Hello, everyone!
Just got released from jury duty -- again! Is it possible I have inherited my mother's unacceptability for juries? Over and over, she was rejected to serve on juries because the attorneys thought she would be biased, due to the fact that she was a mother (the "lioness" type) and a working woman (the "no-nonsense" type). Was she really biased? Probably! But still she would have tried to be fair. Oh, well, they will keep calling me up, so perhaps I'll get my chance.
When last I was recounting my Summer vehicular sojourn, I was departing Texas and heading to New Orleans. I hadn't been there for several years, since before Hurricane Katrina. As a fan of traditional jazz music and of southern culture in general, I made it a point to spend a day in Nola. The strong French background in my family leads me to enjoy the Francophile vibe in Louisiana, although the French who settled there were mostly Catholic, while we are descended from persecuted Huguenot Protestants.
Regardless, I don't believe my Huguenot ancestors would have minded that I made my usual stop in Saint Louis Cathedral to take a look at their gorgeous ceiling.
For the first time, I wandered a over to the Old Ursuline Convent for a tour of its French Colonial building and gardens. The Ursuline nuns have had a presence in New Orleans since the 18th Century, caring for the poor and educating local girls. Their chapel has a serene feel with lots of lovely art.
New Orleans is one of the few places where I will enthusiastically stop and listen to street musicians and put more than just pocket change into their instrument cases. These are not your typical buskers! Some of the most soulful jazz you will hear is played outside of the clubs, in the open air, in New Orleans. My meanderings around the French Quarter on this trip were, as usual, a treat for the ears!
Oh, yes, and a treat for the taste buds! Can't visit Nola and not indulge in some seafood (this time, yummy catfish) and beignets from Café Du Monde (Marty made me promise to have one for him)!
À bientôt, Mes Amis!
Annie
“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” – John Quincy Adams
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