Not a happy camper . . .

On October thirty-one, when the sun goes to bed, it's the time when Halloween and fun are at their best . . .

Was supposed to get the heart monitor put on today and it was to stay there for two to three weeks and I would be able to shower and live life to the fullest while I wore it. It was to check my blood pressure to see if it misbehaves when the auras decided to show up. Well, the insurance refused to pay for it so I now have a 48 hour monitor and can't shower! Oh well, at least I can take it off Wednesday morning and return it to them. If you do get it wet you owe them $900. So sponge baths it will be. Now I hate to do all my sweaty exercises but that's what I'm supposed to do so it's a "whatever" type of thing. I may call Medicare because they've given me trouble before about medicines the doctor wants me to take and they say no until I end up with bad reactions and he complains and then they say okay. Driving me crazy and CVS doesn't help when they automatically put you on the generic even if you know that some generics don't work properly! Well, I'm feeling fine but am doubtful Dr. Deepak will get an aura on a two day monitor. And I do believe he's right about the blood pressure dipping but it's probably all bullshit.

Stopped at the bank for money today in Zachary before heading up to Slaughter to let Daytona out for a quick walk around Big Kiddo's property to do her duty. Man she pooped her stuff all over the place and acted like a boy dog and wet everything in sight! What a riot. I almost hated to leave her. She's pretty damned cute! Also managed to spend $195 at the small Walmart near our home on Pete's Highway. That's a heck of a big shopping. But I really haven't been doing too much lately except picking up bread, milk and eggs at the Dollar General so I guess it was reasonable as I had to get some meat. paper goods, cleaning supplies etc. Should last us until Rouse's opens, I hope!

Grampa and I have decided to forgo our Tuesday breakfasts that we used to eat at IHOP because they have not reopened and James' is really not clean enough for our taste. So . . . in lieu of breakfast we shall have late lunches at Randazzo's.  I'm looking forward to lunch out on their patio tomorrow.  We'll go to Frank's for breakfast on Sundays.  Cracker Barrel just doesn't work for us.

Quote:  O woman! in ordinary cases so mere a mortal, how in the great and rare events of life dost thou swell into the angel.   ____Bulwer

Almost spectacular gumbo à l'Irène . . .

So bright

P&D's Pop and I were given some venison by the neighbor across the corner from us and although I had mixed feelings about accepting it, because I know nothing about cooking venison and the little I've eaten I really didn't like, this was great. He gave us 4 big Cajun Sausages, two packages of Spicy Sausage and two packages of Bacon Burger. So yesterday I used my friendly Zatarain's helper and made chicken and sausage gumbo which turned out really fine. Son and his wife came for supper and she told me that most gumbo is served with extra rice so I made up a fresh batch of jasmine rice which is delicious in and of itself. We also had my Sally Lunn bread, plain salad and chocolate pudding à la Jello. I was impressed with the Cajun Sausage. It was seasoned to perfection. Ron said he has his venison prepared with some pork added and the flavor was nice. So if I get offered some more I'll take it. I must remember to tell him how good it was if and when I see him. We don't see too many people every day because most of the households here are younger people and they're all off working and on weekends they are hunting or at their camps!

We went to El Agave for lunch today and the food was very good but the best was last. P&D's Pop, Big Kiddo and myself shared fried ice cream for dessert. It was the best ever. I couldn't believe how much the guys helped me to eat it! I was hoping they were too full to help me out that much. But that was a good thing as I didn't pile on the calories but I must admit I could have eaten the whole thing myself!

One more doctor's appointment tomorrow to get a Holter Monitor - I think that's what it's called - then I go back at the end of November to let Dr. Deepak tell me that I'm just perfect! I'm walking a bit more lately and trying to be more active. I do feel better when I exercise. This monitor is just a patch of some sort that they stick to me and I can shower and do anything at all with it on. I think I'll even be able to take it off myself when the two weeks or so are done. Well, I'll find out how it works tomorrow, tomorrow, it's only a day away.

Quote:  The desire of appearing clever often prevents our becoming so.  __La Rochefoucauld

Holy mackerel dere, Andy . . .

Long Beach, Mississippi

I've got homework! Yes, I helped out in a class of three year olds today and when I asked Miss Camille, a brand spankin' new teacher what I could do to help as I would also be there tomorrow she sent me home with an arts and craft kit for Halloween and I have to cut out some of the pieces because our kiddos are not too adept yet! It's a riot! I hope I can understand the directions! I must say I was happy to be back and they were all happy to see me. I don't even have to stop at the office to announce my presence! We also voted today. So that's out of the way.

Yesterday daughter-in-law and I went to check out Wolf River Campground in Mississippi because I had been offered a chance at a second go round to win a golf cart. Well, son had warned me that it was probably a push for us to buy a timeshare but what the heck we figured we'd give it a try and if M liked the place they might decide to camp there. Well, without much ado I'll tell you that we were greeted by the most despicable man I have ever met. Because P&D's Pop wasn't with me he wouldn't give us the grand tour. I explained that Jade, the lady from the campground, had told me it was okay to come with M and that husband was not available. He refused to listen to me and sped away from me in his golf cart. I was ticked enough to follow him and yell for him to stop and come back. He did and I insisted I be allowed to enter the drawing for the free LSU golf cart. He gave me six tickets and rode off on the cart again, following two other people who work there on their cart. I will admit that we got a couple of half price tickets for lunch at the Silver Slipper, a casino, and supposedly three days and two nights free camping and permission to look around and go fishing but we were so ticked off with his obnoxious behavior we left. And that was the best thing to do. M knew that the Silver Slipper was near a camping spot that they were going to in November so we went for a ride. The rest is history!

We had the time of our lives driving along the gulf coast in Mississippi. I've never been on the gulf and she showed me places of incredible beauty. We had a wonderful day. Besides finding Buccaneer Park we stopped and watched fishermen catching oodles of fish; we ate at the best restaurant in Long Beach; I took photos of birds, trains, trees and beauteous buildings. Perfect day.

Quote:  Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen.  Keep in the sunlight. _____Franklin

So . . . this is exciting news . . .

Not much going on at South Park this past week!

The Early Learning Center is finally opening tomorrow! That means I can go back to helping out with the preschoolers Thursday's and Friday's. I'm thrilled because it's more than difficult to get people down here to let a new person do anything! I was speaking to a southern friend and she said that you must know someone to get in to anything here in Louisiana. It's who you know not what you know and she is right about that. I can't believe how insular and narrow minded many people serving the public are - this southern hospitality is for show, I think! But whatever the case may be I did know someone and managed to be accepted at least in the preschool and religious ed classes! Wow, it's a pretty steep learning hill and I'm definitely still at the bottom. It's a good thing I'm not asking to get paid!

Another really cool thing happened at church - besides the singing. Father said that the parish has given Denham Springs permission to use the south side of the church property to set up an elementary school because right now the kids are being bussed to three different schools for half day classes shared with other schools and it's a nightmare. It will be at least two years before some of the Denham Springs schools will be fully recovered from the great flood of 2016. I am still in shock when I see the damage here. Truly don't know what the new normal will be. We've spoken with so many people who have lost everything, people of all ages and they are exhausted but not completely disgusted with their situations. They keep soldiering on. Of course there are not any great choices - so they simplify and make the best of horrid conditions. There is still so much of peoples' lives sitting on the curbs; it is heartbreaking. Our neighbor still has her Mom, brother, his wife, who is extremely heavy and wheelchair bound and a four year old little boy who pees on the floor if he feels like it and an eight year old girl living with her. Neighbor's husband works for LSU and is off training first responders all over the country for weeks at a time; her daughter is a freshman at LSU and her son is a senior in the LSU high school program. Neighbor does everything for everybody and also works. She is very discouraged but keeps on pushing herself. The brother, wife and kids never washed their towels since they've been there - just let them pile up. I think my patience would be so tried I might resort to throwing them out if they didn't clean their messes. She's such a patient, christian good daughter and sister. I would have lost my cool and thrown them all out. I don't know what their situation is but I think her Mom will now live with her forever and she has no car, it flooded, and smokes!

Not sure why I spilled all that on the blog. It could be that I still can't believe what a disaster means to peoples' lives. They are completely uprooted even if they didn't flood. There are no families who have lived here all their lives who have not been caught in terrible circumstances and living conditions. Many of the people I've met are sharing their homes with up to eight extra people, working full time and fighting bureaucracy to get proper paperwork filled out so they can rebuild, tear down or raise the the homes of the flooded family. It is mind boggling.

Didn't expect to go off on a rant! But there it is. P&D's Pop and I will vote this week. At least that will be done. We had such a pleasant day with his flying buddy and wife this week. They took us to Centreville, MI for lunch at Vine Brothers, renowned for their meats. Southerners do know how to prepare food and every type of wild game imaginable. Daughter-in-law and I will also be heading east to Pass Christian, MI to check out a campground and see if I can win a LSU golf cart! I'm in the drawing. Just a freak card I filled out when we were at Camping World when I picked up my outdoor rocker!

Quote:  Nothing is more disgraceful than insincerity.  ____Cicero

Randazzo's won't have wine or beer 'til next week . . .

St. John the Evangelist Church

Lock House

Locks are no longer in use. 

Neat train and bridge

Oh well, we bought a Muffaletta to go instead of eating at their outdoor tables. We were on our way back from my carotid ultrasound and an echocardiogram and since P&D's Pop came with me because he had stuff to do in Zachary I thought we should stop for a bit of wine and beer as I always celebrate after leaving a medical office of any kind! But the celebrating was low key as they can't serve alcohol yet! The Muffaletta was fine with root beer!  Next week I have a couple more appointments - pretty much routine stuff so he can tell me I'm doing great. If P&D's Pop comes we may have wine and beer at Randazzo's!

While we were waiting for our sandwich there was another couple waiting for their food. When they got it the husband immediately grabbed it to leave but . . . his wife said to him, "Don't you touch that yet. I'm not ready; don't rush me." I looked at them and started laughing out loud because she sounded just like me when P&D's Pop is ready to jump the gun while I'm still getting ready! She looked at me and knew why I was laughing and we all realized how funny it was. She said they've been living in a 10 by 10 foot room for two months and are always together even in the car so they both get edgy. They lost everything in the flood - they were in their ideal, large, gorgeous home all paid for. She had her office; he had a room for all his fishing and hunting things. The morning of the flood she saw water coming in under the door as she was in her pj's getting her coffee. Fifteen minutes later it was over her head - she's my height. They were able to grab their bibles and a few things before they got out. He managed to get their boat off of the trailer just as it started to float and she had gotten her car started but their 10ft  high electric gate wouldn't open. She got in the boat with her husband but they couldn't get over their beautiful new wrought iron fence so they waited in the boat with some peanut butter, honey and crackers until they were rescued by the Cajun Navy. They tied their boat to a tree in their yard and climbed over the new fence into the rescuer's boat. They are finally managing to buy a small, simple house with a 30 year mortgage rather than try to rebuild their dream home. They both said they just want simple - they're buying a 1600 square foot home half the size of the dream house on half an acre. She said they weren't going to worry about paying it off because they'll be gone to heaven before the mortgage is paid up. There are so many stories here. It's amazing how humans have to ability to adapt. We said good bye but we'll probably see them again because they go to Randazzo's every day. I'm guessing they are staying at a hotel.

Had a chance to go with my friend Amy and her three year old grand daughter Monday. She took us to Plaquemine Bayou Park. We had a good day. I'll post a few photos. The best part was watching and listening as three trains went through the old town, 1848 ish.

Quote:  Laws are silent in the midst of arms.   _____Cicero

Different start this morning . . .

Fall colors

Immediately after breakfast P&D's Pop and I went for a walk right here in the neighborhood because he was going to the Bayou Park in Zachary today rather than South Park and I was not going with him as he is helping to get set up for the Control Line Flying Contest which starts tomorrow morning.  It's a good day but usually too sunny for me so I'll go after noon to see how he's making out. Even when we go to Eldorado, Arkansas I stay under the shelter and read or take time to walk wherever I can find some shade. I made over four dozen cookies yesterday and I'll make over four dozen today too. That should help out a bit with dessert. I think they usually have a pot of gumbo or jambalaya for lunch so they will not go hungry!

I just returned from Walker and a visit to Stine's where I bought one pumpkin and two small mums to make the yard look a little like Fall. Before I did that I had to drive by Waffle House and the Hyundai just automatically drove in and parked so I figured it must be time for cheesy eggs, crisp bacon and raisin toast for lunch. A lady came in and asked if it was okay if she sat next to me at the counter; of course I welcomed her. Katherine was taking a break from painting the new interior walls in her Walker home. She, her husband and three grandkids she was babysitting walked away from their home in waist deep water during the August flood. She said she poured her coffee that morning and when she turned around to sit and drink it at the table there were already 3 inches of water marked on the croquet pole and it just kept growing. They didn't have time to do anything but walk out the door in waist deep water; their cars were already flooded. They were picked up by the Cajun Navy. She worked the rest of the time helping dispatch the men and the boats. I'm sure that most f the people I meet here have hair raising stories to tell. Katherine is just so thankful that her family has survived. She and her husband are living with her daughter's family and she's trying to get their house back in shape to move back in. Her husband only has one day off a week and she said she was exhausted because they stayed up until 1am just to have  time together before they got up at 3:30 so he could go to work and she could go back to painting their new walls. I bought her breakfast because she's a woman after my own heart - pecan waffle, crisp bacon and coffee! What's not to like.

Time to make some more chocolate chip and pecan cookies.  Oh yes, I managed to get my Fitbit working! Super happy with myself although I feel pretty foolish because I had to ask English living daughter how to find my hotmail email. I had used it to sign up for the Fitbit and hotmail has gone through all sorts of shake ups so it wasn't at the bookmark I had originally set. All I had to do was go to hotmail.com and since I knew my security code I was all set! Thank goodness for Big Kiddos.

Quote:  Forgive thyself little, and others much.   ___Leighton

Found out where to stick a dongle . . .

Bought a Fitbit because the doctor says I must take my blood pressure immediately when my auras decide to creep up on me but I told him it can happen while I'm driving or in a store and blood pressure taking is not an option so he said then I must at the very least get my heart rate. Well, I'm not good at any of these things so I decided I needed something that could help me find my heart rate when necessary if at all. The problem is that the Fitbit is not compatible with the iPad 2 - it's compatible with just about any other iPad but not mine so as I tried to set the Fitbit up on the computer it told me to connect the Dongle. Okay - easier said then done. They nicely showed a picture of a Dongle which I knew I didn't have so I ordered one from Amazon. Today I got the Dongle and thought, " Hell this thing doesn't connect to the Fitbit! What the hell am I supposed to do now?" So . . . to shorten the story a bit I had a chat with Fitbit and now know that the Dongle goes into my computer! Yay! Not up to that move yet as I'm baking cookies for P&D's Pop's flying contest this weekend and also charging that little old Fitbit! But I am a work in progress and I just may be able to get this big tech innovation working for me.

Yesterday we had a great trip to Ferriday, Louisiana where we went to a cotton plantation. Frogmore was more than I expected it to be. We were allowed to roam around and pick cotton to our heart's content and take photos. I was in heaven. We stopped on the way home for bread pudding! Life can be down right interesting, fun and sweet. Sharing the day with the love of your life is part of the best life can offer. We were both tired as it is a two and a half hour drive to Frogmore from home but well worth the trip. I'd even go back again. Just driving across the Mississippi River Bridge in Natchez, MI is exciting.  The easiest way to get to Ferriday, LA is by driving north on 61 in Mississippi. Neato!

Well, time to get those cookies out of the oven.

Quote:  To endeavor to work upon the vulgar with fine sense is like attempting to hew blocks with a razor.   ___Pope

Just so pleased with myself . . .

Latest scratch built

I've been looking for a real bakery in Denham Springs since we moved here in February and I've found it! It was exciting to find the Ginger Bread Bakery on Linder Road not far from home. The lady's business is in her home. Her home must be the only Swiss Chalet A-frame in the entire South! I swear you don't see A-frames down here, not only that she has a large live oak with branches running along the ground in her side yard and the yard has many old perambulators, tricycles and odd metal sculptures used as flower pots along with many potted plants some beautifully alive and others pretty much dried and crispy critters. I wanted to buy a cake right then and there but the woman who works for the owner said I'd have to order one. I explained I didn't want to order one but to pick one up tout de suite - I explained it didn't have to be a decorated birthday cake just a plain cake would do. The owner heard me from the back room and came out and said she had the almond cakes which had just come out of the oven and if I would come back she frost one for me after it cooled. I asked her if chocolate frosting would go well with the almond cake and she said it would so I agreed to buy the cake if I could sit on their porch and have a coffee while waiting. We agreed but I couldn't buy a coffee because the state will not let her sell it because the bakery is in her home so she gives away coffee and juices! What a riot. I made myself at home on the front porch and shushed the chihuahua that was jumping in its pen. We talked a bit and then she calmed down. The only sound was the whooshing of the machine keeping the tall floating air filled creature waving at passers-by. You would probably drive right by the bakery if that were not there to get your attention. Linder Road is made up of many modest but neat homes and trailer homes. As I enjoyed my coffee and the crazy, funny yard the lady popped her head out and said she had forgotten that she had made a chocolate cake that morning and would I prefer that to the almond. I immediately agreed. In no time at all I was on my way with my chocolate cake at a 15% discount because without realizing it I had a coupon on the ad I had found in the paper last week. Oh the vagaries of life. How great it is.

On a different note - I've stopped taking the second blood pressure medicine, at least for now, and my blood pressure seems to be staying low all by itself! I think I've been overmedicated for the last 10 months. We'll see what all of Dr. Deepak's tests show in the next few months. But I certainly do feel as if my brain is working a heck of a lot better right now!

Quote:  There are two kinds of politeness; one says, "See how polite I am"; the other, "I would make you happy."  ______Tomlinson

Unhappy me . . .

Moi, oui je suis fâchée. Yes I'm ticked. Went for my six month check up with the cardiologist and the good news is my blood work is great but he's not happy with my blood pressure. Seems it's too low and so he's changing the half a benicar to half a losartan potassium. I'm not fond of new crap added to my other crap but I guess I'll play along as I don't have any reasonable reason not to. I had told his nurse over a month ago that I thought my blood pressure was too low but she assured me when she called me back that he wanted it low. Now, not so much. I had a particularly bad bout with an aura Sunday evening and although it was gone after about 20 minutes it left my brain fried for about 3/4 of an hour. That scares the hell out of me because I know I'm not thinking well but I can't get a hold of my brain and make it get back on track. It does get back but the process is slow and leaves me pooped. Dr. Deepak thinks it's being caused by a drop in blood pressure and wants me to immediately take my blood pressure while it's happening. Right. Good luck with that working out since I don't know when it will happen; it even occurs when I'm driving and seems to like bright lights any time any place any where. He said then I must at least get my pulse rate - stop, pull over or stop shopping and get a pulse rate. So the best I can figure to do is dig out my heart rate watch that I used to use to work out after the first little set back a few years ago. That will show my pulse rate so I guess it wouldn't hurt to wear it or leave it in the car just in case. Don't even know if I remember how to work it! Oh well, he's got me set up for tests and such. I am grateful even if I am peevish. I would like these auras to stop now. And if Dr. Deepak has the key I'm going to follow him blindly.

Okay, feel better now that I've got that out of my system! After the doctor's visit I stopped at Waffle House in Zachary for my usual pecan waffle, crisp bacon and coffee. That was my lunch but a good lunch it was. One of the old faithful waitresses came over to speak with me and I told her I'd be visiting a few more times in October so she was glad about that - not the medical circumstances but the visiting! The weather has been pretty glorious but I think the lawn could use some rain. Can you believe that after all the flooding the grass is drying up a bit.

Well, I'm done yammering for today. I'm tired and plan to get in some porch swing time.

Quote:  Medicine has been defined to be the art or science of amusing a sick man with frivolous speculations about his disorder, and of tampering ingeniously, till nature either kills or cures him.   _____Jeffrey

Ma and Pa were the best . . .

Nice.

Yes, my mother and father were excellent parents in any day and age. I've been reading letters that I've saved over these many years, although it doesn't seem like many years, and even though I have trouble deciphering Pa's letters whether they be in French or English they are such a pleasure to read. They date from my couple of summers in NYC with my older sister in the early 60's. Ma's short cryptic notes at the end of some of them are so tart and smart. I do miss them, well I guess I mean I miss the old days even though they were such tough days sometimes, we were always the center of their universe. In many ways we were spoiled, even though there was so little money and what money there was often paid debts, they always taught us how to live good, sound, respectful, intelligent, well fed, well read yet brave and at times odd lives. I will quote from one of Ma's notes because she always made me laugh with her great quips and understanding of human nature.

4 a.m - worked overtime, darn-it-the hell. (Paragraph symbol: P with a vertical line. Ma always used newspaper short cuts. I'll use the # because that's the closest I can get to it.) Beloved Brats - spoke with . . . . . . . about the electric piano and she wants $200.00 for it. She says she paid $600. I was stunned when she told me $600 and my face must have more than registered surprise, because she indignantly asked; "Well, how much did you think it cost me?" I almost blurted out $60 wondering why the extra $20! Personally I wouldn't give a book of S&H Green stamps for it even though she'd throw in her present "Baby Grand" with it! Meow! Meow! # Pauline did you get a good piano yet? #Gee whiz - I'll not be home when Joe tumbles in tonight!  but I swapped Monday for Sunday - so I'll be with him Sunday - miss you both like the very dickens! Love Ma XX

Ma was a trooper if there ever was one. Younger brother by 7 years was in school in Maine around that time so he must have been coming for a visit. I remember my younger sister and I bringing him to Maine or picking him up or visiting him and we drove up Cadillac Mountain in the fog! Odd ducks we were! But it was always interesting albeit scary at times!

Had a super ride in  our Big Kiddo's play thing - his Dodge Ram SRT10. He came for a visit with puppy today and before lunch offered me a ride - I've been waiting for one and I wasn't disappointed. He took off a few times and sat me back n the seat like it was nothing; impressive power. I'd love to have it to go grocery shopping. I'd go shopping everyday and twice on Sundays. Talked P&D's Pop into washing my poor little Hyundai - it's filthy. Gets dusty and gritty down here especially when we haven't had much rain lately. I did clean the inside yesterday so it'll be good for awhile.

Quote:  Recreation is not the highest kind of enjoyment, but in its time and place is quite as proper as prayer.    _____S. I. Prime