NOLA

Hello all. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. We sure did. I have been out of pocket due to all the celebrating, traveling, giving of thanks, and now laundry. It is good to be home after such a fun week, back in routine, back to blogging!

Our festivities began last Monday morning when we headed down to good ole New Or-leans with my side of the family. This trip was planned in celebration of my little brother's 21st birthday. He is affectionately known as Tator, a nickname given to him in childhood because all he ate besides candy and pumpkin bread was POTATOES.

For the longest, Tator has been the baby of the family and therefore the last to turn 21. As this exciting birthday approached Tator began to express concern that the elder members of the family might grow weary of alcohol consumption before he reached the legal drinking age. Sounds like he has a deep seeded fear of drinking alone. So to prove to him that we are not sick of booze, we took him down to the Big Easy for a couple of days. We went to fabulous restaurants, sipped on good wine, drank cafe au laits, and ate so many beignets we couldn't see straight. Seriously, I got powdered sugar all over my jeans. All in all, it was a fine time. A large time. Eat, drink, and celebrate Tator...that sums it up.

I won't bore you with a detailed play by play of the trip. Instead I'll just share a few relevant thoughts, a word about Tator, and some pictures (with captions). I like captions.

Besides being with my family, my favorite part of NOLA was drinking cafe au laits at Cafe du Monde. It is the most wonderful cup of coffee I have ever had. I wish I had one right now. Have I ever mentioned how much I love coffee?Anyway, just wanted to say it again...I love coffee and I had some darn good cups of it down in New Orleans.

About Tator. His real name is George Edward Gillespie II, named after our paternal grandfather. Tator is the nicest, sweetest, kindest person in the world!!! Easy to be around.

Tator and I have the same sense of humor. It's weird. We laugh at the same parts in movies. Usually we laugh at the parts no one else laughs at. And then we laugh more because we are both laughing.

More importantly Tator has a kind spirit. He always has words of encouragement to give. Always has. Like when I was 16 and feeling less than satisfied with my "body image." I said something like "uggghhhh, I feel so fat."He responded in the sincerest tone, "Babby, (That's my nickname. We are big on nicknames.) you don't look fat." What 10 year old brother says that to his older sister? Tator.
Tator is one of a kind. We love him. We are going to keep him around for a long time. Happy 21st Birthday!!! You can always count on us to sit down and have a drink with you. Or a drank (as Stephen Grande likes to say).

And now...a few pics...with captions.

Tator himself aka Tator Salad

the veranda at our hotel

a beignet right before I dumped that powdered sugar on my jeans

cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde....mmmm....heaven in a cup

Aunt Lu and Doc...I made them laugh

Lovie (looking like Diane Keaton in her tinted shades) and Stephen Small

a beautiful cathedral

Mississippi River

Stephen Small meeting his great aunt Lynn for the first time. Lynn is my most faithful commenter.

Me and one of my best friends, Win. We grew up together. She lives in N.O. , is a nurse, and the one I made killer cocoa with. She met us for dinner the first night. So fun!!!

Aunt Lu and Doc at the market

Tator legally orders a screwdriver

bows and masks...colorful...photo worthy

Cajun cookin'

scarves (my mom bought the flowery one on the left for me)

local art

textured paintings

Tator admiring local art

Aunt Lu and the rest of the fam trailing behind

Aunt Lu's husband, Nick

clean plates at Felix's, I devoured a fried shrimp and oyster po'boy.

Stephen Small's parents

silly boys

walking down Bourbon Street (oh the debauchery)

Tator ordered a hurricane from Pat O's. I had a taste.....and I don't recommend it.

Lobby of the Roosevelt hotel.

Tator koozie, huggie, whatever you call it


Tator we love ya!