Goodbye, Dear Helen Hill

Today, at 5:30 this morning, a dear friend, Helen Hill, was murdered in her home in Marigny. Her house was broken into and she and her husband were both shot. Their two year old baby was there. Paul, the father survived the shooting. The baby is ok, safe with friends right now.

There will be a memorial for her tonight.

Please, everyone, pray, think thoughts of strength -whatever it is you do- for this family.

Kittie makes fun with Helen as they clean up
her flooded home in Mid-City

Both pictures are from Kittee Burns' livejournal website.

This from a post I put up on October 7, 2006

Helen Hill Open Studio

Today is New Orleans Art For Art's Sake, a day for people to walk around town checking out what is going on in galleries and artist's studios.

We went to Helen's studio today, where I made a playdough mermaid with her baby Francis and checked out her current project. Helen makes animated films and started the New Orleans Film Collective (cannot find a website).

A tiny picture from one of her films

She is making a film inspired by a bunch of flooded dresses handsewn by an ancient New Orleanian who recently passed away. She threads her own flooded story into that of this amazingly creative seamstress, named Floristine, through an examination of these dresses and imagining the woman's life.

It is called The Florestine Collection, and I cannot wait to see it completed! The story board is great.

Links about Helen Hill:
Atlantic Film-makers Cooperative
Program for Media Artists
Best of New Orleans

Bonfires!

Tonight, Billy and are going up the river to catch the annual lighting of the bonfires. We have never done this so we are very excited.


Every Christmas eve night folks from Lutcher to Gramercy light up HUGE wooden structures at 7 p.m. sharp. There were 120 fire permits issued this year and each fire is spaced about a block apart.

There are many theories as to the meaning of this tradition started by the Acadians forever ago.

Practical:
-the fires serve as a guiding light for those who are traveling to Christmas Eve mass along the river, as a good fog usually kicks up off the river at night...

Does anyone else think it is a little strange to light
the way to mass by burning the little baby Jesus up?*

Practical-ish:
- the fires light the way for Papa Noel on Christmas Eve

FYI:

Papa Noel's pirogue is pulled by alligators in bayou country

Spiritual:
-the tradition is a relic left over from the ritual of burning the yule log on the night of the
winter solstice.





*I got that picture from a motorcycle website.
**picture from www.louisianagreetings.com

Friend Picture IV

Ana

Friend-Picture III

Jane Maysey

Friend-Picture II

I am posting friend pics for the holidays, and I am attempting to put up those that capture some common expressions of character...

Ruthie Monday XXXIII

She likes to sleep at our feet.

Friend-Picture

Thinking about friends right about now, it being the holidays and all...

Family Resemblance

My sister keeps talking about how much her daughter, Violet looks like me. I have been promising her that I would post some baby pictures of myself next to those of Violet (taken by her Mom) for comparison...here they are:

Family photos:

Jess, Manna and Violet

Dad, Ma and Moi

Wee Violet

Me

Me, again

Vi

Vi

Me...

And here a few for the future...

Don't Shoot and Drive

I don't recommend this technique, but look at that gate! Had to tweak the photo as it was not of the highest quality since I was whizzing along and shooting from the hip without (of course!) taking my eyes off the road...very stupid, I know, I know.

Monster Trucks on the Road

Has anybody else been seeing monster trucks on the road in Metairie? I sure have. This is the second one -the first scared the living be-jees-ums outta me when it shot four feet of flames out of the gate-door right over my hood. Couldn't take the kamikaze shot when that happened.

I think I would have lost my eyebrows but for the windshield, no exaggeration.

Ruthie Monday XXXII

New Orleans Kind of Trash

Killer Kitty

Ruthie Monday XXXI

The Stretch and Shake

Close Encounters with a Real Big Grasshopper

A Dancin' Fool and One Hella Focused Dog

Look at what Ms. Amy's old cowboy boots can do:

Never underestimate the power of the pointer fingers

The dog who loved his ball.