Month: October 2023

On the final day of our grand journey we packed up early and walked down to Brennan’s where we had a breakfast that literally satisfied us until dinner time after we had returned home. I stuck with the traditional brunch that I have eaten there since my honeymoon…a salad, eggs Benedict and bananas Foster. As usual nothing disappointed me. It’s always a sure bet to get a wonderful meal and outstanding service at Brennan’s. 

I remembered our many visits there as I enjoyed my food. I was so young and inexperienced on my honeymoon that I almost felt overwhelmed. I had never been in such a luxurious place before. I did not even recognize the names of the food but I quickly understood what a remarkable place it was. We would later take our daughters and our grandchildren there and they would quickly adapt their palates to world class cuisine. Of course, bananas Foster would always be their favorite dish. Surely the flaming presentation helped to make its appeal. 

My favorite visit to Brennans was after hurricane Katrina when the city was still limping along and hoping to recover the glory of days before the storm. We were there with two of our grandchildren on the first morning when the restaurant had managed to book every table for the entire day. It had been two years since that had happened and the staff was overjoyed. When our waitress asked us where we lived, she became rapturous upon learning that we were from Houston. She spoke of how our city had been so kind to so many people in the terrible aftermath of the destruction of New Orleans. She literally began to cry as she thanked us and the people of our city. I cried as well. 

I always want to linger a bit longer in New Orleans but it was time to go. I had math classes scheduled for the following day and my father-in-law was eager to return to our home once again. We bid adieu to the French Quarter and drove around the city before finally heading west on our final leg.

The drive home down Interstate 10 was messy in spots but no worse than usual. At one point a billboard suggested that we tune our radio to a local Cajun station and the programming we found there was a hoot. The DJ spoke Louisiana French and the music was all sung in the local language. We got a kick out of hearing it and immersing ourselves in local culture one last time. Our last stop for gasoline led to meeting a wonderful woman with a heavy and lilting Cajun accent. She was adorable and instantly became one more memorable moment of the trip. 

After fourteen days away from home I had made many observations about our wonderful country. While we may at times appear to be bitterly and politically divided the truth is that there were incredibly good and welcoming people wherever we went. When we just accept people as they are, not as we want them to be, life is so much more pleasant. I suspect that we are all just passing through this life wanting to enjoy the best versions of existence. In the United States there are so many opportunities to lead comfortable and rewarding lives. 

Our country looks to me to be doing way better than most people are apt to believe. Life appeared to be mostly very good in state after state. If the trucks on the road were any indication our economy is buzzing. The same thinking goes for crowds in restaurants and stores and hotels. There is a vibrance all around and most people seemed to be genuinely happy in spite the struggles that we humans always have to endure. 

There were even migrant workers staying at one of our hotels. They got up early each morning and rushed off to work. At night they left their dusty boots outside their doors. They were quiet and obviously determined to work hard to have good lives. There was so much work to be done everywhere and signs of prosperity and rebuilding were quite encouraging. Virtually every single highway was being repaired or expanded. The infrastructures of the nation were enjoying major upgrades. So too were houses and buildings being erected. What I witnessed was a vibrant effort to move forward after the trials of the pandemic. We are adjusting and working toward a more normal way of living after a rare and tragic event. It takes time to overcome the hard times that affected the entire world, but here in the United States our progress is evident in spite of the great losses we have shared with the rest of the world. 

I know that not everyone is benefitting from the recovery equally. We still have those who are struggling mightily with addictions, mental and physical illnesses and the grinding hardships of poverty. I saw those things as well. I only wish that instead of allowing politicians to enrage us by blaming their opponents for everything that is bad, we would finally understand the importance of working together to make progress in eliminating the ills that seem to always be with us regardless of who is in charge. 

We still have much to do and we have the human and material resources to do remarkable things as long as we are willing to be inventive and patient. It’s up to us to include the ideas and enthusiasm of the young in our quest. We must demonstrate a growth mindset with the understanding that we will have both success and failures. It takes time and effort to accomplish great things. Our focus should be on building a better future, not carping about our differences. This country and our world is truly worth compromising and sacrificing to save. I hope we are up to the task. 

Now and again I have one of those days that seems to be perfect from start to finish. Sometimes it’s just twenty four hours of homebound bliss when I’m feeling on top of the world just enjoying the ordinary. Others times it is an occasion that is so special that it seems to be one of those once in a lifetime moments. My second day in New Orleans on our recent trip was a kind of homage to the city and the joy that it has brought Mike and me again and again since our honeymoon back when I were a young couple filled with hopes and dreams that have mostly come true. 

We had a leisurely start to our day relaxing in our enchanting room at the Hotel Monteleone. Just before ten we ambled down the street to The Court of Two Sisters for the jazz brunch where we were greeted with the sounds of music and many smiles. The place was already filled with happy folks celebrating special days and enjoying the ambiance. 

I was determined to taste a bit of everything because I had already purchased a cookbook featuring some of the favorite recipes from the restaurant. I wanted to know how each tasted and which might become my favorites. Since I had the opportunity to choose whatever I wanted at the buffet I took small portions of everything, returning again and again to the cornucopia of choices. 

I found everything to be exceptionally delightful and began to plan Thursday evening dinners with my grandson who enjoy the adventure of cooking. I reveled in the idea of the two of us attempting to reproduce the creamed spinach, jambalaya, sweet potatoes, and bread pudding. It was a most joyful experience that was punctuated by our friendly and knowledgeable young waitress, Jasmine. 

Following our scrumptious brunch we decided to visit the Cabildo where I had commented on the occasion of my honeymoon that I felt a sense of deja vu while there in spite of the fact that I was certain that I had never before been to the place. Several years later as I was looking through some of my mother’s old photographs I discovered a picture of myself sitting in a stroller inside the very building where I had experienced an eerie feeling that I had once before seen the place. 

We spent several hours enjoying the rich history of New Orleans on the three floors of the building that once housed the Spanish colonial city hall. The building itself is a wonder and the exhibitions point to the importance of the city throughout different eras and the many influences that have shaped the Crescent City on the Mississippi River. 

Next we visited the Presbytere which flanks the right side of side of St. Louis Cathedral matching the architecture of the Cabildo. It was originally the site of a residence for monks and later became used for commercial enterprises. Now it is known as the Louisiana State Museum where current displays show the history of Mardi Gras in the city and also present a moving account of hurricane Katrina. 

We spent much of the day in the two museums and then strolled for a time around the French Quarter until the heat of August became a bit too much to bear, so we headed back to the hotel to rest a bit until it was time for our main event, dinner at Antoine’s Restaurant, one of the oldest and most famous of all the eateries in New Orleans. 

We had decided to follow the older rules of dress for the occasion. During the days of our honeymoon men had to wear jackets and ties to enter the more formal restaurants, so Mike donned his suit. In the meantime I changed into a long summer dress. We were giddy with delight because I had often longed to try the storied restaurant and had never before been there even though our travels to New Orleans had been many over the years. 

We were a bit too early to claim our reservation so we once again went to the Carousel Bar in the hotel and found a window seat to enjoy the people watching while we sipped on our wine. it was almost as much fun as our tour of the two museums. 

Another short walk took us to the famed restaurant where we were feted as though we were among the many celebrities whose photos don the walls of the establishment. I imagined turning to see Earnest Hemingway making his way to a table or catching a glimpse of a movie star sharing the space with me. I felt like a star struck teenager just being there. 

The attentiveness of the waiters who catered to us was astonishing. They seemed to be mind readers who knew our every wish, arriving just as our glasses of water became a bit too low, noticing that we needed something. Making us literally feel as though we were the special guests for the evening.

We began our culinary journey with a trio of oyster dishes and ultimately decided that the charred oysters were our favorite. Then came our entree of Pontchartrain Pompano with onion rice, asparagus and creamed spinach. We ended with a divine bread pudding. Every bite was so divine that I felt that I needed an Antoine’s cookbook as well so I asked the waiter if one was available. He immediately went into the kitchen and returned with a copy that he carried like the crown jewels. Not long after the sous chef came out to autograph our new treasure, and treasure it is. It is not only filled with some of the best recipes but also tells the storied history of the restaurant and New Orleans. 

I was so excited that I hardly knew what to do. I don’t think that our day could possibly have been any better than it was. I should have been sad that we were leaving the next day but sometimes staying too long ruins the perfection, so I was resigned to making the final push to return home to resume my routines including once again teaching mathematics to a small group of students. Our vacation/rescue of our granddaughter had been more wonderful than I might have imagined. We had enjoyed a magical day. It was time to go back to reality.