Way down south

in the Louisiana bayou is my iphone-Reporter. I have my own special contributors to my blog. Remember, here I  had asked for pictures to be submitted for me to use for stories on my blog. I have had several responses. I call them my iphone-Reporters. It's like I have my own CNN network.

This iphone-reporter was out fishing in a tournament (story to come on that later). And this was the image right before their eyes. It is a a true southern louisiana bayou scene. It's almost picture perfect. It couldn't be any better. That little fellow was just sitting on the limb while they were fishing and trolling by. Brandon was my iphone reporter for this magnificent scene. Thank you Brandon for sharing it with me. He doesn't know I'm posting it here.

Want to be a contributor? Just text me a picture!!

Sick

The "dog-child", (a.k.a. Poochie) has been ill. Nothing major. Just constant ear scratching.

Which calls for a vet visit before it gets any worse. I gathered her harness and leash and got her dressed for the ride to the vet, which is 22 miles away.. I even combed her coat real good so she would look nice and brushed her teeth. She likes to ride. But, she undoubtedly did not want to go to the vet,. She fussed all the way there.

Then the sad part. She was scared when we got called back to the exam room. She was shaking and didn't make a sound.

A change of attitude. After the exam is over and a well deserved treat, she thinks it is all over. That's her vet in the background updating her electronic chart and coming up with a diagnosis. 

All's well. Pay up and get our stuff and let's get out of here.

Diagnosis:  allergies, don't know what kind though.Only irritation on the inside of the flaps of her ears.

Treatment: steriod shot to relieve itching in the ears,; benedryl to relieve itching; and a change in diet to see if that is where the allergy is coming from. (Don't tell me another 10 years of allergy visits to the vet.)

Anyways, Good Doggie!

So, on the way home, we stopped and treated myself for being such a good dog-mom.

gin

Try this at home

Usually, it's don't try this at home. But this is so cute, I just may have to try it at home. I don't have a cat (would sure like to have one though, hint,hint),  so I'll have to put the Poochie dog to the test on both of these videos. It probably won't be the same, though. Cats are just so perfect!


Check out this great MSN video: Klepto Kitty


And, try this one, too.

Check out this great MSN video: Cat-tographer

What I Read

I'm usually not a book worm. I don't take the time and  I can't sit still long enough to actually get interested in a book. But, this book just might turn me into a book worm.

I read this 364 page paperback in just about  4 hours. No stopping to eat, no breaks, did take a couple bathroom breaks. I just couldn't put it down. I found the book at work in a back room. So with nothing else to do at work, I read the book.

Lady Jasmine begins with her racy life style in her early college years. She needed money to support her self and pay her way thru college. Then later on in life she falls in love for real and marries the guy she will spend the rest of her life with -- a minister.  They are heavily involved in his father's church in Harlem. There's lies, blackmail, and wanting  what she wants  and won't stop still she gets it. She manages to bring down 4 high profile members of the church while the senior pastor of the church, her husbands father, lays in a coma in the hospital for several months. And all along, she professes to be a Christian, praying daily, and actually ends up --- well you have to read it to see how Lady Jasmine ends up.

It was good.  How can an author come up with all this stuff. There is a saying "you can't make this stuff up".   Well this story was constant action. Lady Jasmine was non-stop. (or either I was just bored out of my mind).

gin

Classic Valentine

We spent a quite Valentines Day at home, after a long day at work.  A small simple dinner of 2 very large chef salads -- 2 kinds of lettuce, shredded ham, roast, and cheese, tomato, onion, bell pepper, boiled egg slices, and I don't know what else was under all that. But it was good. We got it from the little country restaurant/store down the road.  Very good.

Then. Cut the cake. Get to the best part of the meal.

look here for my recent Gambino's cakes

This is always my valentine treat. Every year for 37 years my husband brings me home a cake -- either from Gambino's or Baums Bakery,  It was just as delicious as the big salad, but in a very different way. It won't last long, believe me.

gin

Inspiration

We spent a few hours doing the monthly shopping for groceries, toilet paper, and stuff like a new mail box, cause ours was broken, and some bird feed, cause the birds have been eating us out of house and home this cold weather.

 And stopped at Cracker Barrel to eat a mid afternoon meal. You probably agree with me that Cracker Barrel is a good place to shop for stuff that you don't need. They have such pretty and unique stuff.
While gawking over all their stuff that I did not need,  I came across this cute little replica of the sock monkey. Remember the sock monkey made out of the brown and tan socks, and he had the long legs and arms? Well this looks like a sock duck to me.

I'm going to hunt some yellow patterned socks and see if I can come up with this sock duck.

Then there are these cute bunny and bird applique quilts.

 

 This gives me some good inspiration for the Easter season. I'll see what I can do.
gin

5 years old

Joe is growing up fast, so his mom says.  But they all grow up fast. He had his birthday in January.

Here is Joe showing me he is 5.

He's all boy, ruff and tuff, running and jumping, and cute as can be.

 Happy Birthday Joe. We love you.


gin
 

Winter Routine

It's cold outside. Can't enjoy the weather cause it's too cold. Don't want to stop anywhere on the way home cause it's too cold. Once home don't want to do anything outside cause it's too cold. Are you getting my drift.  IT IS TOO COLD. I didn't even stop for gas, cause it was too cold. Just hope I don't run out before I get back into town. I've been told,  E  is not for enough. It is for empty. And the Low Fuel light means "stop now for gas."

I come in from work. Fix dinner. Clean  kitchen. Throw clothes in the washer. Then pile up on the couch watching Seinfeld, another Seinfeld, the Office, some CNN and what ever else the remote stops on. Then bath and bed. 

I have no life in 30 degree weather. I have to have 99 degrees to be happy.


So I will end with a warm fuzzy picture

gin

WiWW

I am participating in What I Wore Wednesday.

Black & Pink printed top -- Target
Black pants -- don't remember, old
Black suede ankle boots - TJMaxx

Look here for more WiWW.

Countdown to fun

The next few weeks should bring some fun.
Of course there is Valentines Day next week.
Then there is birthday celebration for me, Bobbie, and Julie (Feb 27 and March 2)
Then party with Mardi Gras thru March 8th.
And the first day of spring on March 20th.

I'm looking at chocolate candy, birthday cake, king cake, and spring time.
Couldn't be sweeter.

gin

A 10 pounder

I want leaner, tighter, sculptured, showy, sexy upper arms. And this, I hope, will get them for me.

I did this last summer, but got kinda lazy during the winter. But I'm starting again with 10 pounds in each hand.

They are kinda heavy, but you get used to them after 10 minutes.

Move over Michelle!

gin

Wintery Scene

These cute little green pine trees are dressed for winter. They are coated in ice from the wintery mix we had this week. 

gin

January Birthdays

Did  a little celebrating in January for birthdays and anniversaries. We did have 2 cakes. That was my fault. We ordered one cake for the planned big day. At the last minute, we could not go, so they all celebrated without us. Then we planned another day and ordered another cake.

#1 Brandon and Julie's wedding anniversary                      #2  Chris' Birthday  

  

#3 JoeJoe's birthday                                                                #4 Larry's Birthday

 

 Why do you think  some  ran from me and the camera and would not look?

We met at a Mexican restaurant to eat, then went to Jennifer's apt for birthday cake, played Dance 2 on wii, and back home.

gin

A wintry mix

The first wintry mix of 2011 down in the south finds schools closed, businesses sending employees home, grocery stores packed with shoppers -- because you know it just might get a little bit of ice on the overpasses and bridges and we're not use to that. So everything is blown way out of proportion.  So in the winter we actually live for "wintry mix" so we can stop and slow down for a minute.

So here I am at home.     

Icicles are beginning to form on the roof edge on a gray dreary winters day.

There getting bigger by the hour.
 

Soup is on.

 I made homemade vegetable soup with beef, onion, celery, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, peas, corn, carrots, beans, okra, tomatoes and tomato sauce.  It's delicious.

Fire is blazing.

Flannel jammies and sock feet.

Now, all tucked in inside out of the cold. Life stops for part of  a day, just because of mother nature.
Tomorrow we find that it didn't get as bad as the weatherman said it would, so life is back in full swing.

gin

Hornets

The New Orleans Hornets Basket Ball Team makes my headlines today.

Brandon and some friends had tickets to the Hornets home game in New Orleans this week.
He sent me pictures.

They were up top in a private suite thing with catered food, luxury seating, and what ever else comes with the vip treatment.

Remember my plea for pictures? Well it worked. At least someone read my post.

gin

Easy,delicious, oven roast

Try this simple recipe.

1 beef roast
1 can mushroom soup
1 package Lipton onion soup mix dry
Pepper

Line baking pan with heavy aluminum foil. Use a large enough piece to be able to fold over roast and seal along top and edges so gravy does not leak out.

Put 1/2 of the can of mushroom soup on top of the foil in the pan.
Sprinkle 1/2 of the Lipton onion soup mix on top of the mushroom soup.
Sprinkle black pepper on top and bottom of roast.
Place roast on top of mushroom soup and lipton soup mix.
Put remainder 1/2 can of mushroom soup on top of roast. Spread around on top of roast.
Sprinkle remainder 1/2 package of Lipton onion soup mix dry on top of mushroom soup.
Fold alum foil over, sealing top and edges.

Bake 3-4 hours on 300 degree. (Bake 1 hour per pound).

You will have a delicious roast, and a delicious gravy, and no messy pan.

You can also substitute chicken breasts.

gin