A Summer Escape

Ok, I've stressed about the whole drug thing for almost a week now and it's time to stop! I've forbidden myself from looking at anymore more MS websites, forums, instructional videos on how to inject a needle into myself...no more!... at least for today...I need something else to think about...

How about: Where I'd like to go on my summer vacation.
Except for the generosity of my wonderful parents, we wouldn't be going anywhere this summer. They have offered to take me and the kids with them to San Clemente in about 3 weeks. I'm excited about that, but I think I'd like to plan a real summer vacation, one that requires months of planning and lots of money (ok, that automatically qualifies this is as a "let's pretend" post, but still fun nonetheless.)

First, let's start kind of close to home: I'd like to show JT where I grew up.

I grew up on the Miss'ippi delta, y'all. You can take the girl out of the south, but ya cain't take the south outta the girl. Don't get me wrong, it is a bassackwards place to live, but I still consider it a small part of what makes me, me.

First, we'd fly into New Orleans. And also maybe if we could travel back in time to before Katrina obliterated everything, that would be good too. We're pretending, so that's an option. That way, maybe we wouldn't have to carry mace or anything to ward off miscreants who prowl about the city nowadays.

Here's what we'd see:

<http://www.britannica.com/eb/art-99957>

St. Louis Cathedral
French Quarter

nclsneworleans.com

nclsneworleans.com
Oak Alley
The quintessential image of the South

We'd spend a day or two in New Orleans ( pronouced New Orleens, if you're from the south) strolling the French Quarter and the river walk shops. We'd have to hear some jazz in a small club on Bourbon St. and of course have our breakfast beignets. Then we'd make the short trek to Mississippi.

Web images of that poor state are sadly lacking. I have some old pictures that I scanned that I probably took when I was 12 or so, but they capture a little of what my neighborhood looked like. After being reminded of these images, I think growing up in this place could be what sparked my fascination with architecture and design.

Then we'd take a tour of my little town of Moss Point, Mississippi.

I'd love for him to see the tall, tall live oaks with moss dripping off the branches and beautiful magnolia trees in bloom.

Then we'd go see my house. It is the church manse, the home that belongs to the church where the preacher lives. I can't find a picture of the church right now...another reason we need to go back, so JT could take some better (and digital) pictures of these places! The church is about 20 yards to the right of the house. I would totally knock on the door and tell them who I was, and then maybe the current preacher's family would let us go inside and see it!

My room was in the very middle of the house. The room's only window had been walled off when they made an addition to the home after it had received some hurricane damage in the 70's. It was a really dark, creepy room for a little kid. : )

This was Laura Lisa Delashment's house. I played over here all the time.




Here are some others that were right down the street.

There's such history here. I'm sure I've romanticized a lot of it after being gone for so long, but it's something that I've always wanted to share with JT so he can get a feel for what it was like growing up in the deep South. Despite its problems, there truly is a charm about the place.

And since money is no object in my pretend-vacation world, we'll continue our journey up the east coast..but that's another post for another day...