Ten Things you never wanted
to know about me...
I love sweets, especially chocolate eclairs—not the donut shop kind that are filled with pudding, but the French bakery sort, filled with classic pastry custard. Yummers!
My trigger word is "orientated." The proper word is "oriented," though the powers that be have decided that—gulp—orientated is now acceptable. Blargh!
I was born and raised in New Orleans. My father grew up in the Vieux Carre' and was baptized in the Saint Louis Cathedral. He used to "borrow" Andrew Jackson's sword from his statue in Jackson Square so often that the officers knew just where to go. As a result of my father's childish shenanigans, the sword was soon welded into its sheath and that was the end of that.
The Crescent City still holds a very special place in my heart. But I've lived in Texas now for a loooong loooong time and feel like I belong. Maybe it's because Texans have hearts as big or bigger than their state!
Our sweet Gypsy passed on April 29th, of 2024. To properly explain how our lives aren't the same without her, we'd have to take you back in time to witness the raucous, rollicking life she lived. So, you'll have to take our word for it.
1.I grew up eating black olives on my fingers. (Bugles too,
but my fingers don't fit anymore:)
2. In July of 2013, I lost the diamond from my wedding band and prayed without ceasing. The odd thing is--I was incredibly chill about it--calm and confidant that God was taking care of the situation. Within a week, God answered! I found the stone on my kitchen floor of all places. Thought it was a crumb!
3. Waiter, waiter--there's a shoe in my soup! That's right. One Sunday after church, our family went out to eat, and a shoe landed in my soup! A little girl standing next to her family was kicking her leg back and forth and I guess her shoe was a bit loose . . .
4. My personal fingernails-on-the-chalkboard moment? I can't stand the sound of styrofoam rubbing against cardboard--unfortunate for me because almost every electronic item I purchase is packaged that way.
5. On a canoe trip through the Honey Island Swamp, butterflies, attracted to my botanical shampoo thought my head was a designated landing strip. The top of my head was soon a-flutter with a gorgeous array of the colorful insects. If only I had a picture of my butterfly chapeau!
6. The day I gave my heart to Jesus, I was instantly delivered from nicotine! I never ever craved or smoked another cigarette or had withdrawals. God delivered my soul and took away my addiction to nicotine and I will be forever grateful to Him.
7. My father was in Oschner Hospital in 1989, dying from a massive heart attack. As if the damage to the heart muscle wasn't enough, he had a leaking heart valve and an aneurism that could instantly end his life. Our family joined hands and prayed the night before his surgery. My brother felt moved my God to pray the prayer of Hezekiah and ask God for another fifteen years. So we did. And after Daddy's surgery, the surgeon pronounced the surgery a success. However, he couldn't figure out why the heart valve was no longer leaking and the aneurism had disappeared! And our father lived fifteen years to the day. The surgery was performed on Valentine's Day, 1989 and he died on Valentine's Day, 2004. God kept His promise and granted us more time with our beloved father.
8. I will tear you up in a game of Rummikubs! But I'm pitiful at Yahtzee, terrible at cards and okay at Scrabble.
9. My mom has dementia and she's adorable! Where ever we go, whether to the grocery store or mall or on a walk, she spots things on the ground—coins, keychain charms, nails, gemstones, thimbles—you name it! So I keep a memory jar of all her finds. A collection of all the wonderful and quirky items she's amassed over the years. I labeled it "Mom's Little Treasures." Like I said, she's ADORABLE!
10. If I tell you I'm going to pray for you—I mean it. I WILL be praying for you and you WILL see the results of that prayer. My Father in heaven always hears my cries for you and He never fails to answer. If you don't expect a miracle, you'll never ever have one.