Chatting Over the Fence, June 16 - 30, 2012

Hello All,

Just want to let you know that Andrea and I arrived safely in New Orleans at her son's house about an hour ago. You can follow our trip with Andrea on fb ... she documented some landmarks on our way down. We have internet! So get ready for a daily dose of fun from NOLA!! Thank you for all your well wishes and prayers for our safety on our journey. We look forward to keeping you all so up to date on our adventures that you will feel as though you are here with us! Happy Weekend!

Love,

Andrea and Karen

Thanks soooooo much for starting this, Karen! I just realized I forgot to do it last night so popped in to remedy that only to find you beat me to it! AWESOME!! This past week as been INSANITY here! Anyway, thanks again!

No problem, Kay! I was afraid I was overstepping, but Andrea assured me that wasn't the case! As always, she was right!

Nope! No way overstepping anything! Happy Sunday all!

I will be glad to read all about your travels.  I was there in 1986 and I truly imagine it has changed a lot.  I was MIA for a couple of days because of my shot in the left eye. I had a lot of burning in the eye and watering.  Some of it was because of the heat and some of it was because of the wind and dirt and pollen blowing around.  I am feeling much better now.

Good morning,

Weekend was great,beautiful weather.The hot weather is suppose to be coming back over the next few days.

Have alot of cleaning projects that I need to start getting done.My closet needs to be cleaned out as does my spice cabinet.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Pat (kity)

Mary, Thank you so much for the nice package.I received it today.

My foot is getting better except, once I took the boot off and started bending my toes they started swelling. Now I have been wrapping the 1st & 2nd toe daily to keep the swelling down. I have heard from others that is may be a while before it is 'normal' One person said it took her Mom a year.

Had my DGD with DGGS and 2 DGS here today. Had a nice time visiting with them but now time to finish laundry. will check back later.

Karen and Andrea, I cannot tell you how much I would like to be traveling along with you two!  NOLA is so one of the places I would like to visit one day.  You two (along with Jared) sound like you are having TONS of fun -- and certainly eating well    One of our doc students at UVA spent much of his adult life there.  His wife used to make us gumbo and he would bring it in.  Oh my!  So delicious!  

Its a rainy day here in Virginia.  I am trying (for the second time) to read The Hunger Games.  I just can't get into it--and I hate that since everybody else who reads it thinks it is wonderful!  I'll give it a fair shot before I give up though. 

Take care all and have a great Tuesday!

It's another beautiful day here in NOLA! We are off to the beaches in Alabama today... about a three hour drive. And, yes! We are having tons of fun! If you haven't seen them yet, jump over to facebook and see the "check-ins" and pictures that Andrea has been putting up several times a day. She's much better at that kind of thing than am I.

Paula, keep on trying with Hunger Games. Once you get about half way through the first book, you should be hooked. The problem is that the whole set up is so bizarre that it's hard to engage with the content. Keep at it... I promise you won't be disappointed!

Nancy, hoping that your therapy is going well and that you're getting around without too much discomfort. Are you still using "the machine"?!?

Karen...no I am not doing the "machine".  If I brought it home I would have had to bring the PT from H... along with me.  LOL  So all of the stretching is done naturally.  My "regular" PT is leaving on a one month vacation so I have no idea of what to expect for the next few days (while I get use to a new "coach").  Stitches out and man oh man is it itchy!  Hopefully, I'll be able to put some oinment or Vitamin E on it real soon.  I think I'll be graduating to a cane this week.  I hope, I hope.

Have you and Andrea gotten to your Cooking Class, New Orleans Style, yet?  Tell A I am looking forward to the photo of the two of you in your apron/chef's hat. 

And a bit of reality...how is FIL and hubby doing while you are gone?

It has been sooo much fun following you two while "on the road".  Keep it coming and certainly enjoy the moment!

 

nancy

Good Evening! We are back from the Gulf Shores Beach - it was about a 3 hour drive each way and very much worth it. The ocean was pretty rough today - but gave us a nice breeze in return. We stayed for about 5 hours and then stopped at the Oyster House for an early dinner. This week is passing much too fast!!! Our cooking day is Thursday. I think Jon and my FIL are doing fine - I will try to upload a picture he posted earlier!!! We are a little bit of a break tomorrow and will probably head to the quarter. Thursday is our cooking day. And that evening we will cook my favorite pot roast for the kids. I am sitting outside now and once I get in I plan to work on our recipe book! It has been breezy here - so we really have had a break on the extreme heat and humidity normally present this time of the year here in NOLA. Andrea

Good Morning Everyone,

I too, am enjoying the "Road Trip" and secretly wish I was there too...LOL My GS lives in New Orleans and works at Shell Oil...I am sure there is lots of neat stuff to see....I know this sounds wierd, but I would love to see the cementaries in LA....From seeing pictures of my DD's visit to LA, the cementaries are quite unique.... My DD talks about the Plantations too, and how beautiful they are...Enjoy your trip because to me, it sounds like a heck of a lot of fun...LOL

We are hot and humid, but that is okay.. I like the warmth and feel good in warmer weather....I got up early and opened the back and front door to let some air in the house and try to cool off some, before it gets too hot...Our garden is growing nicely and I am looking forward to those tomato's. Our Farmers Market starts tomorrow, which is good news for me...I love the fresh produce and want to freeze a lot of produce for winter....

Sister Nancy, I thought I read somewhere that you are graduating to a cane this week.  That is good news!!  How is the therapy going? I am sure afterward, you are tired...The home care worker that came yesterday, was saying she needed two knee replacements, but won't get them as she didn't trust the doctors in this area......Mom's home care worker fell down some flights of stairs while working, hit her head, hurt her back,hurt her foot and came with our house yesterday with a cane....I usually have our home care people do some chores for me like vaccum, dust and wash the kitchen floor, but that poor lady was in worse shape than Mom....We pay $17 an hour for this service, but I couldn't expect her to do too much in the condition she was in....LOL She is such a nice lady and I do feel sorry for her...

I am anxious to put my candy bouquet together and maybe I will get started  and just do what I can till the glue gun comes in the mail.... Candy bouquet's would be nice to make for presents and I want mine for a center piece...I know I am going to like putting them together, but have to stay away from eating them...LOL

A special hello and how are you to the gals of Grandma's Place!! Marian, thank you again for the candy bouquet package... I love that little tin and hope to get it together soon.... Eloise, hugs and prayers to you.. I know you have a lot on your plate... Pat, I hope you are doing okay too and that your foot feels better each day....

Mary

Well, the party is nearly over as it is our last evening in New Orleans. We are all gathered in Jared's garden just outside the kitchen where a delicious pot roast is cooking in the pressure cooker. Jared and I assisted Andrea in a small way as she taught us both how to use a pressure cooker (I've never used one!). We're enjoying a glass of wine and good conversation as we contemplate our trip home tomorrow.

Unfortunately, sadness awaits us upon our arrival home. Andrea's FIL (97 yo and just moved in with Andrea and her DH the day before we left) suffered a severe stroke today and will likely not last much longer. Jared will accompany us home as he hopes to have one more visit with his grandpa before he passes. We will depart in the very early morning hours and hopefully arrive late afternoon. We'll be back in touch with you all as we see how things play out. Please keep Andrea and her family in your prayers.

Thank you to all of you who have followed us on fb and enjoyed our trip with us.We have had so much fun sharing our trip with all of you and reading your comments on our adventures. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend....

Andrea and Karen

Andrea, I am so sorry to hear that your FIL had a stroke....Prayers to you and your family....Safe travels home....I have enjoyed reading about your trip and wishing I was there with you....I am sorry you have to go home to sadness....

I have been busy baking cookies for Cody's bake sale.. Today I make the pies.. I have a new oven, that can be used as a convection oven, so I tried that out yesterday with the cookies....Gosh, the chocolate chip cookies got almost perfect and baked so even...Cody is working towards his Eagle Scout award and has to do a fund raiser to raise the money to start his project.. His project will be at the Weedville church, were he is fixing the entrance at the church steps to make it easier for elderly people to enter and I think some landscaping... My daughter has a wonderful variety of baked goods coming plus homemade jam, fresh parsley and eggs and quite the assortment of baked goods... I am making pecan pies, cherry and a peach pie today....

Hope everyone is doing good.. Prayers to Eloise...Waiving to Marian and PatE...hope all of you are doing fine...

Mary

Andrea, So sorry to hear about your FIL.  Prayers for your family.

Eloise, How is Dan doing? I hope he is out of ICU soon.