Casper Climbing a Tree!

As many of you know Casper was near death two weeks ago w/congestive heart failure. With some herioc measures by Dr. Carr Kelsey, he responded to treatment and is now back to better than he has been in a long time. He takes us on daily walks on the Greenbelt and is often responsible for the exact path we take. For instance, today we wanted to go to the boardwalk to the Wolf river and he chose the wagon trail. He wins every argument these days.

With Apologies to Geoff Calkins,

When I was looking at my blog last night I realize it has been over three months since I last posted but the last post was still relevant and bears repeating.. only the dates and the restaurants have changed...yes, Camille has been to Memphis and Nashville for work, we have made and cancelled numerous doctors/dentist appointments. It was stormy as she waited at the airport to leave and we eventually "got over it" when she called safely in her apartment.  We didn't go to or Gus' but managed to get in a Holiday Ham, Jim's Place and family Mexican dinner.  We shopped, waited on her hand and foot (no pun, here) and can't wait til Thanksgiving where we will do it all over again.... The Egg Bowl will be the crowning occasion of the next visit and hopefully we can three peat that glorious event.  

Sad Face

Today my calendar reads "sad face" and that means Camille has left the city.  I met her in Nashville last Monday and after a couple of days in that enlightened city, we drove back to Memphis for a whirlwind of activities.  Not a minute was wasted while she was here---we shopped, we ate tacos, Gus's fried chicken, St. Clair, homemade hamburger and the grand finale at Erling Jensen's.  It's a good thing she doesn't have a desire for a bbq fix as there would have been no time to fit that in.  I drove like a maniac all over town to get her haircut, shots and no shoes.  This morning I got a call from her dentist cancelling a 9 am appt. and we all breathed a sigh of relief that we didn't have to try to fit that in before her 11 o'clock flight.   It was just as well because we ran into ungodly traffic delays on the way to the airport and if Dean hadn't been driving aggressively, I am not sure we would have made the flight.  I helped her get checked in at the airport while Dean and Casper sadly circled the airport waiting on me and I didn't even cry!  It was such a fun week and went by at lightning speed.  Speaking of lightning, she got out of town just in time to avoid the huge storms this afternoon as Casper and I made our almost daily trek to the closet---When we see Dave Brown, it is time to take cover! 

The Memphis Grizzlies' Grand and Greatest Season

The Memphis Grizzlies' Grand and Greatest Season

A Sweet Thought from my Trilingual Manicurist!

When I went in to get a mani/pedi at VT Nails (which has the best ones in town) I sat down in the chair and somehow she noticed in English that my phone battery was low so she asked if I needed to charge it while I was here--well, that put me in an immediate good frame of mind!  So then I noticed when she answered her phone she was talking in Spanish--unusual at a nail place--and started telling me about her sick baby--then she starts to talk in Vietnamese to the other manicurist!  So I asked her how many languages did she speak and I was floored to find out she was tri-lingual--I thought that might me a pretty good marketable skill so I asked her if she ever thought of going to work for the police dept or hospital who desperately need translators.  She said no and that she loves the nail business--she offered that she often went to the doctor, etc w/friends who needed a translator and they would offer to pay and she said she wouldn't take any money as it was her gift to have her child and unborn baby to be blessed.  I was simply struck by that conversation and love she had.  She went on to say that money comes and goes but gifts and blessings you will always have.  I feel the need to share that message from her.

The Tom Lee Statue — High and Dry

The Tom Lee Statue — High and Dry

Staying Alive: Griz Take Game 6 95-83

Staying Alive: Griz Take Game 6 95-83

The Spirit of Memphis

I love McCarty Pottery!

The Appetizer Table

Cinco de Mayo in Collierville

One of my favorite yearly celebrations is Cinco de Mayo and this year we celebrated the Battle of Puebla w/Jordan and Saunders and out good friend, Herbie. We had green chile enchiladas and homemade (not by me) tamales and guacamole from Las Deliciacias that Herbie told us about last Saturday at the Farmer's Market downtown. I found this wonderful pinata at a little antique store in Collierville near my old neighborhood. I went all the way to Fresh Market for the sunflowers and used great-looking napkins from Dollar Tree. Oooh, I forgot to mention Dean made a big pitcher of old family recipe margaritas. It was fun all that was missing was Camille!

Maroon-Colored Glasses

Were my "fictional" trademark--now thanks to my c'ville children, I have an authentic pair od maroon colored sunglasses to wear all over the world in my never ending quest to make the whole world "maroon"

Lion Fam at National Zoo

Lion Fam at National Zoo

Jack Cristal's Retirement Statement

Penguin Convention Arranged by Cvent

Sunset at the Bottom of the Earth

This is the same sunset the early explorers like Magellen and Sir Francis Drake would have seen when they rounded Cape Horn.

Mr. and Mrs. Marco Polo are Back!

For the past 25 days, we have been on the adventure of a lifetime!  We left Memphis in mid-January and flew to Santiago, Chile where we started a cruise to Antartica and ended our cruise in Buenos Aires.  We went around the Cape Horn across the Drake Passage and back up the coast of Argentina and Uraguay.  The main attraction to me was the three species penguins that only exist south of the Equator.  It was a fifth grade social studies teacher's dream come true to see all these places!  We saw glaciers, fiords, volcanoes, icebergs, and all sorts of penguins.  When the cruise ended, we hadn't had enough so --------we flew up to Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil to see the magnificent falls that are on the 1000 Places to See Before You Die List.

Iguazu Falls--

Between Brazil and Argentina, these falls are on the Thousand Places to See Before You Die list and I truly believe they should be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Sitting on a Egg to Hatch

Mama Sitting on Baby King Penguin Chick

My Favortie King Pengun Doing the Penguin Walk

Baby and Mama Penguin

This is just a teaser for more penguins than you can imagine.

Bully on ScoreBoard

By this score, you'd think the game was over but NOOOOO we had another quarter and 4 seconds of fun left.

Our Water Taxi to the Gator Bowl Stadium

Bulldogs on Board!

The Game of a Lifetime!

Streaming Online - ESPN3