Lady Mike

β€œπ™³πšŽπšŠπš› π™ΊπšŽπš’πšπš‘,

πšˆπš˜πšžπš› πšŠπš‹πš’πš•πš’πšπš’ 𝚝𝚘 πš™πšŽπš›πšπš˜πš›πš– πšŠπš›πšπš’πšœπšπš’πšŒπšŠπš•πš•πš’ πš πš‘πšŠπš 𝙸 πš˜πš—πš•πš’ πšŒπšŠπš— 𝚍𝚘 πš πš’πšœπš‘πšπšžπš•πš•πš’ πšŒπš˜πš–πš™πšŽπš•πšœ πš–πšŽ 𝚝𝚘 πš πš›πš’πšπšŽ 𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚘𝚞. 𝙰 πšπšžπšπšžπš›πšŽ 𝚘𝚏 πšπš›πšŽπšŠπš πšŠπšŒπšŒπš˜πš–πš™πš•πš’πšœπš‘πš–πšŽπš—πšπšœ πš•πš’πšŽπšœ πšŠπš‘πšŽπšŠπš, πšπš˜πš› 𝚒𝚘𝚞, πš‹πšžπš πš‹πšŽπš’πš—πš 𝚜𝚘 πš’πš˜πšžπš—πš πšπš‘πšŽ πš’πšŽπšŠπš›πšœ πš‹πšŽπšπš πšŽπšŽπš— πš—πš˜πš  πšŠπš—πš πšπš‘πšŽπš— πš–πšžπšœπš πš‹πšŽ πšπš’πš•πš•πšŽπš πš πš’πšπš‘ πšŸπš’πšœπš’πš˜πš—πšœ 𝚘𝚏 πš‹πšŽπšŠπšžπšπš’, πšŠπš—πš πšπšŽπšŸπšŠπšœπšπšŠπšπš’πš˜πš— πšŽπšŸπšŽπš— πšπš‘πšŠπš πšŠπš•πšœπš˜ πšœπš‘πš˜πš πšœ πš‹πšŽπšŠπšžπšπš’ 𝚝𝚘 πšπš‘πšŽ πš–πš’πš—πš 𝚘𝚏 πšŠπš— πšŠπš›πšπš’πšœπš. πšƒπš‘πšŽπšœπšŽ πšœπšŒπšŽπš—πšŽπšœ πš πš’πš•πš• πš•πš’πšŸπšŽ πš’πš— πš’πš˜πšžπš› πš–πšŽπš–πš˜πš›πš’ πšŠπš•πš• πšπš‘πšŽ πšπš›πš˜πš πš’πš—πš πš’πšŽπšŠπš›πšœ πš πš‘πšŽπšπš‘πšŽπš› 𝚒𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚎𝚝 πšπš‘πšŽπš– πšπš˜πš πš— πš˜πš— πšŒπšŠπš—πšŸπšŠπšœ, πš˜πš› πšœπš”πšŽπšπšŒπš‘ πšπš‘πšŽπš– πš—πš˜πš  πš˜πš› πš—πš˜πš. π™Έπš— πš’πš˜πšžπš› πš–πš’πš—πš πšπš‘πšŽπš’ πš πš’πš•πš• πš‹πšŽ πšπš˜πš› 𝚒𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 πš™πš•πšžπšŒπš” 𝚘𝚞𝚝 πšŠπš—πš 𝚞𝚜𝚎 πšŠπš›πšπš’πšœπšπš’πšŒπšŠπš•πš•πš’ 𝚊𝚝 πš πš‘πšŠπšπšŽπšŸπšŽπš› πšπš’πš–πšŽ πš’πš˜πšžπš› πš’πš—πš—πšŽπš› πšπšŽπšŽπš•πš’πš—πšπšœ πšŠπš›πšŽ πšœπšπš’πš›πš›πšŽπš. πšƒπš‘πšŽπš›πšŽπšπš˜πš›πšŽ 𝙸 πšŠπš– πšπš’πšŸπš’πš—πš 𝚒𝚘𝚞 πš—πš˜πš  πšπš‘πš’πšœ πš˜πš™πš™πš˜πš›πšπšžπš—πš’πšπš’ 𝚝𝚘 πšŽπš‘πšπšŽπš—πš πš’πš˜πšžπš›πšœπšŽπš•πš πšŠπšŒπšŒπš˜πš›πšπš’πš—πš 𝚝𝚘 πšπš’πš–πšŽ 𝚘𝚏 πšπš›πš˜πš πš’πš—πš πš’πšŽπšŠπš›πšœ.”

In 1967, Elise Wildey became fond of my uncle Keith's paintings β€” my grandparents would showcase his youthful art on the streets of the French Quarter. Keen on reconnecting, Elise (Lady Mike) wrote Keith, inviting the family to her home in Jean Lafitte. β€œHere it is peaceful and quiet. The beauty of the flowing bayou, right outside my door.”

'Lady Mike' is a map of serendipitous connections, an atlas for personal grounding, and affirmation of my own artistic bent.