Apparently, I can’t count….I’ll do better with Day 9. Eventually, I knew I’d get the numbers mixed up. So y’all have an excellent day and here’s a pretty sunrise picture before that sun becomes a sweltering, oppressive inferno. Think I’m kidding? Come to the South in the summertime. This time last year, Marie and I had taken a trip to New Orleans…and let me tell you, the BEST part of the Audubon zoo were those GLORIOUS water fans they have spread throughout. Why – if we’ve lived in Louisiana our entire lives – did we go to the zoo in New Orleans in July, you ask? To make a precious two year old happy. Totally worth it. This was also the trip where Marie dropped me off at Cafe du Monde, where I waited in the longest line ever to get beignets and iced coffee, but I forgot the sugar. So what do we do? Use powdered sugar from the beignets, of course.

Elizabeth – I’m pretty content with living out in the country. The only thing I’d change about where we live now is I’d love a pond. If I had to choose another place to live….I honestly wouldn’t mind living inNew Orleans. It’s a beautifully quaint city with more history than just about any place in America. Plus, there’s never a shortage of things to do and see.

Marie – Somewhere I’d like to move…
I don’t guess I have a specific place that I would move, but I can tell you what I’d like it to look like. I’d like a place in the mountains with a beautiful view overlooking a little river, where the weather doesn’t get so hot during the summer and it snows in the winter.

Elizabeth –
I’d choose a Sonny’s Pizza (franchise only in Louisiana) Italian burrito with bell peppers, onion, and hamburger, a Dr. Pepper, and ice cream from Dairy Queen. I’m sure I could find room for turkey and dressing too. 🙂

Marie –
Meal I could eat everyday for the rest of my life—
Chicken and dumplings
Green bean casserole
Corn on the cob
Bottled water to drink
Pecan pie with vanilla ice cream on the side

Elizabeth —-

It always seems impossible until it is done. Nelson Mandela

Being unique is better than being perfect.

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you until it seems that you cannot hold on for a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time when the tide will turn. Harriet Beecher Stowe

“It’s impossible.” said pride. “It’s risky.” said experience. “It’s pointless.” said reason. “Give it a try.” whispered the heart.

I was set free, because my greatest fear had already been realized, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life. J.K. Rowling

We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
Marianne Williamson

Marie —-

And though she be but little, she is fierce. Shakespeare

Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.

Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell us dragons exist,
but because they tell us dragons can be beaten.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time
we fall.

You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose
sight of the shore.

Elizabeth: This is a tough one. I love Disney movies, and never tire of watching any of them. The Little Mermaid is special because it’s the first movie Marie and I went to see together when we were little girls. Plus, both of us also have an affinity for the ocean and sea life.

I’m weird though…most of the time, I like the Evil Queen characters more than the heroines/heroes (Ursula was an exception.) Take Sleeping Beauty for example….I totally love Maleficent. She was just a misunderstood, jilted woman who had her wings cut off by the man who professed to love her. I’d have a bone to pick too!

Side note: around 10 of the cast of characters came fully formed in my dream with complete names and personalities of their own. We knew Andrew needed an ex-wife so I enlisted Marie’s help to come up with a name. To honor my love for Maleficent, she offered Millicent…. 🙂

Marie: My favorite Disney movie is The Little Mermaid. Elizabeth and I went to the movies and saw this together when we were younger. It is a wonderful memory from what seems like so long ago. My second favorite Disney movie would be Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken. I wanted to be a horse diving girl for a long time after I saw that movie. 😉

Happy 4th of July! We’re celebrating with a day trip to Vicksburg, and fireworks over the Mississippi River. We might accidentally go to Solly’s Tamales too…who needs barbecue when you have perfectly spicy tamales, right? – Elizabeth

10 Likes….Elizabeth
1 – A rainy day
2 – Alligators
3 – Owls
4 – Alone time
5 – New Notebooks
6 – Sonny’s Pizza Italian Burritos
7 – Burberry Brit for women
8 – A good book
9 – Dependable friends
10 – LSU Tigers 💜💛💜

10 Dislikes….Elizabeth
1 – Intolerance
2 – Stupid people
3 – The Bug Which Shall Not Be Named
4 – Thinking about eggs (like what it really is)
5 – Pretzels
6 – Super gushy romance
7 – Humidity
8 – Being surprised – makes me feel out of control
9 – Putting up folded clothes
10 – Texas Longhorns

10 Likes….Marie

1. Chicken and dumplings
2. Any shade of blue
3. Fast cars
4. Horses
5. Fall or Spring
6. Just about any Disney movie
7. Modern technology
8. Puppies
9. Taking pictures
10. Rain

10 Dislikes….Marie
1. Politics
2. Snakes
3. Watermelon
4. Extreme heat or cold
5. Scary movies
6. Traffic
7. Sleepless nights
8. Mushy love stories
9. Vacuuming
10. Paper cuts

So here’s ten facts about one of the coolest people I know….Marie Hewes

10 Facts about ME!

1. Shark week is my favorite week! Once upon a time, I wanted to be a Marine Biologist even after having a strange obsession with the Jaws movies.
2. I hate to dress up. I’m a t-shirt and jeans or lounge pants kind of girl. And definitely don’t forget the flip flops!
3. I like to think I’m fearless, but let me see a roach and I will run away screaming like a baby!
4. I have blue eyes and they are by far my most favorite feature about myself.
5. Elizabeth and I grew up across the street from each other, we are going on a 29 year friendship, literally.
6. I was one of those kids that brought home every stray animal I found, that’s only gotten worse with age.
7. I love iced coffee, but cannot stand hot coffee-makes no sense, but they just don’t taste the same to me.
8. I’d rather be in the country and quiet any day vs the hustle and bustle of the city.
9. I’m not saying it sounds good, but I do love to sing! Elizabeth and I used to belt out every word to almost every Wilson Philips song!
10. I was born to be a mom. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

And her nicknames……..

Nicknames—

One of my friends used to call me Tink, I’m not entirely sure why except for that I liked Tinkerbell. Ironically, one of my old bosses used to call me Tinkerbell.

These two are more like sisters to me. We’ve been thru some crazy hard times together, and even though we’re literally states apart….I know I can always depend on them no matter what.

I have one nickname that I know of. My papaw called me Scooter. Soooooo…..here’s a few pictures of the coolest Cat in the world….our Bleuxberry. Pike’s included too. She’s our other Cur.

Fact # 1 – I’m left-handed.

Fact # 2 – I’m 6 feet tall.

Fact # 3 – Last summer, Marie and I got matching tattoos to commemorate writing the series. Belle Tempête means beautiful storm in French. It is also the name of a plantation home in our books.

Fact # 4 – I wrote the first draft of ‘The Waiting, Book One’ and ‘The Watching, Book Two’ on my iPhone.

Fact # 5 – I wear dresses or skirts 99.9% of the time. Ironically, when I was 13, I wrote a poem entitled ‘I Detest Wearing A Dress.’

Fact # 6 – Marie and I played Barbies until I was at least 14. I credit our EPIC all day and all night Barbie playing sprees with spurring our creativity. Our Barbies weren’t normal…they had serious issues (divorce, death, murder, Amazonian warriors, Sea World trainers, rock stars)

Fact # 7 – One of my most favorite things to do is drive around with Terri and take pictures of beautiful things….sunsets, trees, bridges….whatever…..we just love driving around together.

Fact # 8 – I’ve never loved an animal the way I love my Bowie Bleux. We found her on a back road in Franklin Parish after seeing one of my home health patients. She was 2.2 pounds, and took my heart from the first moment I held her little malnourished butt. By the way, her name is pronounced Boo-e Blue and she is a Blue Leopard Catahoula Cur.

Fact # 9 – Despite having two wolves in the backyard (the largest being over 160#), I am terrified of German Shepherds.

Fact # 10 – I’m a huge believer that everything happens for a reason. Everything. Bad things. Good things. In-between things. God has a plan and purpose for it all.