Welcome! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed so you won't miss the Blarties (=blog+party) on the weekends. To find out more about our Blarties check out this post, too. Looking forward to seeing you on the weekends!

Do y’all think it’s a good idea for a blog? I stumbled onto this somewhere the other day and decided to add a page for it here. My thoughts are to see if you all are interested before deciding whether or not to leave it.

So tell me, is it something you would make use of? Could it turn into a regular Boomer meeting place for you? Do you think it would be fun to use on Blarty weekends?

It’s at this page… Baby Boomers Blarty and Chat Room

I NEED to hear from YOU to know which direction to head with this so PLEASE leave your comments and let me know, k? K. Thanks!

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Hey Boomers! I’mm baaaack. The suitcases are unpacked, the laundry is caught up, back to the rat race. I had a GREAT time in the Big Easy. Why can’t I win the Lottery? Then I could travel and blog from all over the World.

Well, New Orleans is alive and kicking. The French Quarter was filled with “Who Dat”, a chant of New Orleans Saints fans. The team played their first home regular season game against the Tennessee Titans Monday night. Besides the NFL Jerseys, the other popular attire was the souvenir shop tees, “I Drove My Chevy to the Levy and Levy was Gone”.

I’ve gotta hand it to New Orleanians, despite everything the city has been through, they haven’t given up. I overheard a few of the merchants in the souvenir shops and art galleries talking. They were reassuring each other business was going to pick up. They were discussing upcoming events and conventions coming to the city and were hopeful visitors would spend money.

The architecture of The Vieux Carre (French Quarter) has always fascinated me. The charm of both french and spanish design, but primarily spanish. *In the late 1700’s two separate fires destroyed much of the structures and buildings in the Quarter. Under Spanish rule, wood structures were replaced with courtyards, thick brick walls, arcades, and wrought iron balconies.

*New Orleans was founded by the French in 1718. The Rule then see-sawed from France to Spain, and back again until the Louisiana Purchase. Can you imagine Parisian women or anyone in France wanting to relocate to the swamps and marshes of southern Louisiana then?

*In the late 1720’s, “Casket Girls”, were brought from France to New Orleans to marry. Previously women were supplied to the colonist by raking the streets of Paris for undesirables, or emptying the houses of correction. To really appreciate the Vieux Carre, I suggest first time visitors take one of the Haunted History tours.

Hurricane Hope did only minor damage, eating my way through the Quarter. Pralines, Po-Boys, Shrimp Creole, Fried Alligator Nuggets, Beignets, Fried Crawfish Tails, Fried Oysters, Jambalaya, Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreos, etc. etc. I ate it ALL!

Before leaving Nawlins’, I stopped back by Southern Candy Makers. Making Pralines and candies daily; Creamy Original, Rum, Coconut, Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Rum Pralines. Judges at an Atlanta National Gourmet Show gave their Creamy Pralines the Best Candy Award. I can personally vouch for the chocolate and peanut butter ones. I not only brought some of them home, but also some Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Oreos too! Yummmm.

Southern Candy Makers opened its doors in the historic French Quarter Leap Year Day in 1992. They ship Pralines, Chocolate Dipped Oreos, Peppermint Bark, Tortues, Sugar-Free Candies and wide variety of candies and nuts nicely packaged for all occasions.

***UPDATE - Hey, I just wanted to add that Southern Candy Makers 2007-2008 catalog is coming out in a couple of weeks! Call 1-800-344-9773 to request a catalog.

If you’re planning on visiting the French Quarter, they have two locations; 334 Decatur and 1010 Decatur. When you purchase pralines in their store know they were made fresh that day, not last week, or last month. ***

Another favorite of note, Johnny’s Po-Boys, located on Saint Louis Street off Decatur. Johnny’s is a favorite of the locals, and an Award Winning restaurant. I will definitely darken their door step my next trip.

Bon Appetite
The Backseat Gourmet

*Resources: www.wikipedia.org (see “Casket Girls” and History of New Orleans)

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Today is the day many bloggers from BlogCatalog.com are uniting to blog against abuse of all kinds. I don’t have any personal stories to tell as far as any type of abuse, but I hear about domestic abuse frequently and it’s enough to make my blood boil when I do. I DO want to bring attention to domestic abuse, point out a couple of things you can do, someone else working tirelessly to bring attention to the issue, and an organization to which you can donate in order to support efforts to free others from such a miserable existence.

I have a police scanner and I hear MORE about domestic violence than I do ANYTHING on it. Truthfully, sometimes I have a hard time understanding why someone would continue in such circumstances. Then I remember some folks just plain ole don’t feel or believe they have any other choice or they truly believe and hope the abuser will change eventually. In some cases, it starts off so subtilely the abused may not even realize what’s really happening to them for quite some time.

I’m not going to pretend to have any of the answers myself. As I said, I’ve been very fortunate in that I haven’t had to deal with this issue first hand so who am I to offer advice as to WHAT to do to overcome the circumstances? What I CAN suggest, however, is that we support the individuals and organizations that bring awareness to this vile issue and the agencies that CAN lead the abused first to safety and then, hopefully, to a much more stable, peaceful and fulfilling life.

I also suggest any of you reading this that are being abused, please seek help from agencies qualified to help you as soon as possible. You can call whichever number here is applicable to you and get help immediately anytime anyplace. The numbers are:

• 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
• 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

I also want to encourage you to use the word “overcomer” to describe yourself if you have made your way or are working to make your way physically out of an abusive relationship. The way I see it, if you’ve made a solid decision to get out and are diligently seeking a way out, or are no longer physically in it, you have overcome at least some level of the abuse even though you may still be working to overcome the emotional and mental pain. Making the decision to get yourself out of the situation is “overcoming” any fear that may have been instilled in you by your abuser and fear is a HUGE hurtle to jump.

I see a “survivor” as someone who is still physically in the thick of the situation and “surviving” moment-to-moment, day-to-day, or so on. If you’re working to get out of it or are already out of the situation physically, give yourself credit NOW and claim to be an overcomer! Hold that description of yourself tightly in your heart and mind. Don’t let go of it! You ARE an Overcomer! Take the next step to overcome the next obstacle before you. One thing at a time. You’ve come this far. PLEASE don’t backstep. One battle at a time to win the war. One step at a time to cover the miles.

One of my fellow Baby Boomer Divas, a wonderful lady and an OVERCOMER of domestic violence herself, Jaisun McMillian, is working diligently using her many talents to bring awareness to domestic violence. She has authored several books based upon her own personal experiences. She also produced the film, Behind Closed Doors, which is based upon her book of the same title.

If you’ve got kids or career/work clothing that would be beneficial to someone in that situation, please donate at least some of it to a domestic violence agency/organization. In many cases, when the abused DOES manage to get out, they must leave with only the clothing on their backs, nothing more.

Do you have extra household items? They’re needed in order to assist the abused with setting up a new home. Kids books, toys, stuffed animals? No doubt the children in this situation very much appreciate something to snuggle with for some sense of security, entertain them, and for a bit take their minds off the fact that their lives have been so severely disrupted.

May I make a suggestion for one agency that accepts monetary donations? It’s the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation. The MKACF issues grants to shelters across the country to assist in the battle to save and protect the abused.

If you are associated in some manner with an abuse shelter, look into whether or not your organization will qualify for a grant from MKACF. You can obtain the grant application information from the MKACF website. As of the date (9/27/2007) of this post, the grant application currently available on the site was due to be submitted August 31, 2007. Download and view it anyway so you can get an idea in advance of what information the MKACF will need from your organization.

Do you know of anything else that can be done to help? Please share in a comment.

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