Yesterday before the in-laws returned to Texas, we took them to do a little wandering on Magazine street. We took them by the Occassional Housewife and, of course, ended up buying a few things ourselves- an old copy of The Dreamer inscribed "Albert S. Hurley, Yale 1929" (I collect pre-1955 vintage books, I'm obsessed!) and a butterfly-shaped hamper for Shelby. We also stopped into an art gallery and antique store called Berta's and Mina's Antiquities. Inside was a plethora of huge, folk-artsy paintings in New Orleans style. Lots of dancing and music, and a lot of religious scenes like nativities and Madonna & Child portraits, many with comments or titles painted around the edges. Created on doors, shutters and all kinds of other seemingly found canvases, it made for quite the colorful collection. I didn't really notice much furniture or many antiques, but we were starving so didn't make it to the back room of the shop. There were some other pieces by other people near the door, as well as some prints, and Dustin spotted a framed print of a cat he liked for his mother. After she went outside he inquired about the price: $4,000. For a print. Of a cat with a chair. I get that art is super-duper expensive, and a lot is well worth it. But that wasn't a $4,000 cat. I'm just sayin'.

It was raining, so we hurried back to the car, past St. Henry's and their cute little nativity scene made of 2x4's. Momee wanted a po-boy, so we took her over to Guy's. Two po-boys was morethan enough to feed all five of us. The shrimp was grand as always. Last time we had Guy's, Dustin had gone to pick it up and brought it home, so it was the first time I had been inside. Space is limited, to say the least, and you order at the counter, next to the giant chess piece (what is it, the one that looks like a horse?). Some of the menu is posted on the chalk board, as well as the Saint's current win/loss ratio (which has had a minor slip in the last two weeks, unfortunatly, but hey, all streaks come to an end at some point... they're still in the play-offs, though! Who Dat!). And did I mention that on the sides section of the menu, they also have fried pork chops listed? So they have poboys, potatoes, and pork chops. Sounds good to me.