bark

The life of Bently at Bark Avenue.

Oak Alley Plantation "Arts and Craft Show"

Sunday October 29th Art and I took a drive to Oak Alley Plantation. I love the drive on down River Road. The plantation faces the Mississippi river. Lining the walk way to the river are 28 two hundred year old oak trees.

The grounds were very crowded with people visiting the craft show and enjoying the beautiful grounds. There was one booth at the show that I was really impressed with.
They painted pictures using the soil from the river to create their paint colors.

My attention was captured by the orbs and narly roots of the oaks.

Can you imagine the tales these tree could tell if they could talk?
The history and the people they have seen.....

The Haunting

Four or five years ago I took this picture. It was a painting in the window of a store in the French Quarter. I do not know who the artist is. I wonder if they knew this picture it would haunt me. New Orleans is famous for its ghost stories.

A Gift from God

Open your eyes and listen with your heart.
There is an angel watching over you.

A gift from God. A new beginning.
Some days we may feel like that spot of dirt in a mud puddle.
We are not.
Did you know you are the color at the end of God's rainbow?
He wants to bless you. Just ask Him. Than open your eyes and listen with your heart. May you be blessed with God's gifts and lift your hands up in praise.
Thank you my Father in heaven.

Paying The Price

It is that time of the month and time to pay the bills again.
Every month is an new adventure in how to rob Paul to pay Peter in our Post Katrina era. Those of us who have stayed are paying the price with a higher cost of living.
For example: Last year Cricket's shots were $80.00 dollars. This included vitamins.
This year Cricket's shots cost $155.00. That is almost a 95% increase. Our light bill has a fuel adjustment charge that is double the amount of actual usage. The car insurance has gone up $65.00 over the last year. Our reward for no tickets and no accidents. I am not going to into what the increase is at the grocery store. Makes you wonder why people who have come back are now leaving.

Rainy Day In New Orleans

It was the green truck that caught my eye.

Diner at Dot's

Po-boy's and onion rings.

Good company and fat food. Tonight it was good for what ailed us after a long week at work. No we weren't the only ones in the diner. The picture was taken to show the old metal advertsing plaques on the wall.

your Dad

mustach and go-t

Mobile Blogging

Oh my gosh mobile blogging!!!
Now is that scary or what?
I just got the new Cingular 2125.
Another gadet for the gadet girl.
Now I can blog all over the USA.
How fun is that?

A Night on the River

Afternoon showers brought a beautiful evening.
Cooler weather and a gentle breeze brought us out of the house. With the Mississippi river in our back yard we decided to enjoy it. We went down the road to a park in Kenner. It has a pier that ends at the water's edge.

Cricket watched as two men fished below on the banks of the river.

It seemed as if the ships stopped to watch the sunset too.



"I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and for you,
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world …
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world."
--Louis Armstrong

21 Days Away

Life is about changes nothing ever stays the same.

21 days away and the anniversary of hurricane Katrina is fast approaching.
Plans are being made for a memorial for those who survived the storm. I am not going to participate.
Turning 50 last year on August 29th was a milestone in my life. I remember sitting in my Mom's livingroom with my eyes glued to the T.V. watching the destruction of a city I called home. This past year I have had a hard time just finding something or a reason for wanting to be in New Orleans.

milestone (n.) An important event, as in a person's career, the history of a nation, or the advancement of knowledge in a field; a turning point.

So this year I am heading to San Antonio to celebrate my 51st birthday. I am going to enjoy time with my daughter and granddaughters. I am going to celebrate life.

Around The World and Back Again

How long does it take to travel around the world and back again?
44 hours, 26 minutes, 2860 miles and 25 days. Plus I had to factor in the time spent at the rest areas where Cricket explored the land of a thousand dogs and my extra stops at McDonalds for coffee. I left New Orleans on June 15.
My first destinations was San Antonio, Texas.
I arrived a few days before a planned birthday party for my oldest granddaughter Hannah. Where did the time go? Hannah is now 10 years old. The birthday theme was dragons.
There were goodie bags stamped with a dragon and filled with Chinese hand-cuffs, fortune cookies and a chinese coin. The cake of course was a dragon cake. Evangaline my 7 year old granddaughter asked me to teach her how to bead. I was so inpressed. She caught right on and finished a strap for a necklace to give to her sister for her birthday. Next she asked me to thread a needle for her. She was on a mission to make someone else a surprise. "Look Grandma I made a Cricket a collar" We spent two of our days at San Pedro Park. It was amazing. The water was just right and the pool was the size of a city block. It is the second oldest park in the USA.
Those 11 days flew by. My next stop was Plano Texas to visit with Deb and Steve, who moved there after hurrican Katriana. We spent a day shopping at Sam Moons and went to the Marble Slab for ice cream.
I left the next day and headed to Michigan. My granddaughter Jocelyn was scheduled for surgery July 6th. She was born with CCAM. A congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation in her lung. It is a cystic piece of abnormal lung tissue that does not work like normal lung tissue. The surgery was sucessful and she will have a healthy normal life.
I am back home in the steam pit of the south, melting in the New Orleans heat.

25th Wedding Anniversay

On May 20th we traveled to Michigan for a special event. My sister Rosanne and her husband Geary celebrated their 25th wedding anniversay. Enjoy the pictures!



The night before we went to the church and set up for the reception.



Rosanne, Susie, Mom and Kayla. I dodged the camera being the one taking the picture!



My nephew Aman flew in from Grand Junction, Colorado. It was so good to see him. Our last vist together was over a year ago.



My children and grandbabies. It seems funny to call your grown kids children.
Eric, Amiee, Jocelyn, Ray
Allison aka Allicat, Joshua and Jen.



The picture show would not be complete without a picture of Cricket. Cricket enjoyed watching TV with my Mom on his vacation. It was a great visit.

Shoes Fit For A Cruise

I wish I could say all these shoes were going me with on the cruise. I couldn't think of a better way to take your beads to the high seas than decked out with beaded shoes and flip-flops. Watch on board for someone to have these on their feet
I don't think I can get away with wearing my boots under my dress on our formal night of dining!


I found my dress on QVC. You all know how much I dislike shopping.
Point, click and speed order the dress was here in less than a week.
My firend Crystal sent me a gorgeous floating necklace to wear. It is a perfect match for the dress. Maybe next year
she will be able to go with us on the cruise along with her beautiful beaded creations.

I plan on going all out before the cruise. We have a date with our favorite hairdresser in Gilmer. I see a manicure and pedicure in my future just before leave. Four more weeks. I am ready to take my beads to high seas.

It's a Girl!

We have a healthy baby girl! Jocelyn Cassidy Bowden was born today at 10:11 am. Weighing in at 7.12 lbs and 18 1/2 inches in length. Grandbaby number six is just as exciting as the first. I breathed a sigh of relieve and thanked God as I know my Ray and Jennifer did for our healthy baby girl. Jocelyn is a testiment to answered prayers. Shortly into the pregency the first ultra-sound showed four tumors on Jocelyn's lung. She was monitored once a month by ultra-sound and plans were made for her to be delivered at a hospital equipped to handle the delicate situation. We were all worried but put our faith and trust in God and prayed for a healthy baby. During the last month of Jennifer's prengency the tumors began to shrink. The last ultra-sound showed 3 of 4 tumors gone.

I believe in God's promises.
I delcared God's promise of healing for Joceylyn.
God hears the prayers of Mothers.

Lord,
Bless baby Jocelyn. Keep her safe, protect and guide her in this new life.
Amen

Puppy Tales

A Girl and Her Dog


This weekend I was told my puppy Cricket was my mid-life crisis baby. I suffer separation anxiety more than Cricket dones when we are apart. He travels with me when I go to Texas to visit Marcie. He has taken two vactions to Michigan.

Cricket has a girlfriend named Bailey.


Bailey is my sister Rosanne's girl. Now do those two make a pair or what? All dressed up in their Christmas scarfs. Looking like they are behaving. They sound like a herd of horses running through my Mom's house chasing each other around.

When Bailey has had enough she will scream at Cricket to leave her alone. Cricket is such a puppy he doesn't realize when he has pushed the envelope. I am so bad when I brought Cricket home I told my kids (who are grown up)I can't wait for you to met your new brother. He is one spoiled puppy and I love him to pieces.

Happy New Year 2006

Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.

This year I followed tradition and ate a New Years Day dinner with my friends.
We had black eyed pea with ham, cabbage in red sauce, pork roast and rice. This year I was brave and tried a little bit of everything. I made no New Years Resolutions other than to take each day as it comes.
Happy New Year to all.