NEVER TOO BUSY TO EAT THE CANTALOUPE

During a visit to NYC (I don't remember the exact year), my husband and I made an offer to my sister CH that we would help taking care of things in her apartment or whatever she was not physically able to do.  When we got to her place, CH already got a list of items that she would like to get done.  While my husband did the heavy lifting like moving the furniture, assembling a bookshelf, CH and I re-organized her closets and gathered items to give away.  After we came back from dropping off the donation, we found CH sitting at her kitchen table eating cantaloupe.  We asked what else needed to be done.  CH responded while looking at the list, "I have a million things on this list."  We thought the comment was funny since a million things had to wait while CH was slowly eating her fruit.  "Well, I had to eat the cantaloupe before it goes bad", she said.  Since then, it has become an inside joke with us that whenever we talked about chores that needed to get done, we would say, "But first we have to finish eating the cantaloupe"!

THURSDAY RAMBLINGS - RUNNING WITH MY SISTER

My sister is coming in for the Lantern Festival on display at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  It would be just us "girls" because my husband will be driving to Detroit to visit his sister who has been suffering from manic depression since her divorce.  It worked out that we both got to spend special time with our sisters.  I visited CH in November after she moved to Atlanta last year (September 2011).  This will be the 4th time CH visits St. Louis.  The 1st time was in 1996 to see the exhibit of Lewis and Clark bicentennial expedition.  We drove to Memphis and Nashville when CH came to visit last year.  We had a great time at the Grand Ole Opry.

CH is my only sister and 4 years younger.  Our childhood was different because we did not do most of the regular things sisters would do since CH was born with muscular dystrophy.  She did not walk on her own until she was almost 7 years old.  What CH lacks physically, she made up for having a brilliant mind.  Growing up, CH was unable to go to school but I was able to provide regular lessons based on the curriculum I had learned.  By the time CH was able to walk and began to attend school, she not only was placed in the grade according to her age but was much more advanced than other kids.  From the time we came to America, CH has taken full advantage of all the benefits available.  CH graduated among the top of her class, earned a full scholarship to Hunter College, and another full scholarship from New York University for her graduate degree.  CH has always been an indepedent person.  She never allowed physical difficulties became the barriers of her goals to live life to the fullest.  CH has travelled to all the countries in Europe, Russia, enjoyed many cruises and visited most of the States.  A smart investor, CH was able to make wise decision when she purchased a condo in Park Slope, New York and again in Atlantic Station, Atlanta.  I am proud of my sister and her accomplishments.  CH is an example of the strength of human spirit to overcome obtacles and what the American Dream offers to those willing to do what it takes to reach their goals.  I look forward to spending quality time with my sister.  Just hope we don't get into the subject of politics and which direction America should be moving forward in the coming (election) years!    

FROM SAVANNAH WITH LOVE

That is right - I took these photos during my visit this week to Savannah, Georgia. (It was the reason why I am behind with blogging, trying to catch up with new posts.) My sister moved from NYC to Atlanta in September. I thought it would be nice to see where she lives and I would love to see Savannah again. We attended a conference in Hilton Head, South Carolina in 1998. After the conference, we drove to Savannah and I immediately fell in love with the city.

I flew into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, picked up the car rental and drove to Atlantic Station where my sister lives. CH lives in a modern "Live, Work, Play" area. The next day we drove to Savannah. It was a four-hour drive but a simple route to follow. We took I-75 South for about an hour and then merged onto I-16 East for about 2.5 hours, right into Savannah.

I am going to borrow a few words from the Official Visitor Guide to describe this beautiful city and how it captured my heart. The moss-draped trees, the lush, tree-filled squares (all 27 of them), the picture-perfect cobblestone streets, the history and mystery in the architecture that were well preserved, and so much more that would give visitors a memorable experience of the Old South charm and its exquisite beauty.

We strolled the city's streets, stopping at the city squares to learn about this grid-like model of urban planning, homes, churches and businesses around each square, each with its own distinctive style. My sister pointed out the Moon River Brewing Company at 21 W. Bay Street. She explained that Savannah's only brew pub was the location of a Ghost Adventures where the crew was locked down for the night and did have a paranormal experience.

We had a full schedule while in Savannah. I even managed to attend a 7:30 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. After a walk along the Riverfront, lunch at the Cotton Exchange, Da Sistas enjoyed a 45-minute carriage ride around the Historic District. More about our dinner at Paula Deen The Lady & Sons Restaurant in future posts. My 2nd visit to Savannah was wonderful as in 1998. The City has so much beauty, charm and I love learning more about its history. Savannah definitely is on my list of many more returning visits.

INSIDE THE CONSERVATORY AT THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE

These photos were taken in May when my sister and I visited the Butterfly House. CH had a great time there, especially when we watched the emergence of the butterflies. In this large display box, there were a number of chrysalises that were soon to emerge.

CH was very excited when we spotted the above butterfly nectaring from the flowers. Others such as Morphos and Owls take their food from rotting fruits (bananas) instead of flowers.

CH put her hands out so the butterfly would land on her palms. We were not supposed to touch the butterfly. If they landed on us, we would have to shake our body to get it off. The butterfly is very fragile that even the most gentle touch might hurt them.

Could you identify the species of all the butterflies in this post? Sorry, this is not a contest and there are no prizes, just bragging rights!

MOTHER, MOTHER-IN-LAW AND TWO SISTERS

After more than 10 days off starting May 5th when CH came into town, followed by our road trip to Nashville and Memphis, then our visit to New Orleans (May 11 thru 15), I took CH to the airport on Monday, May 16th, for her flight back to New York. Al Green, the airport parking lot security, tried talking CH into moving to St. Louis. I told Al I would not have any more relatives coming to visit for awhile after CH.
Since we did not win the $81 millions jackpot, I had to go back to work on the 17th. Things got back to normal around the house with just CP and I. It was nice to be home, even when we had to stay in the basement because of constant tornado warnings. The heavy rain and strong wind dampened the weekend but we are thankful that we did not experience any major damage.
During my walk on Thursday (May 12th), I saw the long line in front of Mother's Southern Deli at 401 Poydras Street where the locals and tourists waiting to get a taste of Mother's famous Ferdi Special (another name for po'boy), a giant roll filled with homemade house specialty baked ham, roast beef, and debris. Debris (don't sound very appetizing) being the bits of roast beef that fall off from carving mixed with the gravy.

www.mothersrestaurant.net
The next evening (Friday) CH and I went back to Mother's for dinner. There was no line so we walked right in. We quickly found a table at the corner near the kitchen. We were told to go up to the counter, place our order, pay the cashier, come back to our table and then a server will come to take our ticket/reciept. He/she would ask what we would like to drink and later bring our food to us. We did not get a free meal at Mother and she did not ask us to wash dishes!

The bus only made a quick stop in front of this well-known neighborhood dive bar, Mother-in-Law Lounge, created by Ernie K-Doe. Named after K-Doe's 1961 pop/R&B song, Mother-in-Law song, the Lounge was opened in 1994. It was completely under water during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, renovated and re-opened a year later but currently struggling.

Named as the prettiest restaurant in town by Frommer's, the Court of Two Sisters has a huge, foliage-filled courtyard, located in a 2-centuries old building at 613 Royal Street, www.courtoftwosisters.com.

Legend has it that if you touch the black wrought iron Charm Gates (shipped from Spain in 1832) in front of the court, you would have good luck. CH and I put our hands on the gates but did not get much luck with winning the lottery. As far as charming, I personally did not get much of that either!

TOTA ON A DATE WITH "POOR BOY" AT THE FRENCH MARKET

On Friday, CH decided to skip the afternoon workshop so we could go to the French Market. Even though the Market is within walking distance, we took the taxi to get there because it was rainning. The Market has everything for everybody, from typical items normally found at flea/farmers market such as handbags, decorated jewerly, knockoff fashion, crafts, locally grown fruits/veggies/spices, souvenirs and of course, food stands. Too bad we would have to miss the annual Great French Market Creole Tomato Festival coming up in June.

I learned that the Market is part of the French Quarter. The taxi dropped us off at the east end of the Market, corner of Decatur and Govenor Nicholls. The Market reminds me of Cho Ben Thanh in Sai Gon. My Mom used to take me there when she went shopping. Since Viet Nam was also heavily influence by French culture, I was very comfortable while in New Orleans.

After lunch, we walked the six blocks along the riverside, passing Ursuline Avenue, St. Philip, Dumaine, St. Ann Streets, Orleans Avenue, St. Peter, Toulouse and at St. Louis Street, we decided to walk toward the Cathedral.

The rain stopped as we strolled down the streets, filled with live music and enjoyed lunch at an outdoor cafe (photo above). We both selected Po'Boys, a fried oyster for CH and catfish for me. (Po-Boys is a sandwich on French bread with different fillings). We became daring and shared an order of fried gator meat. While waiting for our food, we talked, relaxed, commented about people walking by and listened to the band playing Get Your Kicks on Route 66! It was a great afternoon with my sister.

At the edge of Jackson Avenue, is the famous Cafe du Monde, serving cafe au lait and beignets, since 1862. We stopped there to take photos but could not find an empty table. All the tourists went straight from the airport to here because the travel guides stated that the Cafe is a must stop when in New Orleans.

DA SISTAS IN N'AWLINS

Wednesday, May 11th - CP took the morning off to take "Da Sistas" to the airport to catch our flights. There was no direct flight so we had to get a connecting flight in Memphis (we just came back from there) and then on to New Orleans.

As the plane approach New Orleans, we could see the areas once were farmlands now completely under water. We arrived in New Orleans around 3:49 p.m. The taxi service was $33 flat rate from Louis Armstrong Airport to the hotel.

Our hotel was at the corner of Canal and Magazine. The floor to ceiling window in our room on the 23rd floor provided a great view of the river. After we got into the room, CH and I immediately got out the cameras and took these photos.

Later while CH attended a reception, I explored the area around the hotel. I found out that crossing Canal Street, I would be in the infamous French Quarter. It was getting dark and I did not wish to encounter any drunken fools. I decided to go back to the hotel.

CH told me that she checked with the conference people and learned that guests of the members were invited to the reception. There was so much food at each stations that we did not have to go out to dinner.

Tomorrow, CH planned to attend the seminars until around 2:30 p.m. That would leave me the whole morning/afternoon to explore the town. I could not wait to ride the streetcars.

I finally understood how exciting N'awlins could be. The town has a lot of history and plenty of interesting characters. One thing for sure, you would not find me in any of the wild videos during Mardi Gras parades!

THAT'S ALL RIGHT MAMA (DON'T BE CRUEL)

A special thanks to LEONTIEN for the kind comment. It was much appreciated. It was the encouragement I needed to get back to blogging regularly. Thank you, thank you very much :)
Saturday, May 7th - We (including CH) again got up around 8:00 a.m. to start driving from Nashville to Memphis. We watched the news about flooding there but the mayor of Memphis encouraged everyone to come and assured visitors that Beale Street (and all the BBQ places) was open for business!

We received a warm welcome from Elvis himself when we arrived at Graceland around 1:14 p.m.

It was our 2nd visit. The first visit was in 2001. I don't remember if we had a tour guide or the current individual pacing audio-guided tour. Only still , no flash, photography is allowed in all areas of Graceland Mansion. I could not take any good photos of the Jungle Room because it was too dark. Go to www.elvis.com to see all the displays and details for planning your visit. The Heartbreak Hotel is located just across the street from Graceland Mansion (we stayed at another hotel).

It was CH's first time at Graceland. Though not a die-hard fan of Elvis, CH enjoyed visiting the Mansion since it is one of the most well-known attractions in America, drawing visitors from around the world. I was told that Elvis is the most impersonated person in the world. There was a Vietnamese singer named Elvis Phuong and he even had surgery in hope of looking like the real Elvis!

Above is the recreation room where Elvis and his buddies relaxed and enjoyed a game of pool.
Below is an amazing display of gold and platinum awards, the famous wardrobe with flashy jewelry, unique style of the King of Rock 'n' Rolls.The King's final resting place after a short journey to superstardom yet he left a lasting legacy that will always be remembered.

I WAS COUNTRY WHEN COUNTRY WASN'T COOL

Friday, May 6th - CH kept her promise and got up "cheerfully" at 7:30 a.m. so we could get on the road to Nashville, Tennessee. (Qaptain Qwerty probably fell off his chair reading this because he knew CH is not a morning person and 10:30 a.m. would be the earliest when CH would normally get up when she is not working!) We drove for about an hour and decided to stop at the Hen House for breakfast. It is called restaurant and gift shop but that would be stretching and much smaller compared to Cracker Barrel. There is not much to write about the food and the restaurant (more like a coffee shop) and the gift shop (with limited selections).

We were on Interstate 24 in southernmost Illinois (around 11:15 a.m.)when we saw the sign "Metropolis Exit 37". After we got off the exit, the main road leading to the town square was half covered with water coming from the rising Ohio River. We saw many homes and businesses were completely under water (above photo).

Where was Superman when we needed him? He should save his hometown from flooding. After taking enough photos (Check back often to see photos of Benjamin and the Man of Steel - unless the world as we know ended), we visited a Dippin' Dots store. It was a nice surprise to find there were about 20 different flavors, just like regular ice cream. I had a cup of butter pecan, CH had vanilla and CP had strawberry and chocolate. Metropolis claimed that the town has the largest Dippin' Dots store on the planet!

After a few rest stops and a quick lunch, we finally arrived in Nashville around 3:30 p.m. The Grand Ole Opry was on the other side of the road from where the hotel was but it was a five lanes major road. The giant parking lot from the entrance to the auditorium was a long distance, definitely not for walking, especially for CH (physical challenge).

After checking into the rooms, we went to a nearby steakhouse for dinner before going to the show scheduled at 7:00 p.m.

We enjoyed the show with its famous mixture of bluegrass, folk, gospel performances and plenty of good-clean humor. One of the hosts was Little Jimmy Dickens who celebrated his 90th birthday. He was a vibrant and energetic person - bless his heart!

Is it just me being such a grumpy old person or some people don't know how to behave in a civilized manner? During the show, two women in their late 30's, in the row in front of us, were talking! The conversation went on and only when I leaned over and said, "Excuse me!", that the women stopped talking.

No more than a few minutes later, I heard whispering coming from the row behind us. The talking was not loud but I could still hear the whispering. What was so important that these people have to discuss during a music show? I had to turn around and again said, "Excuse me"! Is it just me or civilized behaviors have gone down the drain?

WELCOMING HER MAJESTY

I held up the above greeting sign when my sister CH arrived in St. Louis (Thursday, May 5th). CH chose the first name Victoria when she became U.S. Citizen. Qaptain Qwerty chose a name from a character in the Peanuts and I selected "TOTA" - just kidding!

Somehow the security guard at the parking lot recognized me because he said, "You are back. Who are you picking up this time?" I complimented him for his excellent memory that he remembered I was at the airport to pick up QQ in early April.

I did not take any photos inside the airport because of security measure. Looking at the plywood covering all the windows, you could see the extensive damage the tornadoes did.

This entrance probably was shown on television when the tornadoes touched down sending high wind thru the doors, smashing benches as if they were toys and knocking down tiles on the ceilings.

I thought the airport was back to normal, as much as could be. Hats off to those in charge of getting the repair done so quickly while moving forward in getting the operation back on track.