The Protests Continue...

As we walked around on Sunday, this lawn sign was practically everywhere. Levees.org is a grassroots movement to call for an investigation into why the levees broke and why it's been covered up so thoroughly. The video on the homepage is engrossing viewing.

A New Orleans Tradition

On Sunday afternoon, in 95 degree heat, we walked for hours, from the church down Jefferson, toward the Mississippi River. The nearby neighborhoods are just beautiful and walkable.

We worked up quite a sweat and needed a break from the heat. A book purchased for Bob by his wife recommended Hansen's Sno-Bliz. What a treat! Shaved ice from a 1930's patented machine flavored with homemade syrups in a layered fashion. Unlike any Italian ice we'd ever tasted before.

How Homes Vary in the Neighborhood

In the neighborhood where the First UU Church is located, there are many beautiful, colorful homes that give New Orleans such vibrancy.

However, other homes show definite signs of hurricane and flood damage. The rate of repair varies. Some of the locals told us that even homes that appear pristine and livable from the outside can actually be in a state of disrepair inside. Life is not always as it seems at first glance in New Orleans.

And then there are the homes that are just plain fun, like the house just down the block, faithfully guarded by two pink pigs.

Sunday morning

Terry went to the 10:30 First UU of New Orleans service. The Board of Trustees led a "Quaker-style" service in which the choir sang a portion of a hymn and then the congregants meditated on its meaning. Then the choir sang another line or two; then more meditation, and so on. The church had 120 members pre-Katrina and now have 60. The August 29, 2005, deluge brought six feet of water into the sanctuary. One of the dedicated members of the congregation, Mary Jo, was painting the front of the sanctuary in her work clothes before today's service, changed her clothes and sang in the choir during the service, and was back in work clothes immediately after the service leading a work crew working on additional repairs. It was an inspiring scene to witness!