What Happens In New Orleans...

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

After a busy night last night of laundry, doing exercises, picking up supplies for Shannon’s Halloween costume, eating more salad wraps, and simply conversing and texting friends and loved ones, I was prepared for the trip to New Orleans. Well, almost. In the morning, Shannon and I went to Lake Charles Starbucks and we both wrote for about 3 1/2 hours. Shannon is writing a game sequence for Choice of Games (www.choiceofgames.com), called NOLA Burning.  This is an online story game or interactive novel--no winners or losers, in which you read a story and choose optional changes to affect the outcome of the story. Apparently, it is a popular game among the young folks that would have been the D&D lovers of a decade or two ago.

We hit the road in the early afternoon and drove Interstate 10 over the bayous, swamps, and rivers of southern Louisiana, heading for New Orleans. The interstate was basically a bridge for at least 20 miles. No cyclists here, that’s for sure. 

We arrived in the French Quarter in the late afternoon. Lori Bowen, Shannon’s close friend and the Director of Operations for Viscera, Org., had arrived about 30 minutes ahead of us, having flown in from Portland. In typical Lori fashion, she immediately set to exploring the surroundings and figuring out all the room details of our shared suite at the Lamothe House. She gave us the grand tour and we were enchanted with the digs.

The Lamothe House Hotel was built in 1839, originally the home of Jean Lamothe, a wealthy sugar cane plantation owner. It is a block away from Frenchman Street, considered the “Local’s Bourbon Street”, where some of the best local music and cajun cuisine can be found.  The hotel is said to be haunted, but I had a peaceful time there. However, Shersy, the 4th member of our Halloween team, said she felt that “Courtney” (Shersy’s pet name for the persistent resident) was a mischevious little lady who kept picking on her. 

Our bedroom had 2 large beds with head- and foot-posts and mini canopies stretched overhead. Old wood dressers, a bureau, and a wardrobe were spaced throughout the suite. The living area had a round marble table perched on clawfoot legs, a Victorian couch rested against the wall, and a balcony hemmed in with wrought iron allowed us to watch the goings on down below in the street. There was a Keurig coffee maker, which we used frequently. There were 2 TVs, which we didn’t use at all. The bathroom was small but functional and we all got along very well, taking turns throughout the 3 day period there. That is saying something about our moods and our congeniality---four women sharing one bathroom SUCCESSFULLY. It would have been hard to dampen our spirits, though. We were in the mood to have fun in the French Quarter for Halloween and All Saints Day. 

After investigating our digs, Lori, Shannon, and I walked through the streets, enjoying the street musicians as well as the live music wafting into the street from the many bars and restaurants.  We walked into a few shops and stood at street corners shooting photos of cool bands playing jazz, blues, and ragtime. This town is simply ALIVE!

We stopped at a corner shop advertising local tour information: swamp tours, ghost tours, cemetary tours, etc. There, we met Brian Crochet, a New Orleans native. He pointed out the good tours to attend, should we be interested. I asked him about life here in New Orleans and he warmed up to his favorite subject, his Cajun accent becoming more apparent as he spoke. He has worked in several jobs over the years, but he loves to: fish, do handyman work, play music, and live in New Orleans. His son is a skilled musician and Brian ran over to his stereo system and played some incredible funk music. We all began to move our hips and shoulders in response to the mesmerizing rhythmic tones. How can one stand or sit still when the funk is rising??

Brian showed us photos of the band to which we danced---men dressed in elaborate feathered costumes. Brian described how the Mardis Gras celebrations at one time, in the 1700‘s I learned, prohibited black slaves from participating, so they dressed up as indians. I had to read up on this, because I really wasn’t savvy to the history of the local parades, which are a huge hit the world over. When people want to celebrate Mardis Gras, they go to New Orleans. So I wondered, what is really the deal here?

The French colonists in Louisiana originally captured and enslaved the Native Americans in the 1600s and early 1700‘s to work the tobacco plantations. But, these native locals knew and understood the swamps and bayous and kept escaping, much to the colonists’ frustration. So, enter the black slave trade. As the African slaves were brought in, they became friends with the Native Americans, who often helped them escape. The two races intermingled, resulting in the large mulatto population, which has become known as Black Indians or the Mardis Gras Indians.

During French and Spanish rule of the territory in the 1700s, the slaves had a certain amount of freedom: Sundays off, local gatherings in the town square, and they could even take on a job for pay to buy their own freedom. But freedom had its limits. The French and Spanish loved to party, so the holy days were often celebrated with balls and parades and costumes, the Mardis Gras celebration being the largest. For many years, during that shadowed history of slavery, the African Americans were prohibited from wearing costumes and masks, as they were sometimes known to crash the costume balls and parties of the upper eschelons of society. 

When Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase, the “Americans” moved in and took over the plantations and the slaves lost their rights. There is a long history of treachery and power struggles, not only among the powerbrokers called Americans, but also among the slaves, free men who were formerly slaves, and the Native Americans. Fast forward to the 1900s when many New Orleans neighborhoods were populated with rival gangs with a vendetta to score from century old betrayals of fellow Native Americans, African Americans, and Black Indians. As the years progressed, these formerly violent rivals changed to competitions, especially during the holy days’ celebrations, such as Mardis Gras. Now, rival groups sew elaborate feathered costumes, replete with fake gems and jewels, sequins, and incredible handiwork. There are specific songs and dances, mixing old and new Native and African American cultures, which are played out with great pomp and circumstance.  Old wars are now waged with competition of song, dance, and costuming.  It reminds me a bit of some of the current college and street dance competitions that take place in the bigger cities throughout the country. 

This culture has fairly become the signature of the Mardis Gras celebration, with incredible parades and elaborately decorated floats and costumes. Now New Orleans is a hodgepodge of people of multiple nationalities and cultures, all living together in a more relaxed celebration of the life that is New Orleans. 

Brian summed up the local attitude quite succinctly. He said that, when Hurricane Katrina devastated a good portion of the city, and so many died or lost their homes, the government was too slow to respond, making the rescue efforts ineffective. “But, New Orleans has always had to take care of itself. This is what we know how to do. This is what we do. We get back up, rebuild ourselves, and begin again. We recreate ourselves while we still try to hold on to our history and culture”. 

It was wonderful to meet Brian and get a brief glimpse of the local attitude. 

Lori, Shannon, and I returned to Lamothe House rather late and ate salad wraps one more time. I couldn’t believe that neither Shannon nor Lori wanted to go to a restaurant! After all, we were in New Orleans! We ate our salads with gusto, but I made it clear that I wanted at least one dinner in a local restaurant. They laughed at me and assured me that, yes, yes, we would go out tomorrow and they would actually eat something!

Shersy arrived at about 1 a.m, having flown in from Santa Barbara, CA. She hadn’t slept more than a few hours the night before, but was too wired to go to bed right away, so she shut the double doors to the bedroom and did whatever she does for a good hour before she fell into bed.

Before proceeding with the fun times in NOLA, I wanted to say just a bit about Lori and Shersy, two of Shannon’s very closest friends. First, let me just say what an honor it was to spend two of my favorite days of the year with these wonderful friends. The combination of the four of us could not be beat in terms of compatibility and the ability to understand and appreciate each other.

Shersy has been Shannon’s friend since high school. She is true blue and loyal and generous. She just finished her MBA and has been working with the Dream Foundation for a few years now. This incredible non-profit organization grants wishes to the terminally ill. We have all heard about the Make A Wish Foundation---the NPO that grants wishes to terminally ill children. The Dream Foundation concentrates on adults. Shersy is a big softie and I am so amazed she can do this job. At first, she said she cried quite a lot every time one of her clients died. Now, she can hold it together when they pass away, except for the ones to whom she becomes attached. These are often the ones she knows the longest. Some of the clients are accepted into the program but pass away before their wish is granted. Those who live long enough to have their wish come true have incredible experiences. Shersy says that many of the wishes revolve around family or children. For example, if a parent is dying of cancer, his or her wish will often involve either gathering family members from all over the US for a reunion or a trip to Disneyland or Disney World with their children. Shersy’s job is to make the wish come true. She is a great organizer and can talk anyone into giving her anything, so she is able to make many dreams come true.

Shersy’s passions are helping others (duh!) and adventure. She is a people person and she is the easiest lady to love in the world. I love her dearly.

Lori is a gem. She and Shannon work together thru the Viscera Organization, but are also close personal friends. They can tell each other anything. Lori is quite brilliant and has a mind that never stops. She knows so much stuff that, if any of us wanted to know anything, we just asked Lori! She is a topnotch organizer and manager and she loves to play an assistive role to help others reach their dreams. Lori’s mother was in a terrible accident when Lori was about 10. Since then, Lori has managed the home and has taken care of her mother. She grew up, therefore, taking care of someone she loves very deeply. She has taken that love and those skills and made them work for her. During the New Orleans trip, Lori navigated the streets, told us where the restaurants were that served the food we like, found the cemetaries, places of interest, and, well, anything we wanted. She is most happy when she is allowed to do that---help guide others to achieve what they want. She is easygoing and makes no demands for herself. She is absolutely amazing. Her passions are helping others achieve their goals, horror movies, and Stevie Nix. I am so very glad I had the pleasure of meeting Lori on this delightful trip. I hope to spend many more wonderful times with her in the future. Again, she is amazing.

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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Shannon and I took off in the morning, walking down the street to Cafe Envie for coffee and more writing. Shannon finished her New Orleans story and emailed it to the Choice Of Games owner. Lori got up shortly after Shannon and I left, to do more research on the area. Shersy slept in, after her 2 days without sleep, and was still in bed when we returned around midday, but she got up when we were all in the room. We pulled it together and took a nice long walk in the French Quarter. 

More music. More voodoo shops. More bands. And people coming out early in their Halloween costumes. Shersy and I got the locally advertised “hurricane” drinks and sipped our drinks while we wandered.

On drinking alcohol: I have never been drunk. I was a “good girl” in my teen years--no smoking, drinking, pot, or parties. I rarely even had a date. Even now, I talk more about having a margarita than I actually have one! I have been to many dinners with friends where they hand me a glass of wine. I have a hard time finishing it! I will have a bottle of Baileys in my refrigerator for over a year and it doesn’t diminish till my son pays a visit!

 And I don’t smoke---yeck!

When I left on this trip, I told my kids that I would experience things that I have never done---I might carefully sew some wild oats, if they were offered. (Wait, can you carefully sew wild oats? Hmmm, yes, I think so! It’s called informed experimentation) So, I had told Shannon that I would actually see what “drunk” is like, once in my life, with trusted people to keep me safe. 

So, I had a rum shot and hurricane. While I felt slightly lightheaded, it was not time to do the grand experiment. So I didn’t have anything else at the time. 

After enjoying the sights and sounds, we headed back to Lamothe and enjoyed the pool for a bit. It was sunny and warm and the water was like a bathtub. Afterward, we started working on outfits. The makeup I had purchased for my own “costume” wouldn’t stick to my face at all, so I was virtually without a costume, other than brightly colored tulle strips attached at my shoulders for Cicada wings. So I looked like a cyclist with strips of fabric on my shirt--LOL!

Lori dressed as Joan of Arc, AFTER she died. She fit the Joan of Arc style well. Lori is strong and has great posture---she looked imposing and valiant. When she put her hands together in prayer position and looked heavenward, she was downright convincing as the warrior saint. 

Shersy dressed as a Greek goddess. With her blonde hair and perfect complexion, she carried it perfectly. She posed on the Victorian couch in decadent goddess fashion. I expected a sparsely clad Adonis to arrive and peel some grapes for her!

Shannon dressed as Alma from Santa Sangre. I sewed white tulle strips to the shoulder straps of her pale, floral corset. Shersy applied white makeup to her face and drew thin brown eyebrows. Shannon applied false eyelashes and red lipstick. The white face paint kept cracking, making her look like a porcelain doll. It was really striking. 

With all the thousands of people in the streets that night, people kept stopping to look at Shannon and make comments. But, this is common, even without the Halloween costume! Part of this is due to her unique beauty, but it is also because of her great posture and the confident way she carries herself. Add to that a sashaying, sexy walk and she is hard to ignore. In NOLA, they did not ignore her! 

As mama bear, I wanted to keep close to her and ward off any one getting too friendly.

After we wandered through the French Quarter, enjoying the sights, sounds, and all the wonderful, crazy young people out in the streets, we went to K Paul, a well known NOLA restaurant in the area. We ate and ate but still had leftovers to take back to the motel. Shannon and I both ordered an eggplant and rice dish, Cajun style. It was really fantastic. 

We went to bed before midnight, tired and happy and full. 

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Friday, November 1, 2013

I got up at 6:30 and made it to the 7:30 mass at St Louis Cathedral about 1/2 mile from Lamothe House. The inside of this famous Catholic church is stunning; the French had pulled out all the stops in 1720 when it was constructed. It is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the USA. The curved, ornate ceilings are painted in religious scenes; the statues and icons are well crafted; the stained glass windows are incredible. There are chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the beauty is in every detail of every cornice. The altar area is opulent as well, in true old Catholic style. 

After mass and shooting photos outside, I headed back to the hotel and got everyone out of bed. Well, Lori was already up, of course. Shannon emerged from the covers shortly after I came into the room. Shersy cleaned up next and we all walked down the street to visit Cafe du Monde. This is a local and tourist fave for coffee and beignets. 

Shannon does not eat any bread and Lori does not drink coffee, cokes, or any alcohol. 

So Shersy, Shannon, and I ordered lattes and Shersy, Lori, and I ate the beignets. These are a fried pastry served with a heavy sprinkling of powdered sugar. The pastry dough is made only of butter, water, flour, and eggs--no yeast. The high moisture content is what makes them puff up as they are fried: the heat creates a rising steam. People rave about them. I thought they were very good, but really just a typical fried bread covered in powdered sugar. (I bet there is someone out there who wants to spank me for saying that!) But now we can say we ate beignets at Cafe du Monde. The latte was fantastic but pricey and served in a small cup. I stuck with just one. 

Then we went for a long walk in Cemetary 1 by the St Louis Cathedral. All of the graves are above ground. Some have said that the “above ground burials” were due to the high water table in the area, pushing the caskets up to the surface and making it hard to keep the little rascals underground. But, actually, this was the common French and Spanish method of burial at the time that the St Louis Cemetary (consists of 3 cemetaries, actually, 1, 2, and 3) was constructed. Cemetary 1 was constructed in 1789. Basically, the caskets are inside a brick or marble mausoleum or vault. Sometimes there are more than one body in each mausoleum. The rules were that you could add an extra body 1 year plus 1 day after the previous one had been buried. You could fit an entire family of bones in a single vault--of course, this would take many years to fill. There are other cemetaries in the area that followed the underground burial practices--the burial systems were all more due to cultural practices than due to fear of floating bodies from a high water table. 

Whatever the reason for the burial practices, the cemetary we visited was very, very cool. The burial sites were almost hodgepodge in some areas, instead of the typically clear grid layout. These mausoleums were centuries old. Some were quite elaborate, with sculptures of angels, children, and saints, perced atop the marble vaults. Others were plain, with only the well worn family name carved into the stone. Some were so old that the identifying names were worn off. Some of the marble vaults that were believed to hold revered spiritual people were marked up with graffitti from people who were requesting blessings from the departed. Three X’s were seen on a few tombs were voodoo practitioners were believed to be buried. People leave offerings, such as candy, ribbons, oils, etc, on the flat step bordering these vaults. 

This is the most popular cemetary visiting day of the year in NOLA. There were several tour guides on duty, leading groups of people. We weren’t in one of these groups, but several guides passed by while we were there, and we heard bits and pieces of their spiel. 

Madame Marie LaVeau is said to be buried there. But there is debate about which gravesite is hers, as her body may have been moved for protection. 

The facts about the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans are in some dispute. What we do know about this legendary woman is that she was a free woman of color, with Creole heritage. She was married for a brief while to Jacques (or Santiago) Paris, who died within 1-2 years of marriage. She called herself the Widow Paris for many years after that. Most of her life she had a common law marriage, called a “placage”, to Louis Christophe Dominick Duminy de Glapion and is said to be buried in the middle tomb of the Glapion family. In that era, interracial marriages were illegal, but the law did allow a legal common law marriage. They had several children. She worked as a hairdresser and thus knew the scoop around town--who was doing what and to whom. This may be why she had such “power”---she could get things to happen. She was a devout Catholic who mixed African spiritualism with Catholicism, developing a unique New Orleans voodoo. The Catholic saints were revered and were included in her voodoo practices. Her gris gris bags were highly prized. She was said to be quite beautiful up to her death in the late 1800’s. Apparently her services were sought after by the rich and poor alike and her fame was more attributed to her curative powers than anything “evil”. She is said to have worked closely with Pere Antoine, the local Catholic priest, in working with condemned prisoners and the ill. People still pray to her as they do to Catholic saints. 

We all did our own thing in the afternoon. I gave Shannon a head massage. Then she and Lori went on a long walk to the river and took photos. Shersy’s friend Natalie came for a visit and they hung out at the pool for awhile. I tried to do a few exercises but didn’t get far. Shersy brought Natalie up to meet everyone and it was wonderful to meet this brave young lady. She is studying to be a social worker and we discussed the challenges she expects to face. 

After Natalie left, I gave Shersy a hip massage. Shersy had strained her foot the day before coming to NOLA and her gait was off, affecting her hips. That, coupled with a chronic hip issue and 10 bucketloads of stress over the years, has left her with a few aches and pains. But, she is working on major changes in her life and things are going to be MUCH better! Shersy is one of the kindest, most generous people I know and she deserves the sun and the moon and the stars. 

After we all reconvened in the evening, we got together to do a Day Of The Dead ritual. Lori had purchased a candle, and then ran out to find a lighter. Once we were all ready, Shannon led the ritual and we all participated in a most meaningful time.

First, we wrote our names and birthdates on the wrapper of the candle, which had been removed. Shannon had purchased a Halloween card with 4 witches on the front, a generic card with plenty of space to write. We all wrote a paragraph inside the card, to commemorate our time together. The strip of paper with our names was placed on the table, then the card placed on top, and finally, the candle over all. 

The candle was then lighted so that any wax dripped from the candle would land directly on the back of the envelope, sealing it in wax.

Then we meditated for awhile, with hands on the table, about our lives and all the things we were letting go. Then we meditated on all the possibilities of the way we want our lives to develop from this moment. Then we each said a prayer of gratitude, aloud, one at a time. I spoke to Mom, who died in March 2012, thanking her for all she did as a person and as my mother. We finished with more deep contemplation until the candle was out. 

Then Shersy did our tarot cards, 3 each. All the card messages were extremely positive and encouraging. I We hugged each other and then prepared ourselves for our last night in NOLA.

This was my night to actually drink enough to get drunk---in the safety of my friends and my daughter. Lofty goal, eh? Lori was our supervisor and navigated the streets for us. We walked to the Blue Nile, went to the 2nd floor, and ordered drinks to imbibe on the balcony. Many New Orleans partygoers were still dressing up in costumes tonight, so it was quite entertaining. The live music at the Blue Nile was great, but a bit loud, so standing at the balcony was perfect. A pair of newlyweds went by in a horse drawn carriage. What a night.

I had 2 stiff margaritas and a double rum and coke. It was really rather funny. I am a scientist and an “observer” at heart, so I was very clinical about this experience. When I noticed a sense of being unsteady and then noted that my far vision was blurry to the point that I was seeing slightly double, I declared the goal was officially met and I stopped drinking. Then, Shannon brought me water and I drank water the rest of the night. What was left of the night that is.

We left the Blue Nile and Shannon and I held onto each other as we followed Lori to a restaurant still open at 2 a.m. Shannon was getting cranky from not eating enough for the last few days, but felt that no restaurant would have the foods she could eat (vegetarian, gluten-free). While Cajun seasoning is delightful, most Cajun restaurant meals are heavy on the meat. So, I ordered stuff “for me” that she said she would not eat. Then, when it arrived, she ate my salad and the insides of my portabello mushroom sandwich. She instructed Lori to prevent me from eating the bread, so Lori took the sandwich buns and held them out of my reach. This left me with a portion of pasta and some roasted red tomato dip. 

It was all delicious.

By the time we got back to Lamothe House, I felt steady, vision was normal, and I was able to reflect on the week’s happenings.  And go to bed...

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Saturday, November 2, 2013

I awakened with the promised headache, although it was more in my neck than inside my head, and I felt sluggish and bloated in the belly all day. Goal finished---cross it off my bucket list and, well, never again do I want to drink like that! LOL! It was 3 stiff drinks and a few sips of whatever Shersy was drinking---more than enough! What a lightweight!

I found myself wondering why people get drunk on a regular basis. I believe that once in my life is enough. 

What a time we had. Sisters. New Orleans. Music on every street. French Quarter dressed up in ghoulish delight. Lamothe House. Halloween. Day of the Dead. Beautiful rituals. Incredible architecture. Old cemeteries. Madame LaVeau. Cajun cooking. Killer coffee. My first and last drink-till-I-see-double occasion. The energy that is only New Orleans.

What an other worldly visit to New Orleans at this particularly spiritual time.