Gator Gumbo

The summer before Katrina struck the beautiful and unique city of New Orleans, Papallama and I had a chance to visit.  I remember we walked around the French Quarter all night to the point that when we woke up the next day, we thought our feet would fall off!  I don't think my feet have ever been so sore from walking.  But New Orleans is sort of like the Worldwide Web, once you start exploring, there is no stopping.

While we were there, we enjoyed the wonderful food, and ate probably one of the best meals of my life at Commander's Palace.  It was so fancy smancy that even my best duds couldn't get us a table with the locals.  They were decked out in hats and gloves, let me tell you.

Yes, they know how to cook in NOLA, so we decided to take a cooking class.  We learned how to make jumbalaya, red rice, how to cook shrimp their way, and last, but not least, how to prepare gumbo!  It is a well orchestrated event, cooking gumbo, and you best have it all at your fingertips with a sous chef by your side. (That was my job.) Papallama has prepared this meal only one time a year, and it is an all time family favorite as much for the entertainment as for the food, which is delicious!

That brings me to the latest installment in what Grammy Reads these days.  PDub paid her a visit at the new house.  The new house has some unusual neighbors.  Gators!

So, I couldn't help but be reminded of Gator Gumbo, one of my favorite read aloud books.  Call it a cross between Brer Rabbit and the Little Red Hen.  This book is a hoot and a half to read! A hoot and a half!  P Dub absolutely loved it! And be prepared, because when you mess with a gator, things do not end well for you.

Later, Gator~

Mission Accomplished

All three grandsons, and a Papallama as a bonus!  I sure do love these guys!

Cheeeeese~

Swish!

Sometimes the best books are the wordless ones.  That was the case this past weekend when I visited Baby Bird.  On display in his room was his new favorite book, Where's Walrus?, by Stephen Savage.  The adventure begins when a bored walrus escapes from his zookeeper and heads into the city.  He cleverly disguises himself in a number of urban locations before discovering an unknown talent...the high dive...for which he receives five 10s!  Baby Bird gave this book a ten, and I read it at least that many times or more.

Another recent addition to his library is Red Sled. This sweetly illustrated book consists of onomatopoeias to give life to a wild adventure on a red sled left outside by a child and discovered by her nature friends.  Get your sound effects ready when you 'read' this one!

The boys will all be together over the holidays, so my goal is to capture them all in a picture just being still for a split second to be in focus.  Is that too much to ask? 

Swoosh~

Gonevember

November!  That month of feasting has come and gone.  Here's a taste of ours...

Surfing

Giddy-upping



Voting



Cheering



Riding



Growing



Singing



Walking



Gobbling

 Now wobbling into December.  I'm sure it won't go nearly as fast, right?

Put Your Feet Up and Stay Awhile

It's been a busy month or two around here with football season in full swing.  In between home games, I have been meeting delivery people at the new house on the island, and just having a good time hanging pictures, and pulling projects together that I started even before the ink was dry on the deal. 

Let me show you a few of the projects, and I promise to get back into books very soon.  (We HAVE been reading!)

Thanks to Country Boys, I have a very pretty basket arrangement on the door.  I love how the designer incorporated some low country feel into the flowers by adding cotton.  It was her suggestion to go with something other than a wreath given the oval window in the door.  I would have never thought of that. 

I went crazy with spray paint on some my projects.  Yay for spray paint!  Here is a sneak peek of the guest room.  The bed, the side table, and even the lamp got sprayed! I wish I had a more recent picture because I have added a lampshade and FINALLY gotten the best possible knobs for the old computer hutch.  Remember that project from last summer?  It's found a great space in the new home.

One of the 'funnest' rooms to plan has been the bunkroom for the grandchildren and other young at heart guests.  It has a nautical theme, and there is no end to the possiblities there.  I have an old oar, ship's wheel mirror, and lobster buoys still to be hung...see what I mean?  Happily, all three grands have already tested this room out and given it their stamp of approval!

 

And then there is the blank slate on the porch that Mama Cat is working on as a Christmas gift for us.  How many days til' Christmas?  Can't wait to see her 'vision' of what this area should be. 

That's just a small glimpse into some of the projects that have been occupying this Grammy's time instead of keeping up the blog.

I hope everyone has a spooktacular Halloween!

 

 

A Grammy By Any Other Name...

will answer.  Yes, there are many names for a grandmother.  Nana, Mimi, Grandma, G-Ma, Lovely, Honey, MayMay...and of course, Grammy.  Before PDub was born, I was asked many times what I would be called.  "Whatever he chooses will be fine with me," was my basic opinion.  Still I was pressed to choose something.  At the time, Candice Bergen was in a popular TV show, Boston Legal.  I enjoyed the show and thought Candice was a pretty attractive woman of my 'age', so when her TV granddaughter appeared in an episode and called her Grammy, I decided that I liked that.  It sounded like someone who would be fun to hang out with and that's what I hope to be to my grandchildren. 

The name has worked out well.  Gammy, as PDub, now pronounces it, has been used with great success.  Just let me hear that around 6:00a.m., and I am by the crib in a heartbeat.  When I hear it on the phone, I can't help but smile.  Yes, the name certainly seems to fit.

But a Grammy by another name works, too.  Baby Bird has dubbed me GaGa.  I love that name, too!  He picked up the Papa name for Papallama very quickly and follows him around like a little duckling, but he seemed confused as to who I was...namewise.  Then on our last visit, the magical moment when I officially got my title occurred.  When asked to point to Grammy, he smiled, looked at me, and said GaGa.  (Cue the sappy music)  Now he is quite satisfied as to who I am and what to call me.  And so am I.  I have asked Mama Cat not to correct him and tell him I am Grammy.  No, I am GaGa for as long as he wants to call me that. 

Just call me~

The Lonely Shadow

As promised, I checked out the books on my recent visit to the Low Country.  I found a great one at Wonder Works, the mother of all toy stores in Charleston and beyond. 

The Lonely Shadow is written and illustrated by silhouettist and song writer, Clay Rice.  I have always been a fan of his grandfather, Carew Rice, and Clay, as they use their talent and unique artform to illustrate landscapes and people of the South and in particular, the Low Country.  Clay Rice, who learned the art from his grandfather, has cut hundreds of thousands of silhouettes of children.  It was a wish I had to have sillouettes of my own daughters, but sadly, never fulfilled.  Still, I admire the sceneries and still lifes captured over the long careers of both artists.

The Lonely Shadow is a beautiful story about a shadow who doesn't belong.  On his search for his owner, he passes many lovely scenes (silhouettes, of course) until he finds the perfect match.  The text is sing song and perfect for a young audience and sweet enough for a bedtime story. 

There are many lessons that may emerge from reading this book.  Shadows, reflection, mood,sequence, cause and effect, and of course, art, are just a few that come to mind. 

And if you are really lucky, you may just find Clay on tour and not only have him sign a book, but complete a silhouette of your little one. 



The shadow often gets a bad rap. It's dark. It can not be grasped.  It is a reflection of us, good and bad.  But this quote and The Lonely Shadow's theme sum up my feelings about the dear ole shadow.

"Shadows sometimes people don't see shadows. The Chinese of course never paint them in pictures, oriental art never deals with shadow. But I noticed these shadows and I knew it meant it was sunny. "
-David Hockney

May your shadow be long today~