Indian Summer ~

Have you ever loved just the idea of something? That's how I feel about Indian Summer. Autumn is my favorite season of the year, I love it!!! And finally it's here!

From Wiki:
An Indian summer is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs in autumn, in the Northern Hemisphere. It is characterized by a period of sunny, warm weather, after the leaves have turned following an onset of frost, but before the first snowfall.

So, we haven't had a frost (it's getting chilly), we won't have snow, most of the leaves haven't turned, but still we've had a period of glorious weather lately!

I was intrigued with Indians when I was a kid. We made a trip out west and passed through places with signs saying "Indian Reservation" and "Genuine Indian Handcrafted Jewelry" and the most fascinating of all, "Indian Trading Post". On my paternal grandmother's side I have an ancestor who was a Blackfoot Indian. I do. And my Aunt Helen (my favorite aunt, in case you missed the memo) and her husband adopted a baby boy who was Native American. He was just darling. He danced with an Indian group when he was young, and we got to watch him perform several times.

So in the spirit of Indian Summer and an interest in Native American culture, I jumped at the chance when Jennifer suggested we go to the 16th Annual Pow Wow at the Coushatta Indian Resort. It's a 3 day event, a large tribal gathering where Native American dancers, singers and drummers compete for top prize money. They come from all across the United States and Canada. The dancers wear handcrafted jewelry, beaded moccasins and colorful feathered regalia. They are stunningly beautiful.

I learned that all Pow Wows are sacred places and the Dancing Circle is blessed before they begin and is considered sacred ground until the Pow Wow is over. There are rules of etiquette that remind us to be courteous and respectful. Here's one:

Dancers wear regalia. (It is also sometimes called an outfit.) Referring to these beautifully handcrafted and ceremonially adorned items as ‘costumes’ shows disrespect. Often some of the articles comprising it are family heirlooms. Do not intentionally touch any part of it, especially the eagle feathers––they are sacred. If you see a lost eagle feather, do NOT pick it up! Notify the nearest Pow Wow staff member at once.

I love that...the pride and reverence they have in their heritage. And as much as I loved watching the dancers, I was fascinated with the drummers and singers as well.

I don't know why we've never gone to the Pow Wow before, but I want to go next year. It was an awesome place to spend a beautiful fall day.

Islanders ~

We're Islanders...at least we were for the Labor Day weekend on Pleasure Island, home to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, in Alabama. I won't say our trip was spoiled but we were nearly done in by problems, great and small. Too miserable to go into...horrendous traffic, sickness, and a locked condo were involved. Some persons didn't check the key before shutting the door. Some persons vowed never to travel on a holiday weekend. Someone may or may not have said some bad words. OK, it was Don...there, I feel better now.


We stayed in a sweet condo with a 28 ft long balcony facing the Gulf....so cool! There's so many fun things to do in Gulf Shores...fun places to eat, awesome shopping, amusement parks, live music and the BEACH. We didn't get to do everything we wanted but we did have fun. And we ate at 5 of the top 10 restaurants (according to Trip Advisor). Foodies, carry on...

Our first stop was Lulu's at Homeport. I loved that place! LuLu is Jimmy Buffet's sister and is known for her cooking. It was very late but they served us anyway. Jen had some delicious fish tacos and I had shrimp salad, served with fried green tomatoes. We'll be going back to LuLu's.

The next day we went to lunch at DeSoto's. The guys had chicken fried steak but Jennifer and I went for the shrimp salad, it was excellent with homemade dressing.

Jennifer found a cool looking car in the parking lot.

For dinner we went to the Original Oyster House. Insane long wait, but there were some shops on the boardwalk to pass the time. Don had Mahi Down on ‘DA Bayou, which he loved and gobbled down as fast as he could. I had fried oysters...much too small for pictures, they were just little fellas. I ate them anyway. ;)

You know advertising works when you see a plane cruising the beach pulling a banner that says "The Shrimp Basket - All You Can Eat Fried Shrimp - $9.99!" and you're there before you can say "Sign me up!" Honestly, they were crazy good!!!

Our best meal in Gulf Shores was our last. We ate dinner at Bahama Bob's Beach Side Cafe. It's one of those beach joints, great atmosphere, right on the Gulf, we sat on the patio with the sea breeze blowing. A big thanks to the ladies who walked up behind us to get a table. (Do you do this? Do you talk to strangers while waiting in a line?? I do. It's a good way to find out stuff!)

Anyway, those ladies said,"Be SURE to get the fried mushrooms!" We did. And they...were...incredible!!! This does not convey how good those mushrooms were, but still.

Don had grilled chicken salad.

And Jennifer and I had this...Crab Cay Baked Pangus, stuffed with crabmeat dressing, topped with shrimp. It was delicious!!

After dinner we went to The Hangout, a local place to hear Wayne Toups. Rockin' crowd, even though we missed most of it. Jennifer got carded. The weird thing is that once we were inside, there were a few little kids running around....

Other fun: the outlet mall, we all found some bargains. And one night we went to The Track, a fun place with go karts, mini golf, bungee jump thing. We started out on Wild Woody, a 3 story spiraling wooden track. I still haven't recovered!!

Life's a beach ~ I ♥ Gulf Shores

You say goodbye...and I say hello ~

OK, we watched two episodes of Glee tonight and that song is stuck in my head, so that's the title of this post. I'm a Gleek and I'm totally proud, ha!

This summer has flown by. There's been some coming and going...friends and family...I went to more baby showers than I can count...we've seen a bunch of movies...and we've celebrated! It's always fun to have people come but bittersweet to see them go. We've also had FOUR family birthdays this month. And since we're a smallish bunch, that's just crazy!

Here's some of those who've come and gone...

We had a "Louisiana Saturday Night" when the Christiansens showed up at our door.


Jennifer's BFF Katie (Baxter) Montou, came to visit. I think they look like they could be sisters.


Gwen & her family came home this summer. She did a little traveling and even managed to have eye surgery too (details on her blog soon, I bet). And don't ask me how, but when Brad arrived from Saudi Arabia on his birthday and their anniversary, Gwen forgot that it was...their 25th!?!

Having a grand old time at L'auberge. Here's the girls in front of a flickering fire...like we need one in August in south Louisiana. ;)

Lou Ellen & Charles came and helped us ring in the birthdays. We always have a ball when they come! And I do think they look cool in this picture. I took it, just saying... :)

The Birthdays: (I feel like Miss Karen from Romper Room looking through her magic mirror...)

First up was Wendy on August 1st. Wendy is beautiful, a great nurse and a lot of fun. This picture was from a few years ago, but I love it. The wind was blowing and it was a gorgeous sunny day. We love Wendy, and she's a fantastic mom to our grandgirls!!



Next is Don, who had his birthday on August 11th. Take it from me, this cajun boy had a good birthday...many celebrations! Don is a loyal friend, a hard worker, an amazing Dad, a fantastic Pawpaw, and the best husband in the world!!! I love him, and he is my heart. ~



And here she is, Alahna who turns 7 years old TODAY! She's precious and we just adore her!!! Alahna is in 2nd grade and she's very smart. She's learning to play violin and doing so well! Sometimes Alahna will send me a text or call me and that is so fun! We love you, sweet girl!!! Happy Birthday! ♥


So, that's it...I hearby declare the summer of 2010 officially closed. If you read this, leave me a hello! Or goodbye!! ~

The King of Rock & Roll

Last week Jennifer, Gwen, Evan and I went to see Elvis. Believe me when I say Elvis lives on...the theater was full of happy fans. One little girl chanted "We want Elvis, we want Elvis..." How cute is that? :)

It was very cool! I wasn't a huge Elvis fan when I was young...but now I really appreciate his music so much more. The amazing thing is that even in the era in which he performed, (when singers didn't wear the ear monitors) he was always right on. Right on pitch, right on the beat. And what a powerful, emotional singer he was. See for yourself - check out "Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii" and the "68 Comeback Special" Those are Elvis at his finest.

For Easter vacation one year, Don, Jennifer and I went to Memphis and visited Graceland. It was awesome and we want to go back soon.

"Twenty Interesting Things About Elvis"

1. Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.
2. Elvis had an identical twin brother, who was stillborn.
3. When Elvis received a guitar for his eleventh birthday, he was disappointed; he was hoping for a bike.
4. Elvis was reportedly regarded by fellow students as a “trashy kid who sang hillbilly music” when he took his guitar to school and sang during lunch.
5. In the eighth grade, Elvis received a “C” in music.
6. Elvis never learned to read music.
7. Elvis made only one appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, in October of 1954. They never invited him back.
8. The first riot following an Elvis concert occurred in Jacksonville, FL, after Elvis finished a show by saying, “Girls, I’ll see you backstage.”
9. Frank Sinatra, in a magazine interview, decried the new brand of music that Elvis introduced as “brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious.
10. “Heartbreak Hotel” was the first Elvis single to sell over a million copies.
11. After a controversial (and sensuous) performance of “Hound Dog” on The Milton Berle Show, Elvis appeared on The Steve Allen Show, where he sang “Hound Dog” to a Basset Hound.
12. The first Grammy Award Elvis won was for the 1967 Gospel release, “How Great Thou Art.”
13. Elvis reportedly had a problem with teenage boys wanting to beat him up on his tour stops.
14. Elvis was six feet tall.
15. The Cleveland Browns was Elvis’ favorite football team.
16. Elvis’ natural hair color was blond (in his early years) and light/dirty brown; he dyed it black.
17. Elvis wore a cross, a star of David, and other religious symbols around his neck, explaining “I don’t want to miss out on heaven due to a technicality.”
18. Elvis was awarded two medals while serving in the Army, one for expert marksmanship, the other for sharpshooting.
19. Elvis held a black belt in karate.
20. Elvis died of a heart attack on August 16, 1977. Many mistakenly believe he died of a drug overdose.

Bonus fact: Graceland is the 2nd most visited house in the United States (The White House is #1).

He was an American original and he was fantastic! ~

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Without a doubt, that title implies that I made dinner. For someone. I didn't. (it was Saturday!)

The best surprises are when you least expect them. After a busy day, Don & I arrived home at the same time late Saturday afternoon....wondering, what are we going to do this evening? At about that time our doorbell rang, and there stood wonderful friends!!! Well, two friends and one stranger, ha.

Steve Christiansen had driven over from Houston with his daughter Sarah and her new husband Jacob. They'd spent some time down on the Creole Nature Trail looking for gators. We were so tickled to see them!! We have such a long history together and it's always fun to visit. We got out some old video of years ago and watched Sarah, Jennifer, and Michelle tear it up as mini-cheerleaders.

Steve said they were wondering if we had any recommendations for a place with good Cajun food for dinner? Hello, is the Pope Catholic?? ;) So, we headed for....

...Steamboat Bill's on the Lake, our go-to place. Diets flew out the window for the night. At least mine did.

Jacob & Sarah stop and smile by the turtle shell.

Steve, Sarah & Jacob

Our gang. If we look happy it's because we have just eaten food from heaven.

Jacob & Sarah are such cute newlyweds!! (married less than a yr. = newlyweds in my book) They ate gumbo, shrimp, crawfish and more.

Steve hasn't forgotten how to eat crawfish.

After dinner we drove around a little and stopped off at Chris & Jennifer's house. A fun night, sweet friends, good food.

~ laissez les bons temps rouler ~

Summer Reading ~

When I was a kid, I loved reading in the summer. It was such a relief to be able to read for pleasure and not for school. No homework!!! My sister and I always joined the summer reading program at our library. It was one of the few places we could get to on our own...walking or riding our bikes. We lived in town, but with a dad who was working shift work and mostly unwilling to take us anywhere, and a mom who couldn't drive (poor vision) we were basically stranded. So going to the library was a big deal.

The head librarian was Mrs. Charles, and she liked me - but still, she was unwilling to let me check out Gone With The Wind unless I got a note from my mother. And so I did. I think I was in about 5th grade...I sure thought I was something to be reading such racy stuff.

I've always loved reading, so choosing my minor in college was easy...Library Science. ;) These days it's hard for me to get into fiction, but I make an exception for John Grisham. I'm also on the list for House Rules, by Jodi Picoult. Anyone read that?

I rarely buy books, but I keep my library in business. I usually go to Central in Lake Charles. It's so easy to choose a book, request it online, and go pick it up when I get the email that it's waiting. Cool, huh? And, no I don't have a Kindle. I really like the feel of books...you know, turning the pages, holding it in your hand.

So, here's a partial list of some things I've been reading:

Last night I finished Women Food and God by Geneen Roth. It's about emotional eating, and overeating. To me, her approach is both very deep, and yet overly simplified. This has been excerpted in several magazines so chances are you might have read part of it already.


I was anxious to get into Laura Bush's book. She's intriguing, really. I enjoyed the story of how she grew up as an only child and married into the larger than life Bush clan.


Several insightful stories in her book...the story of the car accident (she was at fault) in which a young man died. It happened when she was a teenager. Also, hearing about when the twins were born and she was a young mother. This isn't a page-turner though. Laura writes in much the same way she speaks...measured, and matter of fact, but with sincerity. I'm glad I read it.

I also finished Switch this month. This book is awesome!! It was a fun read and I really learned a lot. Some of their ideas are not new, it's things we've heard before, but these guys - Chip & Dan Heath (brothers) are very cool.


You might not have heard of this one, Making Toast, written by Roger Rosenblatt. When his daughter, Amy - 38 years old, a gifted doctor, mother, and wife - collapsed and died suddenly, he and his wife moved in to help care for the 3 little ones she left behind.

Making Toast is the story of that first year together. It's touching, poignant and even funny - yes, even in tragedy, that are things to smile at. This is a family story, how people who love each other can hold on tight and walk through heartbreaking pain. I loved this book. It's short and a fast read. Run, don't walk, to the library and get it.

And... (you had to know I would) I read Kitty Kelly's unauthorized biography, Oprah. It was fascinating.


I enjoyed it. Every. Single. Word. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

What are you reading this summer???

Heads: barbeque, Tails: crawfish (heads too)

We recently held our 1st Heads & Tails weekend. We started with heads...Saturday morning, our ward was having a Barbeque. Jennifer is the Activities Comm. Chairman so she was in charge...and basically the rest of us (me, Don, RaeAnn, Wayne and Chris) were enlisted too. Charles and Lou Ellen were in town to join the party. Don and Charles were the official Masters of the Grill and they did a fine job of grilling the chicken. It was hot but there were some water games and plenty of shade. You may wonder how heads relates to barbeque chicken, but we did have burgers (beef) too and I was humming the old cowboy theme song: "Head 'em up, move 'em out...Rawhide!!" If you're not old enough to remember that, you're just wet behind the ears.

The guys napped through the afternoon and the girls shopped. Lou Ellen was wearing a green shirt, so I put on a green one too. Because of course, we should match - just in case Matt Lauer appears on the doorstep to interview us for something. Or a reporter from a major newspaper wants a quote about...say, Keith Urban. Hey, it could happen! And it has. ; )

We make a lovely citrus trio here, don't you think?

That evening the tails portion of the weekend commenced. We all went to Sausage Link for another round of crawfish and other assorted good stuff. Chris got fried chicken strips and onion rings. Jennifer went for the full 5 lb. tray.

Don had so much fun he could barely contain himself....
Same goes for Wayne...
Lou Ellen & Charles were ready for boudin and the crawfish tails...and the heads too.
Charles is mighty proud of his tray. After all, these are primo.

Lou Ellen was living large with her crawfish heads. That is, until...
...until she finished with the heads and claws and had what we shall call, the case of the burning lips. FYI, when you eat the claws and suck the juice out, that's the hottest part of the crawfish. Capable of inflicting pain. So be aware, only milk-based products can take the heat away. Ice, no. Water, no. Coke, no. Milk, yes. Ice cream...yes, yes, yes. So off we went, straight to Winky Doo's. Ice cream and yogurt.

Heads & Tails...Rawhide!! ~