Posts Tagged "Louisiana"

Some things just can’t be found in my part of Missouri.

First and foremost on my list of “gotta haves” was crawfish.  They’re darned expensive this year but they are big and they are good and I”ve had them twice.  My favorite crawfish place is only open on weekends so I’m hoping to get more this weekend.  They’re seasonal and I don’t get these every trip.

These are seasonal too.  Wal-Mart stores here used to carry these and I never could understand why they weren’t available in the KY and MO Wal-Mart stores but then I couldn’t find these at the Wal-Mart here either this trip.  They’re actually made in Ponchatoula, Louisiana by Elmer Chocolate.  Chocolate is about at the bottom of my favorites list but these Gold Brick eggs are better than regular chocolate.

And then there are the wonderful cupcakes!

These are one of the first things I get when I’m home. Jo’s Party House cupcakes!  They are so good — if you love sugar!

It’s a good thing I don’t come home more often than I do!  I’d be big as a barn.

As I left Louisiana this week, not even 40 miles from mom and dad’s house, with a zillion miles to go, I saw this lake.  It was gorgeous with the morning fog rising from it.  I passed it and thought . . that was so pretty.  I kept thinking about it so a little ways down the road, I turned around and went back to get a picture.

Then I drove a bit down a little driveway to get a better view.

And, just to prove to you that I don’t have a clue how to work Photoshop (nor is it on my new laptop yet), the wires are still in the picture.

Louisiana has some gorgeous scenery but I sure was glad to get to the Texas state line . . 70 miles per hour even on the back roads and paved shoulders!  You Texas folks . . I hope you appreciate those nice roads you have.  Oh yes . . you pay taxes and us out of state folks get the privilege of driving on those nice roads.  Thanks!

I haven’t driven in every state . . not even half the states; nor have I driven on every highway in Texas but so far, Texas gets my award for best highways!  But . . this post is about Louisiana . . so why am I talking about Texas?

I truly thought I’d get some sewing done while at mom’s but I never touched the sewing machine.  I brought 4 quilts that needed the binding finished and had planned to do those but . . did I say that I never touched the sewing machine? Nothing quilt related to show.  Mom has the Go Cutter and I thought I’d play around with that but didn’t do that either.  What did I do for 10 days?  I read, I knitted, I ate, I visited with family and friends . . it was a great vacation.  I did accomplish a couple of little things.  I helped Dad with his new camera; loaded Picasa on his desktop and laptop and showed him how to use it; helped Mom learn to use her Kindle and I knitted a bit.  Oh, I helped wash dishes once!

I knitted the second pink sock.

I knitted one sock out of my newest yarn.

Back to reality now . . cooking, cleaning, laundry and . . quilting!

I love my family but there’s no place like home.  My own bed; my own shower . . neither of which I’ve experienced yet today.  I left Lake Charles at 5:39 a.m. and arrived home at 5:45 p.m.  Long day on the road.  I was gone 12 days and while Vince and Chad did great with the house (that’s a bit of a stretch), they had dinner waiting for me but the white carpet had not been vacuumed in 12 days; the stairs had not been vacuumed in 12 days, the kitchen/hallway had not been swept in 12 days.  I didn’t know if the sheets on the bed had been washed so as soon as Vince left for class, I yanked the sheets off the bed, ran the vacuum cleaner, swept, dusted the bedroom and I think I’m about ready to drop!

My trip there was great.  The trip home . . I saw a dog get hit and I saw an 18 wheeler turned over and they hadn’t gotten the driver out yet.  Both those incidents had me in tears.

Mom got a Kindle while I was there and I think she has all the buttons figured out.  She’s scared she’s going to mess up something.  Dad got a new camera and Picasa installed on his desktop and laptop.  When I’m the one showing them how to work electronics . . we’re all in trouble!

I came home with a bunch of deer sausage from Kristy and her husband; eggplant, shrimp, shelled and frozen purple hull peas from mom and dad; and a big box of jars and lids from my aunt.  Stopped at a fruit stand in TX and bought peaches and figs.

Tomorrow I see the doctor to see what he says about the allergic reaction.  Then I think I’ll run up to the Amish store and see what I see up there.

My friend Eileen doesn’t cook.  I don’t ever remember her cooking much . . not sure if she just doesn’t like to cook or if her husband likes to cook so much that she just handed over kitchen duties to him.  Ever since I first met them, Roger was the cook at their house.

Over the weekend Roger had a crab/shrimp boil.

There were also big shrimp, yummy potatoes and corn but as soon as I saw the crabs, I put the camera away, rolled up my sleeves and went to work on the crabs.  They were so full and so good!

Roger also made creme brulee!  It was the best creme brulee I’ve ever had!

And, it was their daughter-in-law’s birthday!

Three kids and probably 15 years later, Amy is cuter and sweeter than I remember her being when she and Rick were dating.

Family, friends and great food . . it wasn’t easy leaving Louisiana!

I’m so ready for green grass and flowers.  These picture were taken at mom’s last spring.  I see banana trees in the background of the first picture.  Don’t think I’ll ever see those in my own yard here in MO but I’m desperate to see green grass and something blooming.  Even Kentucky had daffodils and jonquils growing wild and they’d probably be up by now.  I haven’t seen any hint of spring.  Darned groundhog!

Mom’s plants stay out year round and get brought into the sunroom on the coldest of days . . maybe twice a year.

Have I said lately that I miss Louisiana?  March . . thought it would never get here.  I’m making a trip south in March.  Kristy’s kids, mom and dad, crawfish, flowers . . can’t wait!

The quilt in the first picture was one of our Quilt for an Hour projects and that particular quilt was given to a local young man who had served our great country as a Marine.