Tourists

Today is Sunday and this morning, in the gospel reading, I heard, "Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile."  Jesus went on to list those things.  Deeds such as, "evil thoughts, unchastity, deceit, envy, blasphemy and arrogance."  His words caught my attention because Chris and I are just off the plane from New Orleans where, as our tour guide put it, we found a "juxtaposition of sin and virtue".  (I think she said that in reference to a story about Faulkner sitting on a balcony shooting a bb gun at a group of nuns--something she found funny and I found disrespectful but I liked her phrasing anyway.)  

Having stayed in the only hotel on Bourbon Street that doesn't rent rooms by the hour, we saw more than our share of places we hurried past.  About a mile away though, stands the oldest cathedral in the country*.  So really New Orleans turns out to be just a starker, more obvious example of what I find everywhere--the co-existence of good and evil.  

The upside?  I have free will and can choose to move heavenward or beast-ward at any moment.  The more I choose one, the more I become what I've chosen.  It's mostly a gradual process but one that can be completely reversed at any time.  Which is why I hate it when I hear something like, "but he's really a good person" or "she has a good heart".  Whether someone is good or bad is a final judgement and a determination for God to make.  And only God can see our hearts.  My business should be that of judging words and actions and deciding who I should listen to and who I want for my companions.  And although I know that specific places and manmade things cannot make me bad and that I can choose goodness regardless of where I am or who I'm with,  I prefer to be in places and with people who make that easier rather than more difficult.

So, in the end, Chris and I had a good time in New Orleans and I think we found goodness in delicious food, a talented tour guide, an incredible jazz band and little bits of fun throughout the city.  We took the time to talk about some important things and get our year off to a good start.  All positive.  But next time we go on a get-away, this country mouse is heading to the hills (or the Carribean) where the air is clean and the awesome views remind me of my creator.  (Hmmm...sounds a little like Virginia). 

*New Orleans' cathedral is the oldest one on the same spot.  The building itself has actually been rebuilt twice.

This place was across the street from our hotel.  One night we wandered over for Beignets which ended up being our dinner.

"Joe" jumped into this picture I was trying to take of our hotel, The Royal Sonesta

One of the fun things about New Orleans was the ability to get a to-go drink anywhere we were.  It reminded me of something that happened one of the times Chris visited me in Spain.  We were driving from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid--a short drive point to point but very long because of the convoluted highway system (it may be better now--that was 13 years ago).  We stopped at a gas station and Chris wanted a cup of coffee to keep him awake so I told him to ask for "café para llevar" or "coffee to go".  I didn't witness this but apparently the guy at the counter looked at him in horror and said, "¿café"?  "¿para llevar?"  "¡NO!"  Well, in New Orleans, you can get anything to go.   (I can just hear that Spanish guy, "tisk tisk--americanos")

Successful negotiation=

each party happy with his end of the deal

We caught this band in a bar on Bourbon Street and song for song they played music that my brother Neil loves and used to play with his band Last Exit.  These days, Last Exit is the name of his new fitness company but Neil is the best guitar player I know and I'm thinking that if we had grown up in New Orleans, his life might be very different now.

Check out the picture above to catch our favorite part of the band--the drummer twirling and throwing his drum sticks.  He was excellent.

Friday, we came across this thirsty chicken.  He wanted a margarita but all we had was water.  

Chris shared and then...

....scolded him for crossing the road again.

As for me, I finally got to ride side saddle on an elephant

Very cool fountain.   It was so long I couldn't fit it all in the picture.

"When you look at me, I can feel myself unfolding."

Amazing.  And that's all I have to say about that.

Interesting Sign

Another sign

Café du monde

The next day, the line was a block long to get in.

For Tara

Cathedral by night

Cathedral by day

The wisdom of Forrest Gump

"Me and Jenny--we'se like peas and carrots"

Translation--we're not the same but we go perfectly together--kind of like me and Chris.

I hope you enjoyed our brief tour of Mardi Gras city.  As KJD likes to say, "thanks for stopping by."