We always have fun with our $2 bets at the Oaklawn Track. This trip we stayed at the hotel attached to the track. It was quite nice. And we played at the casino. In my opinion, at the casino “we won”, however, Rudy noted, “we spent more than we won”. He was right; but it was a good time. And we popped over to the Hale House on Bath House Row for brunch on the way home. It is always delicious.
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort: https://oaklawn.com/
It was a great weekend down in the Big Easy. Rudy, Daisy and I headed down to New Orleans and we stayed at a wonderful renovated old church and rectory made into a high end luxury hotel called Peter + Paul, just off the quarter. It was unbelievably nice! Upon checking into the hotel, we by chance happened to meet the cellist who was playing in the old sanctuary venue that evening. She invited us back to listen to her and her group play French music. We took her up on the invitation, changed and went to the performance. It was magical. Probably one of the best things I’ve done in quite a while. The old beautiful building with its stained glass windows, crumbling masterfully created art, and a feeling of holiness from times past combined with a beautifully artistic crowd who had donned their carefully crafted ensembles to portray the cultured listener creating an wonderful atmosphere to absorb the French singing of the cellist and her four piece coterie. To say it was a delight is an understatement!
After the music, we loaded up in the car and went over for the after-party of the wedding rehearsal. We arrived a little early, so we went next door for a bit to eat. Rudy and I both had a scrumptious bowl of gumbo, and Daisy cocktail shrimp, as we overlooked the setting sun of the marina on the upper deck outside. It was quite nice. Of course, as we sat down, I noted across the parking lot the rehearsal dinner had broken up and the after party had commenced. So we ate quickly, and headed over. It was a nice evening, and we had a chance to catch up with old friends and meet some people. All three of us enjoyed the evening.
The next day, we met up with Steve and Beth, Joey and Marsha, and Randy and Beth for lunch at the Bourbon House on Bourbon Street. We all really enjoyed our meals, cocktails and friendship over that meal. I ate the corn & crab soup and charbroiled oysters. Delish. Daisy also had her first raw oyster, and after the face she made, I believe her last raw oyster. She did note that she was glad she tried it, but felt the highlight was the Bourbon Milk drink she had; I agreed. Afterwards, we walked over to Pat O’Brien’s for a traditional hurricane. It was a hot sweltering New Orleans day which made for us being quite thankful for that fruity liquor infused drink over a large helping of ice while sitting out on the patio!
We all went back to our hotels to relax and freshen up before the wedding. We popped in to the ice cream shop that was attached to the hotel for a tasty homemade ice cream. It was a treat. The wedding was held out at the airport at an old art deco inspired terminal. It was such a neat event venue. The bride and groom were perfectly paired and it was a lovely wedding service. Daisy and I both agreed that the bride’s 1950’s pin up style hairdo was spot on and quite pretty. After the service, we all went to the upper balcony which surrounded the four sides of the room above for cocktails and appetizers, as they sat up below for the meal and dancing. We all had a wonderful evening of noshing on the food and taking a spin on the dance floor while chatting with old and new friends. The highlight was Daisy teaching Rudy how to do the cupid shuffle.
On Sunday morning we awoke and packed our bags, but before the drive home we took in brunch at the hotel. What a delightful restaurant. It had a vintage French feel: with high ceilings, lots of muted yellow and red and floral draperies, mismatching yet matching furniture, large rooms made to feel intimate. Our waiter was prompt, courteous and sassy making for a wonderful experience. Comfortable enough to tell me he would not sell me one drink, knowing I would not like it, and guiding me to another: The Pink Panther. It was delicious and he was spot on! To start, we all shared a plate of buttermilk biscuits, that were almost as good as the ones Rudy and I make from scratch. Then, I dined on the French rolled omlete which was light and fluffy, yet decadent and filling. While Rudy and Daisy had poached farm egg and stone ground grits and eggs in purgatory, respectively. The food was oh so very over the top and we all enjoyed every morsel. If you cannot stay at Peter + Paul, promise me you will at least have brunch there!
Peter + Paul https://hotelpeterandpaul.com/
The Elysian Bar at Peter + Paul https://www.theelysianbar.com/
Messina’s at The Terminal https://messinascatering.com/venue/the-atrium/
Pat O’Brien’s https://patobriens.com/new-orleans/
Bourbon House https://www.bourbonhouse.com/menus/
We are so proud of our son Dean on his completion of the Flight Attendant training in Dallas, TX. He is now working for the company and loves his job!
What a fun quick trip to Houston/The Woodlands, Texas! Rudy had work in Houston, so I tagged along and we got to catch up with friends and I got to do lots of shopping! It was a great couple of days. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in Hughes Landing. It is a perfect location within walking distance to everything if you care to walk and a really nice place to stay in the heart of The Woodlands. Our first night in we drove our old neighborhoods and popped into to see our friends Abby, Louis, and Alyx. They introduced us to Hendrix Gin and we have become fans! While Rudy worked those days, I caught lunch with Shannon at the Goode Company Kitchen & Cantina. We ordered what we thought was a small bowl of guacamole, it turned out to be as big as my head! I didn’t think we could possibly eat it all. Confession time: we almost did! Before lunch I swung by The Woodlands Methodist Church, our old church and my old place of employment. So much has changed, I hardly recognized the place! But I got to see so many friends; I’m so glad I swung by. One morning I popped by Chris’ house and we enjoyed Starbucks and a chat. It was good to hear that her girls were doing fine and catch up. I’d love to spend more time seeing everyone. Also, I missed a lot of friends this trip, but it was a last minute decision, on a quick turn around and hard to squeeze it all in. But I sure tried. I did a bunch of shopping, too! I got a couple of outfits that came in real handy with my new job. I was surprised how different things felt when I was there, the mall and the stores and just the general feel. It’s still a great place, but time changes things. That evening Rudy and I went to a client dinner with clients who are also friends for over fifteen years, maybe twenty! We at at Eddie V’s in Town Center Houston. Wow! They have presentation down. We waited at the bar for our guests and it was neat to see them preparing the cocktail drinks they would present at the table. On a wooden board, the server would take a square block of ice and melt the Eddie V symbol into the top of the ice and then light a little bowl of mesquite wood until it just started smoking and then pop an upside down glass over the top filling the inside with smoke swirling around. In the meantime, the bartender would create the cocktail and pour it in a craft and then place it on the waiters wood board ready to go out. It was impressive. But more impressive than that was the seafood tower that our table ordered. It was three tiers of seafood: oysters, lump crab, shrimp and topped off with two whole lobster tails. See the picture above. It was unbelievable! The second night Rudy and I got to have dinner with Steve and Amy and Donna and Brad at Hearsay on the Waterway. It was a really good casual dining establishment labeled by the establishment chic antique. I was not very peckish, so I had little to eat. The highlight for me were the crafted cocktails: a Bee’s Knees and Pink Delicious. The Pink Delicious was a table favorite! Afterwards we all went back to Amy and Steve’s for another drink and longer chats. It was such a great night of catching up. This trip was good for the soul.
P.S. While shopping at the mall, I stopped by the pet store, as I saw kitten’s in the window. Seventeen years ago I purchased Itty Bitty Kitty out of this same window for $100. I still cannot believe I paid $100 for a cat, but he was worth every penny. These cute kittens reminded me of Kitty, so I inquired as to their price. The man said four thousand dollars. Yes, you read that right $4,000! He went on to explain they are blah, blah, blah cats and all I kept hearing was $4,000. I didn’t ask to pet them. Poor things, that’s probably why they have grumpy faces, no one can afford to play with them. They were cute though.
Goode Company Kitchen & Cantina: https://kitchenandcantina.com/
Hearsay: http://hearsaygastrolounge.com/
Eddie V’s: https://www.eddiev.com/home
Embassy Suites by Hilton Hughes Landing
Shreveport, LA
Wow! What a wedding weekend! We arrived on Friday night. We went out to dinner at the Mabry House with two other couples and had the best time! The food was fantastic and we all cannot wait to return to sit at the chef’s table. Saturday morning was a Southern Cajun Brunch at The Remington. I wish I could remember the name of the caterer, as the food was exceptional. That afternoon we tried our luck at The Horseshoe; all we won was a good time. That evening was the rooftop wedding at the top of The Remington. It was absolutely stunning: the bride was stunning and the love between the bride and groom was simply beautiful. I am so happy they met, Sweet Ambrosia and Alexander the Great. It really warms my heart. I digress. Carrying on…visually the entire space with the light breeze and view lines of the city and attractive guests and wedding attendants was like something out of a movie, which was apropos as the groom is a movie director by trade and most of the people in attendance work in film. I also must note that when I realized the wedding was on the roof of the building in late May in Shreveport, I was quite concerned for the heat factor. Yet, the sun had just fallen below the building lines and the breeze brought cool air; it really could have not been more perfect, except at my wedding…I am biased though 😉 After the picturesque service, we all walked right inside for a spectacular indoor reception. As you walked inside there was a champagne wall which you grabbed your glass as you entered. They had an open bar, a carving station and a paella station, as well as the cake after it was cut that consisted of your choice of strawberry, vanilla, or chocolate. It was all so very good. In addition to the delicious food, was lots and lots of dancing. This was kicked off with what I would consider the highlight of the reception, which was Sweet Ambrosia and Alexander the Great performing their choreographed dance to Islands in the Stream by Dolly Pardon and Kenny Rogers. It was so fun to watch!!! Of course, all the traditional dances with the parents, cutting of the cake, and toasts to the bride and groom were quite nice and enjoyable to witness, as you could see the love that was not only exuded between Sweet Ambrosia and Alexander the Great, but the love of those closest to them, in their dances and speeches and interactions throughout the night. Now, I cannot move on without mentioning the dance floor. Although the highlight was the dance of the bride and groom, that dance floor was lit up with young people who know every dance move that was ever created, some reenacting entire dance videos – hello, The Superman duo, y’all were impressive! Again, I do believe professional choreographers were out on the floor. It was fun and festive. Rudy and I danced on the side of the dance floor for most of the night. We may not know every dance step, but we do know how to have a good time! After the reception, there was an after party next door at The Stray Cat on the back patio which they had reserved. Rudy and I joined the fun next door, but only hung in there until midnight. The rest of the party stayed until 3; I was proud we made it that long. We walked back to the Hilton, where we and many of the wedding guests were staying and called it a night: A Very Good Night.
Maybe the best pet we ever had…Itty Bitty Kitty passed away this spring after 17 wonderful years with him. He was nurse kitty when anyone was sick and would sit with them in the bed and comfort them. Kitty loved to be in the same room as those he cared about. He always had a sweet attitude and is dearly missed. We treasure the good memories we had with Kitty.
I love our traditions of dying blown eggs, and Easter baskets with eggs with candy and cash, and flowers blooming…I think I’m not the only one.
I had a great time celebrating my 50th with family and friends!
“So I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.” – Carl
Cherie's Sayings 