Shokufeh is... home

Parades and storms

Life of the last few days has revolved around Mardi Gras. In addition to making sure I eat so much King Cake I get sick of it until next Epiphany (though I'm not sure I could ever really get sick of McKenzie's King Cakes, sold by Tastee Donuts - I finally had some of one yesterday and was thrilled to pieces... maybe it's because it reminds me of my childhood, or maybe because it's so darn good in its simplicity), I've been going to parades, and reorganizing my schedule and driving routes to account for parades. We probably would have gone to more parades if it weren't for this chilliness we've been experiencing, especially at night.

Friday morning, I bundled up MrMan and myself and headed to a wee parade, by Nursery School A. (MrMan goes to Nursery School B, but is on the waiting list for Nursery School A. We've toured Nursery School A, so I'm hoping that the director doesn't think we're stalking her. Especially since we also saw each other at yesterday's parade, which was a lovely experience, taken in in front of Whole Foods. Hanging out in front of what seems to be our second home, surrounded by other families, chilly but sunny - life was good.) It was brief - little kids dressed up and being pulled in wagons by their parents, accompanied by a brass band - and perfect. It was a situation where MrMan could stand by himself without my worrying about his being trampled, and he was quite smitten by the hand strung bracelets he received. He's enjoyed the other parades too, for the most part, but definitely a different experience, including the fact that we have him firmly grasped in our arms.

At yesterday's parade, I, for the first time, heard first hand from someone who'd been affected by the tornado. It's still shocking that we had a tornado here last week. I've driven past (or near) some of the houses that were damaged/destroyed and it's mind-boggling. Especially since so much of the surrounding area looks normal. We are not a tornado town. Is God trying to clear us out of our own accord, before global warming and rising waters force us out? The woman we spoke to said she was awakened in the night by a sound that made her wonder if a monster was trying to get in the front door. She clutched her infant daughter as she heard the roof ripped off the house. Thankfully, the damage didn't penetrate farther. We have acquaintances that lost cars and trees and walls and belongings. Driving through Carrollton the other day, I got a little teary - it's the neighborhood where I lived until I was sixteen, and it's strange to see it in its current state. But the bright side - because isn't there always a bright side? I must hold on to that idea - was that there was motion: damaged trees were being sawed and stacked on the side of the street, plywood had been put over broken windows, the ever-present blue tarps stood in for missing walls and roofs. As much as I love this place I call home, if our house had been hit, I don't know how eager I would be to rebuild it. I feel for those that are having to make that decision. Someone I spoke with the other day said she thought about moving away from New Orleans. Not because she's given up. But because sometimes its so hard to live in a place one cares about so much.

Off to a parade! With this night, MrMan is marking his second time at Orpheus. Shall we call him a New Orleans boy now?

Posted by Shokufeh at February 19, 2007 04:55 PM