Cenla Focus – About Town

About Town Andrea and Donna

I am off for the summer, but I came in to work while Vivian is at Grandma’s house, to help out my employer.   I was flipping through the Cenla Focus and saw my picture…hahaha.  This totally cracked me up.  I knew the photographer was buzzing around but I didn’t know who he was or the picture was going to go.  This cracks me up on several different levels.  Firstly, because people are probably wondering “Who is this chick?”….secondly, because I lend a whole new definition to the term “white”; and thirdly because right under me is my beloved friend, R. R. Sr.  The man who called me up, cussed me out and slammed the phone down in my ear.  Shame, shame.  Let’s just say I was new to town, I had no idea who this family was and I was not trying to make their life miserable, I was just concerned about my neighborhood.

Anyway…it was my laugh for the day.

Andrea

Spring is in the air!

Oh my….this is usually the time of year that I dust my blog off and then tackle about 10 projects at the same time.  🙂  This year is no exception.  I have accepted the nomination of Vice President of the Historical Association of Central Louisiana.  Thank you for your faith in me.  Among some of my duties, I will be writing a couple National Register nominations this year and working with property owners regarding tax incentives and rehabilitation of their properties.  I also have my property to work on and submission of a NR nomination is forthcoming in that area.  I finally have everything straight with the SHPO (State Historic Preservation Office) regarding what they need from me and what I need to do.

My laundry room and kitchen are being “finished” by a carpenter as we speak.  Steven and I just ran out of steam labor wise and have been too involved in other things to get it finished.  So, we hired a good friend and excellent carpenter to come and finish what we started.

In adoption news, our home study was finalized yesterday.  All of the paperwork that our social worker needed from Mississippi came in and we can finally move forward with completing our dossier and sending our documents to China.  Within the next thirty days I hope!  National Register nominations pale in comparison with submitting a dossier to the Chinese Government!  Wow!

Many good things are in the works!!!  It is spring!  My favorite time of year.  I am ready to rock Cenla!

Andrea

Antique Show in CENLA!!! April 8 and 9!

There will also be a showing of our local vendors with their goods for perusal and sale.  Please support this event!

Andrea

Things to do in Cenla

I am sitting here at work, on a very cold day, surrounded by several space and gas heaters and what comes in the mail?  The City of Alexandria’s three month event calendar.  I was considerably cheered when I read the events which will commence from now through March.  My favorite picks (the ones I circled and plan on going to) are as follows:

January 8th – Second Saturday Market at the Museum

February 12th- Second Saturday Market at the Museum

Alexandria Museum of Art.  10am to 1pm. Local art, food, music and children’s activities.  Call 443-3458 for more information

January 30th, Sunday – Tea and Puppets

Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center.  3pm.  Talented Ventriliquist/Comedian Lynn Trefzger will be there and a tea and puppet crafts will conspire in the lobby.  The admission is $5 a person, or $20 for groups.  Call 443-4718 for more information.

March 19, Saturday – Spring Artwalk in the Main Street District of Leesville

6-9pm. Features knwn and new art and artists. Live music, contemporary and traditional art on display.  Admission is free. 

March 18-19 – Friday and Saturday – Que’in on the Red

North Levee Park, Fri 5-10pm and Saturday 12-10pm,  Sponsored by the City of Alexandria.  Championship barbecue, music and a carnival.  Admission is $10.  Call 449-5225 for more information.

March 19th, Saturday, Corley’s Miniature Petting Zoo

Well, even though this is bad timing for this event, I am including it because I think it is a cool idea and that Vivian would really dig it.  TREE House and the Martin Foundation is sponsoring a petting zoo for children 1-3pm.  Cost is $4 per person, children under 2 are free.  Call Kara for more information: 619-9394.

Great things are going on in Cenla!  Hope to see you at one of these events.

Andrea

Help an Orphanage win a Formula Grant

Click on this link: FACEBOOK  it will redirect you to Ford’s Facebook page.  This link will bring you directly to Love Without Boundaries video.  Click on “LOVE IT”.  Every vote counts!  You can click on it every day until December 31st if you wish.  LWB’s formula budget in their orphanges are $100,000.00.  This $10,000.00 grant would be a huge blessing to them!

Thanks for participating!

Andrea

APOLLO

Gyro Salad with Apollo Dressing, side of Grecian Dip...good stuff!

I love mediterranean/mid eastern food.  Apollo is out of this world!  You definitely have to like and understand the culture in order to eat there.  I love their salads…the Gyro salad with the Apollo dressing is the best.  The chicken schwarma is an awesome choice too!

Apollo Greek and Lebanese Cafe

(318) 448-0455

3425 Jackson St
Alexandria, LA 71301

If you love gyros and Greek food, you definitely have to give this place some of your business.  I plan on trying my best to eat there as often as possible.  We need more places like this.  I am tired of the run of the mill chains.  Let’s keep these people in business!

I read a lot of ignorant things said in reviews about this restaurant most of it had to do with the culture or the ethnicity of the owners and NOT anything to do with the food.  This makes no sense to me at all.  The owners are very kind and I have had great service, with the exception of one blonde, very rude waitress who could not even pronounce gyro (yee-roh…yee-roh say it with me people yee-roh) correctly and then she proceeded to tell me that what I was ordering was not really what I wanted.  That’s interesting…I had ordered it several times before, I am so glad she can read my mind.  However, the owner came out and saw what was going on and recognized me and quickly took my order.  Unfortunately, you will run in to people like that anywhere.  So, I have no complaints.  The food is awesome!

As far as listening to the different music and the TV being tuned in to a middle eastern channel….uh…you are at a middleastern restaurant.  Do I really need to say more?  Enjoy your experience and enjoy the good food.  

The next thing we can work on is getting Whole Foods to open up a store….now wouldn’t that be something?

Andrea

PS:   Some interesting facts:

1. Our numeral system (0, 1, 2, 3, etc.) are Arabic numerals.  This numbering system we use today, originally developed in India, was taught to Europeans and in the Americas by Arabs from North Africa.  Thus, the name Arab numerals.

2. Lebanon is called the “Paris of the Middle East”.  Lebanon was under French Mandate until their independence in 1943.  The official language is Arabic and French.  It is bordered by Israel to the South and Syria to the North and East. It is a very popular tourist area due to its mountains and beaches.

3. Beirut is the largest city and capitol of Lebanon with a population of 1-2 million people.  Beirut is named one of the ten most livelist cities in the world.

Hotel Bentley Records Discovered

I thought this was neat.  This was sent to me this morning.  Thought I would repost.  It is neat to visit the museum.  Anyone who has not visited, it would be well worth your while and best of all — it’s free!  My favorite time to go is when relatives come in.  We make a round to the Kent House and the Museum, as well as other cool things.

“The photograph you are looking at is part of the core history of the Hotel Bentley. It is the Hotel Bentley Corporation Stock book. It has surfaced  after spending almost 60 years in a box in the back of a closet,  in Houston, Texas. It records the investors in the Hotel Bentley from 1919 to 1936. The names of the local businessmen who thought enough about Alexandria to invest their hard earned money in the Bentley.

 

It paid off for them. All their names are displayed and the amount of stock they purchased and date of purchase are on display along with this book. A piece of Central Louisiana History, at the Louisiana History Museum. Come view the expanded Bentley Hotel exhibit. It’s free.”

       

Andrea              

A-Town Jazz This Friday Night!

A Town Jazz This Friday!

Check out this event.  It will be this Friday at the Hirsch House on Jackson Street, Alexandria!

Andrea Warren

Love my coffee! Cool mornings and the porch…..

I am happy that Fall is finally bringing cooler weather.  We don’t get a lot of that here in Louisiana!  I love to take a cup of coffee early in the morning, out to the back porch and just sit.  Before everyone wakes up…peaceful!

Some who follow us know that we have announced our plans to adopt internationally.  At present, we are trying to raise the International Home Study fee through fundraising.  Our initial goal was $2,000.00.  We spoke with the lady yesterday who is going to do our study.  Her fee is $1,200.00! Yay!  So, we have reduced our goal to $1,200.00.  Where does coffee fit in with this?  Just Love Coffee is having a fundraiser on our behalf.  They created a storefront for us and we receive a part of the proceeds from their sales.  So, if you like quality, fair trade coffees, check out this wonderful company.  They also support orphanges, other adoptive families and churches.  Make sure you visit the About Us page to read about this wonderful, giving family.  They have experienced International Adoption personally. Click here to visit our storefront.

Thank you and Thank you!

Steven, Andrea and Vivian

Children in Handumanan, Philippines

You may remember me talking in July about having a school supply drive at our VBS.  The kids at our church packaged up the boxes and wrote letters to the kids in the Philippines.  We had such a great time and a tremendous outpouring of hearts during that week of VBS.  The school finally received our supplies and here are a couple pictures.  I love these kids!

This has truly made my day.

Andrea