57. Ride on a Mardi Gras float

My Someday List: 

#57 will be accomplished February 6th, 2013.

I'll be riding in the Mystic Krewe of Nyx's parade for Mardi Gras.  

Goddess Nyx

In Greek Mythology Nyx was the Goddess of Night.  She was an ultimate female beginning and one of the first elements emerging from Chaos along with day, fire, and water.  Her apperance in mythology are sparse, but reveal her as a figure of exceptional power and beauty.  Byx had prophetic powers, and gave oracles from her home at the edge of the cosmos.  She was older and more powerful than Zeus, who deferred to her wishes.

For some that experience pain in the day, night and Nyx are a welcome relief. They welcome her into their lives and their arms. Night is also the time for inspiration, and it is told that the Muses sing during the nighttime to the Gods and to Nyx herself.

 

The Mystic Krewe of Nyx, named after the powerful and beautiful goddess of night, embraces a sisterhood and friendship amongst its members.

  

About the Mystic Krewe of Nyx

MISSION -The Mystic Krewe of Nyx is established to unite women of diverse backgrounds for fun, friendship, and the merriment of the Mardi Gras season.  Together we will enhance the spirit of Carnival for our community by embracing a bit of tradition, while adding new and forward thinking ideas to make our organization unique. We believe women of all ages deserve to be adored, respected, and allowed to let her inner goddess shine through.

PURPOSE - To encourage, foster, promote, and cultivate a spirit of sisterhood amongst the members of the Krewe. To sponsor, conduct, direct, and administer plans, programs, and activities relating directly and indirectly to the Mardi Gras season, including but not limited to: parades, balls, festivities, ceremonies, and events in the City of New Orleans.

 

KREWE COLORS - Hot Pink & Black

 

SIGNATURE THROW - Beautiful hand decorated purses!

MOTTO - "Friends come and go, but a sister is forever."

In Honor of the Queen's Big Day

What are the Brits celebrating this weekend?

 

They are rejoicing at the fact that Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for 60 years this year, having inherited the job upon the death of her father, George VI, in 1952. It is a bit confusing because George ("Bertie" of King’s Speech fame) actually died in February 1952, but the actual formal coronation did not take place until June the following year (1953). But, let’s face it, you can’t really have a party in London in February.

In honor of the Queen's Big Day, 

I threw together some tea treats to enjoy while watching the Jubilee Pageant. 

Something Sweet

The Tunnock's Teacake is a sweet food popular in the United Kingdom. They are often served with a cup of tea. The product consists of a small round shortbread biscuit covered with a dome of Italian meringue, a whipped egg white concoction similar to marshmallow. This is then encased in a thin layer of milk and wrapped in a red and silver foil paper for the more popular milk chocolate variety.

  Something Sweet

Viscount biscuits are a classic British biscuit which consist of a circular base of biscuit, topped with a creamy mint flavor and covered with a layer of milk chocolate. They are made by Burton's Foods. Viscounts are known for their shiny foil wrappers which have different colors depending on the biscuit inside—mint biscuits are contained within a green foil wrapper.

 Something Savory

The traditional cucumber sandwich is composed of paper-thin slices of cucumber placed between two thin slices of crust-less, lightly (unsalted) buttered white bread. I also slighted salted and flavored the cumbers in rice vinegar over night for an extra something.

 Something Savory

 Modern variants of tea-sandwiches (largely of American origin) exist, involving cream cheese. So, I had some onion and chives cream cheese and I added some sweet cheery tomatoes.

 Something Traditional

 A quintessential part of the British way of life ... scones!

I made original and strawberry scones.

With toppings: proper Devonshire Creme and Lemon Curd. Yum!

 60? Isn’t a diamond anniversary 75?

 
It used to be. Traditionally, the golden anniversary was 50 years, and the diamond anniversary of a person or event was on the 75th birthday. This changed with the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, the only other British monarch to have spent 60 years on the throne. There was considerable national unrest when Queen Victoria withdrew from public life after Albert’s death in 1861, and it was therefore decided to bring her Diamond Jubilee forward–by 15 years!—to the 60th anniversary in 1897. A diamond anniversary is now usually the 60th, not the 75th, much to the delight of jewelers everywhere.

 It looked like a chilly and rainy/damp day with not a peep of sunshine (brrr!) during the Jubilee Pageant. 

  That iconic London landmark, Tower Bridge, is opening to allow the sovereign to pass through, as the rain pours down.

 Over 1,000 boats making their way down the river, in an extraordinary spectacle, for the Diamond Jubilee riverboat pageant on the Thames. (The entire procession takes 70 minutes to pass by)

Away ... Again!

Instead of venting my frustration,

I am just going to step away from my computer for awhile.

P.S. It is so comforting when I take my computer into Best Buy and the first thing said in regards to my computer problem is "That's pretty cool, I've never seen anything like that!"

Pure Awesomeness! Thanks Computer!

Save Our Cemeteries Volunteer Project

 Save Our Cemeteries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in New Orleans.

There mission is to preserve, protect, and promote the historic cemeteries of New Orleans through restoration, education, and advocacy.

 

VOLUNTEER PROJECT: St. Louis Cemetery No. 1

Saturday, May 19th
9 am to 12 pm
 

Volunteers were needed to assist SOC in removing graffiti from tombs, including the Glapion family 

tomb (Marie Laveau's final resting place).

 

BEFORE PICTURE

 I volunteered for this project and thoroughly enjoyed it, since it felt nice contributing time toward the restoration of a historical landmark.

AFTER PICTURE

Why the triple Xs?

The tomb continues to attract visitors who (illegally) draw three "x"s (XXX) on its side, in belief that Laveau's spirit will grant them a wish.

Hundreds if not thousands of"X's" blanketing this tomb and several others. The origins of this proverbial New Orleans Voodoo practice are unclear, but contrary to popular belief, it is not rooted in age-old local ritual. Judging from the sheer amount of X's scrawled throughout the cemetery, it would appear the legions of Voodoo practitioners make their way through the City of the Dead on a regular basis. Although more Voodoo is practiced at this one tomb than any single tomb in the United States, many people who worship through Voodoo and genuinely live it as a lifestyle have never left a mark on the structures of the City of the Dead.
The thousands of X's are largely the result of tour groups, who have been coached to practice Voodoo by their tour guide. Their instructions always include breaking a brick off of other tombs and a combination of steps which involve spinning around three times, scratching three X's on the tomb, knocking on it, or rubbing a foot on it or hollering at it or kicking it, etc., (everyone does it slightly, if not very, differently from everyone else) and then leaving an offering to get a wish granted.

Shiner in NOLA News

Nothing surprises me more than browsing my usual local NOLA websites and ...

BAM, seeing a picture of the brewery ;)

Memories of Jazz Fest 2012

The first year with my very own walkies-talkie

FM = Florence + The Machine

 

Watching my favorite band at the Fest, Florence + The Machine

Large crowds this year, esp. for The Eagles, The Boss, & Tom Petty

One of my co-workers had to bring in her baby (get this!!) nutria everyday for babysitting, no kidding!

Foo Fighters. Up close with former-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl

Florence

Besides catching glimpses of celebrities back-stage like Emma Thompson, Daryl Hannah, and Ray Stamos -- I got the most excited for a local celeb, Sean Payton

Acura Stage closing down after the fest

Acura Stage back-stage during the fest

Working At Jazz Fest

Backstage Acura during Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 2012