December 2005 Archives

This past Tuesday (the 27th), John took me,Zack,Anne, and Anne's boyfriend, Jake to see/hear the Trans Siberian Orchestra. What an experience! If you don't know and have never been, it's a rock orchestra complete with classically trained musicians, singers, and includes a laser light show, fireworks, pyrotechnics and loud rock style music. Some of the songs are rewritten Christmas songs in a rock orchestra format. There was a narrator telling a Christmas story that blended with the music. The narrator had the most beautiful speaking voice.

The kids said they enjoyed it and I know both John and I did. We are already saying we will go again next year. You can "google" them to get to their website and you may have even heard a song or 2 of theirs on the radio.

A little longer audio/video here. Crank up your speakers.

Samuel is 10 months old today. David, did you notice what he's holding in his left hand? He loves that rattle that you gave him! The other picture is from last Sunday. We went caroling in Jackson Square. It's always a fun time. They pass out candles and song sheets. Samuel loved it.

We're having our annual Christmas Bonco party tonight. It's our biggest year yet with 30 people invited. Don't know where we're all going to fit, but I know we'll have a good time. Here's a copy of my invitation for this year. I always put it to a song. Can you figure this one out?

You know blue tarps and flooding
And Food Stamps and FEMA
Stinky fridges and flies
And long lines from Katrina
But do you recall
The most famous dice game of all?

The Hunters are having Bonco
It’s on a Friday night.
And if we say to bring a dish
You would even say, “All right!”
You will have to pay to play
Call up and give your name
We’ll never let Katrina
Ruin our Bonco game

Then on the Eve of Christmas Eve
Angela will come to say
“Players, get your partners right
Let’s ring the bell and start tonight!”
Then how the dice will roll
As we all shout with glee
Bonco of Two Thousand And Five
You’ll go down in history!

These are two of Louisiana’s state birds. They’re Brown Pelicans and they were once nearly extinct in Louisiana due mainly to DDT use. They’ve made a great comeback since DDT was banned and we have quite a few in Lake Pontchartrain now. They and I had the beach to ourselves today for lunch. I had a Subway BMT. They had the fish.

Another one that crossed my lens. He had about an 8ft wingspan.

Pelicans glide along above the water like the first two photos. When they see a meal below, they make a high bank, tuck those gigantic wings in, and dive straight down like a pile driver. This one was doing that.

For what its worth: If the planet has a few more aphids and a few more pelicans since the ban, I’m OK with that. They’re a joy to watch and are absolutely worth saving.

Katie was Christmas shopping at the Esplanade yesterday. She asked me if I wanted to see that movie I had talked about -- Syriana -- and I said yes, I did. She ate red beans and rice with me, contributing the bread and dessert, and then we went to the 7:10 movie at the Elmwood Palace. I had read the review of the movie after I saw George Clooney with Jay Leno and the review wasn't good. Said the writers didn't know how to complete a thought or a scene and so just dropped the ball and went to something else. That was true. We hardly ever knew who was being talked about, or the reason for the stalking, or why there was an explosion there. She didn't like it at all. I did, for some reason. But I would never tell anyone to see it. There were some wonderful scenes and wonderful dialogues but you had to take them as individual vignettes and not worry about really catching on to the why and wherefore. But if you do go to see it, tell me what you think.

Grandpa Ferrara would have been 95 years old today. Happy Birthday, Grandpa.

About the Ferrara men: For every task, there is at least one idea about how to do it per Ferrara male involved, sometimes more. I’m not certain if that’s a Ferrara trait or just a y-chromosome thing. When Grandpa and his brother, Joe, did something together, it was high comedy. I watched them do something together at our house one time when I must have been 6 or 7. How Uncle Joe talked to Grandpa that day and vice versa...................let’s just say that’s not how I was allowed to talked to either of them. They seemed to take joy in annoying each other and it was very funny to me. When Grandpa and Dad did something together, it was best to evacuate. I don’t think Grandpa intentionally annoyed Dad like he did his brothers but he annoyed Dad much more than he did them. It may have been their terms of endearment but it never seemed that way to me. Thankfully, they didn’t do that much together.

About Grandpa and me: Grandpa died before Patsy and I moved to Bush. He lived fairly close to us when we lived in Metairie and he liked to stay busy. Back in the days when I would sleep in on Saturday mornings, he would sometimes drop in unannounced and very early to fix something that he thought needed attention. He also liked to drop by in the late afternoon after I had been in the yard all day, had just finished showering, and was beat. His timing was always awful. We didn’t work all that well together, either, but the help was mostly appreciated. Everything at that house needed fixing. Dad and I hardly ever worked on any task together. Neither of us are/were good at fixing things so that was a fortunate circumstance. We argued quite a bit as anyone, who ever sat at the dinner table with us, could tell you. We didn’t have the same tastes in music, books, or movies and our politics were different so there is no reason to believe we would have worked together very well, either.

The one thing Dad and I did together fairly often, though, was boil crawfish. We are/were in total agreement about how to do that. That was a total collaborative effort and our methods evolved over many years. My neighbors and my nephew, Aaron, paid us the highest possible compliments last year when they said we have spoiled boiled crawfish for them. They said others, including restaurants, don’t do it as well. Considering those sources and considering how many people boil crawfish around here, that was high praise indeed.

Finally, David and I were oil and water as kids but we do fine together now. The jury is out on Matthew and David. Maybe the page is turning.

Have a day.

PS - I hope this is accurate. I don't know who added it.

This picture is a little old since they just celebrated their 3 month old birthday on Saturday, but they haven't changed much since the photo was taken; just a bit more plump.

Our household is slowly getting back to normal. And thanks to my wonderful Mother, I actually get out of the house several times a week. Can't imagine what I would do without her assistance, or my entire family for that matter.

Although he's not here to celebrate, today is my father's birthday -- December 14, 1897. The reason this is interesting to me, I think, is that although they were pretty sure they had the month right, the actual date was just a guess. Close enough they said, according to him. The thing is, the Minnesota snows prevented travel in those days. The roads from farm to town were impassable until the spring thaw and so they had to wait till then to go into town to register his birth.

He was one of ten children: Fred, Frank. William, John, James, Bob, Mary, Walt, Julia, and Fabian, all of whom survived their birth and lived long lives. They were all nice uncles and aunts, but I always thought my grandmother was too crabby. After the hard life she lived though, maybe she earned that right.

We, on the other hand, had better never think about being crabby because we have definitely not earned that right.

Class dismissed.

Kind of a fun video. The first trick is pretty cool but the second one is insane.

Happy Birthday Aminah. Fifteen years ago at around 3:30 a.m. I awoke with sharp pains. I called my friend Natalee and she came over. My friend Kathy was also to be with me. Omar had bronchitis and so Hyder wouldn't be able to be in the delivery room with me. (After Omar's birth - he really didn't want to be in the delivery room and I really didn't want him there!) Kathy arrived around 6:00 and I said I was ready to go! Within minutes of arriving at the hospital (6:30a.m.) my water broke (all over Kathy - I hadn't made it the bed yet) and I said I needed to push. They ran and got the nurses and the midwife and at 7:01 Aminah was born. The most beautiful baby weighing 8lb. 12oz. Natalee was to be in charge of the pictures and she was given strict instructions not to take any inapropriate shots. Well, Natalee was training to be a midwife so my midwife decided to let her deliver Aminah. This meant that the nurse had nothing to do so without our knowledge the nurse took pictures of the entire birth. Although they are only for the family I am very happy that I have those special pictures of my very special baby! Aminah has been my right hand for many years and especially these last four years that I have been in school. She is Haytham's second mom and held this house together when I was at class, making dinner, helping kids with homework etc. Now -- she'll get a well deserved break since I am done with classes. Aminah, I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful daughter! Enjoy your day!

Samuel and I went hunting with Joey last week. We went to his deer lease in Mississippi on one of the coldest nights we've had this year. We went for a walk in the woods, with the stroller! Samuel loved it, he fell asleep for most of it. We got in a box stand with Joey and brought several toys (non-noisy type) for Samuel to play with. We stayed for about 30 minutes and then went back to the camp. Joey left us to go make a "real" hunt. I don't think we'll be going back this year. Samuel did not bring Joey the luck he was hoping for so I think our presence isn't needed anymore. That and the fact that I forgot a baby bottle in the fridge at the camp. Joey will be the recipient of endless ribbing from the other guys at the camp! They don't believe that women and children belong there.

December 6,1984 was a cold, wintery day. John headed off to breakfast and work as usual about 5:30 am. I awoke at about 6:00am with some vague crampy feelings, which intensified over the next few minutes and became more regular. I decided I'd better track John down before he got too far from home. I tried the restaurant I knew he usually ate at but the phone apparently only rang in the bar area. Desperate to reach him, I called the gas station across the street from the restaurant and asked if someone could go across the street and ask if John was there and have him call home(I didn't tell this lady why). It wasn't long before John called home and I told him it was time to go to the hospital. While I waited for John to get home, I got Zack up, fed, and dressed him and called Grandma to come up and babysit. Grandma and Grandpa Lawson arrived before John did so I just had to give last minute instructions and make sure my bag was packed. John arrived about 40minutes after my initial call and we headed for Red Wing. As we drove along John asked me how I was doing and I could only reply "don't slow down". At 12:41 Anne Marie was born--full head of dark hair and 8# 5oz. Our family was now complete with our little girl and her big brother at home. Hard to believe it was 21 years ago! Happy Birthday Annie. We love you.

We went to eat breakfast with Santa this morning at Chapelle, our alma mater. This morning while getting ready I asked the boys what they were going to ask Santa for Christmas. Jacob thought about it and couldn't make up his mind so he decided he needed to bring the Christmas Wish Book with him so he could show Santa what he wants. He & Jackson circled what they want in the book, I think they left two pictures uncircled! Jackson studied the book in the car on the way there so that he would be well prepared to answer the "What do you want for Christmas" question and he finally settled on a Roboraptor. Unfortunately, the Santa was kind of a dinky Santa and didn't ask the ever important question so Jackson quietly told him anyway. I don't think Santa heard him. That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Samuel did well and didn't even cry. He's such a good boy.

The girlfriends took Joan out on Tuesday night for dinner to celebrate her birthday. No cake this year, she's busy training for a marathon in January. She started training with her friend who was planning on running the Rock & Roll Marathon in Phoenix and eventually she agreed to run it with her. I get tired just listening to her training schedule!

Anyway, Happy Birthday O Young One!