Life in High Heels

Family Tradition

2011-12-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

There is a firm rule in our house—you must believe in the spirit of Christmas to receive a gift. The magic of Santa may have faded as the years piled on, but what he stood for never has. In my mind, Santa represents the spirit of giving within all of us. And most giving starts with one thing—shopping.

Since before I can remember, my family has always gone shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving. We don’t do the whole Black Friday thing with all of its door-busting and getting in line at 3 a.m. to save $10. For us, it’s more of a take-your-time, enjoy yourself, fun family tradition.

When I was younger, I always wanted to join my mother and Aunt Donna on their shopping excursion. It seemed like so much fun! They shopped locally owned, small businesses before it was trendy and cool. My mother’s good friend owned a toy store in Baton Rouge called Victoria’s Toy Station. That was their main reason for going shopping every year. They would spend all day hitting the small boutique shops and enjoying one another’s company. I wanted to go because I thought it would be fun. I also thought if I went, maybe I could even score a few extra presents!

As I reached my early teen years, my mom and Aunt Donna decided I was old enough to join them on their annual shopping trip. I asked my friend Kate to join me. We were so excited! Well, that excitement was pretty short-lived. We realized that shopping was also a very serious matter among my family members. They hit the stores with their lists ready. (My mom even has a book of what she gave who last year so she doesn’t give the same gift twice.) They have been known to spend over two hours in Victoria’s Toy Station picking out the perfect toy for even the youngest family member. They literally shopped until someone dropped.

I have a very clear memory of crawling beneath a Christmas tree with Kate and collapsing, unable to go any further, hoping they wouldn’t find us so we could get just a moment’s rest.

Several years passed before I attempted to join the ladies on their quest again.

Now, as an adult, our little group continues to make our pilgrimage every year. Aunt Donna, my cousins Kristen and Kim, my mom and I pile into our cars that Friday morning and head to Baton Rouge. Our first stop is still Victoria’s. All these years later, she still looks for our bright faces at opening time on that Friday. Her daughter now helps to run the shop, and we look forward to seeing pictures of her own sweet baby girl that might one day help us to shop in her grandmother’s store. We still take our time with our careful selections as we buy for a whole new generation.

This special day is one I look forward to every year. It’s a Christmas tradition that reminds us of the importance of family and the spirit of giving.

Keeping It Local

2011-12-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

We tell small children to write their letters to Santa early enough so that Santa’s elves have time to make the toys they wish for. The mighty elves at Neiman Marcus follow the same rules, too. The department store puts out its Christmas Book in mid-October, including a list of Dream Gifts that the top 1 percent of the top 1 percent can probably afford. A tradition dating back to 1926, this year’s dreams include his-and-her fountains, an around-the-world flower show tour and a custom-designed yurt (complete with pillows from Rebecca Vizard of St. Joseph, La., and a custom, hand-crafted crystal chandelier from New Orleans-based Julie Neill Designs).

As I was perusing this year’s selection of unobtainable items, I noticed something interesting. As a reward for purchasing such an elaborate gift, Neiman Marcus will donate a portion of the proceeds to select charities; for example, in return for purchasing the $1 million his-and-her fountains designed by WET, of Bellagio fountain fame, Neiman Marcus will donate $10,000 to water.org, an organization that provides safe drinking water in developing countries.

Now, don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with this idea of buying something that gives to a larger, worldwide nonprofit or organization. I personally purchased pink items during the month of October because a portion of the proceeds went to help with breast cancer research through the Susan G. Komen Foundation. I know research from these larger charities could very well save my life, or the life of another.

But there are many charities right here in the Houma-Thibodaux area that could use our donations, too. Many of them host their own fundraiser, with silent auctions full of donated items from local merchants and artisans. Junior Auxiliary of Houma will host their annual Denim and Diamonds event on Nov. 3. The proceeds go right back into Terrebonne Parish to help fund service projects dedicated to the well-being of women and children. TFAE will host Great Conversations on Nov. 8 to help provide local kindergarteners in public schools with an educational book of their own. These are just two small examples of local organizations that take your donations and return them back to your community where you choose to live, work and raise your family.

Other ways to give back locally include volunteering your time by joining a local service organization, such as Rotary, Junior Auxiliary or Habitat for Humanity. Donate old clothing to TARC’s Cedar Chest and help provide this amazing group of citizens with a meaningful employment opportunity. Or give the greatest gift of all—life—by donating blood at a local blood bank.

You can always give back to your community through the simple act of shopping locally. As you flip through the pages of this month’s magazine, notice all the local advertisements for independent retailers. By purchasing the products they sell or the services they offer, you help to keep your hard-earned money in this community.

What are some of the charities that are close to your heart? Share them with our readers by logging onto our Facebook page and starting a conversation. Introduce a whole new generation to the importance of giving.

Another Man's Treasure

2011-12-03T16:09:00.000-08:00

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

If you could find an original, authenticated, autographed copy of this quote from the guy that first said it, someone in my new TV lineup would probably buy it and then make a small fortune selling it to a collector he just happens to know.

I have been relentlessly watching shows with historical value that provide me with endless entertainment, like “Auction Hunters,” “Storage Wars,” “Pawn Stars” and “American Pickers.” I can’t get enough of these colorful characters, most of whom make a living buying and selling old storage lockers and units. They never hesitate to bid, and sometimes continue to bid just to drive up the price for a competitor.

My favorite character on these shows is a toss-up between Ton from “Auction Hunters,” who loves stuff with motors, guns and things that go boom, and Dave from “Storage Wars,” whose unmistakable “Yeeepppp!” can be heard from across the parking lot of the storage facility he is bidding at.

One of the reasons I like these shows is the information I receive—amazing facts that I learn as my favorite vultures descend upon their new moneymaker. I have learned more about Americana than I ever thought possible. As items are discovered, a short history of the items and why they are valuable is given. I have learned about collectibles like flintlock firearms, Oswald clocks, circus posters and political paraphernalia, such as buttons and dolls.

The people in these shows view everything with dollar signs in mind. It makes the pack rat in me wonder how much potential value is hidden away in my attic or garage. But even if I did have a priceless piece of “who-knows-what,” I wonder if I would even consider that “whatchamacallit” to be valuable, or just an old “thingy” that was inherited. Then comes the big question: Who in the world do I sell it to?

These shows have endless resources willing to authenticate, give historical significance to and appraise items ... and a never-ending array of vendors ready to buy their newly acquired junk, or should I say ... treasure?

Smile!

2011-09-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

Good ol’ Mr. Webster defines the word smile as “a facial expression in which the eyes brighten and the corners of the mouth curve slightly upward and which expresses especially amusement, pleasure, approval or sometimes scorn.” Wikipedia reminds us that “smiles can communicate feelings as different as love or contempt, pride or submission, flirtatiousness or polite tolerance.”

In my book, a smile is just an amazing thing.

Baby’s first smile at her mother; that flirtatious grin from across the room; the smile as you see your bride for the first time; the look on your grandparents’ faces as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. It is the first thing we request the moment a camera is whipped out. We text the image to one another and email with it every day. :)

You all know how much I like reading blogs on the Internet. I recently came across a blog that follows the life of a young single mother who often has trouble finding things to smile about. She has begun to make a list for the days when she needs “her frown to turn upside down!” It has inspired me to start my own. Not every day is a happy one; sometimes you need a little reminder. I’m not the most positive person. I’m not a negative person ... it’s just that I instantly see both sides of the coin. I have been accused of bursting a bubble or two in my lifetime. Some days, I have a hard time finding something to smile about. It’s at those moments when I discover more things to add to my list.

I challenge you to begin your own list for the days when the sky is gray and you need a helping hand. These are some things that make me smile:
• Reading a good book. Then reading it again and again.
• Watching “Jeopardy” and getting most of the questions right.
• Terry bursting out into random song and, if I’m lucky, dance.
• Stalking around the house, imitating a T-Rex to make John smile.
• That first sip of coffee on a lazy Saturday morning.
• Country music and Lola. I swear that kid knows every song!

Back-to-school Time!

2011-09-23T12:33:00.000-07:00

Back to school time. I swear I can actually smell it in the store. Pencils, crayons, backpacks, lunch boxes, loose leaf paper, sticky notes, erasers, highlighters, folders ... I’m getting excited just thinking about it! I want to stock up on everything, and I haven’t been a student in years! I’m a sucker for general office supplies to begin with, so back-to-school supplies are like Christmas for people like me!

There is still an amazing feeling that comes from breaking out your bright yellow, just-sharpened No. 2 pencil and cracking open that brand-new notebook—all those blank lines staring back at you just waiting to be filled with endless knowledge or equally impressive doodles.

Despite my love of the supplies that made learning easier, I never was that great of a student. I wasn’t big on the one necessary part of learning––studying. One semester when my college report card showed three less-than-desirable grades and one A, my dad very wisely suggested to my not-so-happy mother that I was simply concentrating too hard on one subject. As you may have guessed, that one A was for a class in my favorite subject, English. It was my freshman writing class and because of that class, I was completely sold. I loved to write.

My love for writing carried on through the years. I was that odd student that loved term papers and such. I just wanted to write. Married to that was an equally strong passion for reading, which ended up serving me well when I finally figured out that studying equaled good grades. And as life carries on, my love of reading and writing helps to ensure that I never stop learning!

Cheese!

2011-07-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

So I just realized I never uploaded my real picture that I use for the magazine. It's totally not as cool as the other one (I rather rock a nifty mustache) but I guess it'll do. I hate having my picture taken, so this is as good as it gets. Special thanks to Aimee Dugas Photography for having the patience to get a good shot while I wasn't busy goofing off!

The Secret is Out...

2011-06-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

I never thought I’d be writing this, but the day has come. Ladies and gentleman, I have hit the wall. I have writer’s block. I have nothing witty ... or interesting ... or tear-provoking to write about. My creative juice has evaporated in the immense summer heat. So this month, in lieu of a deep and thoughtful column, I’m going to let you in on a little secret of mine. No fair telling others that haven’t read this column. You have to keep it to yourself ...

I’m a people watcher.

Whew! Feels good to get that off my chest! In a conversation the other day with our new sales rep, Lesley, I discovered we share a similar “hobby” of sorts. We enjoy watching people.

At restaurants, in line at the ice cream place, at the ballpark, in the airport—wherever people gather in public. Checking out what people are wearing, imagining where they are going and watching them interact with one another.

My favorite place to people watch is in a busy mall out of town where I am sure to know nobody and just watch as the people go by. Hearing tidbits of their conversations, with each other, to a person on their cell phone, with themselves ... it all leads me to begin to weave intricate stories about those people. I let my imagination and creativity take flight. I come up with fantastic stories about the unsuspecting people that cross my path. I give them names, careers, spouses, children—whatever! Don’t worry, I never write any of these fabricated stories down.

I’ll often ask my regular dining companion, John, “What do you think their story is?” about other people sitting in the restaurants we frequent. It’s an especially good night if I can get him to play along. I was thrilled when the movie “Date Night” included a scene in which the characters do the same thing at dinner. OK, well, maybe I just don’t feel so silly about my secret hobby anymore.

Dear 16-year-old me,

2011-05-31T13:50:00.000-07:00

Dear 16-year-old me,

Smile. This year is going to be bigger and more monumental for you than any other. You are entering the 11th grade. You have finally grown into your features and decided to tame your eyebrows despite your mother punishing you. Just don’t get too carried away—full brows will always suit you better. Stay away from the hair dye. Just pluck those few first grays and move on.

Don’t worry about boys. There really are more fish in the sea. Don’t feel like you have to have a boyfriend to fit in. He’s not the one for you, and you will make the right decision.

Every time you wish you weren’t so thin, pinch yourself. The people that question why you are so thin are the ones that are in a personal struggle with their own weight.

Treasure your friends. Life takes some unexpected turns after high school, and you are almost 30 before you reconnect with these girls. They do like you for exactly who you are, not who you think they want you to be. Go to the parties, but stay true to yourself. And no matter what anyone says, you CAN be just friends with a guy.

Go a little easier on your parents. They are new to this, too. They may not always have the right things to say, and you may swear you are leaving on that first train out after graduation, but they will turn out to be your biggest supporters, no matter what you decide to do.

Don’t start smoking. You end up not quitting until you are 26.

Never stop writing. You end up doing that as a career! Keep reading. It helps you in more ways than you will ever know. People, even your own family, will pick on you for your wealth of useless knowledge. In your late twenties, something called Buzztime Trivia is in every bar and restaurant. You will ROCK this and impress lots of people.

Overall, treasure these moments. You are a very serious teenager. Loosen up a bit. Life is meant to be LIVED! You are strong, and I’m proud to tell you that you do make all the right decisions.

Press Photo

2011-05-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Every serious writer needs a press photo. You know, a head shot, to send along with works to be published. I am terrible at taking serious pictures. The photograph will inevitably get one terrifically silly shot that I beg to use. This is that shot. And Yes, I got shot down when I asked to use it in the Magazine. boo.

Happy Wednesday! Here's to finding the silly side of you!

Chosen

2011-05-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

Lately many of the blogs I follow have been chatting about adoption, specifically Africa and the orphans in that country. Reading their stories and experiences has been breaking my heart. But in some ways, it has also forced me to look inward and examine exactly what adoption means to me. Being an adopted child, not internationally, but right here in Louisiana, has played a major role in my life. Whether I want to admit it or not, it was tough being told at age 11 that I was adopted. Imagine everything that you know as true, all of a sudden, isn’t any more. Your parents aren’t related to you. Your brother isn’t your brother by blood. Everyone has been keeping this HUGE secret from you all this time. It took me until nearly the age of 26 to finally realize the best part of being adopted.

I was chosen.

Ephesians 1:3-6 says: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.”

Just as God chooses to allow us to enter into His family as adopted sons and daughters through faith in His son Jesus Christ, my parents chose (and were chosen by God) to add a daughter to their family through the miracle of adoption.

To know and feel this love in my heart is an amazing thing. My parents went through a tough time and miles and miles of seemingly unanswered prayers while trying to start a family. But God had a plan. He planned to place a beautiful baby girl (me, of course) directly into their laps as an answer to prayer they had forgotten to pray. And in their infinite wisdom, they chose. They chose to keep this precious gift and to raise her as their own. So much their own, that telling her any differently seemed like a lie. I was as much theirs as the next one, a little brother, that God blessed them with a mere 16 months later. And our family was complete.

Today, I awake and thank God every day for blessing me with this family. They are the miracle I hope my birth mother prayed for. To this woman, I also say a prayer of thanks for being strong enough to give me up. The greatest gift, the gift of life, can never be repaid. I hope she knows that.

To parents considering adopting a child, I hope God answers your prayers. It will not always be easy, but with your love and His, your child will be forever thankful.

Who wouldn’t want to be chosen?

My Mood These Days...

2011-04-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

I really think this just sums it up. I have some seriously great plans. I know where I'm going.

Do you?

Kiss Me, I'm Irish!

2011-03-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

March’s most popular holiday is St. Patrick’s Day. It used to be one of my most favorite days too. Green is my favorite color and I have a thing for four-leaf clovers. Many years ago, I wore a t-shirt around my Grandmother that said “Kiss Me, I’m Irish!” She looked at me and said, “That’s true, you know. You are part Irish.” Of course, I had no idea, but it made me all the more proud to wear that shirt.

Recently, my dad began to work on our family tree. He signed up for a popular website and threw himself into the research of his past. It was incredible to see how far back a person could really trace their history. This particular website had actual scans of original census records, military records and draft cards. On the draft cards, we could actually see the signature of my great-great grandfather.

It was amazing to see where family names come from. My father and brother’s middle name was actually a family surname at one point. It was apparently lost in a generation where there were no males to carry it on and became a middle name.

My grandmother was right, our family can trace its origins back to Ireland. So look for me on St. Patrick’s Day, celebrating my heritage like my ancestors would want me to. I’ll be playing green-beer pong at Mahony’s Irish Pub. Sláinte!

If We Were Neighbors; Linky Party!!

2011-03-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

If we were neighbors... WHEW! Would you have heard it from me this week!

Bloggers, it has been a rough week. I live in South Louisiana, where these last two weeks have completely revolved around Mardi Gras.

I belong to the Krewe of Hyacinthians, an all-ladies club that is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year. And I was a royal maid to boot. It was an amazing time, I had a blast, met some wonderful women that I am honored to call friends, and made some everlasting memories.
But I'll let you in on a little secret.... I'm exhausted!!

And while the festivities tend to include a LOT of drinking, I chose to abstain. And I'm STILL exhausted. It is a full week after the Tableau and Ball and Parade, and I still can't seem to catch up on my sleep.

Fast-forward to my work week...

I am the managing editor of a local lifestyle magazine. I am in charge of getting all content turned in, on time, and getting it edited.

It seems as though all my writers must be exhausted too. Everyone asked for an extension. Everyone.

Boo.

Being raised in a military household, deadlines are my thing. Don't get me wrong, I procrastinate like a mad woman, but I always make my deadline. I like schedules and itineraries, and being prepared. People not being on time or on schedule drives me bonkers.

If we were neighbors, I hope this is the part where you would offer me a big hug and a cupcake, and tell me the world was going to right itself after Carnival season is over. I would accept the hug, devour the cupcake and hope with all my being that you were right!!!

If We Were Neighbors

2011-02-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

If we were neighbors, the wonderful kind that enjoys coffee as much as I do, I would expect you to come over every morning and join me for a cup or 6. With my handy, dandy new Keurig coffee-making machine, you can chose a new flavor for every cup. And if we were close neighbors, like I know we would be, you would love the fact that I have a million choices for a single cup of coffee and love the fact that I can change my mind with every cup.

Today's conversation would have started off very casual, chatting about the weather and this easy warming trend. I know you are just as ready as I am to see those first little signs of spring. My flip-flop collection is screaming my name.

We would chat about the dogs that by now are running in circles around us as we sit in my backyard. Our newest member, Winnie, is a sweet foster from the local animal shelter. She is super high energy, but so lovable. We would discuss my concerns for her and where she will end up. After 4 weeks, she is starting to become a part of the family. As much as I know we can't keep her, she is not the right dog for our family, she has worn away my outer shell and is snuggling close to my heart.

We would talk about Mardi Gras and John's tableau that is this Saturday night. You would inquire about my dress, tell me of course I don't look fat, and compliment my fantastic shoes. We would talk about my tableau that is getting closer by the minute and discuss my anxiety about having to be presented in front of all those people. I am so worried that I may trip, or forget where I am going or what I'm supposed to do or whatever strange and embarrassing thing I am obsessing over at that minute.

We would talk about family and those we love most. About our boyfriends, husbands, children, etc. The more we would talk, the more we realize that God has truly blessed us with people in our lives that love and care for us.

This morning we would also chat about the magazine. Today is our final working press day and it can get kinda hectic. I would share with you my excitement about today. I love seeing all our hard work come together. The finished product always amazes me. Somedays I can still hardly believe that this is my job. It is so much fun!

We would smile and hug and say goodbye, even if it is only for a day. And I would know that I am blessed to have a neighbor like you.

What Inspires You?

2011-02-02T13:24:00.001-08:00

My friend McCall over at Lee, Me and the Girls recently asked the question, "Who inspires you to be and do better?" I have been pondering the answer to this question for a couple days now. It's a little more complicated than it looks.

I am inspired everyday by something a little bit different. Being a writer, I read a lot and I love blogs. So often it's other people's musings that inspire me to do better. I read about the good they are doing, raising their children, helping Africa, and amazing things that I just wish I could do. I usually feel quite ordinary after reading all of their inspiring posts.

My editor Bonnie is a good source of inspiration. She is a very intelligent and talented woman, who is raising her first child (who will turn one in a month! omg!!) being an amazing wife to her husband, volunteering her time to help women and children in need through Junior Auxiliary, being a great friend to me in times when I think the world is crashing down, and many other unbelievable things that have me convinced some days she is Wonder Woman.

And of course, my dad inspires me to be a better person all of the time. He has been through so many ups and downs and had his Faith tested regularly. Yet he always perseveres. He holds his head high and truly believes that God has a plan that will be revealed in due time. He follows the belief that everything happens for a reason. He is an immensely strong man. I admire him in so many ways. Some days I have no idea how he manages to keep his cool. I am definitely the hot-headed type. I simmer and fume. He forgives and forgets.

Sometimes though, I find you just have to inspire yourself to be and do better. It's not always an easy thing, but living a life you can be proud of is an inspiring feat in itself. Allow yourself to be proud of the things you do, like service to others, or kind words in passing. Sometimes just reminding yourself to smile is all the inspiration you need.

Thanks McCall for posing this question.

Carnival Newbie

2011-02-02T13:22:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, Mardi Gras...Carnival time...king cake season.

In my late teens and early 20s, I could count on two hands the number of parades I actually went to. Large, loud crowds and people throwing things at my head just wasn’t that high on my to-do list.

Then almost six years ago I met my boyfriend John. We began dating and I soon discovered his favorite holiday revolved around the colors of purple, green and gold. He is a member of the Krewe of Hercules, a fun-loving group whose parade kick-starts the Carnival season in Houma. To my surprise, I quickly became jealous of John’s ride. I knew some day I wanted to be a part of it.

This year my friend Sydney and I decided to join the Krewe of Hyacinthians together. It was an exciting summer, getting to know the ladies on my float, discovering that my cousin Kim was joining my float as well. (It’s her first year too. Have a great ride Kim!) The biggest surprise of all came in November when the court was presented.

Yes, dear readers, this anxiety-ridden Carnival-newbie is going to be a Maid for the Krewe of Hyacinthians. I have come full circle, from being a “take it or leave it” Mardi Gras fan to full-fledged royalty.

And I’m scared to death.

Have you seen the pounds of feathers we have to wear? And you want me to curtsy to my queen with all that on my back? Yikes! What happens if I trip on my hem in front of all those people? Have I mentioned I’ve never even been to a Hyacinthians tableau? I often feel like I’m going to toss my cookies just thinking about it!

Anxiety disorder aside, I am incredibly excited about this entire experience. I am going to be a part of an amazing tradition. I am honored to be a part of the 60th anniversary year of Hyacinthians. Look for me on Sunday, February 27th. I’ll be the one with 50 pounds of yellow feathers on my shoulders.

The gift of time

2011-01-04T08:51:00.001-08:00

And just like that, a New Year is upon us again. It’s amazing how fast time flies by. It changes from “I’ll do that tomorrow” to “I gotta get started on that” to “Dang it, the deadline is today!” In the world of PoV, it often seems that we actually skip whole months. At the beginning of January, I have March stories being turned in. February stories have been ready to go since December, and April is just a blink away. You think you have trouble remembering what day it is? We really do live life in fast-forward at our office.

In December’s “Trenches” I mentioned my plan to slow down a little and enjoy Christmas a little more. Well, I made the effort and it paid off. I gave my grandmothers a special gift, handmade with all the love in my heart. I gave them the gift of Time. My time with them, one-on-one. Time to really get to know them, to ask them those questions that I always wanted to ask, to take a trip down memory lane hand-in-hand with them. There is so much that I want to know, and when you really break it down, so little time. These women are my family, my heritage, my history. They are my only link to people I’ll never know and never had the chance to meet.

What better gift could I give than the guarantee that they will live on forever through oral and written histories that we can pass down. I sure will have a heck of a time topping this one next Christmas!

Santa's Sneakers

2011-01-04T08:45:00.000-08:00

I belong to a service organization called Junior Auxiliary. Similar to Junior League, we are a non-profit that focuses on women and children. I hold a couple offices within the group, the most fun being public relations officer. Each year, we submit projects to be considered for various awards. This project was submitted as a National Focus project. And.... SURPRISE! We won!!

So we decided to print the narrative that won us the award in the magazine that I work for, Point of Vue. Please enjoy!!

As Christmas approaches, more than visions of sugarplums dance through the minds of some children in Houma. These children are excited because they know Santa will be bringing them a new pair of sneakers this year. With the help of funds raised by Junior Auxiliary of Houma and donations from our local Payless shoe store, J.A. of Houma is able to provide shoes for over 200 children at their annual Santa’s Sneakers event.

Chartered by a group of caring, enthusiastic women in 1973, this local organization comprised only of volunteers continues to grow and thrive. Members work tirelessly throughout the year on a variety of projects that focus on local children and families in need of assistance. As part of the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, N.A.J.A. has more than 13,500 members.

The national focus of J.A. is “Healthy Children, Healthy Futures.” Santa’s Sneakers was recently the recipient of the N.A.J.A. National Focus Award due to the outstanding nature of the sneaker project and its relevance to the national focus.

J.A. of Houma believes that by providing children with a pair of new sneakers, they are providing them with a chance to get out and play, to join in the schoolyard games and races and maybe even the
encouragement to join an athletic team. They believe that by receiving a pair of sneakers, a child may no longer have to go barefoot, thereby saving them from ridicule and harassment.

Often times, children’s shoes are over-worn, having been passed down from child to child. These shoes can no longer provide the necessary support and guidance for growing and changing feet. Proper fitting shoes can also aid existing problems such as low arches.

The organization takes special care to properly match each child with the perfect fitting shoe. In November, fitting sessions were held at the Terrebonne Parish Main Library. Professionals from Payless measured each child’s foot to ensure a proper fit and to enable the child to have a comfortable, personalized shoe.

The day of the Santa’s Sneakers event is filled with excitement, for the members of J.A. and the anxiously awaiting children. The membership arrives early to begin setting up for the grand event. On this day, the children are treated to much more than a pair of shoes. Crafts and a fresh, hot meal including hot dogs, nachos, cookies and other homemade sweets are provided for the children and their parents or guardians.

Arts and crafts stations are set up offering multiple projects for the kids to immerse themselves in. Children mix together their own special recipe for reindeer food, made up of different kinds of breakfast cereal, oats and of course the special glitter that helps the reindeer to fly. Another station offers picture frame decorating. Children stand at a craft station filled with Christmas themed foam cutouts including candy canes, holly leaves, snowmen, gingerbread men and snowflakes and a glitter pen, to write their names, and soon plain picture frames are turned into memorable keepsakes.

A Christmas party isn’t complete without a visit from Santa. Since all the children have been so good this year they quickly form a line. They bounce up and down with uncontained excitement as they wait their turn to sit on Santa’s lap for a quick visit and to have their picture taken.

Using a digital camera and photo printers, the J.A. members instantly provide children with their picture to place in their handmade frame.

While the children and their families eagerly anticipate the gift of a pair of shoes as well as the annual event, the true gift is watching the joy on children’s faces as they unwrap their brand new pair of shoes, rejoice as they try them on and race around the gymnasium.

I believe

2011-01-04T08:44:00.000-08:00

I believe.

Much more than just words on a page, it’s a sentiment in my heart.

The holidays are such a hectic time. So much to do, so little time to get it done. I’ve got to trim the tree, hang lights on the house, get the family to smile for the perfect picture for our card, mail all those dang cards, shop for presents, wrap the presents, keep the dogs from drinking all the water from the Christmas tree, hustle to make it to mass on time, remember to put
everyone’s presents in the car, visit with this family, visit with that family…pass the paper bag! I’m hyperventilating already!

This year I’m choosing to do things a little more simply. No big decorations, just a small tree with our treasured and meaningful ornaments. No lights on the house, just a wreath on the door. Christmas cards will be sent, but with tidings of great joy. Presents will still be given, but more will be homemade (or home-baked) this year. And special care will be taken to make it to mass, where I can listen to the Christmas message and remember the reason for the season.

Most of all, I will continue to believe in the spirit of Christmas. That special feeling that comes when families gather and make memories, relive old traditions and start a few new ones, and smile as you put out the cookies for Santa.

Merry Christmas!

Weekend to be thankful for!

2010-11-22T08:08:00.001-08:00

My Friday, Saturday and Sunday were full of things I am thankful for!

Friday night John and I met our friend Malcom at Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner. He was in town with his school's basketball team. It was great to be able to visit with him. I am thankful for the friends God has placed in my and John's life.

Saturday, my mom's family came to town to help paint my grandmother's house. Nanny couldn't remember the last time that her house was washed, much less painted. So Mom, Dad, Aunt Donna, Kimberly, Kristen, Brett, Ricky, Michael, Skippy, Ed, Blair, Sunny, John and I pitched in, picked up a paintbrush and joined in the fun. I have never laughed so hard in my life. The work was hard, but my most sore part was my tummy from laughing.

I am thankful for my family. It is an amazing thing that we can all come together for two days to paint a house. We all get along. No one stands out. No one fights. No one argues. We smile and laugh and visit and make fun of Mom singing Christmas carols. I am thankful for the amazing memories we are making as a family with my 81 year old grandmother. This is a special time that I will always remember.

Saturday night, we went to Presentation for Hyacinthians and it was announced that I will be a Maid for the 2011 carnival season. I am thankful for the opportunity that was given to me by Freda. It is going to be a great Mardi Gras. Seeing the tears in her eyes was priceless and I am thankful to be a part of her reign as Queen.

Have a great Monday everyone!

Thankful Thursday

2010-11-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

Thursday's thankful for is....My friends who blog.

I absolutely L-O-V-E reading what you all are up to, your daily adventures, entering your give-aways (thanks McCall!!) It keeps me endlessly entertained.

I'm sorry today is such a short post. It's actually Friday and I have lots of things on my To Do list at work.

Have a great weekend! I'll be back at some point with my thing I'm thankful for Friday post.

Wednesday, Nov. 17

2010-11-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

Since Wednesday was press day, aka Crunch Time x2, I didn't get to blog. In fact, I confess, the blog didn't even cross my mind. Looking back though, I know what I was thankful for yesterday.

My job as editor of Point of Vue Magazine.

Really. I'm not just kissing ass; my bosses don't even know I have a blog.

My job is probably one of the most fun jobs there is in the world. Part of what makes it the best are the people I work with. When the day turns into night and we are all still here, it helps to have people around you that understand you and get you. Stuff can get pretty silly, fast. It helps to be able to laugh at one another.

Also have I mentioned I get paid to do something I really love? How cool is that! I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I always listed it first under Any Hobbies? Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined that it would one day become my job.

I get to be as free and creative as I like. I have a whole space to write an editor's note, that it turns out people love to read. I get to meet and visit with super cool people, and write stories about them. We have an amazing team of freelance writers, columnists and photographers that help make this a cool product.

It has been such a blessing to be involved in the magazine from it's 5th issue, over 3 years ago. Having worked in sales first to help build the magazine up to where it is today...thankful barely begins to describe it. I look forward to the many years to come.

Tuesday, Nov. 16 - small businesses

2010-11-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, so we are going to call this post Tuesday, because even though I paused to think about what I was thankful for...I forgot to blog about it. (It's truly been a crazy week.)

Tuesday, I am thankful for small businesses.

I love small mom and pop stores, where the shop owners know your name, know your shopping style (don't bug me when I'm shopping. I'm a big girl and know what I like. I'll holler if I need help.) and will actually remember to call you when something you like comes in.

On Tuesday, I went to Cherry Books, a locally owned book store in Thibodaux, to get my dad a Christmas present. They regularly host book signings by an impressive amount of local authors. Last week mom and I went to get my Christmas present, Holly Clegg's new cookbook, signed. It's an amazing little place. If you ever get the chance to stop in, please do so. They have a great children's book selection and reading area. Story times are loads of fun too.

Small businesses are definitely the way to go these day. I have made some really good friends shopping locally. And small stores and boutiques will usually fess up about sales and kick some great deals your way. After all, they know their customers!!

Ten days of Thanks

2010-11-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

It has occurred to me that there are ten days until Thanksgiving. I thought perhaps it would be fun to do a couple blog posts on what I am thankful for. It's looking like it's going to be an impossibly long and busy week at work and I could use the release.

Monday's No. 1 Thing I'm Thankful For: (and the most obvious) MY FAMILY

I have an amazing family. A fantastic family. A loving and caring until it hurts kind of family.

My Mom- not always my favorite person, but I love her all the same! My mom is a great and classy lady. She is the one that found me 30 years ago, fell in love with me and brought me home. She is the one that put up with my random teenage outbursts and range of emotions. She is the one that taught me to be comfortable with myself. She is the one that gave me a little brother to pick on and love with my whole heart. She is the one I go to and the one I will always trust.

My Dad- like most dads, he was always the worker bee in the family, but he is definitely who I inherited my off-beat sense of humor from. I have learned all my hardest life lessons from him. It is through my dad that I have learned what Faith is. He is the strongest person I know, and always able to calm down this hot head of mine.

My parents have also taught me what it is to love and I will be forever grateful for that.

My brother- My younger brother by 16 months, he is the biggest pest and strongest ally a big sister could ever have. Our childhood was fantastic. Our teenage years even better. You rock, lil bro!
Best of all, you gave me the greatest gift. You allowed me to be an aunt.

Lola- Be still my heart. Lola-bug, you are The. Most. AMAZING. little girl in the world. You are bright, loving, caring, beautiful and, unfortunately for your mother, remind me a little bit of me!
I hope we stay close as you grow and thrive. I love you with my whole heart, bug.

My Tech-Crazed Life

2010-11-11T13:14:00.000-08:00

As soon as the morning alarm on my trusty iPhone chirps, my addiction to technology begins. I check my e-mails and log onto Facebook. Yes, before I climb out of bed or brush my teeth, I have already read the morning gossip on my favorite social network. By the time I wake up, most of my friends with little ones have already completed a full morning of activities. I turn on the TV and flip straight to the Today show. I make sure to catch up on the morning’s headlines as I rush to get dressed. My Twitter time usually comes while I wait on the dogs to do their thing before dashing out the door.

From the parking lot of our office, I am “checking in” on Foursquare. I have to keep my check-ins at this location high so I can remain the mayor! From my desk, I get started by opening my e-mail again and logging onto PoV’s Facebook account to approve our daily friend requests. (We ♥ our friends!)

At this point my day is completely taken over by technology and the Internet since most of our freelance writers and photographers communicate through e-mail. During press week for this issue, I actually utilized the headphones that came with my iPhone to be able to talk to people, interview them and type at the same time. Through the introduction of Skype, I can hold meetings at anytime and everyone can still attend.

Our office could literally operate from anywhere with an Internet connection. It’s amazing how far things have come in just the three years of PoV’s existence. We are constantly upgrading and moving forward. I’m lucky enough to work in an office that encourages the use of social media to stay on top of what’s happening in our community and works hard to best equip us to bring you all the stories you love.

And if that means I slip in a little personal time to let you know where I am eating lunch, or what I think a certain football quarterback should name his son (Blair is the best ‘B’ name ever, in case you were wondering), oh well. You are probably sneaking on to Facebook at work to read it anyway!

What would you do?

2010-10-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

What would you do?

A simple question, but with such a complicated answer.

I was flipping channels the other night and found myself pausing to watch "Primetime's What Would You Do?" series. The basic run-down of the show is that they hire actors to create scenarios that place on-lookers in the position to either act or just stand-by. The scenarios run the gamut from bullying, to abuse, to drunk driving and more.

The first one that caught my eye was quick to make those same eyes cry. The scenario was an obese, young woman sitting on a bench on a beach boardwalk, reading a book, minding her own business. A group of women her own age walk up, start laughing and pointing and then proceed to call her names and generally make fun of her. It was amazing to see what the general public's response was to this upsetting scene. Overwhelmingly, people stopped and told the young ladies to move along, quit teasing, etcetera. Some originally passed the group up, only to turn around and say something.

I was glued to the show. As you can imagine, thanks to the imaginations of TV writers, the scenarios that were presented to the viewing public just got worse and worse. The show made its intended mark on me. The entire time I watched, I found myself asking, would I stop? Would I help him/her? Would it be safe for me to offer help?

I also began to question the incentive behind the proposed actions. WHY would I choose to help? What is it in a person that makes them want to help another in need? Naturally, the show's producers were always quick to ask that of the people who stopped to help. Mostly, people had no answer. They just stuttered things like, "I don't know. She needed help. So I helped." In some cases, people stopped because they knew someone that had been in that situation or they themselves had been there.

I don't really want to get into the psychology of the issue; I'm sure delving into the human psyche is a much deeper read than you care for, but it is a really fascinating issue. Strangers stopping to help strangers...why? Is it something we are taught to do? Or do we just subconsciously believe in karma? Perhaps we act selfishly, hoping that if the time comes when we need the help of a stranger, one is there and willing.

I can actually say there have been many times where I have offered my assistance to a stranger in need. Looking back, I'm not always sure there was a true motive behind my actions. A time or two I could actually kick myself for offering assistance. "Self, WHAT were you THINKING? You could have been shot! You are a single, young female. ARE YOU STUPID?" But my mouth usually is quick to speak up before my brain has a chance to work through the possible consequences.

There is one instance I would love to recall for you. Picture a young, 17 year old Mary, a freshman at LSU in 1998, stopping to put gas in my car at lunchtime at busy gas station. There was car parked at the pump next to me with a young man and an older man, both dressed in business suits. They had two flats on their very expensive car. The young man was fussing to the older man about his phone being dead and mentioning that they were very late for their meeting. Without missing a beat, I opened my big mouth and offered the use of my phone. The young man declined, replying that were just going to begin walking the several blocks to get to the restaurant where their meeting was being held. Have I mentioned that it was a scorching August day? I immediately insisted that they get in, I was driving them to their destination. The young man glanced at the older man, who by this time was actually beginning to get into my SUV, and agreed that a ride would be wonderful.

Off we went, to the restaurant for the meeting. The young man did use my phone to make a call about their car while the older gentleman actually spoke to me. He explained that they were just in town for the day, for this meeting, and that he really appreciated my kindness. He was from New Orleans and knew that kind strangers are often hard to come by. I replied that I probably should have known better, single girl, all alone, offering a ride to two men? I laughed, mentioning that my dad would probably kill me for offering a ride to strangers. The man laughed with me and said that my dad had obviously raised a smart one, considering I picked up two well-dressed men! We arrived at the restaurant, where they expressed their thanks and got out. The older man walked straight in but the younger man signaled for me to roll down my window. He offered to pay me for me troubles, which I quickly refused. He then handed me a business card and said, "If you even run into trouble in New Orleans, please give Mr. Connick a call."

The silver-haired man I had just chauffeured to Ruth Chris's was none other than Harry Connick, Sr., then district attorney of New Orleans.

September's Vue from the Trenches

2010-09-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

Ohhh...ughh...Yes, you heard correctly. Those are the sounds of me growing older. This September I become a member of the 30-year-old club. Yeouch! I can remember when turning 30 seemed so far away. I used to think surely I would turn 30, become an adult and
magically have the secrets of life figured out.

*Fast-forward to present day.*

While I will greet my birthday with happiness and health, while cheering the Saints on to a season-opening victory, life is still a mystery to me. But, oh what a beautiful mystery it is! I love waking every day, never sure what God has in store for me.

We have the honor of sharing with you in PoV this month, the story of Mr. Louis Lee, who on his September birthday will be 100 years young. Suddenly, my turning thirty seems to be just a small milestone when you look at the bigger picture. I only hope to live my life as fully as he has lived his.

August's Vue from the Trenches

2010-09-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

In August's issue of PoV Magazine, we ran a feature called "Why Louisiana Matters." I thought I might like to include a bit of that on here.

On April 20, an explosion 40 miles off our coast significantly changed our lives forever. This explosion triggered a man-made disaster that has not only threatened to destroy out coast, but our way of life as well. This oil leak has affected everything from our fishing industry to a vast majority of our jobs to our beach's summer tourism dollars.

Here in Louisiana, we are a fighting people. We are strong, both in our minds and in our will to keep on. Even as outside forces threaten to destroy all that we love about this place we call home, we push on. We fight back. Our people do not hesitate to pick themselves up and continue to forge on.

This month (Aug) we asked Louisianians to tell us why they choose to live and thrive in our great state- why they wake every morning determined to make a living here rather than anywhere else in the world.

We are proud to share with you, "Why Louisiana Matters."

For my note, I wrote the following:

When I was an intern for a local Congressman in Washington D.C., years ago, I remember the first question always asked when meeting someone new in this melting pot of the nation was: “Where are you from?” There was always a certain pride that welled up in me when I responded “Houma, Louisiana! Yes, something exists south of New Orleans!”

Other people were always so fascinated by our area and our culture. From our love of food and music, to the over 85 festivals held annually, to our need to celebrate the smallest of things for weeks at a time, there is always something to do in Louisiana. Being the most naturally bountiful state in the union truly gives us a lot to celebrate!

It also gives us something to fight for. The desire to protect our state and her beautiful wetlands that provide so much for so many is necessary. The dream to pass all this culture on to my children someday lights a fire in me to continue to stay involved, stay educated on the issues and make sure that my voice is heard. There is no place like Houma!

July's Vue from the Trenches

2010-06-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

What is the American Dream? According to Wikipedia, the idea of the American Dream is rooted in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence which states that “all men are created equal” and that they are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Maybe the question should be what is your American Dream? What is the happiness that you choose to pursue?

I choose to find happiness all around me. My happiness lies in Sunday dinner with my family, picking up my niece from school and taking her to the park, snuggling with my Monty dog and throwing the ball for Maddux and road trips to a different ballpark every weekend with my boyfriend John. Then there is perhaps the greatest happiness of them all ... finding that fabulous pair of designer shoes that you have been lusting after, half off and in your size!

I think we all dream of finding that which makes us happy. I am proud to say I am living my American Dream.

Father's Day

2010-06-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

There is a rather popular Twitter account online in which a young man documents things his 74-year-old dad says. He is up to 1,342,725 followers and has just published his first book. If I would have known writing down things my dad says would make me rich, I would have started years ago!

Fathers seem to love to give advice to their children, and my dad is no exception. Some of his best ones are:
• “You can’t expect to soar with the eagles if you stay out all night with the owls.”
• “You have to know where you’ve been, to know where you are, to understand where
you’re going.”
• And my personal favorite, “Ask your mother.”

And even though the man is full of advice and one-liners, I think I have learned more life lessons just by watching him. Dad, you have taught me to lead by example, to strive to make a difference and to be thankful for the blessings I have in my life. Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love you, Huntie! PoV

Mother's Day editor's note

2010-05-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

I know Mother's Day isn't until Sunday, but since PoV came out today, I thought I would go ahead and share my "Vue From the Trenches" with you!

May's Vue From the Trenches

While I was chatting with Bonnie about what I planned on writing my note on this month (my need to devour anything fried on-a-stick), she ever so delicately reminded me what happened to our first editor when he made the now infamous mistake of not writing about his mother in our May issue. (She stopped doing his laundry and upped his rent.) I do not want a similar fate to befall me, so I am taking her advice, and devoting this space to my mother.

Hi Mom!
Being your daughter is an amazing honor. You could have chosen any child, from all around the world, but you hand-picked me!

Being adopted draws up a whole new set of rules between mother and daughter. I know we don’t share the same eyes or smile or secret love for Joel Osteen, but the things we do share are so much more important. We share a love for each other and for our family. You have showed me how to love unconditionally and with my whole heart. My best memories of my childhood include you.

I love you, Momma! Happy Mother’s Day!

April's Trenches

2010-04-23T14:03:00.001-07:00

What an exciting month this has been! PoV turns three and Bonnie up and had her baby a full two weeks early!

The Monday after we welcomed Wyatt into our growing family, I sat at my new, big girl desk a little overwhelmed. I was greeted that morning with, “Well, I guess it’s time to sink or swim.” I felt like I was in the deep end of the pool with no floaties on. Could I really do this? Run a magazine while Bonnie is on leave? I know we had been preparing for this day. After all, I had a nine month fair warning! But, it still seemed surreal that this was happening.

In a way, PoV is Bonnie and Brian’s real first born. And they want to leave me in charge?

My own sister-in-law still can’t believe I let my niece Lola teeth on the leg of a chair. (I figured if my puppy had done it...) My brother called a billion times the day I had to pick Lola up from school, worried I would be late, forget or perhaps be abducted by aliens.

I have a generally laid-back attitude when it comes to baby-sitting and raising kids. Could this style work for PoV? Will it need more guidance? Stricter rules?

After my own version of labor including many sleepless nights, a few bottles of Strawberry Harvest, a couple 12-hour days and passing the thought that I needed to bring in an air mattress and forward my mail, my first solo issue is born. I truly hope you enjoy our three-year anniversary edition. This month, we are all the proud parents of this genius brain child!

One Day Without Shoes - Part One

2010-04-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

TOMS One Day Without Shoes

Seemed like an easy enough task. Spend one day without shoes, to represent the lifetime some go without in other countries. Surely, I can do this. I may own 100+ pairs of shoes, but I like being barefoot.

From the moment I swung my feet around to climb out of the bed, I knew this was going to be a long day! I have two dogs that commanded my attention for their morning outing. I usually throw on a pair of flip-flops to follow them outside. This morning, I followed barefoot. The cement was cool, but no huge problems. The pollen from the oak tree in my yard did stick to my feet. I also didn’t dare walk into the dew soaked grass to throw the ball to Maddux! He had to bring the ball to me on the slab where my feet were high and dry!

I finished getting dressed and started out the door. Standing fully dressed, coffee and keys in hand, I pulled the door to my house shut behind me and paused. It really felt odd, standing on the cold brick steps, dressed for work and no shoes on my feet. I actually starting thinking to myself, I forgot something… cell phone? Check. Keys? Check. Computer cord? Check. Turned the coffee pot off? Check. The lack of shoes on my feet really caused my brain to make me take a moment to think, “What did you forget?”

I crossed my driveway and loaded my things in the Jeep and climbed into the driver’s seat. Is driving my car barefoot even legal? Safe? As it was, I had to pull the seat up a bit to be able to push the clutch in! Apparently, I take for granted the extra bit of height my shoes provide!

As I pulled up to my office, I paused a moment. Could I really do this today? Go barefoot? I’m not one who usually gives a dang about what people think about me, but I don’t go around drawing attention to myself either. I am a generally conservative person! Yet here I am, at my office, dressed in Capri pants to be sure people can see I am barefoot. And it’s only 8 a.m. I wonder if I really am going to make it all day!

I gathered myself and got out of the Jeep. I crossed our paved parking lot (thankful it’s not shells!) paying attention to where I was stepping. Usually, I just sprint inside, talking on the phone or still singing that last song on the radio. Defiantly not paying attention to the little things on the cement! This morning I was made aware of a tiny nail that I picked up to save my feet and an unsuspecting tire.

Upon walking into my office, I was pleased to find my co-workers were ready and barefoot! Both of our office workers were barefoot, and had already hung up the information poster on our office door to inform customers of our mission! The graphics department, also, was barefoot and ready to go! I was very excited to see that they were accepting of the idea and understood it’s importance.

Being barefoot around my office was really no big deal. Often times, if my heels are hurting my tootsies, I kick them off and go barefoot for a bit. I mostly sit at my desk and use the computer all day. Our floors are carpeted and clean. It didn’t really seem like much of a sacrifice to be barefoot in here. Then came the biggest challenge of my day… the bathroom. I’m not really a big germ-a-phob, but the idea of using a bathroom shared by 20 other people, men and women, had me second guessing the barefoot thing. Gross, right? I contemplated getting two Wet Wipes and placing them under my feet as I trudged to answer nature’s call. Maybe taking some paper from the recycle box and lining the floor? There had to be a safe way! Then I thought about it. I have indoor plumbing to be concerned about using. A toilet less than 20 steps from my desk. What was I really going barefoot for, if not to better understand the hardships that come with it. I took a deep breath, and off to the bathroom I went.

As lunch time approached, my mom called to see if I wanted to meet her at our local plant nursery, Ganier’s, to help her pick out some plants for her yard. Needing to get tomato plants for my own garden, I agreed to meet her there. Back through our paved parking lot I went. Not so lucky when pulling into Ganier’s! Their parking lot is a fine mixture of rocks and mud. Slightly daunted, I cautiously climbed down and made my way inside. I had already warned my mother of my lack of footwear for the day, but the other customers defiantly missed the memo. I got quite a few odd stares, and one obvious statement of “You don’t have any shoes on.” Yes, thank you, I have realized that. The different surfaces proved to be fun for my little feet. The difference in temperature from the warm rough concrete outside to the cool smooth bricks inside was fun to experience.

March Trenches

2010-03-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

Can you hear that sound? It’s the distinct crack of a ball hitting a bat and the constant hum of chatter. “Hey batter, batter. Hey batter, batter.” Can you smell that fragrant bouquet of hamburgers grilling and peanuts boiling? Can you smell the freshly cut grass on the diamond? Can you taste that fabulous first sip of ice-cold draft beer mixing perfectly with the salt of the peanuts? Can you see that wonderful sight? That perfect white chalk diamond stands out like a perfect jewel in the sea of emerald green grass. Do you feel that stirring deep in your soul? That calling brings you back year after year to America’s pastime.

Baseball.

I love baseball. I always have. I remember watching the Atlanta Braves on TV and attending Houston Astros games while growing up. I love watching the players stand in the batter’s box, so tall and brave. I love the stare down between batter and pitcher, knowing the game is on the line. I love the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, tied score. The wind up and the pitch. And another game is won.

I am an equal opportunity baseball watcher. If there’s a game on, I’m watching it. I’m not worried who’s playing; I may not even root for a team. I just want to watch. It doesn’t matter if the game is college or major league. I want to lose myself for a few hours in this great game. I want to stand and stretch in the seventh inning and sing along with another off key rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” I’ve rarely missed an opening day Braves game even if it meant taking a day off of work or calling in sick. That’s my day and it’s my game. Those old MLB commercials got it right. “I live for this!”

February Trenches- PoV

2010-02-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

Move over Jersey Shore Mike, there is a new “Situation” in town.

I’m talking about my Christmas gift from my boyfriend John, a Wii Fit. It seemed harmless enough, this little unassuming white board, all clean and innocent. I was super excited about it. I had seen the ads of the slim, athletic people having fun and playing games, all while getting fit! That could be me too!

“Welcome!” the game says, dripping with sweetness, “Let’s get started!” I step on the balance board, ready to start my new fit life. “Hold still please.” Are you kidding me? I find myself talking back to the machine, arguing that I could be mistaken for a statue.

It then measures my weight and calculates my body mass index. Oh boy. I’m not going to share that with you, but let’s just say it then decided to make my Mii character a little more plump than I had originally decided it should be!

The Wii Fit then puts you through balance and mental tests to find your Wii Fit age. Well, I was born in 1980, but according to my new fit-making friend, I am 39 years old. Guess I need to adjust the number of candles on that next cake!

The supposed fun part of the Wii Fit is that you check in everyday and it measures you and lets you know how much closer you are to your goal with a congratulatory confetti shower. Or...you are left standing in the middle of your living room trying to make excuses for the 5.5 pounds you seemed to have gained between Christmas and the new year. My former friend makes you stand there in shame and choose an option that may have led to your weight gain. “Overindulge?” Yes. “Too much sitting around?” Yes. Is there an “all of the above” option I can pick and just get this over with?

Overall, I love my new present and forever fit friend. Just don’t ask too many questions if you come over and find me arguing with it. “These clothes do so weigh 7 pounds! I know I didn’t gain that much, all I ate today was king cake!”

January 2010 Trenches...

2010-01-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

During my monthly procrastination rituals prior to writing this note, I stumbled upon a Word document in my computer called “Resolutions 2009.” Hmm … I wonder how I did?

• Start a workout regiment – not unless you consider the laps I do through Target a workout.

• Try ballroom dancing – well, I didn’t miss a single episode of “So You Think You Can Dance.”

• Cut back on my reality TV watching – see above. Oh, and doesn’t “American Idol” start soon? Thank goodness for DVR!

• Paint the living room – the paint colors are definitely still push-pinned to the wall. At least I know I want a shade of blue … or gray … or green.

• Read the classics I skimmed through in college. Umm … I finished all four books in the “Twilight” series in a month.

• Buy fewer pairs of shoes – no comment.

Perhaps I should just rename the document “To-Do List 2010” and try again. Happy New Year! May 2010 be your year!

December's Trenches

2010-01-01T10:05:00.000-08:00

December means one thing to me ... Karaoke time!

My mother’s side of the family lives in various places throughout Louisiana and Texas. We get together for one weekend usually right before Christmas to celebrate.

Four years ago, my grandfather, the heart of my family, passed away. We knew the holidays were going to be rough. My cousins got together and got Nanny a special present, one sure to brighten her holiday ... a karaoke machine!

“What?” Yes, we gave my 80-year-old grandmother a karaoke machine! (She rocks a pretty mean “Redneck Woman!”)

Now, on a yearly basis, we gather around the TV to embarrass ourselves and give the younger generation something to look forward to. Everyone has their favorites. The holidays would not be complete without such holiday classics as “Old Time Rock and Roll,” “Walk the Dinosaur,” “Proud Mary,” “Mambo No. 5” and Uncle Charles’ tone deaf version of “Pump Up the Jam.” One of my cousins even wrote a family song to the tune of Robert Earl Keen’s “Merry Christmas from the Family.”

Christmas at Nanny’s really is the hot ticket in town. Stay on the nice list and you might just get an invite! “Na Na Sha!”

November's Trenches

2009-11-25T10:18:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 2009

I’m on a boat! Well, maybe not yet.

I am going on a cruise. Talk about the power of peer pressure. A group of my seven closest friends has decided to book a cruise. I reluctantly agreed to go. This goes against my nature. I have an irrational fear of cruise ships. I have never been on one before, yet I feel a strong aversion to them.

I am afraid of pirates and icebergs. (Yes, before you ask, my cruise departs from New Orleans and travels in the Gulf waters that are projected to be a warm 80 degrees and are probably constantly patrolled by anti-pirate armed forces.) I am afraid of being seasick the whole time. (I can’t enjoy a hammock without feeling a little queasy.)

I am afraid of small confined spaces. I am afraid of large crowds. (We did get a room with a large window and I have studied the layout of the ship to ensure I know where all exits are.)

I am afraid of being quarantined on the ship when we return to port due to some strange tropical, digestive system altering virus. (Have I mentioned our cruise goes to Key West [part of the U.S.], and Nassau [it’s a five star resort]?)

I have decided I am going to face my fears, grab the Dramamine, and board that ship. Worse come to worse, I get off the boat and don’t get back on. I think I could handle taking up residence in Key West! I’ll send you a postcard!

The Vue from the Trenches

2009-11-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

Each month I write an editor's note of sorts. It is entitled "The Vue from the Trenches". Very fitting, I assure you. I am attaching it here so you can see what I have been up to the last couple of months! Now that I am the editorial assistant, I am busy writing for PoV and have very little time left to write and blog about personal things. I am very sorry to anyone who actually enjoyed reading my ramblings! Feel free to pick up a magazine and check me out there!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

OCTOBER 2009

Hi! My name is Mary, and I am the new editorial sssistant. Some of you may know me from the marketing and sales side of PoV. I started with the magazine over 2 years ago selling advertising and writing a story here and there. This July I was asked to move over to the production side of PoV to help Bonnie on an everyday basis with the general running of Houma’s most popular magazine. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance!

Being raised in the South and knowing the importance of a first impression, I have decided to properly introduce myself to you ... PoV style!

15 THINGS ABOUT ME:

I actually attended charm school. We walked with books on our heads, learned which fork to eat with and had a tea party for graduation.
I am a bona fide slob and a pack rat.
I have a very mischievous Papillion named Monty. If he would use his powers for good instead of evil, I think he could save the world.
I don’t like making decisions. (I flip a coin, even at restaurants. I have an app for that.)
I watch “Grey’s Anatomy” alone because I cry.
A lot.
I love to read! (I cry for good books, too.)
I have an addiction to shoes.
I find the word “potential” to be very misleading.
I have never seen a James Bond movie.
I have had gray hair since I was 16.
When my 60 year old house creaks, it scares me. I may still believe there is a monster under my bed, too.
I believe that chocolate and peanut butter belong together.
I have broken my leg and my collar bone.
I once set off the fire alarm in my apartment while boiling water.
I am a worrier and an over analyzer

Dream Job!

2009-08-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

It's been a long time since I updated you with the going-on's of my life in high heels. Plenty of things happening and times, well they are a-changing!

In the time since my last post, I have turned in my two weeks notice, left my job, cried, and decided to be a stay-at-home mommy to my dogs (who promptly fired me for laying in bed crying all day) only to be hired BACK at my old place of employment for what I can only describe as my perfect job.

Confused yet?

As you may have known, I was an advertising sales rep for Point of Vue Magazine. After 2 fabulous years, I came to realize that sales just wasn't for me. I love the networking, I believe in the product, all that jazz, but it wasn't in my heart anymore to sell. My deliema was that I love the magazine SO much! I am so proud of the Rushings and our first editor Justin Martin for what they have started. To see our first issue and compare it to our latest... amazing! We have come so far! Personally, I love being a part of such a big thing. I love the brainstorming for ideas, I love writing the stories, I love every aspect of this publication! Except for the job that I had been hired to do. I was giving 150%. In return, I wasn't sleeping, I was losing my hair, and what's left of my hair is turning gray at an alarming rate! (OK, so that part is probably genetics, but I hear stress doesn't exactly help!)

So after a long, hysterical (on my part) meeting with my bosses, I quit.

I had been gone for 4 days when my cell phone rang. It was Bonnie, my former boss. She told me she had a job opportunity for me! Thinking she had worked her magic networking powers and spoke to someone who was dying to hire me, I agreed to meet with her the following day so she could tell me about it!

Imagine my surprise when she told me that they had decided to hire an Editorial Assistant. WHAT!?!?!?! All the joys of PoV and none of the selling?? I'm SO in! But of course, I had to keep my cool and tell her I'd have to think about it. (Are you kidding me?!?!? YES YES YES!!!!) I went back the next day and accepted the job!

So readers, that is how I landed my dream job. I have been back for a month now. I am in love with what I get to do every day. I have so many ideas and I am so excited to see what the future holds!

Stay tuned!!

Saving Soles

2009-07-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

I know it been a while since I last blogged. I'm sorry, its been a crazy month! And I apologize again, the following is not an original blog. I am posting a copy of an article I wrote for June's PoV Magazine. I hope you enjoy!

Saving Soles
by Mary Downer

One for one.
For every pair of Toms shoes sold, a pair is donated to a child in need.

Such a simple way to give back,” thought Beau Porche. About a year ago he followed a link on a fellow musician’s Web page and found Toms shoes. He read about the philanthropic mission of Toms and became intrigued.

Walking is the primary means of transportation in many developing nations. To get clean water, food and medical help, they often must walk for miles. Without shoes their feet suffer cuts and sores from unsafe walking conditions, and these wounds become infected. Soil transmitted parasites are the leading cause of disease. In Ethiopia, approximately 1 million people suffer from podoconiosis, a disfiguring disease caused bywalking barefoot in the acidic volcanic soil. Sadly, children in some nations can’t attend school because they have no shoes, and shoes are required as part of their uniform. If they don’t receive an education, their future is doomed.

The simple cure for all these problems is shoes. Shoes allow adults to walk distances not possible on barefoot. Shoes help children to play safely. Shoes protect from cuts and scrapes and prevent certain amputation. Shoes prevent podoconiosis.

After realizing he, too, could make a difference, Beau ordered his first pair of shoes and signed up for email updates. He received an email regarding how to become involved locally. When Beau learned about the event “A Day Without Shoes” on April 16, he approached his staff at Houma-Thibodaux Spine and Rehabilitation to see if they were interested in joining. The answer was an overwhelming “Yes.” The entire office along with people across America participated and tried to understand how difficult it is to live without shoes. The staff became intrigued by the simplicity of an idea to help others. They issued flyers to clients notifying them of the initiative, and they were receptive and took off their shoes as well.

Taking part in this experiment was eye-opening for Beau and his staff. “We live in a world where the possibility of catching swine flu has caused us to become cautious and prepare, using antibacterial wash and the readiness at which healing drugs were made available in our country,” Beau remarked with sincerity. “It’s hard to think about this disease, podoconiosis, that is 100 percent preventable by just wearing shoes. We have the cure, we can prevent this.”

Houma-Thibodaux Spine and Rehabilitation will serve as a Toms shoe distributor for the Houma area. Soon, shoes may be purchased at the office rather than on the Internet. Beau also has an interest in the project Style Your Sole where children and adults gather with the natural canvas shoes and go wild decorating.

“Toms shoes just celebrated its third birthday,” Beau says with a smile. Over 140,000 pairs have been given away to date. The goal is 300,000 by the end of 2009. I think it is possible... I think people are good and truly want to help.” PoV

Sweet Escape

2009-04-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

This is a story I wrote that was published in April's issue of PoV. I hope you enjoy!

http://www.povhouma.com/Articles/2009/04_April/lv_01_0409.html

Sweet Escape

Astronauts and vampires, dinosaurs and knitting, spiders hosting tea parties and last lectures frozen in time for generations to come.
“Every book is someone’s idea, their way of sharing thoughts, their loves and passions. And it’s here, sitting on our shelves!” explains Phyllis Lear, manager of Cherry Books. The simple act of walking through the door whisks you away to a world where anything is possible.
Author, Woody Falgoust and his wife, Susie Falgoust, opened Cherry Books over a year ago in the old Cherry Shoes building located on Canal Street in Thibodaux. Inside the store, the exposed brick walls, original pine ceiling and old-fashioned shoes on display remind customers of the history and the stories that the building itself holds.
“There is a special way that books call out to people and a certain charm to being able to lose yourself in a book,” says Susie Falgoust, “It’s a great feeling to give someone the gift of a book, knowing that you may help to inspire them.”
Cherry Books has all the books ordinary chain stores have and so much more. Reminiscent of The Shop Around the Corner from “You’ve Got Mail” this small store is big on personality. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and eager to help. Recommendations can be made though simple conversation of books you have enjoyed.
As a former teacher of early childhood education at Nicholls State University, Susie Falgoust knows the importance of reading aloud to children and takes pride in their children’s section. She wanted a place where children would feel comfortable coming in to read and play with educational toys without the fear of being shushed. All toys sold are sturdy, long-term toys that can be passed down through generations. On the shelves are carefully selected books for all ages, from Newbery Award winners to the popular “Twilight” series. Of course, no proper bookstore is complete without a story hour and Cherry Books hosts several a month for children of all ages. Recently they had a Dr. Seuss day where the children listened to stories while eating green eggs and ham.
In an attempt to support local authors, Cherry Books reserves a large nook in the shop for local authors to promote their new publications. Many authors drop by and host book signings. Even big stars like George Rodrigue have visited Cherry Books to meet with fans and sign copies of books.
If there’s a book you’re looking for and it isn’t in stock, they’ll get it for you. They also offer special discounts for teachers and students. Cherry Books is a one-of-a-kind gem, and the magic of this store stays with you long after you leave. PoV

Back tracking...

2009-04-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

For the last 4 years, John has hosted a Crawfish Boil on Good Friday. The guys play golf in the early A.M., then John boils the crawfish. He has his own special blend of spices guaranteed to give you heartburn! We also boil plenty veggies like potatoes, corn, mushrooms, garlic, and cauliflower. Delicious!
I'm sure most of you saw these pics already on Facebook, but I wanted to post them here as well!

Me and Lola

Sunny and Grandma

Nanny, Grandma and Sunny

Aaron, Riley and Dad

Mark and Aaron

John doing his thing!

Me and John

LUNCH!!

John and Aaron

Dad and his first platter

CHEESE!! (Actually, CRACKER!!!!)

Chad

Nicholas

Of course, a baseball game broke out!

The leftovers!

So Lola likes to take pictures now. She says "Ok, yet me do it." "I taka you pitcha."

Its adorable. And with a digital camera she actually takes some decent shots.

These are by Lola.

Mark's dog Marley. Lola likes her tongue!

Ashliegh

Maddux

"Hey John, I taka you pitcha, say cheeeeeeeese!!!"

"Cheese May-ee"

Spring time!

2009-04-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

I am by no means a great gardener. I do not have a green thumb. These skills are reserved by my grandfather, Arthur Lee, and his children, including my mother. Most things I plant need to have "ignore" on their label to survive in my yard.
Houma is taking part in the Cleanest City Contest. We were instructed by the committee to clean up our yards. So before John took the weed-eater to everything in our yard, I snapped some pictures of our award winning thistle I was proudly ignoring in our front yard. It was waist high and made some pretty flowers.

Ok, so I thought it was pretty funny. I have great luck with weeds!! Haha!! I also have a few other plants that were blooming so I snapped some pics of them too.

My Confederate Jasmine. Smells WONDERFUL!
I planted it 2 years ago, I finally have flowers!

This is what my Mom calls a Bleeding Heart plant.

It's happy being ignored, growing up the side of my house.

This is the Bridal Wreath shrub growing wildly in my front yard.

It really needs to be trimmed back. But its happy!!

This is the wreath on my front door. My Mom made it.

I just think it's pretty....

Life of the Party

2009-04-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

My brother's little 2 yr old daughter Lola is such the life of the party! She LOVES birthday parties. She sings very loudly and loves cake and ice cream. Well, like most kids, she REALLY likes the icing!!

My cousins Ashley and Michael had their bithday parties during March and these are a few pictures of them, my dad and Lola. Oh and Max the dog. Lola wanted to take him home.

TPC New Orleans

2009-04-06T13:31:00.001-07:00

John played at Ellendale in a ProAm the other day. He made friends with his Pro, a young man named Justin Ahasic. Awesome person, very cool. They decided to go play a round at TPC in New Orleans the following Sunday. We also planned to go to a Hornets game that evening, so I was invited to tag along for the day. I LOVE the golf course. I think its so much fun just to ride along and enjoy the weather. I have gotten rather good at being a caddy. I have learned to read the course, tell John his distance to edge of green/pin, and even suggest a club. The wind was the tricky thing that day. Throws everything off! Justin brought another pro with us, and they played from the tips. Very impressive. John hung in there and did excellent!

These are some pictures from the golf course. The Zurich Classic will be held there in another week or so, and they have already begun to set up for the tournament.

Did I mention the giant lizards all around the course!!

The Clubhouse

Tents near the Clubhouse

BIG TENT

The boys looking at their balls.. hehe....

John teeing off

Carey

John putting on 18

Justin Ahasic

Justin putting on 18

John

Last hole. Pretty sign.

Putting on 18.

Having fun in the Press Room for the Zurich Classic!

Taking Questions

Yes, you from ESPN... Yes, I accept my new sponsorship from Titlest.

He was so excited and TOO cute!!

Puddle of Wonder

2009-03-30T18:57:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday and Friday we had some pretty hard rain. Parts of Houma actually had about 12 inches of rain. We were very lucky, where we live drains very fast. So while we had lots of lightening and hail and rain Thursday night, the water had receded by Friday afternoon.
As you know, we have two dogs. Both are inside dogs and big babies. If it is wet outside, you usually have to bribe them into going outside. Friday was different. They were ready to go, tired of being stuck in the house!
I had my camera on me because I was planning to take some fun pictures of my cool new rainboots in the water puddles. The only puddle was on the backside of our yard and Monty beat me to it.
Now, he never did actually get IN the puddle, but he sure looked like he was determined to catch something that was in it! I swear, I looked, there was ziltch in the puddle for the exception of a few leaves. No buggies, no worms, no crawfish, no nuthin. Maybe it was just calling out to him. He reminded me of a cat going fishing! Being the good mother I am, of course I took pictures! All the blogs I read are moms telling fun stories about their children. Moms: Enjoy a story about my son and his fun day with a puddle!!

LA RoadFood Festival

2009-03-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Maybe its because I'm from the South, but I love me a good festival! I love the sunshine, the Queens, the food, the crafts, THE FOOD (I'm sure the Board of Health just stays away from these things and that makes it all the better) Here in the South, if you can fry it and put it on a stick, we're in!

So I came across this on Facebook and on a blog I read, The Cajun Foodie. It just sounds like some great eating and one hullava good time... Read on....

On April 4-5, 2009, the 1st Annual Louisiana RoadFood Festival will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 11 am to 7 pm. The RoadFood Festival is the creation of a countrywide team of foodies including Jane and Michael Stern of Gourmet Magazine and “The Splendid Table” and Stephen Rushmore Jr., the visionary creator of Roadfood.com and RoadfoodDigest.com. The festival brings unique and delicious dishes from sixteen revered eateries all over Louisiana into the heart of New Orleans, thereby reminding both locals and visitors of the outstanding food specialties to be discovered throughout the state.

Sixteen different restaurants will be cooking food that best represents the diverse regions of the Louisiana Culinary Trails. The RoadFood Festival’s restaurant tents will line four city blocks, the 300-600 blocks of Royal Street, in the French Quarter. Each booth will sell specialties of one of the great restaurants of the state’s diverse regions.

The two-day festival coordinates with the Annual Oyster Jubilee on Bourbon Street, which takes place on Saturday morning, April 4th, 2009. The two events will be linked by a traditional 2nd line Parade from Oyster Jubilee’s “World’s Longest Oyster Po-boy” to Royal Street, the site of the Louisiana RoadFood Festival.

A portion of profits from the 1st annual RoadFood Festival will benefit Cafe Reconcile, a non-profit enterprise located in the Central City neighborhood of New Orleans that provides job training in the hospitality and restaurant industries for the city’s at-risk youth.

Schedule of Events:

Saturday April 4th, 2009
11 AM to 7 PM - Louisiana RoadFood Street Festival (300-600 blocks of Royal Street)
11 AM to 12:00 PM - Assembly of the world’s longest oyster Po-Boy (311 Bourbon Street)
12 PM - Take part in eating the world’s longest oyster Po-Boy
12:15 PM to 12:45 PM - Afterwards, join a traditional 2nd line parade to the Louisiana RoadFood street festival
6 PM to 10:30 PM - Roadfood.com Shrimp and crawfish boil party

Sunday April 5th, 2009
11 AM to 7 PM - Louisiana RoadFood Street Festival (300-600 blocks of Royal Street)
1:30 PM to 3:00 PM - An Afternoon with Jane and Michael Stern. A round-table with attending experts on edible Americana taking part and offering their experience and good-eats tips.

Some of the restaurants that are going to be there are:
* Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant

+ Meat Pies

+ Crawfish Pies

* Dunbar’s Seafood

+ Famous Fried Catfish

+ Potato Salad

+ Pralines

* Cafe Reconcile

+ White Beans

+ Banana Foster Bread Pudding

* Vaucresson

+ Sausage Creole

+ Hot Sausage Po-Boy

+ Creole Crawfish Sausage Po-Boy

* Saltwater Grill

+ Fried Green Tomato Shrimp Remoulade Po-boy

+ Crawfish and Spinach Boat

* Tabasco Country Store

+ Jambalaya

+ Gator on a Stick

+ Pralines

* Plum Street Snowball

+ Snowballs

* Pull My Pork BBQ and Seafood

+ Pull Pork BBQ Sandwich and Plate

+ Louisiana BBQ Shrimp

* Boucherie

+ Cochon de Lait Po-Boy

+ 12 Hour Roast Beef w/ Horseradish Cream and Pickled Red Onions

+ Fresh Cut French Fries

+ Duck Cracklins

To sum it up, Whoa, Baby! Just reading through this makes my mouth water and my tummy growl. Dinner time!!

Home Sweet Home

2009-03-17T13:03:00.001-07:00

If you are on Facebook as well, you know that I am tearing up and replacing the floor in my dining room. Well, not me, my Uncle Skippy is actually doing all the labor. Let me explain...
I live in a 60+ year old home. I am the second owner. The original owners, the Johnson's, built this house. He was an engineer of sorts who "rigged" more of the home than follow directions. It wasn't in the best shape when we purchased it. The entire house was painted in this odd powder-y paint that rubbed off like chalk when you touched it. I'm sure it was full of lead. There were no overhead lights, just power outlets wired to the switches for lamps. The kitchen walls by the stove were covered in thick grease from years of frying. The A/C unit was original, and no one in our town could even service it. (A current employee called his dad out of retirement to come take a look.) And did I mention the wall to wall carpet in every room!!! It had to be 50+ years old itself. And it was FILTHY. (I do regret, I have no pictures of my home in its before stages. No idea why we didn't take any. Maybe it was just that bad..)
The repairs have been on going. We did what was necessary over the first 2 months to make it live-able. Repainted every nook and cranny. Pulled up the carpet and did what we could with what was underneath. 2 bedrooms had nice hardwood floors. The rest were not so lucky. So we just deck stained and polyurethaned the rest of the hallway and living room. The master bedroom floor was bad, so we put down an easy Pergo floor. The kitchen, dining and office space got peel and stick tile.
In the 3 or so years I have lived here, the dining room floor, which is smack dead center of my home, started to feel like I was walking on soggy bread. We put a rug down and called it a day. This past Mardi Gras though, it seemed everyone who came over noticed the sinking floor. So we decided to call in the big guns (Uncle Skippy) and fix it. One day project, right? Right!?!
Sunday night I pulled up the sticky tiles. Needless to say, the rotting floor came up with the tiles in spots. It was gross. Monday, the pro shows up bright and early and begins to cut into the floor. I go shower and finish getting ready for the day. Before I leave for work, I stick my head in to inquire. I am met with my uncle standing in a hole in the middle of my dining room, just shaking his head. It was worse than he thought. The entire floor was rotten all the way through the floor and subfloor. One of the joyce's that runs through the room and basically holds the floor up was cracked as well. YIKES! So you're telling me the floor was waiting to collapse, that I really could have fallen through the floor!!!!!!! My paranoid soul was flying high. Please please check all the other ones in the house too!!! (All good BTW)
So, poor Uncle Skippy's one day project has turned into a 3 day affair. He has to brace the joyce, replace the subfloor and floor and then place down the new Pergo floor we picked out. He is a miracle worker!
My floor is reinforced well enough to have a baby elephant parade across it. The floor is made out of treated wood that is guaranteed not to rot! And the Pergo is going down nicely.
Now that all the furniture is out of that room, I am trying to decide how to decorate the space! I never did anything in that room, it just has white walls! I'm thinking a retro wallpaper... I just need help to hang it!! I am a terrible DIYer!!

Healing Flower Power!

2009-03-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to include some photos of the flowers that well-wishers sent. They are entirely too pretty! Thanks guys!!

From Rushing Media

Irises, Daisies, and Snapdragons

Bath goodies!

From Mama Dee!!

Daisies and Tulips

From Blair, Sunny and Lola

Daisies, Snapdragons, Lemons and Limes!

Design by Butterflies and Flowers!

Life in the ER!

2009-03-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

And so it starts...

Saturday morning I woke up to tummy cramps. Not unusual, just thought I had to "go potty". I had some coffee, saw John off to play golf, took the dogs out to play in the yard, and enjoyed the beautiful day. After a while, the cramping got more urgent so I went inside to "go". To spare you all the lovely medical details, we will just say the pain progress greatly during the process. I decided to ignore it because a friend of mine was having a baby shower for her first child, which is actually TRIPLETS! (Congrats Heather and Brett!!) I continued to get ready, pausing while the bad pains passed. By 2pm, I gave up. I was doubled over in the bed, clutching my pillow to my lower abdomen, praying for an answer.

I started to make some phone calls because, honestly, my worst fear was that I was over reacting to something simple, like gas. I knew I would never hear the end of it if I panicked over a little gas bubble!! My parents told me to call the Haydel Clinic. John told me to call Chad (a friend that is a paramedic) and Nolan (his bro-in-law that is a nurse). I did ALL of the above. Everyone told me to go straight to the Emergency Room because no one wanted to diagnosis me over the phone. Smart friends of mine! Phone call back to the parents to come get me and bring me to the ER. (No offense Chad, but I really didn't want my first ride in an ambulance just yet.)

I must say, the people in the ER at TGMC were very nice. I am sure they see young women doubled over, screaming, in extreme pain, while their mothers DEMAND answers all the time. (It seemed that despite my predicament I was still the calmest person in my entourage! I have learned that my mother may not need to be around if I ever give birth!)

We were moved to a bed in the ER within 2 hours, which seemed pretty quick to me considering the sign in the lobby said 4 hour wait! The nurse was VERY sweet and patient because I could only move and answer questions through the waves of stabbing pain. I met with the doctor who was very kind too. You always hear horror stories but he listened very carefully and was quick to rule out some of our worries (kidney stones, ovarian cysts). He ordered pain meds and a CAT scan. I am that one strange person that began to cry when I found out that they were going to give me Dimerol. (I hate that feeling, the dizziness and the loss of control. I cried hysterically when they gave me laughing gas for my wisdom teeth years ago.) But apparently I am a hoot on the stuff. I asked the CAT scan technician to let me know if there were kittens or cats in my belly. I am nearing 30 ya know. WOW!! But at least I wasn't in pain any more.

Once my results were in, I was diagnosed with...drum roll please... DIVERTICULITIS?!?!?!? I thought only really old people got that!! Oh No!! Ok, deep breath! So, what's the deal with me/er/admit to hospital? The doctor replies that there is basically an infection in my colon that is causing inflammation and the pain. He wants to go ahead and knock it out with several rounds of antibiotics. No prob, give me some pills and I can go home, right? RIGHT?!?!!?

Yeah, not so much. His idea of knocking it out involves strong meds given by IV every 12 hours. Crap. Stupid careful doctors. My mom agrees for me that this is the best course of action. They give me my first dose while in the ER. It made me sick and slightly crazy. John was so sweet. He held my hair back and got a cold rag and kept talking to me. He is in the correct field of work; he is good in a hospital setting. We are informed that there are no beds available in the hospital, that we will be spending some time in the ER while we wait. John decided to stay with me, sitting/sleeping in the chair in the room. We got there around 4pm. At midnight, they came in to move me to a room. John, again, gets to snooze in a tiny recliner in my room. Mind you, he is over 6 ft. Wow, thats love!

To shorten this post, I will fast-forward through the rest of my stay. Since I went in over the weekend, I saw an on-call doctor on Sunday who changed the diagnosis to Colitis. More meds and visitors. (LOLA came to see me! She was sooo uplifting!!). John stayed with me again on Sunday night. He made sweet eyes at a nurse who snuck an illegal sofa bed into our room. He was so supportive and sweet and kind and wonderful and... ok, I'll stop. Just very much the rock I needed.

Move to Monday. I get to see my own doctor who informs me that in order to actually make the diagnosis, I will have to have a colonoscopy to view my insides. yea. I have IBS, so this will be my 3rd one before 30. Yipee.

I am moved to another room Monday afternoon, which just makes me think I'm stuck here for another night. Boo. Hiss.

I need to pause here. I want to let every one know what a great place I work and what wonderful people I work for. Both of my bosses, Bonnie and Brian, came to visit along with another co-worker Bryan and his family.

Also, Tiffany brought Nick to visit. Lorie brought Whitney and Brandi tagged along with Bonnie. Kidd, Wendy, Lexie, Chad, Sydney, Mama Dee and Nolan: Thanks you guys! You were all so sweet to stop by. It was great to have so many visitors! Thank you so much for the well wishes, cards and flowers!!! I love you guys!!

Anyways, it was my Mom's day to sit with me Monday. We had a great day entertaining all those previously mentioned. We watched crappy daytime TV and read magazines. She almost lost her stomach when the had to move my IV for the 3rd time and it began to bleed. A LOT.

John came back to the hospital Monday evening in time to watch House and 24. Around 8:30 Dr. Scott made his rounds and decided I could be discharged. To my mother's chorus of Alleluia, I am very happy to hear that news. I am ready for good sleep in my own bed. With my pups! John is slightly dismayed, because this means Mom doesn't get to spend the night with me on an uncomfortable sofa bed. RATS.

I have follow up appointments with several doctors to figure out what it was and what we can do about it. Hopefully the mystery will be solved. If not, we can always call House!!

Little bit of Mardi Gras Madness!!

2009-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

As I am sure I mentioned, Mardi Gras is not my season. I am more of a Halloween type of gal. I love to dress up and play pretend. I always said if I could only memorize lines, look out Jennifer Aniston!! I could have been one hell of an actress!!
Back to the subject at hand... Through out this Mardi Gras season, it has come to my attention that I have taken over 400 PHOTOGRAPHS!!! Now while they may not be the best pics in the world, all taken with my handy dandy Sony Cybershot (it fits in my back pocket), they certainly captured the fun that my friends and family were having. The ones I am posting here are a small collection of shots from John's ride day, Tiffany's ride day and I think Mardi Gras day. I have plans to post quite a few more on MySpace just because its easier and more files fit!
Be forwarned, I am just learning how to work this picture and post, so bear with me!!

Me and John posing for our Prom picture.

The insane amount of people at the Hercules Tableau. It's like a rock concert in formal wear. Chee Weez was the band, by the way.

Big smiles from the guys

Tiffany, me and Nikki

Misty Mac

ok, so Misty looks naked in this picture... Hmmmm....

John and King Shane

John and Me

Back home in my yellow kitchen, the girls pause to take one last pic!

Carzy as it sounds, the night BEFORE John rides, we get on the open top bus and ride around town, just for shits and giggles. We go eat at BWW and have fun. This is me and Wendy.

John and Jason, as we approach The Balcony.

Eric, Matt and John cracking open their first beers of the morning of their Ride Day. I know you can't see a clock, but trust me, its early. Like 6:45AM early!!

Heading out the door! Long day ahead of them!

John and I at TARC.

Tiffany and Nolan (John's sister and bro-in-law)

John passing out beads and goodies at TARC.

John resting and reloading in the bus at TARC

Tiffany giving her new friend some lovin'!

This is John's nephew Dillon. We are watching the Hercules parade. He always gets hit by beads, so he is standing in front of me (I'm the black and white coat) while I hold up his "Shield", the top of the tote we use to hold all the beads! He has Laffy Taffy too, so he's all good!!

Tiffany and me catching some ZZZ's during the hour and a half wait we had during the Hercules parade when an axel broke and halted the parade!

John and Chad on the float after their ride. I need an entire page devoted to Chad's first ride. The pictures are PRICELESS!!!

It was also my brother Blair's first ride this year with the Krewe of Houmas. John managed to get this picture of Blair (3rd guy) before the beads began to fly!

I snuck up on Misty Mac. I love this picture!! HAHA!!!

My boyfriend has trouble taking a nice picture.
He always makes a silly face. And I love him for it!

Mardi Gras, TARC style!!

2009-02-14T15:36:00.001-08:00

Despite John's own love for Mardi Gras and the parades and drinking that goes with it, Mardi Gras has never been my favorite season. I am not into BIG crowds and drunk people. I love the idea of Mardi Gras and the tradition behind it. I was a Maid for the Krewe of Houmas WAY BACK in 1998. And I do love that the holiday is unique to this area. But, as far as the rest of the stuff, not my bag, you dig me?

Well, yesterday I was witness to the innocence of Mardi Gras and the joy that it brings to a certain group of residents of Houma. Unknown to many in Houma, the Krewe of Hercules makes a special stop during their day of revelry. The King, Dukes and many of the float riders make a special journey to the eastside of town to TARC (Terrebonne Association for Retarded Citizens). I was lucky enough this year to head out there to join in the fun.

A circular drive connects most of the campus at TARC and its clients gathered roadside for their own personal parade. As the buses lines up outside the gates, loud music filled the air and you could actually feel the excitement grow. Most of the clients were already dancing, be it to the music or just to help relieve the energy of the day! Once King Shane arrived, the parade began. The buses I speak about are the open top variety and the riders could very well stay onboard and throw beads from there. But the majority choose to get down and walk the circle, interacting one on one with the clients. This allows for them to actually place the beads, trinkets, and stuffed animals into to arms or laps of those confined to wheelchairs or that need other assistance. They wander back and forth, everyone covering both sides of the street. They stop and dance with the clients and visit a bit, wishing them a Happy Mardi Gras. I myself even got swept up into the excitement, dancing with my new friends and checking out the stuff they caught. I forgot to take pictures for a while, just laughing and enjoying being a part of such a grand gesture.

These men give an hour of their day of partying to make the day of these special people. To see the joy in the client's eyes was enough to make my own eyes tear up more than once. This is what I remember the excitement of Mardi Gras to be, the energy and joy felt deep inside. A HUGE thank you to the Krewe of Hercules.

Thank you Dr. Sarah!!

2009-02-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

I went to the dermatologist today for the first time. I saw the WONDERFUL Dr. Sarah Alexander Haydel. If you live in the Houma area and need a dermatologist, call Dr. Sarah. (See her website www.haydeldermatology.com). She is so sweet and considerate. She listened to every question I had and gave complete answers. I am beyond impressed!
So, at my appointment today I had the Visia Complexion Analysis. Whoa! They basically photograph your face and map out the bad stuff and it allows Dr. Sarah to customize a skin care plan especially for you! My photo showed lots of REDNESS! (Not many wrinkles, thank goodness!) I have rosacea. Basically, when I blush, you can see it from the moon! Also alcohol, sun and spicy foods turn me beet red! It gets really warm and quite uncomfortable. Dr. Sarah recommended a laser process called BBL, done by their Sciton Laser. I am very excited and very curious if this will rid me of my redness. This is something that has caused embarrassment for me my entire life. The only "catch" is that I have to avoid the sun and hot hot showers for the duration of the treatments. I think I can handle that!!
Also, I had to say goodbye to a good friend of mine today... the mole on my shoulder! I had a rather large mole on my shoulder that Dr. Sarah decided I needed to part ways with. After having it there for 28 years, I actually paused!! Then I came to my senses and let her remove the mole right then! FYI-It wasn't bad. She numbed the spot and just scraped it right off. Just a slight pinch! It is being sent for biopsy. Kinda scary, but I'm sure everything will be fine.
Thank you Dr. Sarah!!

How ya work this thing!

2009-02-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

So, this is just me playing with this blog site. I mostly blog on my laptop, yet all my photos are saved to John's desktop at our house. I have one picture on this computer of me and John. I think it's one of my favorite pics.

Can't figure alot of stuff out. Looks like I need a tutorial~ Any suggestions!

Dancing with the... Where are the Stars?

2009-02-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

I feely admit to watching Dancing with the Stars... when there are people on that I want to watch! I don't vote. I just like seeing the cast progress in their dance skills. And I like the costumes. I sit around and wish I could move like that, or have a body like that. (Yes, I know, get my fat ass off the sofa and DO SOMETHING about it!). I am very disappointed in this year's cast. From US Weekly:

The new Dancing with the Stars cast was announced Sunday.
Competing this season:

Lawrence Taylor- The former NFL star, 50, played his entire career as a linebacker for the New York Giants.

Belinda Carlisle- The singer, 50, was the lead vocalist and founding member of the 80s band The Go-Go's.

Shawn Johnson- The 17-year-old Olympic-gold-medal-winning gymnast is the youngest DWTS competitor in the show's history.

Denise Richards- After a contentious divorce from Charlie Sheen, the 37-year-old actress and mother of two daughters got her own reality show, Denise Richards: It's Complicated.

Lil' Kim- The Grammy Award winning rapper, 33, spent 10 months in jail in 2006 for lying to a federal grand jury.

Gilles Marini- The actor is best known for playing Kim Cattrall's sexy -- and predominantly naked -- neighbor in 2008's Sex and the City movie.

Steve-O- The daredevil performer, 34, showcased ridiculous stunts on MTV's Jackass and the spinoff Wildboyz.

Steve Wozniak- Nicknamed "The Woz" by ex Kathy Griffin, the computer engineer, 58, co-founded the Apple computer company with Steve Jobs.

Jewel- The singer-songwriter, 34 - who became a household name in 1995 with her song "Who Will Save Your Soul" - has released seven albums.

Ty Murray- The former rodeo cowboy, 39, is married to fellow contestant Jewel.

David Alan Grier- The actor, 53, came to fame on In Living Color and currently hosts the Comedy Central sketch news show, Chocolate News.

Chuck Wicks- The country singer is currently dating fellow crooner and two-time DWTS champion Julianne Hough. Wicks, 29, will be paired up with the professional dancer this season.

Nancy O'Dell- The entertainment journalist currently serves as the co-host of Access Hollywood with Billy Bush. O'Dell, 42, also hosted NBC's pre-show for the 2009 Golden Globe Awards in January.

I'm not sure about you, but I predict the lowest ratings in history. Is this going to run in a time slot opposite American Idol? (I'm pitiful, but I still like Idol and voted for David Cook since day 1. Everyone in my office made fun of me!)
And the kicker- my grandmothers and their friends are the biggest fans of the show! But they hate not knowing who the contestants are! I think they may know... NOBODY!! I have a bad feeling about this!

Just me!

2009-02-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

Hi! My name is Mary and welcome to my blog!
I am a typical 28 year old.
I am happily unmarried, living with my boyfriend of almost 4 years, John, and our two dogs, Monty, who is a Papillion and Maddux, who is a Cocker Spaniel.
I have a great job with a local lifestyle magazine, Point of Vue.
I am from the South, where all things are stylish and proper. I was born and raised in Houma, LA where my parents believed in manners, cloth napkins, and real china at a real sit down dinner time every night.
I actually attended charm school. We walked with books on our heads and learned which fork to eat with!
I love big families, mine most of all!
I have an addiction to shoes. (Yes, it's sad, I know, the choice "Do I eat or BUY SHOES!")
I have trouble going a week without going to Target.
I love coffee. (Luckily our Starbucks is right next to Target!!)
I secretly love deadlines.
I fantasize about being a chef.
I don't like making decisions. (I flip a coin, even at resturants.)
I am a worrier and an over-analyzer.
I am fascinated by my niece, Lola. She is amazing and so happy and full of life! She is 2 by the way, and I'm sure will be the subject of many posts!
Music moves me. I sing in the shower and think I sound pretty darn good. (At least the dogs don't howl!)
I would love to meet Jim Cantore and Gregory House, M.D.
I watch Grey's Anatomy alone because I cry. A lot.
I have this obsession with taking self portraits. They are just soo funny!
I like to make silly faces
I check PostSecret every week.
I find the word "potential" to be very misleading.
I have wanted to start a blog for quite a bit now, but am afraid no one will read it!
I love to buy greeting cards! I can sit for hours laughing to myself trying find the perfect card.
Just so you know what I'm watching, my TV lineup subject to season includes 24, House, Fringe, American Idol, the new 90210, all CSI's, Criminal Minds, America's Next Top Model, So You Think You Can Dance, Wipeout, Nip/Tuck, Lipstick Jungle, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and I think thats it.
Thank goodness for DVR!!
I love to read! I get angry with myself for reading too fast.
I cry for good books too (Hello Marley and Me, The Last Lecture, and Where the Red Fern Grows!!!!)
My biggest vice is magazines! I love InStyle!
I've gotten to where I logon to people.com every morning!

I have decided that I will always let you know what shoes I am wearing while blogging and perhaps eventually figure out how to include a picture! Todays shoe of choice is by Jessica Simpson from the Fall 08 line, Parigi in the Anaconda print. Yes, they have 5" heels and I love them!