This Notice Is To Inform You That All Fun Has Been Canceled for the Month of February

Dear Imaginary Friend,

Well, I am in a a snit. My fun trip to Egypt has just been canceled for once and for all. Can't a girl have any fun riding camels anymore? I would like to hereby cancel the entire month of February. Let's just get it over with!

Our cruise thru Egypt was officially canceled today by the tour operator. Apparently, there is a minor disturbance of revolutionaries, who are very, very cranky. 

Remember the ad when a bunch of young people sang, "I'd Like to Give, The World, a Coke?" Well, now would probably be a great time to ship some refreshing Coke to Cairo, so they can all just settle down, now. Take a break.

We are going to take our trip credit with Uniworld River Tours, and use it for a trip through "Fluffenflaffer, Germany" late this summer.
Next step, we are going to try to get Vayama - our air discounter- to give us credit toward a round trip flight to "Fliffenfluffer".
I have learned some things: If you book foreign travel directly thru a provider, and that provider is not Air France, you will fare better during emergencies, than with a multi carrier situation, like ours. On the other hand, if it is Air France, you are screwed.

SO the right thing to do always varies, depending. That is so you can never guess what to do!
And who knew that travel insurance would be so shifty as to say this civil unrest is not covered. They totally stink.
We are grateful that we are not standing around the Cairo Airport. It could be worse. And I hear there are NO smoothies! (I know!)

I think we will take a nice safe trip in February to someplace extremely boring and safe. Say, the Walmart on the outskirts of Lexington, KY. Unless of course, we just cancel February. Talk about a Leap Year!
And I hear that Dussenflapper is lovely in August.

Love,
Patsie

Hey, Babe! What's For Dinner?

                                                                          Feed Me!

Looking Good, In The Neighborhood

 

 Parker is looking fashionable, and ready for the gym, showing off his first push up.

Parker Lyon Is Turning Blond. 

Do blonds have more fun?

Oh, Misery!

What is the definition of misery? How about no electricity, in 32 degree weather, a freezing cold house, wet socks, dead cell phone battery, trying to recover from the flu? Yeah, that works!
I hope that wherever you are, you are nice and cozy, healthy and happy!
Love,
Your imaginary, not so happy, friend,
Patsie

My Continuing Obsession with Spanish Moss

Maybe it reminds me of my hair?

Me and My Furry Friend, one of thousands of Live Oak Trees in City Park
New Orleans, Louisiana

More Brad Houses

Happy Colors! This Brad Pitt house has a ski chalet thing going on. All of the houses he paid to build are eco-friendly and low carbon footprint.
Cheers,
Brad's Imaginary Friend,
Patsie

The Designs Were All by Architects

Lower Ninth Ward Gets A New Lease on Life

Love,
Patsie

Jean Lafitte National Park in Barataria, Louisiana: Eat Or Be Eaten



The Swamp

 Hey, Y'all! Ready for Chapter Four of my Louisiana Saga?

Have you ever heard of the famous pirate Jean Lafitte? Well, not only does he have a bar named after him in the French Quarter in New Orleans named Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, but also even the gators were apparently respectful of him. He was one tough dude.  The gators were quite fond of him, as he was the ultimate anti-hero, if one is a vicious gator.  The gators put in together to make a swamp park in his honor, at least that is what one gator was whispering. And you never argue with a gator!
This scene above is of Jean Lafitte's National Park down in Barataria, slightly south of New Orleans. It is one gator-filled swamp. This bench scene above, is considered a perk for the gators, so that the tourists are easy to snag. The bench is like a platter, if you think about it from a gator's point of view!
On the plus side, there are egrets and white and blue herons fluttering about, as well as the less enticing critters lurking, like the sneaky snakes. Yes, cher, this is Cajun country, where bayous move sluggishly or not at all. The water is black with sediment and decaying plants.
What truly worries me about Cajuns is the squirrel stew that they occasionally partake of. Eating gators would be much smarter. Has a squirrel ever tried to eat you? I think not!
Love,
Your Imaginary Friend,
Cajun Patsie

Down In the Big Easy, Chapter Three

Hey, Y'all Imaginary Friends,


Lagoon in City Park's Sculpture Garden



When you travel down South to taste-test all the restaurants I have so highly recommended, I hope that you will also partake of a great freebie: The Sidney Besthoff Sculpture Garden in City Park. Do you love Spanish Moss as much as I do? Then you will have supreme satisfaction . City Park in New Orleans is positively furry with the stuff! There is also a choo choo train that goes in a fun circuit. But I digress. I want to show you some of the highly sophisticated artwork that you will see when you ease yourself off the choo choo.
What could be more scenic that a combo of sculptures by Henry Moore, Rodin, Robert Indiana, and lagoons with ducks, plus Spanish Moss? A heady Southern gumbo of sights. If you are like me, you will also enjoy the not-free-but-worth-it Delgado Museum of Art, which has paintings by Degas and Sargent, among a zillion others.
What's not to love about New Orleans?
Your Imaginary Friend,
Miz Patsie

Brad, Take Two: the Before

The Foundations of  a Lower Ninth Ward House: what Katrina Left Behind, pre Brad

How sad....to come home to this.
Love,
Patsie

New Orleans, Chapter Two: Me and Brad Pitt

Dear Imaginary Friends,
Once upon a time, in 2005, there was a terrible hurricane that ravaged New Orleans, as well as Mississippi. The infamous Katrina wreaked destruction through a wide swath of the Gulf South...
The largest area of devastation in New Orleans lay in the Lower Ninth Ward, where houses were thrown helter skelter by the waters that burst through a levee.
The good news is, this area is back! Thanks to everybody's favorite dude, Brad Pitt, there are new affordable, unfloodable homes, built stylishly.
How could anyone that glam be that nice? Not only that, but he and Angelina and their cute brood own a home in New Orleans' French Quarter, which is so totally happening and hip.
My next posts will include more of his affordable housing. Plus one ghost of a former house, so that you can see the before as well as the after.
Thanks, Brad! Angelina is a lucky lady.
Love,
Brad's fan,
Patsie

Louisiana Swamp, Cher!

Watch out for dem gators, now. I think I saw one with a Tulane T shirt on, and one with an LSU Hat.

Your Homegirl,

Cajun Patsie

"New Or-leans Ladies, They Sashay By,.."

Dear Imaginary Friends,

Writing to you from New Orleans, I ponder the song that a trio of harmonizing men were singing to all the tourists at Galatoire's which sits on Bourbon Street:

New Orleans Ladies,

From Bourbon Street to Esplanade

They sashay by..

Sashay by.

Their voices swelled a capella as the singers circled around the restaurant, singing for tips. I happily munched on my PETIT GOUTE', a melange of Crab Maison and Shrimp Remoulade. A lady emboldened by alcohol, liquid courage, came up to me and asked, what is that you are eating? I replied Petite Goute'. (French for small taste) She wanted to know if it were spicy. I think she wanted me to feed her a shrimp. Later, I got up and offered her an eggplant souffle stick, and she accepted. Such is the friendliness in New Orleans.

SO much to do, and so much to eat! My fave: Commander's Palace, with its exquisite turtle soup and 25 cent Cosmos on weekdays at lunch. What a deal, cher! Plus the location is in the exquisite Garden District. Also on my agenda is the Tain of lump crab meat. Tain = tower, as in molded in a tall circle.

There is a restaurant in New Orleans called Tony Angello's on Fleur de Lis Avenue. You sit down and say, "Feed me, Tony." And then come 11 to 13 courses of Italian food, until you cry uncle and say, "Tony, I'm a gonna burst."

Last night, my intrepid husband, brave sister Susan and stalwart
brother in law Ruddy braved the crazy 26 mile long bridge known as the Causeway, to dine at the lovely La Provence, home of John Besh, a chef on the Food Network. IT rocked! The ambiance and service are quite perfect. Try their drink, the Sazerac.

Yesterday for lunch, we swallowed delish Po boys made of the flakiest french bread at New Orleans Po Boys on Magazine St. Magazine Street has great boutiques and cafes, antiques and art galleries, and everything a person might want to buy, eat or drink.

Ya gotta eat the pizza at Reginelli's. Oh my! I recommend the Parthenon, which is decked with artichokes and other veggies.

And ya gotta eat the doberge cakes and king cakes at Haydel's Bakery on Jefferson Highway. I wish the snowball stands were open in the winter, but cher, they just aren't. Otherwise, I would eat way too many chocolate snowballs at Casey's on West Esplanade in Metairie.

The other day, before shopping for gourmet treats at Martin's Wine Cellar, we ate lunch in their cafe'. I scarfed down some shrimp and mirliton soup, as well as Redfish Courtboullion. Mmm. They have an excellent wine selection. And so does Dorignac's, a large local grocery store on Veterans Hwy, with many New Orleans foods, and so much more.

After Martin's Wine Cellar, Carlo and I headed to the very old dessert palace of a Sicilian nature: Brocatos on Carrollton Avenue. Yumtastic spumoni, cassata, cannolis, gelato and Italian cookies await you there. Try to resist buying multiple desserts! Weight Watchers, stay away!

 Tonight is Cafe Degas sited on beautiful Esplanade Avenue, just like the song says. Esplanade is studded with huge antique homes, built in the true New Orleans style. It borders the back of the French Quarter. Cafe Degas' food is exquisite.

Wish you were here! If you were, we could go together to Gautreau's, which is in Uptown, and guess what. There is no sign outside, no name, no nothing. (I know!!) Is this Skull and Bones, or what!

It is mysterious. I felt like a character in a film noir movie, sneaking into a private club or speakeasy  with unmarked door, and ordering a mint julep, a salad and a crab appetizer. Talk about discreet.

New Orleans has been very kind to my palate, and less kind to my waistline. Then again, I have fulfilled one of my New Year's resolutions; to eat well in New Orleans, which is better than eating anywhere else.

Laissez les bon temps roulez! (let the good times roll)

Love,

Your friend,
Cajun Patsie ;)

Wow, I Did It!!!!

Dear Imaginary friends,

The Blogosphere and I have made friends, in fact 1015 of them. I am not really sure if I can have all 1015 of you over for dinner tonight, but maybe in shifts?? If anybody is gluten free, I am sorry, but you are in trouble.

This is the one and only blog that I have ever written, and I am as shocked as anyone that I am read in the following countries:

Pageviews by Countries

United States 786

Japan 40

Spain 20

India 18

Turkey 18

South Korea 17

Poland 16

Canada 15

United Kingdom 15

Norway 15

Those are my top readers. To all of you out there, I tip my proverbial imaginary hat! I am doing my part to fight illiteracy. At least, that is what I am telling myself!

The Music Room, Oil, Not For Sale

See you tonight for Spaghetti and meatballs! 

Your Imaginary Next Door Neighbor,

Patsie

Ask Carolyn Snacks

Dear Carolyn,

How is it that you feel qualified to answer everyone's questions about relationships? Who died and made you God?

Dear Dubious in Detroit,

Actually, I have a mystical snail, and I read his slug lines to get the answers. Also, did you know that I invented gravy?

Dear Carolyn,

My pet gorilla is overweight. Should I take away his bananas?

Dear Wildlife Safari,

Only if you have good health insurance.

Have you ever wanted to write an advice column and be published? I have! When I was a little girl, I really envied Ann Landers. I thought -- what a great job, bossing people around all the time! And look what technology has wrought: Blogger, where everyone can dispense whatever nonsensical advice they want.

Awesome!

Your Imaginary Advice Columnist,

Patsie

Happy New Year, Dawlin! It's one - one - one one!

Dear Imaginary Friends, New Millennium, scary 1-1-11 Number Date,

One of my New Years' resolutions is to lose weight. The other one is to eat a lot of food in New Orleans, several times this year. At odds, you might say, but yet therein lies the challenge.

Now showing at Barkely Square on Mt. Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA

If you are bored, go to New Orleans and eat some fine food. See some fine architecture. Listen to the sounds of the city that is more European than any other in the United States. And I'll see you there!

Today is numerologically very significant. But sadly, I do not know what it is significant of, other than people who are on binary systems, or maybe mathematically challenged.. SO let's just make stuff up!

Today being one one one one is a great day to start something new. Here are some ideas: start that career in taxidermy. Go on a nature quest and live in a beaver dam for three months. With the beavers. Challenge yourself to taste test every flavor of ice cream ever made. Listen to Justin Bieber until you go insane, and run off and  join an ashram. Visit the Sudan just for funsies. I hope this helps. You can never be too creative, so go for it!

Your Imaginary Friend,

Patsie