This blog is meant to be a documentation of our journey into the world of retirement. I know the title should be "Older, but wiser". However, I really didn't know if that would be accurate. The "Older, but better...?" title could also be misleading. The 5 cats in the above pics are: Molly, Rose, Tux, Julie, and Ghost. (I have tried to make this collage smaller, but with no luck...)
As most of you know from my blogs, we're very fond of cats here... especially black cats... especiallythis little black cat! (our youngest grand daughter)
She is also very fond of cats herself as you can see from this video:
And her mom said that she insisted her toenails be painted for Halloween too! (I am glad that she painted them pink and not black...)
such tiny precious toes...
As Halloween gets closer, I'm getting ready to bake my Pumpkin Custard Pie. DH has been wanting pie ever since we started this SB diet. It's gone rather well... although with 2 birthdays and Halloween, it has had it's setbacks. But I will make the pie tomorrow as it is tradition here at our house.
And our oldest son just spent a few days down in New Orleans for his birthday. They should be back any day now and I'm anxious to hear of their adventure. I hinted at some of my favorite haunts when I'm there (but it's my home-town so I look at it differently). I recommended Cafe Du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait, Tujaques for po-boys, Central Grocery for Italian seed cookies as well as mufalattas and stuffed artichokes, Jackson Square and the Cathedral, walking along the Mississippi river, the Aquarium, Aunt Sally's, Court of Two Sisters, Pat O'Brien's and Preservation Hall. These should keep them busy in the French Quarter for a few days.
beignets and cafe au lait
Italian sesame seed cookies
* I enlarged my font here also. Do you think it's too big? I can make it back to normal which is this size... what do you think? *
Also our neighborhood has had a rash of *solicitors* (some of whom haven't been very polite) lately. DH and I do not open our front door unless we know the person standing there. We have a camera out front. But listening to some of our neighbors texts lately, we decided to put out a "no soliciting" sign. There are quite a few of them on Etsy, but we chose one that mentioned "to smile at the camera". Once it arrives, I will post a picture of the one we chose. And lastly I saw this recently on Pinterest and had a good laugh! This hasn't happened to our black feral mamas yet... that I know of anyway.
Just returned from a week back home in Louisiana. Spent part of it with my cousin in New Orleans and part with my other cousin who lives on the coast in Mississippi. We planned to spend it all together, but first cousin came down with a miserable cold and wasn't feeling well... so she didn't go to the coast with us. But luckily, she was much better by the end of the week and we all got together Friday and Saturday.
But Cousin D and I went to Ocean Springs to walk and shop, then drove along the coast through Bay St Louis, Waveland, Gulfport, and Biloxi. I got to put my bare feet in the sand (miss that) and walk along the water (lots of live conchs and hermit crabs). We picked up shells and I simply reveled in the smell of the salt air and the feel of the sand and water between my toes.
When we were young, we spent many a summer at our Cousin R's place in Waveland; swimming in the Gulf, playing in the sand, running along the pier. There was a Dairy Queen (or Dairy something) in the little downtown section (long gone since Katrina) that had *the best* ever Chocolate Malts! And a combination gift/bait shop that had an alligator pit that we all loved. There were 4 of us (3 girls and 1 boy cousin) and those summers were very memorable. It was a small house (but big lot full of pine trees) with only 2 bedrooms (which the adults used). The kids slept on cots on a screen porch. We loved it! (You could smell the pine in the air) We would spend the days swimming, chasing each other with the hose, and having watermelon fights.
Gil, Darnell, and I in Waveland, Mississippi
The house is gone now... but the land is still there. While we drove, D and I traced our old route from the house to the water - remembering landmarks along the way. At the end of the week we all met for dinner at a local Seafood Restaurant and then to B's house in New Orleans to reminisce some more. And the next morning before I left we did the same with more family members. And luckily (although it was the 9th Anniversary of Katrina) the weather was fine the whole visit except for a bit of a downpour (B and I got soaked loading the car) when leaving to catch my flight back.
All in all it was a good trip. And I truly enjoyed being with my cousins again. We may all be *old* now, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy the camaraderie we once shared. And I really appreciate all the effort and thought they put into making my visit such an enjoyable one. Next year we may do it again... possibly in Dallas!
In the next picture taken this past Friday evening, Gil is in the front and Darnell and I are sitting together in the back. My cousin Barb is taking the pic.. and while she was there in Waveland with us many a time, her dad was in the army and they traveled a lot. The blonde in pink on the right is Gil's wife, Sharon, and the dark haired young lady is my cousin Barb's daughter, Alicia,... and then there's Kenny, her husband and Braden, their little boy sitting across from each other.
And this next pic is Titan, my cousin in Mississippi's little Yorkie. Isn't he adorable? He really isn't blue. For whatever reason the darker grey around his neck looks blue... (it was taken with my iPhone).
Now... on to other things. I'm back in Dallas. Classes have started. I missed the first week due to my N.O. visit, but went to the studio yesterday. Since our Instructor was busy with the Ceramics 1 class... they had projects done last week to critique, I just pulled out my Cinco Blanco clay and started throwing. Made 2 semi-large bowls and 2 smaller ones, 2 soap dishes, and one small clay box (out of leftover clay). By the time she came over to speak to me about our projects and syllabus, it was halfway through the session (which was fine as I was busy).
But after she explained what the projects are this semester... *Asian armour* to be reproduced in clay as well as researched.... I had pretty much decided that I wouldn't participate this time. I'm not doing this for the credit, don't need the Art research, and not doing it just to keep busy. I really want to throw on the pottery wheel. Some of our previous projects could be done on the wheel (the sets of dishes, mugs, etc.) but not all (the animal busts, chess set, etc.). However, the latter at least could be considered *usable* or functional to a point. I just don't want to spend all my time (and clay) on something like Asian armour...
Went walking around my house looking for something that might seem like a St. Patrick's Day photo. Found a few "Irish" looking things...
Our family name is "O'Regan/Regan". Yes, we are Irish Catholic. The basic story is that my great grandfather was from Ireland and moved his family to England at some point where my grandfather (William Edward Regan) grew up and married an English lady (my grandmother, Eleanor Fredericka King). Grandpa William moved his wife and children to the US around 1918. His brother Richard moved his family to Canada. The name on the Ellis Island Ship records is "Regan", but my dad later re-took "O'Regan" when he became a US citizen. So (long story short...) my maiden name is "O'Regan". I've tried to use Ancestry.com and can follow the family line pretty well back into England, but haven't had much luck getting info from Ireland...
My dad met my mom in New Orleans. She was 19 and he was 27. My mom's parents (Pe'pe're and Me'mere') spoke mostly French in the house in New Orleans and seemed to like this Irish/Englishman (my dad). Mom thought him too old for her at first... but he eventually won her over. They were married for 47 years when my dad passed at 75. When mom turned 80, she moved in with us here in Texas. DH and I have never lived in Louisiana after graduating from college, so it was nice having her to ourselves. She passed at 94.
I'm not sure why I wrote all this. It was just supposed to be a few pictures for St. Patrick's day...
And truth be told, except for Pe'pe're (who died when I was about 8), I never knew my other grandparents. Pe'pe're was the sweetest gentlest man I ever knew. He reminded me of Maurice Chevalier (most of you may be too young to remember him - did you see the movie, "Gigi"? ) And my Grandpa William... oh, the stories I've heard. He did a little of everything in his life, from fighting in the Boer's War, mining for gold, Captain of a gunboat on the Persian Gulf, etc. I think he would have been fun to listen to.
But I digress. I really just wanted to say Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone!
Since I'm stuck with using old blogger photos at the moment, I might as well use this one and say that it was taken 45 years ago this month. We were both 22 and just out of college. Truth be known, I had just graduated, but DH had another semester to go since his was a 5 year curriculum.
Mom planned the wedding. I was in exams. It was beautiful and memorable, etc., but had it been me doing the planning, it would have been a quiet ceremony with just family and a few friends. But that's my style... not my mom's. And it was fun (after a glass or two of champagne - I'm NOT a drinker, it was even more fun).
We were married in downtown New Orleans and stayed at one of the hotels in the French Quarter for a few days. We went to see 'Camelot' (the old musical with Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave). To this day I LOVE that movie. We saw it in the old Sanger Orleans theater on Canal St. (which is gone now... as well as most of the stores, etc. from that era).
Now 45 years, 3 children and 4 grandchildren down the road, I have to say that it hasn't all been fun, but it's been worth it... and I'd do it again in a minute. Recently I heard someone say that they were divorced because their marriage didn't turn out the way they had imagined. I remember thinking, "Really? and how many of them do?" But I personally think that sometimes if you ride out the bumps along the way, the new adventure turns out even better than you imagined. But that's a personal opinion and I didn't express it verbally.
Anyway, as we enter our retirement years, it's hard to believe that time has flown by so fast. And it frightens me to think that we might not always have each other. Maybe I think of this because my mom outlived my dad by 26 years. And I lost a good friend recently that outlived her husband by 20... and until she died, she would still tear up whenever she spoke of him. But this is life. We have to be strong, yes? And besides, my plan is to go first... selfish as it may be.
Ever since I started this blog, I've been meaning to do 'something' to remember where the 'bloggers I read' live. Some are easy to remember by the pictures of the area they post. Others are generic or (like myself) change their pictures from day to day. In the beginning when I read just a few, it was easy... but now since I've increased the number (and decreased my brain cells), I'm finding it more difficult. I'll be reading a site and then have to surf over to their 'profile' to check out their home base. Anyway, now I've started a list that immediately shows me who is from where. Archaic, but hey, it works for me.
The picture at the top is one that my son sent me when he was in West Texas doing some amphibian research for the Dallas Zoo. I figure it might help people remember that WE LIVE IN TEXAS.
I know that I post a lot of pictures of New Orleans because that is where DH and I were born and raised (and our family is still there), but we've lived in Texas since 1971 and raised our kids here. That should qualify us for honorary Texas residents, don't you think? (BTW, my oldest son was born in New Orleans, daughter in Florida, and youngest son in Texas - we stopped moving after that...)
This is my cousin's house in New Orleans. I know that I just showed this in my previous post, but her old one was destroyed by Katrina and it took 5 years to get this one built. As you can see, the living area is on the 2nd floor. Having just spoken to her on her cell today, she said that the electricity was off and the streets were flooded, but apparently the levees were holding. So she was fine. And that she was definitely going to look into getting herself a generator so she will be even better prepared next time.
One cousin evacuated to Baton Rouge, another stayed in his house in Kenner. Haven't been able to reach a few, but I believe that they are all fine. From the pictures on TV and from what people there have told me, there are some badly flooded areas, but not near the catastrophe Katrina caused with the broken levees and pumps.
The way the storm came in and the fact that it was so 'slow' moving (maybe 5 - 6 mph) has caused some unexpected problems. The flooding is almost always expected, but apparently Plaquemines Parish and the West Bank got more than their share. Plaquemines Parish is the 'toe' of the boot (Louisiana) that sits out in the Gulf. But we must remember that back in 2005 when Katrina came in (and left), we thought at first that all was well... until the levees burst. So it wouldn't do to be too confident yet. Once Isaac moves on (hopefully soon), we'll have a more realistic view.
And from what we see on TV, Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Waveland, and Biloxi got hit hard again. These are areas where we spent our childhood summers. In fact, we reminisced about them just this past Friday when we were all together at the house in this picture. We could walk from my cousin's house to the beach. I loved the long piers out over the water... and once sat on one and watched a storm come in. It was a strange 'out of this world' feeling as the blackness neared that tended to put all your life into prospective. On TV tonight the main road, Hwy 90, running through Waveland was closed. It looked like a raging river. My family told me that many of the huge old homes that used to be across from the beach there on 90 were not rebuilt after Katrina (who can blame them?). They said some were, but there were still a lot of empty lots.
Other views of City Park in N.O.
Can you see the ducks?
Well, life changes... and so does the climate. We're now seeing hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, and global warming. Guess we need to 'be prepared'... and maybe pray?
Sorry I haven't posted (or commented on your post) in about a week. Just returned from a week in New Orleans visiting relatives and 'old haunts'. It was wonderful. I got my cafe aulait and beignet 'fix', as well as a great soft shell crab po-boy, red beans and rice, and a wonderful pecan praline style catfish plate!
Friends and family took us down to the 9th ward (3rd time since Katrina) where we got to see what was being done. There is still a lot of empty lots as well as boarded up houses that were abandoned, but there is a lot of new construction also. We saw where Brad Pit is building houses (strange looking housing - but housing!), and saw the Music Village where they are building homes for musicians encouraging them to move back to N.O (these I liked and are in keeping with the style of the area).
They also took us to the Lakefront and Lakeview area where my family's house used to be. That house (that my dad built) is gone and still remains an empty lot. But the area has been cleaned up and new houses are everywhere.
One of the levees that broke is within walking distance of my cousin's house in Lakeview. Her house needed to be demolished and everything was lost. It took her these last 7 years to get her house rebuilt and built to the 'new standards'. The living area is all on the 2nd floor... so if 10 feet of water come in again, it should be safe...? (With Isaac threatening any day, we may test this theory)
This is my old high school (St. Mary's Dominican) on St. Charles Ave. which used to be in combination with Dominican College, but is now owned by Loyola University. St. Charles Ave. was not hit too badly with Katrina and things looked pretty much the same along the old street car lines. This area is beautiful and the trees lining the streets remain.
All in all, New Orleans looks good. It's been cleaned up since Katrina and in my opinion, is 'on its way back' (if Isaac doesn't cause havoc). At one time I was not inclined to believe this could happen (the devastation was so vast).
Another favorite place of mine is City Park. I love City Park. It is a huge park with huge old oak trees and lagoons, ducks, etc. - and it had fallen into somewhat negligence and disrepair before Katrina. I didn't see it immediately after, but was told that it was a mess. We visited this past week and it had been cleaned up and fixed up and it was just beautiful.
I guess this is my post for today. Please pray that Isaac doesn't cause too much trouble. As strong as it is, this city and its people don't need another set-back. I know they are 'prepared'... as much as you can be... and I know (from personal hear-say) that many will not leave.
Now I'm going to spend the rest of my morning reading 'your posts' (the ones I missed while gone). It will keep me from worrying about family at home.
I see shade trees, small neatly kept houses, broken banquettes (this was what we call sidewalks), and a short winding street. I feel comfortable, very much at home. I like this neighborhood. People are friendly, no one is afraid. My house is next to the corner grocery. We're lucky. Mr. Sam, who is the Grocer, is our friend. He saves me little loaves of bread which he gives out as lagniappe. Lagniappe is "a little something extra", and is standard in New Orleans. Sometimes when I'm in the store, I eat a small red potato right out of the vegetable bin. Mr. Sam doesn't mind, and it smells and tastes fresh and musty..
I also visit in the back of the store where the Grocer and his son and daughter-in-law live with their two children. They have a kitchen, a living room, a dining area, and an upstairs where there are a few bedrooms. They also have a backyard adjoining ours.
Our house has a small wrought iron porch in front. From there you enter through a living room, and then a dining room, where there is a floor heater. I can feel it's warmth, and can smell the combination of gas and hot metal. It feels good. I like to dress over the floor heater and feel the warm air on my skin.
I can also smell cigars and taste fried chicken. It's a Sunday, and daddy is home, smoking his cigar and reading the paper while mama cooks. I feel secure and loved.
The kitchen is right after the dining room, and the den is behind that. The den runs the width of the house across the back. Daddy had it built on after he and Mama moved here. On the right side there are 3 bedrooms separated by one bathroom with a gas wall heater. My brother has the room next to the den for himself, and my older sister and I share the next room. We have a set of twin beds with Wagon wheel headboards. In the hall outside the bathroom is a table with a small round black metal phone.
Outside my parent's bedroom, which is the one in the front of the house, is a window box filled with succulents - some sort of cactus. I can see them clearly, and remember the feel of their soft fur-like leaves, that if broken open, have a strange fluid inside.
We have a car and a T.V. The year is 1950, and I'm 5.
I don't have to take naps anymore, but I never really minded them. In the summer when it's really hot and humid outside (and we don't have an air-conditioner, but we do have an attic fan), striping down to your undies and laying on clean sheets with one of those humming black metal fans cooling you is not exactly unpleasant.
Down the block is a China-berry tree. My friends and I pick the berries and throw them at each other. My best friend lives across the street. Her parents are not as nice as mine. They yell at her and make her eat when she doesn't want to. Sometimes she throws up.
I have another friend who lives on the opposite corner. She has 8 in her family. She and her twin brother are the youngest. She's very nice. So is her mama. We don't see her daddy much, and her older sister is mean, but I like to play at her house. It's very old, and very big; and her mama makes candy by boiling sugar. They have a great beast of a dog, tall and brown and hairy.
There's a drug-store about a block down from my friend's house. My friend and I go there. Sometimes they hold Yo-Yo contests outside on the street. Older kids hang out inside, so Mama doesn't like us to go .
There's a Taffy Wagon that comes down our street. It is white with red trim, with windows all around so you can see all the strings of taffy hanging inside. You can also see the man pulling the pink taffy and wrapping it in wax paper. The wagon is pulled by a large horse with a hat on with holes cut out for his ears. I think the taffy is 5 cents.
Sometimes I play in our backyard on an old wheelbarrel turned upside down. The tire is my steering wheel and that wheelbarrel becomes my own private plane. Other times I cut out paperdolls from old Sears catalogs or play with plastic cowboys and Indians - the kind that had bowlegs that fit on the horses. When it rains the gravel and puddles become boulders and streams! I have a doll called "Tiny Tears". This is my favorite - although my brother takes it's arms and legs off on occasion. However, lucky for me (and Tiny Tears), they can be popped right back on!
My life is getting ready to change. School beacons. And even though the thought of going to school is exciting, something inside me doesn't want to go. I'm afraid, but don't know why.
Perhaps even at this tender age of 5, I fear the inevitable loss of my "freedom".
This is one of my favorite photos. For some reason it just reminds me of 'summer days'. I believe it was actually taken about 3 years ago when my son-in-law took us all cat fishing. The kids (and I) had such a good time... even though the weather was scalding hot.
Years and years and years ago my dad (now deceased) took his grand kids fishing. I used to have a photo of that... probably still do... somewhere.
We lived in New Orleans and Dad and his brother had built a small one room fishing camp on Grand Isle. Hurricanes knocked it down several times and they always rebuilt it. The last time it happened, Dad was getting older, and they didn't rebuild. But I always remember going there with him. He didn't take me often because it was mostly men friends who used it and it consisted of one room, 3 bunk beds, a sink, and a hot plate. I was a little girl (albeit a tomboy). There was no bathroom facility (but there was a pier and a bayou). Generally he would take my brother, Billy (don't even think he cared about going). But I loved the fishing, the boat, and the camp! As a kid, I didn't even mind that mosquitoes covered us as we walked through the swamp. Memories....
Sitting here drinking my sweet tea... neighborhood parade just went by... and parade music is still ringing in my ears. Everyone has their flags out. This picture is an old one from a previous 4th. We no longer have that flag pole. It was taken down and never replaced when we had the wood painted. But we did have 2 smaller flags out. Guess we need to get around to replacing that pole.
Parade music reminds me of Mardi Gras at home (in New Orleans). I was never a big fan of the parades, but loved the music. It made you feel happy... and carefree. Unfortunately I've never liked crowds... and believe me, it gets crowded !
If I had to think of what I miss most not living at home (besides family, I mean), it would be the food. I do love red beans and rice, po-boys, gumbo, and good seafood... like fried catfish and boiled crabs (I especially love soft shell crabs). But we try to get our 'fix' when we go down for a visit.
It should be a quiet day. We don't have anything planned. The kids may come over, but may not. We never know. I plan to bake a chocolate pie later this afternoon... just in case. Besides, DH and I love dark chocolate cream pie!
Oh, just a tidbit of info here: Grand daughter called this morning at 7 am (we were still asleep) to tell us the exciting news... the box turtle we gave her a few weeks ago just laid eggs in its pen! So hopefully (with a lot of luck and nothing weird happening) we'll have baby turtles in about 50 weeks (I think?).
