A Little Shout Out

We're going to be away from Josh on father's day this year. Tomorrow the girls and I are starting our multi-day road trip to Tennessee for our cousin's wedding which will likely prove to be a whole lot of fun and reminiscent of this...

...except I will be in Clark's seat, and my sister will be in Ellen's, and our combined four kids will be in the back. And so far, it looks like we'll be strapping things to the roof.

Josh is meeting us in Tennessee a week later. That means he'll be spending father's day solo, which could turn out to have its pluses...a day of sleeping in and doing whatever he loves to do (likely cutting the grass in rows so symmetrical, we were told they really can be seen from Google Earth's satellite:) The man loves to mow. Last year I snapped this pic of him when he launched our hand-me-down mower for the first time after leaving NYC:

So, Josh, before we head out of town, your girls wanted to give you a little father's day shout out:

We will miss you!

Pickin' and Grinnin'

Every June (thanks to my childhood summer camp in Pinola, Mississippi) I get a hankering for picking these:

On Saturday, I recruited a few helpers to accompany me. We headed to Greenwell Springs, Louisiana, to this great little spot.

Margaret was in high heaven! She was just a pickin' and a grinnin' and a runnin' from bush to bush. 

Every few minutes, she ran her blue bucket to Josh to report her progress:

Her companion (who appears headless:)... 

...tended to zone-in for periods of time on those bushes with the highest concentration of the biggest and bluest of berries...no messing around. 


The littlest one and her giraffe took it all in from down below:

About thirty minutes later, we had more blueberries than we knew what to do with:

So we made a big batch of these and called it a day. 

A lot of the grinnin' came the day after, on Sunday afternoon on our back patio turned racetrack. Margaret was mastering her tricycle while others had a turn or two on a tech version of the trike: the Plasma Car (compliments of Aunt Liz). The Plasma Car is hilarious, and it can go really fast, especially with a grown-up rider. This is what played out:

Margaret in the lead, with the once again seemingly headless lady making an appearance.

Speed racer in close second, who may or may not have taken a tumble off his plasma car racing around the next curve.

And the little lady holds on to the lead!

Hope your weekend was filled with grins and that your week will be, too! 

Howdy Houston!

Josh and I headed west last weekend to Houston, Texas while Josh's parents spent the weekend with the girls at our house. The reason for our trip was to attend our friend Victor's ordination to priesthood on Saturday morning. 


But first, on Friday night we were able to catch up with friends from our high school/college days for dinner at our hotel. We were in great company with this crew: 


Chad and Shaunna...



...are one of the cutest couples I know. Chad is a CPA, and Shaunna is an OBGYN in Houston. I'm amazed that she is delivering babies. I can see her having great bedside manner.

We were also graced by the presence of Charles...

...a very talented artist, good friend, and potential member of The Handlebar Club. 


Shelley, Charles' girlfriend, joined us, to0. I've met her just a few times, and at dinner I had the chance to get to know her better. She has a really warm smile and a personality to match it:

We were out until midnight, and for this geriatric couple:

that translates to a whole lot of fun and the latest we've stayed out in months or maybe years!

The next day was Victor's big day, his ordination into the Catholic Priesthood. The nearly three hour event was intense and magnificent:

Father Victor is the tall one, next to the Bishop.

Mrs. Karen, Victor's mom, was beaming with pride.

 Victor and his family

Josh congratulating the newly ordained, Father Victor:)

On the night of the ordination, Victor's parents, Mrs. Karen and Mr. Vic, hosted a dinner in his honor.  The toasts given to celebrate Father Victor were a testament to him as a person and to the positive impact his family, especially his parents, have had on him. It's inspiring to know such a loving, selfless human.


What a great weekend with friends, knowing all along (via texts) that Margaret and Louise were having a good ole' time:

Thanks for keeping them, MeMe and Paw-D, and thanks to great friends for a great weekend.

Dad's Day Gift List

Historically, I've found myself in a bind mustering up gift ideas when the occasion arises. In an attempt to remedy this, I've been creating lists of gift possibilities ahead of time. With Father's Day around the corner, I'm sharing my list in case you're searching. Feel free to send in your own gift suggestions to add to these:


A Garden & Gun Gift Subscription:

We are crazy about this magazine. Garden & Gun is self-described as appreciating the richness of the South...the land, music, arts, traditions, food...that has shaped the Southern way of life. It's been a valuable resource for us now that we are back in Louisiana and getting acquainted with the happenings across the South.

 A Ledbury Shirt: (Josh's favorites, hands down)
Two guys named Paul (one of whom is a best bud of ours from way back when) started Ledbury out of Virginia after earning MBAs at Oxford. Ledbury's customer service and the quality and fit of their shirts warrant spreading the news. And speaking of news, they've been featured in The Journal, Financial Times, GQ, and Garden & Gun, to name a few. Check out their website for the story of Paul and Paul and more of their shirts. Here's a peak:

The Red Lancaster Plaid

The Pink and Blue Starks Gingham

An added bonus: on their website, Ledbury suggests a "best look" for each shirt- a narrative in the sidebar of the web page describing a tie, blazer, etc. that would look great paired with the shirt. 


Try them out, and you'll see what all the fuss is about!

Just About Anything From Colonel Littleton:
Their customer service is also worth a horn toot. It's great and so are these:

Colonel Can Caddies

Many more gift possibilities on their website. 


A Silhouette:
Josh gives his birthday gift (a silhouette of Margaret) two thumbs up. It's featured in this previous post. I'd imagine there's still time to have one made for Father's Day.

Wild Abundance, A Cookbook Anthology: (for the hunter)

from Wild Abundance Publishing

A Yeti Cooler:

This Little Book:

Recommended to me by more than one wise investor. Perfect for basic knowledge of the market and valuable for the novice or experienced investor. I followed the formula and beat the market:) 
WORTH YOUR (or Dad's) TIME.

Phew! There you go! Hope some dads out there will get lucky with one of the above this year!