Immovable Feast

And more soups...

2011-11-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

When you read the following reviews, you'll see I seem to have entered a honeymoon phase with the Pacific brand, just like I did with Amy's in the past. In a short time I may find other brands to be enamored with, just as I might find at least a Pacific soup I don't like, but it's been a tasty ride so far. I am not trying to especially advertise Pacific here; they were just all good. And the flavors were so original, I couldn't resist trying a bunch of them. I also want you soup fiends to know that I am in full support of wonderful homemade soups over canned soups, but when life throws you a 50 hour work week, cross-country moving, needy cats and other difficulties, might as well make lemonade out of canned soups, if you see what I mean. When I have a stable home again perhaps I will begin with the making of actual soups. Maybe I will recreate some of my favorite flavors of canned soups as homemade soups. Life imitating art. Or something. Life imitating large food companies.

Pacific CashewCarrot Ginger

Pleasantly thick, creamy. Spicy—that ginger really packs apunch. If you like carrots and ginger, this is for you. The actual soup seemsto be made mostly of carrots and there are also additional carrot pieces—mushybut very tasty, definitely carrots. I think I could just barely make out thecashew, but I wasn’t really expecting to be able to. Flavorful onion piecescomplete it. B+ and if mushed-up vegetable soups are your favorite, it could deserve a higher grade. I think they're not my favorite, but I like them. This soup was like having dinner with Peter Rabbit in the South Pacific.

Pacific ChipotleSweet Potato

The broth was thick, spicy, creamy. It was very chipotle andI think it was made mostly of sweet potato puree. The soup included small pieceof tomatoes, which were tasty, and small pieces of white potatoes, which werepleasantly textured—not too mushy at all. It was pretty sinus-cleansing spicyand also very autumn-y -- like crunching on the leaves as you walk home thinking about how to talk to the new boy or girl in school and what you're going to wear for Halloween, but also, in your somewhat crowded mind, you're saying the word "Chihuahua. Chihuahua" over and over again and wondering if it's a real place. I think my favorite of all the pureed-vegetable-style soups sofar. A

Pacific Poblano Pepper and Corn
Well, this was a true delight. Very unique and also good—sometimesit’s either one or the other, but this did both well. Pleasantly firm potatoes, spicy flavorful broth,not overly salty, tastes like peppers, cumin, cilantro. Buoyant, sweet corn,tasty pieces of Poblano pepper, tomatoes, spinach. Again, fall in Mexico-- Like having an entertaining conversation with your comforting mamacita after work wherein you talk about what you might wear on the Day of the Dead. A+

Pot Pies

2011-11-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

We're venturing out of the realm of soup. We're going after frozen foods. A quick mid-semester move with cats and being behind in work because of a mid-semester move with cats will bring on the holing-up behavior that emphasizes a greater commitment to and a more satisfying relationship with instant foods. So, here goes:

Amy's Non-Dairy Vegetable Pot Pie

I love pot pies. But, oops-- I bought something “No Dairy.” I am a cheese and creamaddict, so color me suspicious, but curious. In reading about this Vegetable Pot Pie, Idiscovered that it’s the crust that needed to be de-dairyed, so this might be okay. When it’s finished its hour inthe oven I prick the crust to find nicely flavored and textured potatoes, tastycarrots, pleasant tofu and the occasional pea. The crust is pretty good and so is the sauce-- salty but every pot pie has salty sauce and it appropriately seasons the potatoes; I don’treally miss the dairy. This was enjoyable.

More Soups!

2011-10-12T11:35:00.001-07:00

It's finally that time of year again, when it may drop below 80 degrees in Baton Rouge. So it's soup time! I'm just going to start off by putting new reviews here; maybe I'll categorize them eventually and join them with the others to aid soup investigators.

I started the season with an autumn-y Lentil Vegetable from one of our top performers so far: Amy's.

Amy's Lentil Vegetable
It's very sweet, kind of cinammon-y. It has potatoes, carrots, lentils, spinach, and maybe 3 pieces of green bean per can. It was good, but not my favorite Amy's soup so far, I think because of the sweetness and because it's not very many vegetables to be called Lentil Vegetable. The lentils are very good, but not amazing, and no other vegetable really stands out here, except the potatoes, which were authentically potatoes enough to have a little skin on some of them, and not overly mushy. I had an inspiration for adding to the soup-- plain yogurt on top. Very good this way; it combats the sweetness and makes the soup taste richer. I had some leftover the next day--it was good cold. Overall, this one gets a B+. Kind of like having a "sensible" meal with your fifth grade teacher, but I liked my fifth grade teacher, so.

Dr. Macdougal’s Country Vegetable Low Sodium
While this broth was tasty, it was not memorable, and neither were the vegetables. All very standard-soup smushy. The type of soup that is not really supposed to be a meal but given to you because there's no time and your family has to get to the airport in an hour. Potatoes, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, onions, green beans, peas. There are both better and worse vegetable soups. B-

Amy's French Country Vegetable

Pinto beans, barley (wonderful barley), zucchini, tomatoes,onions, mushrooms, red pepper. The broth tastes buttery (in a good way) andthere’s a hint of tomato, just a hint. A- —the only reason it doesn’t get an A+is because I might have preferred fewer beans, but maybe this is whatdistinguishes it from other vegetable soups and makes it “French Country Vegetable.” Like strolling through the town square searching for a good Bourdeaux or a nice scarf for Maman.

Go here to see a review of another, very good vegetable soup.

Muir Glen Homestyle Split Pea

The only split pea soup I’ve ever seen with piece of celeryin it. They were mushy, but it was interesting that they were even there andmade me feel like the soup was “real” “food.” (“”). Pleasantand mild flavor, a little sweet—less chunky/fatty tasting than the split pea soups I grew upwith, which is good if you’re wanting to feel healthy, and bad if you reallyjust want that ole lumpy greasy split pea. (This one is vegan so of coursethere was no bacon.) I remembered thatsome of those old styles actually had whole peas in them though, which I liked.The fact that this was all pretty pureed wasn’t offensive, I think I just liketo bite into things when I eat soup. But if someone was really sick in anI-just-need-soup way, having the whole thing be smooth might be nice. Kinda watery, I suppose, but pretty good. Like someone has put you in bed and told you sternly, "Now eat your soup!" and you say, "Yes ma'am. I do like it okay." B

Health Valley Organic Minestrone, No Salt Added

Well. It needed salt; we'll just say that. The tomatoes were impressively tomatoes. I mean, I think I even saw a seed, and they had the consistency of tomatoes. But there were only 2-3 there. Two different types of beans-- red and pinto. The red ones had great consistency. Pasta shells, celery, carrots, green beans. None of the vegetables except the red beans, if those count, had any discernible texture-- all mush. The broth was okay, faintly tomato but nothing to write home about except to suggest that the people at home not buy another can of this soup. There's much better broth out there and better vegetables. B-
Go here to read about some better minestrone.

Pacific Chicken Spinach Penne

Nicely flavored, spicy broth, sort of tomato-y with some hint of cinnamon or cloves. The chicken was good. The carrots and penne were mushy but the broth but it all came together anyway and I was okay with it. It was tasty. I would get it again as an alternative to regular chicken noodle. A soup that is served because mom is trying to be "interesting" but also efficient on this evening because you have to get to your sister's performance at the Little Theater. B+

Amy's Rustic Italian Vegetable

The only soup I’ve ever seen with kale—and I could actually tell it was kale, saw the ruffles in theleaves. Amazing! Broth has a buttery,tomato-y flavor. It had chick peas which were good but a little undercookedperhaps, a bit tough or chalky, but not completely offensive; chick peas aresometimes just like that. The tomatoes are good and there’s small pieces ofzucchini, onions, mushrooms. It’s all held together by some awesome barley. Overall,this is a very good soup. A- (I only give it a minus because of the chick peas, which were, like I said, still ok.) Like lunch in a little trattoria in the middle of your fresco painting workshop.

Cup to the Cake

2011-10-09T19:49:00.001-07:00

Cupcakes!

Nobody can possibly have a sense of royalty in his or her life if he or she does not have cupcakes!

* which he or she has made him or herself

I recommend the Joy of Cooking recipe for sour cream cupcakes...I kind of made a combination of yellow cupcakes and those. They were awesome. I will not try to instruct you in that; it was just a cool thing that happened, really, but study the two recipes and try them. :)

The Joy of Cooking fudge frosting was good too, but if you would like them to be done quickly and you're like me, you may involve the powdered sugar and corn starch.... it's all good...

Soup Reviews V: Other

2011-04-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Amy's Hearty Spanish Rice and Red Bean -- sweet, crunchy corn, tasty beans, rice with fantastic texture, good flavor and good with Tabasco. A+ and could be drained of water and used for purposes other than soup.

Imagine Potato and Leek -- Pretty good. a little strangeness about the flavor, which is eradicated by a dose of Tony Chachere's. I would eat it again, but not often. I don't know if it's weird or if it's just that potato and leek is a little weird, somewhat specialized. B-

Soup Reviews IV: Vegetable

2011-03-28T11:21:00.001-07:00

Amy's (Chunky Vegetable) --

Tomato base, nice gentle-yet-firm tomato-y aromatic flavor. Tasty tomatoes, lima beans, green beans, peas,and corn with good texture, just a little springiness. Onions, carrots, and spinach with no texture, but those veggies rarely have any texture in any canned soups. It's enough for them to be there. A

365, Whole Foods Brand
Nice, sweet, springy corn, pretty good potatoes and tomatoes. Nondescript celery, onions, peas, spinach, and carrots. However, the carrots were impressively large, as though from some really awesome carrots. (The original meaning of "awesome.") Broth was peppery and just the right amount of salty. Otherwise, there wasn't a lot of flavor or excitement. But it was fine. B

Soup Reviews III: Chicken

2011-03-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

365 (Whole Foods) Chicken Noodle -- nice, big pieces of chicken, nice noodles, nondescript veggies (carrots and celery), good tasting broth. A

Organics Chicken Noodle -- nice pieces of chicken, okay noodles, okay broth, vegetables? well, sort of. maybe those bland little pieces were vegetables... B-

Imagine Chicken Pot Pie -- interesting creamy soup with very tasty chicken, large dumpling-ish noodles (I suppose that's the "pie") A

Soup Reviews II: Minestrone

2011-03-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

365 (Whole Foods Brand) -- not the most flavorful minestrone in the world, but good, and very spicy, sinus cleansing. Fresh-tasting, buoyant carrots, white beans, tomatoes, onions, spinach, pasta, peas in tomato broth. A

Imagine -- Pretty flavorful broth but a little strange, like too sweet or something and confusing in flavor-- not quite tomato-y? The vegetables were fine but not memorable. B

Soup Reviews I: Butternut Squash

2011-02-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

Wolfgang Puck -- rich and creamy, good taste. A

Organics -- thin, almost like just broth with a little bit of squash, but presence of actual onions? a little bland, I added Tony Chachere's. C+

Imagine -- Not quite as rich and creamy or tangy as WP, but similar and a little squashier; the squashiest one so far. A-

Someone Knows How To Treat a Lady

2011-02-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

The someone is me. I am the someone and I am the lady. I am someone's industrious lady. I treated myself to these these roses, which I myself grew. I also presented myself with a lovely mushroom three-cheese pizza, for which I made tomato sauce and tomato pizza dough.

Conquered Lands, Lands Yet to Conquer

2011-01-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

In 2010 I …

1) Earned my MFA, completing a thesis-length novel

2) Held a teaching job at a private nursing college over the summer and was offered employment there for fall.

3) Was offered and accepted a full-time postdoctoral teaching fellowship at LSU

4) At LSU Press helped in the editorial process for several books, such as Ledgers of History, Selected Letters of Robert Penn Warren: Backward Glances and New Visions, 1969-1979,and Abbot Awaits.

4) Gained the interest of an agent in my fiction

5) Completed a semester of full-time college teaching

6) Maintained friendships with a large circle of people

7) Kept two cats healthy and happy

8) Practiced making pizza, chicken kiev, and a few other things

9) Helped my husband prepare our house for sale

10 Won the graduate playwriting award

11) Planted pansies

12) Made a lot of pies and cheesecakes

13) Continued helping judge the book contests at Carolina Wren Press

2011 Goals

1) Revise my novel to the point that I want to resubmit it to the agent

2) Write several first drafts of plays

3) Continue revising and submitting poems to magazines

4) Submit plays to contests

5) Sell house

6) Continue the gainful employment at LSU

7) Seek gainful employment in North Carolina upon relocating

8) Learn to make bistro-style lamb and pork dishes

9) Pursue exercise I enjoy

above cartoon from http://www.nataliedee.com/

La Belle Chaise, Le Beaux Chat

2010-11-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

October

2010-10-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

Really Good Costumes

2010-10-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

The lovely and so talented Jenn Nunes

2010-09-20T20:04:00.001-07:00

Alligator Peppers

2010-09-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

View from a train and Ginger at home

2010-09-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

Lattice Accomplishment

2010-08-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

Key Lime

2010-07-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

From an Emeril's recipe I found online

Les Roses Rose

2010-06-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

From the Oven

2010-06-19T15:26:00.001-07:00

From the Garden

2010-06-19T15:23:00.000-07:00

2010-04-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

2010-04-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

2010-04-13T09:02:00.001-07:00

Red

2010-04-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

And Pinker

2010-03-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Pink

2010-03-09T07:22:00.001-08:00

Mardi Gras!

2010-02-16T06:04:00.001-08:00

Spanishtown Parade!

Jenny Spiggle and Eli

You know us.

Eli was almost eaten by Spanish Moss.

Send the Clowns Now

2010-02-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

"Send the Clowns Now," a ten-minute play by Susan Kirby-Smith will debut at Delta Mouth on Thursday evening, 8:30 at Chelsea's.

The play will star DeWitt Brinson, Jenn Nunes, Karin DeGravelles, and William Burke.

* Mel Coyle is the understudy.

Unmoveable Feast, Issue 2

2010-01-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

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Issue Two: With new fiction by Monica Merenda, Kass Fleisher and Meg Pokrass, essay and fiction by Jane Stubbs poetry by Chris Tusa, Gail Peck, John Hoppenthaler, Chris Shipman, Elaine Briney, Benjamin Lowenkron. Reviews by Tyler Smith and Jennifer Whitaker.

http://www.unmoveablefeast.com

Santa Pups

2009-12-30T16:36:00.000-08:00

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Christmas has come and gone but the madness continues. This one is courtesy of Amy King.

Santy Claws

2009-12-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

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Thanks to feline wardrobe executive Kristin McGoningle for Immovable Feast's fifth day of Christmas absurdity.

Snow Glamour

2009-12-23T05:07:00.000-08:00

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Blush makes this stylish little snow-lady complete. Nicely done, Frances Willis.

A Little Too Mousy...

2009-12-21T06:06:00.000-08:00

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Away in some Legos, no room for a bed, one very special mouse has been chosen to play an important role in this year's pageant. Let's hope the three wise-cats remember their parts, or at least can stave off their animal instincts long enough to present the myrrh.

Picture by Margaret Carruthers.

A Little Too Merry...

2009-12-18T13:45:00.001-08:00

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Santa normally sits outside the Kirby-Smith house next to his custom-made Jim Galucci bench and cheerfully greets people in a wholesome manner as they drive by. This year, however, he was offered a bottle of whiskey. You can see what happened...

He said this would be his last chance to imbibe before getting the sleigh all cleaned up and loading up all the toys. We said, ok but don't do this again; you're making our yard look like a frat house. Just milk and cookies from now until after Christmas.

It's Merry at Teddy's Juke Joint!

2009-12-11T04:41:00.001-08:00

Alligator Bayou Interviews

2009-11-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

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...Beloved Alligator Bayou has been recently drained by the removal of a floodgate, at the insistence of mitigation bankers....who seem unconcerned about the displacement and deaths of the animals, the corruption and threat to the plants and trees.... I am writing a research paper about it. In the meantime, here are some thoughts from some representative voices...

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The Gator: I don’t know why we need experts to tell us that extreme alterations cause nature pain. What if a large hand reached down and removed your house? Would you be able to live on the land not custom built for your use? What was it like during the two weeks following Hurricane Gustav, when a major player of your summer environment, the air conditioner, was suddenly removed? Or think about how it felt to drive around without stoplights, worried that you wouldn’t find gas or food before the curfew? It is wrong to do this to a population of animals and trees. And I’m sorry, fellow animals, but especially the trees. They are really, really, old, like 2000 years. They’re like our grandparents, especially the old cypress trees. I think my grandmother was actually married to one, though I'm not completely sure...

The Bird: I don't think 50 is old if you are a tree. Why not ask the Americans to relocate? I mean don't they have a need to stimulate themselves? And isn't it easier to move a street sign then a big puddle full of alligators or feasting crows? These are questions not really answers that have questions. I think it should be illegal for ill-informed people to make a profit off of nature. Should farmers really get paid for "growing" cows and things like that, I don't think the cows get any "real" money. Also from my point of view lastly I believe that banks should not be able to migrate. They could get confused with aliens and we'd end up killing the wrong people. It'd be truly sorry! I could be thinking, but that might be wrong, it's just my opinion, what's yours?

The Gators: They even look like our grandparents. When you're out there on the bank with them you feel like they're listening to you, waiting to tell them about your life so they can forget again and you can tell them again later. But they know your soul. At least it feels like they do. It feels mysterious on the bank near the oldest tree, and peaceful too. I'm worried that mystery and that peace is going to be gone. Yes, the tree looks dead already but Jim Ragland and Frank Bonifay say it's still living, and that it's one of the oldest trees in the world.

Woman who lives at the end of the road:
I told my husband to load his shotgun for the first time in nine years. I told my children alligators are not lizards. Do you know
alligators kill more babies than sharks? I won't let my little Daniel
outside since the opening of the floodgates. Did you know alligators
cause more AIDS than dolphins? We can't have alligators on our
playgrounds, in our pools, or at our barbecues unless we're grilling
one. Did you know alligators ruin the top layer of soil? Look it up.
Put that in your paper. Explain that issue.

Poochie-BOo! Halloween Dogs....

2009-10-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

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Flecha here looks stunning in her bee costume.

And from the South Seas....

"Aye! She'll be walkin the plank fer dressin me as a bloody scurvy dog!!"

(I don't know this dog's name but the interview source is the guardian and wardrobe assistant, Green Bean owner Katie Southard)

And here's a sad little devil....

But he's perked up in this next shot!

...and seems perfectly happy in his next costume:

And then there's Briscoe, who also enjoys wardrobe changes.

Lucky dogs!

Not to be outdone, though, honorary dog Eliot is willing to try out a few costumes.

Shrimp and Petroleum Fesitval

2009-09-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I ventured with some friends to the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival in Morgan City, LA.

Here is where I dined.

Yes, that's right. This stand, Fontenot's, had not only Frog Legs, Fried Rabbit, Fried Rattlesnake and Cajun Goat, but also: Squirrel on a Stick. Unfortunately, they were out of raccoon.

And for dessert:

Yard Frolic

2009-09-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Creatures

2009-08-16T15:22:00.000-07:00

Someone ate all the leaves off my tomato plant. Pictures coming soon.

Meanwhile, a war has been waged in the front yard: it's the gardener versus fire ants. Both sides have won and lost territory and although the casualties are all ants, the human did not triumph without injury. Ground covers have been installed but the human is in respite and planning the next campaign against the ants, who were busy building in the area very near the gardening locations....

2009-08-07T10:33:00.000-07:00

“I am the Fairy of Realness,” she announced and curtsied before the professor.

“Bug!” said the professor. “There’s a bug in here.” She swatted at the fairy with her notebook.

The fairy, terrified, flew to the ceiling and out the door.

In the hallway just outside the classroom she found a corner of the ceiling to float in and she cried and cried. She had tried to tell them, tell the professor who she was exactly, why should she be a welcome member of the experimental poetry class.

Later she cried to Randy Elf at New York Pizza.

“Whatever, you just have to get over it,” he mumbled. “They used to do that shit to me before they realized I could actually write things.”

The class was just too large; that was what it was; the professor needed to get rid of people so she could actually teach them. Maybe the fairy would register earlier next time and actually get a spot in the class.

2009-08-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

My neighbor, George, disappeared again last week and his owner went out walking the streets to find him. In my opinion, George was uncreative in what he chose to do with his freedom. He just went out and met another dog. The man only walked five blocks before spotting him outside the fence of a yard that held a Pomeranian.

"So you found yourself a girlfriend," the man said as he walked up on George, who greeted him briefly and then continued sniffing the Pomeranian's nose, like a dog.

(Dogs are so sociable; they have so many friends. I would be uncomfortable touching the nose of of a stranger but they seem to love it.)

The man wasn't angry with him and George, having found another dog, briefly forgot about the scene from the previous night. Fortunate for me because I'm always the one George barks to about whatever's going on, even though I act uninterested and go about my business.

2009-08-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

One morning, they forgot what they were doing. The flowers needed watering, the stacks, organizing. Nobody could find their shoes. They washed and they washed and they washed but it wouldn't come out.

Once upon a time there was a story, which shortly thereafter came to an end. There was a lovely funeral, in the spring, the Camelias arching their soft, blossoming branches toward a tiny grave, and a few mourners standing respectfully, not crying, but celebrating. They wished their sweaters were lighter, their schedules less packed. They wished that they had truly known the story as it was, instead of always trying to give it direction, helpful nudging. Still, they celebrated that the story existed; though awkward and bumbling with too-long pants, he he had once been alive for them and they treasured their memories of him for many years.

Who Makes These Things?

2009-05-22T16:39:00.001-07:00

I really liked this one. That painting by impressionist Mary Cassatt has always been one of my favorite paintings. It was one of the paintings my mom and dad pointed out to me when we visited whatever museum we were in; paintings with children and dogs were, reasonably, the only paintings I was interested in and this and several other paintings kept me from falling asleep in some corner of the museum.

Happenin'

2009-05-20T12:02:00.001-07:00

Jukin' and Capitol Viewin'

2009-05-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to Teddy's Juke Joint, a small club near Zachary, LA and there we saw blues musician Eden Brent play. Teddy was present, in his cowboy hat. The club is the house that Teddy grew up in and where he has been operating his joint for 32 years. These colored lights surround Teddy's dj booth where he plays records between sets and romances you in a low-toned voice. Click here to view pictures of Teddy on his site!

Earlier on Saturday we went to the state capitol building, which has an open observation deck on the 27th floor. Two elevators got us up there and we could see everything from LSU to the Spanish arsenal in the park beside the capitol to the vats of boiling oil farther down the river.

That last one is the Pentagon Barracks, the original site of LSU. There were five buildings but one burned down.

And here's a picture of Doc Watson who performed wonderfully at Jazzfest in New Orleans on Friday. He's the one on the right.

Fuschia Flower, Tea Rose, New Bed

2009-04-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

Fuschia Flower

Hybrid Tea Rose

Can you believe these are the same roses in a different light?

New flowerbed built with castle stones

This bed was made possible by Gerard Davidson, Jan Green and Janet Ward Black. The blue planter was underwritten by Noel K-S.

New Orleans

2009-04-06T17:57:00.001-07:00

Bluebonnet Nature Swamp

2009-04-06T17:44:00.001-07:00

All Hail Yard

2009-04-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Thistles

2009-04-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

Against the rubber tongues of cows and the hoeing hands of men

Thistles spike the summer air
And crackle open under a blue-black pressure.

Every one a revengeful burst
Of resurrection, a grasped fistful
Of splintered weapons and Icelandic frost thrust up

From the underground stain of a decayed Viking.
They are like pale hair and the gutturals of dialects.
Every one manages a plume of blood.

Then they grow grey like men.
Mown down, it is a feud. Their sons appear
Stiff with weapons, fighting back over the same ground.

- Ted Hughes

Spanishtown Mardi Gras

2009-02-22T07:58:00.000-08:00

Giant Dandelion and a Valentine

2009-02-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

There is an accompanying poem for this picture. I will send it to you if you ask.

Windy City

2009-02-09T06:40:00.000-08:00

Mid-Winter Blooms!

2009-01-11T18:31:00.000-08:00

Surprise! We came back from Christmas break to see about 10 different flowers in bloom all around our yard.

Snow in Louisiana !

2008-12-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

Quite Contrary

2008-11-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the Firespike.

It should develop more of these spiky flowers and attract hummingbirds.

And this is the Flowering Maple, with the hanging flowers that look like upside down light bulbs.

Last but certainly not least is a Hibiscus.

Wildflowers

2008-11-08T06:16:00.001-08:00

These sprouted up right after the hurricane and stayed for quite a while. They are Spider Lilies, also known as Hurricane Lilies and Naked Ladies. They make great vase plants.

We also saw some yellow ones on the other side of the yard.

We found some other lovely lavender and yellow wild flowers in the backyard.

This little guy turned up on the wall above our bedroom closet. He is missing one leg. We didn't see him after this but we saw another one in the hall closet and I saw one outside near our laundry closet.

Mary, Mary

2008-11-08T05:59:00.000-08:00

Here are some Zinnias I planted below one of our live oaks in front of our jungle back yard.

There's a Dianthus
I planted in the front yard.

This is a rose bush (which I've since relocated to a sunnier spot and replaced with a Firespike which I will display here later.) Behind it is a Star Jasmine plant.

This is an Ixora; an exciting tropical plant. The flowers are large, round, orangish-red many-petaled balls.

Here is an encore Azaelea (white) and Oldeander (pink).

A Yucca cane I adopted is in the back. Adopting him made me realize that we have a large Yucca or Joshua Tree in the backyard.

Abutilon pictum

2008-10-23T07:53:00.001-07:00

I am going to plant one of these this weekend.

Stay tuned for a Garden Tour.

Shelby's House and Other Houses

2008-09-13T08:29:00.000-07:00

This was pretty bad. This is the house of my friend who didn't have power OR water for 2 weeks.

Of course this is not even the worst of it. Quite a few people's houses were smashed by trees, like these houses on Park Boulevard:

Photographs by Shelby Goddard and Tracey Duncan

Debris Removal

2008-09-12T05:07:00.001-07:00

So there was a big pile of debris, about half the size of our house, sitting at the front of our yard. It was made up of many branches that used to be in our trees.

When I came home on Wednesday not only were there 10 or 12 honorable city workers picking up the stuff, but also 10 or 12 National Guard people running around in the backyard with a chainsaw. They said they'd come again yesterday but I'm not sure they showed up, which is actually a good thing because now maybe my husband will have something to chop up with his new chainsaw.

Here are the pictures of the scene:

This is only about 1/4 of the pile that was there because the crew had already picked up most of it by the time I arrived.

It's really funny to see so many people you don't know in your yard.

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the National Guard, who were in uniform, but at least I got some of this neato orange debris removal machine.

I think it took three of those big army trucks to get all of our debris.

I heard yesterday that 40% of people in Baton Rouge still don't have power and I can believe it; a good number of my friends are still without.

Way to go, City

2008-09-10T14:49:00.001-07:00

As I type the National Guard is here, in my yard, picking up debris. I wonder if they edge, hm.

Amazed

2008-09-09T04:08:00.000-07:00

After 7 days without, we have power back!

Right after the power came on some tree people magically showed up to clear the huge branches hanging from several of our trees. (Although, there is still a massive pile of branches at the front of our lawn - supposedly the city has a contract with a debris service and someday they'll take our pile away...

Many stoplights in Baton Rouge are still out and many people still don't have power in their homes. One of my friends doesn't even have water.

Curfew is still 10. It's easier to get food and gas now but there are a lot of stores without milk and other important foods and many businesses without power as well.

After Gustav

2008-09-07T12:52:00.001-07:00

We are still without power but hopeful that it's coming soon. We think that within Hurricane Gustav we got our own special tornado, which whirled off the tops of three of our biggest trees. We had 15 or so very large branches fall, 4 or 5 of them so large they could have crushed our cars. None of them fell on our house or cars however; we are very
lucky.

Damage in Baton Rouge is extensive with most people still without power and most traffic lights still down. Many trees were completely ripped out of the ground or snapped in half. There are large piles of debris in front of every lawn.

Two people, an old couple, were killed when a tree fell on their daughter's home, to where they had evacuated from Abbeville.

It's hard to get ahold of either food or gas with long lines at the very few places that are open. We had a curfew of 6 for a few days, and then 8, and now it's 10. If you don't make it into wherever you're trying to go by 9, you're sunk.

New Horizons

2008-08-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

All the signs were there......

...certain people were getting suspicious....

Other people just couldn't stop organizing things...

Finally, it became clear:

Susan and Clay were moving!

But we had great help!

And after 15 or so hours in the car with two cats we finally arrived at our new house in Baton Rouge at 3 in the morning.

This is Charlotte Strom in our new living room, sans furniture.

Finally we could relax.

Do you like our new house?

It comes with a mound of boxes

A faux-GrecoRoman statue stuck in the palm tree

And a torrential downpour.

Foods of Late

2008-07-22T19:01:00.000-07:00

So I marinated and cooked some chicken

and I also made scalloped potatoes.

This is an eggplant from my parents' garden.

Lisbon

2008-06-11T04:22:00.000-07:00

Susan in Alfama in Lisbon.

Clay pointing out which direction we should go.

Susan and a bulbous tree.

An interesting tower.

A tile building.
Susan in the square.A delicious plate of Sting Ray.

Clay had food also.

Queluz

2008-06-10T04:45:00.000-07:00

The back of the palace.The moat of the palace.

The part of the palace where we stayed.

We had steak and eggs at this restuarant.

A delicious plate of grilled squid from a later meal in Queluz.

We also had a fancy meal at the palace.

Madeira

2008-06-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

For more pictures of our trip see Immovable Feast

Cascais

2008-06-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

A tiny police car.

Sintra

2008-06-09T05:09:00.000-07:00

Above is an exciting Portuguese dish with cod, egg, onions and tiny french fries. Below is the palace in the main square of Sintra.

The Moorish castle of Sintra.

Madeira

2008-06-08T03:39:00.000-07:00

Funchal

The view from our patio

Downtown Funchal Giant Prawns At a Fado Restaurant
Tropical plants
Our hotel, Pestana Village, had its own greenhouse.
Susan in a cave near Sao Vincente.

Irrigated land and vineyards near Sao Vincente.

Thatched houses near Santana.

Mountain view near Funchal.

Susan by the road.

Mountain and seaside views
Deep water cuisine?
(Actually, we're pretty sure the restaurant is on the other side of the bay.)
Japanese warrior sculptures in an elaborate palace garden in Monte.

A Bird of Paradise!Funchal Harbor.
The cliff below Reid's Palace

Eating at Reid's Palace.
Octopus in the grocery store.

Last night.

Clay's dinner.

Caldeirada (Portuguese fish stew)

Pestana Village, where we stayed.

Newark Airport

2008-06-07T05:32:00.000-07:00

At Chili's

Kirby-Smith - Davidson

2008-05-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Kirby-Smith - Davidson

Susan Kirby-Smith and Clay Davidson were married Sunday, May 25, 2008 at the Greensboro Arboretum in a ceremony officiated by Tommy Trull, a friend of the couple. The wedding ceremony texts were selected from Shakespeare's plays and a sonnet. The couple celebrated afterward with family and friends at a dinner given by the bride's parents at the O. Henry Hotel. The evening before the wedding the groom's parents honored the couple with a dinner at the Proximity Hotel.Susan is the daughter of Noel and Tom Kirby-Smith of Greensboro. She is a graduate of Oberlin College and is a graduate student at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. She works as an editorial assistant for The Southern Review, a literary quarterly.Clay is the son of Dale Walker of Greensboro and Gerard Davidson of Summerfield. He works as an investigator for Ward Black Law. He teaches martial arts with Mike Carr Karate and plays guitar in the band Hi-Rollers.The bride's attendants were Lucy Danford and Abigail Soles, maids of honor, and Christine Schadegg and Sharyn Chen, all of Greensboro.The groom's attendants were Erik Strom of Greensboro, best man, Walker Davidson of Charlotte, brother of the groom, Jeremy Fountain of Greensboro and Owen Dollar of Wilmington. Linda Danford directed the wedding rehearsal. Gaines and Cary Green, cousins of the groom, and John Soles ushered the guests to the wedding site.Rob Reich of San Francisco, a multi-instrumentalist who plays and records with several musical groups and a college classmate of Susan's, played the accordion for the wedding ceremony. Chris Danford played the trumpet for the rehearsal on Saturday. The Hot Club of North Carolina, a jazz band in the "Hot Club" style, played for listening and dancing during the wedding dinner.Alex Forsyth and Matilda Kirby-Smith, Janet Ward Black and Jim Gutsell photographed the wedding event.Susan and Clay met in the summer of 1996 at Ben & Jerry's on Tate Street, where Susan was working when Clay stopped in to visit his friend Tommy Trull, the shop's manager.

Wedding

2008-05-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

i. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
admit impediments. Love is not love
which alters when it alteration finds,
or bends with the remover to remove:
Oh, no! It is an ever-fixed mark.
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
it is the star to every wandering bark,
whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
within his bending sickle's compass come;
love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
but bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

ii. from Love’s Labor’s Lost

But love, first learned in a lady's eyes,
Lives not alone immured in the brain;
But, with the motion of all elements,
Courses as swift as thought in every power,
And gives to every power a double power,

iii. from Hamlet

Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.

iv. Exchange of Rings from several plays and Sonnet 88

One half of me is yours, the other half yours
Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours,
And so all yours.

Such is my love, to thee I so belong,
That for thy right myself will bear all wrong.

Keep thy friend
Under thy own life's key.

You may kiss the bride

Wedding Pictures

2008-05-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Counting Chickens.

2008-05-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

Q: Is this too soon to post this?
A: I don't know, but isn't it cute?

Lucy Goose

2008-05-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Susan and Maid of Honor Lucy "Goose" Danford.

Here she is again with her parents, Steve and Linda, at Tivoli outside of Rome.

She is a great Maid of Honor and a wonderful friend. She's also an accountant-in-training, a freelance New Orleans tour guide, an art history scholar and an accomplished socialite.

Things We Do

2008-05-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

Clay plays guitar.
Susan is a writer.
Susan and Clay both like to travel and ski.

Here is Susan at an exciting Indian restaurant in New York.

Here is Clay at the beach.

Here is Susan playing dress-up (It's Halloween) with Chrissy the Bridesmaid.

Here are Susan and Clay visiting a plantation in White Castle, Louisiana.

And here they are later that day at tiny french restaurant in Baton Rouge.

Clay also teaches karate! Here he is at a tournament.

Here is Susan at John Keats' grave in Rome.

Susan also played the piano for many years. Both Susan and Clay were in lots of plays. They were even in the same plays but not at the same time.
Susan also likes to play tennis. Sometimes Clay plays tennis with her. She plays the theremin too, but not very often. One of the most exciting things Clay and Susan have done together is to go on a swamp tour near Baton Rouge! They were not eaten by alligators.

Total Exquisite Corpse of the Heart

2008-04-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

Tommy Trull

This former Ben & Jerry's manager is a successful playwright!

And a soon-to-be WEDDING OFFICIANT!

Everyone congratulate Tommy! He's been waiting for this his whole life!

It's his big day. Also congratulate his wife, Mara.

She is his Mrs. Lovejoy.

A Good Man Is Hard To Find

2008-04-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

But Not Really!

Not At Clay and Susan's Wedding!

Here's the Best Man, Erik Strom, and his wife, Charlotte

Erik and Charlotte are painters. They spend the wee hours at Lyndon St. Artworks.

They have a dog named Sam and a cat named Luna.

Plumbers of Honor

2008-04-09T09:55:00.000-07:00

These are the official wedding plumbers, Walker Davidson and Jane Shaffer. This picture comes from another wedding they plumbed; supposedly they do great work. They also run a catering business but be assured: they do the two things on separate days.

And here is a picture of Susan and Clay at Clay's work shower.
Notice how Clay is making the extra effort to lean over to read the card - a sure sign of a good husband according to Donna Perreault, Susan's co-worker and Associate Editor at The Southern Review.

Wedding Party

2008-02-18T16:13:00.000-08:00

Susan's Attendants:

Abigail Soles, Maid of Honor, friend since birth, former neighbor, tomato stand sales partner, pottery companion
Lucy Danford, Maid of Honor, friend since her birth, past and current neighbor, baby-sitting charge, pretend little sister, personal New Orleans tour guide
Sharyn Chen, Bridesmaid, friend for 8 years, former roomate, partner in crime, creative consultant
Christine Schadegg, Bridesmaid, friend, travel buddy, partner in crime, creative consultant

Clay's Attendants:

Erik Strom, Best Man, longtime friend and neighbor, jujitsu opponent, bandmate, keeper of pets
Walker Davidson, Groomsman, younger brother, friend since his birth, partner in crime, personal gourmet chef
Owen Dollar, Groomsman, longtime friend, partner in music/crime
Jeremy Fountain, Groomsman, friend, bandmate, former neighbor, partner in music/crime

The ceremony will be performed by Tommy Trull, friend of the groom for 20 years, partner in music/crime, creative consultant, nexus of bride and groom's aquaintanceship.

The ceremony music will be performed by Rob Reich, friend of the bride for 10 years.

Democramatrimony

2008-02-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

Can you guess who these people are?

Wedding Location

2008-01-22T10:29:00.000-08:00

Greensboro's Arboretum, Sunday May 25th

Wedding Hotels!

2008-01-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

This is where the May 25th wedding reception is:

The O. Henry Hotel!

It's extremely nice! With beautiful rooms and in additon to the ballroom where the wedding will be, a beautiful tea room:
They serve a formal high tea in the afternoons !

Out-of-town guest, consider making a reservation at this hotel if you would like to stay there, and let us know, in case there's enough people to create a discount. The hotel has a small outdoor pool and many beautiful features in the rooms and around the hotel. Lovely terraces and lounges.

You could also make a reservation here:

The Proximity Hotel!

It is also Greensboro's first and only green hotel. And it is brand new; the rooms are beautiful and a little bit less expensive than the O. Henry and only 30 seconds away!
Apparently it also has an outdoor pool and a bistro.

There's also the downtown Marriott, which is 3.3 miles away from the wedding location and 2.7 miles from the reception.

Downtown is a fun place; nightlife and shopping and coffeeshops, etc. There's also a small hotel there called the Biltmore Hotel.

Close to the reception site is the budget-option Battleground Inn

The Engagement

2007-11-08T05:07:00.000-08:00

On November 2, 2007 we drove just south of San Francisco and went here:

Which is, as you can see, a mountain lion habitat. We didn't see any mountain lions but Clay said that if a mountain lion did come along he would fight the lion. Susan said that she would rather Clay just back away with her and he said he would actually rather do that as well.
So, knowing what to do in case of lions, we walked around the lake without fear and sat down in front of the lake. Clay then recited this sonnet by Mr. William Shakespeare:

SONNET 91
Some glory in their birth, some in their skill,
Some in their wealth, some in their bodies' force,
Some in their garments, though new-fangled ill,
Some in their hawks and hounds, some in their horse;
And every humour hath his adjunct pleasure,
Wherein it finds a joy above the rest:
But these particulars are not my measure;
All these I better in one general best.
Thy love is better than high birth to me,
Richer than wealth, prouder than garments' cost,
Of more delight than hawks or horses be;
And having thee, of all men's pride I boast:
Wretched in this alone, that thou mayst take
All this away and me most wretched make.

And presented this ring!

And asked for Susan's hand in marriage.

And she said yes!

Here is Clay being engaged. (there is a picture of Susan being engaged but her hair is not acceptable in it.)

Fortunately, we are still engaged the next day! Here is Susan being engaged:

Here we both are; we are engaged.
Then we went to see Clay's friends

and to the Redwood Forest

The only thing left out of all that is that we had our engagement lunch with Rob Reich at a burrito place in the Mission. It was very good. Susan had a shrimp burrito and Clay had a chicken quesadilla.

Alligator Bayou Swamp Tour

2007-09-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

These are just some pictures that I took of Alligator Bayou Swamp near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The great thing about this swamp is that the people who own it gave up their former careers to buy the swamp save it from being turned into commercial property. It's a great time and the money you spend there goes toward preserving the swamp. Visit them here.

The large rodent above is a tame nutrea, a water rodent, a gift imported to Louisiana from Argentina I believe.