JULY/AUGUST 2019
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Mitchell Gaudet isn’t shiny or polished p. 10
Nola-area care for mom & dad
NURSING HOME LISTINGS p. 22
Going green after death
GREEN BURIALS p. 19
NATURALLY BOOMER Living off the meds p. 30
YOUR HERO
CARED FOR YOU.
NOW, YOU CARE FOR HER.
publisher/editor ANN BOWER HERREN ann@nolaboomers.com managing editor TIM MEYER tim@nolaboomers.com executive editor LAURA CLAVERIE claverip@gmail.com office manager JENNY ZIGLIN jenny@nolaboomers.com advertising sales ANN BOWER HERREN ann@nolaboomers.com edit interns THYME HAWKINS RHONISHA RIDGEWAY design intern ANNA HOLDEN marketing/communications intern JILLIAN KAUFMAN designer CAT LANDRUM 2ND STORY CREATIVE ad production SARA YOUNGBLOOD contributing photography TWIRL PHOTOGRAPHY
FROM LAURA I spent my formative years in Alexandria, about 180 miles north of New Orleans, the daughter of a doctor. Our family and friends put total faith in the traditional medical system of the times. The thought of trying non-traditional medical options such as acupuncture, meditation, hypnosis, massage therapy, or herbal cures were considered off-the-wall, if they were considered at all. I spent my formative years in Alexandria, about 180 miles north of New Orleans, the daughter of a doctor. Our family and friends put total faith in the traditional medical system of the times. The thought of trying nontraditional medical options such as acupuncture, meditation, hypnosis, massage therapy, or herbal cures were considered off-the-wall, if they were considered at all. Today, all of these practices are considered mainstream and offer patients an array of choices that go beyond traditional medical care. During my breast cancer experience five years ago, I chose to add many of these methods to my traditional care of mastectomy and chemotherapy. In my heart of hearts, I know that hypnosis, meditation, yoga, massages all added to my confidence and positive mental state, thus speeding up my recovery. Today, I am cancer-free and moving on with a soul filled with gratitude for all the professionals — traditional and non-traditional — who, along with my great husband, awesome adult children, and army of loving friends, made this happen. I’m very proud of this Boomer issue as we present some of these nontraditional options and local professionals who might just be the answer you have been looking for in your health challenges.
For reprint information, contact ann@nolaboomers.com Business Office:
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aarp.org/caregiving 1-877-333-5885
504.866.0555 A publication of
july/august 2019 volume 2, issue 4 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and/or contributors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine or its advertisers.
We Boomers are a generation that welcomes new ideas, new cures, and new possibilities. We are living longer and better than generations before us. And we’ve just begun to scratch the surface of what the medical world has to offer. I can’t wait to see where all this takes us.
To your good health!
Fearlessly Yours,
Laura Claverie
july/august 2019 | www.nolaboomers.com
| july/august 2019
Find the Care Guides you need to care for your loved one at
8131 Oak St., Ste. 500, New Orleans, LA 70118
I am also proud to welcome internationally-acclaimed artist Mitchell Gaudet to our cover. Gaudet, 56, a native of the 9th Ward and graduate of Holy Cross School, creates his, at times, gritty and always compelling art in his studio on St. Claude Avenue. He’s unafraid to take on the painful social issues of the time — from crime and gun control, to school shootings — to his large apothecary glass jars filled with bullets and topped with guns — his depiction of the “cures” of the past, leeches, or mercury tinctures. His work has always inspired me and made me think about these difficult issues and what we, as a society, can do to address them. What a gift he is to our community and beyond.
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CONTRIBUTORS VALERIE ANDREWS is a writer and communication strategist. She has been published in the Journal for Minority Medical Students, the Nursing and Allied Health Journal, and Ascension Parish magazine.
PAMELA MARQUIS has lived in New Orleans for more than 40 years. She is a freelance writer and holds a master’s in social work from the University of Missouri.
KEITH MARSHALL began his writing career in 1973 as The Times-Picayune’s representative in Europe. He has also written travel, art and architecture, and feature articles for major newspapers and magazines.
KATE STEVENS is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to our sister publication, Nola Family.
THYME HAWKINS, & RHONISHA RIDGEWAY are our amazing editorial interns.
FROM THE EDI TOR Is it morbid to think about your own death; or is it more morbid to not think about your own death? It’s a fact of life — everyone dies. You’d think we’d all be used to it by now. Well, I’m not. I actively fight my overactive imagination and all the ways it could conceive of my own demise. I certainly couldn’t will myself to live forever, no matter how hard I try, right? Although, if I meditate often enough and reach a Jedi status of rhythmic breathing, I could perhaps slow the aging process down. Not going to happen, huh? One of our talented writers wrote a piece for this issue on green burials in New Orleans — forgoing the traditional funeral service with embalming and a casket or cremation and an urn for a simple shroud and a shallow grave all for environment’s sake. Trust me, it’s way more elegant than that. Green burials bring us back to a time when metal caskets and embalming chemicals didn’t exist. It’s how more people have been buried throughout all of human history than they have in the last 200 years. It’s not the being dead, physically, that scares me, it’s the being dead, existentially, that gets me. I have no problem picturing myself as plant food, but I do have a problem with not being able to picture myself, or anything, at all.
Existentially Yours,
Tim Meyer
july/august 2019 | www.nolaboomers.com
However, after reading the article, and doing further research, I did find a certain peace in knowing that we, our decomposing bodies, could still have a purpose after we’re gone. We could literally leave the earth in better condition than how we found it.
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Boomers aren't just hanging around waiting for something to do.
CONTENTS J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 9
Cover Story Artist Mitchell Gaudet p. 10
REGULAR TOPICS
28
3
8
Freebies
Retirement strategies for women
Free and ‘almost free’ things to do
35
On the Go
14
Fitness
Pickleball, y’all!
16
Travel
Park yourself in Nola
19
Aging In NOLA
26
Health
Catching zzz’s, naturally
27
Technology
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6
Letter from Laura From the Editor
FEATURES 22
Nursing Home Guide & Directory
Need-to-know and where-to-go
30
Natural Living
Meditate your way off another pill
Green Burials
Apps for getting on track
Finances
Where, when, and what to do around town
So advertise with us, and catch up to them.
ON THE COVER Social justice catches fire in Mitchell Gaudet’s Arabi studio. Photo by Twirl Photography.
504.866.0555 info@nolaboomers.com
july/august 2019 | www.nolaboomers.com
A FEW WORDS
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s e i b e e r F PPENING A H S P E E K T UFF THA AND COOL ST
Museums and Exhibits
New Orleans Museum of Art. NOMA docents guide visitors on hour-long tours of either the permanent collection or special exhibitions. Tours are free with NOMA admission. Meet in the Great Hall to join in! Every Tuesday-Sunday from 1-2 pm.
Free Wednesdays
Computer Class
New Orleans Botanical Garden. Free admission for Louisiana residents, courtesy of the Helis Foundation. 10 am-5 pm.
Free Wednesdays New Orleans Museum of Art. Free admission for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. 10 am-6 pm.
Free Thursdays Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Free admission for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. 10 am-5 pm.
Thursdays at Twilight Garden Concert Series Pavillion of Two Sisters at the New Orleans Botanical Garden. This weekly series showcases some of the finest musicians in New Orleans featuring traditional jazz, rhythm and blues, and an assortment of music styles. Mint juleps, wine, beer, soft drinks, water, and food are available for purchase. $10/person. 6-8 pm.
Ogden After Hours
Free Sundays Contemporary Arts Center. Free admission to all Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. 11 am-5 pm.
Museum Partner Pass New Orleans Public Library. The Library has partnered with the Audubon Nature Institute, The National World War II Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, Southern Food & Beverage Museum, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and Longue Vue House & Gardens to provide free admission for library cardholders who check out a Museum Partner Pass. Every library location has a pass for each of the participating museums. For more information, visit nolalibrary.org.
Nora Navra Library. Designed for those who are just beginning to learn about technology or who would like to grow their digital skills and utilize the many digital resources the library offers. Reservations required by calling 504.596.3118. Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9-10 am.
E-Resources Happy Hour Smith Library (Wednesdays, 10-11 am) and Latter Library (Sundays, 1-2 pm). Learn about the many electronic resources, including e-books and audiobooks, available through the Library. Bring your laptop, smart phone, tablet, or e-reader with you, along with a valid Library card.
Ask About Medicare Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center. Come in for a personalized one-on-one educational drop-in and get answers. Find out what Medicare covers, what it costs, how and when to enroll, and what your options are. Educational materials will also be available. Wednesdays, 5-7 pm.
Ranger Talk French Quarter Visitor Center. Join a ranger Tuesdays through Saturdays in the visitor center courtyard to discover New Orleans’ history and culture. No talk on federal holidays or when visitor center is closed. 9:30 am.
Wetlands Walk Barataria Preserve. Every Wednesday through Sunday, join a ranger for a guided walk on a boardwalk trail through wild Louisiana swamp and marsh. Stop by the visitor center or call 504-689-3690 ext. 10 after 9:30 am. for more information. No walk on federal holidays. 10 am.
Battle of New Orleans Ranger Talk Chalmette Battlefield. Daily at 10:45 am. and 2:45 pm. The visitor center is open and talks are given on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. On all other federal holidays, the visitor center is closed and no talks are given.
Water Aerobics Locations vary. Join one of NORD’s water aerobics classes for non-weight bearing exercise. No prerequisites. Visit nordc.org/aquatics for more information.
Senior Dance Fitness St. Maria Goretti Church, 7300 Crowder Blvd., New Orleans. Stretching, cardio through dance, fun music, and healthy eating/lifestyle education for men and women ages 55+. Registration is free and ongoing. Visit nordc.org/activities/ senior-activities for more information. Mondays, 10:30 am12:30 pm.
Restorative Candlelight Yoga, Esplanade City Park, 3443 Esplanade Ave. A gentle moving class to help tune in to the mind - spirit, while providing the body support in deep restorative poses. Reserve your spot at jaibhaktiyogafoundation.org/schedule.html. $8/person. Mondays, 6-7:15 pm.
Nola Happy’s Running Club Manning’s. Happy’s is your weekly, fun and relaxed social run through downtown, the French Quarter, the CBD, or the Riverfront. Route specifics are announced on the Happy’s Facebook page! Wednesdays, 7:15-8 am.
Relax and Restore Mid-City Library. Meditation can reduce stress, improve concentration, and help manage emotions. Unplug and unwind in the meeting room with this midday meditation session. Registration encouraged. Continues each Wednesday in July, noon-1 pm.
Free Zumba Class Milne Rec Center. Free classes provided by the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission. Instructor Diobelkis is bringing the latin flava & heat to the dance floor...NOLA style. Kids are welcome. Wednesdays, 6-7 pm.
Tribe Yard Yoga The Tchoup Yard, 305 Third St. Enjoy 55-minutes of all-levels, pumped up yoga and create a fun-loving community of yogis. The all-levels yoga flow will begin at 6:30 pm. Rental mats are available for $3. Class is $5/person. Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30 pm.
Open Canoeing & Open Fishing Joe W. Brown Rec Center. Enjoy free canoeing and fishing in the lagoon. All equipment is provided and no knowledge is necessary; just bring yourself and be ready to have fun! Fishing instruction is offered to those who are new to fishing. Every Saturday, 10 am-noon.
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Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The weekly music series is held every Thursday night. For more information, call 504.539.9650. 5-8 pm.
www.nolaboomers.com
YES Adult Education
Main Library. Enrolled students receive individualized teaching focused on academic skills, workforce development, and technological knowledge. Enrollment is required. Call 504.596.3842 or email yes@ymcaneworleans.org to enroll. Mondays-Thursdays from 10 am-6 pm.
Tuesday Museum Highlights Tour
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Learning and Resources
Fitness Fun
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Studio Inferno’s current location in Aribi opened a few years ago, but all work will eventually move to a studio in Waveland, Mississippi.
PART CAJUN, PART SICILIAN — ALL NEW ORLEANIAN All his toys, “ancient” remains, and detritus are obsessively organized in bins and on shelves throughout his studio. “I don’t believe in astrology, but I’m totally a Virgo,” he says. “I have to know exactly where everything is.” He’s also a quintessential New Orleanian. On his Cajun side, he says he was raised on pig’s feet and blood sausages, and on his Sicilian side it was cannolis from Angelo Brocato’s. As Gaudet says in his artist statement, “My artwork is influenced by history, found objects, and the need to make ‘objects of desire.’ New Orleans and its culture has a place in everything I have made and will continue to make.”
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The glass artist’s work can be both whimsical and poignant, yet he isn’t interested in shiny and polished.
He then received his MFA from Tulane University, worked with famed glass artist Dale Chihuly, taught at the Pilchuck Glass School, and discovered the work of Swedish artist Bertil Vallien, an internationally celebrated glass artist known for sand casting glass.
In 1984, Mitchell Gaudet was in his last year at LSU earning a degree in psychology. Because he’d decided it was to be his party year, he saved his “fun” classes, such as ballroom dancing and karate, until the very end. He also, on a whim, took a course in stained glass.
Sand casting is when molten glass is poured into a mold made of compacted sand. Other objects can then be added to the artwork before the glass hardens.
“I got a C in the class, but I got totally caught up in it,” Gaudet says. “The transparency and beauty of glass were so seductive.”
“Finding that technique was an epiphany for me,” Gaudet says. “I found something where I could use all the gradeaux and funkiness that I loved. I finally had a technique to realize my ideas. I could just push found objects or specific designs into a collage. For example, I have this little Tupperware lid I use all the time. Its fluted component creates this beautiful beveling in the glass.”
“She’s from Miami and I’m from the 9th Ward; we have very different aesthetics,” he jokes. “But I’m very fortunate to be married to someone in the exact same field. In the evening, we meet in the hot tub and have cocktails. That’s when we banter back and forth about our process and critique each other’s work.”
FROM THE INFERNO TO THE WAVE, AND AROUND THE WORLD In 1991, he founded Studio Inferno, a glass studio and artists space in the Bywater. The business prospered until the property got too expensive, then he moved onto the next wilderness, Arabi. Now, the Gaudets have once again discovered a more affordable place for artists to live and work — just an hour’s
“Mitchell is a truly gifted artist,” says Arthur Roger, owner of Arthur Roger Gallery and long-time friend and exhibitor of Gaudet’s work. “He’s greatly broadened the scope of what can be done artistically with glass. He’s a true pioneer in his art and his business.” Studio Inferno’s production work has subsidized Gaudet’s artwork for a long time. At one time, he had more than 300 wholesale clients who purchased such items as glass water meter symbols, voodoo dolls, and intertwining monkeys. He is proud of his production work, but as to his artwork, he actively works against presenting glass as shiny and polished because he would much rather create a sense of raw authenticity. “I’m hoping to jettison my production work soon and begin to concentrate more on my artwork,” he says. “Yes, this is what I’m good at, I mean for 30 years I’ve been scooping and dumping hot glass into something, but now I want to take the time to further explore and distill my artwork.” Additionally, Gaudet does a good bit of commissioned work. Among his projects are works at Lambeth House, St. Mary’s Dominican High School, and a partition wall at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center made from recycled glass. He’s spent the past several years creating glass beads for a oneof-a-kind art installation at the soon-to-be opened Louisiana Children’s Museum in City Park.
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Today, he’s working on glass components for a project his wife and sculptor, Erica Larkin Gaudet, is creating.
drive east in Waveland, Mississippi. They recently opened Studio Waveland, which includes artist studios, art workshops, education, open air markets, public art demonstrations, and a 2,000-square-foot gallery that will feature art openings, group artists exhibits, and special events.
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“Mitchell has worked to ensure that his heavy glass beads are aesthetically pleasing,” says Julia Bland, Louisiana Children’s Museum’s CEO. “He’s been a great sport — it has been a huge engineering challenge but will be fabulous.” He has exhibited work nationally and internationally, and has received a Pollock-Krasner Grant and a Joan Mitchell award. He has taught at the Glass Furnace in Istanbul, Turkey; the Toyama Institute of Glass in Japan; Bildwerk in Frauenau, Germany; and the Glass School in Bornholm, Denmark.
THE LITTLE RED SCHOOL HOUSE SHOOTING GALLERY His artwork often touches on political and community issues. For example, every January since 2015, he’s set up an art installation near New Orleans City Hall that unveils the latest data on the number of lives lost to gun violence in New Orleans. Laura Richens, curator of the Carroll Gallery in the Newcomb Art Department of Tulane University, believes his work is certainly at home in museums and galleries, but he also presents it literally on the streets of New Orleans. “Mitchell Gaudet confronts us with the shocking statistics, but first draws us in with the beauty of his creative process,” she says. Gaudet says the people passing are never interested in the work or how he made it, they just want to tell him their stories. In 2017, he installed an exaggerated body target similar to what one might see at a shooting range. Attached to it were 157 shimmering blood-red glass orbs. The name and age of each gun-related fatality was etched onto the glass. “This gangster-looking kid came up and sees his friend’s name and just broke down. Then he told me about his friend’s life.” In a recent exhibit titled “Shooting Gallery,” Gaudet makes an impassioned commentary on gun violence and school shootings. The exhibit includes, “The Little Red School House Shooting Gallery,” a functioning old-fashioned carnival shooting gallery designed to help teachers practice their shooting skills. It uses tin targets that steadily move along a conveyor belt. But instead of sitting ducks, the targets are active shooters scattered amongst vulnerable school children. Gaudet, a retired captain in the Army Reserve, supports the Second Amend ment and the right to sensible gun ownership, but believes the current push to arm school teachers is insane. “Instead of arming teachers we would be better served teaching our school children gun safety,” he states. Now that Gaudet is maturing (he’s 56) as an artist and a person, he wishes he’d been a bit kinder. | july/august 2019 www.nolaboomers.com
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He thinks the hardest thing about getting older is the fact that you finally get all the tools you want, you have a functioning and comfortable studio, you’ve perfected your craft, and then your body fails you. “I recently took a class in Italy about creating mosaics because I have to come up with something less strenuous,” he says while rubbing a painful shoulder. “Casting is really hard on the body.” As part of his “Shooting Gallery” exhibit, Gaudet’s targets highlight a disturbing reality about gun violence and schools.
Pamela Marquis has lived in New Orleans for more than 40 years. She is a freelance writer and holds a master’s in social work from the University of Missouri.
By Erin Cohn
After a health scare, Robin Barnes called upon her community to get her moving and bouncing.
“I wanted everything to be centered around the music,” she says.
When we live in a city like New Orleans, why would anyone want a run-of-the-mill exercise class? Luckily, Make Your Move is ready to fill that gap with one-of-a-kind fitness programming that embraces and celebrates the city’s music and culture.
Turning Make Your Move into an official nonprofit allowed for funding garnered from Move Ya Brass to sustain Make Your Move’s multitude of free community programs. She created classes like Bounce Ya Brass, taking signature NOLA bounce moves and teaching them in an aerobics format that requires no previous know-how, making the classes fun and open to all ages and levels.
No one knows the importance of a healthy lifestyle better than Make Your Move founder and New Orleans native Robin Barnes. After facing and overcoming a life-altering health issue, she realized that something had to change. She didn’t know exactly how, but she knew that if she had help, and was held accountable, she could accomplish anything. Robin asked members from her community to start running with her and soon began incorporating fitness into her daily routine. Then, she sought to bring the same motivation to others in her community. She wanted to empower people of all ages and fitness levels in the Greater New Orleans community to achieve a healthy, happy, and positive lifestyle through movement and music. “I know that people from every walk of life have to deal with their health, but it is not always affordable,” Robin says. “I was barely paying my medical expenses much less paying for fitness classes. I am so grateful that I was able to create programming that is available and free to the community.” Starting with Move Ya Brass, a paid program that travels to conferences, conventions, corporate wellness programs, and other special events, Robin was able to generate funding and create free and accessible community classes across the Greater New Orleans area. Not only is movement close to her heart, but as a local jazz singer, the music of New Orleans holds a special place in her heart as well. Robin’s personal connection to music is the inspiration behind incorporating live music into Make Your Move’s programs.
“What started as a call to action has become something beyond amazing — this is family.”
“We were able to cultivate fitness classes that embody the culture of New Orleans — full of life, full of celebration, and full of happiness,” she says. “People from all walks are able to come together and celebrate being alive. We’re taking people off the sidelines and into a second line.” Make Your Move offers weekly classes like Bounce Ya Brass cardio and Stretch Ya Brass yoga free of charge to people of all ages at locations like City Park and Crescent Park, making it easy and enjoyable for the whole family to get moving together. Additionally, every instructor is a professional choreographer. Make Your Move is not done growing yet; the foundation has big plans to continue to expand their opportunities for young people to get involved in this fun fitness movement. “What started as a call to action has become something beyond amazing — this is family,” Robin says. Through her story, Robin hopes to inspire others to work towards healthier lifestyles through her unique and motivational programs. For more information, visit www. makeyourmovenola.com.
july/august 2019 | www.nolaboomers.com
“I was kind of a taskmaster when I was younger,” he says, and then adds with a smile. “Oh, and I wish I’d bought a lot more property in the Bywater.”
Make Your Move
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a partner to play doubles games through their online registration.
PADDLE YOUR
K L C E I B ALL P WITH FRIENDS
A hot, fast-growing sport in New Orleans keeps Boomers active, social, and competitive. Credentials are important, The New Orleans heat is no obstacle to playing a sport you’ve probably never heard of. Pickleball, a fast growing, tennis-like sport with badminton-like rules keeps players active with the flexibility to play matches indoors or out. Players, especially Boomers, advocate for the sport because it keeps them moving, creates healthy competition, and produces a friendly social environment. “I was taking a nonchalant attitude about it — oh, pickleball, sure I’ll try it,” says recreational pickleball player Michael Lombard, 68, who plays regularly at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center, Uptown. Lombard first picked up a pickleball paddle two and a half years ago.
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“Next thing you know, you’re hooked on it,” he says.
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Big Easy pickleball The USA Pickleball Association, based in Surprise, Arizona, formed in 1984 to coordinate pickleball tournaments nationwide. Today, regional ambassadors of the association spread the sport to new gyms and widen the search for more recreational and competitive players. Greg Eisman, a USAPA regional ambassador in Slidell, worked in tandem with Neal Alsop of the New Orleans JCC to bring the sport to its Uptown location. Alsop discovered pickleball in his previous work at a YMCA in Jefferson Parish, and he wants the sport to gain traction in New Orleans. The New Orleans JCC, along with Eisman and several other ambassadors, introduced pickleball to their adult
Avid players Maggie Lombard, Susan Norwood, and Michael Lombard find fitness, friendly competition, and camaraderie on the New Orleans JCC pickleball courts.
sports program with Pickleball Day — a pickle jar-decorated table set the stage for curious passersby to ask about the intriguing new sport. The New Orleans JCC now has two official pickleball courts and equipment for players. This summer, the courts will be open Thursday 10 am-12 pm and Saturday and Sunday 4-6:45 pm. Admission is free for JCC members and $15 for guests. A social sport While athleticism and exercise are integral parts of pickleball, the social aspect of the game is equally important. The recreational and competitive pickleball players of the New Orleans JCC find camaraderie through the gameplay. The players converse on and off the court, but the group at the New Orleans JCC did not know each other prior to playing pickleball. The USAPA helps players find locations through its Places 2 Play “The sport’s accessibility online search service. Pickdraws mostly seniors, leball leagues and tournaments and players can continue include the with the sport much later option for individual players into their lives.” to match with
“You show up and you play with whoever’s there, and that’s just great,” says active pickleball player Susan Norwood. “It’s unlike anything else I do.” Active Boomers Pickleball is more accessible than tennis because the smaller court size does not require as great a range of motion as tennis. It is important to stretch before play and wear court shoes. The most common pickleball injury is a strained ankle from either improper stretching or improper footwear. “You don’t have to be a perfect athlete to play pickleball — you do have to be an athlete” Eisman says. The reduced court size also means there is less room for error on the court. Players must be more strategic in their movements. A new pickleball player, Rose Harmon, describes the mental side of the sport as “It gets blood to your brain, and it’s actually making you think while you’re doing so.”
WHAT IS PICKLEBALL? If you haven’t heard of pickleball, it uses a unique plastic-blend paddle and Wiffle ball on a court slightly smaller than a tennis court. Each side of the court is divided into a left and right side with the no-serve zone called the “kitchen” behind the net and the service zone. A singles or doubles pickleball match begins with a serve that bounces once beyond the kitchen before the ball can be returned and then must bounce once on the serving side beyond the kitchen before the players can begin a volley. Players score points when the serving side fails to continue a rally or commits a fault. The first side to reach 11 points with a two-point margin wins the game. Former congressman Joel Pritchard from Washington state and a friend invented the sport out of boredom in 1965. They used old equipment from badminton, ping pong, and tennis, using rules loosely based on badminton to cure their summertime blues.
The sport’s accessibility draws mostly seniors, and players can continue with the sport much later into their lives. Recreational and competitive players establish a healthy habit by playing pickleball regularly, just like tennis.
sound like a pro
“Even when you lose, you might not be grinning as much, but you’re still grinning,” admits former Senior Olympics pickleball competitor Maggie Lombard. She makes time to play pickleball at least twice a week at the New Orleans JCC.
Around-the-Post: A shot that travels outside the net posts, allowing its trajectory to stay below the height of the net.
More pickleball in Nola The Health Club by Hilton on Canal Street offers pickleball three times a week for an $11 guest fee. The Health Club will be hosting the Big Easy Pickleball Tournament during the first weekend of August with roughly 150-175 players expected in attendance. For more information, call 504.556.3742. The Gretna Senior and Wellness Center, 476 Franklin St. in Gretna, offers pickleball on Wednesdays and Thursdays starting at 10 am. For more information, call 504.363.1597.
even if you play like a novice Baseline: The line at the back of the pickleball court (22 feet from the net). Crosscourt: The opponent’s court diagonally opposite a player’s. Dink: A dink is a soft shot, made with the paddle face open, and hit so that it just clears the net and drops into the non-volley zone. Erne: A volley hit near the net by a player positioned outside the court or in the process of leaping outside the court. A legally-executed erne shot allows a player to hit the ball closer to the net without stepping in the non-volley zone. Fault: An infringement of the rules that ends the rally. Kitchen: The non-volley zone, which is 7 feet from the net on both sides. Players may not enter the kitchen to return a ball unless the ball first bounces. Net serve: A serve that touches the top of the net and lands in the proper service court (it is replayed without penalty). Non-volley zone: A seven-foot area adjacent to the net within which you may not volley the ball. The non-volley zone includes all lines around it. Also called the kitchen. Rally: Hitting the ball back and forth between opposite teams. Serve (service): An underarm stroke used to put a ball into play at the beginning of a point. Sideline: The line at the side of the court denoting in- and out-of-bounds. Side-Out: When the serve moves to your opponent’s side.
Sports Director Neal Alsop brought pickleball to the New Orleans JCC - Uptown after seeing how popular it became at a YMCA.
Volley: To hit the ball before it touches the ground. Thyme Hawkins is an editorial intern with Nola Family and our sister publication, Nola Boomers. She is a student at Loyola University, class of 2021.
This summer, park yourself in
New Orleans Cities aren’t known for their green spaces, but New Orleans has its fair share of nature spots — with Nola flair, of course.
“It gives you a visual experience of what it means to live below sea level.” Great Depression, federal WPA funds created a virtual Art Deco landscape throughout the park, with bridges, gates, and garden structures decorated by artists such as sculptor Enrique Alferez. When Becker became CEO of City Park in 2001, there was plenty to do, but the future seemed bright. Then Hurricane Katrina struck, downing thousands of trees, damaging attractions, and rendering the grounds unusable for months. But Becker, a certified city planner, drew on his previous experiences to move forward. “When we came back after the hurricane,” Becker recalls, “we didn’t want to just recreate what was already there.” The results are clear in such areas as the new Enrique Alferez Sculpture Garden and family-friendly improvements such as new hiking and bicycle paths. “I don’t know if people take advantage of the natural beauty of the park,” Becker muses. “It’s natural to look past the beauty around you on the way to things you want to do in the park.”
Art is Nature, to Advantage Dressed After Katrina, a large green space behind the museum remained “a somewhat rundown section of the park, with erosion along parts of the lagoon,” Becker says.
“City Pawk! Da Hawt of New Orleans!”
NOMA officials envisioned an expansion of the existing Sidney and a Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which is free and open daily from 10-6, but they were blocked by a roadway in the only direction available for development.
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You don’t have to look far to find a green space in New Orleans — somewhere to relax, daydream, exercise, or lose yourself — as I did, literally, in early June when I went astray on the Adventure Trail in the Audubon Louisiana Nature Center. With the calming voice of on-duty ranger Sarah Tolbertson on my cell phone to guide me, I lived to tell the tale, and went on to explore City Park, Audubon Park, Crescent Park, and Lafitte Greenway. Out there in nature, these parks also reflect the history of the city in both small and monumental structures, and the geographic footprints they follow. So, Boomers, engage your sylvan fantasies as you explore these urban parks, but keep your feet firmly on the ground, and the compass feature on your smartphone active.
Vic & Nat’ly love ‘da pawk The framed T-shirt on a wall leading to the office of City Park CEO Bob Becker, 71, says it all: “City Pawk! Da Hawt of New Orleans!” Cartoonist Bunny Matthews’ iconic “Nine’t Wawd” couple proclaim the heartbeat of this 1,300-acre swath of green that anchors the city in an expanse of historic neighborhoods. Created in 1854, the park has a romantic history, with duels fought beneath the canopy of the Dueling Oaks. Only one remains, however, near the internationally-acclaimed New Orleans Museum of Art. Its impressive neoclassical central block was built and donated to the city by philanthropist Isaac Delgado in 1911. During the
“The lagoon is clearly the organizing element that connects both gardens,” says the expansion’s landscape architect, Doug Reed. “And walking down into water is a very special experience in and of itself.” Visitors actually walk below water level, with a waist-high concrete wall holding back the lagoon, evoking unsettling memories of wading through flood waters after Katrina. “It gives you a visual experience of what it means to live below sea level,” Reed says. Visitors can follow boardwalks into the lagoon, and many of the 27 new sculptures lurk at every turn through the expanded garden, which offers views to other areas of the park — in contrast to the comforting enclosure of the original plot.
Just Down the Road For the adventurous, the Lafitte Greenway, which opened in 2015, is a 2.6-mile bicycle and pedestrian trail that leads from the edge of City Park to Armstrong Park. Following the longcovered course of the 19th-century Carondelet Canal, and landscaped with native trees and plants, it passes through diverse neighborhoods that chronicle the growth of New Orleans. After a bite to eat in the French Quarter, there’s the 20acre Crescent Park, which stretches for 1.4 miles along the Mississippi River, with views of two of the city’s earliest neighborhoods, Faubourg Marigny and Bywater. There are stages, food trucks, flower and vegetable gardens, and views of the river from two dramatic steel bridges that leap over the city’s protective flood wall.
They All Axed for You Audubon Park and Zoo, extending from Tulane University to the Mississippi River, need little introduction. You might think you know the zoo inside and out by now, but recent additions renew the city’s animal treasure trove, including one for felines. In May, the Audubon Zoo opened a new lion habitat. Working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for lions, three sisters and one male arrived earlier this year to form the Audubon pride, hoping to expand with the pitter-patter of little paws soon. Billed as “The Roar Has Returned,” the spiffy accommodations and luxuriant landscaping of the exhibit defines a new level of animal watching. Boulders litter the grassy swath of the enclosure where a deserted 1920s railroad station hints at the history of African lions — when trains brought humans into their land. It might be a new home for these powerful animals; but for us, it’s a reminder of the dangers the species faces in its native land. A $5 million gift from Joy and Boysie Bollinger, of shipyard fame — the largest single donation the zoo has ever received from an individual or family — also afforded the exhibit with mock train cars that have been repurposed for conservation and research stations where zoo staff offer demonstrations. The design gives panoramic views of the habitat along with places for up-close glimpses of the majestic animals.
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The park donated the ravaged area, and an innovative solution allowed a $15 million, 6.4-acre extension under the roadway to proceed, doubling the garden’s grounds and providing new water-management solutions for the park.
In a city below sea level, visitors to the expanded Sidney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden can get even lower. Photograph by Richard Sexton.
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AGING IN NOLA “What this is,” Andres explains, “is something unique: a hardwood, bottomland forest in an urban center. It’s the swamp, a ‘renursing’ area for a myriad of species.”
The new lion habitat at the Audubon Zoo features four lions: Arnold and females Nia, Kali, and Zuri.
Less well-known is the Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, located just off Read Boulevard in New Orleans East. Volunteer Paul Andres, 70, is the Mr. Green Jeans equivalent of a kid in a candy shop, as he describes multiple plans for the future of the center’s impressive greenhouse.
But it’s also a playground of sorts for Andres, who becomes animated when discussing upcoming talks and classes in the greenhouse — and a 10-foot tall conical structure that he plans to transform into “the prettiest and most fragrant Christmas tree ever.”
THE EARTH AS YOUR VESSEL: GREEN BURIALS IN NOLA
Paul Andres is just one of the many volunteers that make visiting the Audubon Louisiana Nature Center a fun and educational experience.
Before you begin your journey, gather information at these sites on a venue’s history, opening times, admission charges, and available facilities: neworleanscitypark.com, audubonnatureinstutute.org, crescentparknola.org, and lafittegreenway.org.
“I’m used to PVC pipe and plastic-covered structures,” he says, “so this place is a palace to me.” Andres and others have been active over the past few years in replacing invasive species that thrived after Katrina with varieties indigenous to this area. This results in more native insects and animals returning to these woods, representing the natural history of this urban forest.
Keith Marshall began his writing career in 1973 as The TimesPicayune’s representative in Europe. He has also written travel, art and architecture, and feature articles for major newspapers and magazines.
Now you can literally leave the earth a better place than how you found it thanks to environmentally-friendly burials. Worried about your carbon footprint after you slip the surly bonds of earth — plan your exit with a green burial. A green burial is a fairly new concept to the New Orleans area. It offers a greener solution to traditional burial services that can leach toxic chemicals into the ground or send pollutants into the air.
“This is just the last thing someone can do — the last choice they can make to make the best decision for the environment,” Pierce says. “It’s actually a positive impact where a traditional burial and cremation is a negative impact.”
That’s because a typical green burial eschews chemical embalming, a concrete or plastic vault lining, and even a casket or coffin, says Ryan Pierce, a family service counselor at the Garden of Memories Funeral Home and Cemetery in Metairie. Instead, the deceased is bathed, wrapped in a cotton or silk shroud, then buried in his or her natural state — unembalmed, flesh to dirt.
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CRANE REHAB CENTER Physical Therapy
CBD
BIG CARE small provider www.cranerehab.com
River Road 101 River Rd #112, Jefferson, LA 70121 (504) 828- 7696 CBD 1055 St. Charles Ave. Suite 100, New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 293- 2454
“We worked with LifeCity to help us better serve our customers,” Pierce says about the impact management consulting firm, which helps local businesses go earth-friendly. Green burials is just one aspect of the Garden of Memories’ broader, greener mission.
SIDE EFFECTS Without a casket, no trees are cut down for wood. Without the embalming process, a custom that started relatively recently during the Civil War, toxic chemicals can’t be exposed to funeral professionals or seeped into the soil. And without cremation, the natural gas used to heat the crematory are eliminated and carbon dioxide isn’t released into the atmosphere.
Ryan Pierce with Garden of Memories pushed for green burials as an alternative option for customers. It is currently the only funeral home to offer the service in Louisiana.
In a green burial, the body is buried at 3.5 feet where its decomposition feeds the surrounding grubs and bugs in the soil and releases nitrogen for nearby trees and bushes. If the body is buried any deeper, it would have no positive effects on the environment, Pierce says. The burial is also considered deep enough to keep predators away. A traditional burial can have costly side effects for the environment. According to the Green Burial Council, traditional burials in the U.S. use 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid, 20 million feet of wood, 1.6 million tons of concrete, 64,500 tons of steel, and countless caskets and vaults that leach iron, copper, lead, cobalt, and zinc into the soil, annually.
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River Road
Although founded in 1939, Garden of Memories only began offering green burial services last summer. The funeral home is considered a hybrid, meaning it still offers traditional burial and cremation services on 60 acres while reserving about one acre for green burials. To date, just under a dozen people have purchased green burial plots.
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The body is washed and wrapped in a biodegradable shroud when prepared for a green burial, then placed in the earth — flesh to dirt.
Pierce says about 50 percent are traditional burials using either mausoleums or caskets and vaults, while the rest are cremations, but that number has been steadily rising. Most think cremation is the more environmentally conscious way to go because they just aren’t aware green burials exist in the New Orleans area. Once they’re aware of the option, people certainly want to learn more about it, Pierce says. In a 2018 National Funeral Directors Association consumer awareness and preferences study, nearly 54 percent of people polled expressed an interest in learning more about green burials. “Who’s going to go back to putting toxic things in the ground when they know they don’t have to?” says Lee Webster, a Green Burial Council board member. Currently, the Garden of Memories is the only professional funeral service that offers green burial services and planning in the area. According to Pierce, the next closest is in Houston.
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“That’s much easier to do on the North Shore than it is in New Orleans,” Pierce says.
THE COST OF A GREEN AFTERLIFE Just like a traditional burial or cremation, the cost of a green burial depends on the services requested. A traditional burial with embalming, vault, and casket runs on the higher end, an average of $8,500 according to the AARP, while a cremation service depends on whether there is a service or burial, usually costing a third as much as a regular burial. “It’s kind of right in the middle between cremation cost and a traditional burial cost,” Pierce says about the Garden of Memories green burials. Their burial shrouds cost $600, but that doesn’t include the cost of the plot or the actual services.
Another reason why green burials haven’t caught on yet in New Orleans is that most funeral homes’ bread and butter are casket sales and the fees associated with the embalming of the body. Green burials don’t bring in the green because the body is simply washed and wrapped in the shroud. With a green burial, people tend to want a religious service included, but they can go without having any services at all. In most religions, including Catholicism, there are no religious barriers for green burials. “A shroud is actually how Jesus was buried,” Pierce says. Other costs associated with a green burial are headstones. The most natural way, however, is to forego any headstone type at all to preserve the natural area. “It’s a very American idea that we get to own property and have things like headstones once we’ve left the planet,” says Webster, the Green Burial Council board member. “Land conservation is the primary goal of having a green burial in the first place.” Taking your family for a picnic in the cemetery sounds macabre today, but imagine hiking, bird-watching, or picnicking under a tree where a loved one is eternally resting.
Kate Stevens is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to our sister publication, Nola Family.
Licensed and Certified Medicare Agent. 504-312-3959
pfaust@mccbrokerage.com mccbrokerage.com
Caring for those who cared for you! PACE is an Adult Day Health Center that offers a variety of medical and non-medical services with no out-of-pocket expense on doctor or prescription co-pays for those who qualify. Other available services include: Transportation, medications, nursing care, rehabilitation therapies, primary and specialty medical care, pastoral care, social services, nutritional counseling, continent management, hospitalization and nursing home care, social activties, recreation and caregiver support.
PACE Greater New Orleans Shirly Landry Benson Center 4201 N. Rampart St., New Orleans, LA 70117
Hope Haven at St. John Bosco Alternate Care Center 1131 Barataria Blvd., Marrero, LA 70072
Call us at 504.835.0006 or visit us at pacegno.org
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Technically, most of the green or natural burial products found online — shrouds, pods, even paper urns — can be purchased and used for a burial in a non-traditional location in Louisiana, but could be challenging to achieve. In the state, bodies must be buried in established cemeteries — green or not — meaning that you could be buried in your own backyard (with a permit), but the land must be owned outright and appropriately rezoned. The land then becomes a family cemetery, which comes with its own set of laws and regulations.
“In most religions, including Catholicism, there are no religious barriers for green burials.”
Patricia Faust
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RESOURCES Below are local and state resources that’ll help if you need to file a complaint, find the rating for a specific facility, or need an advocate who can navigate the wide world of nursing homes.
NURSING HOME
GUIDE & DIRECTORY You think you know nursing homes, think again.
Nursing homes aren’t just nursing homes anymore. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all definition. And for that, Nola Boomers presents to you and your aging parents our Nursing Home Guide & Directory. Here, you’ll find need-to-know-terms, local and state resources, and a list of area nursing homes from the South Shore to the North Shore. Michele Varon, marketing and community outreach coordinator for Colonial Oaks in Metairie and Belle Vie in Gretna, says that nursing homes aren’t about “old people,” contrary to popular belief. “That old stigma about nursing homes and old people sitting around doing nothing isn’t true,” she says. “Seniors are so much more lively. The most surprising thing is how vibrant it can be.”
TYPES OF FACILITIES* Know what kind of facility or the type of care your aging parents might need.
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AL (Assisted Living) Focused on daily living tasks — bathing, dressing, eating. Residents usually live in their own rooms and share common areas. They have access to three meals a day; help with medications, housekeeping, and laundry; 24-hour supervision, security and on-site staff; and social and recreational activities. CCRC (Continuum Of Care Retirement Community) Continuing care retirement communities offer different levels of service in one location, which varies by facility. A resident might move from level to another depending on their specific needs. Healthcare services and recreation programs are also provided.
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*Long-term or permanent-stay facilities are included only.
MC (Memory Care) Memory care is a distinct form of long-term care designed to meet the specific needs of a person with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or other types of memory problems. NH (Nursing Home) Nursing homes provide a wide range of health and personal care services, which varies by location. Their services focus on medical care, including nursing care, 24-hour supervision, three meals a day, and assistance with everyday activities. Most nursing home residents live there permanently. PCH (Personal Care Home) Assisted living and personal care homes offer seniors many of the same services as independent living communities, but with the addition of assistance with daily needs. These are usually smaller, more private facilities, providing beds for around five to 20 residents. RC (Retirement Community) A retirement community is a residential community or housing complex designed for older adults who are generally able to care for themselves. Activities and socialization are often provided.
Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs goea.louisiana.gov, 225.342.7100
On its website, you can find regional offices’ locations, apply for services, file a complaint, report fraud, and more. According to the department, there is currently a moratorium in place for nursing facilities in Louisiana. No new nursing homes will be built or licensed in the near future.
Created in 1956, the GOEA is the catch-all for everything related to the administration of state programs and services for the elderly. It has developed a network of quasi-governmental agencies recognized as the Aging Service Network, which includes the 64 parish Councils on Aging. The Councils are responsible for planning, organizing, and offering programs and services for improving the quality of life for the 60 and older citizens of each of its respective parishes.
Important numbers Aging and Adult Services Helpline: 866.758.5035 Louisiana Options in Long-Term Care: 877.456.1146 Nursing Home Abuse & Complaints: 888.810.1819 Filing a complaint A complaint form can be found on the department’s website. All complaints are reviewed by the department, which will determine if there are reasonable grounds for an investigation. Louisiana Nursing Home Association lnha.org, 225.927.5642 The LNHA is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Baton Rouge and represents more than 250 nursing facilities and assisted living communities by providing public policy advocacy, education, professional development, quality initiatives, and other services. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cms.gov The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a part of the Department of Health and Human Services, is a hub for everything related to the two programs. Medicare is a federal insurance program primarily for those 65 and older. Medicaid is a federal-state assistance program for low-income people of any age, but its exact coverage varies from state to state. In Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards signed an executive order in 2016 that expanded Medicaid coverage to those that hadn’t already qualified. Any adult aged 19 to 64, has a household income less than 138 percent of the federal poverty level, and meets the citizenship requirement are able to enroll under the expansion. More information can be found at lamedicaid.com. Nursing Home Rating System medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare Medicare and Medicaid-certified only nursing homes are subjected to annual surveys and a five-star rating system. A nursing home’s overall rating is based on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Medicare.gov offers a searchable database of the ratings.
New Orleans Council on Aging nocoa.org, 504.821.4121 Jefferson Council on Aging jcoa.net, 504.888.5880 St. Tammany Council on Aging coastseniors.org, 985.892.0377 Ombudsman ltcombudsman.org Also directed by the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs, the Ombudsmen are trained advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities.They provide information about how to find nursing homes and other types of long-term care facilities and investigate and resolve complaints made by or on behalf of residents of long-term care facilities. Their services are confidential and free of charge. Ombudsman Coordinator for the New Orleans region (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany Parishes) Tanya Hayes LSU Agricultural Center, 1221 Elmwood Park Blvd., Suite 300 Jefferson, LA 70123 504.736.6519 or 877.806.7401 Hayes’ advice for those that are touring potential nursing homes for their parents: “You should be able to feel the energy in the room — look for a happy atmosphere. The most important thing is making a person feel like a human.”
NURSING HOME BY DAY New Orleans offers some alternatives for those wanting to age at home: adult daycare facilities. These offer most of the same services as nursing homes, but only during the workday. Keith Leiderman, executive director of Kingsley House, has these pointers for finding the right adult daycare or nursing homes: • Does it provide transportation and what kind? • Was the building built specifically for these patients or is it a building that was converted? • What is the level of assistance offered: walking, bathing, eating, and taking medications? • Ease of access: Is the main entrance on a private street or a busy, active street? • What is the facility’s emergency preparedness plan in the event of a power outage or a hurricane? Looking for more information on how to select the right nursing home? Check out the “Nursing Homes: Finding Comfort” feature in the May/June 2019 issue.
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AD (Adult Daycare) Facilities that provide meals, structured activities, transportation, and social interaction for people with cognitive or functional impairments, usually serving those 80 and older. It also offers a place to go when their family caregivers are at work. On-site and on-call medical professionals are provided.
Louisiana Department of Health ldh.la.gov, 225.342.9500
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Address
Phone
Beds
Type
Private Rooms
Lake Villa House Serenity Senior Residences Sunrise of Metairie St. Anthony's Healthcare & Rehab Center Academy House Fidelis Care IV Schouest House The Atrium Assisted Living Serenity Senior Residences Fidelis Care I Colonial Oaks Living Center Fidelis Care II Belle Vie Living Center and S.T.A.R. Suites Bayside Health Care Maison De'Ville West Jeff Healthcare Center Chateau Living Center Nouveau Marc Laketown Village Harvard House Wynhoven Healthcare Center Marrero Healthcare Center Tranquil Living Landing at Behrman Place Villas of Woldenberg Village St. Margaret's at Belleville Woldenberg Village Covenant Nursing Home Poydras Home St. Jude's Health and Wellness Center HomeLife in the Gardens PACE Greater New Orleans St. Anna's at Lambeth House John J Hainkel, Jr. Home & Rehabiliation Center St. Margaret's at Mercy Bethany Home Ville St. Marie Senior Living Community Jefferson Healthcare Center Good Samaritan Rehabilitation & Nursing Center Vista Shores St. Joseph Nursing & Rehabilitation Center St. Francis Villa Assisted Living Peristyle Residence Lakeview House Chateau de Notre Dame Lafon Nursing Facility of the Holy Family Ferncrest Manor Living Center Kingsley House St. Luke's Living Center JoEllen Smith Living Center Our Lady of Wisdom Healthcare Center Carrington Place of New Orleans West Bank Lighthouse New Orleans Christwood Retirement Community Avanti Senior Living at Covington Solution Care Homes, River Forest Home St. Anthony's Gardens The Trace Village in the Oaks Pontchartrain Healthcare Center Heritage Manor of Mandeville Beau Provence Brookdale Mandeville The Windsor Senior Living Community
4212 Lake Villa Dr, Metairie 70002 3949 Meadowdale St, Metairie 70002 3732 W Esplanade Ave, Metairie 70002 6001 Airline Dr, Metairie 70003 4324 Academy Dr, Metairie 70003 4801 Tartan St, Metairie 70003 7004 Schouest St, Metairie 70003 6555 Park Manor Dr, Metairie 70003 817 Aurora Ave, Metairie 70005 916 Martin Behrman Walk, Metairie 70005 4312 Ithaca St, Metairie 70006 4000 Kent Ave, Metairie 70006 535 Commerce St, Gretna 70056 3201 Wall Blvd, Gretna 70056 2233 8th St, Harvey 70058 1020 Manhattan Blvd, Harvey 70058 716 Village Rd, Kenner 70065 1101 Sunset Blvd, Kenner 70065 1600 Joe Yenni Blvd, Kenner 70065 5304 Erlanger Rd, Kenner 70065 1050 Medical Center Blvd, Marrero 70072 5301 August Ave, Marrero 70072 4500 Leo St, Marrero 70072 3601 Behrman Pl, N.O. 70114 3663 Behrman Pl, N.O. 70114 813 Pelican Ave, N.O. 70114 3701 Behrman Pl, N.O. 70114 5919 Magazine St, N.O 70115 5354 Magazine St, N.O. 70115 1539 Delachaise St, N.O. 70115 1101 Aline St, N.O. 70115 4201 N Rampart St, N.O. 70117 150 Broadway, N.O. 70118 612 Henry Clay Ave, N.O. 70118 3525 Bienville St, N.O. 70119 2535 Esplanade Ave, N.O. 70119 4112 Jefferson Hwy, N.O. 70121 2200 Jefferson Hwy, Jefferson 70121 4021 Cadillac St, N.O. 70122 5958 St Bernard Ave, N.O. 70122 405 Folse Dr, Harahan 70123 10411 Jefferson Hwy, River Ridge 70123 858 Mouton St, N.O. 70124 2832 Burdette St, N.O. 70125 6900 Chef Menteur Hwy, N.O. 70126 14500 Hayne Blvd, N.O. 70128 1600 Constance St, N.O. 70130 4201 Woodland Dr, N.O. 70131 4502 General Meyer Dr, N.O. 70131 5600 General de Gaulle Dr, N.O. 70131 5301 Tullis Dr, N.O. 70131 1712 Holiday Dr, N.O. 70131 100 Christwood Blvd, Covington 70433 2234 Watercross Pkwy, Covington 70433 5 S Division Dr, Covington 70433 601 Holy Trinity Dr, Covington 70433 19432 Crawford Rd, Covington 70433 75520 Highway 1081, Covington 70435 1401 Hwy 190, Mandeville 70448 1820 Causeway Approach 70471 100 Beau West Dr, Mandeville 70471 1414 N Causeway Blvd, Mandeville 70471 1770 N Causeway Blvd, Mandeville 70471
504.884.1063 504.495.5522 504.273.4366 504.733.8448 504.884.1063 504.304.7862 504.884.1063 504.454.6635 504.495.5522 504.301.2123 504.887.6414 504.218.7951 504.393.9595 504.393.1515 504.362.9522 504.362.2020 504.464.0604 844.292.0638 504.467.1000 504.884.1063 504.347.0777 504.341.3658 504.304.9925 504.208.1075 504.367.5640 504.362.7166 504.367.5640 504.897.6216 504.897.0535 504.895.3953 504.894.6100 504.941.6057 504.865.1960 504.891.7400 504.321.6555 504.949.1738 504.834.3164 504.837.3144 504.246.7900 504.288.3737 504.738.7676 504.738.1060 504.517.3273 504.866.2741 504.241.6285 504.246.1426 504.523.6224 504.378.5050 504.361.7923 504.394.5991 504.394.5807 504.931.6048 985.898.0515 985.317.6110 504.278.0309 985.288.1075 985.241.4310 985.871.0111 985.626.8581 985.626.4798 985.778.0755 985.200.0203 985.624.8040
6 12 72 124 6 8 6 78 12 8 20 8 89 150 100 104 250 110 25 8 166 105 10
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villestemarie.com jeffersonhealthcarela.com goodsamaritanrehabandnursing.com vistashores.com stjosephofharahan.com stfrancisvilla.com peristyleresidences.com cdnd.org lafonnursingfacility.com ferncrest.com kingsleyhouse.org stlukesno.org jesliving.com olwhealth.org
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serenityres2.com sunriseseniorliving.com stanthonynh.com theacademyhouse.net fideliscaregroup.com
www.serenityres2.com fideliscaregroup.com coloniallivingcenter.com fideliscaregroup.com bellevieliving.com baysidehealthcare.net
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westbanklighthouse.com christwoodrc.com covington.avanti-sl.com solutioncarehomes.com stanthonysgardens.org thetraceseniorliving.com villageintheoaks.com pontcare.com heritagemanormandeville.com beauprovence.com brookdale.com windsorseniorliving.com
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Getting Z Z Z Z s
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No matter the reason for losing sleep, here are some tips to getting more of it, naturally.
HERBAL TEA
KAVA KARVAACT ROOT EXT
CONTROLLED BREATHING
ACUPUNCTURE
SLEEP MASKS
WARM MILK
ESSEN OILSTIAL
APPS
PEOPLE WILL TRY JUST ABOUT ANYTHING TO GET SOME SLEEP. Research from the National Sleep Foundation and the National Institutes of Health found almost half of older adults experience insomnia several nights a week. It is 60 percent more prevalent in seniors with multiple physical and psychiatric conditions, and women suffer more in their later years than men.
advance, the tendency to fall asleep earlier and wake up earlier as well. So that joke about oldsters eating supper at 5 o’clock and going to bed at 6 may have a kernel of truth in it.
Lack of sleep — or good sleep habits — can lead to such negative consequences as “decreased quality of life, risk for falls, psychological and physical difficulties, economic and social costs, risk for nursing home placement, and mortality,” according to a study published by the NIH.
Hardy notes, “As we age, our brains produce less melatonin, which is a hormone that regulates our sleepwake cycle. A shorter sleep cycle causes many seniors to have an earlier bedtime. The next reason is because seniors may be affecting their own sleep-wake cycle by getting less sun exposure than they used to.”
Once we reach adulthood, we need our eight hours. That doesn’t change with advancing age. “While we might think that seniors would need less sleep due to the aging metabolism, this is not true,” says Dr. Whitney Hardy, a family practice physician at Ochsner Health Center in Marrero. They will continue to benefit from amounts of sleep like those they needed before. For most people, this is seven to nine hours of sleep. However, because of many chronic health conditions and medications, most seniors achieve five to seven hours of sleep.” Sleep disruption has a myriad of causes: disease, diet, drugs, depression, demanding bladders. Some sleep problems can be traced to stress and anxiety, poor sleep behaviors, irregular schedules, and even reduced exposure to sunlight. According to the Sleep Foundation, some sleep disturbance among older adults be attributed to medications used to treat that population’s physical and psychiatric issues.
Whitney Hardy, M.D., with Ochsner Health says that sleep is just as important as we age, but it may be harder to get the older we get.
Because older adults are already medicating for various specific ailments, many simply add a sleeping pill when insomnia becomes an issue. This may lead to overdependence on the pills and prove risky for people with liver or kidney disease. Non-pharmaceutical approaches may provide a safer alternative.
Exercising early. Get your steps in no later than 4 hours before bedtime. Get out into the bright sunshine, which helps increase Vitamin D in your system and helps keep you alert during the day.
Avoiding late-night snacks. Cut out drinking (alcohol or caffeine) and food late in the evening, especially right before bedtime. Don’t eat a heavy meal within three hours of sleep. Becoming a non-smoker. Nicotine can affect sleep.
Avoiding naps. If you really must, go for short naps less than 30 minutes. Keeping a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Creating an optimal sleep environment. Take a warm bath or shower before bed, and put on some calming music to encourage relaxation. Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, safe, and comfortable. Avoid doing work, reading, or watching television in bed; these activities can cause anxiety.
HEADSPACE This app is billed a meditation app, which is great, but don’t discount it for helping guide you into a restful, easy sleep. The free version has “sleepcasts,” which are like adult bedtime stories, and they update with new ones regularly. (Android and iOS)
SLEEP CYCLE This is a great app to track how well you sleep. It also has a smart alarm that will gently wake you at the best time in your sleep cycle. Just bear in mind it monitors you — either through sound (so it may not be great if your partner is a loud snorer, but you probably aren’t sleeping anyway.) or with motion — which means putting it in the bed with you. (Android and iOS)
NOISLI Speaking of noise, Noisli is a fantastic background noise and color generator ideal for working and relaxing. It includes high-quality sounds to help you focus while working, relieve anxiety, or to just relax while reading or before going to sleep. (Android and iOS)
LUMOSITY Train your brain through challenging games designed to improve your memory, cognitive abilities, and problem-solving skills through a daily mental training program. Created by scientists and designers, it starts with your baseline and allows you to track your improvement. (Android and iOS)
HABITBULL Valerie Andrews is a writer and communication strategist. She has been published in the Journal for Minority Medical Students, the Nursing and Allied Health Journal, and Ascension Parish magazine.
HabitBull is the most popular generic habit tracker for all those healthy behaviors you’re trying to adopt. It turns keeping up with healthy habits into a game, and if you thrive on digital incentives and analytics, this app will be a blast. (Android and iOS)
HUMAN For people without a fitbit or activity tracker that want to get moving. Human allows you to track all movement from running to just walking around (and set daily goals as well). It will also compile calories burned and motivate you to get moving if you’ve been at rest for too long. (Android and iOS)
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“Psychological strategies include managing stress through techniques such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation,” according to Hardy. “Whatever you try, be consistent for at least two weeks to give your body time to adjust.”
One approach gaining credence is cognitive behavior treatment of insomnia, consisting of stimulus control and sleep restriction. Other safe ways seniors can help manage sleep problems include:
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Living naturally is great, but could anyone do it in the 21st century, completely? Since we’re not giving up our smartphones anytime soon, here are six apps that’ll help you be more productive — even with sleep — without the use of more tech.
For those seniors who believe in natural remedies, Hardy says, “The safest product over the counter is melatonin, because it mimics the body’s natural melatonin hormone, which regulates the sleep-wake cycle.”
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The body’s circadian rhythms — the natural internal clock — advances as the years do, and older people may be affected by phase
FOR LIVING A BETTER, MORE RESTFUL LIFE
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WAYS R ETIR E M E NT WILL LOOK DIFFE R E NT FOR WOM E N Women usually outlive men, ent? so how will this affect retirem Most people regard estate plans as something needed for distributing your assets after you die. In reality, a good estate plan maps out how you want to live in retirement, long before your death. Every person has a vision of their retirement days, perhaps traveling or on a beach with a book; however, careful planning is necessary to make this a reality. Especially for women, as shown by the following statistics according to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates, these plans should be made sooner, rather than later.
The annual gender wage gap shows that, currently, women make .80 cents for every dollar earned by a man. So, in order to have the same contributions paid into a retirement account, a woman may have to remain in the workplace longer.
What do these statistics say about women in their retirement years?
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For a widow or an unmarried woman, she may not have as much in disposable financial resources and should develop a plan to stretch her assets longer as she may be living on her own for a longer period.
2 3 4
Approximately 55 percent of women age 65 and older are married.
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According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, it is estimated over 26 million women provided unpaid care for others during the prior year. Therefore, many women may be leaving the workforce earlier than 66. Women have an average life expectancy of approximately four years longer than men. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, a 65-year-old woman has a one in six chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. More than 70 percent of nursing home residents are women, with the average age of admission at 80 years old.
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These statistics point out what every woman already knows: she is likely to end up being the caregiver. She is the one who will likely leave the workforce before age 66 and will spend significant amounts of her time providing care for her family. Furthermore, more females will have control of the family’s assets as they outlive males, so women need to be financially savvy and have a plan in place to ease financial burdens. If a woman decides to remarry, specific estate planning may be necessary to ensure that the wishes of both individuals will be followed by their children or other family members. Even in families where everyone gets along, you need a good plan to keep the peace down the road after one spouse becomes sick or dies. More and more people are opting to live together outside of marriage, including owning assets together. Not only do these people need a plan for assets, they need to execute documents that will allow one of the individuals to access health care information and make decisions for the other person if that person is unable to speak for themselves. Women need to plan for themselves if they should develop Alzheimer’s disease or any other debilitating illness. Since women comprise 70 percent of nursing home residents, it is important, while the woman still has mental capacity, to create a plan as to where she will reside and who will provide the necessary care.
Women need to protect themselves by considering all of these retirement issues. An honest discussion with an attorney can help you develop a good estate plan that addresses not only directives for assets, but health care directives as well. Women need to start caring for themselves as much as they do for the others in their lives in order to have an enjoyable retirement.
Kathy Brown Van Zutphen is an attorney with offices in Gulfport, Miss., and New Orleans. She can be reached at 504.264.5899
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The average age that Americans retire is 62; however, to receive full social security benefits, the worker must wait until age 66 or 67 to retire. Accordingly, over 63 percent of workers retire by age 66.
Because of the wage gap, it is likely that a woman will not have as much in her retirement account as her husband and, therefore, rather than just considering the timing and the husband’s needs in retirement, the couple should plan to provide for both individuals in retirement.
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ONE LESS PILL
Ever open your medicine cabinet and an avalanche of pill bottles tumble out? Whether its for blood pressure or anxiety, even nausea and insomnia, these alternative practices could help thin out your hoard of pills.
ACUPUNCTURE While on a trip to Italy ten years ago, Scott Howard, 71, a now-retired bank president, pulled his back out of whack loading suitcases. The pain was so intense he could barely move for two days. The Dutch chef in his villa recommended an acupuncturist in a nearby village. “I was very skeptical, but the pain was so bad I decided to try it,” he says.
HYPNOSIS
Natura l Liv in g
Six years ago, I was facing a mastectomy for breast cancer, and I was a nervous wreck. I knew that if I didn’t get control over my anxiety, I was doomed. A friend recommended hypnosis, and because it didn’t involve drugs and was pain-free, I tried it. Lucky for me, I found Dr. Dabney Ewin, now retired, then a professor at Tulane Medical School who pioneered the use of hypnosis for pain management during World War II. With his encyclopedic knowledge, Dr. Ewin guided me through several sessions. By the time I went into surgery I was confident, calm, and grateful that my cancer would be eradicated. And it was. Hypnosis, often called hypnotherapy, has been used since the 1700s when Franz Anton Mesmer promoted the idea of an invisible force or cosmic energy that could be harnessed by one person to influence another person’s behavior. His theory didn’t work, but his techniques gave birth to modern hypnosis. Today, hypnosis — where a patient is put into a trance-like state of heightened focus and concentration — is recommended for a myriad of health issues, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hypnosis often works well for those experiencing stress and anxiety, especially for patients who are facing serious surgery, as I was. It is also recommended for pain control related to burns and people with cancer, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome. Premenopausal and menopausal women report success with hypnosis, as do patients with behavioral issues such as bed-wetting, smoking, and overeating. There are a few risk factors. Some patients experience a slight headache, dizziness, anxiety, or the creation of false memories. I had no side effects following any of my sessions. Today, I have a legion of physicians — both traditional and non-traditional — to thank for my good health. But my hypnosis sessions with Dr. Ewin gave me the courage to face a potentially fatal tumor with courage, confidence, and peace.
Howard had two sessions of acupuncture in two days, and the pain completely went away. “I was totally healed,” he says. “I couldn’t believe it.” Acupuncture is a widely-used alternative form of medicine and a key part of Chinese medicine that has been used for centuries. It involves the use of five to 20 infinitesimally thin needles that are inserted in the energy centers of the body — known as chi. It is believed that the needles interrupt the flow of the energy pathways and rebalances them. Some practitioners believe that acupuncture actually stimulates nerves, muscles, and connective tissues and boosts the body’s natural pain killers.
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“Most of the pain is age-related,” Friedman says. “It’s usually pain or neuropathy in the feet and hands, or pain in the shoulder, neck, or back.” He also finds that diabetics, and those who have neuropathy from chemotherapy, benefit from acupuncture. According to the Mayo Clinic, acupuncture is recommended for chemotherapy-induced and post-operative nausea and vomiting; dental pain; headaches (including tension and migraines); labor pains; lower back pain; neck pain; osteoarthritis; menstrual cramps; and respiratory issues. As with any traditional or medical procedure, there are risks — consult your physician. If you are on a blood thinner or have bleeding issues, acupuncture may not be recommended. Also those who have a pacemaker should reconsider.
Laura Claverie is Nola Family’s Hip Grannie. She is a local mother, grandmother, and writer.
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Dr. A. J. Friedman, a neurologist and acupuncturist at Integrated Pain and Neuroscience on Napoleon Avenue, finds that the most common reason Boomers use acupuncture is pain.
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Massages are great for relaxing, but massage therapy can do more for the body than just rub out a knot between the shoulder blades. “It helps with the range of motion because massage includes movement,” says massage therapist and instructor at Delgado Community College Yera Gonzalez about massage therapy and pain. “It moves obstructions in your body; it dissolves them because they are like little crystals inside your tissues.” According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, massage therapy can not only help relieve pain in the lower back, neck, and shoulders, but also pain caused by headaches and osteoarthritis of the knee. Some studies have also shown that a specialized plan for massage therapy might improve the quality of life for people suffering from fibromyalgia, people living with HIV/AIDS, and cancer patients. The term “massage therapy” includes many techniques. The most common form of massage therapy in Western countries is called Swedish or classical massage; it is the core of most massage training programs. Other styles include sports massage and clinical massage, which aims to accomplish specific goals, like easing muscle spasms. “The body heals itself, you just have to take care of your body so it takes care of you,” Gonzalez says. “Everything starts from the surface. When something is chronic it takes longer, but it can heal naturally. Medication can help, but it also damages other parts of your body. I never use medication; I only use natural healing and massage.”
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Meditation has long held the interests of pop culture and holistic healers, but its just now gaining momentum with a wider audience. A report from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey found that U.S. adults’ use of meditation in the past 12 months tripled between 2012 and 2017 — from 4.1 percent to 14.2 percent. Dr. Jayashree Rao is a retired pediatric endocrinologist who spent 30 years practicing medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center and Children’s Hospital. He’s also practiced and taught mindfulness and meditation, most recently a mindfulness class at The New Orleans Museum of Art. “Meditation can benefit any age starting with the elderly,” he says. “Age is an issue, so it helps everybody.” But how can meditation help? The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that many studies have shown that meditation may be helpful for a variety of conditions, including high blood pressure, some psychological disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression, insomnia, and pain. Rao has seen these benefits with some of his students and with himself. “People suggest that they don’t need their high blood pressure medication anymore,” he says. “I personally would have a lot of aches and pain in my lower back — muscle tension — and I have not required any Tylenol due to meditation.” There are many types of meditation, but most have four components: a quiet location; a comfortable position; a focus of attention (a specially-chosen word or a set of words, an object, or the rhythm of breathing); and an open-minded attitude. However, The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says that meditation may not be for everyone. Some cases have shown that meditation could cause or worsen certain psychiatric symptoms like anxiety and depression. People with existing mental health conditions should consult a doctor and their meditation instructor.
Rhonisha Ridgeway in an editorial and a marketing intern with Nola Boomers and our sister publication, Nola Family. She is a student at Loyola University.
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The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health also says that there could be some risks associated with massage therapy, but that they are low. However, the more serious side effects have included blood clots, nerve injury, or bone fracture. Boomers with more fragile bones should consult their doctors first.
M E D I TAT I O N
MASSAGE THERAPY
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Saturday, July 20. Tour the a fullyrestored WWII patrol-torpedo boat.
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o G e h T n O IN NOLA JULY
WED 3
Alvar Library. Learn these ancient techniques in the Alvar garden. Classes will be led by Sam from New Orleans Shaolin-Do. 5-6 pm.
TUES 2
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La Table Louisianaise Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center. A group for learning and discussion of the French of Louisiana, including its origins, its present condition, and its future. All levels of fluency welcome. For more information, contact Sam Craft at 504.427.9375 or at latablelouisianaise@gmail.com. 6-7 pm.
West Bank Book Club
Coffee & Coloring Main Library. Enjoy a relaxing environment with coffee, coloring, and conversation. Coloring materials are provided, or feel free to bring your own. 2-3:30 pm.
Algiers Regional Library. Discuss a new book each month. New members are welcome. Call the Library at 504.596.2641 for this month’s selection. Continues the first Wednesday of each month. 5-6 pm.
Covington’s Sparks in the Park Bogue Falaya Wayside Park. 213 Park Drive, Covington. Bring your chairs, picnic baskets, and blankets. Featuring patriotic music, face painting, and fireworks. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. 4-9 pm.
Uncle Sam Jam Lafreniere Park. 3000 Downs Blvd., Metairie. This free event features a variety of musical arts. End the night with a fireworks display. 5-11 pm.
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Down On Their Luck Orchestra
New Orleans Jazz Museum. 400 Esplanade Ave. Ranger Matt Hampsey leads the Down on Their Luck Orchestra in a program demonstrating musical elements that helped nurture New Orleans’ role as the birthplace of jazz. 2-3 pm.
Tai Chi in the Garden
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Happy 3rd of July
Go 4th on the River
New Orleans City Park. Dress in your red, white, and blue best! Bring your chairs and blankets to enjoy patriotic music from The Marine Corps Band New Orleans on the Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn and fireworks from the top of the Peristyle. Arrive early for patriotic give-a-ways and a great spot on the lawn. 7-9 pm.
Woldenberg Park. Bring your blanket and chair for a front row seat for the fireworks show. Bring your radio for this passionate salute to America’s independence, which will feature the one-of-a-kind dueling barges fireworks display along the New Orleans Riverfront. Simulcast on Magic 101.9 and WWL AM, FM, and .com and heard in 38 states. Check out the new choreographed app, which will let you listen to the music. The app can be downloaded by going to jandmdisplays. com/app.html. 9 pm.
THURS 4
FRI 5
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! Feed the Multitudes Festival Victory Fellowship. 5708 Airline Drive, Metairie. Celebrating 30 years of providing this free food festival to feed and meet the needs of nearly 5,000 people from the Greater New Orleans area. In addition to serving 4,000 pieces of BBQ chicken, thousands of servings of hot dogs, jambalaya, red beans and rice, and desserts, they also give away over 500 pairs of new shoes and socks, free haircuts, and manicures. Free food, live music, and a kids tent. To volunteer, visit victorychurchnola.com. 10 am-3 pm.
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Madisonville’s Riverfront. Spend the holiday with family and friends on the riverfront. The festivities begin at 11 am and features a parade, children’s pageant, horse shoe contest, watermelon eating contest, sack races, and more. 11 am-9 pm.
New Orleans Baby Cakes Independence Day Celebration
Shrine on Airline. Enjoy watching the New Orleans Baby Cakes vs. San Antonio Missions. Stick around after the game for a spectacular fireworks show! Ticket prices vary by seat. The game begins at 7 pm.
(continues till July 7)
Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The 2019 Essence Festival is gearing up to take over New Orleans once again with a host of unforgettable performances from your favorite artists and rising stars. Ticket prices vary.
“Freedom”
BB’s Stage Door Canteen, National World War II Museum. A new American play, “Freedom” tells the story of a Holocaust survivor and an Irish immigrant who meet hours before their American naturalization ceremony. Freedom looks at the ways we yearn for freedom — the freedom to face the truth about ourselves with grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. Ticket prices vary. 7:30-8:30 pm.
BB’s Stage Door Canteen, National World War II Museum. A new American play, “Freedom” tells the story of a Holocaust survivor and an Irish immigrant who meet hours before their American naturalization ceremony. Freedom looks at the ways we yearn for freedom — the freedom to face the truth about ourselves with grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. Ticket prices vary. 7:30-8:30 pm.
SUN 7
La Table Louisianaise
Sip & Paint
Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center. A group for learning and discussion of the French of Louisiana, including its origins, its present condition, and its future. All levels of fluency welcome. For more information, contact Sam Craft at 504.427.9375 or at latablelouisianaise@gmail.com. 6-7 pm.
Nora Navra Library. Visual artist Kentrice Schexnayder will teach painting basics. No experience required. For ages 21 and over. Materials, wine, and light refreshments provided. Space is limited. RSVP by emailing dmjohnson@ nolalibrary.org or by calling 504.596.3118. 5-7:30 pm.
WED 10
Scrabble Spellabration Main Library. Main Library’ inaugural Scrabble Spellabration will feature oneon-one games, four-person games, giant Scrabble, and simultaneous Play the Pro games. For more information, visit events.nolalibrary.org/event/2727013. 1:30-4:30 pm.
MON 8
Morris Bart Lecture Series: Dame Zombi meets Jim Crow: Voodoo and Race in New Orleans
New Orleans JCC, Uptown. Kodi Roberts, Professor of History at LSU, will give a brief overview of the racial politics of practicing Voodoo in New Orleans. Lunch will be served. RSVP by Wednesday, July 3. Free for members, $10/non-members. 11:45 am-1:30 pm.
The Victory Belles
BB’s Stage Door Canteen, World War II Museum. The Victory Belles are a delightful vocal trio performing the music of the 1940s, serenading audiences at The National WWII Museum and across the globe. Ticket price varies. 11:45 am-1:45 pm.
earned him respect from musicians across the globe. $10/person. Gates open at 5 pm. 6-8 pm.
“Mamma Mia”
Bulbancha Is Still a Place Alvar Library. Explore the rich precolonial history of New Orleans by retracing the footsteps of the many indigenous groups who lived here before the arrival of Europeans, back when this land was called Bulbancha. 6-8 pm.
THURS 11
Thursdays at Twilight: Ronnie Kole
Pavilion of the Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden. Ronnie Kole’s smooth sound and elegant demeanor have
Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, creating an unforgettable show. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget. TIcket prices starting at $36. Showtimes vary by day.
FRI 12
“Freedom”
BB’s Stage Door Canteen, National World War II Museum. A new American play, “Freedom” tells the story of a Holocaust survivor and an Irish immigrant who meet hours before their American naturalization ceremony. Freedom looks at the ways we yearn for freedom — the freedom to face the truth about ourselves with grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. Ticket prices vary. 7:30-8:30 pm.
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TUES 9
SAT 6
Peggy Tauzier DIY Beer Brewing
Saturday Chess League Main Library. Learn and play chess. Open to adults and teens, beginners and skilled players. 1-4 pm.
Alvar Library. Are you interested in learning how to homebrew your own beer? Oliver from Brewstock Homebrew Supplies will discuss what you need to get started homebrewing, including ingredients and equipment. Smell and feel the ingredients of homebrewed beer, and sample a homebrew beer. 6-7 pm.
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Madisonville’s Old Fashion 4th of July
Essence Festival
“Freedom”
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SAT 13
Bystander Response Training Main Library. Before first responders arrive, you can save a life by knowing how to provide hands-only CPR, administer Naloxone, and stop bleeding. This two-hour class will teach participants how to identify someone who has overdosed from opioids, gone into cardiac arrest, or has uncontrolled bleeding. The training is free and no medical background is needed. To learn more or to sign up, visit ready.nola.gov/ stay-connected/training. 10 am-noon.
Make a Flower Press
Garden Study Center and Lath House, New Orleans Botanical Garden. Learn which flowers are worthy of pressing, make a flower press, and gather flowers from the garden to press in the flower press. Instruction and materials included in this class. $20/person. 10:30 am-noon.
The Fake News Epidemic in Health Nix Library. Get tips on finding reliable health news online with a hands-on demo of MedlinePlus, an authoritative health website. Smartphone or tablet required. Register online or by calling 504.596.2596. 11 am-noon.
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Children’s Resource Center Library. Learn how to make your own nontoxic cleaning products. Syd Mutschler will demonstrate how to adopt a greener, more eco-friendly approach to housecleaning. 1-2 pm.
“Freedom”
BB’s Stage Door Canteen, National World War II Museum. A new American play, “Freedom” tells the story of a Holocaust survivor and an Irish immigrant who meet hours before their American naturalization ceremony. Freedom looks at the ways we yearn for freedom — the
SUN 14
La Table Louisianaise Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center. A group for learning and discussion of the French of Louisiana, including its origins, its present condition, and its future. All levels of fluency welcome. For more information, contact Sam Craft at 504.427.9375 or at latablelouisianaise@gmail.com. 6-7 pm.
WED 17
4 Week Intro to Yoga Course
Wild Lotus Yoga Uptown. 4842 Perrier St. This course is ideal for complete beginners, people returning to their yoga practice after a hiatus, or anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the foundational poses of yoga. This four-week program is designed to build your skills and confidence in yoga stepby-step. $65. Members receive 10 percent off. 1-2:30 pm.
The Rolling Stones: No Filter Tour
Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Ladies and gentlemen, The Rolling Stones are coming to New Orleans! See the greatest rock and roll band in the world July 14 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. It’s gonna be a gas. Tickets vary by seat. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Concert begins at 7:30 pm.
Michael Buble
Smoothie King Center. Buble has already completed five sold out world tours, won four Grammy Awards and sold over 60 million records over the course of his extraordinary career. Tickets vary by seat. 8 pm.
THURS 18
Thursdays at Twilight: Little Freddie King
National World War II Museum. Start your morning right with a delightful specialty coffee and a chat with one of The National WWII Museum curators. $200/ member, $225/non-member. 8-10 am.
TUES 16
Popular Fiction Book Club Robert E. Smith Library. Discuss a new popular fiction book each month. New members are always welcome. Light refreshments provided. July’s selection is “New Iberia Blues” by James Burke. August’s selection is “Cemetery Road” by Greg Iles. 6-7:15 pm.
July Plant Sale Sunset at the Landing Concert Series Columbia Street Landing. 100 N. Columbia St., Covington. A free concert series on the third Friday of each month, MarchOctober. In the event that rain threatens, concerts may be moved to the Bogue Falaya Wayside Park Pavilion. 6-9 pm.
“Freedom”
BB’s Stage Door Canteen, National World War II Museum. A new American play, “Freedom” tells the story of a Holocaust survivor and an Irish immigrant who meet hours before their American naturalization ceremony. Freedom looks at the ways we yearn for freedom — the freedom to face the truth about ourselves with grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. Ticket prices vary. 7:30-8:30 pm.
Pavilion of the Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden. Freddie King, cousin of Lightnin’ Hopkins, has played many juke joints with his friends, playing both acoustic and electric guitar. $10/person. Gates open at 5 pm. 6-8 pm.
MON 15
Coffee with a Curator Tour
SAT 20
Booked for Murder Book Club
Pelican Greenhouse, New Orleans Botanical Garden. The plant sale will have a wide variety of plants including annuals, perennials, roses, gingers, edibles, succulents, and native plants for sale to the public. The Pelican Greenhouse is located at No. 2 Celebration Drive and is just south of the I-610 underpass. Free admission. 9 am-noon.
Algiers Regional Library. Kevin Herridge will discuss the history of the Belleville Iron Works and the assorted businesses and other uses that followed its closure. 10 am-noon.
MON 22
History on the Lake
The Blue Crab Restaurant & Oyster Bar. 7900 Lakeshore Drive. PT-305, WWII Museum’s fully restored WWII patroltorpedo boat, is on the move to the Blue Crab and will be open for deck tours. Admission is $15 ($12 for veterans and students) and includes a tour of the New Canal Lighthouse Museum. PT-305 is not ADA accessible and guests must be 8 years of age or older. There will be a limited number of one-way ride tickets available from PT-305’s boathouse to The Blue Crab Restaurant. For more information call 504.528.1944 ext. 402. 9 am-3 pm.
Fall Vegetable Gardening Mid-City Library. Louisiana Master Gardener Dov Block will talk about nutritious veggies you can plant now to ensure a happy harvest come fall. Recipes will be provided. Register at events.nolalibrary.org/event/2733669 or by phone at 504.596.2596. 6-7 pm.
Cooler than avocado toast. And busier.
Norman Mayer Library. Discuss a new book each month. New members are always welcome. Call the Library at 504.596.3100 for this month’s selection. 5:30-6:30 pm.
FRI 19
Street Name Spelling Bee Mid-City Library. If you’re going to get there, you better know how to spell it. Prove you’re a local and out-spell your friends and neighbors. 6-8 pm.
The Belleville Iron Works of Algiers & What Came After It
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DIY Green Household Cleaners
freedom to face the truth about ourselves with grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. Ticket prices vary. 7:30-8:30 pm.
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TUES 23
freedom to face the truth about ourselves with grace, acceptance, and forgiveness. Ticket prices vary. 7:30-8:30 pm.
Veterans Portrait Project US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, National World War II Museum. Decorated military photographer and disabled combat veteran Stacy Pearsall will be taking complementary individual photographs of veterans as part of her Veterans Portrait Project. Local veterans now have the opportunity to have a professional portrait. In addition, their portrait will join the growing collection of portraits online at veteransportraitproject. com. Portrait session appointments are limited and available on a first-come, firstserved basis. 10 am-4 pm.
SAT 27
Audubon Louisiana Nature Center. Featuring fun activities, a blood drive, a free “Stop the Bleed” and “HandsOnly CPR” class, experts from Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium and New Orleans Mosquito Control, free Planetarium presentations, a mist garden, a DJ, a food truck, and more! 10 am-3 pm.
FRI 26
How Do you Cook Dat Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center. Cook Dat is a monthly cooking class where participants learn how to cook delicious, nutritious meals that are inspired by the products offered at the Broadmoor Food Pantry. Spots are limited. Please call 504.249.5130 or email counselorintern@ broadmoorimprovement.com to sign up. 11 am-1 pm.
The Healthy Home Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center. Bill Robinson, a nationallyknown construction trainer who specializes in old homes and moisture management, will discuss how to make your home more durable, efficient, and healthy. 10:30-11:30 am.
Garden Study Center and Lath House, New Orleans Botanical Garden. Learn which flowers are worthy of pressing, make a flower press, and gather flowers from the garden to press in the flower press. Instruction and materials included in this class. $20/person. 10:30 am-noon.
MON 29
Into the Vault Tour
National World War II Museum. Step inside The National WWII Museum’s private Center for Collections & Archives and take an intimate two-hour journey into WWII history through rarely seen artifacts that give voice to the American experience in World War II. $200/ member, $225/non-member. 9-11 am.
THURS 1
Thursdays at Twilight: James Rivers Movement
The Italian Influence on Creole Food From sno-balls and red gravy to vegetable vendors and major food production companies, Italian immigrants have changed both what we eat and how we talk about food. 6:30-8 pm.
The Victory Belles
BB’s Stage Door Canteen, World War II Museum. The Victory Belles are a delightful vocal trio performing the music of the 1940s, serenading audiences at The National WWII Museum and across the globe. Ticket price varies. 11:45 am-1:45 pm.
Pavilion of the Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden. James Rivers is a beloved veteran of the New Orleans music scene. Known for playing tenor sax, he’s also a multi-instrumentalist. $10/person. Gates open at 5 pm. 6-8 pm.
Ogden After Hours: Ben Redwine and Joao Paulo Casarotti
Ogden Museum of Southern Art. New Orleans based clarinetist Ben Redwine is devoted to the performance of new classical music and old jazz. 6-8 pm.
TUES 30
The Perfect Civil Service Job for You Algiers Regional Library. The New Orleans Civil Service Department will teach participants how to find and apply for civil service jobs, what to expect after you submit, and about test prep materials available at the Library. 6-7:45 pm.
FRI 2
Satchmo SummerFest presented by Chevron
New Orleans Jazz Museum, 400 Esplanade Ave. Celebrate the life, legacy, and the music of New Orleans’ native son, Louis Armstrong. Three stages, local cuisine, fascinating Armstrong scholars, and a traditional secondline parade. Continues through August 4. Beginning at 11 am each day.
SAT 3
Hancock Whitney White Linen Night 25
700 Blocks of Julia Street and throughout the Arts District. An annual outdoor celebration of art and artists, featuring gallery openings, public art displays, food vendors, and much more. 5:30-9:30 pm.
Grandparents. They're not just sitting around.
Introduction to Genealogy Research Nora Navra Library. Staff from the Main Library Louisiana Division will be bringing their expertise to share the various methods of research and available resources. 10:30 am-noon.
“Freedom”
BB’s Stage Door Canteen, National World War II Museum. A new American play, “Freedom” tells the story of a Holocaust survivor and an Irish immigrant who meet hours before their American naturalization ceremony. Freedom looks at the ways we yearn for freedom — the
magazine
La Table Louisianaise Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center. A group for learning and discussion of the French of Louisiana, including its origins, its present condition, and its future. All levels of fluency welcome. For more information, contact Sam Craft at 504.427.9375 or at latablelouisianaise@gmail.com. 6-7 pm.
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Baby Cakes Stadium. Enjoy the New Orleans Baby Cakes with NORD. Register at NORDSeniorBaseball.eventbrite.com. Space is limited. Food vouchers will be provided with registration. Open to seniors 55+. 7-10 pm.
Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center. A group for learning and discussion of the French of Louisiana, including its origins, its present condition, and its future. All levels of fluency welcome. For more information, contact Sam Craft at 504.427.9375 or at latablelouisianaise@gmail.com. 6-7 pm.
Pavilion of the Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden. Join Bobby Cure and the Poppa Stoppas for a rocking good evening as they travel back in time to the Doo-Wop days of the 1950s and 1960s along with a tribute to Fats Domino and Alan Toussaint. $10/person. Gates open at 5 pm. 6-8 pm.
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Seniors Geaux: Baby Cakes Baseball Game
Mosquito Fest
Thursdays at Twilight: Bobby Cure and the Poppa Stoppas
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Make a Flower Press
La Table Louisianaise
THURS 25
AUGUST
WED 31
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WED 7
Lunchbox Lecture The Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Foundation Special Exhibit Gallery, National World War II Museum. Join Curator Larry Decuers for a walk-through of the special exhibit In Memory of What I Cannot Say: The Art of Guy de Montlaur. Attendees will hear fascinating details about French fine-art painter and WWII Free French Commando Guy de Montlaur’s life and work. Lunchbox Lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, call 504.528.1944 x 484. Noon-1 pm.
West Bank Book Club Algiers Regional Library. Discuss a new book each month. New members are welcome. Call the Library at 504.596.2641 for this month’s selection. Continues the first Wednesday of each month. 5-6 pm.
THURS 8
Thursdays at Twilight: The Yat Pack
Pavilion of the Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden. “The Yat Pack” is a New Orleans based band modeled on the 1960’s Vegas Swing Era. $10/person. Gates open at 5 pm. 6-8 pm.
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“100 Years of Women in Blues”
Teatro Wego, 1118 Clearview Parkway., Metairie. At one time or another we have all felt the blues, and artists like Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin, Irma Thomas, Ma Rainey and Big Mama Thornton among others, have expressed in their songs our feelings and our sins. This show travels from 1919 to 2019 and it’s a journey of life, love, heartache and loss. Seating is General Admission. Continues on select days through July 21. Tickets available at jpas.org/tickets.
Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The New Orleans Saints take on the Minnesota Vikings in a preseason game. Ticket prices vary by seat. 7 pm.
THURS 15
Thursdays at Twilight: Tim Laughlin
Pavilion of the Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden. One of the brightest of the New Orleans-based clarinetists to emerge during the 1990s, Tim Laughlin has made a strong impression on the traditional jazz scene. $10/person. Gates open at 5 pm. 6-8 pm.
WED 21
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Join for an evening of edible education, with proceeds going to benefit Audubon’s sustainable seafood efforts across the Gulf Coast. Featuring five delicious and sustainable courses with wine pairing Doors open at 6:30 pm. Dinner at 7 pm. For more information, visit audubonnatureinstitute.org/sustainableseafood-dinner-series. $150/person.
Fri 16
Sunset at the Landing Concert Series Columbia Street Landing. 100 N. Columbia St., Covington. A free concert series on the third Friday of each month, MarchOctober. In the event that rain threatens, concerts may be moved to the Bogue Falaya Wayside Park Pavilion. 6-9 pm.
TUES 20
Queen + Adam Lambert
Smoothie King Center. Queen — original band members Brian May and Roger Taylor — are teaming up once more with longtime frontman Adam Lambert on lead vocals. Ticket prices vary by seat. 8 pm.
WED 28
National Seniors’ Day: Engagement in All Ages Sanchez Multip-Purpose Center. 1616 Caffin Ave. Celebrate seniors and the contributions they make. The community thrives when seniors are actively engaged. Learn about community programs and events as well as resources that benefit seniors, such as volunteer opportunities and ways to remain civically engaged through voting and activism. Featuring interactive workshops, table vendors, food, and entertainment. No cost and open to all seniors ages 55 and older. 10 am-1 pm.
THURS 22
Dine with the Sharks
SAT 24
Thursdays at Twilight: Bruce Daigrepont
Pavilion of the Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden. Music came to Bruce Daigrepont at an early age, and in the most traditional manner - handed down from father to son. $10/person. Gates open at 5 pm. 6-8 pm.
FRI 23
Henry Aucoin Foundation City Park Night
City Park Storyland. This family-friendly event will raise funds for pediatric heart patients. For more information, visit facebook.com/HenrysHeartsGala. 7 pm.
4-Week Mindful Living Course: An Introduction to Mindful Meditation August Plant Sale
Pelican Greenhouse, New Orleans Botanical Garden. The plant sale will have a wide variety of plants including annuals, perennials, roses, gingers, edibles, succulents, and native plants for sale to the public. The Pelican Greenhouse is located at #2 Celebration Drive and is just south of the I-610 underpass. Free admission. 9 am-noon.
SUN 25
THURS 29
Thursdays at Twilight: Shake ‘Em Up Jazz Band
The B-52s with special guests OMD and Berlin The Saenger Theatre. Selling over 20 million albums worldwide, The B-52s have quietly impacted alternative music, fashion, and culture over the course of four-plus decades. Ticket prices vary by seat. 7 pm.
Pavilion of the Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden. The all female band performs traditional jazz across the United States and in Europe. They are fun, upbeat, and will get you on the dance floor to shake it. $10/person. Gates open at 5 pm. 6-8 pm.
Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The New Orleans Saints take on the Miami Dolphins in a preseason game. Ticket prices vary by seat. 7 pm.
Tulane Football Season Opener Yulman Stadium. Green Wave Football is back. Join as they take on Florida International. Kick-off is at 7 pm. Tickets go on sale beginning August 12 at 10 am.
SAT 31
New Orleans Pride Run & Walk
The Crescent Park, 30 N. Peters St. Members, friends, allies, and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community are encouraged to show their pride at this one-of-a-kind event. Register at runnotc. org. 8 am-1 pm.
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How Do you Cook Dat Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center. Cook Dat is a monthly cooking class where participants learn how to cook delicious, nutritious meals that are inspired by the products offered at the Broadmoor Food Pantry. Spots are limited. Please call 504.249.5130 or email counselorintern@ broadmoorimprovement.com to sign up. 11 am-1 pm.
Wild Lotus Yoga Uptown, 4842 Perrier St. This 4-week course introduces different mindfulness techniques, application of mindfulness practices in understanding destructive emotions and cultivating positive emotions. $108/person. Course is limited to 15 people. 7:45-9 pm.
New Orleans Saints vs. Miami Dolphins
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FRI 9
New Orleans Saints vs. Minnesota Vikings
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