A Leg(s) Up on Christmas

Well, we've gotten all the Christmas gifts bought and mailed, with a few exceptions. Cappy loves his Jeep, which I couldn't hide in the neighborhood, anyhow, til Christmas. We exchanged a couple of presents, since he's going to be out on the boat. He gave me a video camera...a good one, so's I can finally, start the little 'free-lance' business, which I have dreamed about for more than 15 years. He also bought a good tripod for it, but says it still needs a few more whistles and buzzers...(wha-hoo!!) which we plan on aquiring after the holidays. Besides the Jeep, I gave him the meat grinder/sausage stuffer his little heart has longed for, for several years. He likes to tinker with recipes and come up with his own variety of anything he cooks, which is always, as he likes to say, "slap yo mama GOOD", and when he gets it just right, to his liking, we commit it to the 'most favored' recipe file.
If the man didn't love being out in the back bayous, piloting up and down the Mississippi River, or 'stirrin' up mud' along the waterways, in general, he could open his own diner,or at least a 'hole in the wall', as he calls it. 'Down the road' about 15 miles, there is a small 'shack' where folks walk up to the window to order the daily special, like oven-fried chicken and dirty rice...plus the usual stuff, such as burgers, fries, or ice cream desserts, like cones, shakes or sundaes; all pretty much homemade and 'Cajunized'...YUMMEE! I don't know why Cappy couldn't do that somewhere around our neighborhood. He could. But for now, he 'guinea pigs' his lucky crew, with his out-of-this-world concoctions. We didn't get chubby like this, just dreamin' 'bout cooking.
So, to get back to my point, we are pretty well set for Christmas. I'm hoping and praying that I can be able to meet up with his boat Christmas Day, so I won't have to spend it by myself, again, wiff just dese dawgs. In case I can't, I packed his seabag full of presents for him, and am making gifts for his crew, which I need to get finished and taken out to them in the next couple of weeks.
Soooo...Santa came early to our house, gave me a smooch, patted da dawgs and as usual, admonished them to "take care of Momma, while I'm gone", then, whoosh, he was gawn.
Now...down here in South Louisiana, there is a group headed up by a guy named Benny "Grunch" Antin, who has a CD album we love playing, called "The 12 Yats of Christmas". Some of the songs listed are: "I Got a Used Kazoo for Christmas", "Santa Put the Hurt on You","If I Won Da Lott'ry For Christmas", and "I Could See the Aluminum Tree Through the Pitcha Winda". Cappy said, "You laugh...we used to have an aluminum Christmas tree, with the colored light spinner wheel, in our picture window for all the world to see. We thought it was the height of fashion at the time, and were very proud of it". That was way back when he was a young boy, before his family began using green trees, which were then adorned with all kinds of glorious decorations, many of which his mother hand made.
Since this year he's going to be away, and no family will be visiting, plus, I stumbled upon this 4 1/2 ft. aluminum beauty at Hobby Lobby, on impulse, I got it for "him". His eyes actually welled up with tears that I would do something like that for him. Aww. I figger this way, I won't have to haul the big heavy tree, with boxes and boxes of decorations, from the attic...and for what? Just me and the dogs? And, I kinda love this little aluminum tree that's sitting in our window. I can't find the color wheel to go with it (there are plenty online...but, naw...he's already out on the boat), but he bought some small, shiny colored glass balls for it, so I think it looks downright beautiful, and told him so. He thought I was lying, but I'm not.

Sooo..."Santa" is back out on da boat, but look what he left; gifts under our trashy aluminum Christmas tree; and stocking 'chock a block' full of goodies. He even got me a brown (his fav color) coffee cup with snowmen merrily dancing around the outside, so I could enjoy it everyday during the Holiday season. As a matter of fact, I am...two days in a row, so far. "Who Dat" say dey aint no Santa Claus?

Houn' Dawg Blues

My on-line friends always ask me "Cappy, why dont ya play ya harmonica like ya used ta"? Well here's the answer.

Sparky Closes Da Door

Well, I guess ya can tell Peg got a new digital movie camera. I was on the phone with a friend of ours, who said she didn't believe me when I said Sparky closed the door for me. Usually when I come in with an armload of groceries or something, I tell Sparky (who is usually right at my feet) "Close the Door, Sparky!" and he does. So, I thought I'd film it to show her I only lie or exaggerate 'bout fish stories, not doggy ones. It proved to be quite a task, requiring several 'takes', though. I guess Sparky was used to following me in and not havin' me shout at him, from the hall, to close the door. He came through for me, though. So Trishy, now ya believe me????:P

I've Got an "X" to Grind

Since it's the Holiday Season, and more importantly for Christians, the Christmas Season, I don't mean to be gripey, especially now, in what is supposed to be one of the most Joyous times of the year, but...I'm draggggging out the old soapbox already. (tsk tsk tsk, Pegody)

This is not a lecture for You...bear with me; it's an idea. Although the shopping madness and mayhem has begun, which has not much to do with Him, but at least in the past, has been called the Christmas Season. (I'm guilty, too, of over-shopping, if it be guilt that's wanted.) It just seems that lately, so much has been done to take Him out of His own Birthday Celebration time of year. Even tho some may dispute that Jesus wasn't born this time of year, to me it dosn't matter. Just the fact that we celebrate it anytime at all is what counts.

What has always puzzled me, tho, has been this business of replacing the name of our Lord with the letter "X". I've even heard sermons saying we shouldnt' be alarmed, because the "X" stands for the Cross. Somehow it still never sat right with me. If it represents the Cross, then why is it sitting on it's side? It just seems so disrespectful to mistreat the name of the Lord that way. I dunno, maybe it's just me, but this year, I think I'm going to ask...whomever...if instead of an "X", if they feel the word is too long for their signs or patience in length of time to write the word, "Christ", please replace the letter "X" with a "t". Just turn the "X" upright, trim off a couple of the sides a little, and voila: I think I could live with this.

( Parisian Font)

My Heroes

To me, it's the little everyday miracles that mean so much. While Cappy was away, and I was way too busy to mess with it, the drip in the bathtub had gotten much, much worse, to the point that I knew $ was literally running down the drain at a pretty fast clip. I "Googled" info about how I might tackle the problem, but was afraid I'd turn a minor problem into a major catastrophe with no immediate rememdy at hand, and so, let it be. Yesterday Cappy and his 'helper' got it all fixed just like new, with not a drip or drizzle in sight. Ahhhh, what a relief!
Today my boys are sitting in the 'captain's chair' together, of course, watching the Saints play against the Carolina Panthers, while I have a pot of chicken gumbo almost ready to serve. Now all we need is another miracle for the Saints. A big bowl of gumbo and a Saints win would be a nice reward for dese two hero buddies.

Now Dat Was a Thanksgivin'

As Yall know we celebrated our Thanksgivin' Saturday. Today, (da real Thanksgivin') we decided to kinda 'chill'. At the last minute, tonight, 'fore we realized it, the pit was lit, the blues were blaring out on the patio, we had our tacky party lights on, and we were dancin' in the yard 'round a camp fire. Sounds silly, I know, but Peg and I are kinda spontaneous dat way. At da drop of a hat we threw a feast together and had BALL celebrating Thanksgivin' again. Peg had never had black iron pot smokey bbq beans before, so we stuck our ole fry pan full of beans and set 'em on the pit to simmer and drink up some smoke from a pecan log we had put on da coals. We had corn on the cob and some seasoned pork chunks to acompany said beanage and it was a meal fit for a king. Since there was no kings aroung,Peg and I (and da dawgs) ate it, washin' it down with assorted beverages . Sure hope you folks had as much fun as we did , but I doubt it. So now we are all worn out, full of supper and we're goin' to bed. C'mon Boys.

Do I Love Her, or What?

Thanksgiving Day and there I sit, hunkered down in my recliner, contentedly sipping coffee, watching the dog show, while the Packers duke it out with Detroit on the other channel. "P.W'd" (Peggy wooped) you say?? RIGHT YOU ARE.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING,
CAPPY

We Give Thanks to GOD for the Bounty He Has Given Us.

The people and poochies in Cappy and Pegody's World would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours the happiest and safest of Thanksgivings. We have truly been blest this year, and hope you have, as well. Please pause for a moment and give thanks to God , who made all this possible. Remember, as you celebrate over your turkey and trimmin's that these, like all things come from the Bounty of Christ.
(In one of the last blog postings, I mispoke and said that Cappy would be going back out on the boat today. We actually have a whole other week to spend together!!!)

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving last Saturday, complete with fried turkys, as seen above, and all it's accompinaments and side dishes. Friends came bearing goodies. We had a house full of family and we all had a wonderful time. In true South Louisiana fashion, the meal was served outdoors in warm sunshiny weather, with music blasting from outside speakers. We truly "passed a good time".

Something SPHINX in Here

Now that Cappy's den is empty of grandchildren, he has once again ensconsed himself in his 'captain's chair' (immediate foreground), for a well-deserved rest and is watching his favorite subjects on the History Channel. He is an history buff, and one of the things he loves learning about is Ancient Egypt, and more particularly, pyramids, newly discovered tombs, and mummies. Although our tastes vary widely, I think that, since he's away on his towboat for weeks at a time, with hardly any tv time, that when he's home, he should have full control of the 'clicker' and watch whatever he likes. He also loves to have something cooking on the stove while watching his programs. I was being a lovingly dutiful wife; I swear, trying to muster enthusiasm, watching the tombs being pawed over and excavated. Occasionally, I ran and stirred the thin strips of onion which were caramelizing nicely in the black iron pot, making a wonderful, dark, rich onion gravy (etouffee). I cooked some rice for the ettouffee, then made a salad. We decided to eat on tv trays, while continuing to watch. Finally, I gave him a bowl of the rice and dark brown gravy, which, by then had chunks of stew meat clustered around in it...Yummy! I took a forkful of the stringy mahogany onions and was about to put it into my mouth, but just as the fork passed in front of the television, there on the screen was the same colored close-up shot of a mummy, looking, for all the world, as though the scientist was picking up pieces of my ettouffee from off that mummy with a pair of long tweezers. The dark stuff dangling from those tweezers looked identical to the dark stuff dangling off the end of my fork. I looked at the stringy mummy...I looked at my plate of stringy onions, and swallowed a gag which had clenched in my throat. Cappy was having no problems at all, and said, "This is really good". I didn't say anything, but as discreetly as possible, I sidled out of the den and brought my dish into the computer room, while I puttered around checking my email, reading the online newspapers...stalling; waiting awhile til I thought I might be able to swallow anything ever again.

Cappy is such a sweetie and I'd never want to deprive him of something he really loves, so I watch with him as much as I can, don't when I can't...but never make etouffee while the Discovery or History Channels are on. (Giggling)...He's out there calling, "Hey, Baby! I think you'd really enjoy this!!" That's how I got the picture above...Uh Huh.

They're Gone Already??

It just doesn't seem possible that a week has passed, and they are on the plane now, tonight, winging their way back to Rochester,NY. We took this pic just as they were about to get into the SUV and head on out to the airport. This is the group left to right: Jennifer (our son Dan's wife) their gorgeous baby...my 'cher bebe' grandson Chase Steven, Dan, Melinda(Jennifer's daughter), Robert, whom I am clutching so he won't get away, who is Dan's 15 yr. old son and Manny aka "Hub", (Jennifer's son) who is a complete hoot. It was so hot out we opted to stand in the shade of our banana palms to take the picture.

SparkyBear and MarkyBear are depressed at the loss of the kids, because they spent the week playing with the boys.

Cappy and I are whooped, because it was all just so wonderful and now we are planning his remaining week home and how to spend it. Stuff needs to be taken care of in the house, stuff needs attending outside the house, and I'm sure out in the bayous, the fish are jumpin'. We need to put that boat in the water!

As we recover our senses, one or both of us will be posting pictures of our early

Thanksgiving and the people who came over. We are downtalking those who didn't. (not really) Cappy has to go back out on the boat (the real) Thanksgiving morning...but it won't seem like it to us, because as far as we are concerned, we've already had thanksgiving, and have the turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce leftovers to prove it.

When our family left this afternoon, it was almost 80 degrees. When they arrive tonight, it's a good thing they have their winter garb with them, because it appears that there is snow in the air up thataway. I think we sent enough Love with them to keep them warm, tho.

P.S. They called when they got home to let us know they safely arrived and that Manny was in the process of making a snowball.