Wow! I have had an outpouring of local community love this weekend. I got so many E-mails from locals who are enjoying my fresh perspective as well as house shoppers and possible transplants who were convinced that Mandeville & the Northshore were the places for them – after reading my blog. The power of the internet blows me away every day! One mom from Mandeville banging away at her keyboard in her pajamas and it reaches out to someone Googling something about the area!

One potential newbie wrote to me that she heard the “Lewsianans” were the friendliest people in the US. Yep, lived all over and I guess that is what makes it such a unique place – it’s the people. Let’s just put it this way, people are more open to striking up a conversation with you, returning a smile (I am always smiling) & welcoming you into their inner circle. In eighth grade, I was voted “Friendliest Girl.” Seriously – isn’t that a hoot? My whole life I guess I have been conducting “human responsiveness experiments.” When I strike up a conversation in an elevator, talk to someone in the line at Wal-Mart, smile at a fellow driver, talk in Spanish (however bad it is) to a worker, I used to get those “what a wierdo stares.” I guess everyone here is just like me, because I don’t get “those” stares anymore.

Finally, my kids won’t scold me for striking up a conversation and making a friend in a restaurant!

cross posted at NOLA.com