All Work and No Play...

While parades were taking place all over the city, we celebrated Mardi Gras Day at Mom's house installing the floors. Don had quite a krewe, Ashley, Douglas, Lisa, Maverick and Goby all showed up to lend a hand. I ran errands throughout the morning then provided lunch for the gang...Popeye's chicken. It's not Mardi Gras without a little Popeye's! The whole house now has floors except one bedroom that was being used for storage. We will finish that one Monday after the contractor removes his things from the room. The house is coming along quite nicely. I would rather Don did not work on it as much as he has been, but he enjoys it and says it gives him something to do.
Ashley and Don halfway through the room they are working on.

Lisa supervising Douglas. Douglas was so precise cutting the boards for the room. He did an excellent job. Lisa was right there with him measuring, cutting, and laying the floor.
Taking a little break to enjoy the flavor of Mardi Gras. Well, not everyone, Don and I had a baked chicken sandwich...that was flavor enough for us.


Ashley enjoying a little R&R after helping Don with the bedroom.
By the end of the day, everyone was dog tired!

Meanwhile, Back at the House...

After a long day working Don relaxed after dinner with coffee and King cake!

It's been pretty cold here and with all of the company, we have not been over to the house. But, after resting for a day or two, the rebuilding continues. Don bought a new saw and was putting it together for the floor project.
Ashley and Douglas help Don lay the floor at Mom's house.
Send off breakfast for the girls. Erin and her friends were leaving on Sunday to head back to Florida. I made Lost Bread, Banana's Foster, and coffee with chicory for breakfast, a little taste of New Orleans.

Mardi Gras Madness

Throw Me Something Mister!! It's always fun to have a front row seat at the parade. Ashley's friend Adam slept on the parade route and Ashley got out there at 6:30 AM to make sure Erin and the girls would have a great view of Endymion!
The crowd thickens - there are throngs of people as far as you can see.
Floats heading to their line-up position.
It's always good to make friends on the parade route.
The streets are getting crowded!

Happy Mardi Gras!!

Don's great-niece, Erin, is in town with some friends for Mardi Gras. Ashley took them Uptown to meet Drew and some of his friends who are waiting on the parade route. Whitney and Douglas headed Downtown to meet some of Whit's friends from LSU. Busy, busy times at the Walker house!
Erin, Ashley and the girls heading out to the parade.

My mother's house in Lakeview took a beating in the waters brought into New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. Over the last few months it has been redone and is now getting the finishing touches. Don has been installing the tile floors and will install the wood floors once the air-conditioning is up and running.
He stopped cutting long enough to take a picture...but only one. He was a busy, busy man.
I made lunch for the boys and they took a little break on the dining room floor.
Cutting the tile required team work. When I look at these pictures it is hard to believe how many empty lots there are in the neighborhood. Before the storm there were homes on every lot and so many trees...it looks like a completely different place.
The bathroom is ready for grout.
When we ran out of tile, we locked it up tight and headed for home. After another coat of paint on the front door and new windows which are scheduled to go in Tuesday, the outside of the house will be finished.

"If My Friends Come Over, Stay in Your Room"

I picked up my new glasses
today after work and when I got home the response was not good. First, Don didn't even notice (even though I had called him on my way home and told him I picked them up), next, Douglas looked at me in shock and said, "Ohhh, Mom, if my friends come over please stay in your room", and last but not least, Drew said, "Mom, those ARE the loaner glasses, huh?" "Are you waiting for your real ones to come in?" After a while, Don decided he liked them but I am not sure if that is only because he wants to continue living here! I am okay with them, don't love them and don't hate them, just indifferent. Also in the picture are the beautiful roses Don brought to me at work with a very sentimental card...26 1/2 years and he can still be romantic!

Happy Birthday, Drew

Our oldest son celebrated his 23rd birthday this evening. It's hard to believe how quickly the years have passed. Happy Birthday, Drew, we love you.


Seems like yesterday...