Jun 26, 2012 |
Yep. Reality is sinking in… this is the last week of full cast shooting for the greatest drama on television. We’ve yet to even start viewing Season Five, but that is just a small offset of the somber mood we’re in over at FPTOne and Twitter.
And I’m not even officially associated with the show.
I’m just a fan. Who’s made friends with many other fans.
That’s part of the attraction of Flashpoint: the draw into a community where people really relate to each other. Really talk with each other. Really celebrate the wins. And really share the pain of a path we’d rather not be on.
I’ve kept my distance from the FPTO wall on facebook and twitter. Partly because life keeps me busy. Partly because it’s not my favorite moment. I’m having a hard time letting it sink in that the show is really over.
No more awesome pic tweets that Kate will share from Ted and Sergio and Rico and everyone else. Angelo’s artwork will be “in remembrance of…”
I’m thankful for the friendships forged with Kate, Mary, Angelo, Mary Catherine, Beth, and so many others. That we not only “meet” up on the public facebook page, but we’ve grown into honest, sharing, caring friends. Sure, I’ve yet to meet them in person. But they’re real. And they treat me like I matter. That’s the beauty of Flashpoint and all who get involved: from the cast to the crew to the fans. We all matter.
Thankfully the Facebook Page Producers have promised to stick around through the airing of Season Five. That’s good. So many of us look forward to continuing that camaraderie.
If it weren’t for the friends I’ve made through Flashpoint, I’d still be… well, I’d still be me, but a lesser version.
But I don’t want this post to be about me. I’ve written enough about Flashpoint in the past, and I will continue to do so.
This post is dedicated to Flashpoint Final Days, and I invite you to leave your comments about the show, the community, and the ending of this ground-breaking drama here.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jun 25, 2012
In researching New Orleans and surrounding area for my current writing project, I’ve discovered and rediscovered some great trivia about the state:
*The Louisiana Purchase was in 1803, and amounted to less than 3 cents per acre at the time.
*The Louisiana territory covered all or part of 15 current United States as well as two Canadian Provinces.
*Louisiana’s roots include French, Spanish, and British.
*Louisiana was named after French King Louis XIV.
*Jazz music was born at the turn of the 20th century, primarily in New Orleans’ black communities.
*Some of the most famous musicians to come out of New Orleans include Louis Armstrong, Harry Connick, Jr., Branford Marsalis, Louis Prima, and many others.
*Many intriguing authors have claimed New Orleans as their home: Truman Capote (Breakfast at Tiffany’s), William Faulkner (The Sound and the Fury), and Anne Rice (Songs of the Seraphim).
*Destrehan Plantation, along the banks of the Mississippi River, is the oldest plantation house in Louisiana. It was established 1787.
*Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville is considered one of the most haunted areas in Louisiana.
*Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote “Evangeline”, about the 1755 Acadian mass exile from today’s Nova Scotia area due to their refusal to conform to British demands to renounce their Roman Catholic faith.
*The Acadian migration to Louisiana’s French territory began the formation of Cajun Country.
*Cajun is a derivative of the original French pronunciation of Acadian: “Uh-cay-jahn”.
*Louisiana is sectioned into “parishes” instead of “counties”. This is due to being governed under Napoleonic Code.
*Because New Orleans was built on a swamp, their cemeteries are above ground, resembling small buildings which have earned them the nickname “Cities of the Dead”.
*Louisiana has an intense spiritual mixture of Christianity and Voodoo.
*Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday”, also known as Shrove Tuesday) originated as a French Catholic celebratory feast of eating richer, fatty foods before the 40-Day Lenten period begins.
*Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday.
*Typical Mardi Gras colors are green, gold, and purple.
That’s a whole lotta trivia and fun facts to work with. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into more and get this story written!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jun 24, 2012
Or, as I call it with my Minnesotan accent, “N’Orleeeens.”
This past week I’ve been infatuated with the Big Easy. I’m working on a short story idea that came to me a few months ago. And Megan introduced me to Oak Alley Plantation online. The photos are so… mesmerizing. Transforming. Enticing. Haunting.
So guess what. This Girl is now fantasizing about a trip down south. Not that it could happen any time soon (unless I win the lotto, which hasn’t happened yet). But still, it’s fun to plan.
I can taste the Mint Juleps. Smell the tobacco fields. Hear the jazz beats and slow drawls. Feel the humidity. And see the characters.
I even created a new Pinterest board last night: “N’Orleans“. Have I mentioned that I love Pinterest? It makes virtual travel so much more fun. Within five minutes, I had nearly fifty pins: buildings, streets, music, people, Mardi Gras, food… so much inspiration.
Indeed, I think I may make a new career for myself: the Pinterest Travel Guide. Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll pin so many ideas and create some wonderful itineraries for you and your travel guests. Yup. That’s my new calling. I’m almost sure of it.
And now if you’ll excuse me, I have some pinning writing to do.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
