Happy Birthday, Ashley

My baby girl is thirty today. At the risk of sounding cliché, the years have gone so quickly. This is a shot of Ashley when she was about the same age as Walker is now. Happy Birthday, Ashley!

Lawn Mower

I got a new lawn mower for my birthday from Jay and Briana. It' a great gift and although I was getting by just fine, I admit that it was probably needed. The old green machine was passed on to me by my mother-in-law in 1979 so I don't know how many years it has actually been mowing grass. It took a gas oil mix and sometimes left a bit of a blue smog as I trudged through the yard. The new machine takes less pushing because its self propelled and I no longer have to mix the oil and gas. It works great and for now its all pretty and shiny, but I did scuff up the handle a bit already getting too close to the neighbor's chain linked fence. I bet it will be awhile till it looks as bad as the old mower that was cutting my grass for the last thirty six years. If you know anybody who could use this old antique let me know or it will probably show up on my driveway with a "FREE" sign when the neighbors have a garage sale this summer.

Birthday Picnic

On Saturday afternoon we gathered to celebrate Ashley's birthday. The big day isn't until Tuesday but the weekend worked well so we had a little party. Because it was so nice we did everything outside and it became a pizza picnic with sidewalk chalk, t-ball and lots of driveway fun. I always think that birthdays should last more than one day and this was a great way to get it started.

 Lincoln really isn't being overly safe. He spent much of his time riding his bike and is very comfortable just leaving his helmet on throughout the party.

Time to Shop

All the walking is paying off and my clothes are annoyingly saggy. One of the downsides of losing weight is that I have to go shopping. As much as I don't like spending money, its the actual shopping that is the toughest part. I actually went shopping two evenings this week, once for pants and once for tops. I just got basics but came home drained. At least I have some pants that don't feel grossly stretched out and saggy by noon. Its even worse when I need to go shopping because my clothes are too tight so although I have done this many times before, I am not complaining too loudly.

Rainy Monday

 Mondays off are best when Ashley, Lincoln and Walker come over to visit. It was great to spend this rainy Monday with them after having been gone for more than a  week. Lincoln and I walked around the block looking for worms and puddles. I was so impressed that he walked the entire way. Its almost a mile. Walker spent most of the day inside snuggling or sleeping but we ventured out between showers. Lincoln and I even transplanted our pumpkin seedlings into the garden.

We decided to pick some rhubarb to make a special treat for Daddy. When I showed Lincoln the rhubarb I pointed out that the leaf was very big, big enough to be a hat. Lincoln said, "It's my umbrella. Or a parachute!" He continues to amaze me.

Homeward Bound

 When we left NOLA we took time to explore a bit of Louisiana and Mississippi as we traveled toward home. The state capital building in Baton Rouge is the tallest capital in the country and it was interesting stop with much attention given to the governor who was assassinated in the building.

 St. Francisville, Louisiana was a great stop. It's a small southern town that is recognized for architecture and art. I was impressed by the live oaks with Spanish moss because its such a southern thing. I was also quite impressed with the food at the Magnolia Café. We stumbled on this one. Its actually set back from the road and difficult to notice. My bluesy salad was delicious and I will duplicate it at home often; greens, apple, cranberries, walnuts, red onion, blue cheese and chicken.

 We lingered so long in St. Francisville that we didn't arrive in Vicksburg Mississippi until after the national park battlefield visitor center had closed. We stopped at Tomato Place for some information. It was an interesting place and the people were very helpful. Dale wanted to see the battlefield so we got a hotel and spent the night. We walked three miles through the monuments with a local woman who gave us our own guided tour when we met her on the road. Since the forecast was rainy we were happy to see some of the park that evening. She also gave us a tip for a great dinner of crab cakes and peanut butter pie at Rusty's. Its a good thing we took a long walk!

The forecast was right and it was heavy rain through most of the morning. We were two of very few visitors in the park that day but we got the CD and drove through. When the showers let up occasionally we would get out of the car and visit some of the many monuments erected by the states that fought in that battle.

 Jackson was our last stop in Mississippi to see the state capital building. They were incredibly hospitable and it was an impressive building. I believe the Sergeant at Arms may have had some extra time on his hands. He talked for a very long time even pulling up photos of his tomato plants on his computer screen for us to see. He was happy to take a photo of us too. It was actually rather funny.

When we left Jackson we were ready to focus on getting home. We did make a stop in Memphis for another dinner on Beale Street then found a hotel after getting down the road another hour. After being gone for eight nights and traveling almost three thousand miles we arrived home on Saturday evening discussing what the next trip might be. It was a good vacation and it was good to be home again.

NOLA

 

Dale and I had both been to New Orleans before but since we were so close I wanted to go again. It is such a unique city with a very distinctive energy. I am so glad that we added it to our trip.

 

 We got a great hotel just a few blocks from the French Quarter and enjoyed walking around the area. It was a 24 hour visit but we put on lots of miles, actually ten full miles of walking the first day and we arrived at noon! It's a good thing that we got that much exercise with all of the great food.

 One of our breaks to rest our feet and cool off was at this tiny little bar in an alley. What a fun little find!  It was warmer than I would normally prefer but walking on the shady side of the street and little tables for drinks or snacks were very helpful.

 The food was amazing and Oceana just may have served me my  favorite dish for this trip. The sauce was amazing and the shrimp and alligator sausage were a delicious blend. The city is known for food and we got some of the favorites like muffalettas and red beans and rice also.

 

Yummy, beignets and café au lait for breakfast at an outdoor café!

I always look forward to walking down Bourbon Street but I prefer it early. I don't need to be on Bourbon Street after dark. I actually think Royal Street is my favorite. So grateful to get the chance to explore New Orleans again. It was a great stop.