This year has been a year of great change for me. Actually, it’s been YEARS in the making, but this year I made some difficult decisions and my life is very different as a result. I’m not ready to publicly share the details yet, but my quietness has been a result of a great deal of introspection, personal growth and …
Creative Coloring for stress relief
I’m sure you’ve heard of the adult coloring book craze going on these days. Many are raving that coloring helps them to reduce their stress + anxiety. Expressing oneself creatively is also something that I find satisfying and gratifying. It’s great to finish a piece of artwork and look back and think “Wow. I made that.” That sense of pride isn’t …
Reflections on hurt, fear and love
A few weeks ago when the civil unrest began in our country, I remained silent. I didn’t want to take sides. I didn’t want to pretend that I knew enough on a subject to write coherently about a situation that in reality, I knew nothing about. I didn’t want to say something ill advised, stupid or inconsiderate in an already …
Navigating the storms of life
We had a couple of nasty storms move through our area today. As I sat on the 2nd floor of a building in an all day workshop and watched the rain move in, I had some thoughts about the vantage point from which I was watching the rain and from my reactions to the rain in the past few years. I …
Make your own iced coffee
Everyone knows that Louisiana in the summer months is oppressively hot. The last thing you want to do when it’s that hot outside is to settle in with a nice, warm cup of coffee in the morning. But what to do? We all need our caffeine fix in the morning – how else are we supposed to wake up like …
Tips for a Great Summer Road Trip
As I outlined in yesterday’s post, I’m heading to Louisiana to hang out with friends + family for a week. Frequent driving between Atlanta and various destinations across the US, including a few trips to Montana and beyond have yielded me a true road warrior. It occurred to me that a few of my road trip tips might come in …
Moving away from Louisiana changed me
There are days when I think about how my life would be different had I never left “home” (Louisiana). Then, I sit back and realize how much my life has changed because I left Louisiana. I made the decision to move away from Baton Rouge during my last semester at LSU. I’d accepted a job with a big computer company …
Cajun Cultural history: A story of sadness
I’ve been re-reading a favorite book of mine – “Bayou Farewell” by Mike Tidwell in preparation for our Bayou Book Club call this Sunday evening. The book focuses on the erosion of the coastal wetlands of South Louisiana and the culture of the people who live in that region. Mr. Tidwell weaves an interesting tale through his journeys with the …
5 Tips on surviving your first crawfish boil
Last week, I blogged about where to find boiled crawfish outside of South Louisiana. If you happen to be the friend or relative of a Cajun, you just might find yourself at a crawfish boil and feel a bit out of place. This post is meant to prepare you for what to expect, how to dress and how best to …
Where to find boiled crawfish outside of Acadiana
If you’re a native Cajun, you know the familiar roar of the propane burner, the smell of crawfish boil seasoning wafting through the air and taste of delicious, freshly boiled crawfish. You’re very aware of when “Crawfish season” wraps up and around this time of year, you’ve got the envie for some crawfish. Yeah, I know the jealousy that sets in when …