An Afternoon in NOLA City Park

Sometimes in the winter and often in the spring, I LOVE to take some time out and go to City Park (New Orleans) to chill amongst the beauty! 

I semi-regularly go to the walking track near the NOLA Museum of Art and actually exercise, but avoid it like the plague in summertime because it's approximately one billion degrees and a million percent humidity here. If that sounds like it's an exaggeration, it's not.....it's completely true.

                               

Anyway, before I moved to NOLA, apparently most of City Park was comprised of golf courses and while there has only been one in the almost ten years I've lived here, post-Katrina, they are now being re-developed. So, a giant swath of the park will no longer be the lovely, natural, and free area I've known it to be. 

                        

It always makes me so happy to drive through the Harrison Avenue cut-through and see people out playing with their dogs or kids. On some Tuesdays after my St. Paul's staff mtg and in my way to UNO, I stop and sit for a little while with my morning coffee. I haven't been able to in a while since I have lessons now on Tuesdays, but I do still steal some Friday afternoon time or weekend time to go and read in some of my favorite spots! 

                          

I've been soooooooooo happy over the years to see the lovely Spanish moss returning to the trees! Though I was a new resident after hurricane Katrina, I noticed its absence and it struck me as rather odd for this Savannah / sub-tropical climate area. 

City Park helps me relax. It gives me (and countless others) a place to be out "in the wild" without driving outside city limits and while being relatively (and arguably) safe because roads are nearby, it's reasonably populated, and one still probably has cell phone service. 

                       

I love the place. While it's exciting (and brings the city tons of revenue and glitz, I'm sad to have seen the start of rebuilding the golf courses. I have no idea how many of them they're planning to rebuild, but I surely hope there will be some of my favorite places left when it's all said and done!

PS. Two weeks ago, a whole field was covered in giant, beautiful thistle! 

                         

i thank You God for most this amazing

                                   I THANK YOU GOD FOR MOST THIS AMAZING

City Park, NOLA in March 2015

                                        i thank You God for most this amazing

                                        day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

                                        and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

                                        which is natural which is infinite which is yes

                                        (i who have died am alive again today,

                                        and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth

                                        day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay

                                        great happening illimitably earth)

                                        how should tasting touching hearing seeing

                                        breathing any–lifted from the no

                                        of all nothing–human merely being

                                        doubt unimaginable You?

                                        (now the ears of my ears awake and

                                        now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

                                                                   -- e.e. cummings (1894-1962)
                                        #poetry #gratitude #thanks #Nature #nola #Episcopal

Poem found at: http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2013/10/26 
And here is a GORGEOUS choral composition written by Eric Whitacre (b. 1970) sung by The Stanford Chamber Chorale and the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge, under the direction of Stephen Layton. * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMbSY7b0fuM

butterfly I saw at UNO on a pretty purple flowering bush

Thistle at NOLA City Park, March 2015

Palm Sunday at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, NOLA

Here is our album of photos from yesterday's Palm Sunday service and potluck at St. Paul's Episcopal, New Orleans. In the morning, I decided to play with sunlight and got a few photos I really liked :-)

During the week, I'll be adding more to this album and hopefully and few others will as well!
Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10153163464741635.1073741849.305709146634&type=1

Above photo: me, Rt. Rev'd Duncan Gray (his 1st day with us as bishop in residence at St. Paul's), Fr. Rob Courtney (our rector), Amelia Arthur (director of formation)

morning sunlight through a palm

Pi Day, 2015

Yesterday was Pi Day and Albert Einstein's birthday!

Happy #PiDay 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679821480865132823066470......zzzzz...

Here's some more info about the day itself - http://www.piday.org/

Also, a couple of fun articles:

1. From Slate

and

2. From NPR

I got myself up and out and down the street to the Cafe Rose Nicaud for a slice of pecan pie. It was really empty when I got there so I decided to stay and have my pie and add some coffee and enjoy the visit. My friend Connie happened to come by so we chatted for a while and by the time I finished my pie, the place was full! :-) It's a terrific cafe and if you're in the Frenchmen Street area of New Orleans, do try to stop by. Their hibiscus iced tea is fantastic, great pecan pie, and they feature a host of sandwiches, wraps, and other croissants and desserts.Since it was 3/14/15 the trick was catching 9:26 and 53 seconds....which I ended up doing both morning and evening :-)

This is another day, O Lord

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.
#Episcopal #prayer #Anglican

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, NOLA. Photo by C. Carson

"Parade Sunday" at St. Paul's 2015

The Sunday before Mardi gras is known as Bacchus Sunday or "Parade Sunday" in NOLA. Yesterday was Samedi gras and tomorrow is Lundi gras with Tuesday being Mardi gras. I haven't heard anyone calling today Dimanche gras and it just sounds weird so I'm sticking with Parade Sunday and Bacchus Sunday. I had the idea to tell my St. Paul's Episcopal Choir to bring beads and headresses, wigs, throws, and the like to church today. 

During the final hymn, (which was #460 in the Episcopal Hymnal "Alleluia! Sing to Jesus" to get plenty of Alleluias out before Lent), we recessed and threw beads, stuffed animals, toys, and lots of things to the congregation! It seemed like they really liked it. I saw more people smiling than in a long while! Also, I made absolutely sure to do it after Fr. Rob's blessing so the Liturgy itself would be only minimally disturbed (no worse than announcements, I daresay).

I also asked Fr. Rob to wear these gigantic pink beads on the way out. One of our sopranos, Tanya, brought them and it just seemed perfect.

Here is one of our tenors, Ernell, rocking a purple wig

Here is Tory, a soprano, dancing up the aisle!

I also felt that it would be a good idea for our choir tot take a photo out by the St. Paul's Church sign and it turned out GREAT!

A super fun ending to the morning!

Consider Supporting Me in the New Orleans CROP Hunger Walk!

Please consider supporting me in the New Orleans CROP Hunger Walk on Saturday, Sept. 27. You can donate (anything helps!) at the link below or join my team and walk with me and St. Paul's Episcopal Church & School and members of the UNO Choirs.

FIGHT HUNGER at home and globally!

CROP Hunger Walks are community-wide events that bring people together in a common mission: helping hungry people at home and around the world.

I'm excited to be part of it and would love to have you walk with me. The steps we take - and the funds we raise - will make a real impact! Come on out and join me for a good cause. I am so NOT a morning person, but if I can do it, so can you! :-)

HERE'S THE LINK!

http://hunger.cwsglobal.org/site/TR?px=1869475&fr_id=19393&pg=personal 

Chocolate Pecan Pralines - NOLA recipe

Made pralines I did...
Chocolate ones included there are...
Tasty they turned out...
Taking them to church I am...
Be jealous you should...
Hrrrrrm 

Last Saturday, I helped shepherd half of the kids participating in the Crescent City Choral Festival to various restaurants and had a great time, in spite of the heat. One of the places I'd never been to, was the New Orleans School of Cooking. The large group was split into smaller groups and our group was treated to a FABULOUS demonstration by Chef Kevin. He is HILARIOUS!

The beginning of the demonstration and meal included watching how to make pralines. I love them, but had never made them before and since they gave us a packet of several recipes, I thought that I'd try it. One of my summer goals included learning how to make Jambalaya and several other New Orleans dishes so since I'm falling behind on those projects, this sort of helps, right?

SOOOOOOOOO, here is the New Orleans School of Cooking Recipe, which they freely give out, and I hope you try it and enjoy deliciousness!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup milk
6 tbsp.  butter (3/4 stick)
1 1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts etc., roasted optional)
1 tsp. vanilla

PROCEDURE:
Combine all ingredients and bring to a "softball" stage *(230-240 degrees), stirring constantly
Remove from heat. [Here, Chef Kevin said stir again a little and now is when you can add flavors such as coconut, almond, peanut butter and my personal favorite - two handfuls of chocolate chips! He also said that if the mixture gets too hard too fast, you can add a splash of milk to help.]
Stir until mixture thickens (again, stirring constantly), becomes creamy, cloudy, and pecans stay suspended in mixture. Spoon out on buttered wax paper, aluminum foil, or parchment paper. When using wax paper, be sure to buffer with newspaper underneath, as hot wax will transfer to whatever is beneath.

NOTE: To roast pecans, bake them on a sheet pan at 275 degrees for 20-25 minutes until slightly browned and fragrant!

OPTIONS:
Praline sauce (add 1/2 cup corn syrup to mixture.) Chocolate covered praline candy. Flavored pralines (chocolate, coffee, brandy, etc.)

*** Makes 1-50 Pralines depending on size***

*** Chef Kevin also suggested crumbling pralines over bakes sweet potatoes and adding bacon. I imagine you could make the bacon candied if the pecans were crushed more and the mixture hardened around it. I know Elizabeth's Restaurant in the Bywater serves THE BEST praline bacon EVER. 

Ponderings at Two Stoplights on a Grey New Orleans Day

When I left this morning to head on over to UNO, it was extremely DARK and ominous, quite windy, and about to rain hard. I LOVE days like this and I completely love storms, especially thunderstorms. The first stoplight I came to was long enough for me to start wishing I'd seen the weather radar earlier and could have run out to Lake Ponchartrain to view the storm as it was coming in and take pictures. I was just mulling that over and didn't see any lightening yet, but it's something I really want to do at some point this summer. I'm SO EXCITED to be getting a lightning trigger - a piece of camera equipment I've wanted for at least five years. Not exactly sure which brand I want, but quality enough to capture some terrific shots! I drove a few blocks and stopped at another light. 

I was able to take this iPhone photo that really shows you how dark it was. Wow, the storm was moving super rapidly! As I put the phone back down and turned to look down Elysian Fields, there came a GIGANTIC wall sheet of water, something you'd see sweeping across the plains, barreling down the street! It must have had a bit of a downburst in it too because I saw that it broke off a pretty sizable branch of an oak tree which remained in the middle of the road. I thought how lucky it was that no one was in its way and noted the strength of the whipping rain. The light then turned green.

Rainy Day NOLA and Great Books

It's not raining today, but it was yesterday! :-) I kind of wish it were today so that I could curl up again with some of the terrific new books I've been reading. I wasn't feeling well yesterday so resting helped a lot. I think my tonsils should probably come out, but I'm avoiding it for many reasons. Anyway, I am LOVING my free time this summer to stay up super late and read. It's sort of stolen free time, as I have a megaton of work that always needs to be done, but whatever. Some of the books I have recently read and/or am now reading are:

The Heart of Christianity  -  by Marcus Borg (terrific read!)

Episcopal Questions, Episcopal Answers  - by C.K. Robertson and Ian S. Markham (fantastic!)

I Heard the Owl Call My Name  -  by Margaret Craven (just starting)

Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry -  by W.B. Yeats (reading a bit at a time)

Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith  -  by Barbara Brown Taylor (fabulous read!)

What Should I Do with My Life?  -  Po Bronson (reading a bit at a time)

Here's my pretty silhouette of P.T. Beauregard at the NOLA City Park roundabout yesterday! On my way home, it was about to storm and I looked up and saw this wonderful storm light! 

C. Carson, 2014

Pentecost Sunday, 2014

Today was a big Pentecost service at St. Paul's NOLA. Fr. Rob, who is currently on an EDOLA pilgrimage in The Holy Land, sent us is sermon via Skype and YouTube during the service! The choir was small, yet fabulous! Here is a collage from today that I managed to take and a meme that I made. I taught my choir that when I was young, our choir at St. Michael's Episcopal used to sing "Hail Thee Festival Day" as "Hail Thee Vegetable Day.....blessed day that art salad for ever..." SO FUNNY to hear my choir doing it now :-)

CRACKFISH

I'm just going to call it like it is: CRACKFISH. Seriously, the catfish that the Lakeview grocery makes (Lakeview area of New Orleans) is THE. BEST. EVER. #NotEvenKidding

I need some sort of 12-step intervention program to keep me from eating so much of it. I'm in there at least once.....ok maybe twice a week lately. Today, I was voraciously craving chocolate and went in there to pick up some tea and chocolate for the few hours of work before choir rehearsal at St. Paul's Episcopal. BUT, I saw the salad bar and the catfish on the hot bar and instantly forgot the chocolate and got a big takeout container of salad and catfish. SO. MUCH. GOODNESS. Of course I'm not upset about eating salad, but the fried catfish, again......well, I should probably NOT eat it so often. Alas, I am enjoying some leftovers as I type this :-)

Crescent Moon from the Crescent City

Yesterday morning, around 5:00 a.m., the garbage trucks were making SO MUCH NOISE. After they were finally fading away, I rolled over to go back to sleep and I saw the fat crescent moon out of my window. For a second, I closed my eyes and then I jumped up because I HAD to get that picture! HA! This is the result.......not too shabby :-)

The Pilgrim's Hymn

The Pilgrim's Hymn by Stephen Paulus

Sunrise March 29, 2014 on Frenchmen Street, NOLA - iPhone and it's a steamy / foggy morning :-)

PILGRIMS' HYMN

Even before we call on Your name

To ask You, O God,
When we seek for the words to glorify You,
You hear our prayer;

  Unceasing love, O unceasing love,
Surpassing all we know.

Glory to the father,
and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit.

 

Even with darkness sealing us in,
We breathe Your name,
And through all the days that follow so fast,
We trust in You;
Endless Your grace, O endless Your grace,
Beyond all mortal dream.

 

Both now and forever,
And unto ages and ages,
Amen

 

 ~ Text by Michael Dennis Browne and Stephen Paulus and found at this link

Have a listen :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhcnxL0xRhc&feature=kp

Tribute to NOLA

This is short, but I thought I'd preserve my Facebook post from in the middle of the night tonight....since I'm still awake and this is what is on my mind....

Dear NOLA,
Today is the 1st day of my 7th year here! I arrived when you were broken in body & spirit (as was I) and am proud to have been witness to your rising & return to wholeness. I've had opportunities here I never imagined I'd have: UNO, NOVA, Jefferson Chorale, ACDA, Civic Symphony, the "Thursday Night Group", a beautiful Episcopal church choir -to name just a few. I finished my doctorate here. Then, there are dear friends & those who have become my family. I feel like I'm allowed to be quirky & passionnate here and most of all - happy. Thank you for being a super city with marvelous people and opportunities...PS This is the year I'll finally get to Saints, Zephyrs, and Hornets games ; )

Snoballs, City Park walks, thunderstorms, drama, Super Bowl, Fleur de lis, French Quarter, voodoo stores, jazzy friends, egrets, Elizabeth's restaurant, Inconspicuous 8, St. Paul's, Mississippi benches, Mardi gras & parades, cruises, Artwalk, dacquiris, museums, photography, ordinations & installations, beignets, beads, the market, rice, history, UNO Innsbruck, marshes, steamboats, water meters, hosting 45+ concerts at St. Paul's, travel, weather pics, Nutriapocalypse, alligators, coffee, 610 Stompers, coming together, Yats, WhoDats, Festival Brasileiro, Thursday nights, Lagniappes.........

(I'll update w/ a few pictures Sunday when I'm home)