A lot done . . .

My Snowy Egret

Had a pretty busy day: bananas foster brioche for breakfast, money for the week from Central, walked the neighborhood and was almost hit by a Snowy Egret, dusted, vacuumed and dry mopped the kitchen and hall so when P&D's Pop came in to ask me if I'd like to go for a drink I acquiesced. Phew, I was all pooped out. It must have been because I also read the Advocate and watered the flowers!

We went to the Longhorn Steak House in Denham Springs. We had expected to just get a snack and drinks but they have a neat luncheon menu. For $7 P&D's Pop had Caesar Salad, some kind of cheesy  warm chips and chowder. For $8 I had tomato basil soup, raspberry salad dressing on all sorts of nice lettuce, fruit, and nuts plus tender slices of chicken and the same hot cheesy chips. The total with a good sized, excellent Margarita and a tall Bud was $29.95. They also brought out a nice warm bread and butter while we waited for our food. It looks like we've found a good place for afternoon get-a-ways when needed! When we returned P&D's Pop went to The Shed to work on his electric plane and I managed to listen to Français Authentique for about an hour which is really good for my French which is more than rusty. I also managed to play the keyboard and felt good about the practice. At P&D's Pop's suggestion I use a very old pair of glasses to be able to see the music without having to bend over close to the sheets. It's just perfect and I can sit up nice and straight which is good for my posture and also the right position for my fingers on the keys. I hope I stick with this because it's good for my brain and lack of nimbleness in my fingers! They lock up on me once in awhile. That is such an odd feeling but the keyboard makes me use my fingers a lot especially when I do the warm up exercises. Man, am I ever slow! I have picked out about four pieces that I used to play quite well more than 57 years ago! It seems so strange that it can be that long ago. But I feel as if I am accomplishing a little bit. I always liked the piano but I hated to have to play in concerts so the last concert when I was 16 years old and had practiced Solfegietto by Ph. E. Bach I made sure I was terribly ill and couldn't get to PCA to play. The thing is I really did make myself sick. No more worries about that now!

Quote:  Popular opinion is the greatest lie in the world.    ____Carlyle

Keyboard set up . . .

Not sure what possessed me to set up the Yamaha but it's all ready to go. I tested it and no glitches can be found because of the 1500 mile trip from Connecticut. Now I've got to get myself back to playing. That'll be another story I suppose. I wish I played easily but I don't and so I'll have to struggle but I still like piano and I have all sorts of beginner books as I never got past third grade books! I think the singing of Panis Angelicus before Mass this morning made me miss the music I grew up with. One of the music teachers at Killingly High made a tape of Panis Angelicus for our son when he was in high school so he could practice it and compete for a spot in The All State Choir. I've always loved that piece and he did get a spot! I believe that somewhere I have the tapes from at least a couple of the all state performances in Storrs.

We had an excellent afternoon yesterday with our son and his wife. The smoked brisket and pork butt were fantastic and we brought some home so there'll be a great supper tonight. The bread, cake and coleslaw I made were certainly adequate so we had an excellent lunch. The time just flew by. It was nice sitting on their porch swing, chatting quietly together as the world turned. Life can be soothing when we allow it to happen.

Think I'll see if I can play a little piano. I will start with some really easy stuff.

Quote:  He who has not a good memory should never take upon him the trade of lying.   ___Montaigne

Waxing nostalgic . . .(Bad on me - should have posted this Friday!)

Not sure why, perhaps because it will be the first Memorial Day that I haven't gone to the cemetery with flowers and so I'm thinking about Ma and Pa, Pépé Bonnin, Little Louise, MaTante Rose, Gram and Angie. No matter the years I think of them daily even if only to ask them to continue to watch over our families and friends. Spoke with younger brother and his wife and all is well in their neck of the woods. He told me that the cemetery looks good and there were flowers on Ma, Pa and Louise's plot. I have also spoken with our cousin Susan and it is thanks to her and her younger sister that there are flowers at the cemetery for our family. It is very thoughtful of our cousins to care for the graves. I was concerned about that when we left Connecticut and now I can smile because their graves will not go undecorated.

Spent the morning using my 1980's Oster Kitchen Center which Ma Tante Rose gave me those many years ago. I believe she received it as a gift from a bank when she opened a new account. There was quite a lot of competition back then and she would receive some nice gifts from the two banks she did business with. P&D's Pop helped me to sliver the cabbage for Ma Tante Blanche's coleslaw which we shall bring to Big Kiddo's home tomorrow to go with the brisket he's smoking as I write! I also decided that we needed a Black Coffee Cake and a Sally Lunn bread. It will be a nice quiet get together as daughter-in-law has just had shoulder surgery and will have to baby that shoulder for a while.

Went to South Park early this morning and was surprised at the amount on tree limbs, branches and leaves blown and scattered all over the place. One huge tree had also been toppled by the storm we had last Thursday night. Grampa managed to sleep through it but I was up having a can't-sleep-attack-snack and although I usually like to look out at the rain and lightening I couldn't get myself to open the blinds. The lightening was pretty fearsome and lasted for what seemed like a couple of hours. Not really sure how long it lasted but I finally went to bed and to sleep. The only non damage in the yard the following morning were leaves and small branches from someone else's trees and the watering can on the other side of the porch.

Quote:  Infant - Joy thou bringest, but mixed with trembling; anxious joys, and tend
er fears;  pleasing hopes, and mingled sorrows; smiles of transport dashed with tears.  ____Cottle

Interesting meeting . . .

Caught this guy sneaking around the neighborhood.

Two legged Great Egret

There were quite a few neighbors at the first Home Owners Association Meeting and a second meeting has already been set for June. We even had one of our Livingston Parish representatives at the meeting. Besides the concern with one gentleman trying to sell his acre of land and house for commercial purposes the quest for city sewer lines also came up. That might be costly but I would certainly go for it. These engineered systems aren't too great. Sewers in ditches isn't very pretty or at times aromatic! There was also concern about having a neighborhood watch which I think is a good idea but the concern about a subdivision sign so people know where you live seems silly to me. I think we were the only ones who didn't put an x in the box to show that was an important concern for us! Everyone agreed that they did not want to have a commercial building at the entrance to the subdivision off of Juban and it is already being looked at by Parish officials or Denham Springs officials. I haven't got this whole Parish/City politics thing figured out yet. We seem to have more elected officials than there are streets in DS. At least we're on the right track and in two years I believe that as long as a majority of the home owners sign off on it we can renew the ordinance that says no property can be sold for commercial purposes in Ashland Plantation.

The idea of a neighborhood watch was interesting to me today because as I walked my usual rounds this morning two young men, one dragging a beer can behind him on a string walked from Juban into the neighborhood. I said hello to them as I always greet people as I walk around and continued my walk. When I turned around in front of the Big House they ended up walking up Ashland Bend in front of me. I guess the tall thin kid got a little shamefaced about dragging the beer can on the road just to make noise because he slung it around his neck. I was bothered a bit because when they walked by the house across from ours where there is a large fifth wheel travel trailer the shorter, dirty blond young man took his phone out of his pocket and I didn't see him raise it to speak on it but it seemed to me he showed an interest in the travel trailer. I decided to lengthen my walk to see where these two kids lived if they were a part of the neighborhood so I kept walking behind them until they turned left on Brown Road. The shorter, blond kid kinda slowed down to let me pass him and did speak a few words about the beautiful day for a walk. Maybe I shouldn't have been suspicious since school is out now and perhaps they were just taking a shortcut home but still I was a bit leary because not too many people walk here except the people who live here. It may have been just an innocent walk through along with the Egret fly through earlier!

Almost time to leave for my Snoball at Deb's inWalker. Hope she's open and not busy! I feel a need for a blackberry or blueberry Snoball!

Quote:  Dissimulation is often humble, often polished, grave, smooth, decorous; but it is rarely gay and jovial, a hearty laugher, or a merry, cordial, boon companion.    _____Bulwer

It's going to take me a while to get over this one . . .

The last time my husband mowed the lawn he got stuck twice in the mud and so he had me sit on the tractor/mower and put it in gear while he pulled the mower out of the mud - twice, mind you. We have a truck and we have strong gear to hook to a truck that could pull a tractor/mower out of the mud with me on it besides. Well all went fine for a short bit until husband's back really started to bother him. He never complains so you know that if he's complaining and allowing me to get him a cane so he can get up off of a chair something is truly bad. Just by luck he had an appointment at the VA a few days later but he told them he was already getting better. Of course that night his back was really, really bad so I asked him to call the VA to see if they could help him out. In the meanwhile I went to Home Depot and bought some boards for the bed because he sleeps better on a hard surface. I removed the foam pad I had gotten and I lifted up the mattress so he could slide the boards in. Remember here that my chest is still tender from a bit of surgery. But there was no way I liked seeing him struggling with pain. The VA didn't call back until two days later when they said that on the third day he could go to their pharmacy in Baton Rouge to get some meds that should help ease the pain. I drove him to the VA and he started the meds as soon as we got home. At 3am it happened that both the muscle relaxer and the pain pills were set to be taken at the same time, which he did without food. So all day Sunday he was throwing up. Also keep in mind that we had the puppies here so I worried a bit about them too making sure they were well fed, watered and walked. Monday he was much better and the puppies went home. Last night we walked to a neighborhood get together and said husband still had trouble with his back and couldn't sit well which leads us to today. I had a doctor's appointment and when I got home the neighbor whom I had hired to mow the lawn from now on was at work. The yard looks fantastic and I'm so proud of myself for being a thoughtful, caring wife except - I noticed that the circle was mowed and thought that was nice of the man I hired to mow the circle too. I figured he just wanted the neighborhood to look nice since no one owns the circle but my husband had taken it upon himself to keep it mowed. Well, you guessed it, while I was at my appointment husband decided the mower's tires needed to have air in them because they leak (knowing that he did not have to mow and that I was paying someone to mow he still had to put air in the tires and what the hell once you have air in the tires you might as well mow the circle.) He supposedly got that done before the men hired to mow and trim the yard came. I have never been so pissed off in 50 years of having this husband. How on earth can he think it's okay to hurt his back; scare his wife as she sees him struggle to move around and she does all in her power to not cause him any work at all; sets up the TV in the bedroom because he can't sit quite comfortably yet and then when she gets the time to go to an appointment he bounces around on the mower getting it out of the small shed, bends to put air in the tires and then mows the circle. I give up. I quit. I have never been so beside myself with anger at the sheer asininity of what he did. That's it. I'm still pissed and he will not understand why, I'm certain of that. I may have to scream. (I think I have removed all of the really bad words.)

Saturday night error . . .

Our first crape myrtle in bloom; so glad it's pink. 

Grampa spent a horrible day yesterday; couldn't keep anything down. But today he seems to be doing okay. It seems the combination of muscle relaxer and pain pills taken at 3am into Sunday morning was a very bad idea. The hours to take the two sets of pills happened to coincide at 3am. He hasn't taken anything today except two Advil. The back is very slow at getting better but P&D's Pop is working in The Shed on his first electric plane as I write. It looks good and it's good to see him feeling better. Yesterday was pretty awful. Not used to P&D's Pop sick - don't like it one single bit. Makes me feel terrible too!

Just found out that Terminix is supposed to be making sure we don't get fire ants. The technician came this morning and sprayed and set bait. I told him we've been putting poison on the few little hills we've seen as I didn't realize that we not only had termite control with them but pest control too. You can be sure I'll be hollering if I see another fire ant! He said the poison doesn't get to the queen most of the time which is why they put out bait so the ants will bring back the food to the whole family! He had better be right because I don't like those ants and the fact that we've been putting stuff on them and not calling Terminix! My fault for not reading or understanding the contract. They'll be back in July unless we need them sooner. The man said that the ants travel far and you can never get rid of all of them on your property because they'll come from the neighbor's yard too looking for food.

Got our invitation to the homeowners meeting yesterday evening. It's at 7pm tomorrow in the Big House's Backyard. We may only be able to stave it off for two more years. I think the restriction clause runs out after 25 years. We'll find out tomorrow night. Planning on a quiet day. May go and buy a flag to put out for Memorial Day.

Quote:  To study philosophy is nothing but to prepare one's self to die.   ____Cicero

This is a first . . . Exactly 60 . . .

Wow, I am impressive. The chocolate chip cookie recipe always says it makes 60 cookies but I have never gotten that many out of a batch; today I did it, exactly 60 and I only had to eat one raw one to accomplish this extraordinary feat. I deserve some ice cream to eat with these warm cookies. I chose to use the convection oven and it worked well. I had tried it with a roast and I didn't like it at all. I suppose if I read the manual I'd be in better shape.

The VA finally got back to P&D's Pop yesterday late afternoon and this morning I brought him to the clinic in Baton Rouge and he picked up a muscle relaxer and some pain pills.  They seem to be helping but he must still walk, sit, stand and lie down very gingerly. The puppies are on perfect behavior. Old Shelbie sleeps all day except for a bathroom break or two and young Daytona watches out of the front door to see what's going on in the neighborhood before deciding she wants to lie out on the back porch in the shade. They were as quiet as mice all night now that we have figured out that Daytona likes to sleep in her bed in the big bathroom! It's funny. When we had to go to the VA she had no problem just getting into her bed and I closed the door but not tightly. All was perfection when we returned.

I've been walking closer to home lately because of the heat and also because Grampa isn't quite up to par. Yesterday the neighbor in the Big House stopped in his red truck to introduce himself as he's been gone for 21 days. It was nice meeting him but I do believe that when he explained that the man on the corner of Juban and Ashland had his property for sale and it is now being offered as a commercial property he was letting us know that that wasn't going to fly. He's already spoken to the town fathers and they didn't realize that there is some sort of ordinance which prohibits this subdivision from having any commercial zone even if it is on Juban. Last night his wife and our neighbor, Lisa, dropped by with the maps and paperwork for the subdivision. It seems they've gone through this before with the same man. So we'll be part of a property owners association and make sure the town fathers get it right. It seems the man who owns the property is from New Orleans and was renting it and the lady committed suicide in the house. Well, whatever the reason I agree that we really don't want that
acre being used as a commercial property. It seems the owner offered to sell it to the man in the Big House for $400,000. He must be nuts. I guess he bought it about five years ago for $125,000 and if I recall correctly the residential acre with house was advertised for $180,000. We'll see what transpires.

Quote:  Pliability and liberality,  when not restrained within due bounds, must ever turn to the ruin of their possessor.   ____Tacitus