Etouffe Title or Not....

Well, we didn't win this year, but Toby's etouffee was really great and we cleaned the pot. We had a wonderful time from Friday night to Sunday night with non-stop partying. If you'd like to check out pictures of us, you can find a few on The Daily World's website and a few more in their photo gallery. A Big Thank You to Toby Rodriguez soon to be Toby Pitre for cooking! Hopefully, I'll be back soon for more pictures.

Heidi, Alain and Camille have all started spring ball. We are practicing almost every weeknight and starting games the second week in April. The children are also doing a performance at the Liberty with Matt & Heidi on fiddle, Al on accordion, and Bonnie & I on guitar. This might prove interesting and somewhat entertaining!

Lance is having a birthday in May. He's working very hard on financing for Lakeview. We have also become Karaoke Revolution stars! Or maybe wannabe stars!

Also, for those of you waiting to see my quilt that I have been working on since August, you might have to wait a little longer. Eventually I'll finish it and you can bet your shorts, I'll have pictures posted everywhere!

Thanks for reading!

Merry Christmas emails

I usually send out "Merry Christmas emails", but this year I'm probably not even going to do that. Between Christmas concerts, parties, and choirs, we have our plates full.

Matthew is now 12 years old. Lance calls him a preteender. He's taller than I am and likes to show it off.

Heidi is 10 years old. She participates in gymnastics, fiddle, and animal raising. She will also be in softball soon. They both have mentioned that they would like to run Mardi Gras this year with me. I think I've decided to let them do the pig and chicken chasing.

Alain is now 7, soon to be 8. He's very much looking forward to all upcoming holidays, especially Christmas. He has really taken to the new puppy we found dumped in a parking lot on a cold, rainy night. (Anyone need a good puppy?) The new puppy's name is Pichou for bobcat since he has fluffy ears and his tail has been docked.

Camille is currently 4. She will turn 5 the weekend before Mardi Gras. She's the only one that attends school. She goes to a private preschool four mornings a week, and adores her teacher and classmates.

Nickel is 1 1/2 years. He is currently king of the family. Unfortunately, we have another climber. So not only does he dig, but he also climbs and digs, and then destroys anything in his way. Matthew was just like this, only not to this extent.

Lance is still working on the Lakeview RV Park. It's coming along slowly but surely. We're hoping the pace will pick up after the new year. I have been doing the same things-- homeschooling, cooking, sewing, quilting, and just being the general support staff (as my friend Debbie would say).

We are currently not just getting ready for Christmas, but Mardi Gras is only 7 weeks away. Get your costumes ready! I will be running this year and Lance gets to provide background services. He's already freaking a little, despite my reassurances. He's trying to find help and claims he can't be superman. This may be my only year to run, since we never know what next year will bring. I plan to have a good time, but not uphold the standard Lance may have set in year's past.

I wish you all a very wonderful and peacefull Christmas, and also a blessed New Year!

Cajun Heritage

As you all know, our family tries to promote our Cajun heritage as much as possible. It doesn't just include food and music, but the natural wildlife and foliage. In the past, there has been considerable heated debate over the condition of the Prairie project in Eunice. Many in the area want it mowed down. I wrote this letter to the editor of the Eunice News, and it was published last week (with a few unagreed-upon changes).

4A Sunday, September 23, 2007

Letters· to Editor

What's the problem? Editor, The Eunice News:

I writing in response to the "whole community" complaining about the Prairie project on the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Magnolia.

The Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society purchased 10 acres of land from Union Pacific and maintains that land with a parking lot, paved sidewalks, annual burning of the property, and even weed trim­ming along the sidewalks.

Have any of you pulled away from the sitcoms on TV and been out to this project? I have.

And the funny thing is, I can't see anyone's backyard, or even front yard next to this property. It is separated by the railroad on the north side, streets on the east and south sides, and an empty shrub and tallow tree- covered lot owned by Union Pacific on the west side.

I'm not sure I understand what the complaints are about. Maybe we should be calling Union Pacific instead.

We talk about sharing our Cajun culture and heritage with our chil­dren, with our neighbors, and with interested visitors. It's not just about food and music. Part of that culture is. a habitat native to the Cajun prairie.

Where can you go to truly see this habitat? The wetlands are disappear­ing, but so is the Cajun prairie. Oh, there are plenty of fields; where the grass, weeds and chicken trees have been taken over (just look right next to the Prairie Project).

The Cajun Prairie Habitat Preservation Society is trying to pro­mote Louisiana's natural Cajun prai­rie, and the city wants them to mow it down.

I have plenty of mowed lawn to look at, but when I want to see wildflowers that are different with every season, this is the place I go and take my children to.

And have you seen the butterflies?

I'm not just talking about the seem­ingly ubiquitous monarch that flies thousands of miles from Mexico. I've noticed cloudless sulphurs that are a delicate pale yellow, the color of that sticky note on your desk. Did you know that butterflies actually have host plants, or plants where they pre­fer to get their nectar?

Speaking of nectar, the humming­birds are out. Louisiana has more species of birds than 44 other states. What do birds feed on? Oh, that's right, insects. And insects feed off of plants. -

Go to the Prairie Project and really look at the plants, grasses and flow­ers.

I want my five children to have the joy of discovering the world God cre­ated for us. Please allow them that.

Kelly L. Pitre Co-owner, L' Acadie Inn Eunice

If you would like to see pictures of this project, please check out the website www.cajunprairie.org It is well worth a gander!

Family Work, Family Play

We started a new project this June. Well, what's new, right?

I had been having a playground kit that I bought on clearance on a do-it-yourself website since January. The old playground definitely had issues, but was still safe.

Lance finally agreed to look at it. I got the plans out and various books that had some cool ideas. Lance reviewed the plans, took a look at the books, and then got out the plans again. This time he got out the ruler and liquid paper too. I raised my eyebrows a little, but Lance always comes up with really neat ideas, so I let him do.

We set a start date and decided it would take no more than a week to disassemble the old one and build the new one. Well, we started Memorial Day weekend, and due to excessive amounts of rain and various add-ons, we completed the playground last week.

The new playground now features two children's swings, one cooperative swing, an infant swing and a five foot cypress porch swing. One slide is a 7 foot tubular slide and the other is a bumpy straight slide (if that makes sense!). There are two towers connected with a rickety bridge hand-netted by Lance. The larger tower has different levels for climbing and also Les Barres de Prison with a door that does not lock (for those brothers and sisters that might like to do away with a pesky sibling). At the top level is a surprise which I won't ruin with a picture, you'll just have to come see for yourself. The playground is shaded except for about 5 hours in the heat of the day. We have plans for landscaping and more shade trees, but that will be more in the fall.

We have also raised some Peking ducks and white geese for the pond. The fish are just waiting for someone to come toss some bait into the water. The fence is going up for the sheep (and possibly a donkey). However, Farmer Kelly lost several of her vegetable plants due to poor drainage and too much rain. I'll just try again later. Another summer project that I started is a beautiful quilt for Camille. My friend, Sandy, shared an easy pattern with me. I must say it is coming out awfully nice for the poor sewing skills that I possess.

Nickel is having his first birthday next week. He thinks he's big stuff. He has two bottom teeth, but still no top teeth. He hasn't begun to walk yet. Lance blames the exersaucer that he was in as a smaller baby. I'm actually okay with him not walking yet, since I can about imagine what other things he would be getting into.

We finished up all of our recitals, baseball/softball season, and most of the summer camps. Heidi still has culture camp over at the Jean Lafitte Center in town. Matthew attended the past two years, but is now too old. Heidi is very much looking forward to it. We're also doing a short course in early American history, which is kind of fun. The kids were frustrated at first for doing "schoolwork" over the summer, but then they got interested. We recently learned about Columbus' four voyages across the Atlantic. Yesterday, I heard Alain talking about the "treacherous" game he was playing! Next week, we'll get into the Native American Indians and their territories in North and Central America.

Life has been interesting to say the least. We're looking forward to the rest of the summer. Every day is a new and welcome challenge. Hopefully, it stays interesting and not too "treacherous"!

“Rendez-vous des Cajuns” on NBC's Today Show

P. O. Box 1415 (337) 948-8004
Opelousas, LA 70571-1415 1-877-948-8004
www.cajuntravel.com Fax: (337) 948-1579

Date : May 22, 2007

Contact: Celeste D. Gomez

For Immediate Release - Kill Date: May 27, 2007

************************************************************************************************

Eunice, LA…….The City of Eunice’s weekly Radio & T.V. show, performed on Saturday nights at the Liberty Theatre in Eunice, LA will be featured on NBC’s weekend “Today” news program on Sunday, May 27, 2007, 7AM-9AM. The “Rendez-vous des Cajuns” show will be part a series titled “Vanishing America”. In addition to the Liberty program, the segment will feature former Eunice Mayor Curtis Joubert, the show’s originator, as well as interviews with musicians Marc and Ann Savoy and attendees of the Liberty’s Saturday night show.

************************************************************************************************

Congratulations Eunice! We hope to see more national news regarding our wonderful area.

Boudin-making, cracklin cooking, crawfish boil, duck tape & Faquetigue 2007

We all had a wonderful time this Mardi Gras season, thanks to all of our guests staying with us. It wouldn't be half as fun if we didn't have such a great group of people!

Boudin making looked like an experience with Shane's apron getting a little too close to the fire!
Most of you will notice that I had to edit this one! Thanks to our Arkansas friends for making Shane stand out more!


I think this was probably the best batch of boudin yet. The cracklins were excellent too!


The crawfish were perfect. Lance boiled approximately 225 lbs. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the music. We only had about a pound of peeled tails left (for Lance's crawfish omelet in bed Thursday morning after Mardi Gras).

Duct tape testing was a success. WD40 did not further the cause. The final round of testing almost failed, but in the end it held up after several hours of trials! A caution sign was posted and notice was given. Beta testers for the Duct Tape Council were much appreciated.

Le Deuxieme Faquetigue Mardi Gras run went off with a bang this year. Lance was the first to catch a chicken.

Matthew and his friend, Gabe, also ran the courir. Unfortunately, neither of them caught a chicken, maybe next time. They enjoyed it so much that they both want to run again next year.

There was a pig chase at the halfway point.
He was greased and ready. Le cochon gave a nice run the first go-round. But as most of us know, pigs really don't fly, so he didn't put up much of a fight the next time. He's fine now, and we will certainly enjoy cooking and eating him for the weekend of the etouffee cook-off. Here are some of the pictures from various people. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.



















Next year, Lance says I get to run, so y'all better look out! Although I'm not sure I will be able to provide the entertainment post-party like Lance did! I'm done for now. It's time to grab a beer and hop in the hot tub!

C'est tous finis!

Family & Other Pics

We recently went to the Missippi coast to check out the damage one year after Katrina. The one on the left was taken on the beach in Waveland. There are lots of signs on many portions with "Beach Closed" because of the debris still under the water.

The water was very clear and shallow in Gulfport, so we were able to swim just a little.

New Orleans is slowly, but surely, recovering as well. Wasn't that Saints home opener at the newly renovated Superdome something else! I don't know about y'all, but Lance and I felt a little emotional seeing it. Amazingly, the Saints pulled off the win, and didn't even wilt in the last quarter. We were impressed with the strategy of the coach and execution of the team.

On to the next topic of the day.... Friends have been asking for more pictures of Nickel (as Heidi calls him). He is currently almost three months old.

"Who does he look like?" we are constantly asked. Well, the hair really got us. He was the first baby in the family with hair. Unfortunately, the poor darlin is starting to lose it (although he still seems to have more than his daddy!).

I look at the pictures now and I see Camille's smile, Matthews nose, Alain's eyes, and Heidi's mischeviousnous (uh oh). But he's a real sweetie. Whoever he resembles, he is certainly loved.

Matthew, our world traveler, is currently gone on a cruise with his grandparents. I told him the other day that he was sure lucky he was a homeschooler and able to take advantage of these opportunities. We talked to Paw Paw last night on the phone, and Matthew had already read his entire leisure (as opposed to dedicated schoolwork) book (300 page eighth grade reading material). We miss him terribly. He's such a good big brother. He really takes care of his younger siblings.

Heidi is having her ninth birthday this weekend. Her latest interests are photography, fashion and puppies. She's the dog whisperer. She just found a stray beagle wandering the grounds. Naturally, she was the only one able to pet it. With all of the animals around, she still wants to keep it. I'm surprised, because recently she told me she didn't want anymore pigeons, because she would have to feed them (one of her chores).

Alain must be right-brained, because he is really excelling in math. He spent two weeks at the start of the school year working with his daddy every day. Now, he actually looks forward to his schoolwork.
Alain can't wait to go back to the beach. He's not satisfied with our upcoming vacation to the east coast, he wants sand. When Al was a baby, he would sit in the sand box and eat fistfuls of sand! I guess some loves never die.

Camille is still our little hurricane. She's excited because she now has her own "practice box" with colors, water paints, scissors, glue, puzzles & preschool workbooks. At least once a day, she tells me she needs to practice and heads off to her table. I'm actually pretty impressed with her fine motor skills! Her favorite pasttimes are playing Barbies with her big sister and swimming.

Lance is keeping busy over at Lakeview. You'll have to talk to him about progress over there. Things are still coming along here too. It's just more infrastructure so ya can't see it.

We recently talked to some of our evacuee/friends. Unfortunately, two of them have passed away due to a long illness and a heat stroke. Our prayers are with these families. Everyone else is doing well. We still remember them in our prayers, and hope you will too.

Just as an aside, I'd like you to meet my mom. She is responsible for a lot of my obnoxious personality! (I had to get this picture in somewhere!)

I haven't been doing many new and exciting things lately. My reading has even slowed to a crawl. I did pick up a nice cross stitch and put in approximately three stitches. I haven't been crocheting much either. I am trying to organize my life and those of the kids, but I haven't truly dedicated myself to it yet. Hopefully, I'll get it together one day. Until then, I hope you were able to understand the ramblings of a sleep-deprived, homeschool mom of five (that doesn't seem possible to me!).