Preparing for the Endymion Coronation Ball

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, 1:57 p.m.) – After a long week at work in Jackson, much of it tying up loose ends as I leave the Mississippi Democratic Party, I'm ready for as weekend in New Orleans celebrating the Carnival season.

And guess what?

That's exactly what my family and I plan to do. Pam, Camryn, Matthew and I will pack up our car later today and head to Slidell for the weekend. Pam and I will then attend the Krewe of Endymion Coronation Ball on Saturday.

We'll stick around for Sunday and another cheesy, cheap parade in Slidell – but, hey, Matthew should enjoy it since it's his first – catch the Super Bowl and then return home Monday morning.

Finally, I'll kick off my new business enterprise on Tuesday morning. I'm still putting together the final touches, but I'll post my news release on this blog for everyone to read.

As for now, gotta go. I'll file a blog update with photos and a story later this weekend.

Copyright 2009, Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Enjoying a Carnival weekend in metro New Orleans

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

SLIDELL, La. (Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009, 3 p.m.) – A relaxing weekend in Slidell and New Orleans, highlighted by a trip to the Endymion den for my krewe throws, ended far too soon today.

As you may know from earlier posts, I ride in the Krewe of Endymion, the largest Carnival parading organization in New Orleans. I had to stop by the krewe den on Saturday to pick up about $500 worth of krewe-emblem throws I bought for the parade.

Among the items: Krewe cups, krewe beads, stuffed animals, Endymion footballs and Endymion Frisbees. My mom's house in Slidell is overflowing with junk for me to throw on the six-mile route Saturday, Feb. 21.

Camryn, my 3-year-old daughter, had a great time. She waited at the krewe den with me and my mom and then had a rare treat of a peek through the large doors of the den at floats still under construction.

Today, Camryn, my mother and I joined my sister and her family for the Krewe of Claude parade in Slidell. As expected, it was awful: Cheesy floats, two bands and not much else.

How bad was the parade? Well, they used rental floats from Barry Barth – floats that were small, narrow and just plain hideous. It also didn't look good when the third float was numbered 10 and the fourth was numbered 22.

But my daughter didn't care. She just wanted to see floats, see marching bands and catch beads.

Next up: A trip to Slidell on Saturday, Jan. 31, for the Krewe of Endymion coronation ball that night at the Hilton in New Orleans and another cheap Slidell parade on Sunday, Feb. 1.

The real stuff kicks in the weekend of Feb . 14.

Below is a photo gallery slide show from the weekend. If you see a photo you like, click it and you'll open a larger version. And use the button o the left corner of the slide show to toggle captions.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Matthew makes it through the night with his foot brace

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Friday, Jan. 23, 2009, 7 a.m.) – Matthew made it through his first night wearing the foot brace required to correct his right club foot.

I'll try to take a photo of the brace and post it later. But essentially the brace is one long bar with two open toed shows o n both ends; we tie the shoes tightly on Matthew, his feet become immobile and he sleeps with them all night.

It's rather sad and I felt bad putting them on. But Matthew didn't fight. He didn't protest. He allowed me to put the shoes on his feet. And as awkward as they were, he slept through much of the night.

One month down

As I write this, it's been a little more than a month since Pam, Matthew and I have been back from China.

Catholic Charities, which is our social agency in charge of our home study, visited the house this week for the required one month report. We have a six-month and then one-year report before we are totally on our own.

Catholic Charities completes the report, forwards a copy to Holt International Children's Services and then, I believe, Holt sends a copy to the China Center for Adoption Affairs.

Mardi Gras approaches

Camryn, our daughter, and I will head down to New Orleans early Saturday for a quick trip in which I'll pick up my Krewe of Endymion throws for our parade on Saturday, Feb. 21, in New Orleans.

I'll visit my mother and family, Camryn will get to spend some time her aunt, uncle and cousins. And I'll also have time to get excited about Carnival season.

Few times of the year rouse my interest like Carnival and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I don't know what it is about it – probably the feeling of carefree escapism it creates – but I love this time of the year.

Pam and I plan to head down for weekend parades in February, as well as, of course, the Endymion weekend celebration.

I'll chronicle our visit to Mardi Gras this year with stories photos I post on this blog. So, don't forget to check back often.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Enjoy new Cassreino photo gallery

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, 7:52 p.m.) - As I prepare to drive south to New Orleans this weekend for Mardi Gras business - I will pick up my Endymion krewe throws on Saturday - I thought I'd post a quick photo gallery slide show.

This isn't anything too spectacular, just a few slice-of-life shots. I'll try to throw together some Carnival photos from the upcoming weekend and post them Sunday or Monday. Keep watching this blog. Until then, enjoy the slide show below.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

DIRECTIONS: Click photo to enlarge. Toggle photo captions with button in left-hand corner of photo gallery slide show.

NEW: View photo gallery, Mardi Gras in New Orleans

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Sunday, Jan.18, 2009, 5:03 p.m.) – It’s Carnival time in New Orleans.

And with parades just weeks away, I thought I’d post a new photo gallery here to the blog. This one features some Mardi Gras photos I’ve gathered over the past three years.

These are some of the nicer ones, a small sampling of the literally hundreds I’ve snapped.

As we get closer to Mardi Gras and I start attending events – the Endymion Coronation Ball, the Endymion float show and New Orleans area parades – look for more photos.

Until then, enjoy.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.


DIRECTIONS: Click photo to enlarge. Toggle photo captions with button in left-hand corner of photo gallery slide show.

One month since we returned from China

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009, 5 p.m.) – Today marks one month since Pam, Matthew and I returned home from China.

And it’s been an incredibly hectic month. I returned to work at the Mississippi Democratic Party. And we’ve tried to settle into a normal day-to-day routine at home.

Pam is still on maternity leave and will likely stay that way through the month of February. Meanwhile, Matthew continues to adjust well at home; he turned 22 months last Thursday.

On Tuesday, Pam and I will take Matthew to an orthopedic specialist to examine his club foot. Our pediatrician said he believes everything is fine; our orthopedic specialist should tell us if he needs any special shoes.

Check back today because I’ll be posting a new photo gallery – one for Mardi Gras.

With Carnival season in full swing, I thought a look back on Mardi Gras these past few years is appropriate.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Matthew's first doctor visit a success

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

MADISON, Miss. (Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, 9 p.m.) – A successful, refreshing weekend in Southeast Louisiana morphed today into a return to work.

Today was my first day back in six weeks – I haven’t worked since the week before Thanksgiving, taking a few vacation days and an unpaid month-long leave in December for our adoption trip to China.

I left work early, at about 1 p.m., so I could meet Pam and Matthew at the pediatrician’s office. Matthew had his first visit to a U.S. doctor and Pam and I had questions about his overall health and club feet.

The prognosis: Matthew is in great shape. In fact, our doctor said he is one of the healthiest overseas adopted children he has ever seen. He didn’t even think Matthew’s club feet are an issue.

Nevertheless, we will meet with an orthopedic specialist in the next month to discuss the club feet and any necessary treatment.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Carnival time in New Orleans

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

SLIDELL, La. (Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009, 8 p.m.) – It’s Carnival time in metropolitan New Orleans.

After a day of Mardi Gras shopping Harahan, La., we knew the Carnival season is upon us – workers already have started installing reviewing stands along Veterans Boulevard in Metairie.

Today was another successful day: More Mardi Gras shopping capped by a visit with my aunt and two cousins in Metairie – who met Matthew for the first time.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.

Ole Miss impresses in Cotton Bowl appearance

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

SLIDELL, La. (Friday, Jan. 2, 2009, 5 p.m.) – Ole Miss pulled off an impressive Cotton Bowl win over Texas Tech.

Pam, Camryn, Matthew and I arrived at my mother’s house in Slidell in time to catch the game live on Fox. The three-hour trip from our home in Madison went very smoothly.

Camryn and Matthew sat quietly in the back seat o f my Ford Fusion watching videos on our portable car DVD player (thank God for the DVD). Neither Camryn nor Matthew complained at all. Pam and I were surprised.

After the first quarter, Camryn and I headed over to Mardi Gras Imports in Slidell where I paid for my layaway order of beads for the Krewe of Endymion. Then, I spent the night packing them for my parade next month.

Our good friend Linda St. Martin visited my mother’s house to meet Matthew. And my two sisters and their children stopped by also for a visit.

Copyright 2009 by Terry R. Cassreino. All rights reserved.