The Big Easy

This year's Spring Break, while seeming miraculously shorter and more rushed than last year, was pleasant and restful. We actually kicked off the whole holiday by heading out to New Orleans for a friend's wedding, and made a long weekend vacation out of it. Everything about our trip was great. The wedding was the most fabulous wedding I have ever had the pleasure of attending, the food was great, the weather was perfect, and the people were friendly.

Before this trip, the last time I visited New Orleans was well before Katrina. We were only there for a day, but the city left a strong impression on me and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it had changed very little over the years. The day we arrived was the day of the wedding, so we had only a few hours to eat, dress, and make our way over to the gathering place for the wedding party. We ate at Acme Oyster House, apparently a famous New Orleans eatery as there was a line out the door only 20 minutes after they had opened for lunch. While our meal was good, the confusion was such that some other people took our place in line without us realizing it and we ended up waiting about an hour to eat lunch.

Once we were finished, we headed back to the hotel to dress then took a cab to another hotel where all the wedding guests were to meet. When I say this was the most fabulous wedding I've ever attended, I mean it the most fabulous...period. The actual wedding venue was an old plantation about an hour outside of the city. Charter buses were scheduled to take all the guests out, and back. Once we arrived at the plantation there was champagne and enough time to walk around the property for a bit. After the ceremony ended we were led through the actual plantation house where there were drinks, food, and a woman hand rolling cigars for guests. There were also tiny shot glasses available with the couple's logo on them. The reception was in another building where there was a buffet dinner, a 12 piece band, and more drinks flowing. Guests danced for several hours before the couple was led out of the plantation property, and sent off under a show of fireworks, riding back to New Orleans in a classic Rolls-Royce. Fabulous.

The next day, we got up and had the most spectacular brunch ever at Commander's Palace. Then headed right across the street to walk through the famous Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. One thing I wasn't aware of was the fact that people are still buried in this cemetery today. Some of the tombs are falling into disrepair, but others have clearly been updated and refreshed as the years have gone by.

After a great brunch, Dad headed off to the casino and Mom and I made our way through some of the more famous streets of the French Quarter. I thought the architecture and people were more interesting than most of the shops we visited. As far as my adventures on Bourbon Street go, well I have nothing to tell. Not because I'm trying to be coy in some kind of "what happens in New Orleans" way. Quite simply, that is just not my scene. I've never liked being around masses of drunk people, or just drinking to get drunk. Actually the whole idea is rather stupid, if you ask me.

He might look like he was walking, but he's actually one of several mime's we saw.

Our last morning in New Orleans was marked by rain and a required trip to Cafe Du Monde. It was just as good as I remember. Fluffy white piles of powdered sugar over hot chewy beignets accompanied by a side of hot coffee. It was the perfect way to end a mini vacation, and start off Spring Break. Now that my week off has passed swiftly and sweetly by, it's time to get back into work mode again. At least I will have the memory of those little beignets to keep me going.

New Year, New Look

While the new year has long since come and gone. I decided it was time to give my blog a face lift and return to my weekly posts. It's hard to believe I stopped writing for an entire year, but I suppose the stresses of life are bound to take hold and derail you from your hobbies and passions. It's a daily struggle to find even the tiniest amount of balance in this life.

As I write, the rain - freezing rain really - is failing steadily outside my window and people seem tucked away in their homes looking for refuge from the damp chill under thick blankets and in steaming cups of cocoa. In short, it is the perfect day for rest to take a priority over stress. As the rain slowly coats the ground with thick ice, I am feel more and more carefree. There is nothing like a bad weather day to restore the soul. For me, bad weather means an unexpected day off work of which I, like most people I know, am in desperate need.

So, what will I do with my extra time? As much as I would like to be that industrious person who does the laundry, cooks several delicious meals to freeze-and a fabulous dessert-and cleans the house top to bottom, and knits a blanket; well, that's just not me. I waste my day away on the sofa listening to the hum of the furnace, and watching my neighborhood woodpecker go to work search for food in a frozen tree. Well, maybe the TV has been on too. Mostly, I luxuriate in the little details I don't get to enjoy on a daily basis. Like enjoying a full pot of properly brewed tea during breakfast, and sipping from my fragile Russian teacup. This afternoon I even decided to make a pot of hot chocolate.

Now the day is slowly coming to a close. Ice still lingers on the ground outside, and I am now just waiting for the call that work will be canceled yet again tomorrow. I feel relatively confident that Mother Nature will help me out with this one as temperatures are dropping back down into the mid twenties tonight and will not rise above freezing until noon tomorrow. For now I am keeping my fingers crossed and burrowing deeper into the sofa.

My Valentine

When I was younger, Valentine's Day was always a sore spot. I didn't date much in high school or college, when the sting of single-dom is keenest. However, these days I am happy to stay in and show myself some generally much needed attention. I read an article a few years ago written by a young woman who discussed how she spent her New Year's Eve at home with her parents. In the days approaching the holiday, her father and mother would stock up provisions, fine cheeses, specialty meats, specially selected bottles of wine, and other such luxuries befitting a special day. And, she described how eventually she came to realize how much more she loved staying in with her parents enjoying the splendor. I couldn't agree more. The comforts of home are enticing, their pull runs deep into our souls. 

So, as this Valentine's weekend drew nearer, I began to plan my special weekend. A date with myself, so to speak. I left work right on time, quite unusual for me, stopping only for necessary provisions; gas for the car, and sushi and wine for me. When I arrived home, I found this little surprise awaiting me…

Apparently, the cat's ran down to our local card shop. Even though I am their slave - and hardly worthy of such recognition - they thought to reward me for my excellent behavior. They were each praised thoroughly, of course.

Then, it was time for the celebration to begin. I have all sorts of little "traditions" at Pershing Cottage, depending on the holiday, however, this time my plan was to engorge my eyeballs by watching too much streaming content on my computer; specifically, House of Cards, Season 2. Which, is precisely what I did, even though Saturday was the most beautiful day we have seen in quite some time, I couldn't peel my eyes away from my computer screen. Perhaps if I live in some place perpetually cloudy and dreary I wouldn't have been able to waste away such a day. But here, sunshine is plentiful and there will be many more perfect days before the heat of the summer sun has us in his grasp. By the end, my little computer was so tired I had to shut it all the way down and give it a bit of a rest. While I didn't get anything accomplished this weekend, I spent my holiday treating myself and doing exactly as I wished. 

Now, it is back to the salt mines that is work. In the ever so humble wisdom of Downton Abbey, "work is like old age, the worst thing in the world except for the alternative". I wouldn't go so far as to say that the jobs I have held are the worst thing in the world, but I have to tell you that it is hard to leave this guy every morning as he can be much more amenable than most. 

Speaking of Downton Abbey, I have been loving this new season. One of my great pleasures is to watch every Sunday evening while I knit and sip a hot cup of tea. Below are pictures of the shawl I have been knitting since Christmas. I actually meant to do a seed stitch, but could never seem to get it to come out. Finally, my sister told me that instead of knitting the purls and purling the knits, I was knitting the knits and purling the purls. The effect is this slightly ribbed pattern. While this was not what I was wanting, I was too far into the project to rip it all out and start over. I still think it has turned out nice, and I plan on adding some sort of crocheted boarder to the edges to give it a more finished look. This is Lion Brand Homespun Yarn (not the most expensive or luxurious), in "Edwardian". Honestly, it was the name that got me. I just picked it up on a whim. But, once I saw the name, visions of Downton Abbey ladies danced in my head and six more skeins promptly fell into my basket. Hopefully, I will be able to finish it before our trip to Colorado, which is just around the corner. Until then, much love. 

The Roller Coaster

Peaks and valleys. That would be a good way to describe life these days at Pershing Cottage. First and for most, the weather has been nearly insane with 70 degree temperatures one day and 30 degree temperatures the next. From slick ice, to hot sun, this winter has been one of the most extreme we have seen in quite a while. Also, the violent swings of wind direction have really caused my allergies to overreact, which is all together most unpleasant. I am, however, excited to see if some of the usual garden pests that plague me have been killed off by these harsh extremes.

Another positive with all this winter weather is the many snow days. Even as a teacher, I still get excited for an unexpected snow day. Last night at 10:30, for example, I received a call on my cell phone with the blissful news that school had been canceled for the day. I hung up the phone, curled back up in my warm bed, and let a huge smile stretch across my face as I fell deep into sleep. I woke up a the same time I do every weekday morning (6:00 am) without that feeling of urgency. I have to get up, I have to get stuff done. You know the feeling. I spent the unexpected holiday taking a leisurely coffee Mom all morning and then completing a few school things I had been neglecting for some time. Later in the afternoon I treated myself to a movie, then returned home for dinner with Mom and Dad. All in all, it was a perfect surprise holiday.

My work life has also been filled with peaks and valleys as of late. My students push me to the edge most every day. I suppose it is in the nature of humans to poke and prod, constantly checking their boundaries. While most all the time I can eventually take a step back from a situation and recognize that these students are still children, last Thursday my students pushed too far and it left me feeling upset, useless, and taken advantage of. It has really been one of the bigger clouds to hang over my head during my first year of teaching and it makes going to work much less fun than it should be. However, like all things, I know this will pass and I am strong enough to push forward. By the way, on a small side note, stay tuned for posts to come about my first year as a teacher. I believe I will create a separate blog chronicling my first year pitfalls and advice to other new teachers to the trade.

Making the most of your day is a hard thing to do. The older I get, the less time I feel I have in a day to accomplish all I want. Of course, perhaps this is not the best year to make such statements as I am overly busy with work a the moment. Still, there are certain things I would like to accomplish in my day that I just haven't been able to fit in. For example, I would like to wake up and do a bit of yoga every morning. I never work out. And yes, I know that is not good for me. Every night I say to myself, 'today I am going to get in bed early and wake up a full hour early so I can get some things done'. Yet, every night, it seems I cannot get in bed before 10:30, and quite frankly, you don't want to meet me on the day I get less than 7 hours sleep. Plus, I work with children all day so I cannot have a grump face. So, the yoga dvd I purchased with every good intention sits on my shelf collecting dust. I usually get home from work somewhere around 6 in the evening, and on my way home I make a mental list of things I want to get done. The first, being to shuck the shackles of my work wardrobe for the liberating sweatpants and faded, soft t-shirt, is never difficult to accomplish. However, my once plans of dusting the house, sweeping the floors, or doing the laundry all fade out of my memory as I take a hugh mental sigh fall onto my comfy sofa with some sort of snack. At this stage 45 minutes fades into nothing and suddenly it's time to have dinner and get prepared for the next day of work. Right now, life is focused solely on my work and performing well, I'm the worst when it comes to putting my health before everything, but I am hoping I will get better at it with time. 

Finally, I thought I would post a few pictures from our most recent girls night in. It was quite a success in my opinion. 

The appetizer table spread. Prosciutto, Bresaola with lemon, olive oil, and capers, toasts, mixed olives, lambrusco jam, camembert cheese, wensleydale with apricots, parmesan cheese, and aged cheddar cheese.

And for dessert, meringue cookies dipped in chocolate with double cream centers.

Wishing you good tidings from the frosty Pershing Cottage. May your up coming days be filled with relaxation and a blissfully quite mind.

Winter Wonder

Hello all! I know I've been M.I.A. as of late, and I'm sorry for that. As usual, I've just been overly swamped by work and too much of a gelatinous pool to do much more than sleep and eat. However, things are starting to become more routine, and so it's time to get back to blogging.

Winter is in full swing here. Winter always amazes me here. Not too long ago, we had some very cold, nasty weather which left the roads coated with a thick blanket of ice for nearly four days. Today, however, it was 75 and sunny. To be honest, I prefer the cold cold weather. As a Texan, we get plenty of heat an sunshine throughout the rest of the year, but I feel very strongly that winter should be reserved for bitterly cold weather.

A frozen Pershing Cottage.

While I love my cottage, this is actually my dream home. One day...

Winter is also the time of year that I generally fall victim to a knitting project. Over Christmas Break, I took a trip to the local craft store on a whim. As it happened, I came in the midst of a sale on yarn and simply couldn't resist the temptation. I decided to make a shawl using a deep charcoal gray yarn, then edge the shawl in a light misty gray. I think it will be beautiful when it is finished, but because it doesn't look like much of anything right now, I decided not to post a progress picture.

On an unrelated note, today I had my first grapefruit of the season. It was perfect, sweet, tangy and incredibly juicy. When I was a kid, I use to layer the top with sugar, but now I just eat them plain. They are so sweet this time of year, you really don't need sugar at all. I was thinking today as I was preparing breakfast what a symbol of leisure a grapefruit at breakfast is. After all, it takes time to cut each segment away from the membrane. If you cut too fast, you loose too much flesh and may possibly miss some hidden seeds. So, here's to a little weekend luxury. 

Spring Break

My first spring break as a teacher (ok, student teacher) is coming to a close. It started off rough, but now in the end I feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. I have worked various jobs for years before going back to school, so I forgot not only the anticipation one feels right before a big vacation, and the renewal you feel once it is over.

At the first of the week I was so sick with what has to be the worst cold I have had in two years. What started as a cold morphed into a nasty sinus infection which could only be cured by a long drawn out trip to the doctor. While the infection has certainly dissipated, like most in my locale I am still trying to handle my allergies. After the cold had passed, I made a huge list of things I wanted to accomplish during my week off. I had a plan each day for what I wanted to get done, and for the most part I stuck with it. I even had the chance to catch up on my recorded tv shows, and become totally immersed in Downton Abbey. I actually upgraded my Netflix subscription so I could get more episodes at a time! I wont bore you with my love for this show. Just know that once you are hooked, your life will feel far inferior to that of the never boring Crawley family.

What I am most satisfied with is my garden. It is nearly entirely ready for the upcoming spring. The front porch is full of petunias, herbs, and strawberries. Dead plants and weeds have been pulled, the flowers are in bloom, my bees are back, and I recently added some friendly ladybugs to the garden after discovering several infestations of aphids around the yard.

Grape Hyacinth being tended by a local bee.

Blue bonnets to show my Texas pride.

Not quite sure why I couldn't take a straight photo of the porch...

A woodpecker who lives in the neighboring tree.

Also, I can now unveil the Christmas gift I sent to one of my pen pals this year.

Around the Maypole.

I always stitch my initials on my finished pieces.

All in all I would say this has been a most excellent vacation. But, like all good things, this too must come to an end.