LOUISIANA AT IT'S BEST

 By

Minuet in G (MinnieG)

(a 1979 Argosy, made by Airstream, that is a southern gal at heart)

So many places to see in Louisiana...

Friends and Relatives from one end of the state to the other...

Here I am sittin' purdy in Lincoln Parish City Park in Ruston, LA.

Had some mighty nice visitors.

Niece, Stephanie and Great-Great Niece, Stella...

That's a lot of "greats"...and Vannie and Dave think 

Miss Stella deserves every one of them.

Turnip Green Sandwiches

A Bernice, LA specialty

If any of you are ever passin' through Bernice

on Hwy 167, Dave said that you must stop

at  Avery Family Mercantile Café.

You'll be glad you did.

(Bernice is about 20 miles south of the Arkansas border.)

Dave has some land in Bernice.

They have decided to clear off an acre and

make a spot for Gypsy and me to stay sometime.

They know a lot of folks in that neck of the woods.

Getting reacquainted would be fun.

On the way down to Lafayette

V and D decided to stop for lunch at Cousin Emmilee Green's

in Harrisonburg.  Check out this

yummy apple creation.

Dave said that Emmilee is "sum" good cook.

We rolled into Lafayette just in time for

Ashley's birthday.  Ash is V and D's son.

Looks like he is making a really big wish 

before blowing out those candles.

A new ladder and drill for the birthday boy...

There is the whole motley crew!!!

Dave, Cooper, Diane, Vannie, Ash

Thanksgiving 2021

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Santa always seems to show up for this parade.

A great beginning of the Christmas season! 
Vannie and Dave love watching this every year.

They headed to Ash and Diane's after the parade for 

a Thanksgiving lunch.

...with pumpkin pie

...and gumbo.

De...lish!!!

Everyone was as full as a tick.

Diane and Cooper and Vannie enjoyed putting together 

a 500 piece puzzle after lunch...

and had some more gumbo after about the 300th piece...

and some pie as the 500th piece was laid.

St. John's Cathedral

Lafayette

V and D enjoyed a beautiful concert

by the Chorale Acadienne.

Their good friend, Gordon Bilello,

sings with Chorale.

He's lookin' sharp in his tux.

After the performance, Gordon, Dave, Vannie, and their

friends, Danny and Mona Izzo, headed downtown to Central Pizza.

Dave is enjoying it immensely. 

Carencro High School Football 

Friday Night Game... 

Why would V and D head to a football game

on a Friday night?

...to see grandson, Cooper, perform...

(He's the one in the middle.)

They also got to see him march in the 

Lafayette Sonic Christmas Parade.

...and again in the Broussard Christmas parade.

I bet his feet were aching after all that marching.

The Harris' also loved see all the beautiful decorated

Christmas trees in Parc International in Lafayette.

This one was decorated by the First Methodist Church.

Just around the corner in Parc San Souci, the group walked over to 

have some fun with these 3-D cutouts.

Ashley and Dave

Ashley and Diane

The Little Big Cup Restaurant in Arnaudville

was the location for the celebration of the 

Lafayette Family Christmas.

Arnaudville is the coolest little town

located in St. Landry and St. Martin Parishes.

It is about a 30 minute drive from Lafayette.

The food was awesome.

Delightful evening

Back to Ash and Diane's...

Santa had left a stocking full of goodies for Cooper.

...but the main goodie was a car for Coop.

Cooper and Vannie/T-Pop split the cost of this 

used Mini-Cooper.

A Cooper for a Cooper...

It's hard to visit Louisiana without going 

to New Orleans.  Vannie and Dave were invited to

a wedding...for the 3rd time.  Kaitlin Simmons,

daughter of a school teacher buddy of Vannie's, Ann Simmons,

had scheduled her wedding for the 3rd time.

Covid had interfered with the first two attempts.

New Orleans was decked out in all its finery.

Petunia's blooming and Saint's flags flying

...and Christmas trees on the balconies.

V and D didn't want to be outdone,

so they dressed to the nines for the wedding.

They stayed in the Bienville House Hotel.

Vannie said it was wonderful to sleep in a 

big room...

in a big bed...

with a big bathroom.

The wedding was held in the Cabildo.

The Cabildo was the seat of Spanish colonial city hall.  

It is now the Louisiana State Museum.

It opened in the late 1700's. It is located on Jackson Square

adjacent to the St. Louis Cathedral.  

The wedding was on the second floor overlooking Jackson Square.

Vannie and the bride's mom, Ann.

Kaitlin and Vannie

Vannie said that Kaitlin made a beautiful bride.

Fun party favors for the wedding.
Weddings are wonderful celebrations,

but this one was especially happy because of the delays.

Everyone was so excited it was finally happening.

The next day before Vannie and Dave would head for home,

they had to make one more stop...Cafe du Monde for beignets and cafe au lait.
Dave's black jacket was covered in powered sugar after one bite.

While eating beignets and watching the horse and carriages trot down the street, 

V and D enjoyed some last minute sidewalk entertainment.

V and D made it back to New Iberia...

to their spot on Lee Station Road...

across from the sugar cane fields...

where the sunsets are spectacular...

...and the fog is "tick"...yeah!

One last dinner with the grandson at

Twin's Burgers in Lafayette.

Lafayette must be some kind of cool place, 

because Santa hangs out at a coffee spot on

Jefferson Street...

...and he was in the Lafayette Sonic Christmas Parade...

...and in the Broussard Christmas Parade.

That guy really gets around.

Vannie said she knows he is real,

because no fake person could be in all

those places in one week's time.

Vannie and Dave got to visit so many friends

and eat so much good food while in Louisiana.

Thanks to everyone for all their hospitality.

Tres Bon.!!!

JOYEUX NOEL

🎄