Girls

 M.-dressed for the 40's themed teen dance.

 Waiting for their piano recital performance slots with Daddy.

Both earned superior ratings.

New Orleans City Tour

I took a city tour with my friend Judy (from Ohio.) We stopped several places and saw lots of New Orleans sights, but the above ground cemeteries were probably the most interesting.

Each family owns a plot and builds a tomb-traditionally they were brick with plaster covering. Inside are three coffin sized shelves to hold three bodies. On the front is a stone plaque on which is carved the names of the interred. The top slot is used first, the front is bricked up and then the engraved plaque is screwed onto the front. This process is repeated as needed until the 3 slots are filled. By the time a fourth spot is needed, the first spot's remains are ready to be collected into a smaller container and tucked into an empty corner of the tomb, thus freeing space for the next body.

These single spots placed around the fence are rented to families who do not have an empty spot in their tomb when needed. After a rental period of a year and a day, the remains are collected and placed into the family tomb.

There can be many generations in a single spot. 

Another stop we made was at the sculpture garden in City Park. City Park has 1300 acres donated by one family.

My friend Judy and I.

New Orleans

Husband and I spent a week in New Orleans while he went to soybean meetings and we attended the annual Commodity Classic. There were approximately 10,000 corn, bean, sorghum and wheat farmers there to see new technologies and learn the latest farming innovations.

I tried the beignets the first day. I had tea instead of the taditional chicory coffee, although I did try the coffee another night at a reception we attended.

 We stayed right on the river and enjoyed watching the boats go by. 

I enjoyed the French Quarter's age and architecture. The culture and style is very European. None of the French Quarter was flooded during Hurricane Katrina. It is the oldest part of town and is located at the highest area bordering the river.

Jackson Square faces the river and has the St Louis Cathedral in the center with old government buildings on each side of it.

 One of the government buildings is the Cabildo, where the Louisiana Purchase was signed.

 The St. Louis Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in North America.

Super Bowl

On a stormy evening in February we enjoyed our annual Super Bowl visit at our G. friends house. Great food. Great people. Great fun.

Palm Springs

In February, Husband had a meeting in Palm Springs. It was at a wonderful hotel on Frank Sinatra Drive. How cool is that?

The weather was in the 80's. He made it to the pool a couple of times over the four days. I made it to the pool more.

A desert tour was part of the meeting schedule.

The dirt is pushed up at angle by the Earth's plates. When it rains, the dirt forms a sedimentary cement.

Large rocks fall out of the sides, forming holes. Flash floods run down valleys and carve them deeper.

We saw an oasis used by the native people and toured a reproduction settlement a mile away from the oasis. The native people would not settle right at an oasis because they believed in sharing it with the animals.

At the settlement, they had three catch basins, each used for a different purpose.

The grinding stone where the women ground meal. It was placed on a hill so they could have a good view of the area while they worked.

 We tried out the sweat lodge.

The Palm Springs airport is open air, so the birds come in and wander around and get drinks from the drinking fountains.