NOLA!

The poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, who penned these words,

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all

never met my August. August is a month I approach with a certain amount of reserve, a certain trepidation each year: So much has been given to me in August that was later taken away; so much has been taken from me in August that was given to me in other months.

So it was with a distinct sense of relief that I accepted the offer from Deborah Joy and Sonnie to go with them to New Orleans, Louisiana, for a couple of days, just to get away. And what a wonderful three days it has been! Pictures and remembrances to follow, but as I get ready to fly back to Calgary this afternoon, I take with me the thought that coming to New Orleans for just three days is like being flirted with, the lightest intimation of a kiss behind my left ear, bewitching me and leaving me wanting to linger longer ...

After these days, NOLA to me stands for

Need - I desperately needed a break from the strivings within and without

Opportunity - Debs and Sone made it possible for me to get away

Laughter - on the streets, in the hotel rooms, in restaurants and on road trips

Affection - so much extended to me on this trip!

Yes, NOLA has ensnared me once more and I will come back to visit her again soon ...