2008 Gretna Heritage Festival This Weekend!

The festival is here!  The festival is here!

My absolutely must attend West Bank festival is taking place this weekend in the City of Gretna and I can’t wait to get out there and hear some great music, eat some fantastic food and try to keep at least a little cash in my pocket while drooling over the beautiful arts, crafts and jewelry that fill the booths.

Starting at 4 pm on Friday, the 2008 Gretna Heritage Festival kicks off with my favorite local band Chicken on the Bone rocking the market stage.  Disclosure:  I’m just a little biased since my hubby is in this band!  The music continues all weekend with performances by Blue Oyster Cult, Foghat, KC and the Sunshine Band and Montgomery Gentry.  Loads of local musicians will be on tap as well:  Allen Toussaint, Galactic, Amanda Shaw, Bucktown Allstars, Chee Weez, Dash Rip Rock (wait…I’m having a flashback) and more.

And don’t forget about all of the delicious food…I’ll be hanging out working in the Krewe of Choctaw booth, serving fried shrimp po-boys, fried catfish po-boys and crawfish pies.  Non-profit organizations run all of the food booths, so stop in and see me and help support your local folks.

Where else are you going to get all of this for the low admission price of $10 per day or $25 for a weekend pass?  For a music schedule and parking information visit www.gretnafest.com.  If you don’t want the hassle of parking, the Canal Street ferry has free pedestrian rides to the Gretna ferry landing every hour and free shuttle buses are available at Oakwood Shopping Center and Westside Shopping Center.  Of course, if you live on the West Bank in Gretna, you may be close enough to just walk on over.

I’ll be taking pictures all weekend, so watch for them to be posted here.  Hopefully, I get to see more than just shrimp!

Ten Hut! Calling All Military Spouses

My good REALTOR friend, Jesse Clifton in Fairbanks, Alaska, recently wrote a post about the 2009 Military Spouse of the Year nominations.  With the New Orleans West Bank being home to both NAS JRB New Orleans and NSA New Orleans, I thought it was great information to pass along.

Although praise is deservedly lavished on military service members serving this country, we sometimes overlook their support system at home; their military spouses.

Long deployments to far away lands are no easy task. Military service members are in harms way and away from the family they love for extended periods of time. The wives and husbands left at home have an equally daunting task in that they’re charged with keeping the home fires burning.

In recognition of their countless contributions and sacrifices, Military Spouse Magazine is accepting nominations for the 2009 Military Spouse of the Year.

Read Jesse’s entire post here.

Do you know of a military spouse that is deserving of this award?  Heck, it could even be you!  Nominations are being accepted through October 8, 2008 at www.msoy.milspouse.com.  It only takes a few minutes of your time to nominate a spouse from any branch of the military, and civilians can nominate candidates too.

One of the coolest things about belonging to a national network of REALTORS is sharing information across the industry that can benefit not only the agents but our friends and clients as well.  If your next PCS takes you to Jesse’s part of the country, be sure to give him a call.

New Beginnings

I don’t know about everyone else, but the start of school is kind of like beginning a new year for me.  New uniforms, cool backpacks that haven’t been written on yet, overflowing with all of the fresh supplies for middle and high schools. 

I remember how I started each of my own school years with the same goals - to be organized, to make a study chart, to not allow my assignments to pile up until I was forced to cram into the wee hours of the morning for a test in first period the next day.  ::SIGH::  Of course, those old forces of habit took over and by the end of the first quarter most of my goals were out the window, to be revived when the calendar turned at the end of the year.

Now, my new beginnings are more likely to be focused on the garden than school.  With the official start of fall yesterday, I felt obliged to bring a few of the colors of autumn to my front porch.  I don’t really care that it’s not cool outside yet, or that I’m bound to kill these poor, helpless chrysanthemums that never did anything to me. 

I’ll enjoy them while they last, and when they are gone maybe I’ll go buy a fresh notebook and some new pens to write my 2009 resolutions.

Copyright 2008.  Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living.  All rights reserved.

Woodlands Trail and Park Needs Volunteers

The destination for hundreds of species of migrating birds each year, Woodlands Trail encompasses 609 acres of land in Algiers and is part of the America’s Wetland Birding Trail. 

Some fantastic volunteers spent this past weekend helping clear trails, installing signs and putting up wood duck nesting boxes.  But the work is not complete.  The call is out for more volunteers and for donations to assist with continuing the clean up and improvement efforts on National Public Lands Day (September 27th) from 9 am to 1 pm. 

Donations of the following items are needed:

• Auger
• 100 one gallon plastic pots for repotting seedlings
• Potting soil
• Limestone
• Brush mower
• A volunteer that can do small carpentry tasks

Volunteers should wear closed toe shoes and bring their own work gloves.  Lunch for those who pre-register is being donated by the Wal-Mart Foundation.

• Sign up to volunteer
• Directions to Woodlands Trail

Given the importance of the wetlands to the Louisiana coast and to the survival of these migratory birds, I hope that some of you can give just a few hours of your time!

Copyright 2008.  Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living.  All rights reserved.

Oh, What a Beautiful Morning…

Did you feel it this morning?  That slightly cool breeze blowing that gives us hope that the dog days of summer are almost through and that fall will make an appearance soon?

I did, and it made me think of mums, and pumpkins and football games and chilly nights in the backyard with the fire pit (don’t laugh - we get a few!). 

Take advantage of the great weather we are expected to have for the next few days.  Throw open the windows in the evening, clear out the weeds from your garden, finish raking up any left over Gustav debris and get out there and ENJOY!

It may be warm again next week, but I plan to take full advantage of this glorious weather while it lasts…

Copyright 2008.  Lisa Heindel and West Bank Living.  All rights reserved.

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