In the older part of New Orleans, there are three cemeteries [1, 2, and 3]. I wanted to go to the oldest one. This particular cemetery originated in the late 1700s - The cemetery spans just one square block but is the resting place of over 100,000 dead. A Protestant section (generally not vaulted) lies in the north-west section. St. Louis Cemetery #1 is the oldest and most famous. It was opened in 1789, replacing the city's older St. Peter Cemetery (no longer in existence) as the main burial ground when the city was redesigned after a fire in 1788. The newest vault is rumored to be one Nicholas Cage [born in New Orleans] had built for himself to be interred here at his death...a pyramid. I had to find and visit 'for good luck' Marie Laveau's crypt. Famous to those who have read about her life as a priestess. It is 8 blocks from the Mississippi River, on the north side of Basin Street, one block beyond the inland border of the French Quarter. And according to the locals, it has been haunted by many who are buried here. On this particular day, it remained cloudy while we visited because of the previous night when rain fell, so not too many shadows existed except for these two that I could find sifting through my scads of photos from the trip files --
more:
Top left to right : a small girl atop a crypt, Marie Laveau's crypt and the bronze marker, notice all the triple "x"s --that is an old African tradition of asking for protection and good luck. [as I understood it]
Bottom left to right: This is the 'line' to divide the Catholics from the Protestants, more crypts but I noticed a statue of Christ in the background, and last one is the newest - Nicholas Cage's on the event of his death.
One that really 'got to me'...it's in ruin and rusted with corrosion, yet still profound and beautiful in a peaceful, quiet way - is this one:
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SUNDAY'S SUMMARY
Only TWO week's 'til Christmas already? Oh my goodness.
For the week past, mostly it was getting readied for Christmas around the house and downtown. We went to the city's lighting ceremony at Whataburger Field - the large bridge that crosses the ships' channel at the harbor has been refurbished and once again, after a ten year hiatus, it is a lighted bridge. By that I mean, the sea water/salt air corroded the wiring badly and the decorative lighting went dark. For nearly a decade. With the help financially through the tax payer's money and Texas Highway Commission, it is now lighted at night once again. And they had a light show this past Sunday [the 4th] evening.
It is synchronized to music...and what a light show it is. It dazzles the eyes. I'm sure it will be a 'thrill' to those foreign ships that come in at night from far away around the world. I know it is spectacular for us residents...when it was lighted for the first time that evening, cheers from some 6000 people could be heard from as far away as Shoreline Drive along the bay. At one point, when the music begins to play patriotic songs ---the bridge's lighting changes to red, then white, then blue and eventually 'stars' sparkle in the night!! I will try and get a video of this new phenomenon sometime soon. We then took a 'side trip' to the area by the yachts/marina, and I stopped to take a photo of the 40' tree that the city puts up with a lot of fanfare each year. For a few minutes, we drove down the boulevard and enjoyed all the highly decorated homes along the bay and enjoyed the display of lights reflecting on the sea at night.
Since we didn't have a Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year, I got busy this past Wednesday and just 'had to' make us a pumpkin pie at least!! For a few nights then, we had pumpkin pie and whipped cream for dessert. Too bad, tho, it's all gone by now or I would have gladly shared it with you. I make 'em with egg nog instead of using canned milk...extra rich & creamy.
Monday morning I wrapped gifts and gift cards for our two grandsons and prepared a package to be shipped to Irene and the boys. Along with that I added some new snowmen for Irene's new found collection for the holidays in the box before shipping it. I found a great antique crocheted table runner [I failed to photograph it tho] for her that has a row of snowmen all scalloped and edged nicely, along with a soft sculpture snowman and a couple of ceramic snowmen. And books. I just know that the three of them will have a most difficult time now that Dan is no longer with them...especially the boys having no father for Christmas from this day forward. Got a text from them last night, and they received the box of 'goodies' already.
Yesterday and into the night, I watch a REELZ channel marathon of Pillars of the Earth [based on the book of same title]. Not often does a movie come out that is better than the book itself...but this one was; I think. Excellent.
more:
Top left to right : a small girl atop a crypt, Marie Laveau's crypt and the bronze marker, notice all the triple "x"s --that is an old African tradition of asking for protection and good luck. [as I understood it]
Bottom left to right: This is the 'line' to divide the Catholics from the Protestants, more crypts but I noticed a statue of Christ in the background, and last one is the newest - Nicholas Cage's on the event of his death.
One that really 'got to me'...it's in ruin and rusted with corrosion, yet still profound and beautiful in a peaceful, quiet way - is this one:
- - -
SUNDAY'S SUMMARY
Only TWO week's 'til Christmas already? Oh my goodness.
For the week past, mostly it was getting readied for Christmas around the house and downtown. We went to the city's lighting ceremony at Whataburger Field - the large bridge that crosses the ships' channel at the harbor has been refurbished and once again, after a ten year hiatus, it is a lighted bridge. By that I mean, the sea water/salt air corroded the wiring badly and the decorative lighting went dark. For nearly a decade. With the help financially through the tax payer's money and Texas Highway Commission, it is now lighted at night once again. And they had a light show this past Sunday [the 4th] evening.
It is synchronized to music...and what a light show it is. It dazzles the eyes. I'm sure it will be a 'thrill' to those foreign ships that come in at night from far away around the world. I know it is spectacular for us residents...when it was lighted for the first time that evening, cheers from some 6000 people could be heard from as far away as Shoreline Drive along the bay. At one point, when the music begins to play patriotic songs ---the bridge's lighting changes to red, then white, then blue and eventually 'stars' sparkle in the night!! I will try and get a video of this new phenomenon sometime soon. We then took a 'side trip' to the area by the yachts/marina, and I stopped to take a photo of the 40' tree that the city puts up with a lot of fanfare each year. For a few minutes, we drove down the boulevard and enjoyed all the highly decorated homes along the bay and enjoyed the display of lights reflecting on the sea at night.
Since we didn't have a Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year, I got busy this past Wednesday and just 'had to' make us a pumpkin pie at least!! For a few nights then, we had pumpkin pie and whipped cream for dessert. Too bad, tho, it's all gone by now or I would have gladly shared it with you. I make 'em with egg nog instead of using canned milk...extra rich & creamy.
Monday morning I wrapped gifts and gift cards for our two grandsons and prepared a package to be shipped to Irene and the boys. Along with that I added some new snowmen for Irene's new found collection for the holidays in the box before shipping it. I found a great antique crocheted table runner [I failed to photograph it tho] for her that has a row of snowmen all scalloped and edged nicely, along with a soft sculpture snowman and a couple of ceramic snowmen. And books. I just know that the three of them will have a most difficult time now that Dan is no longer with them...especially the boys having no father for Christmas from this day forward. Got a text from them last night, and they received the box of 'goodies' already.
Yesterday and into the night, I watch a REELZ channel marathon of Pillars of the Earth [based on the book of same title]. Not often does a movie come out that is better than the book itself...but this one was; I think. Excellent.