Sept kout kouto, set kout pwenyad

Here is my finished product, my lovely dangerous woman, my drapo the Ezili Danto. Ezili Danto is the Kali of the Vodou pantheon. She loves knives and daggers and blood and gore. She is the deadly woman who lead the fourteen year revolution against the French by the black, Haitian slaves. But, much like Kali, that which is gruesome, is also tender and gentle. This idea is strange to people. When you see images of Kali, she is blood engorged, whirling knives and nooses from each of Her many arms, a necklace full of skulls and a skirt made from arms. But, when you understand that the severed heads are our egos, and the skirt of arms are our desires; the knives and nooses are the instruments that She conducts her business, to bring a death and destruction to our lower selves, and elevating our Higher Selves. Well, then you start looking at Kali like a Mother, a caring Mother that only wants us to get our best, getting back with the Atman, the Supreme Self. The same goes with Danto. She is fierce and strong, She has to be to protect you from your enemies. She is blood hungry and enraged, She has to be to defend you from all forms of evil. I chose to depict Danto as Our Lady of Guadalupe. Danto, in Her Catholic Iconography, is seen as any black Madonna, which have always been known as Earth Goddess masquerading as the Virgin Mother. Guadalupe, which may have really been coatlaxopeuh, which is pronounced "quatlasupe" and which means She who stamps out the Serpent, is also the Mother of Revelation. When giving Her message to Juan Diago, She taught him perseverance by repeatedly telling him to go to the Bishop and proclaim Her presence. During the Mexican American Civil Rights Movements in the 1960s their flags were emblazoned with Guadalupe's image, demanding respect and authority. What better image could be better than Guadalupe for my drapo? Because of this flag, I have been infatuated, to the point of obsessed, with the image of Guadalupe. Her beauty and strength has inspired me in so many ways. She has also gotten me to understand the symbolism connected to the Woman in the Book of Revelation 12:1, clothed in the Sun with the Moon at Her feet. Which, I can also see the connection between this Evian Mother, with the Great Whore who comes up later in Revelation Chapter 17-18. The Great Whore, or Scarlet Woman by Alister Crowley's standards, is the Great Mother, She who does not turn anyone down, who brings enlightenment to All. My mind is reeling with the possibilities and connections! Ah, now I must make some smaller flags for an art show/fundraiser. No time to knit, flags are calling me. :)~

You should never be stagnant, you should be free...

Well, I've been promising y'all a picture of my new flag, my next act of creation. This is after about three weeks work and I think that it's coming along really well. I LOVE the image of the Sacred Heart and was really excited to put them in my flag. Though they don't quite look like hearts. Ma told me they kind of look like strawberries, but I can deal with that too. Hopefully the image of Guadalupe a friend in NC sent me will show up soon so I can stitch it in and bead around it. Now, I have to start looking for background fabric. I was in JoAnn's today and they had this plaid fabric that looked like little squares sewn together that I was considering, but it didn't really leap out at me so I'll have to wait till something does. I'm so excited that I can now makes big flags without it taking me years and years to do so. Maybe this will be my meal ticket to couche next year. I have also been considering talking to the Wal-Beast store manager about putting me in the managerial training program. The thought really makes me bite my nails. Mariel told me that I should at least test it and see if the Universe will even let me do this. :)~ It will mean a bit of a pay raise, but the problem is that I live less than eight blocks away from where I work, and as a manager, they would send me wherever they need me, whether it be down the street, or forty minutes away. That concept really doesn't sound good to me. I was a commuter once for work, I hated it. And, with the economy and gas prices, I don't really know if I could commute. I wish the Universe would just send me something in the mail that says, "You are supposed to be a ___" and let me get it over with. I would love to have fame, wealth, and all that glitz and glamors according to my art, but I just don't know if that's going to happen right now. Sigh, what the hell am I going to do? :)~

I'm officially now an artist!

It's been so long since my last post, but I have been so busy. I tried to post a while back, but then Mariel came in to town and I spent four days of fun with her and her family and just never got around to posting anything. Well, as you can see by the picture posted up top, my Guedeh flag is done! I am so pleased by it! And, not only did I finish it, but three days later sold it! Yes, this is the second flag that has brought me money. I was telling Ayizan that I believe this officially makes me an artist. :)~ I have already started another flag, to Erzulie, who is the Divine Feminine in Vodou. She is everything, and, so say, every Woman. I will post unfinished pics soon. What is so funny about me selling my flag, the guy who I sold it to, for only twenty-five dollars less than what I originally wanted, who is a friend of Bloody Mary, works at a funeral home! When he told me that I could ship it to his work, a funeral home, something just clicked. It just seemed right to send it to him. So, now that his check has cleared, begrudgingly, I have packed it up and will ship it out tomorrow. :(~ In between the whole fiasco of finishing the flag and starting a new one, I taught myself, though it's not a hard talent if you know how to crochet, to filet crochet. For my first attempt I chose a pattern that I knew I would want to finish, which is this fleur-de-lis bread cloth pattern. I ended up sending out to Mariel and her family, just a little piece of home to send up to the wilderness of NC. :)~ Other news is that I have to go to New Orleans traffic court tomorrow. :(~ :(~ I got pulled over on Friday the 13th, of all days, and was issued a ticket for expired...everything. Break tag, registration, and licence plate. I was freaked out by the licence plate thing that I didn't believe the cop. I jumped out my car, much to the surprise of the cop, who had his hand on his gun, and demanded to be shown that licence plates can indeed expire. Well, they can, for all you unknowing citizens out there. Luckily, the guys check cleared for the flag and I have the money to pay for this crap, or else they would just have to get in line with the other bill collectors. :)~ I also read an interesting article in today's paper about hypermiling. Now I don't really know a lot about it and, once I get the time, I am totally going to research it further, but it's supposed to help you save money on gas by running your car more efficiently. Some tips can be found HERE. But, for now, I am totally content. Sitting in the dark, with my screen to illuminate me, listening to the rhythmic call of the cicadas outside my room. What more could one want?

When a mambo needs a ride...I am there.

UPDATE! Ten days after my last post, please see picture posted previously, I have finished my flag! OK, well, I've only finished the beading part, but still. All I have to do now is sew on the fabric backing, then it will totally be finished. How exciting is that?! That is the quickest I have EVER made a flag. At last, my baby is done. I have to say though, that some pretty strange things have happened to me while I made this flag. Guedeh, the Lwa/Spirit of Death and Regeneration in Vodou, is always laughing. He holds a bottle of rum between His legs and tells people the secrets of life, wrapped up in a dirty joke. I guess Death turns into a partier when you live so close to It, being a slave in Saint Dominique. Guedeh loves children, and always watches out for them. He is brutal, and loving. His hugs are deep, and drowning. He is not the Grim Reaper of popular mentality, lugging around a scythe pointing out it's bony finger at who would be next. Death in Vodou is rich and revelrous. His laughs are as deep as a well and He is as randy and raunchy as one could take. He loves cigars and strong rum, laced with peppers. While I made this flag I've helped in this past Couche, had people come up to me randomly and tell me that their son has died, had a friend call me and say that their grandfather has passed away, and those are just some of the most common occurrences that has happened to me. And the dreams, dreams that I was Death's son, something that reminds me of something from Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality Series. But, I'm sure that some people would find than boring. :)~ Anyway, I'm planning on sewing the back on my flag tomorrow and taking pictures. I want to sell it as quickly as possible, everyone cross their fingers for me.

Running makes me feel taller.

Oh my diligent readers, all five of you, I've been a busy little bee on my flag. With every new sequin sewn on it I fall more and more in love with this flag! This has got to be one of the best, and most intricate of flags I've ever made. I've been working on it like a mad dog because at the end of this month, Mariel and her family, plus Demeter and her new baby, are coming down on there vacations and I know that I'm not going to be able to really work on it. While Ms. E was here she eyed it up tempestuously, making me think that she would make an offer on it's purchase, but she left, without saying a word on the matter. I ended up working on it for three hours today, then got up and went to the gym for a run. While I was running, and realizing that I'm not as out of shape as I was months ago when I first joined, I was struck with the idea that running really relaxes me. Strange, I know. How can pounding your way on a treadmill, making you loose breath, sweating unstoppably, and making you flush make you feel better? I have yet to get my 'runner's high' that They say is supposed to happen, but I feel so much better nonetheless. Well, my dearest one, that's all that I have have for you. I just wanted to show you my good work, my love and dedication for the past couple weeks. My back is killing me though, sitting on the floor with a thin pillow underneath me, working on my flag. If anyone knows any ergonomic tips to help my back while beading, let me know.

Realization of my up-coming birthday

Kristen, aka Learner's Per-Knit, tagged me for a meme, so, being the good person that I am, I have decided to fill it out. Here goes:

The rules of the game: each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.


1. What was I doing 10 years ago? What was I doing in 1998? I had just passed my Junior year and going into my Sophomore year in High School. By then I had passed the goth phase, trading in my long purple ringlets for deep red ones, and delving, again, into my hippie prior-life. Hungry for books, I had a four-a-week habit. This was also the summer after my dad passed away.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?
Well, considering it's nine at night right now, the only thing that I had/have on my agenda is: work on my flag, go to work, and work on my flag again once off of work. I've been a mad dog after the completion of my flag. My goal is to have it done by the time Mariel and her family come down at the end of the month. I don't know if that's going to happen. I'm debating taking off work tomorrow, I think I've pulled a muscle in my back, working on my flag, and it would really give me some needed time putting bead to fabric. :)~

3. Snacks I enjoy: mmmm, you're talking about food. :)~ I'm REALLY into salty right now. So I would have to say that pretzels are high on my list.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire: hahahaha, first, I would pay off all my bills. Secondly, I would fix up our house, then buy some rental properties around St. Bernard and New Orleans. Everything else would be lanyiappe. :)~


5. Places I have lived: From birth to four years old, I lived in Honduras. From then on I've lived in Chalmette. Although I've moved two or three times, thanks to Katrina, it's always been in Chalmette. I'm not counting the two months in Florida during the Hurrication, that was not really living.

6. Jobs I’ve had:
Student Library Clerk- at Nunez Community College. I loved that job, coming in morning drunk and passing out in the stacks upstairs. Oh, the love of those times. I ended up getting all of my friends jobs there, so it was like hanging out with my friends twenty-four-seven.
PCS/Respite Worker- two years of my life I took care of a 26 year old autistic person. He really became like a brother to me, unfortunately, his mother and I butted heads constantly. Luckily, the storm took care of my two weeks notice. :)~
Walgreen's Bitch- now I work for the Wal-Beast, enslaved by it's white vests, and forever lured in by it's poisonous honey of excellent health care and amazing profit sharing.

7. Peeps I want to know more about: Krewe of Ewe, Kaity Knits...A Lot, Knit Happens, Bohemian Knitter Chic.

But I thought you spoke French?

With everything going on right now, I glad that I have enough time to type this up. These past two weeks have been a whirlwind, screaming and mad, and I'm sure that there are cows thrust hither tither. About a week ago our House, La Source Ancienne, hosted a couche, which is our religions rituals of initiation. Couche means to be put to bed, and that's exactly what is done. The initiates are isolated, shut off from time and reality, kept to themselves, only allowed to speak when spoken to and go through the grueling ordeals thrust upon them. The week before that, I was busy tring to make as many hours at work as possible, knowing that Ms. E would be coming down for the last leg of the Couche and I wanted to take some days off to spend time with her. Having gone through couche once before I was allowed to witness the parts of the rituals that the public does not get to see. I got to peek into the djevo, the place of isolation, and look at the little hounsi's, curled up and begging to be let out. "What time is it?" One asked me. "Why should I tell you? You're not supposed to know, what would you want to know?" I replied. Papa Edgar, our House's Papa, came from Haiti to watch over the initiations. Having him around is such an honor. His air is amazing. He's at least 6'5" and a deep mahogany color, but always greets you with a hug, or at least the most inviting 'allo he can muster. Couche ended up going off without a hitch. I got to hang around with some people who I couldn't get to hang out with from last year, and break down some barriers that were put on by others. My only wish, at the beginning, was that I was not in the djevo. That I wasn't going through the ordeals and trials these six were going through. But, after a couple of days, much like last year, I quickly realized that I wouldn't have liked this batch, that they were, indeed, not the ones I would make my final initiation with. But, with the help of Sheryl, aka KnitIdiot, who gave me a wonderful budget, next couche will be my turn, my slingshot into being an Houngon. Houngon is what they call the Priests of Vodou. Then, as if the week had not been crazy enough, Ms. E's plane ended up having difficulties. Instead of tring to tell a story that isn't mine, go read her myspace blog HERE. Other than that, I haven't really been knitting, which is bad because there is a swap I should be knitting for. But, even though I've found the patterns that I want to make, and know that it wouldn't take me long to make them, I can't pull myself from my flag. I've gone so far with it in just the past couple of days and, honestly, debate calling in sick everyday just to work on it. To the wee hours of the morning I work, one sequin, one bead, one needle, over and over. Hopefully I will be able to sell it as quickly as I sold the Azaka one. Well, my abused and neglected readers, I must go, I feel like I should go jogging a little before bedtime. I invite everyone to go to my MySpace, the link is to the right of your screen, and check out the other pics I took for Couche and my couple of days with Ms. E. Till the next time, adeiu.