My Man and My Plan

I finally got back to my man! After a nice nap, I got busy building my new Party for Positive Progress organizations, also known as the One Million Matriarchs (OMM) and the Mostly Righteous Men of the Matriarchs (MR MOM). Both of these organizations exist to promote peace through activism for non-violent conflict resolution. This was in response to the request by Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen that Womenspeak2010 attendees assist her in pressing the UN to create international law making it a crime (on an international basis) to rape women and children, and to include women in UN policy setting. How could I not sign on?

Without going into dramatic detail, I thought I could get everyone up to speed by giving you the link to Dr.Bolen’s website that contains a link to her work with the UN and a UN petition, http://www.jeanshinodabolen.com.

With me being such a party animal, I thought it would be best to form a group that could party for this cause. If there's enough interest, my first mission will be to New Orleans for the Jazz Fest. I believe I can secure the same unfurnished apartment that we used for Mardi Gras, which ended us up on the front page of the New Orleans Newspaper, The Times Picayune. We were very comfortable with my cooking, camping chairs and air mattresses (although the noise level in the location at the corner of Canal Street and the French Quarter required heavy-duty ear plugs for sleeping). This apartment is located very conveniently to the Fairgrounds site of the Jazz Fest.

My favorite tent at the New Orleans Jazz Fest has always been the Gospel Tent, not only because of the marvelous music, but because it’s in the shade. The food at the fest is beyond compare, from crawfish bread to bread pudding to beignets. Music and arts from Congo Square feature original paintings, sculpture, clothing, jewelry, musical instruments, and an array of handcrafted artworks.

Contemporary Crafts</i>, is a nationally recognized showcase of alluring handcrafted clothing, beautiful leather goods and handblown glass, along with a brilliant array of paintings, photographs, sculptures and irresistible jewelry.

In the Louisiana Marketplace, the state’s finest traditional and contemporary artists display and sell hand-colored photographs, pine needle baskets, whimsical jewelry, and other creations that evoke the state’s unique cultural history.

LOUISIANA FOLKLIFE VILLAGE Like its signature dish, gumbo, Louisiana is a spicy stew comprised of many distinctive elements — African American, Cajun, Native American, Isleño and practically everything in between. To experience this unique culture firsthand, visit the Louisiana Folklife Village and discover many of the state’s generations-old traditions.

Here you can see musicians meticulously handcraft accordions and guitars, and papier mâché artists create whimsical sculptures for Mardi Gras floats. Watch as an Isleño woodcarver transforms indigenous cypress into lifelike reproductions of Louisiana waterfowl right before your eyes. These are only a few of the traditions featured in the Louisiana Folklife Tent that bear witness to our state's unique cultural history. –From the website http://www.nojazzfest.com.

I think I could also make this a mission to promote Appalachian Arts (especially those from Coker Creek) if I can secure a booth at the Jazz Fest. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to sell Jack’s book and other Coker Creek Creations at such a well-attended venue?