Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans , part 2?


I was watching Ellen today. She was doing a Mardi Gras special and talking about the lower 9th ward and the Make It Right Foundation. This foundation is raising money to build houses in the lower 9th ward. It was started by Brad Pitt and Ellen has picked up on it and is trying to help raise money as well.

As everyone knows I fell in love with New Orleans in 1998, the first time I was there. I have been back there quite a bit and only once since Hurricane Katrina. I had my bacholerette party there, I celebrated my 30th birthday there. I drove down for 3-11 day to see 311 in concert. I have been there a few other times as well. Not yet for Mardi Gras though, but that will be in the future. Last time I was there for my 30th birhtday in October of '06 (check my blog history for photos) I was sad at the things I saw. I told my husband as we sat once again at Pat O'Briens in the French Quarter, that I loved New Orleans. It is so familiar to me now and when we are there it feels like home. I love the atmosphere, the culture there. Even though you are in the US you feel like you are in another place, espeically in the French Quarter. It's important to keep those traditions. I remember for my bacholerette party , I took a few girls who have never been there. As we flew over Lake Ponchatrain, I told them about how 1 powerful hurricane could devistated the city. 3 months later, what I feared and told them about actually happened. My friends told me that they thought of me when they saw the news.


I think it is important to rebuild New Orleans. Please if you can donate to the Make It Right Foundation. You can also go to ELLENTV.com and order a t-shirt from her website for charity. I plan on donating money soon. (I've been on maternity leave and literally have $16 left to my name till my next paycheck) And I also plan on getting a t-shirt. Each house is estimated to be $150,000. So money needs to roll in! The shirt says, "MAKE IT RIGHT FOUNDATION" with the number 9 on it for the lower 9th ward! IT's pretty cool!

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