My Girls

It is amazing how quickly my girls have grown. They will soon be adults and I am having some issues. I believe it is called the empty nest syndrome. I cry sometimes when I think about them leaving me but I also cry during sad commercials. They will tell you I am over sensitive but actually I am just a big cry baby.

They are so different my girls so much like myself and my brother. My brother with his white blonde hair and blue eyes and me the brunette with hazels eyes.

Ellie so much like me. She is my twin in almost every way. She is so responsible, very serious, she knows everything and argues her point until you are just tired of arguing and it is easier to just walk away. She has my temper explosive and wrathful yet she is so loving and wears her heart on her sleeve for everyone to see. There is no guile about her. What you see is what you get. She is her daddy's princess.

Erin has my brothers coloring but that is where the likeness ends. Intelligence hide behind those blue eyes and be prepared for a tongue lashing if she is in ear shot of a blonde joke. She will argue that she has to work harder for her grades because no one takes her seriously. She is a goof at times and a trend setter. She can be a cool as a cucumber impossible to know what she is thinking. She is charitable, kind and giving. She is my baby.

I love them both so much it breaks my heart to think that they will soon be grown and will no longer need me. Ellie off to the Navy soon already so grown up. Even though I protest loudly her decision to go into the military, I am still so very proud of her. She is ready to begin a new chapter in her life and I know I can not hold her back. I was on my own at 17 and I remember how strongly I felt about my independence.

However, Erin has a few more years before she can leave and I am kinda feeling sorry for her. I will have to smother her with all my affection and she really hates that.

The Steak House Ninjas

It being our last night in New Orleans my husband wanted to take us all out for a fancy dinner. For several days he asked around trying to find the best steak house in New Orleans. After a few mixed reviews he decided on the restaurant and made reservations. He decided on Dickie Brennan's Steak House in the French Quarter. I think a large part of his decision was based on the delicious food and service we received at The Palace Cafe which is owned and operated by Dickie Brennan, Steve Pettus and Lauren Brennan Brower.

The night started off well. As we were seated, my poor daughter was attacked by "The Ninjas". "The Ninjas" as my daughter called the wait staff. The poor young waiter went to place a napkin in Ellie's lap and she almost jumped out of her chair. He was so embarrassed, he didn't know what to say and he tended to stay away from her side of the table throughout the rest of our meal. I can't say that I blamed him. For the rest of the evening when we weren't eating we made a game of alerting Ellie when a "Ninja" approached the table so she would not jump and scare the poor waiters.

I have to say my hubby made an excellent choice in restaurants. We have been disappointed in the past paying too much for a piece of meat that no amount of steak sauce could save. We were all delighted with our meals. I ordered the chef's special Twin Filets over grits with a spicy garlic sauce. This was a very brave move on my part but I was intrigued by the choice grits served with this entree. Initially I found the reduction sauce over the filet very peppery almost too much but once I added all the flavors together the dish blended perfectly. I love my grits, I eat them with my eggs and my fish regularly but I have never eaten them with beef. I would never think to eat them with a filet. It was an awesome experience and a perfect dish for this old southern gal.

For 90 minutes, we were pampered and fed wonderful food and can't remember a moment during the entire evening when there wasn't something to eat on our table. The bread was warm and crusty. Fred ordered a starter of Portobello Fries. The salads were delicious - no ranch dressing here. And for dessert we had Bananas Foster over bread pudding, I have not enjoyed Bananas Foster since I was a teenager in Miami. I have to admit I was a little disappointed they did not prepare it at the table with the flame but it was very good none the less.

Life seems so dull now that we are back at home. Food doesn't taste the same, its tasteless and boring but after so much good food I see salads and other non-fat dishes in my future for a long time.

My Feet Hurt

I am guessing we walked well over 3 miles today and my feet hurt. I have discovered over the last few days that I am seriously out of shape. In Puerto Rico I blamed my shoes. I bought a pair of walking Crocs called Trailbreaks and they are ugly but comfortable until I have to walk any distance. I have discovered muscles in my feet and ankles that I did not know about. They are also useless trapsing through the woods. Our first day in New Orleans, after bursting into tears from the leg cramps trying to walk in my Crocs. my hubby made me stop and purhace a pair of flip flops. My feet and calves felt much better but after a few hours I developed blisters between my toes.

Thankfully, I brought my old boots. I have had them for years and they have not failed me yet. My old red clay covered boots saved me. They are not exactly the prettiest pair of shoes and I can't wear them with capris or shorts but they have allowed me to walk again. Disaster averted.

Working on the Farm.

We have spent the last several days working around the house. It is so pretty with everything starting to bloom. There is so much to do but little ambition from my crew. We are all addicted to our electronics and trying to get us off our phones and computers can be hard but some how we managed to get a few things accomplished.

Erin and I made a little headway on the yard cutting back bushes and helping Eleanor pull weeds. My back protested loudly on the weed pulling. This body does not bend and pull anything but I made those muscles work anyways. The yard is so pretty right now the camelias are in bloom although a little damaged by the earlier frost, along with the azaleas and the daffodils. The bumble bees are everywhere. It's funny watching Erin run from these poor critters like they even know she's there.

We worked on cleaning out the storage shed and loaded up the trailer for the dump and while we were making the run to the landfill, the girls finished painting the backside of the garage.

I found this little critter among some old carpet remnants that we took to the dump. He was very nice to just sit there and let me take his picture unlike the Bumble Bees who wont sit still for more than 2 seconds.

We only have one more day left to get things done. Today, I believe the men are putting up a chair rail on the front porch. I will be in charge of laundry washing and car cleaning because tomorrow we leave for New Orleans.