Lucky

 

Mom and I lucked out at lunch today. Prime rib pot pie. What?? Mary Grace made it from leftover prime rib. 

 

Ryan added a fabulous wedge salad. 

 

Pretty sure I lucked out with more than lunch. 

Sad and happy times

 

Even on a long sad journey to the funeral of a dear friend's son, we found beauty. Priscilla and I drove to tiny Iuka, Mississippi and spotted this little tiny church. 

 

We pulled over to stretch our legs on the Natchez Trace to find Indian mounds. 

 

It was a wild and isolated area. 

 

Thought I would post a picture of Kathy and her sweet John. He will be missed deeply. 

 

Candy had a birthday and I gave her little mini bulbs. When I visited a few days later, look at what happened! 

 

Down to the last week before wedding. Tying up loose ends. Cool cake stand. 

Some of the rugs we will use. 

 

Called in some professional palates to create the signature cocktail. Mary Grace, Ryan and I experimented until we found the perfect simple pink drink. Bubbly, fun and sweet. Sounds like someone you would want as a friend. Ryan found pink navel oranges to garnish. Wish I could think of a cute name for it. Pink navel? No. 

 

 

The flying lanterns came in. They will be released over the lake as a memorial to one of Ivy and Tripp's friends who passed away last year. He should have been at this wedding. Every time Ivy and I tell someone about this, we get teary eyed. Hope it is beautiful. 

On with the show

Well the St. Catherine's players have done it again.

 

With a funny take on a variety show put on for the Clampett's of the Beverly Hillbillies. We saw Phyllis Diller, Dolly Parton, Roy Rogers and more. 

 

I had to tell Mary Grace who most of them were. A little before the millennial's time!

 

Mom was a crowd pleaser as Lou Costello.

Here with co star and friend, Letty, they cracked us up with their routine. 

 

Anna surprised Candy with a cake to celebrate. 

 

Candy slept through the whole thing. I had never heard of a Duborge (sp) cake. Six luscious layers of white cake. Brought up from a French bakery on the coast. They are a New Orleans treat. 

 

Been ironing all the mandala cloths. So pretty. Why do our weddings always involve ironing?

 

I'm getting a little addicted to fun things being delivered to the house. 

 

How fun will colored sparklers be? 

 

I had begun to fear that vines would consume all our trees. 

 

Ed took charge with a sharpened machete. 

 

Take that English ivy. 

 

Very pretty but very invasive. 

 

It had gotten almost to the top. 

 

Look at the roots just grasping for something to grab onto. I even had a little fun helping with a little hatchet. 

Happy places

 

This is definitely one of my happy places. Ed's annual Valentine box of chocolates. I ate a caramel one first. 

 

Next is when I have a pile of flowers to arrange and put on some music to work by. 

 

This was for a progressive Valentine dinner for a client. She wanted romantic. I used Mary Grace and Sophie's milk glass collection. 

 

One I didn't use that Sophie has, is one used to hold flowers at Mom and Dad's wedding. I thought it was too precious to risk. Maybe she will post a pic of it. 

 

The entree will be served here. 

I based the arrangements on the napkins she chose. 

 

Hope they have fun. 

Jill's first

 

And she did a great job! We read a Barbara Kingsolver book that involved Monarch butterflies. We were greeted on this beautiful springlike day by this. The springlike day in February fit perfectly with the message in the book which dealt with climate change. 

 

Pansies at her entrance 

 

Butterflies were everywhere. 

Jonquils are always an early harbinger. 

 

We opted for brunch to accommodate schedules. It was all so good. Somehow I cut out the fact that there were butterflies on the china. Cheese grits and muffins are hiding behind the flowers. We all agreed we loved the book. 

On a romantic note, the 12th is our 34th anniversary. Ed took me to an elegant lunch. 

 

Ok...so it wasn't elegant but it certainly was good. I'm still wondering how kale got on my plate at Hamil's. And I still am not sure what that little fried bread pancake thing was. I got a bite of everything. 

 

This was homemade banana pudding. Ed got the ice cream and I am sure that it was from scratch too. 

 

It is quite the fascinating place. There were so many people there that we wondered where they all came from. Ed and I bought many of our antiques from her shop years ago when furnishing our new house. Looks like her family has kept the restaurant legacy going. I just remembered with a smile a time my friend, Amy and I sat down at a table and looked up and saw a pair of athletic socks pinned to the wall. They have lots of old local high school sports memorabilia as decor.  We had to move and find another table. Amy hates feet and anything related to them. So funny. 

Shrimp

Been winding down after a fun but hectic weekend. So just a few pics for y'all. 

 

Dupree and Daphne staying "on top of" the retaining wall project. It is going to be beautiful. 

 

Sister Daphne. 

 

One of the gorgeous mandala tapestries that will be part of the wedding. 

 

Took Mom to an appointment today. Eye doc told her as good as she looked at 90, keep doing what you are doing! This quote on my new Real Simple magazine hit home on that front. Hope I can grow up to be just like her. Met Sophie and Mary Grace at the Mayflower for lunch. Still as good as ever. Mom told us about how she and coworkers would pop over there from their jobs at the Commercial Bank in the Standard Life building to have shrimp cocktail.  

 

Here they are laughing on a break. That is how I look in a lot of my old pictures. 

 

You see her tiny little self in that plaid dress. Right? 

 

Here we are on the same block 70 years later! Sophie took this of MG , Mom and I. My heart is full. 

 

I was inspired to make shrimp scampi.