Darlin' debs take a breather

The Demoiselle Club summer season is winding down, with the last party scheduled for Saturday, a Debs and Dads Pool Party & Grill toasting Catherine Dorroh.

Among the last, appropriately enough, was "A Summer Soiree" held Wednesday for Ginny Broyles at the home of her parents, Bill and Nancy Broyles, and hosted by Sue Broyles, Becky Broyles and Janet Hicks.

A whimsical invitation boosting a line drawing of a summer blossom beckoned friends to stop by for the fete and for Uppercrust of Haynesville’s divine delights downed with refreshing lemonade and ice tea.

Celeste Wedgeworth created summer bouquets, some of which included pears and apples. (Unique designs you expect of talented Wedgeworth.)

The thirteen darlin’ debs will bow formally to society Nov. 24 at Shreveport Country.

But inbetween?
.
Broyles will work for Knox Goodman and will travel to Chicago to visit friends.

She has already selected her white formal for the presentation. "It is pretty and the first one I tried on," said Broyles.

Dorroh plans to head to the beach with her family in July, but back to Ole Miss the middle of August.

The season was special to her because she got reacquainted with many of the young women she knew as an elementary student at St. Mark’s Cathedral School.

She selected her dress on spring break when she dashed into Sue Peyton’s on a whim. "I went in for 30 minutes and found my dress!"

As for Amanda Clemons, she will make sojourns to Chicago and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with her parents.

When the last party is over, Alex Rhodes will report to work for her father at Steel Forgings.

"I am majoring in accounting, so I will be doing accounting, taxes, payroll and the mail," she said.

She and her family will also make their way to Cabo San Lucas.

Neither Clemons nor Rhodes have selected presentation dresses.

"We need to get started!" commented Rhodes

Goooo tigers

Paul L. Schuetze/The Times

You think you are a LSU fan.

You should see Suzanne H. Stinson and hubby Bossier-Webster Dist. Judge Ford Stinson's LSU room and bathroom in their Benton home. (Well, Suzanne declares that it is all Stinson's show, but she obviously delights in watching people discover it for the first time.) The area was much the center of conversation Sunday at "Tailgating ‘Justinian Style,’" a gathering to introduce the 2008 Justinian royalty.

They are: King Merritt Chastain and Queen Jan Bookter. Dukes are Marty Johnson and Bossier-Webster Judge Johnny Robinson and duchesses Allison Bushnell and Marti McMichael.

Captain of it all: Steve Glassell, no small LSU fan himself.

But partiers were in and out of the bedroom. The bedspread is a banner that once flew over the LSU gym. There is a helmet from an important game signed by Jerry Stovall. And, yes, Billy Cannon is represented, too. There are framed tickets and a bill of sale from the purchase of tickets to a game that Ford’s dad bought after he got home from World War II. There are even a pair of purple and gold crocodile style shoes! (And, if you are ever invited, don’t forget to check out the sign over the commode in the bathroom. No, we are not telling. You have to read it for yourself.)

Walk around the corner and into the den area, there is a huge display of miniature tigers.

I mean, Ford is the consummate LSU fan! (He wore purple and gold shirts with white pants to meet the party's dress code of purple and gold casual. And, he was happy to show folks around as they marveled at the collection.

Guests also chowed down on tasty boiled shrimp, crawfish corn bread and pistolettes, a sandwich-styled dish, from Benton’s Kajun Tyme Catering at the inside/outside affair.

Fields of flowers

Photo by Paul L. Schuetze/The Times

Can we brag a bit?

It doesn’t translate via photo as stunning as it appears to the naked eye, but husband Paul L. Schuetze has worked long and through many summers and springs to field about two acres of black-eyed Susans on our seven acres.

He started with just a few plants that popped up as wild flowers do. They now stretch from the Old Road to what I refer to as "the creek" on both sides of the driveway and spread every year.

Nothing difficult about growing them really, except allowing them to seed annually. By the time the blossoms and plants have died back, the land looks really scrappy. But if you can endure it ... a field of black-eyed Susans is your reward.

Each Saturday, as we walk through the grounds, we also marvel over the day lilies retrieved from various sources. (Paul loves them because they are easy care. There are so many hues and sizes, some as small as a demitasse cup, others as large as porridge bowl.

We are waiting now for the moon flower vine, climbing on a post, and the hyacinth bean, clamboring over the mailbox, to burst into glorious blossoms.

And, this year, I have sweet peas for the first time! And larkspur! And poppies. My poppies are the palest of pink with a thread of white around the outer edge. Another style was plush and looked like a peony. (I had no idea what I was ordering and when they first came up we didn’t even know what they were until they started budding. But, then, that is sort of the way we garden.)

His tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and bell peppers are coming on — as are those of other gardeners on The Old Road.

And, Paul’s pride and joy: The small patch of zinnias he plants from seed every spring.

Each Saturday morning, I clip all the blossoms. I fill a red-accented white enamel pitcher and other vases with them for the kitchen table, window sill and guest bathroom.

The zinnias help make the hot summer worthwhile.

Because they are country beautiful and because Paul plants them for me.

A piece of cake

The wedding cake of Dustin Michael Ezernack and Emelia Summer Wrenn has been seen around the world or at least in the United States.

Their wedding cake represents Louisiana in the parade of 51 wedding confections featured in People Magazine’s Weddings for July.
It is white with bright blue icing. The four asymmetrical-stacked layers are decorated in a mix of patterns, with a flower on the top layer. Crowning it are their initials. (See it for yourself by going to www.peopleweddings.com)

It is a white almond cake with fluffy butter cream icing.

Owner Lora Silva and her daughter Gina Haley of My Pastry Chef, Bossier City, created the culinary work of art.

How was their cake selected?

Magazine officials searched the Web to find a bakery, Haley said.

"We’ve got lots of congratulations and from people in other states who said they saw the cake in People magazine," said Haley.

The women have also been contacted by InStyle magazine who asked them to send photos for a possible story. ABC’s "Wife Swap" wants them to recommend glittery partygoer clients who might be appropriate for the show.

Ezernack and Wrenn of Bossier City, married May 12 in Centenary College Brown Chapel, with a reception at Holiday Inn, Bossier City.

The groom is a 2006 grad of Parkway High School. He has joined the U.S. Air Force and is scheduled to attend boot camp in early October and from there to tech school in air craft mechanics.

Wrenn, a 2007 grad of Bossier Achievement Center/Parkway, will attend Bossier Parish Community College in the fall.

Ezernack's parents are Russell Long of Mansfield, and Chal Ezernack Long of Bossier City, Wrenn's, Marvin and Christy Wrenn of Bossier City.

A country jaunt

Dashed up the Old Dixie Road Wednesday to check out the sunflowers and meet Gilliam Mayor Helen Adger at D. & I. Grocery, Belcher. I love out-of-the-way country spots and although the store has been open 33 years, and I’ve passed it hundreds of times, this was my first stop.

It is a darling store, with old wooden shelves.

And, dinner was divine. Owner Beth Belk served us a sampling of both the meat loaf and the roast beef. Both were delicious. So were the green beans, new potatoes and sweet tea. Ditto, the chocolate cake. The plate lunches ae $4.95, with varied menu. They also have a variety of sandwiches or buy some old fashion cheese and crackers and have picnic.

Are you a Ryan Farms fan? And do you wonder where they have gone. Well, they have moved from the Sentell Road and are selling produce in the middle of Dixie on the Old Dixie Road. They are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday.

The day we were by there, they were peddling tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe and corn. Coming soon: shelled peas and other produce. We’ll be back.

By the way, the sunflowers are going to be stunning Saturday for the Sunflower Trail & Festival in Gilliam.

Sold! To the highest bidder

You should have seen it.

Edna Marie Allen, Mary Frances Querbes, Jim Montgomery and Ashley Sugar Bates raising their hands to help nab auction items for Betty and Leonard Phillips Deaf Action Center "Las Vegas Nite."

At times, steering committee members even vied for the opportunity to call upon businesses as center chief David Hylan called off items from the last auction.

That is how this A-list group feels about the center — very special.

Namesake Betty Phillips was front and center Tuesday at Bella Fresca for the kickoff luncheon.

An owner John Cariere, who shares benefit co-hosting duties with Barbara Sugar, was in the kitchen preparing pork chops, sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes.

The lunch bunch also enjoyed a fab salad. Choice of desserts — which many weight watchers turned down — was coconut creme pie or creme brulee.

The every-other-year black-tie optional fundraiser will be held Dec. 1 at Cambridge Club. Admission: $125 a person.

More faces in the crowd of diners: Sandi Kallenberg, Linda Goldsberry, Electra Churchhill, Maryann Valiulis, Randolph and Tina Kallenberg, Dr. Rebecca Thomas, Tika Wooley, Dr. Ryan Wicker, Mary Jo Hicks, Michelle White Lafitte, Sean O’Con.

On the set with Denzel Washington

It is ironic that Uptown Shopping Center UPS owner Preston Friedley — who has gotten his share of bad press in the past — is playing a newspaper photographer in "The Great Debaters."

And, getting direction from Oscar winning actor Denzel Washington, who plays the lead and directs the movie about a Wiley College, Marshall, Texas, debate team.

Friedley has shot three days in downtown Mansfield and scheduled to work again July 5.

"It is not a speaking party, but I am very visible in taking pictures throughout the scene," said Friedley.

And, Washington has personally given him instructions, using either his name or referring to him as "photographer," Friedley.

The day Friedley reported to the set for a fitting, a crew member asked him if he could handle a 1935-era camera with a flashbulb that was hot and had to be changed four times in less than two minutes. ("I guess I got the part because I could handle a flashbulb!" quipped Friedley.)

The crew member ran through it with him and then said, "This guy will tell you what to do."

"This guy" was Washington.

He told Friedley that he would take four pictures in a certain time frame and ran through the procedure with him a couple of times.

During one scene, Friedley was standing between actors Forest Whitaker and John Heard and moved.

Washington came out and said, "Preston, I want you to stand right here. Don’t step too far out. I want to see you, not just the camera. Stay very tight and take photos."

And he marked the spot between the two actors where he wanted the local to position himself.

And, John Heard, who plays the sheriff does talk directly to him. At one point, Heard says, "Stop taking those photos and get out of here."

"I am called a ‘featured actor’ in the movie," said Friedley.

So, see, you never know when you show up at an open casting call — like Friedley did — what part you might land.

... Friedley has started a "Wall of Fame" in the UPS store, asking any actors who stop by to mail something to sign their name. Roger Bart shipped an antique lamp to his apartment in New York and Ed Harris also shipped some things as did Donna McKechnie. Although she didn’t come in herself, Diane Keaton sent a box to Woody Allen.

...Gary Jones of Mansfield, watched Denzel Washington as he worked to get a building ready for the shoot. "They were getting it all together," said Jones.

Stories from a mom

Susan Ogilvie (left) and Ellen P. Murphy, moms of bride Lauren Murphy and groom Stuart Murphy respectively pose at their children's wedding June 2..

Stuart and Lauren M. Murphy, who married Saturday in Dixie, are honeymooning in a cabin in the Ozarks of Arkansas and he has already called his mom, former Shreveporter Murphy of Baton Rouge.

Ellen, a Ph.D., is now associate director and a state program leader in the school of Human Ecology at the LSU AgCenter.

Anyway, she was in a meeting Monday when the phone rings.

It is Stuart.

"He said, ‘Mother, how long do you cook baked potatoes?’" e-mailed Ellen.

Oven or microwave, Ellen asked.

When he answered "Oven," Ellen responded: "400 degrees for about an hour. Just stick a knife in it and when the middle is soft, they’re ready."

Stuart loves to cook for Lauren, explained Murphy.

... One more story from the groom’s mom.

Stuart and Lauren dated when he was 16 and she was 14 and he told his mom that she was the girl he would marry.

However, they dated a short time and after graduation from Captain Shreve High School, went their separate ways.

Ten years late, Lauren, who was living here, called Ellen to get the telephone number of Stuart who had made his home in Arizona.

"They talked every day. He flew home to see her for a week, then she flew out there for a week and the next thing I knew, he is moving back to Shreveport," e-mailed Ellen. "They have been together ever since."

By the time she told that story and Stuart’s father, Jeff Murphy, recited an Irish prayer at the June 1 rehearsal dinner for 66 at Superior Steakhouse, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.

Times Photo/Paul L. Schuetze

A wedding wish

Stuart Murphy and Lauren Murphy said "I do" Saturday beneath sweeping boughs of a pecan tree at Cairo Plantation, home of John and Pam Sloan.

It was a beautiful country wedding.


A special part of it was a reading by Lisa Melinda Wheeler.

It is so beautiful and meaningful that I want to reprint it and dedicate it to all married couples and those to be:

"Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.

Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of you will be a companion to the other.


Now you are two persons,
but there is only one life before you.


May beauty surround you both on the journey ahead
and through all the years.

Treat yourself and each other with respect
and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.


Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves.


May happiness be your companion and your days be good and long upon the earth."