Saturday morning beach music

This morning Beach Walker Boy and I took our walk along the beach. It was a great morning. So many people were out with their four legged friends enjoying a very comfortable morning.

How could we resist heading to the shore to watch the glistening sun reflections on the water.

We met up with Will and Nate, students at the local high school who were practicing their music while enjoying the nice morning. Once they realized we were listening they stepped it up and started singing a popular song often heard on the radio station that Beach Walker Boy is normally glued to when we are in the car. Both young men, as polite as can be, had really good voices and played well for their age. They have been playing for a while and are members of a group band...no big deal, just a group of kids happy to play.

Jambalaya...Jambalaya

I love this hat. 'Vivi" had a style!

Viviane Joan 'Vivi' Abbott Walker (Character) from Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)

Getting ready for our own Madi Gras celebration...Beach Walker Boy is already asking when I'm going to make Jambalaya. Mmmm! the smell, the colors, yum! I first started making Jambalaya after my dear friend moved to Southwestern Louisiana. She sent me a great cookbook that I often use... Zydeco Shoes--A Sensory Tour of Cajun Culture. It's a pretty interesting cookbook that includes history and art as well as a CD of some great Zydeco music.

Zydeco Shoes: A Sensory Tour™ of Cajun Culture steeps you in Cajun art, stories, recipes and music. The book features Cajun artist Earl Hébert's vibrant art and engaging stories, recipes from world-famous Mulate's®,

I started with the recipe in Zydeco Shoes which is an absolutely delicious recipe. I later tried different pre-packaged varieties but they were a bit too salty for my taste. I now think I have come to a final recipe. It is a traditional Creole Jambalaya recipe that I found on the My Recipe's website and it originally ran in Southern Living in 2003.

Creole Jambalaya with Shrimp, Ham, and Andouille Sausage

Author Cliff Hutson Official license.

click here to enjoy Zydeco Music and a fun website...while you try this nice recipe...

Creole Jambalaya This recipe does not call for shrimp but you know I'm adding it.
Yield Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
8 green onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 cups cubed cooked ham (1 pound)
1 pound Cajun-flavored or smoked sausage, sliced
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
5 cups cooked rice
Garnishes: fresh parsley sprig, chopped fresh parsley
Preparation
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients; sauté until tender. Add ham, sausage, and next 4 ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
Stir in rice, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes over low heat. Garnish, if desired.
Southern Living, APRIL 2003

A nod to Miss Gracious Living - Southern Accent

From Cranes Stationery

The lovely ladies who organize the Southern Accents magazine blog always have something of interest to say. Today, they talked about the importance of the thank you note. Being a lover of all manner of stationery and it's ultimate purposes, I take great interest in anything having to do with it's use. Instilling the value of properly thanking someone has been something I have been working on with Beach Walker Boy from the time he was able to draw a few lines. His effort has been paying off and he has realized that when he makes the effort to show appreciation properly, he is applauded for his effort and good things come back his way. Sometimes he struggles with the correct use of words but he understands the formula and in the long run, we all know that it's the thought that counts. He has recently sent out his very first properly written invitation acceptance. Hooray! On to next steps.

From Mrs. John L. Strong Stationery Collection

Keeping a nice supply of stationery papers at the ready helps to insure the thank you notes are sent. There are so many pretty papers. When you click on the link below, you'll see the pretty papers presented in the Southern Accents blog. Personally, I like Cranes or Mrs. John L. Strong papers. Beach Walker Boy uses Cranes basic informal notes or correspondence cards...no frill for him...typical boy. Recently, I picked up a pack of very pretty photo cards prepared by the Alhambra Garden Club of Mount Pleasant. Each card featured a beautiful picture of a local historical site in town. My favorite and the first used was of Pitt Street in the Old Village of Mount Pleasant where the Village Bakery is located. Ahhh! The Village Bakery...well that's a whole other post...

Have a look at the Southern Accents magazine blog. It really is quite good. Sincerest Thanks - Miss Gracious Living - Southern Accents

Sea Turtles

Photo source unknown

Happy Valentine's day

A Moment of Happinessby Jalalu'l-din Rumi

A moment of happiness, you and I

sitting on the verandah,

apparently two, but one in soul, you and I.

We feel the flowing water of life here,

you and I, with the garden's beauty

and the birds singing.

The stars will be watching us,

and we will show them

what it is to be a thin crescent moon.

You and I unselfed, will be together,

in different to idle speculation, you and I.

The parrots of heaven will be cracking sugar

as we laugh together, you and I.

In one form upon this earth,

and in another form in a timeless sweet land.

The Beach...

I love this picture of the sun's rays hitting the water...

...and I'll post this picture again of Beachwalker Boy...every time I look at it, it speaks differently to me.

Church Wall Art

Today after church while I was waiting for Beach Walker Boy, I decided to take a walk through the garden behind the church. It's a gorgeous garden with a lovely pond and pretty plantings. Even though it's only the 1st day of February, there was already some beautiful flowers in bloom.

There are places throughout the garden to sit and meditate. The birds were singing, and the squirrels scurrying ('Boy' calls it Man vs. Wild music). It was very pleasant and I spent a bit of time just enjoying the garden. It was outstanding weather today and perfect for a bit of a walk.

As I was heading back to where I would meet up with 'Boy', I found these beautiful pieces of art on the wall near the side entrance. I'd never noticed them before...or perhaps I never slowed down enough while leaving through the side entrance to notice. I wish I could have gotten a better picture of them but I have just a foolish little mini camera...my first digital. Shouldn't really blame the camera...I'm not much of a photographer....but I digress. There are actually three pieces but these two were the ones I captured (I thought I had captured all three...Hmmmm!). They are really quite impressive in person. I like that they are broken but really are all part of one scene. I would have preferred they were put on a solid wall as I think the brick background detracts from their beauty but still a nice touch overall for a side wall.