Beautiful Music.

I enjoyed another wonderful day in New Orleans.....today seemed to be all about the music. After my business meetings, I headed out to meet my graduate school advisor and some other colleagues for an MSU reception. It is always nice to catch up with people you may only see once per year, especially over hors d'oeuvres including alligator and andouille. I then enjoyed a nice dinner of fresh crab au gratin at Mulate's, a famous cajun restaurant that has the most delightful house band. I enjoyed my dinner and a slice of pecan pie with a hot cup of creamy chicory coffee, while watching this precious elderly couple swing each other around the dance floor. It was so beautiful.....they were smiling and gazing at each other the whole time, and they just knew how to anticipate each other's moves....they worked together perfectly. I smiled and teared up at this picture of love and rhythm....I don't know their story, but you could almost read it in how they held and moved with each other. It was almost mesmerizing. I can only pray that Matt and I are still dancing and holding each other and knowing each other so well when we reach the elderly years.

After the cab ride back to my hotel, I discovered a very cool and funky jazz band playing outside the hotel. And let me tell you.....this ain't no high school marching band! These boys could play and sing and entertain....all for whatever loose dollar the crowd would throw into their cardboard box. And there was the sweetest little homeless woman who was smiling and dancing and pinching every man's rear end when they walked up to put a dollar in the box....talk about joy in one's circumstances! Of course, I think she had a little "liquid help" in her to help the joy along, but nevertheless......It was a very fun and relaxing evening. Tomorrow brings my last day of sessions, and I'm also going to do a little souvenir shopping for the kids and check out the historic garden district. Night.