Travel

Mimi’s ‘Adventure Wall’

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My three babies
Finally took down the baby pictures in our hallway to the kid’s bedrooms. I mean … Ricky and Katie are married and one of them is having our first grandbaby in a few weeks. It’s time. Life is a transition, so I decided to get with the program! But what to replace them with … hmmm.

I’ve been plotting and planning an “Adventure Wall” in the family room for a while now with photos of world travels. I’ve finally got our favorites all picked out with about half of the photos blown-up. My engineer/husband has the large wall they will rest on plotted out on paper like a blueprint. Heck, I even know how many vertical and horizontal pictures I can fit on the wall before it blows up.

Carrying on with the same theme, I wanted something different for the walls vacated by my babies. It was earlier this year I decided Mimi should have her own “Adventure Wall.” She has been going to a special needs summer camp (Camp C.A.M.P. near Comfort, Texas and Camp for All in Burton, Texas) since she was eight-years-old having her own kind of adventures. Mimi will be thirty years old in July. Every year a disposable camera went with Mimi to camp for her “buddy” to take photographs. We’ve gotten some interesting photos of her fishing, petting boa constrictors, in a canoe and even hanging from a zip line. A couple of times they even got her in the pool. I think it is the splashing she detests. But by far Mimi’s favorite activity has always been horseback riding.

Obviously, Mimi on the horse is the first photograph she sees as I wheel her down the hallway to her room.

It’s a great time to visit the Houston Zoo

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If you haven’t been to the Houston Zoo lately you are in for a very tall treat … as in my favorite … the giraffes. My Air Force son, also very tall, was in town for the weekend and we decided to meet daughter Katie, who happens to work there. I have to say the highlight, and there were many, was feeding the giraffes! It is so worth standing in line for a few minutes till you arrive on the raised platform. The beautiful animals swirl their tongue around the stalks of romaine lettuce and in it goes! Katie cautioned that giraffe feeding is dependent on weather and giraffe participation! There is a fee involved to feed the giraffes, so check out the website for feeding times and to plan your zoo visit at http://www.houstonzoo.org.

The creative folks at the Houston Zoo have been very busy updating several habitats since my last visit a couple of years ago. You should check out what they have done with the new flamingo exhibit. The flamingos have been busy building nests with at least one new baby born on display! Cutest thing ever!

Did you know there are also six chimpanzees now residing at the Houston Zoo. The Insectarium opens in the Spring of 2014, and the construction of the gorilla exhibit is also well underway scheduled to open in 2015.

And don’t miss the elephant exhibit. It has also been expanded since my last visit. One of the elephants, not hard to guess which one, is expecting a big bundle of joy in a few months. Go by and pay your respects to Shanti! Baylor and Tupelo were born in 2010 and seemed pretty excited about the announcement of the new addition!

Our visit also coincided with the last few days of Zoo Boo. So many kids and parents came dressed in costume for the festivities. I paused at the graveyard with tombstones listing extinct animals and the year of their demise.

There is so much to see that we missed a lot. Just means we have to go back very soon to catch Zoo Lights, an evening (6 to 10 pm) holiday celebration with thousands of sparkling lights, singing choirs, hot chocolate and so much more starting in late November. Just saying!

Layers of New Orleans’ French Quarter – Part Two

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Continuing to inspect the many layers of this historic area of New Orleans, I decided to write one more post before I leave the city. It will probably be another year before we get back. Although not in the French Quarter, my only regret this visit was I didn’t get to go through Louisiana’s Civil War Museum (www.confederatemuseum.com). Better known as the Confederate Museum, it is located at 929 Camp Street right around the corner from the World War II Museum. Darn if it wasn’t closed during the month of September. One New Orleans native told me it was closed for dusting, like I believed that explanation. My husband says the lady could tell I have the word “gullible” printed in big block letters all over my forehead.

Wandering toward the Mississippi River from the French Quarter is the Audubon Aquarium of the America (www.AudubonInstitute.org). It is located at 1 Canal Street at the River. There is also a butterfly garden and insectarium, along with an IMAC theatre in the same area, but I focused on the aquarium since I would be meeting hubby for lunch during his seminar break. My one adult ticket was $22.50, which I thought was a bit pricy, until I spent some time wandering around the impressive exhibits. I loved the Caribbean reef tunnel with its array of sea life. The scuba diver hand feeding the stingrays was the highlight. For some reason I neglected to pick up a map. It actually made it more of a surprise when I happened upon all the different habitat areas containing penguins, sea otters, seahorses, the Amazon Rain Forest and so much more. There are combo tickets available which provide savings for those visiting multiple attractions, children and lots more time.

The Historic New Orleans Collection (www.hnoc.org) is a lovely museum located at 523 Royal Street in the heart of the French Quarter. Closed on Mondays and some holidays, it focuses on the history of New Orleans, and what an interesting history it is! Hidden among the many galleries and shops along Royal Street, I know I’ve passed by the museum storefront a hundred times and never knew it was there. The Williams Galleries and special exhibits are FREE with lots of interesting art, maps and artifacts. The special exhibit that began October 1 and runs until March 9, 2014, is “Occupy New Orleans Voices from the Civil War.” They also offer docent tours of the Williams residence for just five dollars. I highly recommend this tour! It lasts about 45 minutes and starts with a short movie and then on through a historic counting house. You are also walked through the 1889 townhouse that was remodeled in the 1940’s. Containing several lovely courtyards and family possessions, it was owned by a prominent family in New Orleans. They took five small pieces of French Quarter property and combined it into one which now houses the museum galleries and townhouse as well as a great little gift shop. What a treasure … and right on Royal Street. Who knew?

Layers of New Orleans’ French Quarter

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Beautiful bride in New Orleans
It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve strolled around the French Quarter, I always see something new. This time it was a wedding party shuffling down Royal Street with a marching band. The bride is beautiful don’t you think?

I like to think of the Quarter as the layers of a quilt. The top layer is often pieced together with lots of interesting colors of fabric … like the quaint antique shops and art galleries of Royal Street. The bottom fabric layer is often a large single piece of fabric with one identity … the seedy and colorful underbelly if you will … like bawdy Bourbon Street. But does anyone ever see the fluffy batting that lies between the two layers of a quilt? That is what I searched for in September while hubby attended his seminar.

This time I wandered into one of the gift shops along Jackson Square. Located at 523 St. Ann Street is what looks like a typical New Orleans gift shop, only on steroids, with lots of interesting history books and boxed pralines and all things New Orleans. It turned out to actually be a museum gift shop and a National Historic Landmark run by the Louisiana State Museum (www.crt.state.la.us/museum/properties/1850house.aspx). I never saw it coming. For a modest $3 (adult price) you can self-guide yourself up the spiral staircase in the back of the gift shop. The second and third floors of the antebellum row house will quickly turn back the clock 163 years. The rooms are furnished to represent life in the 1850’s before the Civil War. It is a lovely way to see with your own eyes what life must have been like before cell phones and computers.

There is only a small sign on the door which reads “Faulkner House Books” (www.faulknerhouse.net). If you walked past the shop after quitting time when the place is buttoned up tight, you wouldn’t even know it was there. It is another interesting layer of the French Quarter. Located at 624 Pirate’s Alley just off Jackson Square, it is also a National Literary Landmark that should not be missed. In 1927, the young William Faulkner rented rooms in the same space that houses the bookshop. Books in the tiny space can be found in every nook and cranny clear up to the ceiling. Closed only on Mardi Gras Day, they sell new, used and rare editions.

There is so much more to tell about the French Quarter. I’ll attempt to tie the layers of the quilt together next time. Or maybe I’ll just play around in the fluffy batting for a bit longer!

Life’s Loose Threads first anniversary

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Snickerdoodle

My little blog is having its first birthday this week!!! The cookies are snicker doodles. I made them last night.

Have to admit I still feel like a blogger baby trying to crawl off the blanket. Yep, but I’m still pretty proud to have posted my 46th blog post, topping out with 488 followers, without blowing the whole thing up. Thanks to my lovely daughter, Katie, for answering all my blog questions and her techie assistance!

Did I mention there have been 2,805 blog views so far from 37 different countries? Imagine my surprise when Mongolia, Bulgaria, Iceland and South Korea first appeared on my blog dashboard? And my deepest thanks to my son, Ricky, who read my blog while he was deployed. I would have never gotten all those hits from Kuwait without him!

While I’ve been writing a humor column for the past 17 years from the suburbs for several local newspapers, it was my thought to take the blog in a different direction. I’m one of those moms/wives that love all things quilting, recreational knitting, traveling around the block and the world, healthy cooking, not-so-healthy baking (let’s face it … everything is better with butter) and reading … mostly fiction. Although I’m not going to lie, I’ve read some pretty awesome non-fiction. It’s why it is difficult to blog about just one thing. Heck, I’m still finding my voice and attempting to make sense of any of life’s loose threads that might come my way.

Which reminds me … while not officially thread … it was also a year ago I started knitting the scarf featured below. When it measures 70 inches, it will be finished … hopefully by Christmas. I purchased the yummy red metallic yarn one summer when my mom and I were hanging out in the Texas Hill Country.

Don’t know how some knitters do it. I subscribe to one knitting blog (www.fortheknitofit.wordpress.com) and the lady is prolific! I am fortunate to get a couple of rows knitted in the evening while helping our handicapped daughter with her dinner.

I purchased the lovely yarn at The Old Oaks Ranch Fiber Art Center (www.theoldoaksranch.com) in Wimberly, Texas. It is a magical place with a fiber arts studio, sculpture garden and alpaca ranch. I know … interesting combination … but it totally works. Next weekend is the start of the “7th Annual Hill Country Yarn Crawl.” I can’t wait for my husband to ask me what a “yarn crawl” is. The art center and nine other yarn shops from Austin to San Antonio are participating.

One of the other stops mom and I made last summer was to The Tinsmith’s Wife (www.tinsmithswife.com) in the teeny, tiny town of Comfort, Texas. Touted as a knitting and needlepoint shop, they are also participating in the yarn crawl. With 5700 square feet of yarn heaven, let’s just say I’ve never seen so much luscious yarn in all my life! So much yarn eye candy, it felt like stepping into The Louve in Paris, France. Quite overwhelming. If you can’t make it to Paris … you should really try stopping by Comfort, Texas and go with a project in mind.

Now that I’ve practically made it off the blogging blanket, I can’t wait to see where Life’s Loose Threads leads me this coming year!

Not Sleeping in Paris

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Last year when we traveled to Paris for our 40th anniversary, we poured over Rick Steves’ travel book planning our trip. As he suggested, we stayed in the Rue Cler neighborhood and booked a room at the Hotel Relais Bosquet (www.hotel-relaisbosquet-paris.com). The hotel is close to a Metro station and within easy walking distance to the Eiffel Tower. The Rue Cler area is filled with quaint little restaurants. A gelato shop and French pastry shop (complete with bees buzzing amongst the pastries) were our top favorites, although we had to leave the cheese shop when we started to drool. There was also lots of great boutique shopping.

Did I mention the hotel even had a lovely breakfast? Not being a coffee drinker, I had my own pot of hot chocolate every morning. Hubby had his pot of coffee.

Try booking a room on the ground floor. It was small but newly renovated and very modern.

There is one negative aspect of European travel I have noticed and just have to mention. The beds tend to be hard as rocks. Haven’t slept on one that you could minimally sink into yet and we don’t hang out in hostels. I mean if you love sleeping on a board, you will be right at home. But that may be the point … who wants to sleep when there are art museums that make your eyes glaze over from all the eye candy, sidewalk cafes to linger in and people watch, and architecture that will knock your socks right off your feet!

Paris in September

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It has been my experience that September is a great month to visit Europe. The weather is mild, the college kids are all back at school, and generally, lots of people are back at work dreaming about next summer.

Our favorite way to travel is the “Rick Steves” way. With the help of his books, we make our own itinerary, book our airline tickets and even our cute little hotels. And when we get to our destination, take ourselves generally where his guide books lead us. My husband and I are not seasoned travelers, but we adore the adventure of depending on each other, exploring on and off the beaten path, and celebrating with high-fives at the end of the day that we actually make it back to our hotel!

Last year for our 40th wedding anniversary we traveled to Paris, the City of Lights. Did you know that the Eiffel Tower puts on a glittering light show starting at nightfall during the first ten minutes of every hour till 2 a.m. in the summer, 1 a.m. in winter? Basically, the tower is grand during the day and breathtaking at night!

Paris a very walkable city and also home to the imposing Notre Dame Cathedral and The Louve. I still pinch myself when I think about attending Mass in Notre Dame. Did we really do that?

And yes … we even learned how to use public transportation! I’ll never forget purchasing our Metro tickets in the underground subway station. Half of the tickets didn’t work and the Metro dude in the cage just shook his head at us like we were the dumbest tourists he had ever met. I remember sitting on a bench on one of the Metro platforms. The Metro map was incomprehensible. We had no idea how to get to Notre Dame from our hotel until we befriended an English-speaking family of four. I could tell by his haircut he was military. Turned out the husband was stationed in Germany and traveling around Europe with his wife and two children. After he gave us our subway lesson we were experts, only getting off at the wrong stop once the rest of our trip.

Next time … our favorite hotel/neighborhood in Paris!

Never forget June 6, 1944

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Last year we celebrated our 40th anniversary with a trip to Paris. We also inserted a trip to visit the beaches of Normandy. I mean … how could we not? Overlord Tours, http://www.overlordtour.com, is the company that we used to book our 8-hour “Band of Brothers” Tour. Our tour guide picked us up at our hotel in Bayeux. Oliver was amazing in his knowledge of World War II history, storytelling, reverence … and dude … he had some amazing flip charts. If you are a fan of “Band of Brothers” this is the tour for you!!! We visited farm houses, a field full of cows where Dick Winters engaged the Germans and took out several cannon batteries, several small towns and churches where important things happened, a WWII museum, the American Cemetery, Pointe du Hoc and walked the beaches of Omaha and Utah where the American soldiers landed today … just 69 years ago.

Top 10 favorite things to do in New Orleans – part 2

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Part two of our favorite things about New Orleans involve food, lodging, transporation, worship and a fantastic museum!

Cajun and Creole food is abundant in New Orleans so why not make it a quest? I was in search of the best cup of gumbo and am delighted to announce I found it at Mulate’s, http://www.mulates.com, near the convention center! Try a bowl of their Zydeco Gumbo, which is roux-based with shrimp, chunks of sausage, chicken and okra. It had just the right amount of heat … enough to make my nose drip … but just one nostril which was perfect. You may want to make your quest all about red beans & rice, meat pies (had one … delish), alligator, boudin balls (hubby’s personal favorite), crawfish etouffee, jambalaya or even oyster po’boys. Another restaurant I recommend is Mother’s, http://www.mothersrestaurant.com, at 401 Poydras Street. No need to dress up if you are going to Mother’s. They have been around since 1938 and know how to cook New Orleans cuisine. And they have some downright righteous gumbo! If you find yourself hungry for breakfast in the morning why not stop in at Oceana, http://www.oceanagrill.com, located at 739 Conti Street, in the French Quarter. We split the St. James Crepes loaded with shrimp and crabmeat. Thank goodness the waitress warned us it was plenty for two!

Okay … so you have to sleep somewhere when in New Orleans. The French Quarter has lots of great options. If you want to get a few hours of great sleep we steer clear of places on Bourbon Street. We are not late-night party animals. Actually, we try to stay away from most places adjacent to Bourbon Street. If you like garbage trucks, motorcycles and party-goers all through the night go ahead … I dare you! We love the Monteleone Hotel, http://www.hotelmonteleone.com, located at 214 Royal Street. With over 600 rooms you can easily request a quiet room and be assured to get one. Be sure and check out the Carousel Bar. Opened in 1949, it is the only revolving bar in New Orleans and makes one complete revolution every 15 minutes.

We found several interesting transportation options while in New Orleans. The street car ride down St. Charles’ Garden District is lots of fun. There are also romantic horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping all through the French Quarter. Jackson Square seems to be where they hang out. But for short hops around the Quarter why not try a bike taxi? FYI bike taxis can accommodate 2 riders and charge one dollar per block per person. If you’ve walked all day, a ride back to your hotel may well be worth the buckage! Our favorite pedaler was Russell, a 3-year pedal veteran in the bike taxi world and also college graduate with a double major. He can’t find a job so Russell pedals people around 60 hours a week. He toted us from Harrah’s Casino to Café du Monde for some late-night beignets. And yes … they accept tips!

We love to attend Mass in a city we are visiting. On our last visit to New Orleans we attended Mass at St. Louis Cathedral, http://www.stlouiscathedral.org, located at 615 Pere Antoine Alley, in Jackson Square. St. Louis was founded in 1720 and is the oldest Cathedral in North America. This time we stayed on Poydras Street in the Business District. The hotel was walking distance to St. Patrick’s. http://www.oldstpatricks.org, located at 724 Camp Street. The lovely church dates back to the early 1800’s and has the most amazing stained glass! There are three beautiful murals behind the altar painted in 1841 that are worth feasting your eyes on, particularly the one that depicts The Transfiguration.

I saved the jewel of New Orleans for last. The National WWII Museum http://www.nationalww2museum.org is located on Andrew Higgins Drive between Camp and Magazine Street. The museum itself is filled with interesting WWII history presented in state-of-the-art fashion. My favorites were the occasional alcoves with bench seating. They show mini-movies, or slides, and a personal narrative. Also, be sure and reserve tickets for the 4-D movie “Beyond All Boundaries” narrated by Tom Hanks. The movie is 45-minutes long, and literally, a moving experience. I will not give any surprises away. Don’t forget to head across the street where six WWII-era aircraft hang from the ceiling. That is also the location of “Final Mission: The USS Tang Experience,” the most decorated submarine during WWII. This interactive exhibit (tickets also required) is located in the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center. You will learn about the final mission of the submarine. Each person is given a card of one of the crew. You will report to a station on the sub and participate in the final mission. The story is quite moving. Only a few survived. Find out after the mission if you were one of them. A special exhibit entitled “Guest of the Third Reich: American POW’s in Europe” is also very interesting and should not be missed. This exhibit ends July 7, 2013. The museum houses a soda shop (Jeri Nims Soda Shop) and a full-service restaurant (called American Sector) as well as several excellent gift shops. A museum expansion is scheduled to open later this year, with another expansion opening in 2014, so you will be going back for years to this amazing museum and loving tribute to all who served.

Top 10 favorite things to do in New Orleans

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This past week hubby and I traveled to New Orleans for four fun-filled days to celebrate 41 years of marriage. May is a great month to visit the city of gumbo, beignets and all the French Quarter has to offer. So here is part one of my top ten list:

Since 1862, Café du Monde, http://www.cafedumonde.com, has been generously sprinkling powdered sugar over their tasty beignets (French donuts). If you don’t do anything else while in New Orleans stop here! Note to self … if you wear black … be prepared to be covered with powdered sugar. Everyone else is. With eight café locations, their oldest is in the French Market at 800 Decatur Street across from Jackson Square. Look for the green and white awning and just sit down at an open table. Someone will be there to take our order shortly! This location is open 24 hours a day, except on Christmas and the occasional hurricane. FYI … beignets are served in orders of three. I’m not going to tell you how many orders to get. You will have to figure that one on your own. Paired with creole coffee, hot chocolate, or milk, there isn’t anything more decadent!

Stroll down bawdy Bourbon Street in the French Quarter just once in your life so you can cross it off your bucket list. For the faint-hearted, make that visit during daylight hours. The street is loaded with bars, restaurants, strip clubs and hotels. I got way too close to the door of a strip club and was asked if I would like to step in for a pole dancing lesson. Really? I didn’t know whether to feel mortified or glorified at that moment. Streets get crowded with party-goers later in the day carrying around plastic fish bowl-shaped glasses of mind-altering liquid. And yes … drinking alcoholic beverages while strolling down the street is legal in New Orleans.

You can book and pay for all kinds of tours on http://www.NewOrleans.com before you even leave home. I recommend the French Quarter Ghost Walking Tour (ages 13 and up). With choices like the “The Vampire Tour” (I’m scared of vampires so we couldn’t do that one), “Voodoo Tour,” a “Cemetery History” tour, we opted for the “French Quarter Ghost Tour.” The meeting location for this particular tour company, http://www.hauntedhistorytours.com, was Rev. Zombies Voodoo Shop in the French Quarter with departure times at 6 pm and 8 pm. People … these walking tours are VERY popular! Reservations in advance make life so easy. Cost is $20 per person and lasts 2 hours. Wear good walking shoes! Your guide takes a group of 20 for a stroll through history stopping in front of haunted locations and imparting stories of woe through the ages. Note there is a bar/drink break halfway through the tour at Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop/bar (also haunted).

Browse through the many art galleries in the French Quarter. Our absolute favorite is the Rodrigue Gallery http://www.georgerodrigue.com at 730 Royal Street. It is the home of George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog. You will fall in love with his bold use of color and the many interesting images and situations of Rodrigue’s Blue Dog, which by the way is not always blue. So the art is pricy, but hey, he has an affordable line of children’s books and prints a yearly calendar you can purchase on-line. Oh, if you prefer to wear your art, my daughter’s favorite t-shirt is a Blue Dog version we purchased several years ago at the Blue Dog Cafe (www.bluedogcafe.com) in Lafayette. You can also enjoy his art at Mulate’s, http://www.mulates.com, 201 Julia Street, a New Orleans Cajun Restaurant over by the Convention Center where I had my favorite bowl of gumbo. Spoiler alert … more about that in my next blog.

The New Orleans Cooking School located at 524 St. Louis Street has been in existence for almost 30 years. Who knew? I didn’t. Their lively cooking demonstrations and entertaining history lesson cost $29 per person and can also be reserved through http://www.NewOrleans.com. We signed up for their 10 a.m. morning class. Allow at least 2 hours and come hungry, as part of the experience is getting to feast on the goodies they prepare! Each class seats about 60 and is very popular so reserve ahead of time. We sat next to a family who was coming to the school for the third time. Michael, our awesome host, cooked Shrimp and Artichoke Soup, Crawfish Etouffee, Bread Pudding and Pralines. Not only did we leave with full tummies, we also were given copies of the recipes that were cooked. I also understand they have a hands-on cooking class. Cost is obviously more with smaller numbers in the classes. Check the website for details.

Be sure and stop by my blog next time to learn about the food, where to stay … and not stay, interesting transportation options, historic churches and our absolute favorite museum in New Orleans.