The Chicken Chasing Holiday

During Christmas you can see various yard decorations to celebrate the season. The decorations give insight into what the people are excited about~ Santa coming in his sleigh, the ideas of reindeer on your rooftop, stockings hung, giant gifts, the nativity, the shining star of Bethlehem, etc.

Mardi Gras is coming, and the decorations show what a lot of folks are excited about~ chasing chickens.

This whole chicken chase thing is new to me! I lived in New Orleans. I went to parades. I caught beads, dubloons, and plastic cups. I thought I knew what Mardi Gras was about.

I was wrong. This is a different Mardi Gras experience than I have known.

It's That Time Of Year

Crow Cacophony (Picture Added)

This time of year, it's like we live in an aviary! (I added this picture since the post to show that the birds really do exist, but you can't always see them this clearly.)

The birds wake you up in the morning with all the racket they are making. However, I love the birds. I always have liked having birds in the yard, so I enjoy opening the windows and doors and listening to their cacophony.

Cajun Condos

The fields are covered with these little crawfish homes.

Want a closer look?

One more look. Can you see anything down in that little hole? There is a crawfish (or two or three?) down in that hole. I would love to know how they make these little holes and why the crawfish crawl out of the ponds to begin with. Maybe they are overcrowded in the crawfish pond and want to live out in the 'country'.

Funky Florida Finds

I've posted about Louisiana for 98% of this blog, but in our recent trip to Florida I came across some things that couldn't go unnoticed. Odd things. Things that make you go 'hmmm'. Of course I took pictures so I could share them with my faithful 3.92 readers!

Concrete trees

Ski lift/slopes for wheelchairs?

Think these folks are having trouble getting their mail??

Absolutely no comment

Welcome Home!

We arrived home after our 12 days of travel, which included a stop with friends in Florida and a family reunion time then a week at Disney. It was a fantastic trip from start to finish. We couldn't have planned it to be any better!

This is what awaited us at home.

Yep, the dissection kit (with fish, worm, crawfish, and frog included) that goes with Apologia Biology I textbooks arrived. What a welcome. Yippee...back to routine...and stinky dissection. Back to reality!

While We Are Out

No time for blogging too much in Florida.
Wanna know why? Because we are too busy acting like this~

Florida

Returning

In two days I'll be traveling to the place I called home for 30 of my 37 years in this life. I'll head back to the east side of the Mississippi River.

To Florida.

I will see people and places that I love.

Even in this moment I feel sort of fuzzy inside and my eyes feel full thinking of being with those people and in those places.

I am blessed and reminded of how God knits our lives and hearts together with those around us. I can't wait.

On The 8th Day After Christmas...

My true love planted for me~ my Christmas present orange tree!

Everyone took a turn being helpful with the shoveling, hoeing, digging, planting, and watering. They say we'll have some oranges by next winter with this little tree.

So thanks family for giving me such a great gift!

Special thanks to Ash for taking all the pictures (except the one of her). We ended up with 99 pictures of tree planting. Only my daughter could find a way to get 99 pictures out of a tree-planting task. She'll be the next camera clicker yet!

A Cajun New Year Lesson

My Aunt and Uncle told us about this tradition when we visited their house on New Year's Eve. My kids even received something from Madame Grande Doigts.
Check it out~

http://dpulling.wordpress.com/2008/12/31/madame-grande-doigts-va-passer-ce-soir/

Beginning with Praise

Psalm 145
A psalm of praise. Of David.

I will exalt you, my God the King;

I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;

his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation will commend your works to another;

they will tell of your mighty acts.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,

and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness

and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.
They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
so that all men may know of your mighty acts

and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises

and loving toward all he has made.

The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you,

and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.
The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.

Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Amen.