, gun rights, and that, as Reagan once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

Take the quiz at http://www.fightliberals.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Conservative-Are-You.html

Yep..this pretty much nails it!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow is only a day away!

The weather turned really cold here today and is not supposed to rise out of the 30's tomorrow, so I guess it will be a day of candy making. I need to make some more for gifts because I keep taking it to my dad and not putting it aside for gifts. There is even a possiblility of sleet.

 

 

Let the good times roll!

Aaron Neville show was awesome. It was just him and his brothers (band) just picking and grinning. His voice is so unique and he could really pay tribute to Jesus Christ's birth in his Christmas songs. He was not shy about his faith and ended his show with "Amazing Grace"....well, almost...the final, finale was "Goodnight, Sweetheart".

 

It took all the damn day for Dad to get his port out and apparently the muscles that help him urinate were slow to wake. He could not use the bathroom until this morning. I went to see about him this morning and he was fine....no hurting at all. He's going out to eat fish and see his waitress girlfriend tonight.

 

I'm off to another party tonight...the last one, I think, except all the family festivities next week...that's 3 more.

Dad update...

My sister-in-law took Dad to the surgeon who inserted his port for his chemo. Tomorrow he will go in the hospital for an outpatient procedure to remove it. That makes him happy. Because he is so thin and bony, the port sticks out and everything rubs it, which is why it is infected now. We haven't been to our favorite catfish restaurant in at least a month, so If he feels ok, tomorrow night will be the night for that. I can't go because I am just a social butterfly. Some of us are going to the Aaron Neville Christmas show tomorrow night and to dinner. Saturday I will be going to an open house Christmas party at another friend's house. My, my,my.....such a busy social calendar!!!:) Personally, I could keep my butt at home in the recliner and be perfectly happy!

Just because I like the graphic!

Merry Christmas to all!

I have spent the morning once again making candy for gifts to neighbors and friends. Yet another batch of pralines and fudge, but neither of them came out as good as they should have. Texture is not right on either of them. CRAP!

It's going to be a great Christmas!

Yesterday I took Dad to the oncologist after a couple of months rest. He had a chest x-ray and the doc couldn't find anything right now to be concerned about. There are still some slight shadows, but nothing like it was before treatment. His port is infected, so we are hoping to get it out on Thursday. I'm not sure the surgeon will remove it as long as the infection is there. Seems to me the chances of infection getting in the blood stream would be too great.

 

Mom, on the other hand, after going with us to Dad's oncologist in the morning had to go to her doctor because her foot was hurting so badly. She thought maybe it was gout, but the doc said it wasn't. She has an infection, which is really not good for a diabetic to have on her foot. I got meds for both of them and took the meds to them yesterday. Today, hers is much better, but his is not.

 

The temp has not risen above 35 today, so I have been hunkered down by the fireplace and making candy again. I had gumbo at a friend's house today, but after that, my butt was back home keeping warm!

Last poopie day!

Today was my last day to clean up pens and feed poopies. They are so cute, but I sure wouldn't want one. I'm just not a dog person. I stink when I get back from handling poopies and always must take a shower as soon as I get home. I also don't like washing out poopie pens. YUCKEEEEE! Bro will be home tomorrow! Yay!

I love it!

Click on it to enlarge and read the small print.