Dead Computer Blues & Lots of Other News.....

     My beloved computer is fried y'all! Also my daughter's computer has been experiencing technical difficulties due to some crazy virus junk. I could blog from my phone, but I do not have the patience. I prefer not to used Barbi sized keyboards! Well any way here are a few pics of our last two months. They are not all the quality that I prefer and I don't have pics of everything, but here goes:

Alabama Tornado Relief Trip

 Eloise observes the destruction in Tuscaloosa.

 Eloise said, "It looks like nature created it's own sculpture".

While we were up in that neck of the woods we stopped to see a few relatives. This is a picture of Eloise and our double first cousin Connie Sue and her little bitty egg laying chicken. Isn't that precious...bless your heart.

Most of our family made it through with no damage, but all that remains of my cousin's antique house is the stone archway. We didn't force our way through town just to take pictures. If you are not familiar to the area, house, or persons involved, one pile of rubble looks just like another. I guess, living in a post Katrina world,  I have simply had my fill of destruction.

Mother/Daughter Luncheon

 Eloise & Maw Maw

 A good friend & some of her family.

 We bought Eloise this American Girl kit to nurture her entrepreneurial spirit.

 These were some of the headbands and clips that she came up with.

The theme of the Mother/Daughter luncheon was a Farmer's Market, So Eloise was allowed to sell her wares. She earned $26.

This was the Ladies' Dept. bulletin board that I decorated for the event.

In The Kitchen

 I finally gave Spaghetti Squash a try.

I simply cut it, cleaned out all of the seeds and pulp, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with seasoning, inverted in baking pan, added a little water, and baked for about 45 min.

 When it was finished I scraped out the flesh.

Ahh...now I see why they call it "Spaghetti" squash.

I served it with meat sauce, like traditional spaghetti.

 It was delicious.

You can also do the whole butter/brown sugar/cinnamon thing if you prefer sweet over savory.

 Since we were in the adventurous mood these past couple of months, I decided to try this combo:

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Cayenne Icing

So what was the verdict....most really liked it .....but it was a bit over the top for a few.

 Eloise has been learning her way around the kitchen with a homeschool friend.

They even made mini birthday cakes for their dolls.

Eloise the Performer

 For her final performance of the season, Eloise was able to warm up in the same dressing room as the performers of  "Wicked".

She was thrilled to get a backstage peek of the Mahalia Jackson Theater.

I did not get any shots of the sign language/ stick performance, put on by the Children's Church, but I couldn't resist snapping a pic of Eloise, other children,  pastor, and other adults singing a rousing rendition of "Father Abraham".

Sorry this is a blurry shot....I didn't have my camera.

Youth Department Spring Formal

 As a chaperon, I do not usually don such attire, but I couldn't resist the begging and pleading put forth by my precious little girl. At first I agreed to just try it on. When she saw me she said, "oh girl, you have to get the dress....I have never seen you in a dress like that". To which I replied, " your father will have a heart attack"!

To which she replied, in a dreamy voice "yes he will...when he sees how beautiful you look".

My resolve melted.

 Hubby & I at the restaurant.

Me & some of the young people being silly.

A lesson in Free Enterprise

 Due to all of the heavy equipment used to remove all of the Katrina debris, our streets were left with a gazillion potholes. We are finally in the last phases of recovery. My neighborhood (and several others), is almost impossible to navigate, because they have removed huge chunks of road, in order to make the necessary repairs.

This year hubby and I decided to teach Eloise a lesson in responsibility, so we told her that she was going to have to raise some of her own money for camp. She thought about it for a couple of days, then she asked her Grandpa to loan her the initial $10 investment to buy a case of freezie pops at Sam's.

So,you might be wondering what freezies and potholes have to do with each other.

Well, I'll tell you.

Road construction, in south Louisiana, in June, makes for a lot of weary workers. Enter the "Freezie Girl" as she has now been dubbed and you now have a beautiful business arrangement.

She is learning a lot about supply and demand....like when her supply is running low and people are demanding freezies.

Word spreads quickly....as soon as she steps out the front door the workers begin reaching in their wallets.

She has a product that they want at a reasonable price.

She sells them for 25 cents.

In three 30min-1hr shifts she has made enough to pay her debt to her Grandpa, buy more for future sales, give her tithes, and completely pay her $125 camp tuition.

"When life gives you potholes....make lots of money"

P.S. She is never alone ....I either walk, run, or drive along side of her.

Hope you enjoyed this run-on post!