I live on Bayou St. John in Faubourg St. John and our neighborhood is distinct and rich in people and place. Yesterday, I went to friends’ 20th anniversary together and they had a feast spread out to celebrate from rare roast beef to oyster shooters, with all of the neighborhood there to wish them well. And I learned that DeBlanc’s Pharmacy is closing – one of the holdouts from the era of the big three…
We were watching Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer today, the first feature length film Tin has watched in his life. Of course, it’s the first night of Hanukkah but it’s a story for all ages. Rudolph is a misfit who is made fun of by the other reindeers and he hooks up with a bunch of other misfits and through their adventures they find out how to fit in. How appropriate – in the world…
Hanukkah The story of Hanukkah is the story of religious freedom. In 168 BC King Antiochus the 4th, who inherited his kingdom from Alexander the Great, set up an idol in the Jewish temple and ordered Jews to worship it. He was a zealous Hellenist and wanted all people to follow Greek ways. A revolt led by Mattathias and his son Judah the Maccabee to overthrow Antiochus raged with the odds against the Jews; they…
I’m trying to reach sources on a Friday, usually this is the best day, but today you’d think that they were all out at recess or something funner than trying to reach them. Meanwhile, there is a sort of June gloom outside that everyone once in a while breaks into a stream of sunshine. But it’s in the 70s and who is going to complain about living in New Orleans when the weather couldn’t be…
There was an earthquake in Japan yesterday. This morning, before dawn, I noticed the stars had been rearranged while I was sleeping. Three years ago today heaven and earth moved my life in a new and exciting direction. I met my son, Tin. Or rather Constantin Pavlovic Dangermond. My mother died on November 30th, I was in New York. I flew home on December 1. We buried her on December 2. On December 3rd I…
Someone asked me to define love the other day and I was stumped for an answer. Years ago I was explaining my father to a friend at a cabin in the Sierra and my friend said, “That’s not love.” It is to me, I thought. And now, many relationships later, I still couldn’t tell you what love is, but I found a definition that will suffice for lack of my own: Love is what you’ve…
Here in Louisiana we have the skinny on bugs. Danielle at Zumba was describing the first time she moved here from the midwest and encountered a flying cockroach (she ended up staying in her car till someone came and got it out). I remember the first time Steve flew in to rent an apartment for us in 1995 and when I arrived, I opened the door, the handle fell off, and a flying cockroach buzzed…
Tatjana left today for Croatia for two weeks and along with Loca being on the farm, it’s gotten pretty quiet around here. I’d like to say I will use the time she is away to rest and restore, but my dance card is swollen with events, meetings, work, full-time parenting, as well as all the rest of what goes into my life. I have to say I loathe traveling in December, always have. There is…
Evan took Tin to the zoo on Saturday and they rode the train and talked to the elephants. They had started at First Cup Cafe, Evan’s and Tatjana’s favorite hang out in New Orleans. Upon entering, Tin stopped to speak to a couple of French girls sitting outside. Later sporting a mask, Evan was able to call himself the dog father – there is nothing like a cute kid or a puppy to break the…
Most times I have to write. I try to avoid it, but I can’t help putting down what is going down and it has some soothing balm for me. Like writing about my divorce and the Federal Flood and switching teams, my mother dying and the adoption of my son and everything in between. I’ve been writing a lot lately about the second coming – mine that is – because I’ve been through the wringer…