A New Orleans Wedding

Beautiful Bride, Lesley

A couple of weeks ago, we had a wonderful opportunity to attend the wedding of Lesley Simpson and Stephen Malancon in our favorite town, New Orleans.

Lesley is the daughter of our good and long time friends, Lois and Martin--we have known them for more than 40 years and Lesley since her birth. She is as dear to us as a niece.

We, of course, would not have missed her wedding, even if Charlie had not been included as the ring bearer.

Lesley and Dad, Martin

Lesley was a lovely (and serene) bride; Stephen a handsome (and composed) groom.  Martin and Lois were proud and happy parents, and we felt so honored and blessed to be part of the celebration and fun.

Martin made a dignified and proud father and Lois was beautiful as the mother of the bride. (Regretfully we don't have a picture as proof--but take our word for it.)

The church and service were beautiful. One of our favorite parts of the service, however, was when Charlie, as ring bearer, sauntered down the long aisle, looking right and left, until he spotted his mom, Bryn, way up front, and then made a fast dash to her pew.

After-Reception Salute

Stephen watched and smiled, and when Charlie got to Bryn's pew, he stepped down from the altar and gave him a high five. It was a sweet gesture and one we'll remember always.

After the ceremony, all of the guests "second lined"--a New Orleans tradition-- down the street behind the Treme Brass Band to the Reception venue.

Ring Bearer Charlie and Flower Girl with her Mom

The younger members of our group partied all night, but Oma and Opa along with Charlie left the reception early--we were tired and Charlie was having entirely too much fun "helping" the photographers whom he thought had light sabers--their lighting aids.  They were so nice & even let him hold the expensive equipment a little while.

Lesley, Stephen, Charlie and Oma at Desi Vega's

Charlie among the Live Oaks

Before the wedding, we were all invited to the Rehearsal Dinner, which was held at a fantastic and famous steak house, Desi Vega's.  Another Charlie memory--flirting with the pretty bar tender the entire evening.

A day or so after the festivities, Oma, Opa and Charlie visited Audubon Park, a lush and beautiful park across from Tulane and Loyola Universities.  The huge, old live oak trees with branches brushing the ground made a great place to climb.









Afterwards a walk on Tulane's campus allowed us to glean some Mardi Gras beads from low hanging  branches on one of the campus trees. Seeing all the hanging beads as we rode the Street Car was also a lot of fun. Now Charlie thinks that beads grow on the trees in New Orleans.

Helping "Monkey Bear" climb

Bryn, Erin & Kerri

Bryn, Grant, Erin, Johan and our good family friend, Kerri, enjoyed dressing up and going out on the town each night.  Johan and Erin have been dating for about six months.  Kerri is a friend from our Boone days, who now lives in Denver.

We all stayed in the same house, so, needless to say, when Charlie woke up at 6:00 am, some of us got up and out and let others sleep.

Erin & Bryn on our AirBnB porch

Some delicious NOLA food was enjoyed by all of our family group. Everyone agreed that Jacques-Imos is the best restaurant around--and since it was just three blocks away from our AirBnB house, we dined on their specialties several times.

The younger crowd also went to The Maple Leaf Tavern, right next door to Jacques-Imos, to hear some great New Orleans music.  With shows beginning at 10 or 11 pm it was a little late for the elder and younger elements.

Bryn, Grant, Johan & Erin

Charlie & his Dad, Grant, on the Streetcar

Early one morning we took the St Charles Street Car down to the French Quarter.

Oma, Opa, Charlie and Grant had fun walking through the Quarter and along the Mississippi (or MI-crooked letter, crooked letter, I-crooked letter, crooked letter, I-humpback,  humpback, I --- as Opa taught Charlie).

We rode the Ferry across the river to Algiers (the Ferry which takes 5 minutes used to be a great free attraction, but now, sadly, costs $2 each way).

On the Algiers Ferry with matching T-shirts

Afterwards the late risers joined us for a Birthday Lunch (for Sue) at Acme Oyster House where we feasted on raw and grilled oysters, po' boys and gumbo.

Listening to Music at the Live Oak Cafe

Many mornings we  had breakfast at the Live Oak restaurant, just around the corner from where we stayed.

 On Sunday we had live music.  Charlie and "Skittles" listened intently.

Oma (aka Princess Leia) and Charlie ( aka Luke Skywalker) at "home"

Luke defending Princess Leia from Darth Vader (aka Opa)

 Later that day, on another trip to Audubon Park, we became the actors in "Star Wars". While Princess Leia stayed "home" to cook (how sexist is that for a three-year-old ?), Luke defended her from being captured by Darth Vader.

Exploring the "Galaxy" in Audubon Park

Happy Trio: Opa, Charlie & Oma

Stephen, Charlie and Skittles

On one of our last days in NOLA, we met the newlyweds at Parkway Bakery, where some of the best Po-Boys in town are served.

Charlie and the Model A at the Parkway

At the Parkway Bakery & Po-Boy Restaurant

In fact, legend has it that the proprietors of the original bakery coined the term "Po-Boy" when they served the street car drivers who were on strike, and the female owner wanted to serve those poor boys.

Lesley & Charlie

We all ate one of the famous sandwiches and shared quality time with Lesley and Stephen--so nice to have them all to ourselves after sharing them with a couple hundred others during the wedding festivities.

Charlie, Lesley & Stephen

Erin & Johan on the Street Car

With a final ride on the Street Car, the day Erin and Johan had to fly back to DC, we ended a truly memorable few days celebrating the marriage of two of our most favorite young people.

Our family left and we were joined by Larry's High School buddies, which we wrote about earlier.

What a wonderful week in NOLA !!!

High School Buddies--49 Years Later

Larry, Jay & Ted at WWII Museum

We recently got together with two of Larry's high school buddies, Jay Field and Ted Moore, and their charming wives, Laura and Linda.

Over the years, we have visited with one or the other, but thanks to Jay's perseverance and determination, the three finally reunited all together in New Orleans.

(We were in NOLA to attend the wedding of Lesley Simpson, the daughter of our old and dear friends, Lois and Martin--we are working on a posting about that great party.)

Larry, Jay and Ted graduated in 1966, almost fifty years ago, from Norview High School in Norfolk, Virginia.  From a class of over 1100, not one of the three have managed to maintain contact with any of their other classmates.

The Norview Boys and wives.

Best friends during their junior and senior years, they went their separate ways upon graduation: Jay to Virginia Tech, Larry to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Ted to the US Army. All too quickly, the years seemed to pass with long stretches of being out of touch.

Since only Jay had family and ties to Norfolk, the other two never had reason to return or get together there.  Twenty-five years ago, Jay and Larry, along with Sue and Laura, attended the 25th Class Reunion which was held in Virginia Beach, VA, but Ted, unfortunately was absent.

New Orleans Street Car

With the help of the Internet, Jay finally found Ted a few years ago in Columbia, SC where at the time he was Provost of the University of South Carolina.

Jay tried to pull our disparate schedules together and plan a reunion several years ago, but it never seemed to work.  But 2015 was to prove the year we succeeded in getting the three back together.

Iconic NOLA water meter

Although we had only a couple of days in New Orleans, we managed to catch up, reminisce and share events from our lives during the past half century.

Our AirBNB Home

The boys enjoyed a day at the WW II museum, while Sue, Laura, and Linda had a day of exploring Magazine Street, an area of shops and restaurants.

Food, per usual in New Orleans, was a big part of the get together. The first night we all took the street car (not the trolley) to the French Quarter for dinner at the Acme Oyster House, one of Sue & Larry's favorite dives.  After more than a half hour wait in line we all enjoyed some typical New Orleans delights.  Acme Oyster House has been operating in the same location for over 100 years and should not be missed on a visit to NOLA.

Jacques-Imo's, a NOLA favorite

Our AirBnB accommodation was on Dublin just off Oak Street, a happening area in the Uptown Neighborhood. Besides sleeping all six of us comfortably, it had plenty of communal space, including a lovely patio, for visiting and imbibing.

The Live Oak Cafe, just around the corner from the AirBnb house, provided a great breakfast experience,  but the gustatory pinnacle proved to be Jacques-Imos: a not to be missed restaurant in the same neighborhood that features "Nawlins" style dishes. Wow!

The wait staff were incredibly good and knowledgeable--they didn't blink when we all wanted to share our entrees--and all came separated and on their own dishes.  At the end of our sumptuous and delicious meal, we ordered one dessert--bread pudding. What a nice surprise when three desserts (the bread pudding, creme brulee and a brownie/blondie plate) showed up, and we were charged for just one.

Our breakfast headquarters

After successful careers, all three of the high school buddies are now retired, and we are looking forward to more opportunities to get together.

Jay and Laura and Sue and Larry think that an Alaskan or Mediterranean Cruise would be just the ticket; Linda, Ted's wife, does too.  Now all we have to do is convince Ted.

Interlude with Erin

Sue & Erin at one of our favorite local restaurants

It has been a couple of weeks since Erin returned to DC, but we had such a nice time during her visit, we wanted to make sure that we wrote about our delightful interlude and shared on the blog.

Erin has been back in the USA for just about a year and is very much enjoying her assignment as a State Department liaison to the Organization of American States.

She gets to use her languages skills and is working in new areas like security, drug regulation, and immigration.

Diego, at his ease

She is hoping to extend her assignment, meaning that she will be in DC for three years, instead of the normal two.

One of the benefits of the job was that she was able to wrangle a month off during the Summer to enroll in a month long Yoga Teacher's Training course, taught here in Denver.

The course was no walk in the park with class lasting upwards of 12 hours a day, but she loved the course and especially her instructor.

To make her stay easier, she asked to bring along her cat, Diego, and we agreed.  She rescued him from the streets of Mexico City and has become very attached to him--and we can see why.  Diego is a sweetheart.

Jet black, with big green eyes, he is very affectionate and full of personality.  You can see that he quickly made himself at home.

Charlie sharing secrets with Auntie Erin

With Erin being here in Denver, it gave us a chance to be together as a family.  Erin and Charlie had a a real opportunity to get reacquainted and bond.

Charlie really like having Erin visit his home so he could show her his room and all the neat things he does at home.

Erin & Bryn off to Yoga on the Rocks

Erin and Bryn share an interest in yoga, so even though Erin was spending 50-60 hours a week in her training class, she was happy to spend one Saturday with Bryn at a "Yoga on the Rocks" event held at Red Rocks park.

They said they had a great time--perhaps it was the free beer and food that was offered after the event.

Sunset from our balcony

We just loved having Erin stay with us; we usually waited dinner for her & once the meal was done--we often retired to the balcony, wine glasses in hand, to enjoy the sunset and the opportunity to talk, reminisce about the past and contemplate the future.


Now that she is no longer in Denver, we miss those great conversations and the feeling of connection. As parents of adult children, you seldom have such a wonderful opportunity to be with your child--we felt so fortunate.

Larry & Erin on the porch of the landmark Stanley Hotel

Erin's last weekend here, we decide to drive up to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park for an overnight stay and tour. It is less than two hours from the hustle and bustle of downtown Denver, but truly a world away.

The trip was really a spur of the moment decision, so we had no reservations or even any idea of where to stay,

But we happened upon a cute little A-frame cabin on a fast flowing mountain stream, just outside of Estes--it was the last cabin they had available, and it really proved idyllic.

Cabin along a mountain stream

The hot tub on the deck was a nice bonus that  let us enjoy the spectacular night sky (complete with shooting stars), while relaxing and marveling at our beautiful surroundings.

We last visited the park in 1970 (and Erin had never seen it.) It was in many ways as beautiful and breathtaking as we remembered, but clearly climate change and global warming have taken their toll on the park and its environment.

The landscapes are still beautiful--but dead pines seem to be ubiquitous, decimated by the pine bark beetle.

Larry, Sue & Erin--selfie in the Woods

The beetle has always been present, but in times past, the larvae was killed by the intensely cold winters.

 But winters are warmer now, and the beetle is able to survive, eat and reproduce much more vigorously.

When we visited in the Summer of 1970, we remember seeing a lot of glaciers--they seem to be vanishing, with remnants only at the higher elevations.

On the Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park

Driving through the park along the Trail Ridge Road--sometimes in a caravan of other vehicles-- takes no more than two or three hours, even with stops to admire the incredible views and vistas.

Despite the crowds, though, we found the experience very relaxing and re-invigorating.

We know we want to go back for a return visit--hopefully for little longer than just an overnight.

But it was a great end to Erin's visit and the three of us enjoyed having the opportunity to experience the Rocky National Park together.

Our mountain goat!

Landscape with dead pines

Sun, Fun & Family

Walking path along Cherry Creek near our condo

We have settled into a very comfortable routine this Summer in Denver.  Our unusually rainy Spring has given way to a warm, but not too hot, Summer.

Denver is a wonderfully vibrant & alive city; there is always something to see and do & the climate invites you to be outside and enjoy it. Neither of us miss the hot, muggy East Coast summers.

Our condo is located in the heart of downtown Denver; just a block away there is a great walking trail along Cherry Creek.

Cherry Creek & "loch monster"

Subject to frequent flooding--and this Spring was no exception, the creek has been "urbanized" with re-enforced embankments and a pedestrian path on one side and a bicycle trail on the other.

On most mornings, one or both of us, like to walk along the creek down to where it meets the South Platte River and then return home walking along the 16th Street Mall.

It's a 40 minute, 2.5 mile hike and a great way to start the day.

Swim party at our Condo

One of the joys of living in a downtown condo is having a swimming pool just an elevator ride away.

The water is maintained at about 80-85 degrees fahrenheit, so it is usually a jolt when you first jump in, but as such provides a refreshing break and is perfect for lap swimming.

We cannot figure out why more of our neighbors don't use the pool more regularly, but many times we have the pool to ourselves.

We have been taking Charlie for swim lessons once or twice a week and he has made a lot of progress.

Earlier this summer, he used a swimming vest when going to our pool, but in the last couple of weeks he says he doesn't need it and he is going to give it to his friend Jack.  He is almost too fearless and delights in swimming from Oma to Opa and back again.

Bryn, Grant & Charlie's Urban Garden

Many Sundays, Bryn, Grant & Charlie visit for Brunch and a swim. Saturdays are usually their family day; they often spend part of the day working on their urban garden, which contains both perennials and vegetables.


Neighbors and strangers, often stop just to tell them how beautiful the garden is, the pleasure it gives to them and how much it adds to the community.

Defending the Galaxy

Once a week or so, Charlie spends the night with us.  In addition to swimming, he delights in defending the world against the bad guys--just like his heroes, "the boy who became Spiderman" or Defenders of the Galaxy's Star Lord.

Charlie & Oma

He also really likes to be read to; one of his favorite stories is about Persephone, but when Oma reads it to him, she has to change it so that Charlie is the one who is caught by the Lord of the Underworld and his mother, Bryn, has to bargain for his return.

Erin & Bryn off to a Yoga Day at Red Rocks

Erin was with us throughout most of July; she was able to get a month's leave from the State Department and came to Denver to participate in a Yoga Teacher's Certificate Program.  

It was hard work: eight to ten hours of class a day, but she really enjoyed it and we, of course, loved having her stay with us. 

Proud Dad

Graduation was a great day for her.  She has now returned to DC & her job, but we had such a wonderful visit.  She even taught a couple of yoga classes for us and some of our friends. We think she is going to be a great Yoga Teacher--she projects a great sense of calm and is able to adapt her class to the needs of the participants.

When not walking or swimming, we like to sit on our balcony which faces the front range of the Rockies. Since we face west, it is shady in the mornings and almost always quite comfortable.

Sunset from our balcony

Afternoons can be hot, but the evenings cool off and the sunsets are fantastic.  It provides a great place for reading, visiting and "wool gathering."

We will be traveling again starting in October and have registered our condo with AirBnB, the online rental service that we often use when we travel.  Just the other day, someone booked for the month of November.

Bryn has offered to be our contact and agent for prospective guests.  So, if you know of anyone wanting to visit Denver, check us out:  "Downtown Mt. View 20th Floor Condo" on AirBNB.