Category: Family

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Mardi Gras, it’s all about the beads!

The time between Epiphany (January 6th) and Ash Wednesday is a special time in Southeast Texas and Louisiana, Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras technically means Fat Tuesday, celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday. It is a day of revelry before the solemnity of the Lenten season. Around the world, it is celebrated as Carnival, Caranaval, Carnevale, Karneval, and other names.

Mardi Gras is traditionally known for its king cakes, balls, street parties, fairs, concerts, costumes, and parades. The colors associated with Mardi Gras are purple representing justice, green denoting faith, and gold which symbolizes power.

Our family has been attending Mardi Gras festivities for many years (since we moved to Southeast Texas). I enjoy going with family; however, they are not always able to come to town for the festivities. It is especially fun with our grandchildren. We have a “contest” to see who can catch the most beads, the prettiest beads, the largest beads, the most unusual bead, and the most unusual throwable. Last year, I got a roll of Mardi Gras toilet paper :).

This year we are planning on traveling to Eunice for their festivities. They are having an adult mask making class, and a gumbo cooking demonstration I would love to attend on Monday. Tuesday is a day of music and dancing before their traditional horse and trailer parade.

What you may ask, do you do with all the beads? For the longest time, I kept them in bags, boxes, and crates, just collecting dust. Now I am using some of them to create mixed media art. Since retirement, I started a small craft business. I am having fun with this project; you can check out my work at Sea you at the Beach on Facebook.

Laissez les bon temps rouler.

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Tube Time

When the hot Texas sun is beating down, unrelentingly, day after day, it is time to get in the water. Unfortunately the water at the beach feels like a warm bath exacerbated by sand, which gets everywhere, if you know what I mean. If you are not into swimming in warm sandy water look inland at the variety of rivers available for tubing.

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Planting Seeds

The season I like the most is spring. It is a time of renewal of refreshment. The old has died and the new is springing forth. The beginning of spring means time to begin working on my garden.

Years ago we bought the lot behind our house, mainly to keep anyone from building on that property. We cleared the land and staked out what would become my garden. Early in the spring we begin tilling the garden, I like it tilled at least twice before I begin planting. My husband usually does the tilling using our big tiller, I for some reason seem to always be fighting the tiller.

Then it is time to lay out the rows and begin the planting. I have plenty of room (the garden is 65 feet by 55 feet), but I always seem to struggle with what to plant. There are a few things I always plant: green beans, purple hull peas, black crowder peas, okra, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Then I fill in with things I don’t always plant. This year I have planted turnips, mustard greens and collard greens. In the past I have planted kale, kohlrabi, and corn.

Now that the garden is planted, the only thing to do is periodically till between the rows to keep the weeds and grass down. Due to the Corona virus this year I have been working from home this spring. I decided I would till the garden while my husband was at work. I chose not to use the motorized tiller but instead used a big wheel tiller. By the time I was done tilling between the planted rows I swore I had done a weeks worth of exercise. It was not too hard to push the tiller, it was just hot and that it a lot of garden.

A garden can be a lot of work, but there is a sense of satisfaction in getting out and working with your hands. I love having my grandchildren work in the garden with me and instilling in them the love of growing things. Luckily my granddaughters live close enough that they have been able to work with us in all phases of tending the garden.

The work is so worth it when you are sitting down to a meal of fresh vegetables that you grew. If you have never tried your hand at gardening I invite you to give it a try.

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Our Annual Big Adventure

Once a year my granddaughters and I go on a big adventure (at least that is what they call it). We head to Corpus Christi to visit my father in the summer. Not to go to the beach or do the touristy things you might think. No, we go to Corpus to take over my father’s kitchen for a day to make jelly.

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