hundreds&thousands: February 2009

Wednesday, February 25

Mardi Gras in the making...

A fun mask shop in New Orleans

Mardi Gras World - where they make props and floats for the celebration -

some start as blocks of styrofoam

others as papier mache or resin

some paint is added

little fibre optic lights too

and giant beads of course

the artist tools

a sample of costumes

and the route to visit all of that

the mighty Mississippi

across from here...

and here

details everywhere

old, grey, and run down

and one peaceful retreat.

all photos by me

Tuesday, February 24

Fat Tuesday - "Throw me something Mister"

( Photo of a mural in New Orleans)

A tree caught these beads

-All photos can be clicked on for a larger view -

one of many colourful floats

some of the beads thrown on Joe Cain Day. A brief history of Joe Cain can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Cain

"Collector Items"!!! Beads thrown by Joe Cain's Merry Widows.

Even the cops escorting the widows get into the spirit.

A Merry Widow escort

The widows arrive....

They lay flowers and beads on his grave...

The King Cake

And a little slice for you, filled with Bavarian Creme.

Story of the King Cake

Mardi Gras is a time for celebration and at the center of this celebration is the King Cake. It all began in 12th century France where a cake would be baked on the eve of January 6 to celebrate the visit to the Christ Child by the three Kings. When Christianity extended its influence, many of the local customs - such as Mardi Gras - were incorporated into Christian tradition. The King Cake was a celebration of the Magi; the three Kings who traveled from afar to honor the birth of Christ.

French settlers brought the custom to Louisiana in the 18th century and over time, the King Cake became a more elaborate Mardi Gras custom. A small ceramic figurine of a baby was hidden in the cake. The baby represents how the three kings had a difficult time finding the Christ Child. Today's King Cake is oval shaped coffeecake dough, with cinnamon or fruit and cream cheese. The cake is baked, drizzled with glossy white icing then decorated with sugar, coloured purple (for justice). green (for faith), and gold (for power) A plastic baby is placed on the cake to be hidden later. The guest who finds the baby gets to provide the next King Cake...

Friday, February 20

Our fruit salad!

meet Kiwi - hanging out on his cage

and meet Mango - showing off his colours, he makes a good model, standing still on his photo backdrop. Mango our baby Sun Conure, born Dec 26th. Being a baby means that we are hand feeding him. We mix up his brew three times a day, test the temperature and then spoon feed it to him. He loves to eat, loves to snuggle into your neck, and he loves the little bed I made for him.

a kiwi bed for Mango - it hangs in his cage.

Saturday, February 14

happy valentines day

sending you a little love heart

photos by me

This little heart was sitting there waiting for me to find.

Friday, February 13

care package delivered by post

Look what arrived a few hours ago....just in time to satisfy some cravings..... I have already buttered some hot toast and spread on a good layer of Marmite. yum!

Time for a cup of tea I think!

Friday, February 6

Mardi Gras season has arrived.

One custom here during Mardi Gras is to decorate. While house hunting here two years ago almost every house we went into had some sort of Mardi Gras decoration. Mostly it was beads of every colour hanging from the kitchen table lights, sometimes it was a decorated mantel or a dinning room table centerpiece. For my effort I put together this wreath -with items from three different stores. The shelves had pretty much been picked clean by the time I headed out to shop, so the pickings were slim. There really should be two, from a distance it looks a bit lonely as the doors are double and quite tall.