Ahhhh..... I do miss New Orleans.
It was my home for 21 years, until August 28, 2005.... the day Hurricane Katrina made landfall.
One of my favorite tales of New Orleans was the story of Marie Laveau. And I've been thinking about her a lot, lately.
For those who don't know of her, Marie Laveau was born a free Creole woman of color in the early 1800's. She was also a landowner, which was quite an accomplishment for women of color in those times. She was a hairdresser to the wealthy socialite women of New Orleans, and would overhear the gossip between the women, which gave her inside knowledge to the New Orleans social life.
Before long, people learned of her Voodoo practices, and often came to her for assistance in obtaining that which they most desired. She was known for her powerful gris gris and mojo, and soon earned herself a reputation for being one of the most feared, yet respected, women in the city. Politicians and judges, societal and young women alike went to her regularly for her charms. Even after her death, people claimed to see her as if she were alive, and people still go to her grave even to this day to petition her for favors from beyond, marking 3 X's (XXX), and leaving offerings of food and booze as payment.
As I worked on her, I began to feel that she might not turn out exactly as I'd envisioned, but I did hope she'd still end up looking nice.
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