THANKSGIVING AT THE BEACH

By:

Gypsy Rhapsody

 

Thanksgiving at the beach is the best...

according to Vannie and Dave.

 

Just too much sand for me.  I would rust out after one day.

 

Soooo...V and D headed to the beach in Gulf Shores, AL

with grandson, Vincent and Cooper.

Vannie says when you get two boys together...6 and 10...

your senses get overworked...

loud, stinky, hungry, touchy, and notices everything.

What does everyone want to do when they first get to the beach?

Put their feet in the sand and water...

Vannie says it is just what people do.

I'll take her word for it.

 

V says this is a crawfish.

Looks kind of like a big tick to me.

Gotta love those little hand prints.

Up early and out late...

What...no homemade grandma food???

Vannie said she wasn't going to spend all her time cooking,

but Spaghetti O's...!!!!

Cooper is really getting the feel of the beach.

If you go anywhere with Vannie...art is part of the deal.

Now, this is livin'.

Dave said it was  wonderful to finally have a grandchild that was old enough to cook.

Cooper has this onion, mushroom, and cheese omelet down pat.

Dig to China

Treasures

I can almost smell this photo.

Cookies

I can almost smell this one, too.

What in the heck is this?

Vannie said the boys found it on the beach...

and then this little crab came out of it.

Yuck.!

Run, Vincent, Run

Brrrr

Vannie said nobody but Cooper had the nerve to get in the pool.

 

Looky here...

Emilie and Maddie flew in to the Pensacola airport midweek.

I think Vincent was happy to see his mom.

Maddie loved the sand.

What a threesome.!

Bacon Lovers

Exploring

Come on Maddie...You can do it.

Oh...the smell of gasoline at the fun park.

And Chlorine... The battle is on with Cooper, Emilie, and Vincent. 

Maddie was so relaxed on the Tilt-a-whirl she almost went to sleep.

Dave said the waves really were strong later in the week.

2 peas in a pod

"Look what I found, Cooper"

Wait...aren't they at the beach during Thanksgiving?

Vannie said that her Halloween pumpkin never got carved...so....

she brought it with her.

Fun Times

Dave said he wanted an outfit like Vincent's.

The colors just glow.

Bedtime...she doesn't look very sleepy.

Thanksgiving day

Vannie, Dave, Cooper, Vincent, Maddie, and Emilie

all gathered round their Halloween Jack-o-lantern

and had a wonderful meal...

Baked chicken, Stouffer's mac and cheese, Green Giant brussel sprouts,

Italian green beans and Brookshire's pecan pie.

Easy Peasy and very thankful...



LITTLE PIECES OF PARIS

By:

Gypsy Rhapsody

 

PARIS...  We hurt for her.  We cry for her.  We stay strong for her.  We pray for her.

Vannie, Dave, Jan and Chester traveled to "the city of lights" in April.  I wrote about their adventures...and tried to be happy for them...even though I didn't get to go.

While they were there, every afternoon after touring, they would return to their apartment on the Boulevard Beaumarchais and talk about their day...and Vannie and Jan would paint.  Just little small paintings using watercolor pencils.  As a statement of showing our support for Paris, I'd like to share Vannie's "little pieces of Paris"
 during their magical visit.

 

Solidaire avec Paris

(united with Paris)

 

Eiffel Tower

 

(in the style of Marc Chagall)

V and D floating outside their apartment window

(also, in the style of Chagall)

Scene out of the bathroom window...

Everything was there...except the chicken and the girl.

Marc liked to stick those in places where you would least expect them.

 

 

Marc himself

(V's paintings in the style of Chagall were inspired after seeing the wonderful paintings he did for the Paris Opera and, also, his paintings that are exhibited at the Centre Pompidou)

 

"Place de Vosges"

(beautiful park right down the street from their apartment)

 

(in the style of Gustav Klimt)

"The Kiss"

 

Gustav himself

(Gustav was from Austria, but there was an exhibit of his works showing in Paris during their visit.)

 

 

Basilique du Sacre-Coeur

...located on the highest point of the city...

 

 

Monet's Waterlilies

(Musee de l'Orangerie and, of course, the real thing right outside of Paris in Giverny)

 

Claude himself

 

 

Chez Marianne

A wonderful little restaurant in Le Marais District

 

Flowers from the gardens surrounding the Musee Rodin

Remember...Auguste Rodin was the sculptor that gave us The Thinker.

Auguste himself

 

Catacombes de Paris

...underground ossuaries... Spooky...

(site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains)

 

 

You are right...Shakespeare was not from Paris...but,

a wonderful English language bookstore right by Notre Dame Cathedral is named after him.

 "Shakespeare and Company Bookstore"

Oh my goodness...is this Vannie and Dave?...I think so.

(in the style of Pablo Picasso)

 

Pablo himself

(one of V's favorite museums was Musee Picasso)

 

 

"Café au lait and baguette"

(an everyday treat...one of their favorite things to do...stopping for café au lait and baguettes)

 

According to Vannie and Dave, Paris is for everyone.

It is a small town in a big city.

It sparkles.

It shines.

It radiates.

 

It will be back.

 

Je suis Paris.

(I am Paris.)

 

Fluctuat Nec Mergitur

(Tossed by the waves but not sunken)

 

Meme pas Paris

(Not scared)

 

Prier pour Paris

(Pray for Paris)