Lola Frances

What is in a name?  We each are given a name.  When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter,  we were coming up with names.  We wanted to chose a name wisely and with meaning.  Even if it is not a meaning to every one else, it would be a meaning for us.  We kept the name a secret for a while.  We chose the name Lola Frances.  We have always loved the name Lola. The word Lola reminds us of Nola, and it also reminds us of the word 'Love'.  Frances came from Ethan's Grandmother whom he loved dearly and took care of often.  It also means French.  Which is also the name on my mother's side. 
This was the name we gave her before the move to New Orleans was even a thought.  Her name does have a very special and symbolic meaning.  

Just Some Things

New Orleans feels like another (world).  With the beautiful skyline, music always around us, pleasant daily rainfalls that cool the air a bit.  The air maybe hot and humid, but has a lot of vibrant energy.
I really enjoy taking in and connecting with the essence of this beautiful, magical city. The unexpected smiles from people I come across, the sound of the Street Cars, the ships passing along the river, the pleasant sound of church bells in the distance, tourists taking pictures of things everywhere we go, our serene walks, grand oaks tunneling the streets, crepe myrtles, beautiful foliage, and beautiful flowers everywhere, the little lizards hopping across the sidewalks, it is nice.  Everyday I stop and say to myself, "I live here".
I live in New Orleans, Hello! The most beautiful city in America!!!!

Glossy Black Paint

While trying to unpack our things, and figure out what we need for our home.....
I knew I wanted some chairs for our dining room table.  The search was on, until...
I was at a moving sale at jazz singer, Linnzi Zaorski's home, in Bywater.
There they were. Four cute, but "needed some love"....chairs.  And by "needed some love", I mean, anyone else would have thought they were ugly. I brought them home (among a few of her dresses, of course!)  And yes, a few people thought the chairs were ugly.  "trust me!!!", I had to tell them!  So on to the search for glossy black paint!!!!  And man, was it a search!!!  Why?  Who knows.  Anyway, had to buy a gallon of it mixed up.  
So... now I have a glossy black bookcase, a glossy black side table, and four glossy black chairs to match!!! We even found a semi-glossy black (much needed) china hutch.  It all looks nice together.  And it all started with four chairs needing some love, from the Bywater jazz singer.

mysterious walks...

...went on a nice walk with Lola and our dog, Summer one morning. I found a few little baby toys that looked familiar hanging on the fence by the sidewalk. I turned the corner, found more, hanging on a crepe myrtle branch, walked up the block a little more, and one was hanging in a lime tree. I guess Lola was having too much fun on our journey that day before, or not enough....

...and this is what is mysterious.  Who was the soul who came behind us, following the same path, to pick up each little toy off the ground and hang them on random things?  and to still be there the next day, with all the people walking, and all the dogs being walked....

Things like this happen here.

I'm In

I have lived in Jackson all my life.  I've never lived anywhere else. I am a mother, an artist, a writer.   
    So, I am doing this blog.  I need to start from the beginning.
    Well...here it goes.....  
    On one (of many) of our escapades to New Orleans, and Mardi Gras, I saw these signs all over the place.  "I'm In".  At every house, every restaurant, every office building, on every corner.  The "I'm In" was a new marketing campaign for the New Orleans Hornets.  I saw it as something else.
    I've been coming to New Orleans since I was a little girl.  We always went to St. Louis Cathedral (it always reminded me of the princess castle at Disney World for some reason), the French Market (before it became commercialized), and to the Cafe du Monde for beignets and chocolate milk (yummmmmmm!).     I remember riding the free ferry to Algiers, and our family bicycle rides, the pleasant streetcar and carriage rides.  I think I can even remember coming with my family to the 1984 World's Fair.  Yes I feel so old!  I always enjoyed my visits to New Orleans.
    One day.  I just did it.  "what did I just do?"  I kept telling myself.  Is this for real???  The first time in my life I actually "feel"  like an adult.  Weird, I know.  Crazy?  I can say that, too.  Days of searching, driving around the neighborhoods.....getting around the one way streets....the city with no left turns........
I finally found it.  We met with our friend, who is also a realtor. (Ethan grew up with her children when he lived in New Orleans with his mom)  She tried to turn the key, and it wouldn't work.  She tried for a while, and she jiggled it a certain way, then it worked!!!  Voila!  We went up the stairs, through the screened porch.  The cool breeze was amazing.  The tropical birds in the Japanese pear tree, the Hibiscus tree, one of our favorite flowers! It was beautiful.  Our blank canvas.  (the real estate co. who represented the property told us that the place had been vacant for a while, because they could not get the key to work!!!)  I did something very bold, I put down a deposit!!!!!