random sharing - 'world gone mad' scenerio

-My friend, Jill, (also know as Pinky's human companion) had a dream last week, which she described to me as a 'world gone mad' scenerio. She claimed that this dream was pretty typical, except that she was playing recreational sports and James had a mullet.

-The Carpet World building which is directly across the street from my office building burned down yesterday. http://www.wdsu.com/slideshow/news/18596157/detail.html It started at 4 am. I arrived at 8am to the insanity of firetrucks and road blocks. After finding a different parking spot (mine was being occupied by debris falling from the burning building), I made it inside my building looking for an explanation and was met with a smokey building and employees who by and large seemed indifferent to it. Classes weren't canceled - business as usual, we were told.
After an hour of trying to convince others to do the same, I packed up my laptop and went home to work from there. Today Carpet World is nothing but a pile of rubble.





-James is doing professional development today, which means there are no kids at school. He seems glad about the no kids part, but didn't seem ready to be developed professionally when he left this morning. I think he'd just prefer the day off.

-My boss is on leave in Norway and so I'm flying solo this month - maybe all semester. It is hard to say at this point.

brother love

James and I spent a fabulous weekend touring around with my big brother, Nick. He was here for three full days - and the more we did, the more we realized there was still left to see. That's the thing about New Orleans - there is so much food to be eaten, music to hear, houses and churches to tour, streets to wander, people to watch, shops to visit... There is more to do than can be done. Yet we tried to pack as much in as possible-
Hopefully, he'll e-mail some photos soon so that I can post them, because I didn't manage to take any pictures all weekend.

umbrella hat man

Picture an in-the-flesh version of fat albert (one of my all-time favorite cartoon characters) wearing one of those red, yellow, blue & green umbrella hats, standing near one of those little folding camp chairs, in downtown New Orleans on Canal Street where the street cars ride back and forth between really tall buildings, equipped with a megaphone in one hand - king james bible in the other, yelling (sometimes into the megaphone, sometimes not) words like 'cometh' and 'believeth' and 'repent' to passers-by.



I see umbrella hat man almost every day when I bike to work and he always makes me smile. I appreciate his effort - he's on a mission - he's devoted - and he understands the importance of sun protection. I haven't been biking because of the weather, but today it is warmer - so I'm back to my routine and I'm reminded of one of the many reasons why I love New Orleans so much.

ambidexterity - a personal experiment

I'm right-handed. However, in high school soccer, I had better aim with my left foot than I did with my right. I also place my mouse on the left side of my keyboard, so that I can point and click with one hand and take notes with the other (this always freaks people out if they sit at my computer - I enjoy that). I have a few other left-handed preferences as well, but am predominantly right-oriented. Since my mom and my sister are lefties, I have been wondering if I have a tendency toward ambidexterity and, as a result, have made my new year's resolution to become ambidextrous. Possibly weird - I realize, but a fun challenge.

So, awkwardly, but with great attention, determination and enjoyment, I have sworn off the right hand for:
-writing journal entries and grocery lists (at work I choose efficiency over adventure and continue to use my right hand)
-cooking (e.g. holding the knife to cut vegetables, stirring anything, grating cheese, etc.)
-brushing my hair and teeth
-dialing a phone

Some things I haven't quite convinced my brain of yet:
-unlocking doors
-stitching of any sort (buttons, etc.)
-turning the pages of a book or newspaper

More updates as I progress (or not...)
(p.s. just to clarify - this is Heather's experiment. On occasion James will eat or brush his teeth with his left hand to show his solidarity, which I appreciate.)

First Book

Students saying 'thanks', 'hallelujah' and 'amen' to us for giving them books!


Last week, I went to a local KIPP School www.kipp.org, McDonogh 15, to photograph and write a newsletter article about a book distribution for First Book, a non-profit I have been volunteering with. First Book gives donations in the form of books to kids who are low income, high need (predominantly all children in public school in NOLA). Teachers apply for the grant for their classrooms and, for those selected, First Book provides a book to each student in that teacher's class six times in one year. The books are read at school and then go home with the kids. The books become their personal property - a big deal to kids who love to read, but have little access to books.

Three KIPP classes received and distributed books on Friday. Pre-K, K and 1st grade.KIPP focuses on the college graduation of the kids they teach, so everything each grade does has the theme of the year they will graduate. The kids even have class cheers, which they do every day to remind them of their future goal:
'We are the class of 2021 - We read, We laugh, We have lots of fun - We are the class of 2021!'

Other people's stuff

We've always been collectors of other people's stuff. We love giving a home to things that other people have deemed unnecessary. However, our ability to acquire other people's discarded items in NOLA has surpassed my comprehension. I'm pretty sure that this is the city that Hurricane Katrina devastated. So,why is our two-bedroom residence filled with furniture when we arrived 6 months ago with only a mattress, two end tables, some random lawn furniture, clothes, toiletries, and basic kitchen supplies? We have bought almost nothing - a couch and loveseat and a couple of lamps from a yard sale during our first few weeks. The rest we have accumulated during walks or bike rides or by word of mouth.

Imagine carting a chair home on your bike - or strapping your bike to the top of your jeep in order to make room for the dresser, lamps, and dishes that you found on your way to the bike shop - or carrying a milk crate full of art supplies the two miles it takes to get home because you're on a Sunday afternoon walk. In a city where organizations are begging for clothes, books, school supplies, furniture, baby toys - why are we finding exactly these items overflowing from trash cans and discarded on the side of the road?

At first, we were thrilled by our luck at finding such treasure. Now we are frustrated with the waste, frustrated with the fact that people think so little of the things that they own and think so little of their neighbors a few blocks away who could benefit from them, frustrated that our solution is to gather these things endlessly in an attempt to keep them from becoming trash.

This weekend, while walking in a neighborhood we don't often visit, we stood before a brand new baby bouncy seat and a matching baby play yard. We were probably there for 10 minutes -looking at the items - looking at each other. We were too far from home - they were too heavy - we don't have a baby or have an immediate neighbor with a kid that size - we had our reasons for walking away, but I can't stop thinking about them. Just sitting there, wasted - while some baby who could have enjoyed those things goes without.

More photos from the holidays

Christmas morning at St. Louis Cathedral




Fog on the Mississippi

Rockin' Robin - In the French Quarter

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.