Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Raising Readers

My children love to read.
In this year, my son has read 9,447 pages. His stack of books measures 26 inches tall. These were the books he read for PLEASURE, not for any assigned schoolwork. This stack includes classics by Alexander Dumas, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and Lord of the Flies by William Golding just to name a few. (I think you can click on the pictures for a closer look.)

My daughter has read 9,013 pages this year, and her stack of read books measures 26.5 inches tall. (This was her big year in Nancy Drew!)

Friday, December 26, 2008

It Was A Rough 24 Hours




We all might say that if we had to deliver presents to the entire world in one night!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Joyeux Noel!

Christmas In Acadiana, Part IV

Traditional Christmas Gifts~
Specialty meats, of course!

Deboned chicken, stuffed with crawfish

Sausage from LeJeune's Sausage Kitchen

We will enjoy it all!!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

You Better Watch Out.

You better not cry.
Better not pout, I'm telling you why:

Because Santa already has the pouting covered.

(Thanks to my Aunt Sarah for telling me where to find this sad, pouty Santa.)

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Christmas In Acadiana, Part III

Reindeer and Gingerbread Men? No way.
It's about the frog around here.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Cajun Twelve Days Of Christmas

This isn't my work at all, but how can I go all season without sharing it!?

Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

A Bit Of History

The Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in downtown Lafayette, LA stands as a sentinel to the faith of generations of followers. It is the third church built on the site donated by Jean Mouton in l821, when Lafayette was the town of Vermilionville. The present Dutch Romanesque landmark, completed in l916, is on the National Registry of Historic Properties. Massive brick walls contrast with graceful arches and delicate red and white brickwork. Turrets flank the octagonal steeple above, from which the bells toll.

St. John Cemetery is the oldest in the city of Lafayette. The high water table in South Louisiana makes aboveground burial almost a necessity. The tomb of Jean Mouton, who donated the property for the church, is in this cemetery. Along with his son, Alexandre Mouton, governor of Louisiana from l843 to l846, and his grandson, J. Alfred Mouton, a West Point graduate and general in the Civil War.

Information provided by the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist website~ here. Pictures taken by me.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Christmas In Acadiana, Part II

Only here in Acadiana can you get your picture taken with a Christmas crawfish...

Or see some boudin (boo-dan) under the Christmas tree!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Death of a Sneauxman



He never really belonged around here anyhow, in south Louisiana. All he ever really wanted was to evaporate and go back to the bayou. It was nice having him visit, and maybe he'll come back another time.

Goodbye Sneauxman!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Sneaux

Snow actually, but most things with that O sound end in eaux around here! We went to bed with thoughts of morning snow, realizing that it's unlikely to happen but hopeful. We woke up to this~

I know snow isn't part of the south Louisiana culture, but somehow it showed up out my back door this morning! The schools have closed for this 'snow day' and kids are running all over the yards playing. I could hear neighbors having conversations with each other at 5:30 this morning and just laughing together at this phenomenon. It's fantastic!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

My Christmas Angel

Guess who got to be an angel in the Christmas program at church?!?

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Music Lesson

Cajun Music, A Reflection Of A People, Vol. I, Ann Allen Savoy

Sometimes called a "squeeze box" or a "Cajun accordion," the diatonic accordion came to Louisiana from Germany. Today it has become such a vital part of Cajun music that many accordion builders are established in southwest Louisiana. The quality varies and the physical appearance ranges from natural wood tones with wooden and abalone inlays to bright colors with glitter and sparkling tapes. The sought after Monarch and Sterlings of the 1920's-30's are solid black with "gold" keys and trademarks.

Structurally the instrument is small (6" x 11" when closed) and light weight (8 lbs.). The size, however, is no indication of its sound power. The finest Cajun accordions have 46 reeds (four reeds per melody button and three reeds per bass button) which supply them with much more volume power than a 28 pound piano key accordion.

Though the diatonic accordion has many reeds, it has a limited range, having a full tonal range in only one key. A talented accordionist can perform in as many as four keys, but the 3rd and 4th keys are short of many notes. The Cajuns generally prefer C accordions, the second favorite being the D accordion.

On the right hand side of the instrument is a button keyboard consisting of basically ten buttons arranged in a “major" scale. Each button produces two notes, according to whether the bellows are being pushed in or pulled out while pressing a button. A tune is played by pushing or pulling the bellows in or out while pressing the button that corresponds to the needed melody note.

Here you can see my uncle playing his cajun accordion. He's pretty good!

You can see him in action with the accordion here.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Christmas In Acadiana

Over the next few weeks, as I come across uniquely cajun Christmas things, I will be sharing them with you (my 4.7 loyal readers).

Step one to celebrating Christmas with a cajun flair:
You have to have the alligator under the tree.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Super-Ugly Bug

It's a bird....

It's a plane...

No, it's Super-Ugly Bug that totally freaks me out!!!

What is this bug and what do they do? This one was LARGE. Like the width of the brick it is resting on. Totally EWWW.
I'm not good with the strange creepy, crawly creatures....remember here and here.