Out of the Mouths of Babes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dmVU08zVpA

The Grandma behind these kids said, "smoke 'em if you got 'em." They were fake, but looked real.

Scenes from Mardi Gras '07

Grandma Mimi's old yellow ball dress comes in handy.

Sorry, Anna Nicole Smith. RIP. There was a guy walking with these ladies. His sign read, "I'm the Baby's Daddy."
Old dominatrixes go to New Orleans when they retire.
His makeup was very cool.

You'll have to enlarge the image to read his sign. He ran with a pack of dreamers.

Happy Birthday to me.

I encourage all who visit my blog to watch this video. Mind you, it has the eff word a lot, so if you are easily offended... get over yourself.

Love,
Janine

solar returns

The solar return is when the Sun gets to the exact degree every year when you were born. You celebrate your birthday on the same day every year, but the solar return could be a day or two different. Today is my solar return, at 5:05 pm to be exact. It sets the pace for the upcoming year.

I have many major transits right now. Any one of them, by itself, would be promising. If nothing happens this year, like I am intending, then I am throwing away my books, uninstalling my astrology software, and finding some religion to throw msyelf into.

Tonight, I have plans on a backburner to celebrate in a hedonistic way, at an Irish Pub in New Orleans with my old roomie and drinking buddy, Cathy. She frequents a place that is full of Irish men whom she reports tell jokes and stories, sing songs, and speak Gaelic.

I wish to submerge myself in the culture of my ancestors for just one night. I am half Irish (the left side, I'm pretty sure), one quarter Italian, and one quarter Heinz 57 - as my Grandma Ferrara called her ethnicity.

Then again, with the transits I have (namely, Venus conjunct my p-Venus, and Mars conjunct my Venus/Mars), I would do better to stick close to home. A pub full of men might be asking for trouble I don't need.

There are parades to go to this evening. The little people might wish for the diversion too. Family fun? Or, me getting mine? Saturn? Jupiter? I am Jupiter's Girl, but Saturn wants a piece of me as co-ruler of my Aquarian Sun. And ruler of my Venus/Mars. I will always opt for less karma. Saturn wins.

Hey, the day's not over yet. Plenty of time to vacillate and end up with an evening of Irish ditties.

Venus is in the sign of Pisces

For Valentine's Day, one couldn't get a more exalted placement for the planet whose function is to love and be loved. Pisces is totality. Venus here knows about unconditional love and merging with another to become One. And today, Venus is sextiling Mars, so there will be plenty of opportunities for us all to express our affections to our loved ones. Let it gush forth.

My husband gave me a dozen red roses yesterday. I thanked him for the gesture. It was sweet of him. The love has only deepened over the years. After a kiss on the lips, I told him that I would prefer other flowers next time (not that he gives me flowers often (about a half dozen times in all of our years together). Roses don't last long. One of them is finished and the others are on their way out. And where's the aroma? I don't smell them. (That's no way to gush, Janine.)

Lily of the Woods

I lost my camera on my Saturday walk and didn't know it.

Yesterday morning (Sunday), I found it in the middle of my path.

I call this part of my walk - "Mosquito Bay".

Wasting time

http://www.myheritage.com

Chinese New Year Display

Before working for a distributor, I never gave much thought at all as to how groceries got to the shelf. I was content to just push my cart around, mostly wishing that I was back at home with a cup of tea.

It seems like hours before I can complete my shopping mission and get out of the store, especially if it is a Super WalMart expedition. I'll be there a long time as I remember an item that is across the store, where I may have started - then ping-pong back to the opposite side for something else on my list that I forgot. I try to be organized, but maybe it's the flourescent lighting, or the muzak, or running into people I hadn't seen in a while and exchanging chit chat, or something to make the shopping take so long.

People with ADD need to give themselves plenty of time for grocery shopping.

I am putting together displays with some of the Asian products my company stocks all week in preparation for the Chinese New Year on Sunday, Feb 18th. Isn't it colorful?

Y'all better buy this stuff.

Scenes from Mid-City

Across the street from Liuzza's is a brick bldg, and right next to it is this damaged home with the chairs in front. This pink one is around the corner.

My friend works at Liuzza's in New Orleans. It is a quaint neighborhood place that packs 'em in at lunch and dinner. It's where the locals hang out.


Liuzza's was closed for a year after the hurricane. You can get a picture of what it looked like underwater for $5 from Cathy at the bar.

Helping South Africa

I have a friend in South Africa - who calls himself an action scientist. His name is Dave Hall and he is doing such inspiring and courageous work to uplift 5 humble communities down there. He has made it his mission to help them by raising funds for PC's and cellphones, and the training for using them.

People cannot conduct commerce without efficient ways to communicate with each other and the outside world.

Dave is not stopping there. He first has to work on the root of their collective consciousness - to educate and empower them. The poverty-mindedness is steeply enmeshed and promoted by those who have. There are disparaging differences between the haves and have nots. He is a bold leader and is lifting up the natural leaders amongst the villages he has taken on to change for the better.

Read "The Warrior of Light" by Paulo Coelho to understand what impels him.

Dave masterfully befriends the locals because he is one, and because he had some awakenings as a soldier fighting a ridiculous war for years in the bush of South Africa. He realized the unnecessary destructiveness of those acts and vowed to make amends.

Talk about a man of vision, compassion, and enthusiastic love of life...

1. vision http://www.makepovertyhistory.za.org
2. video http://www.youtube.com/ActionScientist
3. blog http://actionscientist.blogspot.com
4. radio http://actionscientist.podomatic.com (soon)
5. memes http://picasaweb.google.com/actionscientist

6. strategy http://www.africorps.org
7. tactics http://www.africorps.org/Pegasus
8. storyline http://www.horserescue.za.org
9. dreams http://www.dagda-explorations.com
10. friends http://groups.yahoo.com/group/level-3

11. volunteers http://www.africorps.org/Township-X.htm
12. tools http://earth.google.com
13. utilities http://www.snarfware.com
14. stunts http://www.strato-x.com