PAMPERED AND SPOILED

Well, my Blogging Buddies. Clearly I have just been ignoring you. I truly apologize for that!! It has not been intentional. Things have been a little busy lately with the onset of Spring and I have fallen behind in my "administrative duties!"

However... one can always make time for friends and food, right?!?!?!? I had that opportunity recently, thanks to Jo B. as well as Tom & Terri T. Here is how it worked. Tom & Terri donated their time & energy to offer a gourmet meal for six to the high bidder at a silent auction held at one of the local churches. The monies received went to support of the church's youth group (I believe that is accurate) and to support of the Beauregard Agape Community Clinic which I have posted about previously. My friend, Jo B., was the high bidder for the fabulous, gourmet meal for six!!! She decided it should be a "girls night out" event and invited four friends to join her. I was fortunate enough to be one of those friends! (THANK YOU, JO!)

We were delighted to be greeted at the door by the "butlah", something we were not expecting! He was a very personable fellow and allowed me to pose with him to get my "snooty-tooty" shot for posterity. :)


There were marvelous hors d'oeuvres served with a refreshing spritzer of choice. The "butlah" (I just can't say enough about him!) was at the ready... pouring, spritzing, serving, and lavishing attention on all the ladies.

Upon finishing our cocktails and chatting, we were ushered to the table for dining. It was an absolutely lovely tablescape (I didn't know that word until I saw Sandra Lee on Food Network!) and perfect for a pre-Easter event. We were missing one of our five but knew she would be joining us a little later.

We had invited our hostess, Terri, as well as our "butlah", Tom, to join us for dinner. After all, they had clearly worked VERY hard to make this a memorable evening! Terri accepted our invitation but our "butlah" did not. He was, however, at hand for water and wine pouring throughout the meal! (Did I mention what a fabulous "butlah" we had?)

(My apologies right now to Terri for anything I misspeak while describing the incredible dinner she slaved over preparing for us! I am typing from memory when all I can really remember is the excellence of everything she prepared!) We sat down to a terrific salad with what appeared to be baby field greens, nuts of some type, dried fruit (perhaps?), and an incredible salad dressing. (Did I mention I am asking for ALL recipes?) After devouring yet savoring that course, our "butlah" cleared our plates and began serving the entree. There was the most delectable pork loin, "dirty" wild rice (look it up non-Southerners!), asparagus, and a tangy-sweet barbecue sauce on each plate. The "butlah" offered up browned, warm French bread with basil pesto spread on it. The presentation was nothing short of what I have encountered in "foo-foo" restaurants while traveling with my aunt!! Here! Take a look for yourself!!

It was a lovely meal and there was even dessert in the works!! Italian Cream Cake with a whole strawberry garnish and a smidgeon of whipped cream for show. YUMMMMMMM!!! I gained five pound just looking at it!

Oh! Was everyone happy about the dinner? You tell me.
(L to R) Susan S., Your Blogger, Terri T. (our much-esteemed gourmet chef!), Jo B. (our new best friend for winning this bid!), and Charlotte B. (Missing from photo Martha O. who did finally make it!)

My thanks to every single person for a wonderful, memory-lane-filled evening. It was most enjoyable and something very different and fun!! Hats off to Jo, Terri, and Tom for bringing us all together and allowing us to revel in the pampered and spoiled category... even if for just one night. :)

Until next time...

LOOK OUT! I'M WHINING AGAIN!!

Hello again, Blogging Buddies! Good to see you.

Alright. The whining begins immediately. If you have cheese where you are now, I highly recommend you go get some. I begin with a rich, red Cabernet Sauvignon. (I know... I'm doing this backward. Always start light and end with the heavier wine.)

A friend of mine used one of the nationally-franchised tax services last year (2009) to file 2008 taxes. I am warning you about those services in the event you are using or considering the use of one. My friend had started a job in September of 2008 requiring my friend to be an Independent Contractor. My friend clearly stated to the tax preparer that the income from that job was only for a 4-month period but that in 2009, it was expected to be a 12-month income. The preparer provided my friend with an amount to pay quarterly as estimated tax payments. It's a good thing my friend and I had chatted about this and my friend decided to set back a specific amount from each paycheck for future taxes... not just for the quarterly payments. Why, you ask? Because the tax preparer figured the estimated quarterly payments based on the 4-month income from 2008, leaving my friend about $13,000 shy in tax payments for that year. Now that my friend has returned to the same franchise, it has become clear that last year's preparer was not truly qualified to provide tax assistance or advice. PLEASE!!! If you plan to use one of these firms, understand that you will need to RESEARCH their advice yourself. These people are rarely trained to do more than to punch in the numbers you provide when they ask you a question. They are rarely prepared to think ahead or outside of the "box" that is the franchise methodology. If at all possible, I highly recommend using a CPA for your tax filing.

Okay. Now I'm just going to throw a nice little Chardonnay at you.

When did the courtesy and manners that used to be inherent in business come to an end? I would like to think they may have begun the downward spiral when the internet became such a job-seeker's friend. I'm whining as I have now had first-hand experience with the lack of simple courtesy from the majority of firms with which I have applied for employment. This also applies to some "hand-delivered" or "snail-mail" applications so I can't look solely to the internet as the culprit.
1) If you receive an application/resume' from me, regardless of how it reached you, please have the courtesy to confirm your receipt of same!! I don't know if the black hole of cyberspace swallowed up what I submitted when I hit "Send" nor do I know if the postal carrier used had a vehicle accident that left my paperwork in a ditch somewhere. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just confirm you got it, please?
2) If you have decided to not even talk to me, for whatever reason, please just let me know that. Again... an email, a postcard... send me a carrier pigeon for crying out loud! How long should I hold onto the copy of what I sent to you? A month? Six months? Forever?
3) If you have actually talked to me but decided on another candidate, please just let me know that. (See #2 above for additional instruction here.) It won't send me over the edge. Really. My self-image is not really fragile. In fact, I will simply chuckle at your error in selecting someone less qualified and/or capable!! :) Your rejection is not going to send me into a black depression. Really.
There are a lot of us out here seeking employment. Most of us are trying to do our best to provide you with our best foot forward. It would be exceptionally kind of you to do the same.

Stepping down from my soapbox now. Hope you enjoyed your cheese. :)

Until next time, faithful readers...

SPRING? HAS IT SPRUNG?

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!! My sincerest apology for the length of time between posts. I wish I had some fabulous tale to tell you that would explain my lack of communication... but I don't. Sigh. I only ask your forgiveness.

Now then... we are still a good 16 days away from the end of winter and the first day of spring. I know that. I'm also aware that Punxsutawney Phil proclaimed six more weeks of winter on February 2nd and we are not yet out of that. BUT!!! Never let it be said that the fine folks of Louisiana simply sit and wait for the weather to change. Oh no. That does not happen. This is a planning kind of state, my friends!

So, on Saturday, February 20th, my friend, Jo B., and I got up EARLY (it WAS a weekend day!) and prepared ourselves for a day of gardening information and festivities. Yes... it was the long-awaited BEAUREGARD PARISH SPRING GARDEN FORUM... and silent auction. :)

We arrived right at 8:00 a.m. and there were already some folks there, signed in, and raring to go. We got our "goodie bag" and began checking out the offerings and displays. The festivities (actually, the speakers) were scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.

We found a booth filled with VERY enthusiastic Junior Master Gardeners! I particularly liked this booth as there were swords and fishing poles and lots of fun Huckleberry Finn kinda' stuff there!! (Maybe I should consider becoming a Junior Master Gardener?)

There were 3 speakers scheduled for the morning. Each had a specific field of expertise (note the "field" reference... it's subtle... but it's garden-related!). A young lady spoke about tomato plants and some of the concerns that can arise with them. A gentleman discussed specific issues that can cause problems with plants. Another gentleman was a soil expert (as are all young children... but most of us lose that as we age!) and provided information on keeping the soil healthy and productive. All were very informative and enjoyable. They allowed time for questions, which many of us really appreciated!

There were a number of booths surrounding a seating area with a screen for the presentations. There was plenty to look at and a lot of information to be gathered!
I ran across a gentleman who is one of the artists participating at RealArt DeRidder. He does wood carvings... and some very lovely ones, I might add. Apparently nature is his thing. He and his wife had a booth with blueberry plants, jams, jellies... all good stuff... available for us roving gardeners. They are the owners of Gulf Coast Blueberries right here in DeRidder, Louisiana! I very much look forward to his crop coming in!!
If you enjoy gardening and want to have a "little something extra" in your garden, how about a Butterfly House? After all... if you are doing a good job, you should have a lot of winged friends hanging around. And in this part of the state, you invite your friends to "sit and talk for a spell." (I'm not sure how much conversation you will get from a butterfly... but does it really matter?)
These photos are just the beginning of the fun-filled day we enjoyed. There was a lot more but I generally don't take photos of individuals without their permission so you aren't going to get to visually meet:

Keith H. - My new best friend. :) He is an Extension Agent (think County Agent in Texas) at the local LSU AgCenter Research and Extension office here in DeRidder. He is a hoot and did a fine job emceeing the event all day. There were door prizes, speaker introductions, timekeeping... he did it all. I have dropped by the local office here to obtain soil sample boxes and was glad to find him there and with a little time to chat with me. My gardening experience in Central Texas is with rocky, alkaline soil. It is a far cry from the very acidic and totally diggable (is that a word?) soil here in southwest Louisiana. I have a lot of larnin' to do!!

Dr. Charles A. - One of the mini-lectures I attended was facilitated by this gentleman. Absolutely fascinating. Visit his web site at http://www.nativeventures.net/ to get more information. He is an expert on edible plants and has co-authored several books on the subject. (The spousal-unit immediately ordered one of them when I returned with information on this gentleman!) Since we were a small group, he not only showed us the plants that were edible, he passed them around and allowed those of us who wished to do so to nibble on them!!! (Those of you who know me know I nibbled on everything that came by!) What great fun!

The Tomato Lady - You can read about Sara D. here... and I urge you to read the article. It was written last year which was the first year I bought her tomatoes. I am salivating now just thinking about crawfish-stuffed tomatoes with basil pesto!!! (If you want the recipe, email me. It is incredible!) I attended her mini-lecture on tomatoes... and learned a LOT in a very short time.

So... while you might not think you can pack a LOT of stuff into an 8a-3p day, I assure you it is possible. Oh... and I bought a couple of plants, too. Surprised? You shouldn't be. :)

My goodness. I have run long again. I just can't seem to keep these posts at a reasonably short length. My apology to my pal, Joe, in Austin who got me blogging back in my real estate days and made it clear I should be careful to not be too lengthy. :) He probably knew I was a lost cause there.

I do hope you are all happy, healthy, and looking forward to spring. I assure you I am doing just that!!

Until next post...