I decided to stay home today.   There was a poetry event that would have been interesting, but I decided that I needed to be quiet and still today instead.

I slept late, it was after 8:30AM when I finally dragged myself out of bed.  Of course, you know that Roxie became really insistent that I should be up taking care of her long before her breakfast time of 6AM.    She mews and poked me in the back and then came to my face and brushed my eyes with her paw (thank God she is declawed, no matter what they say).   She knows that if I open my eyes she's got me.

I am almost ready for my week + trip to Chicago, Bossier City and New Orleans starting next Friday.  
I will be able to get into Chicago, New Orleans and home without any problem.   There is the question of where I am staying. I had reservations.  Then my dear friend, Maureen's daughter Katie, did not feel that was safe, so she is finding something else which will be closer to the center where I want to be and be safe.    I am so grateful for friends.   I was able to get a complete refund on the reservations that I HAS made.    I will be going to the Aquarium, a cooking class, a city and cemetery tour, a swamp tour, mass at the Cathedral and whatever I can get in between.   This will be a big one off of my bucket list.

Today I also have things organized for the talk that I will be giving in the Literary Salon at IBAM.   I only have to gather the five herbs that will be available for the listeners to make their own Blessing Bundles.   Herbs and their meanings are such  wonderful ecological, ancient custom and ethnic history.

Anyway,   I am settling down for a long busy week.   I talked to Barb, Jacquie and Leslie today.   Left a message for Bret.  

I am looking forward to me escape and hope to gain a lot of knowledge of this world that the good Lord has given us.   Pray that Hurricane Karen is indeed settled down to a mere murmer.

Love you all

Dia Dhuit

Mary