In Honored Memory

The highlighted date on my calendar reminds me that today is a holiday. I don't have to go to work today. Some would even call today a vacation. Retailers will turn profits today on mass sales. Grills all across the country will be fired up & filled with all kinds of meats for the annual BBQ. Memorial Day has become lost on us. What was meant to honor our armed forces has just become another day of vacation. I'm guilty of taking this holiday lightly in years past, but now, more than ever, I'm grasping the breadth of all Memorial Day represents. You see, my friends, the men & women in uniform do not take their duty lightly. We wake up today & have freedoms that many people laid down their lives to protect. I've never met a soldier who wouldn't do it all over again. Sure, the comfort of a warm bed & running plumbing is difficult to leave, but the heartbeat of a soldier is protecting the freedom of America. It is their honor & duty, & they would brave the terrors of war to keep us safe & free. I've been thinking so much lately about honor & value. When I think about things I place value on, it certainly tells me where my heart is, and quite frankly, is sometimes a realization that priorties need to change. When I think about the men & women who have died for us & those who still fight, I'm humbled. They fight for people they don't even know. They're fully aware that they may never return home. Their sacrifice is so selfless. Take for instance, the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The tomb is guarded by the Sentinels of the Third United States Infantry Regiment "Old Guard". These Sentinels guard this special tomb in Arlington National Cemetery 365 days a year, 24 hours per day, seven days a week. They do not stop in rain, heat, or snow. These soldiers are required to commit two years of their life to guard the tomb. They cannot drink alcohol or speak a swear word FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, lest they give up this privilege. The Sentinels creed speaks of their dedication to their sacred duty & serving it with dignity & respect. That is strong! Their discipline & dedication is overwhelming. As for the blessed soul who rests there, it is etched on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 'Here rests in honored glory, an American Soldier known but to God'. This soldier not only gave his life for his country, he gave his identity. It is only fitting that the Sentinels who guard the tomb take 21 steps, pause 21 seconds, & repeat. That is reminiscent of the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military. I thank God for this unknown soldier & for every single man & woman who has fought to keep America safe & free. I know that freedom isn't free. Today, I honor you precious military & extend my most sincere appreciation for your service. May we never take your sacrifice for granted. You are truly America's heroes. I pray God's protection over you, comfort for your family, & continued blessing on America.

Big plans for a big weekend.......

When Thursdays roll around during the week, my mind automatically goes into weekend mode.  I begin to plan activities that will start right after work on Friday.  Some weeks, that activity may simply be to make sure my sofa doesn't move & watch Law & Order SVU reruns.  Other times, my weekend is so packed I have to give it a baggage claim check.  This, my friends, is one of those weekends, & I can't wait!   I will be attending my first ever Greek Festival in New Orleans.  I'd love to hear from the Greek Fest pros out there as to what we simply have to enjoy while there.  I've heard the lamb is delightful & the cheese selections are delectable.  I can't wait to try everything.  Send me your tips on how to make my first Greek Festival unforgettable.  The New Orleans Food & Wine Experience also has the city abuzz with foodies.  You can find a complete listing of events at www.nowfe.com.  NOWFE is celebrating their 20th anniversary.  Do you have a favorite event?  Let me know where you will be indulging in your favorite food & wine pairings. I will be out & about in the city all weekend.  Do you have a favorite museum?  Perhaps you like to take a walk in one of the many parks.  My friends & I will be looking for free or inexpensive pastimes this weekend.  I can't wait to hear your ideas.

Of course, I've got to be rocking my purple & gold tomorrow!  Those baseball Tigers will be taking to the diamond in Birmingham tomorrow to battle for the right to stay at the SEC tournament.  Where will you be watching the game tomorrow?  I want to hear all about it & your score predictions.  What yummy ballpark treats will you be indulging in?  I look forward to celebrating another year of LSU baseball dominance. 
Last but not least, it is a huge weekend for my family. My mother said goodbye to employment & hello to retirement today.  She has devoted 37 years of her life to teaching.  I know it is exciting for her, but at the same time, she doesn't do well with sitting idle.  I predict she will be back in the classroom next summer in some capacity.  Still, I'm sure she turned cartwheels down the hall today.  Tomorrow, my parents will celebrate 39 years of marriage.  That is remarkable, indeed!  They have been such a true example to me of love, patience, kindness, generosity, & understanding.  Certainly there have been hard times in all these years, but their devotion to God & one another has carried them through.  I'm honored to be their daughter. 

Whatever activity that you & yours plan for this long, Memorial Day weekend, I hope that you enjoy every second of it.  Take a moment to pray & thank God for our country & those who have died fighting to protect it.  Remember that freedom isn't free. 

Sweet Summertime

I keep an old coffee can full of spare change in my kitchen.  I do my best to let it fill up before I cash in the coins, but sometimes I grab a handful of quarters to allow myself a small treat for the day. Depending on the day, my treat could be a coffee from the local CC's or a red velvet cupcake batter frozen yogurt from Yogurtland or even a soft serve ice cream cone from a run down country dive.  No matter what the treat, I only allow myself to grab enough change to purchase the smallest size so I won't be tempted to blow out my diet.  I found myself driving down Highway 1 last week from Donaldsonville to Thibodaux.  I was looking for a pretty shade tree in Belle Rose to sit under & eat my lunch, when, like an oasis in the desert, I spotted my favorite sno-ball stand & the red 'OPEN' sign.  I was so ecstatic that I left my car running in the driveway, grabbed the spare change out of my purse, & ran to the window to order.  There aren't many frills to this sno-ball stand.  The flavors are posted on a simple board to the right of the window, & the board is framed by handwritten signs of other offerings to quell the cravings any customer may have.  Perhaps my favorite feature of this roadside shack is sweet Ms. Bertie.  She is pushing 80 & can work that Sno-Wizard machine better than any of those young kids she hires for the summer.  I didn't make that up, friends.  Mrs. Bertie told me.  Don't worry, she will let you know it, too.  I opted for a butter cream sno-ball with a dollop of condensed milk on my visit to Mrs. Bertie last week.  I only used up $1.50 of my spare change & enjoyed every bite of my ice cold indulgence.  I'm constantly on the quest for the best sno-ball, so I can't wait for a return trip next week to test the chocolate with cream.  Or maybe I'll have the dreamsicle.  Or maybe I'll just let Mrs. Bertie surprise me with her favorite flavor & a few of her stories of days gone by. 

A Mother's Love

Unless you live under a rock, you know that Mother's Day was celebrated last Sunday.  As Hallmark was raking in the profits of the holiday, I was driving to rural north Louisiana to see my own dear, precious mother, Carol Johnson.  She is one dynamite woman.  I just want to dedicate this blog post to her greatness.  My mom is retiring in two weeks from teaching school.  She has dedicated her life to molding young minds & has literally only missed five days of work in her career.  When I was a freshman in high school, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She had surgery on a Wednesday, was released from the hospital on Thursday, & was back in the classroom on Friday.  Her principal called my dad to come pick her up, but my mother wouldn't have it.  She said, "I can be sick at work just as well as I can be at home.  Might as well stick it out."  I tell you, what, Carol Ann Johnson is one tough cookie.  She weighs 101 pounds soaking wet, but she can put away more food than Whole Foods could stock.  My friends would try to keep up with her food consumption, but to no avail.  During my high school years, we had 'family night' Pizza Hut every Tuesday evening for their buffet.  The best part of the evening would be counting the plates that mom ate.  A clean plate for every trip to the buffet would usually render seven plates in a stack for mom.  I certainly got her appetite, but, unfortunately, I didn't inherit her metabolism!!!  Perhaps what I love the most about this darling woman is her commitment to the Lord. Every morning she pours her cup of coffee & reads her Bible.  So faithful, she is!!  My mother prays like it is the last sentence she will ever speak.  I know her prayers have blessed & protected the lives of my father, sister, & me.  When the day comes that I am a mother, I can only hope & pray that I can be half the mother that she is.  I'm absolutely positive that I contributed to the gray in her hair, but I sure do love her bigger than the sky.  Thank you, momma, for all the years of prayers, hand written notes, making cheesy chicken , & the unconditional love you give me.  I am beyond lucky to be your daughter. 

How does your garden grow???

Summer doesn't officially start until next month, but the seemingly sub-Saharan Africa temperature & humidity here in south Louisiana could certainly make you believe otherwise.  I don't know about you, but the heat of the season draws me away from heavy foods & cooking anything that puts me over a hot stove.  I am magnetically pulled to fresh vegetables for every meal.  There's nothing like eating a thick, homegrown red tomato & letting the juices run down your arms.  That, my friends, is what summer means to me.  My late papaw & mamaw lived on 33 acres of land.  Almost half of it was covered in a garden.  Papaw planted peas, green beans, butter beans, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, squash, & peanuts.  I vividly remember spending my summer days dragging a five-gallon bucket through rows of peas & picking what I could.  When it came time to shell the peas or shuck the corn, however, I would always to find something else to do, but the rule was that everyone had to pitch in.  I didn't inherit the green thumb that my family had. That is why I rely on the farmer's market, produce stand, & other garden-savvy friends to help me out with my summer vegetable fix. My friend here in Baton Rouge, Josh Higginbotham, has planted himself a fine garden, indeed, & it is brimming with vegetables & herbs just begging to be transformed into a refreshing summer meal.  Josh was gracious enough to allow me to take some pictures of his beautiful garden.  We even saw the first tiny tomato of the season during our time outside! He has taken great care to assure that all plants were planted & tended properly & is already reaping the benefits of the harvest.  This is a shot of Josh's glorious garden in all its green splendor.  I am so excited to see the bounty it will produce throughout the next several months!

 

The tomatoes have started growing in full force.  I adore fresh tomatoes on a bacon sandwich or sometimes just eating it like an apple.  My mom would just pick them out of the garden, slice them, & serve them with salt & pepper with our lunch.  I hope I can talk Josh into giving me some tomatoes & cucumbers for a fresh summer salad.  Maybe he'll even let me pick some of his fresh herbs to make a caprese salad.  Of course I'm going to ask him for some fresh lemons to squeeze in my water.  Josh is probably going to be sorry he ever told me about his garden!!! Here are some pictures of the 'first' of the crops.

I get the sneaking suspicion that those tomato & pepper plants are going to produce rapidly, & Josh will have to make some of his world famous homemade hot sauce just to keep up & use everything.  I absolutely can't wait to write about that!  What I didn't tell you about Josh is that he is a good ol' Cajun boy from Vidrine, Louisiana.  He assures me that he makes the best gumbo this side of the Mississippi River.  That is another blog for another day, but I can promise you a gumbo throw-down when the temperature drops down!  Thank you, Josh, for opening up your garden to me, but most of all, thank you for keeping the 'locally grown' movement alive here in the city.  You've inspired me to work on my green thumb & create something of my own.  I promise you, my friends, to keep you posted on the bounty that Josh collects & the new dishes that will be created from all of it.  Tell me what some of your favorite garden goodies are & how you enjoy the harvests of summer.  It brings back sweet memories of days gone by & how the greatest treasures in life are the simple ones.

Getting back to my personal best....

Whew!!  It has been a busy past two weeks for yours truly.  So far, I have managed to survive a long weekend in New Orleans, struggle with an awful case of tonsillitis, & a squeeze in some time to visit friends in Florida. I'm exhausted, but I just know I'll be back to my personal best in no time.  :-)

If you are going to be in the New Orleans area anytime soon, do yourself a favor & have dinner at Root on Julia Street.  This fantastic restaurant was the pick of April's monthly 'let's go to a new restaurant that we've never tried' dinner.  Friends, I was blown away by the menu at Root. Chef Phillip Lopez is creating amazing cuisine at this modern, hip establishment.  My friend & I ordered three small plates to start our meal, & that was all we needed.  We had a beet salad, roasted brussel sprouts with lardon, & the star of the meal:  chicken wings.  OK, I know you think I have lost my mind, but the Korean style chicken wings at Root are - without question - one of the best meals I've ever eaten.  Ever.  They were so good, in fact, that I informed the kitchen that next to being in the presence of God, the wings are the best experience one can have. 

I'm not sure what deliciousness went into the cooking of these tasty morsels, but I can tell you these chicken wings were made with love.  Make the short trip to New Orleans & let me know what you think of Root.  Trust me, you will not be disappointed.  Please, fellow foodies, send me some suggestions of restaurants I should try or try again.  I'm always looking for my next great meal.  Be blessed....