A Month Later...

I can't believe it has been a month since our last post! How did that happen??? I guess we have just been busy with trips to Tennessee and work. Not our typical New Orleans month. We are looking forward to festival season. This weekend is French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest will be here in a couple weeks. Of course, it is also snoball season AND crawfish season. Fall and all the Halloween festivities are my favorite but it's hard to compete with springtime in the Big Easy. I have a few photos to share. These are from the neighborhood...I just love the cute shotgun styles.

 

 
 

Date Night at Barcadia

Each week we have "date night". We take turns planning unique or fun dates for each other and many times they are even surprises. We've had themed dinners at home (think Harry Potter feast) to Brazilian Steakhouse dinners in Baton Rouge. We've gone to comedy shows, played games, went hiking, and on and on. We do lots of thing together throughout the week, but date night is set aside as an opportunity to "treat" each other and really plan out something fun with the other one in mind. This week Matt and I went to "Barcadia"- a trendy arcade bar in the Central Business District. The cheese curds alone were worth the trip, but the burgers and praline bacon were a close second. We spent the evening playing skiball, air hockey and vintage arcade games. It was a fun night :)

Barcadia Bar & Arcade

Cheese Curds!!!

Carnival Doesn't Have to End (A Reflection)

On Ash Wednesday, there is a calm in New Orleans- a quietness. It could be because everyone is hung over or sleeping in. It could also simply be a sign of exhaustion. I look at is as a telling sign that "the party's over" for another year. I haven't met anyone yet that doesn't love something about Carnival season. Many locals say that you can "feel" Carnival coming the weeks leading up to January 6. Compared to most cities, New Orleans is in celebration mode all year long, whether we're celebrating po'boys, crawfish, music, a random tradition or a unique culture. However, Mardi Gras is like nothing you can imagine. The level of intensity, excitement, playfulness, carefree attitudes and indulgence feels like a detour from reality. So, when the lull comes the day after Fat Tuesday, it's time to rest and recover, put away the costumes, toss leftover king cake, go back to work and be productive again. 

This year, I had an interesting thought. While Ash Wednesday marks the start of an important time of reverence and spiritual reflection for many religious groups, "the party" doesn't have to be over. Of course, there are not going to be parades every weekend or opportunities to costume 3 nights a week, but the spirit of Carnival doesn't have to be put in a Rubbermaid tote until next year. 

Our Mardi Gras wreath is still on our front door. Our living room is overly decorated in Mardi Gras "stuff" (beads, masks, throws, etc). The things we caught from all the parades has taken over our guest space too. While we will honor the tradition of only eating king cake during Carnival, we keep our costumes handy all year round for any excuse to throw on a wig or dress as a superhero! There are many reminders in our home of Mardi Gras all year long. But, it's not just about the decorations or costumes, it's about an attitude, a perspective on life.

Some people may not be proud of what Mardi Gras turns them into. Many people drink and act foolish for several days, get kicked out of a few bars and wake up Ash Wednesday not necessarily remembering most of it. Honestly, that is much more likely to be the experience of a first time tourist that a repeat Carnival-goer or a local. For us, Carnival Season takes a load off. It temporarily suspends stresses, worries, fears and in ways, even work! (Matt's school was closed for the entire week of Mardi Gras!) Somehow, it mysteriously transforms us into playful silly people and gives us some sort of freedom that we can't quite label or explain. 

We spent the last few days of the Fat Tuesday week in Destin, FL on the beach. The weather was absolutely beautiful and the sound of the waves and the seagulls paired with our time spent staring at the tide and starry sky reminded us to remember life is what we make it. We choose our path and we choose how to react to what happens in life as well as how to interpret it. It is our choice to put the Carnival spirit in a box with our boas, beads and masks or to decide to keep it out all year long. 

Where's Waldo??? Mardi Gras, That's Where!!

We had the BEST time celebrating Fat Tuesday. From parades and funny photos to lunch on Royal Street, it was a day like no other. I don't think any photo could truly capture the experience of Mardi Gras, but here are a few... Matt costumed as Hunter S. Thompson. I hope it's obvious that I am Waldo! It was so fun!!

The Way We Celebrate Valentines Day in New Orleans

You won't see a lot of pink and red for Valentine's Day in New Orleans...it's all about the green, purple and gold! Here's to king cake and Mardi Gras flowers!!!

Parades Parades Parades

Parades are rolling every day now! We've been to 17 so far!!! Here are a few photos from the last few days:

  

  

 

  

A Parade of a Weekend

7 Parades in 3 days (Krewes of Oshun, Pontchartrain, Choctaw, Freret, Carrollton, Arthur and Alla). From the French Quarter to Uptown, we got to watch the floats roll by in a few different locations over the weekend. We hauled home a load of throws from each...hundreds of beads, a few stuffed animals, candy, doubloons (my favorite throw!) and random other stuff. Monday and Tuesday are parade-less days but after that it's floats through Fat Tuesday! Seven straight days of parades from February 11 through February 17. Whew! We are loving every minute of it!