Planting, Growing, Reaping

I’ve lived here almost four years now, and I’m still figuring out how to garden in southwest Louisiana. At first, I went to farmers’ markets and marveled at how early local fresh produce would appear on the stands. And that’s the key . . . start early. Last year I planted a couple tomato plants – late spring – about the time everyone else was already eating theirs. My plants grew, but never produced a single tomato. Once it gets hot, they can’t pollenate. So this past week (is February early enough?), I planted two tomato plants – one best boy and one grape tomato – and two red pepper plants. I bought some lettuce and spinach seeds, but after I read the package, I learned I should have planted them late fall/early winter and could have been harvesting greens the past several months. I did plant radishes a couple months ago, and have had a few mature. I also planted several broccoli plants and they’re producing more than we can eat!

This past late fall/early winter, I planted daffodil and iris bulbs, hoping for lovely spring flowers. But even though we technically had a "cold" winter, it was warm enough that that the bulbs sent up shoots immediately, though it was too cold for them to actually bloom. Instead of spring flowers, I have stringy dying stalks in the beds with no hope of blooms.

I planted a strawberry plant early last summer, obviously too late to grow any berries. The plant survived a hot summer and a cold winter, but it has yet to bloom. Not sure what’s up with that. We’ve got some blueberry bushes in the back, but the birds always get the berries before they ripen enough for us. And we planted a satsuma tree (Louisiana clementine) a couple years ago that seems to be more interested in staying a baby than growing up and producing fruit.

I’ve planted several herbs. Last year, the basil grew fantastic, more like a shrub than a small plant. But chives withered and died. We’ll see how I do this year with cilantro, cat nip, and again, chives and basil.

I’m learning what flowers grow well and when. Pansies are pretty all winter; snapdragons, not so much. Just today, I saw the first red bud tree in bloom. They take my breath away. Soon the azaleas will spread vivid fuchsia, red, and orange across the landscape. Not much survives the heat of summer except crepe myrtle, oleander, zinnias.

Gardening here, no doubt, will be an ongoing adventure. High on my list of things to do this summer . . . learn to compost.

What grows in your garden?

Lake Charles Art Scene on a Saturday Morning

Andrew has an interest in photography, so today we made a trip to Old City Hall in Lake Charles to see Fragile Nature, a traveling exhibit by National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore. Sartore hopes his exquisite up-close shots of animals and their habitats will not only entertain but bring awareness to environmental issues. The show runs through April 23rd.

Up on the third floor we found another delightful exhibit, Fairy Tale Art -- Illustrations from Children's Books. (Through March 26) Naturally, as a lover and wish-I-could author of picture books, I adored this show, featuring selected works of eight well-known illustrators. My personal favorite is Jane Dyer. She's the illustrator of my personal favorite picture book, Time For Bed, written by Mem Fox. The boys and I wore that one out when they were toddlers.

For a little lagniappe, we went to Frazier Library at McNeese University, where there's currently an exhibit by several local artists including one of my favorite local artists, Imogene Dewey. Art is alive and well in Lake Charles -- there's always something to see or do. And the cool thing is, these events are usually free!

Beaumont, Texas

Had to go to Beaumont, Texas today to get a new part for Eric’s MacBook. *TIP for Lake Charles area businessmen/women who are looking for a new venture . . . open an Apple Store! You’d have a monopoly on the market. Mac users should not have to drive an hour for computer service. Apple Stores are chic, sleek, contemporary, and inviting, if you’re the geeky techie type.

Like always, we try to morph a mundane trip into an excursion by patronizing a few fun establishments. While waiting for the computer repair, we got a bite to eat at (new to us) Geo Burrito, which is remarkably similar to a family favorite here in Lake Charles, Izzo’s Illegal Burrito, except there aren’t as many TVs at Geo’s. Essentially, it’s like a Mexican Subway. Very good. Eric had a burrito, Andrew ordered fully-loaded nachos, and I enjoyed assorted tacos.


For dessert, we went next door to Rao’s Bakery. Look at these beautiful pastries!

No, we didn’t buy pastries. We were there for the gelato. They offer the most incredible selection; raspberry, mixed berry, pear, lemon, spiced chocolate, coconut, mango, red velvet cake, tiramisu, cappuccino, mocha (is there really a difference?) just to name maybe half of the flavors. It’s so hard to choose just one. Thankfully they allow samples.

Why we wanted ice cream in this frigid weather, I don’t know. Because it’s delicious! I countered the cold with a cup of hot coffee. Here’s me sporting my new Polamalu t-shirt Mom and Tom got me for my birthday. Go Steelers!
I had to plead for the boys to pose on the patio with “the Blues Brothers.” They finally consented. They were cold. And I wouldn’t unlock the car until they did.

Bake Sale

Last Saturday was Sam Houston High Band Booster’s annual Bake Sale and Barbeque. All band parents are expected to bake either a cake or two pies. Or for those not inclined to bake, a $12.00 donation may be made. Last year, I poured my heart into a pretty two-layer cake with colorful sliced gumdrops on white icing. My mother made me this cake when I was maybe 5 or 6 years old. The gumdrops look like jewels on a princess crown. To this day, it’s my favorite birthday cake ever. Anyway, back to last year, when I returned to the school later that afternoon to pick up my BBQ dinners, there was my cake, still sitting on a nearly empty bake sale table. No one had bought it. My heart sank. I told myself it was because I had covered the cake with that plastic wrap that’s kind of opaque, and no one could see how pretty it was. Nevertheless, this year, I considered simply writing the check in lieu of baking. Wouldn’t that be easier? But no, I decided I’d make a Pittsburgh favorite – jello cake. Jello cake, for my readers who don’t live in the ‘burgh, is a white cake with holes poked all over it, and liquid jello poured over so the jello sinks down into the cake and makes a pretty marbled effect. Since this is Mardi Gras season, I decided to make a Mardi Gras Jello Cake. I drizzled grape, lemon, and lime (purple, gold and green are Mardi Gras colors) over the cake and spread the top with Cool Whip. I had planned to decorate with purple, yellow, and green sprinkles, evenly dispersed over the cake, but Bob got to the sprinkles before me. With his hand, he deftly poured the sprinkles over the cake, and after about two minutes, this was the result.


Bob still surprises me. He still makes me laugh. He still knows how to make me smile.

By the way, it’s a bronco, not a horse. And notice I used clear plastic wrap this year. I don’t know if anyone bought it. I did not go back this year to find out.

Kemah, Texas

Did you know that Kemah, Texas is home to the third largest fleet of recreational boats in America? I did not. Until I read it on the website. After having visited Kemah today, I believe it. Marina after marina after marina all look like this. I think more boats live in Kemah than people.

Kemah, slightly southeast of Houston, is a touristy summertime kinda destination known for its boardwalk, amusement park, shops, restaurants. And, of course, boats. Which is why we were there. Bob was boat shopping. He seems to be fond of this little one with the red tarp.

We ate dinner at a humble little Italian restaurant called Frenchie’s. Came highly recommended by the boat broker, and he wasn’t kidding. The food was fabulous. I hadn't eaten homemade gnocchi's since I lived in Pittsburgh. Not far away is Johnson Space Center. When you walk into Frenchie’s restaurant, there are many photographs of astronauts that have eaten there. Bob says, “Well, if all these astronauts have eaten here, the food must be out of this world.”

Haha.

We didn’t have time to stroll the boardwalk after dinner. Not this time. Maybe rather it was a lack of inclination. Like I said, it’s a summertime destination. This is winter. And right now it’s cold outside.

This may be the view out my kitchen window someday. I love kitchen windows. What do you see out yours?

Star Wars at the Lafayette Science Museum

The boys and I drove to Lafayette, La. today to see the Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit at the Lafayette Science Museum. The show was larger than I expected, chock full of props, costumes, clips, and directors’ comments as well as plenty of interactive robotics and science stations including weather, biomedical prosthetics, transportation of the future, space and aeronautics and more. There's a Millennium Falcon simulation we didn't get tickets for and a robotics video we didn't have time for. The show ends January 17.

Looking at the displays, I realized there must have been a few Star Wars episodes I missed. I didn’t recognize the white woolly snow creatures. I’ve never been a huge Star Wars fan. My boys wanted to see the exhibit. But it did bring back memories. Star Wars was one of the first movies I saw at a theater without my parents. Jaws may have been first.

Here’s Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder.


We also went to the planetarium. Nothing like a show on the stars, sun, and galaxies to make an earthling feel humble.

After our museum visit, we ate a fabulous dinner next door at Athena Greek and Lebanese Restaurant. Gyro, falafel, hummus, greek salad, and tiramisu . . . all delicious!

Got any Star Wars memories or stories you’d care to share?

May the Force be with you!

New Years Eve, 2010

I'm not big on late-night parties, crowds of people, noise. But there's something about the New Year holiday I love. It's like a gift from the calendar. A clean slate. A fresh start. A new beginning. There's something forgiving about turning the page and putting the past behind. Like most folks these days, I shun resolutions, but around this time of year, I tend to think about how I might do some things differently, how I might change a pesky pattern of behavior. I want to be less critical of myself, and at the same time, I want to be better organized and more efficient with my time, especially the time devoted to writing.

But I'll think on that tomorrow. Tonight we say goodbye to 2010. And dream wishes for 2011. We've become so accustomed to staying in and celebrating the New Year with the boys, it's hard to imagine doing anything else.

How do you celebrate and what are your dreams for 2011? Whatever they are, I wish all of you a very blessed and Happy New Year.