Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Lovely Lisbon & Moonlit Athens - Louisiana




Pine Tree farms are common in these parts as I travelled from Vienna to Lisbon, Louisiana - had to stop to say hello...


Lisbon was the second stop on my whirlwind World Tour earlier this month which also brought me to Athens.  Determination can be a strong motivator and I was ready to gallivant up to the Great Lands of Northwest Louisiana to see what inspiration they would bring.  
As usual, my favorite part of the journey was getting there.



There was an acute loveliness on this lonely road to Lisbon.


I reached Lisbon in the late afternoon, having spent most of my time on the side of the road taking pictures of things like my own shadow and trees with no leaves..





I sat here in the parking lot of the Great American Lisbon Post Office for quite a while fiddling with my camera which decided to jam on me and then realized that my digital point and shoot was on its last battery leg because genius here decided to plug in her ipod rather than charge backup batteries.....
But I stayed in Lisbon long enough to discover the Methodist Church and the incredibly cool cemetary next to it.  




I left Lisbon with falling light and dubious cameras and raced to get to Athens before sunset.  



I sorta made it.  


I didn't have much time, and camera issues proved difficult with no flash, but I dutifully captured various religious and civic centers.










Athens was the town, or village, rather, that I had planned to spend the most time in.  But things don't always work out as planned, sometimes they work out even better.  The light was quickly falling and I had almost a 2 hour drive upon me to Nachitoches, where I was meeting a friend.  I was leaving Athens a little disappointed for not having seen much of it when I came across this Nativity scene (it was just past New Years) and Church against a purple-y sky.


I thought it quite peaceful and pretty, with the moon shining from behind.  


Happy to have stumbled upon such a tranquil scene, I left Athens  in a better mindset for my moonlit and woodsy drive to Nachitoches, when unbeknownst to me...I found myself in -  (Mt) Lebanon!  



Its a small world, after all...

(p.s. headlights make a great light source when you find yourself out of a flash...)


all content (c) Natasha Sanchez


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Just Call Me Tina from Vienna...Louisiana



Hallo from Vienna!  Vienna, Louisiana, that is.  It's been a busy couple of months and it's  GREAT to get back out on the road again.
First - again a BIG danke schoen to all those who supported and came out to the World Tour show at Buffas in December.  'Twas a fun night and I really appreciate all the support from 'around the world'!  I billed it as ' works in progress ', which it still is but the night gave me an excellent framework that I can build from.  

My first road trip of 2012, just after New Years, took me to many different locations on a whirlwind trip.  The first stop was Vienna, located just north of Ruston.  I'm sure I sound like a broken record when i say this but Vienna was button-cute.  I was so charmed by it, and wished my stay could have been longer.  After all:

Who could resist with a Town Hall like this?




These BC (button cute) towns are all over the place, I know, but I have gotten so accustomed to driving to a town only to find that there's not much there but a sign on the road, if even that.  Traveling through Northwest Louisiana though, these BC towns are prevalent.  The history of the settlers from Georgia, Alabama, and beyond is interesting and more tales will unfold as I delve more into the subject matter during World Tour Post-Production.  



But for now, the only tale I have to tell is one of Tina.  Tina from Vienna.  It's not much of a story actually. More of a musing.  So...I was photographing this BC church..


 while both cursing and enjoying the strong winter light shadows...



when a car pulled up and the passenger asked if I was "Tina".  I said no but evidently I resembled Tina who grew up near Vienna.  Okay, that's actually the end of the boring story, but as usual, I found it fascinating.  I'm always amazed at how often I look like somebody....usually a sister..cousin..friend...acquaintance...girl-I-went-to-school-with...friend of a -girl-I-went-to-school-with...friend of a relatives-sisters-cousins-best friends friend...or someone like that.  

I enjoy having 600,000 doppelgangers out there, and my Tina from Vienna experienced has recalled some past doppelganger moments and  inspired my latest  completely meaningless just-for-fun silly ditty to start the New Year off right.  

Also, it's my first-ever-ditty-written-on-my-ukelele: 

  Tina from Vienna

Enjoy.  



 i love these youtube stills - they sure can pick 'em! 


Tina from Vienna 
(c) Natasha Sanchez

I'm Tina from Vienna
I'm your friend from New York.
I'm your cousin's best friends' girlfriend,
I'm Mindy without Mork.

Sometimes they call me Sandra.
I dont know how I feel about that.
Been mistaken for someone else -
an actress, but never myself.

Standing on the street, 
I was asked - Is it You?
As far as I know, yes I am,
but still I checked my shoes.

He pressed on - Are you Her?
Are you working here in town?
I thought to myself - why wouldn't i be?
Man my act must get around!

I thought maybe he'd seen my show,
that he listens to my tales.
Nah. That wasnt it -
He thought I was Kate Beckinsale.

I'm Tina from Vienna..
....

I'm somone you met long ago
at a cafe in Metairie - NO.
I'm the one you were supposed to meet
til you saw me - Whoops! No! Gotta Go!

I'm Tina from Vienna...
...

But I don't know at Tina from Vienna.
I've got some friends in New York.
I don't know my cousin's best friend
I'm not Mindy - but I do love Mork...


Next Up:

Lisbon LA
Athens LA





all content (c) Natasha Sanchez