Happy Birthday to My Dad!

Happy Birthday to my Daddy! If you were here, I would take you to a bar and buy you a mint julep (or margarita if you would rather) and give the band a big tip to play happy birthday just for you. Then we would eat shrimps and Alice would beg you for a bite or twenty. I hope you have a fabulous day and get to eat some cake or perhaps some coconut meringue?

I love you!

xoxo,

Your Daughter

Shave and a Haircut

If his parents had only known what this first shave was foretelling, they might have bought stock in Gillette.

Kev hates to shave. Hates it. In fact, he used to get a doctor's note at his old job so he didn't have to shave because they had a policy against facial hair. But, you see, he's a hairy beast and kissing a hairy beast can chafe, you know? Therefore, he shaves for moi. Then he gets mooochas smooooochas!

But, I digress.

You see, Kev is serving as a groomsman for our dear friend Alex when he marries his shawty Faith in July. Kev informed Alex that he has crazy facial hair right now and wanted to make sure it was alright with the happy couple that Kev continue to have said crazy facial hair. Alex *SUPPOSEDLY* checked with our darling Faith and reported back that said crazy facial hair is acceptable for their blissful day.

Blissful day...filled with lots of toasts and joy and photography. Photography with pictures that you, Faith and Alex, will have to look at for the rest of your earthly lives, and know that you, on that most special and sacred of days, allowed Wolverine to stand up for you at your wedding.


xoxo

GrEaT SeEd WaTcH: We Have Fruit!

Our garden, as it looks this morning. Very green and growing well. I figured out we have leggy tomato plants, but that's okay. They still have flowers on them and the season is still early. I have faith in these guys!

I don't know if you can tell, but the cucumbers are taller than the railing! We tied some string around the railing so the plants would have something to grab onto besides the tomatoes and onions. So far, so good!

The best part!?! The cucumber! It's tiny! But I'm so excited! Grow, grow, grow! Too bad Kev doesn't like cucumbers. *Sigh*

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. My thoughts and prayers are still with Lloyd, my Mary and my Judy and the rest of Jackie's family.

Have a great Monday and give your loved one's an extra squeeze today.

xoxo

Traded Places With An Angel

Our Jackie has gone to heaven and everyone who remains is very much feeling her void. I am sad to realize that I am not going to receive the encouraging messages from Jackie anymore. However, I am at peace knowing that she is at peace. Jackie, you fought hard and we are all so proud of you. I am so blessed that you were a part of my family's life. Thank you for providing a normal, fun environment to visit when things were less than fun in Houston with all those heart doctors. Thank you for sharing your family with us and always welcoming us with open arms. Most of all, thank you for being you and sharing your love. I know we are all better people because we knew you.

To my extended Loeser family, you are in our thoughts and prayers. You know what? I think she's probably hanging out in heaven with Elvis and bragging about all her beautiful children and grandchildren.

Jackie, you will be missed. Thank you for your joie de vie. I love you.

And Elvis, hands off, man! She's taken!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

Ok, so it's Monday. Hi Monday. You and me, we have had our differences. But, I can't say I hate you. You know why? Because you start the week that makes me go to the place to do the things so they give me money. Sounds naughty, kinda. But, it's not. Just an office with a dog.

But I must admit, in all the excitement of getting the job, it has just now sunk in that I actually have a job again. I suppose my brother R is right - part of me DOES want to be a kept woman. Except, now I have a spring in my step again. I've been making new friends and trying not to be such a homebody. Things are going to change. I think I'm going to take a class. . .

I hope you all are finding your days passing with ease and grace. Please take care of yourselves and send prayers for the Louisiana Gulf Coast and the oil spill recovery. Stinky oily air, y'all.

Have a great Monday. Appreciate it. Because, it only comes once a week.

xoxo

Great Seed Watch: Plants Galore!

A ripened strawberry from our plant. Super tiny, but it was sweet. Mmmm..can't wait for more!

I love the feelers that grow on the cucumber plants. They start out curled up and unroll themselves, finding something to hold onto.


You can kind of see how they have wrapped their feelers around the post. Looking good, cucumbers!


The tomatoes have grown TALL! I even think I see a little flower starting to develop on this one! I love how hairy the tomato plant is!


And a nice aerial shot of all the growing going on!

I hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday!

xoxo

Lurking

In the depths of the bath tub last night lurked a ferocious lion cat. I had gone into the bathroom to take a bath before bed and what did I find? This ferocious lion slumbering in the tub. He would not move, only yawned and grumbled at me, so I turned on the water.

Did you know that ferocious lion cats hate water?

I had a nice bath after he retreated to clean his wet paws.


Have a fabulous Monday!

xoxo

Mom's The Word

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there! I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with lots of love and hugs and chocolate.

In fact, here's a gift for rearing the children of the world. It's a picture of a flower! A flower from across the street and probably had I picked it and actually given it to you, the neighbor might have gotten angry and had a terrible Mother's Day because someone stole the bloom off her rose bush. So, I took a picture of it instead. Plus, I'm not sure how well flowers travel through the interwebs.

Speaking of flowers on Mother's Day, I am reminded of the many Mother's Days of my youth. My brother C & I would get up really early in the morning on Mother's Day and ride our bikes around the neighborhood and pick our mother irises out of people's gardens.

TERRIBLE CHILDREN! I KNOW!!!

Don't think we didn't know any better. But, we were children and had no money to speak of and so we did the next best thing. We were CREATIVE!

Now before you get UBER upset with me, let me explain that it is a practice in my parent's neighborhood to plant iris bulbs in the alley along your fence.

So, we would go up and down the alleys and pick those blooming irises. We would end up with a giant bouquet and would present them to her, very proud that we were able to give her something on her special day.

Therefore, Mom, if I was in A-town this morning, I would ride my bike up and down the alley and pick you the prettiest bouquet of bearded irises from peoples alley gardens. And then we would drink coffee and eat beignets. And wait for the police to come arrest me for stealing people's flowers.

Happy Mother's Day! I love you!

xoxo

New Job Number 3: Week One Complete

Yay! Yay! Yay!

I have completed my first week of work! I feel accomplished and blessed and so thankful that I am able to have this position in this organization.

I have lots to learn - like how to use as Mac. But I can do it, and I look forward to the challenge. Who knows, I might be converted! :)

Above is a picture of the Fabulous Coco. Office Dog Extraordinaire! Love, love, love having an animal around while working. It gives the office a calming effect. She goes around the office as she pleases and is very well behaved and quiet. Darling, darling animal.

It feels like I've known my current employer before, or forever, or in a different lifetime. Who knows...but there is a familiar essence to this house, this position even. I feel as if I have been here before. I don't know. It could be because of how I worked at the Symphony, or I have finally figured my way in what I guess I do.

The flexibility of this, working part time, is nice. I appreciate and am grateful that Kevin is ok with me working the schedule I work. I will say, this gives me more of an opportunity to see him in the mornings when he is working and I can kind of help take care of him and the house better when he is working those terrible graveyard shifts.

I feel at peace. I am excited about the things I'm about to learn.

You never know how the kindness of a complete stranger will affect your life. Don't be afraid to connect with new people. This is something I'm having to work on. It's hard. But I'm so appreciative of the connection and forethought and kismet.

Oh, and HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

xoxo

First Day: CHECK!

So, after completing my first day at the office, I have decided that I enjoy my new position. I enjoy the environment, I enjoy the people. I don't really know what I'm doing quite yet and now have to learn how to use a Mac, but, I'm a smart cookie and think this gig will be a nice way for me to feel more useful.

I definitely have to learn to dress differently for the office. No big deal - I'm just used to the big corporate suits and heels and all that, but # 1: this is New Orleans, #2: I'm now working in a design office, #3: design people don't wear heels.

So, I go be-bopping up in there with a dress on and my happy giraffe print heels. Clip Clop Clip Clop. Down the hallway in an old house/pharmacy that has hardwood floors.

SHHHHHHH!!!

People are being creative here!

Therefore, the shoe dilemma.

No one said anything. I'm just not quite cool enough for the design people in my fashion design. I wish I was cooler...and could manage walking in my happy giraffe print heels more quietly in an old house/pharmacy with hardwood floors.

Today, I will wear flat shoes that are stealthy quiet. Because people are being creative up in there.

OOOOOHHHHH!

And you know the best part????

There is an OFFICE DOGGGGGG!!!!!

Her name is Coco. She is cute.

I will take a picture of her today if I can.

So far, work feels like going over to a friend's house to work on a project. Not really work because the family dog is running around and there is a kitchen and a bathroom with a bathtub.

I hope you all have a FABULOUS Tuesday!

xoxo

P.S. Can anyone tell what's in the picture??

Anticipation

So...I go to work today again for the first time in months. Yay! But, at the same time, OMG! It feels like the first day of school all over again, changing jobs that is. The new kid. But, there's another newbie and that eases some of the pain I think.

I'm so nervous. But, it will be just fine. I'm excitedly hopeful. Wish me luck. Keep me in your prayers and I'll let you know later how it all went.

I'm off!

xoxo

A Personal Letter to My Husband

Dear Kevin,
I would like to go back now.
Love,
Your Wife