A Morning Walk

It was a warm, humid Louisiana morning.

Out my front door, 2 blocks east, I can see rice fields. The morning sounds of the rice fields are fantastic. I'm not sure what all those bugs or birds are that make noise, but in the silence it's really wonderful. This morning I saw a turtle slip down into the water too!

One block further and I can see the new horses that moved into the neighborhood. My kids have named the four horses Brownie, Brownie, Brownie, and Brown. Can you guess what color they are!??

Wait...what's that speedy little thing coming towards me so early in the morning?!?

Oh, that's my girl. I'm so proud.

This is a great place to walk, to run, to work, and to live.

Mornings In The Doorway

Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God. ~Oswald Chambers

Picture taken from one of the old buildings at

The Academy of the Sacred Heart

A Little More Grand Coteau

I've saved the most beautiful place for last to share with you from Grand Coteau. Back through a narrow 2 lane road, underneath a line of trees we came upon the Academy of the Sacred Heart.

The grounds of the school were amazing with old, original buildings and newer stately buildings. The horse barns and fields for horses were grand. As soon as we drove onto the property you could just sense this is a place of history and order. (Check out the old water cistern in the picture below.)

From Wikipedia~

The Academy of the Sacred Heart, founded in 1821 in Grand Coteau, Louisiana, is an independent, Catholic school for girls in Pre-Kindergarten-3 through grade twelve, with residential accommodations for students in grades seven through twelve. It is operated independently within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette. It was established in 1821 and as such is the second oldest institution of learning west of the Mississippi. It is the oldest, continually running member of the Network of Sacred Heart Schools in the world. It is also the oldest independent school in the Acadiana region.

Founded under the direction of Saint Philippine Duchesne, the Academy has remained in continuous operation through fire, epidemics, and war.

The Academy has an equestrian program with a barn available for students wishing to bring their own horses. The Academy is home to over twenty school-owned and privately owned horses. Sacred Heart Stables, center for the ASH equestrian studies division, features a fourteen stall barn in addition to the unique six stall barn that was built in 1886. The facility also includes two cement wash racks, two lighted, locking tack rooms, over 20 acres (81,000 m2) of fenced turn out, a round pen, and two fully enclosed riding arenas.

After Hurricane Katrina, it graciously hosted the satellite location for Academy of the Sacred Heart of the Rosary in New Orleans, and its students housed many of the dislocated students from New Orleans.

In 2006, it opened a boys division, St. John Berchmans School, for boys in grades PK3-2nd grade. In the 2007-2008 school year, grades 3-5 will be added. One grade will be added each year thereafter.

Also in 2006, the administration decided to rename the institution that runs both the Academy of the Sacred Heart and St. John Berchmans School. The new name is Schools of the Sacred Heart, Grand Coteau.

More Grand Coteau

Since 1922, St. Charles College in Grand Coteau has been the site of the Jesuit Novitiate for the New Orleans Province. Before becoming the Novitiate and Jesuit Spirituality Center that it is today, it opened in 1837 as a boarding school for Catholic boys offering elementary, secondary, and higher education. The town of Grand Coteau itself is steeped in history, being the site of an 1863 Civil War battle. More significantly for a Jesuit, then-Blessed John Berchmans appeared at the Sacred Heart convent down the road from the College curing one of the sisters in 1866. This was the miracle required for the canonization of Berchmans who had died as a Jesuit scholastic.

In this historical environment, and surrounded by 775 acres of pasture, the novices do the 30-day retreat of St. Ignatius and study the Constitutions in order to learn about the Society of Jesus and to discern whether to follow Christ poor, chaste and obedient as vowed Jesuits.
(From http://norprov.org/news/novicebios2008.pdf )

Grand Coteau

We took a drive last night and visited the little town of Grand Coteau. Interesting place. The next few blogs will post various things we saw there.

(Information from http://www.cajuntravel.com/ )

The Grand Coteau Historic District is one of the few primarily rural districts on the National Register of Historic Places. Grand Coteau is noted for its magnificent trees that form alleys, groves, and gardens. Within the district there are over 70 structures designated as architecturally significant. Creole, French, Acadian, Anglo-American, and Victorian styles are reflected in the houses, stores, and religious institutions. Of special significance is this last category, Grand Coteau and Catholicism have been deeply connected for over 175 years. The church and retreat centers continue to provide extensive spiritual and educational guidance for the community and visitors from afar.

In the early 1800s, Grand Coteau served as a stopping point for travelers between Washington in St. Landry Parish and St. Martinville in St. Martin Parish. The thriving community had two bakeries, a cobbler, millinery, and blacksmith shop, a post office, and an inn where stagecoaches changed horses.

The Jesuits arrived in 1837 when St. Charles College, a Jesuit boarding school, was built. The settlement that grew up around the schools was called St. Charles Town before it was changed to Grand Coteau.

Wow. That Stunk.

I'm not talking about the Tiger Toilets either. I'm talking about the lack of participation in the most recent contest here at the Louisiana blog. So...by default of being the only participant outside of my house...a canister of Slap Ya Mama will be headed to my Mom (next time I see her). She did have a decent entry!

I know some of you out there could have thought of some good names for your favorite team's port-a-potty. Here are some we thought of~

Commodore Commode
Toilet Roll Tide
Razorback Restroom
Jayhawk John
Hurricane Head
Bruin Bathroom
Florida State Facilities
Nittany Lion Lavatory
Wolverine Water Closet
Purdue Potty
The Flushing Irish
Privateer Privy
Mountaineer Mens' Room
Cardinal Can

I'm sure some of y'all could have done better!

Potty Talk Contest...Go Team!

It's not just a place to relieve yourself...

It's a statement of state pride! (Geaux Tigers!) Yes, this is a "Tiger Toilet", colored in the famous LSU purple and gold. I keep saying it, and it's true~ folks around here are serious about their LSU Tigers.

So the question is~ What porta-potty might you find in your state?

Perhaps it's the Gator-Go-Box, the Buckeye Bidet, or the Longhorn Loo.

Leave your favorite team outhouse name in the comment section. You can post as many team outhouse names as you want to. My family will pick a winner by Wednesday at 6 PM. The winner will receive a gift set of cajun seasonings and spices!

Remember~ my children will be reading this.