Category: holidays and parties

Posted on

My heart overflows

I have so many ‘Thank You’ cards along with Christmas cards that my heart overflows with the spirit of not only Christmas, but also the spirit of God.  Dinner last night was perfect.  We had gumbo, turkey, dressing, ham, candied yams, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, and more food than I can remember.  I don’t think I will be able to eat again for a week after all of that.

The children’s faces were just as I imagined they would be.  Every family brought their camera to me and I can’t wait to get them developed.  Families were coming up to me with tears in their eyes and thanking not only me but the whole community.  Some got job offers, everyone got a crisp new $100 bill, thanks to someone very special.

There was not a child that didn’t get ‘exactly’ what they wanted according to them.  There were more gadgets and toys in there than you can believe.  Each child brought their favorite toy if they could.  Some couldn’t because it was a bicycle or a game system but they made sure to bring their next favorite toy to show me.  Life is good here in Louisiana.

Posted on

Picking up presents

What a wonderful day this is.  The parents are making a steady path to my door to pick up the presents for their families.  I wish I could be at each and every house in the morning to see the faces of the whole family.  At least they will have a camera to take pictures.

I am so very proud to be from New Orleans.  I am so very proud of the people of New Orleans.  They have come together to make sure the families that have lost so much, will have a very Merry Christmas.  My little Angel Tree has already brought so much joy and tomorrow morning, it will bring more joy than I ever dreamed it could.

The day after Christmas, we’re having a special dinner for every family.  We had to borrow a church fellowship hall to hold it in but that’s as it should be too.  Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ after all so the church fellowship hall is perfect.  I can’t wait to see all the smiling faces.  Here’s hoping your Christmas is a full of love and joy as our is.  Merry Christmas!!!!

Posted on

Every present wrapped and every bow tied

Well every single Angel has been taken from the tree and all of the presents that have been donated or brought in are all wrapped and every bow tied.  There is a pile of presents like I have never seen.  In fact, there are enough presents to take up a whole room in my home.  What a wonderful feeling standing in the doorway looking at all the presents.

I feel so blessed and not a single present is for me to open.  The blessing comes from knowing I’m making Christmas special for children and their families.  I guess I’m a HO HO HO!!!!  I’m Santa Clausette.  How about that?

Posted on

The magic of the season

Christmas has long been a magical season and this year is no different.  The whole community has pitched in to help me with all the ‘Angels’ on my tree.  Some businesses have donated items.  Some businesses have offered jobs.  Some businesses have donated food, and there is even a celebrity, which I promised not to name, that has donated $100 to every family that has an Angel on my tree.  God has blessed this little tree in ways I never imagined.

I am so proud to live here in New Orleans.  I am so proud of the people of New Orleans as they have pulled together to see to it these families and mostly the children, will wake up Christmas morning to a wonderful surprise from Santa.  There are PSP’s, Game Boys, Wii’s, MP3 players, DVD players, TV’s, PS3’s, and more gadgets than I know what they are.  Guess I’m getting old when I don’t recognize some of the presents we’re giving out, ya think?

Oh well, I’ll know it’s the right thing with all the smiles.  Oh each family is getting a disposable camera that they are to bring back to me so I can get the pictures developed.  Of course I’ll get double prints and maybe more because I want a picture of the children’s faces, and I also want to send ‘Thank you’ notes to the many people that donated along with a picture of the smiling faces of the children they helped to make this Christmas special for.  Then of course, the parents need a copy of their pictures too.

I’m worse than the kids beacuse I can’t wait!!!!!!

Posted on

A little something from me

I know you have seen those portable DVD players.  I just found a heck of a deal on them and bought every one they had.  They had 30 of them.  That way, I can give them to some of the kids on my Angel Tree.  Some of them don’t even have a TV in their home so this will give the something to look at and occupy their time when they don’t have any homework that is.

With each one, I’m also giving a gift certificate for 5 DVDs.  The kids can pick them out themselves so they get something they like or wanted to see.  There’s a local DVD rental store that said they have several used DVDs that they get rid of once they have been rented so many times but the DVDs are still good.  They told me that I can pay for the DVDs after the kids pick them out.  See some are more than others.

Hey, I just got a call from the DVD rental store and they’re going to donate a new DVD to each kid that gets one of the DVD players from me.  That just made my day.

Posted on

I thought I was seeing things

SNOW…………..in New Orleans!!!  You got it. The rare snowfall has triggered crashes on major highways and left thousands of people without power.  Schools, government offices and bridges have been closed.  Snow just isnt’ something that we usually deal with so basically we don’t know how to do anything in it except maybe make a snow ball and hit someone with it.

The heavy band of snow coated windshields and grassy areas in New Orleans, where about an inch accumulated.  A peak of eight inches was reported in the town of Amite, about 75 miles northwest of New Orleans. Boy am I glad we didn’t get that much.  There would have been accidents everywhere because we have nothing to remove snow.  It was pretty though!!  See!!

Posted on

More about our Angel Tree

I am still getting requests for more Angels to be placed on my Angel Tree.  Most of the Angels are gone already and the presents are starting to pour in.  I wasn’t expecting them to be brought in until around the 15th of December but I have put them in one of my rooms for safe keeping.  They are due to be given on Christmas Eve.

Most of the presents for the children will be their Santa Clause this year as there are so many in need of assistance with that more than just a present.  How about that?  I’m Santa Clause this year but no I’m not a ‘Ho’.  😉  I never really thought about it that way.  I just thought of it as doing my part for my community.

Now here’s the sad part.  I got a request from a 7 year old little boy that wants a new Daddy.  His died during Hurricane Katrina and his mother has been sad ever since so he just wants a new Daddy.  How do I find him one of those.  Hey, maybe I could find a nice man that would be a Big Brother type Daddy for him.  In fact, I know just the right man for the job.  He’s worked for me for years and is single.  He’s great with kids too.

Then there’s the request I got from a 9 year old little girl.  Her mother has cancer and her father left them when she got it.  She wants a cure for her mother for Christmas.  I’m calling several hospitals and doctors trying to see if I can get her free medical care.  I sure hope so.

There is so much suffering that we are unaware of within our own community but my little Angel Tree is opening not only my eyes, but the eyes of everyone that looks at the Angels and reads the requests.  It looks so far like most of the children on my tree will have a good Christmas after all.

I just wish I could grant each and every child’s wish but some of them have to be granted by a higher power than just me alone.  I pray every night for the wishes I know I can’t fill.  Maybe God will take over and grant those wishes.  Christmas is a very special time and I believe it can happen.

Posted on

The city is dressing for Christmas

New Orleans is a beautiful town anyway but when she dresses for Christmas, there’s a magic in the air that no one can deny.  Not if you have been here to see it anyway.  You can feel the Christmas spirit all over the city.  My place is no exception.

Christmas is my favorite time of year by far.  The love that this city shows it citizens is just heart warming and my ‘Angle tree’ has only shown me even more that this is where I was born and this is where I’ll die.  I can’t imagine another city with more heart and soul than New Orleans.

Just look at some of the famous people that have come from here if you don’t  believe it.  Look at Emeril and what he did for his employees through the Katrina mess.  He took care of everyone that worked for him by paying them every week just like they were still working until they returned to his restaurant when it was back in business.  Now that’s a man with a heart and he’s not the only one.

Posted on

Well are you as stuffed as I am?

Talk about a Thanksgiving feast, well we sure had one.  We had turkey of course but also gumbo, dirty rice, green beans, sweet potatoes and just about anything else you can think of.  I ate until I couldn’t eat anymore.  I think we have enough leftovers to feed a couple more families.

We had 5 families that we had invited for Thanksgiving that wouldn’t have had a Thanksgiving meal otherwise.  I was so proud to be able to do that for those families.  They were so thankful to us for doing what we did.  I did it for them because they have all suffered so much for so long that I wanted them to have something to be thankful for and a community that cares is something to be thankful for.

I hope your Thanksgiving was as blessed as mine was.  Mine was full of love, food, good friends and family, and new friends too.  What more could anyone ask for?

Posted on

Are you planning a feast?

Well there are 10 Turkeys to be cooked, 5 hams, 25 pounds of potatoes, more green beans than I can count and more food than you can imagine.  Of course we have to have some traditional New Orleans food like Gumbo, dirty rice and such.

I think I just gained 10 pounds just thinking about all of the food.  Cakes, pies, banana pudding and more deserts than you can imagine too.  The cooking will begin tomorrow so I have a busy day ahead of me.  Hey, do you like carrot cake?  Well here’s a great recipe for it that I guarantee you will love!

Carrot Cake

2 cups grated carrots
1 small can of crushed pineapple not drained
1 1/2 cups Wesson oil (doesn’t have to be Wesson oil)
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (may use 2 if desired but I use 1)
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Cream oil and sugar together. Add Carrots, pineapple and nuts. Add eggs one
at a time and beat well. Add dry ingredients sifted together.

Bake in 3 layers at 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes or until done by
sticking a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.

Frosting for Carrot Cake

1 8 ounce package of creamed cheese
1 stick of margarine
1 box of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of chopped pecans

Have cheese and margarine soft. Set out of refrigerator a few hours.
Use electric mixer to mix in powdered sugar, vanilla and nuts.

Put in refrigerator after you frost it to make it set better after frosting.

Enjoy!!!!