Grades are due tomorrow morning and my week of misery will--perforce--be over. Since some decisions are ALWAYS at the last minute, Mr. FS and I decided to play hooky and go to New Orleans. Our plan was to go to Whole Foods (which was having a "Taste of the Season" sampling) and then the Aquarium.
Well! the tasting was awful: many samplings of fingerling potatoes in various guises. Then we couldn't find decent parking for the Aquarium. Plus, it was a beautiful day. We decided to drive around the Faubourg Marigny, which I just read is one of the "most intact 19th century neighborhoods in the United States." No parking there either.
Then we saw a big SUV try and fail to get into what seemed to be the only parking space. Yay for the Honda Civic.
We walked for the duration of our parking: almost 2 hours. Honestly, we felt as revived as we do during our mammoth walk-fests in Europe. And we were revived physically, mentally, and aesthetically.
This site has some nice pics of the area.
Do you have any nearby spots that offer physical, mental, and aesthetic renewal?
Showing posts with label weekend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weekend. Show all posts
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Art, Debt, Sharecropping
What does it say about me that I wrote about a consignment shop in Alabama before I wrote about the Kentuck art festival, which was why we visited Miss Em to begin with. I guess I am shallow.
The festival was wonderful, but there was so much to look at. It was quite overwhelming. Since I suffer from decision-making anxiety, I didn't get anything. Miss Em bought a pretty ring; she is very sure of her decisions.
One of the booths had a huge line. The artist--who, according to Miss Em is very well-known--produces letter press posters. These had pithy sayings, many having to do with coffee. Some shaded to the too-cute-for-me. One celebrated Samuel Mockbee, the great Alabama architect who, before a too-early death, focused on housing for the poor. Miss Em's friends hadn't heard of him, but I told them to look him up.
One of Miss Em's friends said, Miss Em: you should buy this one! It was a poster saying A penny saved is a penny earned. I guess Miss Em is frugal like her mom and dad.
Then I saw another one. Sadly, I cannot remember the exact saying. It was along the lines of Don't be a sharecropper to your credit card company. Unlike the Franklin saying, this one took a bit of time to figure out. Like the Franklin saying, this one is full of wisdom. Truly, if you have credit card debt, which often involves ridiculously high interest rates which make it ever harder to extricate yourself from debt, you are working for the credit card company. The company gets a piece of what you earn, perhaps forever.
Have you seen any pithy sayings of late?
The festival was wonderful, but there was so much to look at. It was quite overwhelming. Since I suffer from decision-making anxiety, I didn't get anything. Miss Em bought a pretty ring; she is very sure of her decisions.
One of the booths had a huge line. The artist--who, according to Miss Em is very well-known--produces letter press posters. These had pithy sayings, many having to do with coffee. Some shaded to the too-cute-for-me. One celebrated Samuel Mockbee, the great Alabama architect who, before a too-early death, focused on housing for the poor. Miss Em's friends hadn't heard of him, but I told them to look him up.
One of Miss Em's friends said, Miss Em: you should buy this one! It was a poster saying A penny saved is a penny earned. I guess Miss Em is frugal like her mom and dad.
Then I saw another one. Sadly, I cannot remember the exact saying. It was along the lines of Don't be a sharecropper to your credit card company. Unlike the Franklin saying, this one took a bit of time to figure out. Like the Franklin saying, this one is full of wisdom. Truly, if you have credit card debt, which often involves ridiculously high interest rates which make it ever harder to extricate yourself from debt, you are working for the credit card company. The company gets a piece of what you earn, perhaps forever.
Have you seen any pithy sayings of late?
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Free Music and Free Enterprise
We were lucky to notice that--contrary to the info from my source--Museum Day for New Orleans was yesterday, September 24. When I figured this out, we jumped into the car and hightailed it to the New Orleans Museum of Art, where we saw an interesting show of religious figures from India.
That left today free for another free cultural opportunity: Musica di Camera, an early music group, will be performing for free at a nearby Abbey.
The Abbey is a beautiful place. The church has some incredible murals, painted in the 30s (I think) and recently restored. One of my friends worked there during the restoration and I got to meet the art restorers--an itinerant husband-wife duo.
You may have heard of this place: it has been much in the news because the Louisiana Funeral Directors sued the monastery: asserting that it was against state law to sell monk-made coffins. The monks are winning so far, but the case is destined--so it says in the news--for the Supreme Court.
Two cultural events in one weekend. What bliss. Did you have any wonderful experiences this weekend?
That left today free for another free cultural opportunity: Musica di Camera, an early music group, will be performing for free at a nearby Abbey.
The Abbey is a beautiful place. The church has some incredible murals, painted in the 30s (I think) and recently restored. One of my friends worked there during the restoration and I got to meet the art restorers--an itinerant husband-wife duo.
You may have heard of this place: it has been much in the news because the Louisiana Funeral Directors sued the monastery: asserting that it was against state law to sell monk-made coffins. The monks are winning so far, but the case is destined--so it says in the news--for the Supreme Court.
Two cultural events in one weekend. What bliss. Did you have any wonderful experiences this weekend?
Saturday, 24 September 2011
My Bad! Museum Day is Sept 24 and Sept 25
My "source" was mistaken. Anyway, we're off to the big city to see a show. Link is in previous post.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Cheap (FREE!) Culture: Smithsonian Museum Day
Have all you (USA) residents heard about Smithsonian Museum Day? Museum Day is Sunday 9/25 and scads of museums all over the US are participating. You can check what museums are participating in your area and print out a free ticket for 2 on the Museum Day site. You can see the link here.
Is anyone taking advantage of this?
Is anyone taking advantage of this?
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