It is Never too Late

Some words to leave you with for two weeks...I will be on holiday!

"Which form of proverb do you prefer: Better late than never, or Better never than late?" Lewis Carroll...the pen name of Charles Dodgson, an Oxford mathematician...author of "Alice in Wonderland"

George Eliot was the pen name for Mary Anne Evans. She lived in the 1800's and wanted to be taken seriously. Her words of wisdom are commonly used today..."It's never too late to be what you might have been." It still applies today as it did in the 1800's. It is never to late....but it can be annoying!

Back in two weeks....

French Creole

I am back on Creole. There is so much I thought I knew but....I don't! I have a new favorite web site that explains the history and the rich culture of French Creole. You might need some time to read and understand everything, but it is well written and I would only jumble it all up...so go to....frenchcreoles.com and see for yourself.

Welcome...

The entrance is a narrow and dark alley way that opens into a small patio. The upstairs dance floor has a coffin ascending from the ceiling. The downstairs restrooms are hidden behind bookcases. Nice and creepy...The whole feel is, you guessed it...The Dungeon! A local favorite bar in the Quarter. No photo's allowed but I like to update my self portrait in the "rest" room of the Dungeon. It makes for an interesting question....where was this taken?

Expect funky music, darkness, great skeleton and skull paintings, lots of security around and unusual people that breathe life into the whole scene.

The Dungeon is tied into the story of Prince Suleyman of the Turkish Royal Family. In 1808 the Royal Family arrived in New Orleans...six months later, all were brutally murdered in their living quarters. Officially, it was recorded as a robbery. The Dungeon states that..."It was retribution for the young women of New Orleans who were lured into the Prince's nearby dungeon and prepared for the harems of Istanbul by psychological indoctrination, opium-induced submission and torture." Welcome to the Dungeon...738 Toulouse.

Original Dungeon....Tue-Sun...opens @ 10:30pm
Front of Dungeon...7 days...6:00pm till the last person leaves!

Creole...a good mix...with love

The meaning of Creole can take my head and give it a good spin. It is a little confusing and I am not even going to try to give it one definition. I just think of it as a culture. It is a good mix, with life and passion. I just like to say the word CREOLE! Creole people, creole language, creole cuisine, creole seasoning, creole regions, creole music. The word Creole is like a good gumbo.....everything mixed well and flavorful.

I did find this statement and I guess I will stick to it...well a little. See it is like seasoning...you have to know when to add and when to stop! "In Louisiana, Creole generally means a person of mixed French, African American, and Native American ancestry." But what about a pinch of Spanish or a dash of Italians? Who knows...I don't, but the beauty of it is the mixing.

Some of the famous Creoles that draw me into this world...a world that I do share...Amede Ardoin...a Black Creole who made the first audio recordings of Zydeco music in 1928. A man way ahead of time! John James Audubon...a White French Creole, and a very fine artist! Last but not least....my favorite...Virginie Amelie Avegno Gautreau...White French Creole...better known as "Madame X".

The definition of Creole still stirs beautiful stories and rich colors to my mind...one that makes Louisiana so unique from any other. A good pot of Gumbo...wouldn't you say?

"Tell me who you love, and I'll tell you who you are." A Creole quote

Late Night Performer

She was never a stripper but a dancer that never seemed to run out of energy. I have not seen her show in years, but to have the moves and charisma she has...it would be an impossible act for me! Singing, dancing, talking, and entertaining her audience with out a single pause. I remember just being dazzled by her.

Chris Owens is a topic of wonder for me. My first wonder is her age. After some research I decided to use the year of 1935. That would make her 75! Her body is great....it is no doubt she takes care of herself....her show alone proves that fact. The second wonder is her face...I wonder how many times it has been refreshed. As age shows with "waking up every morning"...I wonder.

I know she is the last of the really great shows in the French Quarter...the old New Orleans...the one I sometimes think about! I hope one day she will write a memoir of her life...maybe she is writing it now! She is the women who says..."A women who will tell her age will tell anything"....please tell us one day, Ms Owens!

Chris Owens
500 Bourbon Street
New Orleans

"The age of a women doesn't mean a thing. The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles." Ralph Waldo Emerson...American author 1803-1882

fleur de lis...the ancient royal statement

Fleur de lis means "lily flower". In New Orleans it is everywhere. The city flag and city hall prominently display the ancient symbol. This emblem is a badge for New Orleans, it graces our architecture, it is in our art, it is forever in our life. We are devout followers of the Fleur de lis logo on the helmets of the New Orleans Saints....these days that is royalty! For many people it shouts out "I Believe".

The modern usage of Fleur de lis states "the continuing presence of heraldry in everyday life".

There is a house in New Orleans...

"There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And its been the ruin of many
a poor boy
And God I know I'm one.

My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new bluejeans
My father was a gamblin' man
Down in New Orleans.

Now the only thing a gambler
needs...is a suitcase
and a trunk
And the only time he's
satisfied...Is when he's
on a drunk.

Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin
and misery
In the House of th Rising Sun.

Well, I got one foot on the
platform...the other
on the train
I'm goin' back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain.

Well, there is a house
in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin
of many of poor boy
And God...I know I'm one."

A folk song of a life gone wrong in New Orleans. These words are from "The Animals" 1964 revision of "The House of the Rising Sun". Like many ballads, the ownership of "The House" is uncertain. Just as the song, the actual house (if there is one) is uncertain also. Many guidebooks list a creole mansion on Esplanade Avenue as "The House", which Madame Marianne Le Soleil ran from 1862-1874. Madame Le Soleil translates from French as "the rising sun". This all sounds like a really good story to me....and we all know New Orleans sure can produce them!

There is a house in New Orleans...

A little light of life

"When the act of reflection takes place in the mind, when we look at ourselves in the light of thought, we discover that our life is embosomed in beauty." American poet...Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Light is essential for life. New Orleans has a unquie element of light that no other city produces....it seems to beam like the moon. Notice as you walk at night...look above...it glows.

Bevolo Lanterns have been gracing this city since 1945. All of Bevolo's fixtures are hand-riveted by masters, using quality hand-cut copper and brass. Bevolo's family business lights the way for many of New Orleanian...with beauty, tradition and attention to detail.

Bevolo
521 Conti Street
New Orleans

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary." Aaron Rose...artist, film director, and writer

LIVE a little

"I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by giving, by loving." Anais Nin is best known for her journals...(1903-1977)

CROWN ME

"Each your doing, so singular in each particular, crowns what you are doing in the present deed, that all your acts are queens.William Shakespeare...English Dramalist Playwright and Poet 1564-1616

french bleu

"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her, but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game." Voltaire....one of the greatest French authors (1694-1778)

NEW ME

"But it is no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." Alice quote...from "Alice in Wonderland"

Looking Thru Your Heart

"There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread." Mother Teresa

Love never fails...never

April Fools

I wanted to write about the history of April Fools Day, but decided to let you go on your own to "Wikipedia." Once there you will find the history and well known pranks by radio, television, newspapers, game shows and websites. One prank that sticks out in my mind is the "dead fairy hoax." "In 2007, an illusion designer for magicians posted on his website some images illustrating the corpse of an unknown eight inch creation, which claimed to be the mummified remains of a fairy. He later sold the fairy on eBay for 280 pounds." That would be about 418.00 US Dollars!

"Don't give cherries to pigs and advice to fools." Irish Proverb