[This is a continuation of the author's series on New Orleans lessons, to commemorate both the 2nd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina as well as her 10th anniversary of living in New Orleans .]

S is for Savoring

It's no coincidence that I've learned how to meditate while living in New Orleans. Nor is it a coincidence that I've learned about the Slow Food movement and taken up gardening. If my northern family thought I was slow before, they think I'm downright sluggish now, after ten years of New Orleans life. And that's fine with me: living slowly allows me to contentedly follow my own muse, and screw the rest.

People ask how we can deal with the heat down here, and it's simple (but not always easy): slow down. Don't run anywhere; take your time and just relax. Sit and have some water. Take a nap. Watch the sunset. Savor your life before it passes you by.

T is for Traditions

Because we take life so slow around here, we make the time to hold onto our dear traditions. From red beans on Monday to grillades on Sunday, our heritage finds its way into our daily lives. If you take the streetcar downtown, or go to the racetrack on Thanksgiving, or eat king cake on Twelfth Night, or fix black-eyed peas and cabbage for the new year, or go to Galatoire's every Friday, or drive in the Mardi Gras truck parade, or start Jazzfest in the Gospel tent, you know what I mean.

I could go on and on with these standard traditions, but there are plenty of good ones dreamed up by our creative population. Grilling out on the neutral ground for Lundi Gras. Making waffles for brunch on Super Sunday. Spending Halloween in the graveyard. Rereading Gone With the Wind to cope with an Ash Wednesday hangover.

If you've got a juicy tradition to share, please leave a comment - you know we New Orleanians are always hungry for new ways to pass a good time!

At last week's "International Tribunal on Katrina and Rita," one of the more striking parts of the event was the presentation of the second witness on the subject of Women's Rights. Ms. Stephanie Mingo, a resident of New Orleans for 40 years, lived in St. Bernard Housing project prior to Katrina. After the storm, she evacuated with four children and one grandchild in tow. Her mother died on the Gentilly bridge, unable to survive the physical and mental anguish of the storm's aftermath. Ms. Mingo's testimony was powerful and informative.

Ms. Mingo and her family evacuated, returned, and are now staying in the Iberville project. She doesn't like it there and wants to move back into her St. Bernard home. She has worked for the Orleans School Board for ten years -- "not that long" Ms. Mingo says -- and is determined to stay in her home town.

Her stubbornness in staying in a project known as much for trouble as for housing might seem odd to those of us who have never stayed in government housing, but it's the home that she wants to come back to. She loves her job as a food services technician at a local school, and isn't afraid of hard work. As Ms. Mingo said from the witness seat while testifying to the court, "When I tie these shoes, I'm not too proud to do anything." Her home and community were humble, but she managed to raise and put through college three of her kids, and the fourth is college-bound.

Public housing may be the upscale-white developer's nightmare, but a lot of hard-working, disciplined people lived there before Katrina, and want to return to their homes and communities which they are trying against all odds to preserve.

The post title is probably obvious, but I think it bears repeating in this post Katrina New Orleans. At Rising Tide 2 this weekend I was struck by the keynote speaker's mentioning of a lack of after school and summer sports programs in major cities. But what about NORD, I wondered. Aren't they a major well-established city run after school and summer sports program for kids? Apparently NORD has been going strong all summer with arts programs, sports programs and a whole lot more. Anyone can sign their kids up. All ages are welcome. No kid should have to be on the street this summer or after school. And yes I'm sure these programs aren't easy to get into, but nothing is stopping you from helping out. We need to show are support for NORD and to encourage its development so this program that has been around since I was a kid will be around for the foreseeable future.

What's going on here? Why am I posting so much? Today, in honor of Katrina I am attempting another 24 hour 24 post blogathon.

Over the past year, many of us in the New Orleans area have finally gotten to a relatively settled place. We have decided what we are going to do during the recovery. We have chosen our new home or our remodeled one. We have gotten new jobs and resettled across Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf South. And now... well I think it is officially time for the first safe Katrina baby boom to start. I know of a number of new families and growing ones that will be adding bundles of joy over the next few months. All of them (myself included) realized after the first anniversary of Katrina last year that... we are finally in an ok place. No everything isn't perfect (far from it), but the city is lurching forward now. The country is at least partially behind us. The hospital system is up and running. The street lights are on and most of the infrustructure appears to getting back in order. The levee system repair plan is coming along. Sure nothing is the way we would want to have it in a perfect world, but we have gotten used to a post-k N'awlins.

What do you think? Did the post-k boom start this past month? Are we ready to move forward (even in the current state)?

I feel more comfortable bringing a new addition in now than a year ago (on a community level as well as on a personal one) do you?

Image via Kelly

What's going on here? Why am I posting so much? Today, in honor of Katrina I am attempting another 24 hour 24 post blogathon.

This should be obvious to everyone, but the recovery and rebuilding of New Orleans is a volunteer based one. Manyof us started with the thought that we can do it ourselves. We can gut and repair and rebuild our homes with no-one's help. We will deal with FEMA and SBA and LRA on our own. We will do this alone.

And then we realize we can't do it alone. No one can do what we have done and what we must do alone. We do need help. We do need understanding. We do need volunteers.

Today the news media will be covering our recovery and each station and newspaper and network will likely include one token 'volunteer hero' story, but that isn't enough. The real story is the volunteer movement. Katrina has done what even 9-11-01 couldn't do. This disaster has galvanized the country and helped bring about the return of true social activism on a national scale. Our mass apathy has been slowly eating away at our country and now armies of volunteers are giving up their time, their Spring Breaks, their vacations, their money, their sweat and their tears to help rebuild a region that is a much a part of this country as any other.

We will see a domestic issue of major importance discussed in national debates during the Presidential election. A state in the south with only a small number of votes has been moved into the forefront thanks to a national of volunteers and a national anger at an event that is almost a national disgrace.

New Orleans hasn't started recovering alone (and yes we are recovering slowly but surely). We are recovering on the backs of volunteers and we thank you and promise to do the same for you.

[Recovery Pen started as a response to the post-Katrina wreckage: physical, emotional, and societal. Unfortunately, its author still finds plenty to write about, two years later.]

Let's face it: we're all sick of Katrina. Maybe the news media is excited to have a pre-made story as August 29 roars down upon us, but the rest of us would rather be rid of the whole damned mess. Still, it's impossible not to think about, as impossible to ignore as the elephant standing on your foot.

This week, my fellow bloggers will be posting Katrina remembrances and photos, and I will continue on with my NOLA Alphabet as a way to commemorate what I've learned from this great city, before and after the storm. Yet I wanted to dedicate today's column to Katrina's children, who've had to survive the powerlessness of this trauma with the added powerlessness of being a child Adults can decide whether or not to leave the city as a killer storm approaches. But what about the children without a choice, the ones whose parents or guardians didn't have the sense or the money to evacuate? What would it be like living through such a storm as a child? Or as an infant, so sensitive and completely unable to make sense of the experience, likened to having a freight train running over the house, for hours on end.

And then, what about the aftermath? What would it be like to wade through filthy flood water, which goes a lot higher on a small body? And having your home - the center of your tiny universe - swallowed by water, your few toys ruined? What would it be like to leave all your friends, and maybe even lose your very best friend, your pet? To watch your relatives drown while you wait for rescue?

On the third Wednesday of every month until December (Sept 19, Oct 17, Nov 21, Dec 19, 2007) businesses across the Lakeview area will be getting together in the parking lot at Robert E. Smith Center on Harrison Ave in New Orleans (across the street from Starbucks) for the Harrison Avenue Marketplace, an Outdoor Monthly Market. The first market was this past Wednesday and I happened to be in the neighborhood and grabbed some shots of this first ever community wide event

The lot was packed with current and former residents of the once flooded area of the city. As I walked through the 400 or so people I over heard talk of rebuilding, pre-fab housing, real estate, hurricanes and renewal. Various booths were set up selling food and trinkets. Plus some home remodelers were there showing off their talents. Of course the real estate agent tent was popular as well.

[This is a continuation of the author's series on New Orleans lessons, to commemorate both her 10th anniversary of living in New Orleans, as well as the 2nd anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.]

D is for Debutantes and Delinquents

At right, we see the beautiful young ladies of Le Debut des Jeunes Filles de la Nouvelle Orleans. Lovely as they are, I can only assume that they exist, tucked away safe behind the damask curtains of an Uptown mansion. I've never actually seen one of these specimens in the flesh, although I get a good sampling in the Sunday society pages. The young people that I encounter tend to wear white T-shirts and belt their jeans below their boxers. Or they wear halter tops proclaiming "Sexxy" or "Baby Girl."

When I moved here, it shocked me that young people habitually stood in the street, even when confronted with an oncoming car. Had no one taught them that being hit by a moving car wasn't pleasant? So I learned to drive slowly, and sometimes to stop entirely, as I waited for the young people to eventually saunter out of my path. The longer I live here, the quicker I am to honk. Hell, I say, let 'em shoot me. I've got health insurance.

I would be remiss if I didn't point out the wild contradiction of a city who worships a small minority of their young people, turning them into princes and princesses, nursing them on lobster and truffles, and incarcerates the rest in schools without proper restrooms or books. And people wonder why we have such a crime problem.

E is for Endpoint

Sure, you can look at a map and see that the Mississippi River, America's waterway, ends here in New Orleans. But a map won't show you the visceral feeling of the river pouring into the Gulf. On a hot day, take the ferry across to Algiers, wander past Mardi Gras World and the charming homes on the Point. They can rebuild the Fischer housing projects as many times as they want, but something about Algiers, man, you can feel the river ending, there at the end of the world.

So last week I was convinced by my brother-in-law to head out to Border's to pick up my reserved copy of Harry Potter which I only just started reading tonight (hey the better half always gets dibs) which reminded me that I have a whole bunch of release night pics sitting on my camera waiting to be shown to all of you. I went over to Borders and Barnes & Noble in Metairie and took pics of the line and the events at both stores. Plus I headed over to Exchange Alley... er, I mean Diagon Alley and took some pics of the only Harry Potter release party in the French Quarter. So... I know these are late, but better late than never I always say and I'm sure you haven't been completely Harry Pottered out, yet. Up top, happy people leaving Borders in Metairie after getting their hands on a band new copy of the book right after midnight last Friday.

More after the jump.

I'm not much of a kid person myself, but lately it seems like everyone know is having babies. And I know that a bunch of these kids are going to be future Saints fans in the making. So get them started early with a custom made Who Dat Saints dress or jon jon by NOLA-based shop PolkaDotTots.

Or maybe a colorful custom fleur-de-lis dress is more your liking? (Seriously.so.cute. OMG.) Or a super soft, super sweet blankie with a hand appliqued fleur-de-lis? It's hard to resist the cuteness!

Like I said, I'm really not a kid person, but now that approximately half the women of child-bearing age I know in town are pregnant, I've been on the hunt for the perfect handmade baby gear. And the clothes by PolkaDotTots pretty much fit the bill. Not only are they made by hand by a local independent artist, much of it is New Orleans themed! You've got to instill some civic pride in these future citizens early, you know?

[Recovery Pen chronicles the baffling, beautiful life in the American outpost of New Orleans.]

I've done some strange things post-Katrina, but perhaps Friday night was the strangest: not only did I stay home to watch TV, but I flipped past Pulp Fiction and stand-up comics for C-SPAN. I'd never spent more than a nanosecond watching that channel before, as much as I've always felt that as a good American, I really should see what those clowns in Washington were up to. Maybe if they dressed more like clowns, instead of those drab suits, I'd have tuned in before.

But I digress. Friday night, they were airing the congressional hearing on formaldehyde in FEMA trailers, so I felt obliged to watch. I'd heard nothing about formaldehyde in the trailers, but I wasn't surprised to hear that they were full of poison. Sadly, I was less surprised to hear that even though the FEMA field workers responded with alarm, the FEMA lawyers in Washington played it cool. Cold, even. They advised the field workers not to do anything, because, and I quote, "once you get results that show something, our clock is running to do something about it."

Now that's the sort of laissez-faire attitude you might expect from a New Orleanian regarding a paternity test, but you like to think that the federal government might could step up when it learns that its overpriced trailers are poisoning people. Of course, Katrina has showed us all how much the government really cares about people in a desperate situation.

Before you jump on me for this, let me say that I'm only writing this to agree with YatPundit who just wrote an open letter to Senate majority leader Reid. In part he is asking Reid to not look into the obvious ethical lapse of our sexist junior Senator, David Vitter because there are better things to worry about on the current Democratic agenda. I'm going to agree if only to get the Senate to find another way to encourage Mr. Vitter to resign for the good of his family and (from the looks of his ashen face on TV the past few days) his mental health (do you see that suicidal look in he's eyes too?). Instead of the feds calling for an investigation, the locals (yes us down here in Louisiana suffering from the lack of representation in DC with a senior congressman with no power and a senator who cares less about his family and his state than he says) should be the ones joining the call for his resignation or even for his impeachment and removal from office. What do you think? Will a congressional investigation into our 'family values' senator backfire?

And another thing, if this is not the only member of the government on that madam's list, why was he the first to be outed? Did Flint order it this way on purpose? I would rather have all of the reps outed at once so they could be drummed out of office together instead of the one junior senator for Louisiana being yet another example of corruption in a state that still is in dire need of federal help for recovery.

We know J.K. Rowling is coming to New Orleans this October as part of her really short tour of the states, but what is going to happen this weekend when Harry Potter himself comes to town in the pages of the final book in the famous wizarding series. Sure you could go the Death's Head route and download a pirated PDF, but where's the fun in that. Around the greater New Orleans area various bookstores will be hold special book release events for muggles all over the city. The super bookstores in Metairie (down the street from each other on Veterans) Borders and Barnes&Noble will be holding competing events in honor of the book and leading up to the midnight release Friday night. Borders is having a spelling bee, a Snape evil or not debate, and a costume contest. Barnes&Noble will have face painting, crafts, and photos with Harry Potter (in the past the big BN has had all book sellers come dressed up to lead all sorts of cool events in the kids department). Uptown at Octavia Books you will be able to get the small independent bookstore experience with games, cookie decorating, and a neighborhood wide event starting at 9 pm. Also Uptown, the Garden District Book Shop is holding its own book party with wand making, house tie creating, and trivia games. Nearby the Maple Street Bookshop will be fighting the stupids during their Potter party (according to nola.com, since Maple St's site doesn't have any info on the event). The Hotel Monteleone will be having a having the only major French Quarter Harry Potter release party and transforming Exchange Alley into Diagon Alley with all sorts of cool stuff and ending with the sale of a very small number of books (200). Were will you be on Friday before you start speed reading early Saturday morning?

EDIT: please see the correction in the middle of the post.

As I drove home from work yesterday I passed a sign directing supporters of embattled doctor Anna Pou to the Peristyle in City Park and since I'm your loyal blogger on the spot I ran into my apartment kissed the better half hello and goodbye, grabbed my camera and headed over through the light rain to catch the speeches, take some pictures and get my own impressions. Before we get to the rally, a quick round up. Dr. Pou and two nurses were arrested for killing four patients while on duty at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans during the aftermath of Katrina. Recently a grand jury investigation forced the Attorney General (Mr Charles Foti) to drop all charges against the two nurses involved due to lack of evidence. Now Pou's supporters and the medical community are calling for all charges to be dropped against her and this rally was a way to get their voices heard.

I'm sure you heard the junior Senator from Louisiana came out of his hole to say he didn't have 'relations with that woman' (sound familiar?) and to join his wife in public to try and redirect the issues and avoid the subject of his lack of job performance. The guy takes a week off of work to regroup and find a way to keep his job without being a hypocrite, and all he can do is deny an old allegation that looks to be true based on his current situation. Sorry Vitter, but you are the least trustworthy politician in Louisiana currently (only cause Edwin Edwards is in jail in Texas) and I don't believe you. Your wife may be willing to lie in public for you and your party may be willing to sacrafice their morals (what morals?) for you, but I am asking you to step down. Senator Vitter must resign now! Senator Vitter needs to see that he has skipped out on his job just like he skipped out on his marriage. Plus he even forced his kids to do his dirty work when he ran as a family values candidate for Senate and now he forces his wife to do the same... ugh! The Vitter legacy is one of disgust, especially since most of us would believe an ex-hooker over him when it comes to allegations of impropriety and dishonesty. Do you think he's lying? Do you think he should have resigned last week? Do you think he is only dragging Louisiana and New Orleans through the mud for political gain? Do you realize that his lying and slacking is costing our hurricane recovery money? He avoids work for a week cause he isn't man enough to step down and do the state right. If it wasn't for Senator Landrieu and Congressman Melancon, south Louisiana would be completely lost. At least they are doing their jobs.

Funny how Jindal makes a big announcement at the same time as Vitter...

Here's an interesting idea, maybe we should send plastic knives to someone in particular. Or we could go get a copy of that Larry Flynt (possibly NSFW links from news content) made one off magazine that outed Livingston?