THE FOLLOWING POST ORIGINATED AT THE COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL BLOG:

Restavèk is a Creole word for a Haitian child who stays with and works for another family. A restavèk child can be a boy or a girl who is given away by a poor family in order to survive. Frequently, the restavèk’s most basic rights to health and education are denied.

Of these children, 65 percent are girls between age 6 and 14. They are forced to work long hours under harsh conditions, and are subject to mistreatment, including sexual abuse. The restavèk child is the first person to wake up in the morning and the last one to go to bed, sometimes after 14 hours of work that consists of, among other chores, carrying water, washing clothes, taking the owner’s children to school, doing errands, and cleaning the home.

The restavèk child is often beaten for the simplest mistakes. Laws against child abuse exist in Haiti, but unfortunately they are seldom enforced as children’s rights don’t have a high a priority. The number of restavèk children reported nationally is between 250,000 and 300,000, and this domestic phenomenon is due to several reasons.

The main reason is parents’ low income. A lack of economic resources forces parents from remote areas to place their children with families in urban areas with the hope that the child will have a better future. A restavèk child can also be the product of parents’ broken relationships.
Another reason for a child to leave home is mistreatment by parents or relatives.

If the restavèk doesn’t find a better future by age 17, the child often takes his or her independence from the owner to join a street gang or to become a prostitute. The owner will then look for a younger child, and the infernal circle continues. In the past, restavèk children used to be placed in middle-class or upper-class families. But most current reports on restavèk children show the opposite, as the restavèks are largely owned by urban families who cannot even provide for their own children.

The restavèk child has to suffer not just because the owner does not want to meet the child’s needs, but because even if the owner wants to, he cannot. The restavèk owners are usually people who cannot read or write. The ones who can read or write have very little education, and often do not care about children’s rights. The restavèk’s owner is always reluctant to let other people talk to the child, so as not to be alerted to the child’s situation.

Fighting the Restavèk Curse in Haiti

Jean Klebert Excéus, a former child development center director, is a Haitian leader who stands against restavèk children in Haiti.

Klebert now works as a school administrator serving restavèk children. His job consists of evaluating the school program curriculum, hiring new teachers, evaluating teachers, providing new orientation to the school when needed, and providing reports to the church for assistance money provided by Compassion.

“In a battle there are different roles that a soldier can play. Some soldiers give alert, some give orders, and others launch the attacks; I am in the front line against it.”

Klebert originally shared his vision for fighting the trafficking of children into servitude with his church board. The church is located in the heart of the Solino slum, one of the largest slums in the Port-au-Prince area, which used to be a no-go area due to violence, kidnapping and gang activity. As a member of the church board, Klebert knew about the challenges, but was determined to do something. Because, he says, “Where there is will, there is also a way.”

Klebert believed that if he helped the restavèk children, he would reduce the number of street gangs since many street children used to be restavèk. Starting a school for domestic children was not without difficulty. The fact that the restavèk children are often older than 9 makes it hard for them to be part of Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program, which registers younger children.

Klebert initially decided to meet the restavèk children every Sunday afternoon since they had less to do that day and their owners are also more flexible about releasing them for just a few hours. One year later, in 1996, a school that operated in the afternoon five days a week was opened. Since then, the school has grown to 400 students, and it operates in two sessions. The difficulties of sustaining the program increased as more children came, and the local church could not meet all the needs.

That’s when Compassion began to assist the local church with the special project through tuition fees, books, uniforms and nonformal education.

The church actually has two schools. One is a regular school and the other one is for over-age children — restavèk. The schools are located in the same slum but in different locations. It is impossible for restavèk children to be accepted in the regular school because they are always over age when they owner decides to send them to school. They start school usually when they are 10 or 12 years old. In Haiti, children normally start school at 3, and complete elementary school at age 12.

Currently, the elementary school for the restavek children is one of the best schools in the Solino area. Children are receiving classical education plus vocational training such as plumbing, cooking and pastry, cosmetology and floral art. Klebert hopes to add courses such as computer training, carpentry, help nurse and cabinet maker, as those skills would equip the children for a better future. He dreams of having more children and more activities for them at the school. His dream is that one day, one of the restavèk children comes to replace him, as he had been replaced by a former sponsored child as the child development center director.

Stories of Restavèk Children

Michelet, a 15-year-old boy, is a restavèk child like thousands of others in Haiti. Unlike the others, however, he dreams of becoming the best plumber in Port-au-Prince.

Michelet did not know his mother very well, and does not know if she is still alive or not. He was born in Cayes, in southern Haiti. His father separated from his mother and took him from her at age 5. Michelet was brought to Port-au-Prince, to Solino, and placed in a family that his father did not know. His father could not find a job, so he decided to join a gang in order to help Michelet. Michelet remembers that his father sometimes used to bring food for him. But Michelet learned his father was killed during a police operation. So Michelet grew up as a restavèk.

His main job consists of taking care of his owner, a blind man. Michlet takes his “uncle” to church or any other place he needs to go. He calls his owners “uncle and aunt,” even though there is no blood relationship between them.

Unlike many other restavèk, Michelet had the chance to attend school for the first time when he was 10. Currently, he is in grade five, and he will take the official exams next June that will give him access to secondary school next year. Michelet is also learning plumbing at the center. His passion for plumbing is evident in that he always wants to be the first to start the practice session.

Unlike other restavèk who hate their owners after being freed, Michelet intends to help his “uncle and aunt” because they are getting older and have nobody to rely on. “When I am making money, I will help my uncle and my aunt, as they were allowing me to go to school.”

Michelet was not always treated well, though. Sometimes he went for an entire day without eating. His owners did not buy him good, clean clothes like they do for their own child. He was forced to stay with his “uncle” most of the time, with no time to play as a child. But the values and good manners he learned in the school make him feel that he must treat them well.

Acnise is an orphan. She lost both her mother and father when she was 8 years old. After her parents died, Acnise’s life was torn apart when a neighbor decided to take charge of her. Acnise was forced to wake up at 5 every morning to wash dishes, clean the home, carry water and cook when she was 9. Sometimes, she was not allowed to eat the food she made.

“I was beaten at least two times a day with an electric cable for any little mistake. Sometimes I don’t even know what is good and what is wrong, as I was beaten for almost everything.”

Because Acnise lived near the school, she used to see children her age wearing uniforms to school when she was walking home, carrying a bucket full of water on her head. One night after being severely beaten, Acnise decided to leave home, even though she did not know where she was going. Acnise wanted to take shelter at the school, but at 9 p.m. the gate was already closed. She decided to go to Klebert’s home.

After Acnise explained to Klebert why she was there, Klebert allowed her to spend one week at his home in order to better understand her problems and also to see how he could make her life better. The fact that Acnise was 9 and had never attended school made it difficult for her to register into Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program. However, she was admitted to the school for restavèks.

Acnise was placed in a family that belongs to the local church. Currently, she is in grade five and is taking cooking, pastry-making and floral art at the school. As a result, Acnise accepted Christ as her Savior and she is active at church. She is the only child the church has placed in a home so far. The young couple who accepted Acnise at their home has only one little boy. Acnise feels comfortable looking after the boy, as she is not forced to do that.

Acnise now can play with other children in school and at home. She cleans the home, washes the dishes and sets the bed after school. After that, she is free to study her lesson or do her homework. The family where Acnise was placed sometimes cannot provide her everything she needs.

But at least she is free in mind and in spirit.

SOURCE: COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL BLOG POST

La Maison Creole is owned and operated business since 1974. We have been providing services for families with their wedding plans and personal needs for over twenty years. We offer a warm and caring atmosphere where relatives and friends can enjoy and celebrate the happiest of occasions. Our professional staff assists you every step of the way. Beginning with the most elegant of wedding cakes to the finest prepared hors d’oeuvre and foods with a New Orleans flare. For more information, visit the Jefferson Destination Guide.

O-K-R-A.   When you think of “easy,” think okra.   Not only is this vegetable easy to grow, it’s easy to maintain, harvest, pair with others, rotate year round.   Why, it literally gets along with everyone!   Low water needs, low nutrient desire, you can’t miss with this one.   Keep in mind that while it’s easy, it does tend toward the slimy and seedy (we’re talking plants here, not people), but to a very low degree, especially when ingested fresh. 

Speaking of easy, the Big Easy loves this baby, packing it into everything from gumbo to etouffe and all things Creole, while southerners have long favored the fried version.   Southerners like most things fried — I know this, because my mother grew up on Georgia cooking and we ate everything from fried chicken to fried plantains (odd, yes, but the family transplanted to Miami as did her culinary preferences).  Fried okra ranks as an old favorite.

My son is a big fan of okra – only lets my mother fry it for him – while my daughter…   She needed a bit of coaxing.   “C’mon, honey.  You can’t crinkle your nose.  You haven’t even tried it, yet!”   Once I convinced her it tastes best fresh from the vine (it’s actually a branch, but it sounds better when you say vine) she agreed, sort of.  I think she was more enthralled with the idea of eating it right from the plant than anything, but as a mother, my motto is:  whatever works! 

Another reason to include okra in your garden — it’s good for you.  Okra has wonderful health benefits, including vitamin C, calcium and potassium.   But even better, it contains glutathione, an antioxidant and cancer fighter which attacks carcinogens and ushers them away from cells, into the urine, and eventually out of the body.  Studies have shown encouraging signs for the role of glutathione in preventing the development of oral and throat cancers, too.   For more information on the natural health benefits of food in general, check out the book, The Doctors Book of Food Remedies written by Selene Yeager and the editors of Prevention magazine – another favorite of mine.

So this spring, try a round of okra (don’t bother until then, because okra likes it hot) and you’ll be glad you did.   Trust me! 

P.S.  If anyone who resembles the likes of an okra plant tells you to “trust them” – run!

Lucile’s Restaurant was established in 1980, by Lucile Richards. I have yet to been to Lucile’s, do to the fact that I am located in Ohio and the restaurants are located in Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, and Longmont. Although I should hopefully have a short review on Lucile’s later today, thank you to my cousins The Galley Boys, who live 6 blocks down from a Lucile’s. (until we get the review here are a couple menu items that i would have to be toying around with)

Cajun Breakfast
Red beans (w/meat), poached eggs and hollandaise. Served with grits or potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit.

Shrimp & Grits (always a sucker for a good shrimp & grits)
Shrimp, andouille sausage and red peppers, served over creamy saffron grits.

Eggs Rockefeller

Eggs Rockefeller
Scrambled eggs, steamed spinach, fried oysters & Rockefeller sauce.  With grits or potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit.

Cheese Omelet
White cheddar, muenster and ricotta cheeses. Served with grits or potatoes and a buttermilk biscuit.

Crawfish Etouffee
Crawfish tails smothered in a rich brown spicy sauce. Served with rice. 

Thank you to Ryan and Anthony, for keeping me posted on some nice spots out in the rockies.

All right, you asked for it and now we have it. You wanted to know what how we are able to deliver the best fried turkeys in Atlanta and with this video, we are sharing our secrets!!  Well, maybe not all of them.

Watch our video and let us know what you think. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it and we look forward to your comments.

All right, you asked for it and now we have it. You wanted to know what how we are able to deliver the best fried turkeys in Atlanta and with this video, we are sharing our secrets!!

Well, maybe not all of them.  Watch our video and let us know what you think.  We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.

Good food is good food, whether it’s the “she-she pooh-pooh” quarter-sized portions or the “heavin’ up the eats with a shovel” variety. Nevertheless, it can get iffy when you go to chain restaurants, where the fish is bland and the pasta has no personality. Thankfully, this is not the case with Copeland’s of New Orleans.

Copeland’s is located in Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, Maryland, Oklahoma, Florida and of course Louisiana. MCCN’s visit was to their Columbia, Maryland location. Centrally located near The Mall in Columbia, upon driving up to the restaurant you might think you’re about to enter a 1980’s pop club with the florescent lights beaming at optimal brightness, but hold on…entering the restaurant is a completely different story. The classic dark wood and dim surroundings are serene and cozy for an very comfortable dining experience.

Time to order…what to do? What to do? Let’s stall ‘em by placing our appetizer order. “We’ll have an order of your Creole Calamari please! ” That’ll give us a few minutes to figure something out. Meanwhile, the hot buttered biscuits on the table seem to know each one of our names. And with each bite we remember more and more who they are…”Grandma how did you get in there?”

The calamari arrives and the tasting begins. “Uummh!” says one…”Uummh” goes another. All are pleased ! The calamari is seasoned, lightly dusted, crispy fried and served with Creole Remoulade Vinaigrette or marinara sauce. Both are good, but the Creole Remoulade has a spicy kick that should not be missed.

Three women – three orders, and two of them involve catfish. Plate #1 was the Crab -Stuffed Catfish Bordelaise, which was an 8 oz. fillet of catfish stuffed with crabmeat stuffing, seasoned and broiled then topped with garlic butter then served with Corn Macque Choux and steamed vegetables. Not your run of the mill combination of fish topped with crabmeat, these two complimented each other so well that eating them separately is an injustice. The portion was generous and the reception was pure satisfaction.

Plate #2 involved some nerves of steel…some adventurous eating on the partakers part. A discussion

Copeland's of New Orleans in Columbia, Maryland

had just taken place about eggplant. Sentiments of never really being satisfied with ordering eggplant or eating it in general. Somehow, some way, the partaker trudged past her own trepidation, probably letting herself be inspired by the picture on the menu, and ordered the Eggplant Pirogue.  Her faith would be rewarded with a very enthusiastic thumbs up for this flavorful dish. Also a healthy serving, this eggplant dish served over angel hair pasta is smothered in au gratin sauce with shrimp and crab claws.

Plate #3 is an order of Catfish Acadiana and boy did  those Cajuns really get it right! Golden fried catfish with creamy shrimp butter sauce.  It’s usually served with steamed vegetables and Copeland’s Red Hot Potatoes, but this partaker indulged herself with a double dose of starch – red beans and rice and the mashed sweet potatoes. The red beans and rice were standardly good, but the mashed sweet potatoes are buttery sweetness at its best. Yes, you will need a sweet tooth for this dish; It is something to write home about. Dear Mom: Next time you visit, we’re going to go to Copeland’s of New Orleans!

Article by Monica Johnson

To continue with yesterday’s post…. I need to talk about the elusive Peach Cobbler. My obsession started earlier this year when I went down to FL with the BF for a family thing…. on a cruise…. where you can get two of anything!

Every night we had a prix fixe style dinner. That first night I had peach cobbler… I had two. I thought that they’d have it again later during the week. Alas! Noooo! They did not.

I came back to NYC with a craving for Peach Cobbler. I don’t need to tell you twice.. I haven’t eaten a peach cobbler since that cruise. #1: because I can’t find it. #2: it needs to be awesome and preferably a large enough portion for satisfaction to set in.

Right now, I have some ideas. And so the search goes on….. Here is a listing of some restaurants serving Peach Cobbler.

1. Walter Foods, 253 Grand Ave (Williamsburg) – (site) Just look at that picture…. oh, goodness.

2. The General Greene, 229 Dekalb Ave. (Williamsburg) – (website) A review of the peach cobbler can be found on Serious Eats NY.

3. The Pink Tea Cup, 42 Grove St. (btwn Bleeker & Bedford, 1 train to Christopher St.) – Serving Southern food. Reviewed at Cheap Ass Foods. Cheap? I think that’s exactly what I need if I’m gonna be eating it every week. Peach Cobbler is $3.25!

4. Mara’s Homemade, 432 E. 6th St. – Peach Cobbler is $7. All desserts btwn $6 – $10. Their whole dessert menu looks good…. Red Velvet cake! Key Lime Pie! Chocolate Souffle! Pecan Pie! I’m gonna have to check this out. They serve Southern and Creole.

5. The Shark Bar Restaurant, 307 Amsterdam Ave. (UWS) – Reviews look lackluster for the restaurant. I haven’t read anything about the desserts, though. Peach Cobbler $5.50.

6. Virgil’s Barbecue, 155 W. 44th St. (Midtown) – Another restaurant with holding a stellar looking dessert menu. Banana Pudding, Key Lime Pie, Peanut Butter Pie, Warm Chocolate Chess Pie, Rice Pudding, and of course, Peach Cobbler. I think the cobbler changes to whichever fruits are in season. All desserts are $6.95 and a dessert sampler is available for  $14.95.

A friend gave me the original recipe for this dish in 1982.  I have varied the ingredients some over the years.  For example, I have used frozen green beans instead of canned green beans.  If you want to use frozen beans, then substitute 2 -10 oz. packages of frozen green beans, and cook them according to directions, before adding to the other ingredients.

I have found that making this a day ahead works very well.  To me, the longer it is simmered on the stovetop, the more delightful the flavors.  I make it ahead so as to reduce the time I have to spend on task in the kitchen on Thanksgiving day.  I have found that by using a corningware type casserole dish,  I can put it directly on the stove and  let it simmer on a low setting for 30-45 minutes after taking it out of the fridge–and serve it in the same dish.

This also works well doubled, which is how I typically make it for a crowd.

Creole Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, crisply fried
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 – 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can 16 oz green beans

Method:

Brown the bacon til crispy in a large skillet.  Remove bacon; drain on paper towels. Drain bacon grease from skillet, reserving about 2 tablespoons in the skillet.  Add the onion and green pepper and saute til tender.  Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and mustard.  Add to skillet, and warm on medium heat, mixing all ingredients well. Add the tomatoes, cook on medium high heat (lowering once mixture boils) and stir constantly, til well blended and thickened.  After mixture has thickened, add green beans, stir and lower heat; simmer for 30 minutes.

Transfer to casserole (or serving) dish.  Garnish with bacon, broken into pieces.  Serves 6 to 8.

Tip: This recipe works well served in a chafing dish.

©Carolina Shortcut Chef

Photo and more beautiful table settings here:

http://www.countryliving.com/cooking/entertaining/thanksgiving-table-settings-1108

“confess with me

your inner most thoughts,

your deepest desires,

your darkest secrets,

your most desperate longings,

for I shall not judge thee,

but embrace thee!”

-author unknown

chakra woman art by mary hettinger

In the Mayan evolutionary theory, we are in the Ethical Era, and in order to evolve as a species, one must be living truthfully.  Any white lies, large lies or areas of your life where you have misrepresented yourself or been dishonest will become so very painful in this, the 6th night of the Mayan Calendar, November 8, 2009 to November 2, 2010. The final purge has arrived and for some individuals their way of life is about to dismantle.  Confession time is imminent!

André Agassi, former World Champion tennis professional, considered to be one of the world’s best players ever, recently revealed in his new autobiography that he engaged in taking drugs to win a tennis open one year when his form was off.   Failing his drug test,  he proceeded to lie to the sports council regarding the matter.  I am not surprised to witness his revelations to the public in his new book as the incoming Mayan evolutionary energies of the last 10 years has been revolving around the theme of truth & integrity.

I went to school with the Agassi’s.  André’s sister, Tammy, was one of my good childhood friends.  They were a lovely family filled with integrity, strong opinions, and a good conscious.  I am convinced André confessed his actions as his consciousness got the better of him.  He revealed his truth and in doing so said to the public at large, “I made a mistake.  I am sorry.”  We, as humans recognize his infallibility, commend his brave admissions and release his actions.  He may lose his title and cash prizes- every lie has a consequence-but he will be forgiven and the heavy load of his lies will be all the lighter.  Sooner or later, it will become a distant past memory, embodied, learned from, not to be repeated.   Life will usher in renewed, powerful experiences for Andre Agassi and his rebalanced spirit will triumph once again.

Although I am new to the Mayan calendar theories, I am schooled and versed in the Tarot.   This era can be compared to the “20″ card named Judgement Day/Reckoning Day.  In the traditional tarot imagery, the brilliance of  the angels shines upon the people in the card, rendering them naked in truth before a higher power.  The meaning of the card is that each and every individual will have to search their heart and mind to see what illusions persist, what games are being played and what lies will be revealed.  Celestially purged of the unnecessary, one can finally wake up to a new and exciting reality.  In the next year, no stone will remain unturned as the 6th night seeks to complete its final creation mission which is to lead everyone on earth into integrity.  Every soul will have to hold a mirror to themselves and face their reflection.  Do you like what you see?  Are you a sparkly, multifaceted diamond filled with light?  Are you a magical kaleidoscope of shapes?  Are you a crystal clear ball of luminosity?  Are you a midnight shining star?  If not, you have some work to do!

No worries though, jaguar is here to help you.  Jaguar is the Mayan animal that teaches us about truth, integrity & impeccability.  Jaguar’s mission is to devour any unclean aspects of our behavior.  Jaguar dishes out penalties for inappropriate behaviour, meanwhile offering rewards for those who have operated in honesty (Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams & David Carson).  Jaguar says that he must roam our dreams now.  Jaguar rules the 6th galactic night. Some people, and you may know a few of these, would rather die than be honest or live honestly.  I am from the Belizean Creole culture.  For the most part, we are a chancey, sneaky and liared (creole for deceitful) tribe.  We are descendants of slaves & pirates and have inherited a few undesirable behavioural characteristics along the way.  My Belizean tribe is in trouble in this 6th night.  I send a prayer out to all those with ears to hear that they may learn to embody the new spiritually awakened energies.  We live in the heart of Mayaland and jaguars literally roam around us:  here the energies will be brutally intense.

What most people worldwide require at this time is the “inipo” ceremony- most commonly called the sweat lodge.  Inipo is a Lakota word which means “you should purify yourself”. (The Lakota Sweat Lodge Cards by Chief Archie Fire Lame Deer and Helene Sarkis).  The intense heat and steam of the Inipo Lodge forces all disease, fear, and maladies to leave the body.  Often sacred herbs like copal, sweetgrass or sage are used to assist the spirit.  The Inipo prepares one for a sacred journey.  Our sacred journey is the Mayan Galactic 6th night. We must tread this time in wonder and with reverence.

Copal Sacred tree resin used in Mayan smudge ceremonies

Remember in a previous article I likened the Galactic 6th night to the 6th night of Biblical creation- God’s last night of creation before the 7th day when he shall rest. This is it- our Creator’s final glory! If you have done some inner work, life will be offering you beautifully, powerful growth & creation experiences in the next year; if not…woe be to your nervous system.  Dhyani Ywahoo, Shaman, Cherokee Tribe says, “The denial of the fire of truth in yourself is going to be the denial of your heart’s beat- maybe you make your arteries get hard or something like that.”  This has always been my understanding- an inability to evolve leads to death.

Swedish biologist and Mayan scholar Carl Calleman says, “What is about to transpire now is in other words not something that has ever happened before in the history of the universe. Maybe this impending change, partially unknown, causes the widespread denial that I feel dominate many people at the current moment.  If my understanding of the Mayan calendar is correct we will in this coming night be witnessing the most significant transformation of consciousness ever in the history of mankind. What seems clear however is that people will be divided as to whether they want to flow with the incoming energies leading towards a new world or if they will resist them and seek to hold on to or go back to the system of the past” .  One recommendation he makes to successfully come through the next year is ethical living and telling the truth.

The urgency here stems from the fact that our telepathic powers are returning in full force.  As this happens, the current hologram ( “reality” ) we live in is quickly shifting.  Cataclysmic pole shift, I don’t think so, intense magnectic realignments leading to hologram renewal is more like it.  In order to access our own powers, in order to survive, you must be standing upright and honest-you must be transparent. A quote from Ariel Spilsbury & Michael Bryner of The Mayan Oracle deck states, “In transparency, (new) worlds are created”. Reread that line- it is simple and profound.

Enlightened Souls, once again these times can be manuevered with grace, our new world is here- let us then simply live transparently, telepathically sharing our thoughts without shame or manipulation.  Back in our delightful earth garden (the Garden of Eden), innocent, joyful, passionate, with absolutely nothing to hide.  Baby butt naked if you like!

Navajo,

May It Be So

panamanian molas

(calling all her loved ones to clarity and reminding all that the truth shall set you free)

Je donne plus l’oreille que je ne prends la parole, j’ai l’humanisme économe.

À la croisée des chemins, on se trompe de route afin d’avoir un entretien avec le destin, même si je ne le comprends pas en suivant mon instinct.

Le silence fait partie de mon histoire sans fenêtre sur vous, ni porte de sortie pour vendre une morale donnant un sens à mes actes.

Allez savoir qui je suis derrière mon masque fait de chair et de sang, ce que je sais sur mes commanditaires comme mes victimes et où je vais d’un pas meurtrier tel le temps qui passe.

Ma mélancolie est assassine et mon tourment est une tombe d’où je ne m’extirperai qu’au dernier souffle.

Mais un doute subsiste lorsque l’on fixe machinalement les cibles mouvantes plutôt que cet horizon bancal plus résigné que fidèle.

Et le planisphère ? Il nous écrase de toute son autopsie, de toutes ses rides guerrières.

Je préfère le paysage aux voyages !

Une ville reste une ville, ces odeurs de peur quand les pas claquent sur le sol en se faisant de plus en plus pressants, le bruit des ruelles orphelines de la lumière du jour, son visage raisonnable pour le tourisme plastique, son charme pour les cartes postales, sans oublier son calme invisible et anonyme.

Ce qui me plaît le plus ce sont les fenêtres, on devine ce qu’elles cachent négligemment, on se protège dans leurs angles morts, pour ne pas être de vu, pour rester méconnu.

J’ai cet instinct de conservation presque animal qui me préserve de ce mauvais goût bien humain pour l’héroïsme de manuel scolaire.

Alors mon nom n’est qu’une anecdote dans le monde des illustres qui cherchent des échos à leur nostalgie dans un regard, dans une guitare.

Une clef fatiguée, une porte à la fois étrangère et familière, un lit d’infortune pour une personne, un cendrier vide et un horizon imparfait me renvoyant à mes respirations inégales.

Peu importe l’endroit, c’est la même chose, sans les mêmes gens…

La limite entre habitude de l’usine humaine et paranoïa des oppressés de service ? Ceux qui en parlent en observant ceux qui sont censés le vivre, ils doivent avoir plus de réponses que de questions.

À force de me demander constamment ce que j’aime, je vais finir par savoir ce que vous pensez.

De retour à la case départ en avançant sur ma piste, le décor habite mes songes éveillés, quitte à y laisser leur mémoire.

J’entends des voix, mais je préfère les mots.

Je pourrais apprendre ta langue, mais tes hésitations en disent long !

Va savoir ce je fais du temps qu’il m’est est arbitrairement imparti puisque la petite mort ne m’attend plus ?

Si l’information c’est le contrôle, nous devons être bien suicidaires!

Le problème des messagers en transit qui rêvent d’être des passagers en stand by, c’est qu’ils oublient que les autres peuvent épouser la solitude.

Dans le doute, on confond mystère et zone d’ombre, mieux vaut ne pas comprendre que de ne pas savoir dans le vaste monde.

Me taire, apparemment, c’est ce que j’ai de mieux à dire.

…

Le temps est aux adieux, nullement aux présentations.

Les choses commencent et se terminent dans un aéroport, là où les hommes viennent de nulle part et vont forcément quelque part pour quelque chose ou quelqu’un !

J’atterris paisiblement, j’arrive tranquillement, je pars sur la pointe des pieds, mais ne peut me résoudre à rester ici. Le mouvement, c’est tout ce qu’il me reste.

Avoir plus de solitude que de questionnement, voilà bien la seule preuve que le silence existe.

Les images défilent à vive allure comme pour mieux satisfaire la boîte à souvenirs.

Je ne prends pas de plaisir particulier dans mon travail. Comme les autres, les plans se suivent mais ne se ressemblent pas, tout est une question d’imagination.

Les hallucinations modernes ne valent pas les pertes de conscience d’antan, quand tout n’était que supposition et illusion.

Je suis parti comme je suis venu, sans un bruit, sans un mot, il ne me reste qu’à choisir entre les limites du contrôle et le contrôle des limites.

The “Pretty” Plantation

The San Francisco Plantation near White Castle, Louisiana (the andouille sausage capital of the world)  was considered the “prettiest” of all the plantations in the area. It is certainly the most colourful. It has been called “Steamboat Gothic” in style thanks to a novel by Frances Parkinson Keyes which was inspired by the house. The house does resemble an ornate riverboat from some angles. 

Oil Company PR

It was built in 1856 and is the most distinctive and the most historically accurate restoration of a River Road plantation. It was restored by Marathon Oil Company to whom the last private owner sold the property. The blight of the oil pipelines mar the once beautiful acreage. But to be fair, regardless whether the oil company restored the house as a concession to ease public outrage at having usurped an historical landmark, they did restore the home and restore it beautifully.

The Secret Behind the Restoration’s Authenticity 

Marathon even went so far as to track long-lost relatives of the original family’s last mistress, Louise Marmillion and, by doing so, gather from the family the original furnishings, art, statuary and personal letters from her describing in great detail her decorations to the house making it possible to restore  the home to the standard it is. Her letters were somewhat scandalous, this German bride disliked her Creole mother-in-law and penned all her feelings in these letters to her mother. There is a book due out soon about the lost letters of San Francisco Plantation, which ought to raise some eyebrows among the local Creole community, people who can carry a grudge through generations.

The Ladies’ Parlor

The prettiest room in the house is the Ladies’ Parlor. In this time, elegant homes were subdued and understated, painted in whites, creams and ivories. But the German mistress of the home liked colour. It was such a departure from convention, Creole wives came up on the riverboat with husbands in tow to tour the house and see the new use of color. It was a sensation. Bear in mind that all this work was done by hand. Hand carved trim, hand painted ceilings. Another feature of San Francisco was the lavish use of faux wood grain painting also done by hand.

The Ladies' Parlor

The painted ceiling was also a new feature to antebellum homes. This is one of five painted ceilings in the house. Louise was the Debbie Travis of the 1850’s with an eye for design.

The painted ceiling

Detail of the mantle in the Ladies' Parlor

The Boudoir, or Pouting Room

 I was most fascinated by the boudoir, which translates to “pouting room”. What family doesn’t need one of those? It was a room off the bedroom and was considered to be a woman’s space. Men were allowed in only by invitation and then only family or very close friends. A lady retreated to her boudoir if she was miffed at her husband, of if they went their separate ways but maintained a public face of a happily married couple. She also stayed in the boudoir during her confinement while pregnant and for a year afterwards. It was believed that exposing a pregnant or nursing mother to other people increased the spread of diseases which ravaged the area. While in her confinement, a lady would literally live her life in her boudoir. In times when  illness was abroad, only one slave would bring her meals and see to her comfort, this limiting the woman’s exposure. When you see how frequently women were pregnant in those days, it is feasible that she spent the better part of a decade trapped in one room. It is from her confinement in the boudoir that Louise had time to write all those letters to her mother.

Mantle decor in one of the boudoir

One of the four fates, lamps in each corner of the dining room

If you ever wondered how people kept food cold in the days before electricity, it was with one of these.

These sunken olive jars were recessed into an underground stream which kept food at 50 degrees even in the heat of summer.

They cooled the house with simple cross ventilation, placing door and windows in a line across the house which encouraged cooling breezes to blow through the home. This together with the very high ceilings which allowed the heat to rise up keeping the rooms relatively cool in the tropical heat.

Doors opened up the entire house from window to window.

Door "lights" allowed light to penetrate even into interior rooms. Many of these transom lights opened to move the hot air out from up near the ceiling.

Beautiful artwork in San Francisco house.

a lamp base

The History of San Francisco Plantation

Edmond Bozonier Marmillion built this mansion along the Mississippi river on River Road. It was called originally “The Marmillion Plantation”. Shortly after he completed the home Edmond died suddenly. His son Charles had been away on his Grand Tour of Europe. When he got home the house was full of mourners at his father’s funeral. He was shocked to discover that his brother had also died while he had been away, leaving him and his brother Valsin as  the only heirs to the plantation.

Charles was only 16 when he went into service during the war between the states and made the rank of Captain in the Confederate army and fought at Gettysburg. He was captured by the Yankees but he escaped. He was captured again and spent two years in captivity. He returned home to his plantation with his brother Valsin. It is his brother’s German wife, Louise, who spent so lavishly in decorating the house. People in the area jokingly called the house “Sans Fruschin”, a Creole expression which means “without a penny” or the “without the shirt on his back” referring to the cost of the decorating. San Fruschin morphed into San Francisco and the name stuck.

Tragedy at San Francisco Plantation

Tragedy haunted this family in equal measure with their good fortune. The brothers Charles and Valsin managed to survive the post-war economy and grew a successful sugar cane business. But Valsin died suddenly in 1871 at the age of 44. Charles also died young, only four years later at the age of 35.

 Louise sold the plantation in 1879 and returned to Europe. She left behind her the graves of two of her daughters who died as toddlers and were buried in unmarked graves on the property. One died falling down the grand staircase in a tragic accident.

The Ghosts of San Francisco 

 It is said that the house is haunted by the ghost of Charles Marillion, sometimes seen smoking a cigar as he roams the property. He has been seen wearing a long coat in the main-floor office, one of the bedrooms and in the dining room. The two little daughters of Louise and Valsin are also haunting the property. Several people have seen two little girls dressed in white playing with each other on the grounds.

The House Today

The front doors on a wide veranda facing the mighty Mississippi and a levee to protect River Road homes from flooding.

Sadly, a storm has caused some leaks in the roof and some of the ceilings and walls are damaged and Marathon hasn’t repaired these. Financially, things are bad in Louisiana, the poorest state in the US and donations aren’t sufficient to make the repairs needed. It is sad to see this gem subjected to disintegration again due to neglect.

Our guide through the home, a retired school teacher and veritable font of knowledge and interesting trivia.

I’m observing a lot of uncertainty out there as we approach these holidays. I see employees putting their all into their jobs in the hopes of offering their employers value and trying to survive any workplace cuts. I see our own employees at Copeland’s pour their hearts into maintaining our high standards by delivering exceptional food and providing guests with a fun and friendly atmosphere. As a business owner, I wonder what I can do to amply show my appreciation to them for their hard work this holiday season.

One way a lot of local business owners reward their employees is through our restaurant. They pick up gift cards for under the tree, have us cater in to their staff on Black Friday, or have us host their holiday parties.

If you are someone who is charged with planning your business’s holiday party, you can let go of the stress and hassle by trusting Copeland’s catering program. We prepare around the clock to take care of fellow retailers during this extreme crunch-time. If you are in a rush, check out our online catering ordering system. But we never want to take the personal touch out of working with you, so feel free to call or stop by to taste the food and discuss the size of your crowd with our catering specialists so you have just the right amount of food without worrying about over-ordering or running out of food.

A lot of companies gift turkeys to their employees. With our Deep-Fried Cajun Turkeys and Turduckens (a duck inside of a chicken, tucked inside of a turkey and surrounding by andouille sausage and cornbread stuffing!) we’ll take your holiday gift up a notch from ordinary to extraordinary.

As a fellow business ourselves, we realize how important it is to maintain employee morale and treat our front lines the right way. Let us know what we can do to help you make your employees feel appreciated and make your life a little easier with holiday planning.

Remember, we work hard to provide a menu that is not just Cajun, but one that suits everyone’s palette so you can serve our tender and flavorful food to any crowd with confidence.

What are you doing for your employees this holiday season? We’d love to hear your ideas!

I’ve been seriously considering taking a class at the local community college next semester.  Not for credit, not to go towards a degree, just for fun.  A class that I find interesting, and fun, and enlightening.  Now I just have to decide which class to take, because I have a list of about 10 that I think would be interesting.

I found this post:  100 Totally Fun and Weird College Courses you can take online for free.  Offerings include:

• Magic, Witchcraft and the Spirit World, offered by MIT. 
• Creole Language and Culture, from Notre Dame.
• Physics of Rock Climbing, MIT.
• Kitchen Chemistry, MIT.  (I listed that one specifically for the two Jen’s!)
• Nine Lessons Learned About Creativity at Google, offered by Stanford.
• Eat Well for Less, Oregon State.
• The Dark Age, UMass Boston.  (I might have to take this one – I love studying The Middle Ages.)

There are some well-known and prestigious universities – just think, you could tell people you were taking classes at MIT or UC Berkley.  How much fun would that be?

I love classes that make learning fun.  If it’s fun, if you enjoy it, then you’re more likely to care about learning.  That’s one of the problems with the public school system in general, I think.  Learning isn’t fun, so kids don’t want to learn.  They study the basics, enough to pass the all-important tests, but it’s not retained for future use.

My favorite college professor was Dr. Hodges.  She was so enthusiastic about her subject, and she was always having so much fun when she lectured, that you couldn’t help but be drawn in.  I wouldn’t be surprised if she also had a theatre background, because she knew how to hold your attention, even in an auditorium with 100+ students.  I will never forget one lecture in particular, when she was talking about the “bathrooms” in medieval castles.  She drew it out on a transparency, told us how it worked, and said, “Isn’t that the coolest thing ever?”  And it kind of was, because she thought it was so cool.

The Cochuah region has not been a peaceful area. At Yo’okop we have evidence of several fortifications that may even date to separate events (such as the Terminal Classic abandonment and the later Postclassic reoccupation and abandonment of the site). However, the most commonly found traces of fortifications are much later. The Cochuah region was the centre of the Caste War and its aftermath (1847-1901). In 1847 Maya groups rebelled against the Creoles (Mexicans or Yucatecans of Spanish descent). The early successful campaigns by the mazehual (“Maya”) in 1847-1848 almost drove the Creoles out from the peninsula. However, these campaigns ultimately led to a series of setbacks and approximately 40 percent of the population of Yucatan died between 1846 and 1850.

Close to Yo’okop lies Fortin Yo’okop which has a four-bastion design. I’ll discuss it in another post. This is the only true fortification in the area since it appears to have been constructed for this single purpose. The fort lies at the very boundary between what was Spanish/Mexican controlled areas and “wilderness.”

Caste War fortification at Ichmul

Smaller Caste War trincheras (not trenches, but low fortification walls) are found near Colonial/Early independence settlements in the region. The most impressive ones, apart from Fortin Yo’okop, are to be found at Ichmul which was one of the first cities under attack. The town was attacked on Christmas day in 1847. The town resisted 20 days of rebel attacks. In 2004, we mapped the western part of the Central Acropolis.  This portion of the acropolis contains several trincheras. The walls were either built during the 1847 attack or from when the federal militia recovered Ichmul in 1848. The Caste War largely depopulated the town. Ichmul was resettled again around 1900.

Central Acropolis at Ichmul

You ever stumble upon a Lady who was the Business  but it seemed like no one had ever heard of her?  Of course you have.  I do all the time.  There were and are so many people in the world doing innovative, interesting and important things, big and small, that there’s no way to keep up with even a teeny fraction of them.  (I will never forgive my stupid puny human brain for not allowing me to know everything.)  Women’s work in particular (be it artistic or political or what have you) seems to disproportionately fall through the cracks.  That’s why when I find an awesome Lesser Known Lady, I want to make sure to pass her on to you fine people.

Ever since our lovely Headitor Stacey gave me the go-ahead to start this little Lesser Known Ladies project I have been accumulating a list of women to write about.  For example, I always knew the first post would be about Jessie Fauset.   But there have been surprises too.   Thanks to just one fateful Friday morning I lost  clicking around on Wikipedia, I accidentally came upon an article that gave me the names of three women that I just knew I had to talk about.  Each certainly deserves her own article but  I don’t think I can tell you about one without mentioning another.

The article I came across that started it all was about plaçage, which was the system of common law marriages between white men and women of color found in the early days of certain French and Spanish colonies.  What we know about plaçage today comes largely from what we know about plaçage as it existed in Louisiana, and particularly in New Orleans.  The women involved were more often than not of mixed descent; African and European and sometimes the indigenous populations.  This system came about because the law refused to acknowledge marriages between whites and people of color.  Some called these relationships “left-handed marriages” and while placées (the women who were “placed with” European men) were not legally recognized as wives, their children usually received financial support from their fathers and were sometimes recognized in wills.

The women I have chosen to highlight this week encountered plaçage in different ways and in different stages of life and most importantly, made different choices as to how they would let plaçage shape their lives.

1) Marie Lavaeu

Marie Lavaeu, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans,  is probably the best known of the women on this list (I even saw her on the History Channel that one time).  However, very few hard and fast facts are known about her.  It is believed that she was born sometime between 1790 and 1802 in New Orleans to a free Creole woman of color (likely a placée) and a white planter.   She had a large multiracial following and mixed Roman Catholicism and African spiritual practices in her ceremonies. She had a daughter, Marie Lavaeu II, who was also a Voodoo Queen.  Because of their identical names there is some debate as to which woman was the most powerful and the most revered in her day, and to whether the Marie Lavaeu who died in 1881 was the mother (who would have been in her 90s) or the daughter.  The tomb that is reported to belong to Marie I is a popular tourist attraction in New Orleans, where people come to ask for blessings or curses or just to make offerings.

2) Rosette Rochon

Rosette was born in 1767 Mobile, Alabama to a mixed-race slave mother and a white father (Pierre Rochon, a wealthy shipbuilder).  She was freed by her father by the time she was three and when he died in 1771 her family moved to New Orleans.  In her teens she was “placed with” (doesn’t that phrase just give you the willies?) a Jean Baptiste Hardy with whom she had a son that would later become an official in the Hatian government.  After having a second child with Hardy she moved on to be “placed with” (it doesn’t get any easier to type) Joseph Forstal, with whom she had more children.

Rosette Rochon was able to fold the financial support she recieved from Hardy and Forstal into a wide array of businesses, including grocery stores, cattle, real estate and mortgages, banking, and building and renting out property.  She was one of the first people to invest money in the land that would eventually become Faubourg Marigny, an area just east of the French Quarter.  Unfortunately only one of her structures remains standing in its entirety and is now being restored as the Musée Rosette Rochon.  Not to say that I don’t always daydream about being independently wealthy, but I wish for it especially hard whenever I see something like this museum.   Historical preservation projects are what I imagine my philanthropic soft spot would be if I had a ton of money to give away.

3) Henriette Delille

Henriette was born in New Orleans in 1813 to Jean-Baptiste de Lille Sarpy and Marie-Josèphe Díaz in what would have been considered a very typical common-law plaçage marriage.  Young Henriette was well educated in literature and music and was being groomed to follow her mother’s footsteps and become a placée herself.  When she was fourteen years old, she began teaching at a local Catholic school and it was through her involvement with the church that she decided to reject the system of plaçage and serve the poor of her community. She tried to become a postulant in a handful of local orders but could not because unlike her siblings, Henriette refused to pass as white.

When her mother’s health deteriorated and Henriette was granted control of her assets she used the money that remained after providing for her mother’s care and started an order that was, at first, unrecognized by the church.  It was called the Sisters of the Presentation and Delille’s fellow founders included two other free women of color, Juliette Gaudin and  Josephine Charles.  The name of their order was changed to the Convent of the Holy Family and served primarly the elderly and infirm of New Orleans.  At its height the convent had 400 members.  In 1989 the remaining Sisters of the Holy family presented Henriette Delille as a candidate for sainthood.  She was the first native-born American black woman to be considered for canonization.

Now as a Good Little [Spoiled] Modern Feminist I struggled with these women and their histories.  I was fascinated, of course, but also concerned when I learned of things like the Quadroon Balls, lavish parties where eligible young mixed-race women were shown off to the white men who would become their lovers and benefactors.  Though the women (theoretically) got to choose whether or not to enter into an arrangement with a white man I could see how. at first glance,  this system sounds like a shined-up kind of prostitution.  Inn its day many opponents tried to bill it as such.  The debate as to what counts as prostitution is still going on today and the most sense that I can make of plaçage is that for some women of color, this was a way to make the best of a bad situation.

Women of color have always had to make tough choices because of the bullshit that comes with being a double minority and I believe that the decision to enter plaçage would have fallen into a gray area that modern women often gloss over when discussing sex work (and I don’t necessarily see plaçage as sex work, by the by).   Of course there was an imbalance of power that came with being a placée, but we have to put aside our modern aversions to a woman using the few tools she would have had back then (namely, sex) and instead look at their legacy.  The children of placées often went on to start prosperous businesses and found schools for children of color that would not have otherwise existed.  Louisiana would be a completely different place were it not for the contributions of women like this week’s Ladies and for the work of all the mixed-race creoles who made their marks on music, science, politics, and everything else that made New Orleans and this country what they are today.