Wooden Shoes and Misspelled Headstones

02Nov09

My friend Ginger Snapps took this picture of me after my haircut at The Refinery Thanks G!

Wow! What a weekend and what a week that lies ahead! (PartnerCon..what?) Friday afternoon I flew into New Orleans from Ft. Lauderdale. It was the first time flying with all of my lenses so the trip required a last minute trip to Bestbuy to grab a Lowepro backpack with all sorts of neat compartments for lenses and doohickies, and a compass in the stock (I made that last part up.). The trip was uneventful save for a bumpy landing and hour long rainy, dark car ride from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. E met me in New Orleans, though, so I didn’t have to make the ride alone. I’m in Louisiana for the PartnerCon conference but also to go through my mother’s things. My mother died 11/11/08 and my dad is moving soon, so it was time to go through her things and the things that accumulate in parents’ attics. We didn’t finish what we set out to do but we started. We did get sidetracked and made a few trips down memory lane. In between dividing up my mother’s paintings and sorting through her jewelry my dad handed me a large box to go through. I cannot describe the horrors that awaited in that one box. I found my old jewelry box from when I was a teenager and when I opened it I saw, glaring back at me, burning my corneas hundreds of pairs of bright or neon colored circa 1983 earrings, necklaces, rings…everything. Oh-my-God it was horrible. Back in the day I thought I was so avante garde wearing not two, but thee pair of earrings and….wait for it….some that didn’t match……What can I say? Crazazy times.. Also in the box was my extensive collection of unicorns. Yep. Airbrushed van quality unicorns in all forms, although most were glass or porcelain. I have no idea what I’m going to do with this stuff. The pure kitsch of it almost makes me want to keep it…But I’ve already committed to keeping every Mad magazine I’ve ever bought (I am convinced they will become collectors items and I can sell them to pay for Tess’s college tuition) so I don’t know where I’ll find the room. Also in the box…my wooden shoes from when we lived in Holland when I was a child. What I remember most about those shoes is that 1. you couldn’t wear them and 2. Sinter Klas (Santa Claus) would leave toys in them around Christmastime. What memories! That was about all we accomplished on Saturday. I left at around 11:00 for a haircut and color like I always do when I’m in town. Garrett Lemieux gives the best hair! If you live in Baton Rouge go to The Refinery and Garrett will hook you up. He’s the best. Later Dad, E, my tog friend GingerSnapps went to Perkins Rowe had ourselves a Photowalk. It’s a great area and we only ran into one Jam/Jelly type lady who didn’t want us to take pictures of the merchandise that was prominently displayed to the public in the front window (my words not hers). Which promptly incurred a reaction in Ginger to walk up to the display case and start taking pictures. The rest of the walk was uneventful except for when we saw a security guard walk up to us. Ginger was sure the Jam lady had sent him and confessed what she had done (proudly). The security guard had, in fact, absolutely no idea what Ginger was talking about so we quickly engaged him in conversation about cameras as he told us he was a Nikon shooter as well. My favorite pic from the walk (aside from the ones of my dad who at 70 looks marvelous) is the chandelier and you’ll see it below.

Sunday my sister bailed on more box tackling so Dad, E and I went to see Mom’s new place. It’s a long drive and it’s in Mississippi (I know, I know), but it’s quaint and near the beach. It was weird seeing my mom’s name cut into the stone with her birth and death date and we couldn’t really positively remember where her ashes were buried but we had the general idea. We hung around a bit and I talked to Mom and said all the things that I had been thinking and wanted to say. Cried a little then said goodbye. It was weird leaving her there. I mean, she’d been there for almost a year and I know she’s not really “there” but it was weird nonetheless. I did leave something for her though. Never a flower person, it just didn’t seem appropriate, so before we left the house I grabbed a handful of her favorite Dove Dark candies. I love you, Mom.

After visiting with Mom, Dad showed me where the stone cutter had misspelled his mother’s name. My grandmother was always “Maw Maw” although I knew she went by Marjorie a lot and that her real name was Margaret. Well, did I mention the cemetary was in Mississippi? When Dad pointed Maw Maw’s name out I saw “Margret”. I just gasped. What do you do? There is no eraser when you cut something into a stone. I’ll say this…at least he spelled it like it sounds!

Leaving the ground I noticed a typically MS. stone and it’s included in a picture below. Too funny. While I think the cemetary is pretty and quaint, I told E I didn’t want to be buried there. We’re sticking with our original plan…..Whoever goes first is cremated and keeps the ashes. When the other one goes then our kids have to put bot sets of ashes in one urn and shake it up, like 007 likes his martinis! Then and only then can we be scattered some in Louisiana, some in Florida, some in places yet to be determined because we plan on living a long time together

That leads us up to today! I’m still in Baton Rouge but will be leaving soon for PartnerCon in New Orleans!!! What a treat to have a conference on my old stomping ground! I can’t wait to post those pictures! Below are some from this weekend! Enjoy!

My wooden shoes. They were sooo uncomfortable.

There’s no meaning behind this picture it was just pretty so I took it in my Dad’s backyard

My friend, Ginger Snapps! Would you tell this woman not to take pictures?

if you did, this is what would happen….

and this

and then this happens…Hey E stop chimping you see the security guard behind you?

and then E would say, “what?”

and then E would say, “I’m stickin’ it to the man!” and go on chimping

but none of that really happened. What did happen though is my dad…this guy

Did a good job of demonstrating where I got my cool from. Here he is checking to see if the building is level….I also see now where I got that wagon I’m draggin’

Here’s my favorite pic from the day

Sunday we went to the cemetary and here’s Mom’s name

Here’s the chocolate in lieu of flowers

Here is proof we were in Mississippi

Katrina inflicted a lot of damage at the grounds and not everything has been put back together…

And here’s one of E just because I love him so…