morning dew

 – a weekly ritual inspired by Carey and Cimi.

A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.
A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

enjoying the last days of shower flowers

 – a weekly ritual inspired by Carey and Cimi.
A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.
A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

blogging

WOW, can not believe that July was the last time I blogged. It is amazing how time gets away from you. August was here and I was in the full swing of my new position. Can I tell you, I love, love my job (my boss is great too). Then it was September and I felt that it was all about birthdays, Jeff's, Chris's Stephanie's and mine of course, visiting and just enjoying the end of summer, and thank you, the heat. Now October is half over and that means Christmas in my world is here. So I am not promising any continuous posts, but I will steal the picture of the week from Carey and Cimi.


 – a weekly ritual inspired by Carey and Cimi.
A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.
A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

July 2010

An exciting month of July is almost over. Some big things happened this past month. 
The most exciting in the family was the birth of our first granddaughter Kamryn Abigail, mother and dad Monica and Chris. Note the pix on the right side. That was really exciting. I finally get to purchase "girl" stuff after having grandsons for so long. 
The second big thing was me leaving Macy's at the Mall of Millenia. I moved to Orlando to open up that store about 9 years ago. It was very melancholy for me to depart since I always felt it was mine. I was promoted to the Operations manager for 2 Macy's locations here in Orlando, Fl Mall and Fash Sq. Totally different than Millenia. Fl Mall is about a year older than Millenia and really geared towards the tourist customer while Fash Sq is almost 40 years old and located in what Orlando is downtown and very different ethnic groups shop there. So a big change and lots of opportunities to apply what I love most about retail, Merchandising and Operations.

Finally we started out the month on our annual Captiva Vacation with Bonnie, Rob, Olivia and Alexa. It was truly an experience staying on an island with the only transportation off was by boat. No fast grocery stores, which I do believe the men missed and not any good restaurants to eat out. The house we rented was great and the stroll down the lane to the beach each day was wonderful. The only transportation on the island was by golf cart which Olivia loved. No TV in the master bedroom, no cell service, but we did have wi fi. Just relaxation, seeing the sun come up on one end of the beach and sunsets at the end of the lane. The widow's walk was a great place to view the stars and the wonderful lightening shows with the passing of evening showers several times. There is also a state park which we hiked in our flip flops and found lots of sand dollars in perfect condition. We also saw where Hurricane Charlie came in at. WOW, 5 years later and things still have not grown back to where they were prior to the storm. We saw lots of animals of the sea, sting rays, urchins, live sand dollars, dophin pods, manatees, never knew they could move so fast, crabs, they are so funny to watch, men fishing at sunrise. No jetskis, no fast motor boats, just relaxation for 6 days. Sad to see the week end, but we will be back on some beach next year and hopefully on the west coast of Florida. 

Kay Roeder

Kay. Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Friend

The world is a sad day today with her passing. 

Kay loved her family, her garden, her hummingbirds, her cross stitching, her crossword puzzles, her novels, Jeopardy, and so much more. 

She was a true southern lady who was there for any and all.
Kay's house was our house during Mardi Gras and the only parade she went to was the Krewe of Luling.
She collected the New Orleans things for me knowing how much I loved it, especially the Times Picayune.

Loved having her biscuits and gravy for breakfast.

When I would call to talk with Terri and Kay answered she and I would have a great conversation, about anything and everyone we knew.

I knew she included me in her life when I made the list on the kitchen cabinet for a loan. 

Kay made my wedding dress more special.

She will always be close to my heart and I will miss her.

Kay, Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Friend.

end of Spring, beginning of Summer

So the month of May is in it's final days which brings the magic of Summer to all of us. As I reflect on what transpired during the end of Spring, I look forward to what will develop during the upcoming Summer months. The Spring came to an abrupt halt at the beginning of the month. All of a sudden 90 degree temps hit us and the sheen of humidity was upon our skin, soaking through our clothes and reminding us that it was now time for the air conditioner in our home and car. At the end of spring my garden was in it's infancy.

The tomato plants have produced a eenny bitty tiny tomato that I picked this week. We have enjoyed the basil, cilantro and chives. The cabbage I know has a way to grow still.

The lavender at the end of the season will be a wonderful joy to dry and savor the flavor.  I learned alot and will continue to develop my skills as a small yard gardener.





The middle of the month we celebrated Mother's Day at Epcot viewing the annual flower show. My favorite peice of the show was the Fairie Garden with the butterflys flying all around.

As for the last week of May I have been on staycation. I sewed for 2 of those days creating a new look for the living room. I wanted a softer beachy feel for the summer and I feel that I achieved that. Lots of hand sewing, which made me realize why I do not cross stitch any longer. Was able to read a couple of books, spend some time at the pool, have my hair touched up and finally be a photographer for Carey and Stephanie during their home inspection. Now it is back to work in 2 days and counting down to our annual vacation with Bonnie and Rob on North Captiva Island. Can not wait for the middle of the summer to be here. Hoping all enjoy the beginnings of summer.

end of April

it is so hard to believe that another month of 2010 is almost over.
Where did it go? I just finished catchng up on all of the blogs i follow and lurk and am amazed at what everyone is up to, what accomplishments have happened and what is in the future. Can not wait to see how all dreams develop.

Dago and I flew over to New Orleans last weekend for celebrations. His mother was 70 and Terri was 50. How do you celebrate in April? CRAWFISH boils. Yes, we ate crawfish all weekend and they were delicious. Janet flew in from CO to help with the Terri celebration. It was a mini BBW reunion. We had so much fun, catching up, shopping, eating, and just having a great time. And we did live up to our anagram (that would be Bitchy Bead Whores). No we did not catch and be greedy about beads, but just had some great moments with each other. Dago was able to spend time with Monica and Martha with Elijah in the emergency room getting stitches in his head. Poor guy he and CJ just decided to bump heads at the end of our first crawfish boil. I then spent the balance of the afternoon with Jacki and CJ. Rocko was not a happy camper when we returned, I guess life at the Ryan household must really be great, especially playing with his cousins Jack and Nanook. He kinda ignored us for a day. I am a little stressed at work, but things most likely will be unstressed within 2 or 3 weeks. Will keep all posted. Hope all ends their April showers with lots of sunshine, I know after tonight that is what i am wishing for.

april

just a catch up blog.
easter was great with cimi and randy.
jack, nanook and rocko enjoyed playing and catching up with each other.
thanks randy for getting my computer fixed.
just in time for taxes.
and the 2nd time around we still did not get a refund this year.
on vacation this week.
monday was tax day
tuesday is disney day
wednesday is cleaning up the guest rooms day
thursday is packing for new orleans on
friday off to visit the BBW's for terri's 50th
gonna eat crawfish all weekend, yummy
rocko will be visiting his cousins, thanks aunt cimi for having me over, be careful this time when you walk me, i don't want any accidents.

Manny and Emily visit

What a great visit we had this weekend with Manny and Emily. Mary also came up for the weekend. On Friday evening Cimi, Randy and Judy were over for dinner. Gotta get the table fixed so it does not collapse one day into Cimi's lap. Saturday was spent shopping at Macys Mall at Millenia. Manny always likes to spend his hard earned money at this mall. During the afternoon at the mall Macys had Cat Cora, the only Female Iron chef, demo in the store. Yes I was working during this time. That evening the family joined us for one of Manny's favorite mom dishes, fajitas. Sunday was just a lazy day. The weather was rainy so we just chilled out at home and then joined Cimi and Randy for dinner. Then it was Monday morning and they had to get back to Lafayette to their jobs, school and of course their lives. Visits like that are all too short and I always want to go back to New Orleans when they are all over cause I want to be near all of our families. But alas life is not that way, we all have jobs, homes and lives in our own cities and need to remind ourselves to cherish the moments we had with each other and to look forward to the the next time we will be with each other. All of the pics from the weekend, including tons of Cat Cora, are now posted on my picasa page. I also uploaded all of the Mardi Gras pictures too. Carey maybe you can tell me how to get more light into night pictures with no large flash. Check them out.

goal revisions

everyone makes resolutions, i make goals, if you change them it does not feel that you have failed. resolutions that are not carried out have a stigma of failure.
blogging daily was a goal, now i need to revise as life evolves and things change to prohibit that type of commintment.
the next two weeks at work are like an airporte, corporate visits are circling the skys of orlando ready to land at the mall of millenia. 3 BIG visits within the next 18 days with the final one being the president of macys. am i ready for the stress? that would be a no. and to make the world an even better place our company has restructured once again and the changes will be effecting the entire building. for those of you who have worked retail, it continues to revolve.
so continue to revise your goals as you go through life, you will find success in any one of them, be it a big celebration or a thank you i completed that.

long lost memory

years ago at the Endymion parade i saw this jester and captured the image, it became one of my favorite mardi gras pics. i discovered it last night and here is the Jester once again.

King of Orpheaus

up close and personal, Sean Payton and Reggie Bush

happy 50th and mardi gras beginnings

We made it to new orleans and the celebrations begin. we started out our day on sunday wishing Dago a Happy 50th birthday with his family. Elijah and CJ were able to join us. After visiting with all we made our way back to Ceasar's house. We were also getting aquainted with the newest member of the family, Gumbo.

Then it was time to meet up with the Krewe that were joining us for Bacchus downtown. A little disappointed with the floats this year, but here is my favorite and also a picture of the KING, Drew Brees.Today it is all about trying to stay warm, very Cold here.

important and stuff

what is important?

my love for my family
my love for the friends that are in my life
that i have my health
that i am able to have a nice roof over my head
that i have a job that the majority of the time i enjoy
that i can have a variety of meals that i can eat
that i have a fun, loveable, dog
that i can help when people ask or not ask

all of the other stuff is just that stuff
to all of you that read my blog, thank you for being a part of my life, even though we may not see or talk to each other everyday, you are all important to me

Saints are the Champions!

and they marched into South Florida and took the prize. Well deserved! I can not wait to be in New Orleans this weekend. Cause, we goin' to New Orleans, gonna go see the Mardi Gras, and what a better way to have a celebration with the Saints winning the Superbowl!

and as they say a picture is worth a thousand words

note the score bar!

less than 24 hours......

BLESS YOU BOYS

GEAUX SAINTS

WHO DAT

Superbowl Tickets

Terri always sends me the Times Picayune when she mails us something. Today there was an article about Ray Nagin and tickets. I just sent the following note to the mayor's office, the NFL, Gambit Weekly and the Times Picayune and now to all of you.

Ray Nagin and Superbowl Tickets


I am still in awe of the audacity of the mayor of New Orleans. I just finished reading an article in the Times Picayune about this topic. The city should not be paying for you to represent them at the Superbowl in Miami. The mayor believes it is "owed' to him to get better tickets than the "nosebleed" that have been offered for sale, but he states "better connection" than the Saints organization. How unfortunate that this type of behavior is still going on in his mind. There are hardworking people in the city of New Orleans who would be thrilled to be able to purchase any type ticket for the Superbowl. Shame on you Ray Nagin.

A Saints fan formally of New Orleans.

I Pledge......

I pledge allegiance to The Saints

and to the great city of New Orleans

and to The Super Bowl

for which we will win

One city

below sea level

under God

with Mardi Gras & a party  for all

AMEN!

things in traffic

and the license plate spelled

udders

John Saunders to Roger Goodell regarding "Who Dat and the fleur de lis"

i know this is long, but for you Saints fans it brings it all into perspective.
Who Dat
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:21:42 -0600
From: John Saunders
To: Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner
Commissioner Goodell, I hear the NFL thinks it owns the rights to the phrase Who Dat, as well as any use of the ubiquitous Fleur-de-lis:Let’s begin with the fleur-de-lis, sir. It is, quite literally, an iconic representation of the Lily flower, and it has been in existence in French monarchy since at least the 12th century. At that time it became the heraldic emblem of the Capetian Kings of France, who claimed it was initially adopted at the time of the Frankish King Clovis 1 in 493. Since then the fleur-de-lis has been incorporated into the coat of arms or the flags of many European countries, including Spain, Luxembourg and the House of Bourbon. It has ALSO been used worldwide, appeared on postage stamps and, in North America, it has long been associated with areas settled by the French, such as Quebec, Louisville, St. Louis, Louisville and – yes sir – Louisiana, of which I presume you are aware New Orleans is a part.When the Saints came into existence in 1967, it was normal and natural that the creators would want to adopt a symbol representative of that heritage. What could be more natural than the fleur-de-lis? It was and still is virtually everywhere throughout the region (hence my use of the word ubiquitous). But I said adopt, not co-opt. No one has a right to or ownership of the fleur-de-lis and I dare say anyone foolish enough to attempt to register it as a trademark, trade name, service mark or any other “protected” icon would be summarily laughed back into the bayou. And if, for argument’s sake anyone could own the word or the icon, what next? Will the NFL also claim, by virtue of the awarding of the franchise in 1967, that the name New Orleans is also the property of the NFL, issuing cease and desist orders to anyone marketing anything with those words in the colors old gold and black?No, Mr. Commissioner, it’s time for you to have a come-to-Jesus-talk with your legal counsel and impress upon them the folly of claiming any rights of any kind in our beloved and historic symbol, the fleur-de-lis. Should the NFL try to pursue this course, I dare say you will find that there’s as much fight in Louisianans in general as there is in our wonderful Saints. You will think you’re in a real dogfight, sir.
Then let’s look at Who Dat. I could as easily ask you “Who Dat say dey gonna take our phrase? Who Dat? Who Dat?” Do you also claim ownership to the word Crunk, merely because it is now directly and principally associated with that fervor that breaks out in the Dome at every NFL game? Will all the fans have to remain in their seats and resist boogieing to the sounds, lest they infringe on some right the NFL thinks it has acquired? Tell that to the Ying Yang Twins and see how far you get.Who Dat has been used in this region, in various settings and for various reasons, as far back as the 19th century. Though many claim something to do with its creation, it was being used by a regional high school in the 1970’s, repeated in college football settings thereafter, and was ultimately linked to the Saints in the early 80’s. If the NFL could establish any right in the phrase – which I suggest it cannot do – the NFL has nevertheless been silent for over 25 years while the phrase has been repeatedly used by any and all, in relation to the Saints as well as in relation to things that have absolutely nothing to do with the Saints. Again, Mr. Commissioner, to claim any proprietary right in the term is foolhardy. Next thing, you’ll be wanting everyone to pay a license fee to ask “Where Y’at?” or “How’s ya mama ‘n ‘em?”Commissioner Goodell, many flags have flown over our city, and many nationalities have flourished here. But all who would assume management of our town have realized that while there may be cross-town rivalries, ethnic differences, economic jealousies and partisan bickering, when anything – ANYTHING - held sacred is challenged, the people of New Orleans become as one. The British learned it in 1815, and Rite Aid learned it when it assumed our beloved K & B drugstores and ceased offering Coke products for sale. Rite Aid may still be “Pepsi-exclusive” in other parts of the country, but we, the people of New Orleans, let Rite Aid know in no uncertain terms that if Coke was not available at Rite Aid, it most certainly was at Walgreen’s. In less than a year, Rite Aid reversed itself. Never underestimate the power of New Orleanians to wreak havoc on a corporate interloper telling us what we may or may not use.This effort to claim any right in either the phrase or the icon is really a very wrong step. You’re tilting at a very large windmill and you will become an irritant to a populous you really don’t want to irritate. Perhaps, in that sense, you should consider the lyrics from the song: “Don't you know little fool, you'll never win; Why not use your mentality, come on step up to reality…”Reality is, you have no right in either, and it’s time to drop the claim
John Saunders