vacation photos - a selection from our excursions

In order to maintain our sanity by actually taking a break - James and I decided to stick around New Orleans during our winter vacation. We spent our time looking for outdoor adventures, lunching at restaurants that we've heard are wonderful but couldn't afford the dinner menu prices, reading, and not doing much of anything taxing or important. It was a nice way to take in the city and to recharge after the chaos and emotion of the past 6 months. Our friends, Cyrus & Bozena, from Gainesville spent a day with us last week, which was also a nice change of pace. Here are a few photos...

View at Jean Lafitte State Park


Girl and horse on the levee


Lunch at Boucherie - a new restaurant uptown


Make it Right houses in the 9th ward -Brad Pitt's foundation (http://www.makeitrightnola.org/)


Lunch at Commander's Palace with Cyrus & Bozena - Birthday celebration


Waiting for the ferry - action shot


More ferry fun...

vacation

We are starting to feel human again. We have an entire week to adventure around the city and eat until our hearts are content. Today we are off to Matt and Nattie's for lunch - and then to the Columns Hotel tonight for music by David Doucet. One whole week of doing whatever we feel like whenever we feel like it.

Happy New Year!!!!!

RIP Minnie Mouse

Little Minnie was found in the trap mid-day on Christmas Eve. She couldn't resist the temptation of aluminum foil wrapped strategically around the mouse trap. James had been watching her patterns for weeks and determined that the mouse had an extreme interest in, not only his hair and grits, but also shiny pieces of tin foil that she collected and put in different locations. He capitalized on this new knowledge and Minnie immediately took the bait...

living fat-n-happy in the Big Easy

grits, oatmeal, licky, sticky peanut butter.... What more does a mini-mouse need to be content? Her light step never triggers the trap. Our only hope is that by receiving regular meals she'll gain some girth in order to amply weigh-in. She skitters about, never concerned by our presence. More of a companion than a nuisance, until a few nights ago, when late in the night, James was awakened by a little tug, tug, tug on his hair. For him, that sealed little Minnie's fate - the next day the trap was set.

off to bed with warm pjs and a good book

The Pajama Program provides sleepwear for kids in foster homes, orphanages, and shelters. The program was started in NJ by a woman who realized that kids went to bed in the same clothes that they wore during the day. After Katrina, a PJ program started in NOLA. Last week, I went to a Pajama Jam party - adults in jammies giving pjs to children in need. The Pajama Program's goal is to give pajamas to 5000 kids in NOLA this winter.

The kids who receive pajamas also get a book. The books were provided by another organization that I've been volunteering with First Book-Greater New Orleans. Also, a national organization with chapters or branches throughout the country.

I've been so impressed by the various organizations that exist in this city to provide for those who are struggling to get by. So much has been done. So much still to do.....

Letters from NOLA to South Africa

An assignment in Mr. McDonald's classes last week:
My friend Brandi is a photographer and teacher in South Africa. Her students have never seen or touched snow. Write a letter to her students describing snow and I will send it for you.
What does it feel like? Taste like? Smell like? Look like? Sound Like?

They then looked at photos on Brandi's website to learn about where the kids lived and to get an understanding of what their lives are like. http://www.photosforafrica.org/ .

Thanks Brandi for your hard work and for providing inspiration to NOLA kids!!!!!!


Here are some of their letters - no grammatical edits made but shortened in places:



Dear students,

Today I am going to tell you about snow. Snow is like ice but a little softer. December 11, 2008 it snow in New Orleans, Louisiana in the United States of America. The snow was so nice and it had a lot of snow on the ground. It was so much snow it was like 3 inches. I wish that you could see the snow, but one day you will. Snow is the best thing in the sky I've ever seen. When it snow the roads get slippery and people might have accidents but theirs nothing really bad about snow because it's verry fun. You can also build a snowman (with drawing). You can build snowangels in the snow (another drawing). I like the snow so much it seems like a part of my life. Well it was nice having to tell you about snow because I had a great time. Please have a nice day or nice night. Ms. Brandi, it was nice speaking to your students. If you ever write back please have my name in it or let the kids know how precious snow is and how wonderful snow is. From, Phil



Dear Children of Africa,

My teacher Mr. McDonald told us that we should write an letter to you guys & girls. I really want to tell you about our snow day in New Orleans, Louisiana. If it ever snows down there roll up a ball of snow and throw it at someone then you will have an snow ball fight. My friend Devin throw one at my leg when it was snowing down here. It feels like it is going to melt your skin. It taste like H2O (water). It smells like nothing. It looks like little white dots falling out of the light blue sky. It doesn't really have an sound but when it hits the ground it melts. Love, Darkayla

P.S. I hope you can come and vist us a Pierre A. Capdau.



Dear students

I am going to describe snow to you. Snow is white, it's very soft. It snowed one when I was in school at Capdau UNO Charter. When you bald the snow up it gets hard and you can have snowball fights. You can make a snowman and you put scarf, 3 buttons, 1 carrot and 1 hat. You would love the snow if you could see it you and your friends will have a lot of fun if you can come down and play in the snow. I wish you can. You can come down here to play with us. We will have a lot of fun we could play football or basketball.



Dear students,

Snow is a joy because it is fun to play in because it doen't snow often in Nola. Snow is soft and cold and it is white like the clouds. Snow only happen in December because it is the coldest part of the year. Sincerely, Justin



Dear Pin Pil,

Snow looks like crunched up ice and it is very white and very cold. It feel kinda nasty and when you tuch it your hands would freeze up and would start stinging. It does not sound like nothing unless you throw it at somebody they l.o.l. Oh and just to let you know l.o.l. means laugh out loud. When you pick it up it sticks together because its like a magnet and kinda connects together and thats how snow is. Right back to me if you can. Ya digg? Sincerely, Halle



Dear students,

I would like to tell yo about snow. Snow is water, but because of how cold it is that turns it hard and it forms snow flakes. It snowed last week, because it was below 30 degrees. It was very cold. We played in the snow and made snowballs and had a snow ball fight. It was fun. I live in New Orleans, Louisiana. Down here we have a lot of holidays. The holiday that is coming up is Christmas. Merry Christmas! I'm sure you heard about Barack Obama our new president. I'm happy about that. Sincerely, Capdau Student

P.S. Holla at me (write back)

Caroling on the bayou

Last Saturday, I experienced several firsts.

Canoeing on a bayou with 100 other people by the light of the full moon; accompanied by a singing Santa on a sleigh made up of two canoes and a large platform decorated with lights; a small dog, named Gumbo, standing in for Rudolph; Santa leading the canoe caroling to party-goers on the shore; party-goers on the shore handing out cookies, zaps and libations to the carolers while singing along; James Francis singing Christmas carols enthusiastically.....

In reverse from 7:30am - 11:00am

Snowy

footage of our backyard during last week's blizzard:)

IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like really snowing! A LOT! And it has been since 7:30am. Big, fluffy, wonderful snowflakes that remind me of being a kid. It is supposed to snow all day. I'm at work and from my window I see covered rooftops and cars and huge, swirling gusts of white snow. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

James has been taking loads of photos, which I'll post tomorrow.

How to Gumbo

This fella works at the Crescent City Farmer's Market. We bought turnips from him. There isn't a huge selection at the market, but what is available is good. We get our milk from a local dairy there.
The farmer had a magazine from China that featured a step-by-step description with photos on how to cook Gumbo, New Orleans style. James is obsessed with finding the best Gumbo recipe, so he gathered evidence to see if the Chinese do it best.

Tulane's visit to Capdau

Prior to Thanksgiving, I took four of my graduate students to visit James' 7th grade class and Mr. Baker's 8th grade class. My grad students planned two presentations each - one answering the question 'What is Public Health?' The other teaching students about an area that they specialize in. The presentation in James' class was on HIV/AIDS - and the 7th graders had lots of questions about how you transmit HIV, the difference between HIV and AIDS, what are symptoms of both, and a question that was asked repeatedly was - How do you know if you have it?

The experience was incredible - to see young kids asking serious and important questions and getting serious and accurate answers.

This photo is of James' class showing off their 'This is Public Health' stickers, which is a student-run campaign to inform people in the US about what public health is and isn't. Foll0w the link above to watch the short video. You'll enjoy it - the kids did.

Minnie's reign of terror continues...

I was hopeful that the grits had worked, because I hadn't seen Minnie in a few days. But I wasn't surprised when I saw Minnie or a Minnie look-a-like scurry out from behind the microwave across the counter and into the hood of the stove - all while I was making a pot of chili. Minnie obviously has no fear of me nor of heat, so I guess we are going to have to step up our efforts to remove her.

Most likely, the little mercenary at James' school, won't be available to hang out in the kitchen waiting to slap a mouse, so I've been looking into traditional traps. I figure if the mouse has to die, it should be a quick death, not the slow, miserable kind that comes with poison or sticky feet or grits.... And the neighborhood stray cats are fed so well by our shotgun-double housemates that I doubt they'll leave the comfort of their flannel-lined porch box to chase a living food source. James is opposed to investing any financial resources toward the mouse's demise, but I don't see another way. Suggestions?

there's more than one way to skin a cat

or kill a mouse...

Much to our surprise - our little Minnie Mouse became a hot topic of conversation during one of our Thanksgiving dinners (yes, we enjoyed multiple feasts and were full for three days following). Our landlords immediately set out to tell us a variety of ways to rid our lives of the beast - some highlights were - sticky traps, which the mouse runs over and remains stuck on until it dies; a complicated contraption involving a paper towel tube, peanut butter, and a bucket (the mouse would scamper into the tube, which is balanced on the bucket in search of the peanut placed strategically at the other end of the tube - the mouse then tips the balance and falls into said bucket????; dry grits with a bowl of water nearby (the mouse is supposed to eat the grits, get thirsty, drink the water, the grits would then expand in the mouses stomach, and the mouse would die). I tried the last one for a couple of nights and decided that, ultimately, I was just feeding Minnie and all of her friends.


Yesterday, a student at James' school came up with an even more brilliant and successful plan when a group of field mice were identified at Capdau. Through the chaos of mouse chasing and fleeing, this fourth grader, walked casually up to the mouse, slapped it with her bare hand - killing it on the spot. She then proceeded to pick it up with a clean white paper towel and happily display it to Mr. McDonald, asking sweetly, "Is this what you wanted?"

back to work

After a week of freedom, filled with po-boys & other foods, ferry rides, and adventuring about, James headed back to Capdau this morning. I wonder what his students will teach him today.

mouse in our house

Who knew that when I wished for a new, little pet to love, it would come in the form of a teeny, tiny gray mouse? Minnie has taken up residence in our kitchen under the stove. She scurries about in the evening, sneaking out to grab a crumb here and there. She doesn't seem to mind if we are in the room as long as we don't make loud noises. I am trying to convince James to make her his class pet, though he hasn't taken the bait yet. Last week I thought a dog would be a great addition to his class. So far, I haven't convinced him that we should have cats or dogs living with us. But Minnie came of her own free will and she is too quick to be caught by human hands, so that means she gets to stay for awhile. This morning I was thrilled to find her teeny footprints scattered all over the surface of our oven in the leftover grease from the amazing tuna James cooked last night. A happy reminder to James that it is important to clean the stove after cooking:) Minnie is really improving our quality of life; she gives us something to talk about besides school and work, she provides hours of entertainment for James who expends a lot of energy trying to catch her, and she makes us keep things extra clean in the kitchen. And if all goes as planned, she may even be the thing that allows me to get a kitten. I'll keep you posted.

Po-boy fest reflections

Los Poboycitos













Amanda Shaw












Some thoughts on Po-boy Fest:
Too many people (like way too many - over 10,000 along a very narrow street - Oak St.)
Not enough po-boys... Is it possible that po-boy fest actually highlighted other types of food?
Excellent jambalaya!!!!!!
6 hours of nearly non-stop fantastic music - Los Poboycitos, Amanda Shaw & the Iguanas (there was another stage, but once we claimed a spot, we never moved again)
Perfect weather
James scored a great t-shirt
Great place to run into friends, co-workers and neighbors (because over 10,000 people were standing in a 5-block area....)
We actually went home and cooked dinner - most likely not what is supposed to happen after a food festival....

Trouble the Water

According to Kathy's recent comment, Trouble the Water, made the Oscar documentary short-list, meaning that they may be eligible for an Academy Award nomination! If you haven't seen this movie, please try to! It is worth your time, your energy and your $$. This film is about real New Orleans people and about Katrina victims and survivors. It is powerful.

And, on another note, Po-boy Fest, here we come!!!!

sensory overload

My brain has not been able to process all of the things that have been going on over the past week or two, therefore, though countless stories are yet untold - I can't even begin to put together the pieces to make sense of them. James and I are doing well - though never more ready for a vacation than we are right now. He gets a week at Thanksgiving and I am insanely jealous. We spent last Sunday sitting in the sun outside - not really doing anything - just being quiet - he may have read a little - we played catch late in the afternoon - I napped - other than that - I can't remember if we did anything. I could use a few more days like that. I'm actually looking past Thanksgiving to our Christmas break and dreaming of the time to find a warm, sunny spot of solitude. I love New Orleans - I am constantly amazed at what this city offers and what it demands.

Some photos of quiet things in and around New Orleans....

ship passing on the river...

the swamp.

View from my window

It's raining today. Clouds keep streaming by over the french quarter and toward the Mississippi.
The building on the left is the previous School of Public Health - it is not abandoned. I-10 runs along the top left of the photo. The Iberville Housing Project is central in the photo.
Old School of Public Health - my bribery/near towing incident took place where you see the line of cars parked. The white lines are the crosswalk - I was parked a few feet closer to the crosswalk than the silverish, white car.