A first-time rider in the Krewe of Muses parade in New Orleans this year, Norco resident Lynn Rochelle wanted to make the most of her experience. It became a memorable one that, as it turns out, left a mark internationally.
Rochelle prepared her shoes and put each inside a bag. Included in each bag was a note and contact information intended for each recipient.
“I wrote, ‘I made this shoe just for you. Take a picture of you and your shoe and tell your story,’” Rochelle recalls. “I asked them to e-mail back. A friend of mine who rode in Muses had done that before and I really liked the idea.”But she had no idea how far those shoes might travel. One, in fact, has landed in London, England, as Rochelle learned after one very happy Brit, Emily Feduchin-Pate, responded to her request.
“We spent a magical 10 days in New Orleans, enjoying the parades and live music, going on a swamp tour, dancing at Preservation Hall, cruising down the Mississippi on the Creole Queen and, of course, throwing a huge 40th birthday party for my husband,” Feduchin-Pate wrote to Rochelle via e-mail. “And to top it all off, I was lucky enough to receive your fabulously decorated shoe, and I thought I would bring it back to London and let you know about its new home.”
She attached a quartet of photos, including one of the shoe on London Bridge with Tower Bridge in the background.
“I was beyond excited to hear from her,” said Rochelle, who prepared and gave away a total of 30 shoes at Muses. “The shoes we work on, after all that time and effort, they’re like our little babies. It was so exciting to see one that went off to live in London.”
Rochelle added she remembered seeing Feduchin-Pate at the Muses parade after seeing her picture with the shoe. “She was just sitting there and she looked like she was having a great time,” said Rochelle, who teaches at Norco Elementary School. “I remembered her face. When I gave her the shoe, she was so excited.
“She wrote me and told me she was so ‘chuffed’ to receive the shoe. I learned a new word,” she added with a laugh. “It means excited and pleased.”
Feduchin-Pate met her husband, who lived in New Orleans for 15 years before relocating to England after Hurricane Katrina, four years ago during Mardi Gras season. This year marked her first trip to New Orleans, as the two decided to celebrate her husband’s 40th birthday in a way that was true to his roots.
“I was really excited to catch the shoe, as it was beautiful and the most unique throw I’d had so far,” Feduchin-Pate told the Herald Guide Monday. “But I didn’t really understand the significance until I spoke to some of my husband’s friends, who are locals. All the girls said they were jealous because the shoes are so coveted and anyone who catches one is really lucky! After that I felt even more excited about the whole thing and couldn’t wait to bring it home.”
She said she felt compelled to respond as she understood her shoe had a bit further to travel to its eventual destination than most.
“I thought my story might be unique because I was from the UK, and I also wanted to say thank you for the gift!” Feduchin-Pate said.
“When I saw the card I thought it was a lovely idea, that Lynn would create and hand out these beautiful shoes and then ask those who caught them to send their stories,” she said.
That gesture, Rochelle said, made her first Muses experience all the more memorable.
“It’s so great to have made such a connection,” she said. “She showed the shoe off at her work … it feels good to have a part in spreading the spirit of Mardi Gras, all over the world in this case.”
Be the first to comment