Grand Slam!

This is day two of our abbreviated time with the grandkids. We have a sports complex behind our house, so when Double D walks the dog back there, he picks up baseballs that have been left behind. I've told him for 18 months that he should just leave them there, but he insisted he was saving them for when the grandkids come to visit. Finally, he got that chance to play baseball with them, and I must say, even though our time in the French Quarter was amazing (well, mostly), our time in the park was pretty special. And everybody hit a home run!

Grand Time!

The weekend of October 4, we were so pleased to have two of Double D's children and three grandchildren come visit us for the first time since we moved to Baton Rouge. They're my kids, too, but my children have all visited, and I didn't want to confuse anyone.

Given some choices on what they wanted to do, the French Quarter won out unanimously. Although the day involved a trip to the hospital and a fender bender (unrelated events), overall it was a fantastic day. Since Hurricane Karen was threatening, I left Bertha at home; therefore, all the below shots were taken with the phone.

The famous Pat O'Brien's

Despite the possibility of a real hurricane, the girls jumped right in
and had their own. Those things are too strong for me!

Double D photobombed this shot and I didn't even notice until
I pulled it up on the computer. What the what is he doing back there! lol

Courtney (left) has lost 110 lbs and Lindsay has also lost a lot of weight doing
Beach Body. They look great! Such sweet and beautiful girls.

Shortly after Cami had her portrait done (a special treat for doing so well in school), Courtney
started vomiting and experiencing severe chest pains.
On the corner of Chartres and Bienville Sts. I called 911 and the medics arrived promptly.
We all have our own theories as to what occurred, but the diagnosis at Tulane
Medical Center was an anxiety attack. Hard to believe since we were having so much fun.
Thank God she's okay.

At the end of the evening, finally home, Seth talked Sparky into a game of Go Fish.
We later found Sparky under the bed protecting a Jack of Hearts, growling at anyone who tried to take it.

Double D's ex-wife and her husband generously let us use their enormous luxury van to travel in. Double D was doing a good job of getting us places in his patient, steady manner. After we picked up Courtney from the hospital, we needed gas, so we pulled into a station where we were quickly boxed in by three other cars; one in front, one in back and one on the side. Trying his best to maneuver us out in reverse, he scraped the front fender of the car behind us. The man was really upset at first, but Double D has such a calm nature that the man eventually told us to go and not worry about it. "I'm a nice guy", he said loudly in his N'awlins accent. I should say! That was a pretty long scrape on his bumper. And I felt terrible that now both sides of the van's bumper have matching boo-boos. Sorry guys!!!!!

We crammed a lot into two days, but it was worth it. I think the kids enjoyed Louisiana and will be back for more.

My Beautiful Autumn

We had so much fun visiting with my daughter and her boyfriend. We picked them up at New Orleans International Airport, hit the French Quarter immediately after, and never stopped to take a breath. Loved every single minute! No, cherished. Okay, loved and cherished. Since they left, I've been hitting the stores trying to get ready for my trip to Dallas tomorrow. I really wanted see our other kids and grandkids before Christmas and hand deliver their goodies. Whew doggies, I am one tired mama.

At Pat O'Briens (iPhone shot)
I love this girl. She is so much like my mother: gracious, kind and loving.

On the river, New Orleans (iPhone)
Jason is a sweetheart and takes very good care of my girl.

My daughter and our precious little cousin, Brody (iPhone)

Jason & Autumn on top the levee, across the street from my grandparents' property.
She used to always tease me for buying wedge heels and look what she's wearing! Haha
Sunshine, Louisiana

My dad, Autumn & Jason
Magnolia, MS

Planning to make blog rounds tonight after dinner. I've missed everyone!

Me and my iPhone

The following photos were taken with my iPhone. I'm finally starting to get back into photography now that things are settling down a bit, and it took the iPhone to whet my appetite.

Double D 3 days before his heart procedure, relaxing on the patio. Izzy's tongue is ready to have whatever he's having, though it looks like she's too late.

Izzy being cute

With my long-lost high school bestie at a local Mexican restaurant after two margaritas that I was coerced into. Sadly, I can still succumb to peer pressure at my age. :/

My cousin invited us to his home for a crawfish boil--my first one in years. Double D's first ever.

Our hands smelled like crab boil for two days, but it was well worth it.
Oh, TIP: Do not rub your eyes after peeling these things. Burn city, man!

Our new address stamp - aged effect added, and information cut off for obvious reasons. :)

Chance and Sparky bird watching with me in the back yard.
Well, Chance is bird watching. Sparky is soaking up the sun.

Satsumas!! The lady who lived here before me planted 3 satsuma trees.
In fact, many of the plantings in the yard are in threes - my favorite number.
I'm so stoked to eat fresh fruit from my own frickin' yard!

Not the greatest photo, but wanted to show you my favorite place to relax. We got these chairs at Home Depot (Martha Stewart collection) and they are so comfy and big enough to curl up in. 

Cathedral of St. Joseph, where we have attended church the last three Sundays. It was built in 1853 in a faux gothic style. It is incredibly beautiful inside and out. 

I lose all self-control when these are within grasp. My mouth is watering just looking at this picture. I can never buy these again. Please stop me if you see me reaching for them in the grocery aisle. Thank you!

Out shopping the other day I found this cool bench. Too bad I have nowhere to put it. Although I'm still trying to figure out a way to give it a home. My home.

Boating on the Tickfaw River with my aunt and uncle. More on that later.

This mysterious object appeared three nights in a row under our patio eave. It was kinda freaking me out because there was a dirt dobber nest underneath so it made me wonder if some alien thing resided inside, emerging after dark. Finally, last night I saw the head. My camera flashed and "whoosh", he flew off. It was a Carolina Wren! I have no idea what possessed him to perch there, but it was a pretty exciting few nights trying to figure it out.

We're easily amused, what can I say?

Submitted to Rural Thursday

Memory Lane

When Steve Jobs passed away last week I began thinking about my introduction to computers Way Back When. My first office job was in 1979 working for a small, family-owned plastics plant. My aunt worked in the Accounts Payable department and recommended me for a data entry position. 

The behemoth below is similar to what I entered data into. Back in those days computers had to be housed in a cold room; so cold that I needed a sweater in the middle of summer. I loved that! And instead of an ENTER key there was an OCK key. To this very day whenever I press ENTER on a keyboard, I oftentimes think OCK instead.

If I ever develop Alzheimer's and ask where the OCK key is, you'll know why.

I was fresh out of high school and still very immature. Several times my aunt was forced to leave her work space to come lecture me on office etiquette and using a quiet "office" voice. In those days I was a free spirit with my whole life ahead of me and not a care in the world. My objectives back then were having a good time and resist conforming to "the establishment". In my defense, this inappropriate eye chart which hung on the main wall of my department doesn't exactly scream puritan values. Actually, it encouraged a pro-sexual harassment environment which is a big no-no today.

I can't believe I was able to find the same exact chart on Google images!

So dedicated was I to this job, that I worked a few hours the day I got married.Not really. My boss offered to take photos of me in my wedding dress (actually my aunt's dress) for the local paper one Saturday afternoon. Afterwards, we decided to take some photos of me "working". He wanted to trick everyone into thinking that he was such a slave-driver that I was forced to work on my wedding day. No one, except a couple of clueless souls, believed him. Two years later he was fired. His replacement kept me late one evening, and as he helped me into my car, bent down to kiss me through the driver's window. Terrified, I fled as fast as I could in my pea green Pinto. Soon thereafter, he was fired for something else, and I was relieved.

My next job was working for a credit card processing firm. In 1987 I was promoted to Purchasing Clerk. My job was to come up with the artwork that banks embossed on their credit cards. It was mostly straight line type, but sometimes a logo was involved. For this I used a Macintosh like this one:

In 1988 I went to work for a promotional products company and I am still here. My boss sat me in front of this Radio Shack contraption where I tallied up Texas Sales Tax totals each month. All other paperwork was typed in triplicate form. Mistakes were corrected with colored white-out that matched the form color. Most times I was too impatient for the white-out to dry properly so I'd end up with gooey typewriter keys. For this reason and for my perfectionist tendencies, I tried my best to minimize mistakes.  

These 7-1/2" floppy disks only had 256kb of memory.
Disk 1 had Texas cities A-G; disk 2 had cities H-M; disk 3 had cities N-Z.

Well, that's a brief history of how my love of technology began. The only thing I miss are the frigid rooms. Currently, my eye is on the Kindle Fire, but my logical side knows it would be best to wait for the 2nd generation. Oh, it's so exciting to think of all the cool gadgets down the pike that have yet to be born! Riding the technology train is thrilling, isn't it? So much for my anti-establishment views, huh? Ha!

(images from Wikipedia or Google Images)

Lost In Translation

My grandfather, born in 1907, was apparently quite the player in his day. My dad found these photos after the death of his parents in 1986. Looking at some of these women made me realize that my father and I might never have been born if my grandfather had chosen to marry someone besides my grandmother. 

So strange to think about, isn't it?

I was able to translate the first two photos, but the others I'm not too sure. My grandfather spoke Canadian (Quebec?) French, which may be why I can't get proper answers from Google Translator. In fact, the writings may actually be a combination of Canadian/Acadian/Parisian French. If anyone knows what is written on the "Marie" and "City Park" photos, I'd be very appreciative! Merci beaucoup!

Thankfully, in English :)

More of Ray's bevy of beauties. Some of them look like saucy little tarts. :)

on the back: Ray and Rowena
She has quite an air about her, doesn't she?

 I call this one Betty Boop. Look at the mischief in her eyes!
It's like she's saying, "Wanna see what's under my skirt, you randy boy?"

Girl in the grass

Girl and her shadow

I think this is the same girl as above without the hat and gloves

 Girl in the sand. Looks like she's had a few too many...

Girl in bathing suit. Back when it was

okay to have some curves. :)

Even more curves! Trixie on the Model T (I just made that up)

Cigarette girl on ladder

My grandmother is on the left, hugging my grandfather; not sure why the other girl

is also hugging him just as tight. :/ I know who won that battle! :)

My grandparents are off to the right and seem so close.
The poor girl on the left looks like she's about to get
smacked by the flag. Being a third wheel never works out. :/