French Quarter II

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Okay, here's the next set of photos of the French Quarter. I hope you enjoy! :) Carol

Doesn't it Figure/French Quarter photos

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

In the 'Doesn't it figure' column: my friends are always after me to eat more vegetables. I have always disliked to hated them; my poor Mom could only get corn and tomatos down me [and please, no debates on what is/isn't a vegatable. Let me live in ignorance.] Later in life I've added mushrooms. Otherwise, bleh~~~~.

But over the Labor Day weekend in NO, I thought I would tackle some eating habits and bought a bag of lettuce upon my return. This week I've been having a salad with every meal. Well...the bag I bought was the same blend that Dole recalled. Fortunately, my bag didn't have the batch number, but since it was off by only one day and e-coli was found in a random sample, I pitched the bag anyway. I shall remain content with my non-vegetable lifestyle.

Now on to the photos of the French Quarter. I meant to start last night, but the day job got in the way. I love the FQ and I hope you enjoy the photos. :) Carol




Most photographed building.













Hard to see but that's a real cat sitting on the balcony behind the metal one.

Carriage Ride

Friday, September 14, 2007

Sunday night those attendees staying over went on a carriage ride. It was supposed to be a 'ghost' ride, but our particular driver focused mainly on history rather than ghost stories. So here are a few pictures of NO by night. Next week I'll be posting loads of pictures of the entrancing French Quarters. :) Carol

Slush Pile Players

Thursday, September 13, 2007

An extravaganza dinner and production awaited the conference attendees on Saturday night. The conference folks spearheaded by Heather Graham and Connie Perry went all out. I loved the centerpieces and the overall decor. Many of those in the play suffered panic attacks that they would forget their lines, but once the curtains went up, the Slush Pile players pulled off a great musical. I'm proud to say that the Florida Romance Writers rose to the occasion and wore costumes of every description. Next up, the Sunday night carriage ride. :) Carol



The stage



The centerpiece on my table



L to R: my friend Geri and myself



Standing, authors Kathy Pickering and Mary Stella



Authors Lyn Armstrong and Aleka Nakis

Florida Romance Writers



Me and Heather Graham

Conference

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

A great breakfast with a talk kicked off the 'official' conference on Saturday. Author F. Paul Wilson [The F. Paul Wilson Homepage http://www.siue.edu/~kcole/f.paul/index.html]proved to be an entertaining speaker, and bookseller Molly Bolden [Bent Pages Bookstore & Coffeeshop, Houma, LA] was a hoot and a half.

Panel discussions filled the day. I moderated one with several editors and participated on another about the writing life. During the afternoon the New Orleans Romance Writers Chapter honored Heather. Although the booksigning happened on Sunday, I'm including a special shot with this group as my next post will feature Heather and the Slush Pile players.
:) Carol




The group lunches at Orleans Cafe. On the L: Diane Hernandez and Traci Hall; on the R: Kathy Pickering





Mary Stella [ Mary Stella Romance Author] autographs the chest of an enthusiastic fan!


Heather is honored by the New Orleans Romance Writers Chapter.



From L to R: Robert Levinson [http://www.rslevinson.com/], Harley Jane Kozak [http://www.harleyjanekozak.com/home.html], F. Paul Wilson and Mary Stella.




The panel I moderated [photo courtesy of Traci Hall!].

Cat's Meow, NO

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The fun had only just begun for the attendees at the Heather Graham's Writers for NO. After the Welcome party, we all headed to Bourbon Street for another party sponsored by Helen Rosburg of Medallion Press. http://www.medallionpress.com/

We took over the balcony level of the Cat's Meow, a karoake bar.
Welcome to the World Famous Cats Meow - French Quarter New Orleans http://www.701bourbon.com/

Great food and drinks [gotta watch those Jell-o shots!!!]. The balcony overlooks the stage where the brave perform. You can also wander outside to watch all the action on Bourbon. The pedestrian traffic never ceased the whole night. I'm proud to say the best karoake performances that night came from our group [don't look at me...I cannot carry a tune; even my shower tells me to shut up ]. To no one's surprise, not only is Heather a NY Times Bestselling Author who has a heart of gold, she also acts, writes music AND sings. And the talent extends to her children as well who pitched in throughout the conference.

So a big thank you to Helen Rosburg for a fabulous time as you'll be able to see from the sampling of photos below. Next up wiill be photos from the conference itself. :) Carol

Why I'm eating PB&J sandwiches for the rest of my life

Monday, September 10, 2007

After the Welcome Party, my friend Geri and I wandered along Royal Street. First we stopped in the Praline [pronounced praw-leen] Company's store. Naturally, we had to sample several brands of pralines. On Monday we would return to this store to load up on goodies to send home.
New Orleans Famous Pralines
http://www.neworleansfamouspraline.com/

Fortified, we continued along and came across a Dixieland band performing on...the steps of the Louisiana Supreme Court. What a perfect moment for our first night in NO! Here's a link to a site explaining the history of Dixieland Jazz: HyperMusic -- History of Jazz: Dixieland http://www.hypermusic.ca/jazz/dixie.html

After such energizing music, we wandered into a number of stores. In the Gallery of Lights, a painting captured my soul. I couldn't leave it; the painting by artist Roberta Wesley resonated deep inside me. So I did something I never expected to do: bought the painting. The Gallery of Lights features luminous artwork. The artists paint in such a manner that the work changes with the light. Marvelous, simply marvelous. Consequently, the first thing I did when I arrived home was to go out and buy a fresh loaf of bread. I've been having PB&J sandwiches every day and will continue to do so for many months, but that painting is so worth cutting corners wherever I can. To be able to sit and find calm at the end of each day...
Gallery of Light
http://www.galleryoflight.com/

Next my friend and I cut down a street and found the famous Pat O'Brien's tavern. Of course, we had to go in and have a Hurricane. As a Floridian, I appreciate having the upper hand over a Hurricane. Please note that I only had one.
http://www.patobriens.com/

Tomorrow night I'll take up at the party at the Cat's Meow.

:) Carol










The crowd formed a line and followed the band performer around in a circle.

Heather Graham's Conference: The Welcome Party

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Heather Graham's Writers' Conference for New Orleans began with a bang on Friday, August 31 at the gorgeous Hotel Monteleone. [Hotel Monteleone http://www.hotelmonteleone.com/]

Authors Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love graciously sponsored the Welcome Party. [Erin McCarthy http://www.erinmccarthy.net/ Read Kathy Love - Romance Author http://www.readkathylove.com/]

Great food and a live performance by the band The Impalers were the highlights. [The Impalers - Vampire Band http://www.vampireband.com/]

As the following photos show, members of the Florida Romance Writers know how to party!




Author Mary Stella
http://www.mary-stella.com/




Our wonderful prez, author Traci Hall
http://www.traciehall.com/





Authors Traci Hall, Aleka Nakis and Kathy Pickering [http://www.kathleenpickering.com]





Authors Traci Hall, Aleka Nakis [http://www.alekanakis.com], and Kathy Pickering


And me being serenaded by the Impalers' lead singer. :) Carol

For those in NO who didn't make it

Thursday, September 6, 2007

I wanted to post this picture separately. These houses line up against a flood wall that broke. The people in these homes didn't make it. Since I took this photo as the bus drove past, I don't think you can tell, but the houses were pushed off their foundations by the force of water. So my prayers go out to all who didn't make it and to those who have stayed in NO and are part of the resurrection. Carol

New Orleans

I had a fabulous time at Heather Graham's Writers for New Orleans Conference this past weekend. Over time I'll share the fun pictures, but for now I'm showing the reason why we were there: the city's resurrection. I took the Katrina tour and the following photos are only representative of the total destruction that still exists. As you'll see, the French Quarters is fully functional and a roaring good time. However, NO needs your tourism and convention dollars; NO needs your donations to charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. Please remember NO and its residents in your thoughts and prayers. They have a long road to recovery. Carol




Yes, hole in the roof was made by the family escaping from the flood waters.




Line across the house marks the flood level.






Businesses wiped out.




People living in trailers as they try to rebuild their homes.




Or live in their damaged homes as they begin anew.