Growing up, my family didn’t necessarily have traditions for the holidays. We always woke up to my mom cooking Christmas dinner while we opened up Christmas gifts or we always went to my grandmother's house to celebrate with family. However, we didn't have what some people consider holiday traditions like Elf on the Shelf, Chinese food the night before Thanksgiving, reading A Cajun Christmas book every year, going around the table to say what you are thankful for, making homemade ornaments every Christmas or buying certain types of ornaments every year. My husband is an only child and comes from a smaller family while I come from a mother who is one of ten, so lots of aunts and...
November is the month in which most American families celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. A holiday full of warmth, family, friends, and an abundance of food. It’s supposed to have that proverbial table that’s long enough to seat everyone and make them feel invited. Dishes are passed around, willingly shared, as everyone lists the reasons for which they are grateful. A prayer is said to the heavens above and everyone eats until they are full. Sometimes, afterward, there is a gathering of football fans in front of the television set.
In a perfect world, Uncle Roger doesn’t mention that the women who’ve cooked all day should also do the dishes and Aunt Edna squeezes you into a hug, listing some positive...
My husband and I were leaving Tiger Stadium, and my mind was occupied with getting back to our car and A/C. His mind was elsewhere. Evidently it had been for some time, and he could no longer take it. He looked at me and matter-of-factly informed, “I want to join the Navy reserves. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and researching it, and I really want to do it.”
To this day I’m not sure how I didn’t laugh him off immediately. There was something about how imploring he was. All I could muster in response was something dumb like, “Ok… ok… whoa. Can we talk about this?” He confessed that this had been a lifelong dream...
17 years ago today I knew I would be a mom without my mom.
I have struggled with writing this since my mom took her last breath on September 14, 2002. I was 23 years old. I had completed college and thought I was grown. I thought I was ready to face the world. And I was. I was just ready to face it WITH her next to me.
However, after years of kicking cancer's butt, my mom took the deal of a lifetime. She accepted her wings and took flight for her heavenly shopping spree. If you knew my mother, you knew that she was a SHOPPER. I fondly recall a sign in our kitchen growing up that said “Kitchen...
A few weeks ago, I was listening to a nationally syndicated country morning show after I dropped the kids off at daycare. They were interviewing an artist, asking him what his road trip necessities were. Listening to their conversation got me thinking.
Thinking about family vacations when I was a kid brought out loads of nostalgia.
When I was a kid, our summer vacations were always camping trips. We camped a lot in East Texas and those trips are remembered fondly by me and my siblings. Traveling to our destination was half the fun. Our trips included paper maps (gasp!), sandwiches and snacks (see fudge rounds, sunflower seeds and chips) put together by my mom and music picks by my dad....
Around Baton Rouge
The Best of Red Stick Mom :: Top 10 Posts of...
The Best of Red Stick Mom :: Top 10 Posts of 2024
As this year comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment...
