Birthday Blisters

After a long week of walking, walking, walking, it was good to get home and tend to my many blisters. It was if I had matching sets of blisters on each feet.  There is no way on earth a pedicure is in my near future. Not until I am healed.

I wanted to do a little birthday shopping, but I could not go far because of my feet.  I managed to hit a few stores nearby and picked up some ingredients to have a home cooked meal for a change.
 It was my groups day to bring breakfast to church on Sunday, February 25. Although I was exhausted, I made a couple of dishes and managed to stay on my feet until breakfast was over.
We had lunch at El Tapatio afterword's. At one point, I realized that this might be a set up for the lice hat and whip cream in my face since my birthday was this week. I hurried through the rest of my lunch and suggested that we leave.  It wasn't until we were in the parking lot that I revealed to the group why I was suddenly ready to vacate the place. Turns out, they had no intensions of putting me through the birthday torment.
I took a good nap on Sunday to recoup some energy that I exhausted during the week.  We met up with Keisha for her birthday dinner at Cheddar's later in the evening.

On Monday, February 26, 2018 Brooke and I went to pick up her consignment stuff that did not sell. She also picked up an $80 check.
Later, we went to Knight's Chapel for Jim Gaw's mother, Minnie,  visitation. We probably was there and hour and a half.
Darlene and Gary came over on Tuesday, February 27th. show brought me a journal for my birthday. It is so pretty. I have already began writing in it.

We spent the last day of February, Wednesday, at church right after dinner at Ruby Tuesdays.

Boom Boom Boom Boom....Bang Bang Bang Bang

Neither of us had ever been to New Orleans. It wasn't on our "Must Visit" list either, but when the opportunity arose, we figured we would check it out.

We love a good "business" trip.

On Monday, February 19, 2018, we began our week of adventures in the Big Easy. It was supposed to rain all week, but it never rained a drop.  We walked our legs off (about 15 - 20 miles). I came home with 6 blisters, a light sunburn and great memories with my best friend.

St. Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square

On Monday, we walked through the French Quarter and took a stroll down Bourbon Street.

We toured the St Louis Cathedral

 Lunch at the Gazebo Cafe where were were entertained by street artist and Jazz bands.

 An airboat tour of the swamp land, where he got to be first mate

 I also held a baby alligator

We had dinner on a balcony at Cornet on Bourbon Street. I got the red beans and rice.

 Some houses were still decorated for Marty Gras from the week before

Streets of  New Orleans...dirt, grime, and despair

 Breakfast at Café du Monde 

Jackson Square

We took the street car to the Garden District

 The Garden District. The cleanest and most beautiful part of New Orleans

Lunch at Joey K's

 Toured a cemetery

Strolled through Louis Armstrong Park

French Quarter NOLA on our walk back home

We happened to visit during the 300th Anniversary of New Orleans Louisiana

 Unicorn buggy rides.  Our carriage drivers name was Fiona

Awesome Dinner at Arnaud's New Orleans. We chose to sit in the room with the Jazz Band. You can also opt for the quiet room.  I ordered the Cornish Hen and it was amazing. 

 Breakfast at Monty's on the Square. Located just across the street form Café du Monde, this restaurant had a wide variety of breakfast menu items. Everything tasted great!

 Preservation Hall...the place to go for a genuine Jazz Band concert.  We stood in line for over an hour to get in. You have to, or the place will be full and you won't get in.  Figure out which show you want to see (we went for the 7pm) and get in line at least an hour before that.

Café Amelie 

A beautiful patio eatery. We had dinner here and it was delicious. To be honest, every meal we had in NOLA was great.  We branched out a little and tried some new things, but we didn't get brave enough to eat critters or turtle soup.😜

More walking and sight seeing.

Typical tourist stuff

Love the colors in the French Quarter.

Commanders Palace  Restaurant in the Garden District. 

Dress appropriately.

 Back to the French Quarter on our way to our place.

The little courtyard at our place was so cute and cozy.

 One thing I would like for tourists to know,  is that we never felt unsafe. 
From early mornings, to late nights, we always felt safe.

Rain Rain Go Away

I delivered some tables to CHS on Thursday, February 8, 2018 for the career fair.

The sad news for today is that our Krispy Kreme "permantly" (permanently) closed.

Apparently the person in charge not only doesn't use a calculator to track the finances, he also doesn't proof read before sending company documents to the printer.

I spent the evening at Wal-Mart shopping for Brooke's long list of "needs".

I got the tables picked back up on Friday, February 9, 2018 just before meeting our church family at Chili's for dinner.

It rained ALL DAY LONG on Saturday, February 10, 2018. The is going to be a soggy spring this year.  We couldn't do anything outdoors, but we did enjoy Ansley's band concert at Tech for about an hour. 

We also went to Verizon to check on some new phones.

After church on Sunday, February 11, 2018, we went to lunch at Olive Garden. 

Brooke and I spent the remainder of the day piddling around pricing items for a consignment sale. 

I had a horrible headache Monday, February 12, 2018. It lasted all day. 

On Tuesday, February 13, 2018, I had a massage appointment that helped ease my headache and relax my anxiety a little.  

My hunny bunny also cooked on the grill for dinner. That too eases my anxiety. 

We all know how much I despise cooking. 

For Valentine's Day, February 14, 2018, I had his favorite cookies delivered to his job straight from Savannah GA.  If you are ever in the Savannah area, you gotta get some praline cookies for the Savannah Candy Kitchen.

  We also made Valentines at church Wednesday night.

Fast forward to Saturday, February 17, 2018, we had a rainy day again, so  I went to daddy's for a visit.

Our church speaker was Nancy Knowlton on Sunday, February 18, 2018. I look forward to her visits. She is a great speaker.

Brooke and I dropped off the consignment sale goods on Sunday after church and lunch at Chili's. I got a few things done around the house too.

Five Days of February

I did absolutely nothing Saturday, February 3, 2018, but lay on the couch ALL DAY LONG.  I felt absolutely drained. I watched TV from the couch, I took naps on the couch, and I ate on the couch.

It was pathetic really.  But for some reason, I was beyond tired.

Both men of the house were down for the count Saturday too. They both have some kind of upper respiratory sickness going on. The are coughing, wheezing and blowing their noses constantly.  Who knows what we all will end up with.

We made it to church on Sunday, February 4, 2018.   We went to Cheddar's for lunch afterwords. When we got back home, I stripped the bed linens and washed them to try to clean any lingering germs (although both men are still sick).

Monday, February 5 was more of the same sickness.

  Tuesday, February 6, 2018, I started the day with coffee to see if that would help.

Dr. Nash and I met up for lunch.  

 I've been cooking dinner at home so that we don't have to get back out in the evenings.

Wednesday evening, February 7, 2018.

I picked up moms Quilt on Wednesday too. It is awesome. When I first laid eyes on it, I thought about how much I wish that mom could see it.  I love that her hand writing is on the quilt squares.  She worked on those squares in 1986.   Here I am, 32 years later, staring at the finished product. Sometimes, I just want to lay it on the ground and yell up to the heavens "Mom, can you see this?"  "Don't you just love it?".

I  do crazy stuff like that sometimes.  I know it makes no sense, but sometimes, I just feel better if I say it.  I ask mom questions, I tell her to look at things, I even put my hand out sometimes, so that she can hold it.

There is no imagining life without a mom.  Your imagination could never fathom the vacancy it leaves in your heart.   Nothing...and I mean NOTHING will ever fill a mothers vacancy in your heart. 

Sometimes, when I really feel the need to visit mom,  I go visit daddy.  So that is what I did.  I sit and talk with daddy and thank God that I still have him.  Daddy is gradually become more frail and fragile. He can hardly get from a sitting position to standing without help these days.  It makes me sad. My daddy is a man who wants to work, wants to go, and wants to be a part of things, but strength is consistently declining in him.  He got himself one of those lift chairs for the living room. He is wearing it out. I can tell that it helps. He also got a new Ford Escape because they are raised off the ground a little more so that he can get in and out of the vehicle easier.  I was glad to hear that he got a car fits him better. His truck was too high up, and the Lincoln and Convertible are too low.

We finished off Wednesday with a Fellowship meal at church.  

Winter Jam 2018

I had to pick up Lilly from the vet first thing Thursday morning, February 1, 2018.   Well, I say first thing, but it was actually 3rd thing. I had already been to McDonalds and Wal-Mart before 8am.
Lilly came out of the vet just as excited as she went in the day before. I wonder if she even knows what happened.

Friday, February 2, 2018 had a 2 hour delay for school because there was a chance of  an icy patch on the roadways.  It gave me a chance to get an early start.

Friday was the annual "Winter Jam" concert. I look forward to it every year...and every year I have a couple more people that ask me to buy tickets. This year, I bought 12 tickets (up 2 from last year).

It is the most uplifting event.  Praise and Worship on a Friday night sure beats any date night, girls night out, or any other activity.