NOLA, Monday (Feb 12, 2024)

Did I mention that there are often horses in the parades?
These have gilded hooves!

NOLA, Sunday (Feb 11, 2024)

Even the grocery store fare is different. This shelf is at the small grocery closest to Eric's house:

Top shelf: crab/corn shrimp soup, seafood gumbo.

Second shelf: banana pudding, chocolate pudding, pecan cobbler, peach cobbler, blackberry cobbler. 

Eric, beside our first parade of the day:

Lisa at a crawfish boil along a parade route:

A tree festooned with toilet paper (specially designed and distributed for the purpose of launching into trees thus), with luchadores parading below: 

NOLA, Saturday (Feb 10, 2024)

 A mid-parade selfie. Notice the kids on ladders behind us - this is standard equipment for the well-prepared parent in New Orleans!

Here is an illuminated (oversized) man in the Endymion parade:

NOLA, Thursday (Feb 8, 2024)

Eric found an amazing purple jacket in a thrift store.
This thing has TAILS!

Charlotte in Japan

Pat, Charlotte, and Jim in Japan.

A meal in Japan:

Charlotte on a cool balcony:

Vending machines:

In the bamboo forest:

Nineteenth Anniversary

Here's a photo of the church Eric and I stood up in, 19 years ago - Bond Chapel at the University of Chicago.

Merry Christmas!

This album is one we listened to every Christmas while I was growing up.  It makes me think of snowy New England winters, roast lamb with rosemary & garlic served with mint jelly and peas, my grandmother's impeccable sense of style, my grandfather's unwavering belief in each of us grandkids, and never quite enough hours with my fantastic cousins.