"Lagniappe"
is an expression used in South Louisiana that
means "something extra". Each
year the local schools get a day off from
school. It's called Lagniappe Day.
Yesterday, I dusted off my camera and wandered the neighborhood in search for great photos. Inspiration was everywhere. Houses were decorated for trick-or-treaters. It was Halloween Eve, after all.
So many times I walked in the hood and just never saw the fun in the decor until I had a camera draped around my neck. Click the link below the skeletons for results.
The Krewe of Jingle parade marched though New Orleans yesterday. We watched from the intersection Poydras and Tchoupitoulas. I got some great shots from there. Click the link below and Enjoy!
My little pup had a great weekend. On Friday, he went to his first bar! LOL! At The Bulldog on Magazine Street, there is a doggie door for pups to enter on the back patio. It was a beautiful evening, so we decided to sit outside and enjoy a brew, Nicholas in tow.
Then, yesterday, we went to Barktoberfest at Canine Culture on Tchoupitoulas. Barktoberfest is a Halloween festival for dogs to raise funds for the Louisiana ASPCA.
I’m fascinated with the decorative wrought iron around this intriguing city. So, I started a photo journal focusing on New Orleans wrought iron. However, it’s more challenging than I thought it would be. I have felt a bit uncomfortable aiming my lens at someone’s home to shoot their gates. If they saw me, what would they think? Would it make them uncomfortable? Would they think I was staking them out? Would they think I was a stalker? Regardless, it’s kinda weird.
So, I took my camera to Lafayette Cemetery to shoot wrought iron. Dead folks don’t care. However, while there I found much more than the curls of flourished metal gates. This is a story that could only be seen beyond the lens. It stole my heart and imagination.
Tuesday, the Tuesday before Mardi Gras in New Orleans, will forever be known as Dat Tuesday from here on out by the WHO DAT NATION. Another nickname for the occasion is Lombardi Gras. It was the day the Crescent City held it’s first ever Superbowl Victory Parade for the New Orleans Saints. A Mardi Gras style parade of marching bands and floats loaded with festive Saints players, coaches and staff traveled through the streets of the Big Easy to a cheerful crowd of 800,000 fans celebrating their 43 year climb to become the Superbowl Champs for the first time ever. It was undoubtedly the biggest Superbowl Victory parade in the history of the Championships because this town knows how to throw a parade best!
But, this event is bigger than a sports victory. It’s a mix of life lessons. Here’s a few: Never give up on your dreams. In life, you must take chances to succeed. Those who are willing to succeed work hard, perpare diligently, focus on execution and not fear failure. There are many more. But, it is also a message to a troubled city devastated by the blow of Katrina and poverty. New Orleans is a city of winners. This Championship season has lifted the spirits of the hopeless and given faith to the believers. The Saints Franchise understands that their function as ambassadors and role models is a responsibility to their fans and to the people of New Orleans. They fulfilled their mission flawlessly and are greatly appreciated for it.
Drastic times call for drastic measures. In the current economic climate, you can’t let opportunities slide. The challenge is finding and optimizing the opportunities. My experience searching for opportunities in the past includes six cross country moves. Each move produced some level of success. Therefore, once again, I find myself taking the same desperate measure again. I plan to reside in New Orleans to continue my film career in a new environment.
This move will be a little different, though. I won’t be alone. This move will be with husband and dog in tow. We will not give up our current residence, maintaining two bases of operation: L.A. and NOLA. Finally, in Louisiana, we will be near family – a plus. (Thankfully, I have a supportive, self-employed husband who can live anywhere and has lived everywhere. The dog — he’s just happy to be wherever I am. We will need to find a sufficient yard in NOLA for running in large circles at break-neck speed, however.)
Once you make a decision like this, the stress level rises. How much will it cost? Will it work? How long will it take? There are so many unanswerable questions. To reduce the anxiety, research helps reassure the decision. But, I have also noticed that subliminal messages crop up everywhere like warm embraces whispering, “Everything will be OK.” Some messages are painful epiphanies. Some are refreshing revelations. Some are gut feelings screaming loudly. Nonetheless, they emerge and regardless how hard they can be to hear, you need to be open and listen to them, hug and entertain them.
As anxious as I feel, I know that each day will calm my nerves. With the freedom to discover, each day toward advancement creates optimism. For example: Twice this past week I heard a new Chinese proverb that says, “If we don’t change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.”
