Do You Have a Pair of Shoes?

Last week I was listening to The View (Please don’t hold my watching against me. I so do enjoy good, civil debate, although their Hot Topics sometimes are too hot and the debate is not at all civil. Anyway, I feel I am supporting Elizabeth Hasselback, if not in person, in spirit. I digress.). The ladies’ guest was Tyler Perry, who was promoting his new movie Madea Goes to Prison. I am not a fan of the Perry movies because I really have this “thing” about men who dress as women. I have watched bits and pieces of the past movies and the sitcom on television, The House of Payne, and they are good for a laugh and a lesson here and there.

However, I was more carried away with Tyler Perry, the man, instead of the actor, director and producer. From everything I have read or heard about him, he is a good person who has tried to make his way in life by truly doing the right thing. He dropped out of high school, had a tempestuous relationship with his father, and was raised by his mother. Eventually, he earned his GED and has become a respected screenwriter, actor, director, producer, and entrepreneur. Raised in New Orleans, he now resides in Atlanta and owns a production studio located there. One of his best friends is Will Smith.

Now, before I relate what he said on the show that so intrigued me, let me point out a few things from the information I just gave you. Despite the conditions in which he was raised and not using them as an excuse for failure, he has become a respectable person. He has worked hard to get where he is, he does not live in the center of the Hollywood lifestyle, and he prefers to offer his opinions about life through his movies, instead of expressing it in a loud and often offensive way that makes him seem as if he is the be all to end all (Anyone heard of Sean Penn? Bill Maher?). That Will Smith is a good friend is not bad either. Perry apparently gives back to his community by providing jobs and helping those in need.

I think it was Barbara Walters who asked Perry how his life had changed with success and he related this story:

One day Perry was out in the community and a rather ragged lady, maybe homeless, asked him if he could give her a pair of shoes. He was so touched by her question he immediately went in the studio and found her a pair of shoes. When he gave her the shoes, she said, “Thank you, Lord, for my feet not touching the ground.” Her comment made him realize how far he had come. In turn, I was so touched by the story that it stayed with me the rest of the day, and I got to thinking how appropriate her quote was for us and our relationship with God. He provides so many blessings for us on a daily basis that if we think about it, our feet never touch the ground. We are able to walk in His love and grace, being spared from the shards of glass, rocks, mud, and rough terrain that can hinder our Christian walk. Sometimes we stumble and sometimes the path is rough, but our feet never touch the ground because He is with us. It is my prayer that your feet never touch the ground, and when the going does get tough, Jesus is there to give you a pair of shoes.

I Got the Baby

I had a wonderful week-end!!! The Lalis got together for our February gabfest, pigout, gripe session week-end. We met in Madison at Lake Caroline as the guests of Donnie and Cathy at their "boat house". Everyone was well, and for sure we all have stayed busy after retirement. As matter of fact, we are not sure how we got everything done that we did while we worked full time.

Eating is one of the activities we do best. Sandra cooked us a wonderful craw fish bisque. Yum! Yum! Afterward we had desserts from the Beagle Bagel--Red Velvet Cake, Caramel Cake, Chocolate Gnosh, and Italian Cream Cake. Take your pick.

A treat for me on Saturday was my first-time eating at P. K. Chang's. Double Yum! Yum!

After lunch we browsed around Barnes and Noble and decided to go back to the lake to sit out on the dock and visit.


For supper we had a dip that is all the rage in Jackson right now, Captain Rodney's Hot Dip and a salad with my dressing. If you are not familiar with Captain Rodney's Sauce, it is a sweet and tart sauce that is really tasty. It can be bought in Greenwood at the Viking Retail Store and at the Everyday Gourmet in Jackson.


Barb who is from Meterie brought us a King Cake, with which we topped off the evening. Yep, I got the baby in my piece!!! I am going to enjoy my luck for the rest of the year.


I didn't take my camera so there are no pictures, but we are all back home now, rested, relaxed and filled. Here are a few of the recipes that we cooked this week-end:

Crab Bisque

1 pkg crawfish tails, thawed
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 c. half and half
1 can whole kernel corn (I add an additional can of Mexicorn)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of potato soup
1 stick butter
1 tbsp. Tony’s Creole seasoning
Red pepper to taste (about ¼ tsp.)

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and heat on low until warm.

Captain Rodney's Dip

1/2 cup mayo
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 chopped green onions
Mix these 4 ingredients and pour into a 9 X 9 greased casserole
Top with 6 crushed Ritz crackers
Back for 15-20 mins. or until bubbly

Top hot dip with 6 pieces of cooked, crumbled bacon and 1/2 cup Captain Rodney's sauce.

Dip with corn chips and enjoy!

Salad Dressing a la Edith

Mix a salad with hearts of Romain, chopped green onions, ripe olives, and tomatoes. Don't put too much in this salad, especially carrots and radishes.

Pour over the salad mixture enough olive oil to coat salad lightly. Then add the juice of one fresh lemon (if the salad serves at least six, less juice if smaller number), toss again. Then season with Cavender's seasoning to taste. Top with crunchy croutons.

He Can't Be That Old! I'm Not!!!!!

I am an only child so I do not have any nieces or nephews on my side of the family. However, Lance has two sisters and I have the privilege of being an aunt to three wonderful nieces, Kelly, Amiee, and Mary Loyce, and a lovable, huggable nephew, Walter. Walter was born when Laura was 4.

The three girls are married and great wives and mothers. Well, Walter will soon be in the ranks of the married. He will be getting married in March to Anna. They are a great couple who started out as friends, who became good friends, who then fell in love with each other. What a way to go.

Saturday, they were honored with an engagement party in Greenwood. We had a great time kicking off the pre-wedding festivities.

There is only one thing: I can't not for the life of me figure out how Walter got old enough to get married. I am still the aunt in her early 30s when he was born. Where did the time go?!!!!!!

Walter and Anna, we all wish you two the best and look forward to the years to come.

Walter and Anna

The Cousins: Walter, Laura, Amiee, Mary Loyce, Jessica

Lance's sister and Walter's mom, Cindy, Lance and me

Cindy and daughter-in-law to be

Cindy and her buds
Clowning for the camera

An Observation on the Inauguration

As I have watched all the stuff about the inauguration of now President Barak O'Bama, there is a lingering question I have: Why do the news shows think we are impressed that their announcers stand out in the cold to make their reports?! I am always baffled by this procedure. Jim Cantori of the weather channel does the same thing when there is a hurricane. He stands in water knee deep with the wind whipping around and trees parallel to the ground. Chris Champion of Good Morning America will put on a pair of waders or don his overcoat and make his report from cities across America. I repeat, I am not impressed.

This morning on Fox and Friends Gretchen and Steve and Brian were sitting on the balcony of a building with the Capitol in the background, all three wrapped up like teddy bears (a simile my mother often uses) with vapor rising from their mouths with each word they spoke. Then each of the pundits sat out there with them, imparting their wisdom on various topics. I truly question their wisdom. I just wish one of them had refused because it was too cold. After all, it was 16 degrees when they went on air this morning at 4:00 CST. Yes, I was up watching the whole thing!!

I know the events of the day must go on, and I am glad the news outlets want to give us up-to-the-minute coverage, but please get these people inside.

2 + 1 = 3

I didn't think it got better than this, but this week end I found out that it could. We visited the kids in Tupelo and found out we are expecting grandchild #3. Needless to say, we are excited. Due date is around July 16th.

These two will soon be three!

To those who check in, we ask that you keep the Hensons and baby-to-be in your prayers.

Hotty Toddy from a Bulldog Fan

Okay, here is a shout out to our friends Shirley and Jay. Congrats on the Cotton Bowl win.

To those of you reading this post, this shout out probably seems like blasphemy since I am an avowed MSU fan. I am not as rabid as some I know (Laura and Chase) when it comes to pulling for or should I say against Ole Miss. I wish them the best when they play anyone but State.

A bit of history: During the early years of our marriages, Shirley and Jay and Lance and I use to attend the Ole Miss-State games together, going back to the time when the game was held in Jackson. At one time Shirley was a State fan, but over the years she has been worn down by all those Turners and even her own children, who both attended Ole Miss.

When we would attend the games, Shirley and I would sit on the State side and Lance and Jay would sit on the Ole Miss side. How about that for a house divided?!! But, Shirley just couldn't stand up to the barrage of Hotty Toddy ringing in her ears season after season.

Happy New Year to My Friends, My Other Friends, and More Friends

Hope everyone had a Happy New Year and you are are settled into your routine again. All is fairly quiet around the Baria house, as I am happy it is.

As you have read before about my precious friends and in my OCD way, I have arranged them into groups: my professional friends known as the Lalis; my know-all-about-me friends, the Sudduths and the Alexanders; my Church Girls; and my been-there-forever friends, the Turners and Dickersons. Plus, there are many others whom I count as friends even though they may not be a part of my daily or more private life. I consider all these people best friends in so many ways and know they would be at my side at the moment of any need. I have truly been blessed to have these all these wonderful people as friends.

What does this digression on friends have to do with New Years? Well, we continued our New Years tradition of spending the date with the Turners and the Dickersons. We went to the Dickerson's "boat house" at Lake Caroline and had a wonderful time catching up on news about our families and the goings on in our lives.

New Years Day 2009

Some of the best news is the Turners and Dickerson both are expecting grandchildren in the summer: second grandson for the Turners; first grandchild for the Dickersons (will know gender soon). I think it will be so much fun for us all to get together with all our grand kids for one of our New Years get togethers.

Anyway, Lance showed his old curmudgeon self (a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person) by calling Shirley a particular name when she was having a hard time understanding what he was trying to explain. I can't repeat it on the blog for fear of someone taking it as a profanity. Being called this name floored Shirley and made the rest of us do a double take and then burst out in laughter. And, with our group we did not let Lance forget what he said. I think Shirley is gunning for him. If I was Lance, I wouldn't turn my back on ole Shirl.

I also learned a new name for all the "stuff" Cathy has to put up with at work; alas, it is another word I can not put on the blog. But, it is very descriptive of what she has to endure on a daily basis.

The girls relaxin' and rockin'

I guess you think all we do is use profanity, but that is not the case. This year was just a bit more rowdy than others. We did enjoy a great meal at the Strawberry Cafe in Madison New Years eve and managed to stuff ourselves to the max the rest of the time.

The six of us usually see each other four or five times a year, and when we get together, we pick up just where we left off. I realize we did not make a toast or drink any champagne this year, even though we did manage to stay up after midnight, quite a feat for us.

So, here's to friendship. May it be long, may it be wonderful, and may it be fulfilling.

Also, here's wishing you a Happy 2009! DK