Prairie Creole

Evangeline statue in Evangeline Parish

2012-01-29T13:58:00.000-06:00

I couldn’t find the letter sent from John LaFleur to the Ville Platte Gazette about the Evangeline statue. It was good because he talked about the first Fontenot being a better statue than Evangeline and how our parish has no real Acadian connection. I did find Jim Bradshaw's article and he talked about the same thing. Evangeline Parish was named after the heroine in the poem but many people

boo catcher

2012-01-19T13:09:00.000-06:00

Are you looking for that Cajun woman of your dreams? Forget about bars and online dating. Buy yourself a Cajun Porsche! That’ll grab a Cajun woman’s eye! A buddy at work mentioned that they were working on this model and I couldn’t believe it. Just Google Cajun Porsche and you’ll see for yourself. Can you imagine all the Cajun things you could do in that machine? Go to the Crawfish

Gomme de Mer and Bayou Bock

2012-01-14T18:24:00.000-06:00

I needed a beer after this week. Work wasn’t bad but I had an annoying cold that sapped my energy and made this easy week irritating. All the up and down weather mixed with rain did a job on me. I went to Champagne’s in Ville Platte and bought a six pack of Bayou Bock. It costs more than usual, probably because it’s a local beer and not one of the major brands. It’s a good beer and it took

Madame Grand Doigts research

2012-01-11T19:33:00.002-06:00

I must be in love with this woman because I keep mentioning her. I like folklore and I find it interesting that this folk story and custom has not been researched. I googled her once again and saw some references to the character, including my posts where I’m having fun with it. I read a new article that was written and read the interview done with Amanda Lafleur. Both are interesting but

Cajun country road trip

2012-01-08T12:17:00.000-06:00

I wanted a road trip this weekend. I worked two weeks straight and needed to get away from the same scene. I asked my younger brother Matthew if he wanted to go with me. He did and he brought his camera in case we saw something interesting. I decided on Abbeville and then pass by Delcambre where my older sister lives since it’s in the same area. I took 13 all the way down. It’s an easy

La bock or bockbier

2012-01-03T19:50:00.000-06:00

I like Michelob Amber Bock and want to try other bocks. From what I read Michelob’s version is nothing compared to more traditional ones. The style is usually dark and contains more alcohol. It’s a great beer when eating a steak. I wondered why they had a damn goat on a lot of labels for the beer and read different explanations. One is that the style originated in a town called Einbeck.

Family Tradition

2012-01-02T12:59:00.000-06:00

My grandfather, Dad and me taking a picture with our vehicles. That's Leo Guillory, Mom's Dad, not Adan Hebert. I tried to find a picture of him but there're none that I know of.

Mon Char

2011-12-30T15:27:00.000-06:00

My Focus finally ended its run. I started having problems with it and it eventually wouldn’t go. It wasn’t getting enough juice. It had to do something with frayed wiring. I brought it to a friend of a friend and he told me the repairs would cost around 2 to 300 hundred dollars. He was able to band aid it with duct tape. The car ran good for about a year and a half but started acting up again. It

Fred's and Savoy Music Center jam

2008-03-30T00:52:00.003-05:00

I went with Mr. Dowell Saturday morning to Fred's and the Savoy Music Center. I met him at his house and Ms. Pinky cooked us a nice breakfast for our morning adventure. Mr. Dowell drove because he had to pick up some crawfish bait in Mamou. That was OK because I was able to drink a few beers.Fred's wasn't too packed when we first got there but it didn't take long before the place was crowded.

"Do not gamble. Do not drink whiskey."

2008-03-26T02:43:00.002-05:00

You'll end up like Euzebe Vidrine if you do. That was Vidrine's warning before he was hanged in Ville Platte in 1924. I read in the Evangeline Parish Library's blog how an original copy of his biography was recently archived and better copies made, including a CD. Vidrine tells his story of growing up in Evangeline Parish, getting married, working at several different jobs, robbing and killing

blood in the ground

2008-03-22T15:06:00.003-05:00

Don't dig into the ground on Good Friday. If you do, you will see blood. I think you can cut grass. But farmers shouldn't plow and people shouldn't work in their gardens. You will see blood in the ground if you do. Too bad if you did already, but next year you will know better. Ca! I don't think anyone follows this tradition or superstition now. But I wouldn't want to dig into the ground on Good

Good Friday

2008-03-21T14:22:00.001-05:00

Why is it called Good Friday? Jesus died today. I'll learn why when I come home from work tonight. It didn't start good today because I couldn't eat boudin. I had to punish myself so I ate a catfish basket. I'm sure many people will punish themselves tonight with shrimp po-boys, catfish, shrimp and beer. Those that gave beer up for Lent will buy whiskey instead.I was told things were more serious

Happy St. Joseph’s Day

2008-03-19T15:41:00.005-05:00

St. Joseph’s Day is not celebrated by my family. Mom said it used to be a fun day because it was the day for dances. Any penance taken up for Lent was temporarily suspended and everyone would go out to a dance. I don’t know why this tradition died. There might have been more to do on this day but I was only told people would go out dancing and they would forget

Bounty Hunter

2008-03-18T18:11:00.002-05:00

I needed to write something for an application. I was working at the store when a trapper came by to eat. I talked with him and he asked me if I had ever seen an otter. I told him I saw them in zoos. He told me he had one in his truck. I went out to see it and he said he came to Louisiana to trap beavers and anything else that was in season. I thought that was an interesting story so I called

pocking eggs or la toquette

2008-03-17T21:18:00.002-05:00

Pocking eggs was one of the subjects talked about on the March 14, 2008 La Tasse de Cafe. Mr. Aucoin called in and said that the folk game was practiced only in Evangeline and Avoyelles parishes. This generated a lot of calls from people saying the custom was practiced in other areas. A woman called and said some areas of Pennsylvania broke eggs and they called the game upper or uppering. I

Ville Platte Today

2008-03-10T20:35:00.002-05:00

The Ville Platte Gazette is online. I read about it yesterday and checked today to see if it was up. I'm glad they created this because they'll be able to deliver more than what's available in print -- and in color. I like it and I'm sure people who've left the area will appreciate it because they'll be able to stay in touch every day with their native area.Ville Platte Today (Gazette) I haven't

Southern Comfort

2008-02-28T23:28:00.004-06:00

It's the land of hospitality ... unless you don't belong thereI watched Southern Comfort tonight with my younger brother. I've heard of the movie and wanted to see what it was like. It's so bad that it's actually funny. We laughed throughout the film. I like Walter Hill and several of the actors ("Bubba" from TV series The Heat of the Night goes cou-cou) but nothing worked in this movie. Several

tocaille "cop cop" tapis

2008-02-27T00:25:00.002-06:00

I heard several new words and expressions lately. I man told me he was my tocaille because we have the same name. I didn't know how to spell that and also if he was just joking around. My Mom never heard of that word and neither did my Dad. I asked several co-workers and they were also unfamilar with it. Mr. Dowell, however, knew about it and Maw Maw too. I asked about it on the L'Anse Grise

brief visit from Quebec

2008-02-21T00:37:00.003-06:00

I meet all kinds of people at work. A man from Quebec came by today. He was going to Ville Platte and wanted some information on a particular business. I helped him out with what I knew and I showed him the phone book. He mentioned that it's been a long time he's passed in the area and that he was from Quebec. He also asked if I spoke French. I told him I didn't but ma mouman and mon poupa did.

Black Cajuns

2008-02-16T02:13:00.002-06:00

Are there any black cajuns? Are they only "white"?This question starts an interesting discussion on one of louisianacajun.com's forums. I don't see why there can't be "black" Cajuns and "white" Creoles but the popular view is "black" Louisiana French people are Creole and rural white Louisiana French people are Cajun. This is the case around here. It's interesting to see how the labels are

dit in Cajun English

2008-02-12T22:17:00.003-06:00

I hear dit often in English conversations among older French speaking people. The majority of the conversation is in English but for some reason, dit, sounding like Z, is said. I'll use more French in this fictional example.Fontenot: Ca va Soileau?Soileau: Mais, mon j'sus correct. Did you go to Mamou for Mardi Gras?Fontenot: Non, I didn't go. I never did like that [expletive]. I talked with

tourbillon and Mardi Gras

2008-02-05T20:37:00.000-06:00

No, there was no tourbillon (tornado) for Mardi Gras, but there was a strong wind all day. I was wrong about Evangeline Parish calling it cyclone, which Mr. Dowell pointed out to me Sunday, and I found what I was looking for on the LSU Cajun site. I worked on Mardi Gras and had only Sunday off to enjoy, which I did in L'Anse Grise. I've been working nonstop these days and on my days off I look

choque and grive

2008-01-30T21:51:00.000-06:00

I see a lot of choques in the afternoon flying towards Miller's Lake. It's a pretty sight, seeing the birds fly in the sunset. I see and hear them at the Y and also when I pass on the platin road. I wonder where they go all day. I'm sure they eat in fields. A good friend told me that it's illegal to drive around country roads shooting choques from your truck window. So if you're thinking about

Love the French

2008-01-17T22:48:00.000-06:00

Bonsoir. J'ai la grippe. Well, I think it's the flu. It floored me, whatever it is. I'm feeling better now but I haven't been outside since Monday evening. I worked Monday morning, went to Ville Platte for a check in the afternoon, and then I was attacked. I crawled into bed as a major war began inside my body. It made me delirious with all the damn freezing, coughing, and painful joints. And

Barber Spur and the Y

2008-01-10T17:21:00.000-06:00

I didn't know why Barber Spur was named that but Mr. Dowell told me today that it was named after a railway spur. It was a part of the railway where the train would leave an empty car or supplies, and then another one would come by later and pick it up. The Barber part of the name is anyone's guess; maybe there was a barber shop set up at the spur, or maybe it was named after a woman. Barber Spur

Evangeline Parish Tourism

2008-01-05T01:08:00.000-06:00

Bonne Année! It's a little late, but bonne année anyway. I was talking with someone the other day about the idea of someone writing a historical novel of the Evangeline Parish area. I can't do it, but I'm sure someone out there could. Someone could write a massive Lonesome Dove type epic on the French people in the south and their relations with the English people in the northern part of the

Evangeline Parish Police Jury meeting

2007-12-11T14:04:00.000-06:00

The Evangeline Parish Police Jury meeting will be in French today, the last meeting of the year. The jurors decided to hold the final meeting in French for tradition and for the many French speaking people in the parish. Tom Bonnette covered the story for the Town Talk two years ago but I can’t find an online link to it. You can, however, read the article if you have Internet access and a

Américain and Americajun

2007-12-07T10:19:00.000-06:00

Bonjour. Comment c’est a ce matin?Magnifique, Jack.Bon. Qui d’autre?C’est tout.Huit piastres vingt-cinq sous. Merci.Pas d’quoi.I was called un Américain the other day. I was listening to co-workers joke around, all in French, when someone asked me something in French. I understood “qui” in the question and that was it. “Mais, Mike, you un Américain?” “You can’t talk French?” I thought it was cool

Article about Evangeline Parish

2007-12-05T14:39:00.000-06:00

Bonjour, I haven't posted anything because I've been busy. But I read this Town Talk article in March and forgot to mention it, except through emails. I think some of the quotes were tongue in cheek.Alexandria Town Talk article on Evangeline Parish: Short quotes from Town Talk article:"In Evangeline Parish, probably, the French-speaking people, probably 80 percent of them came from France. And

Bonjour!

2007-11-09T09:01:00.000-06:00

Ouais, bonjour et comment c'est a ce matin? I put a lot of sources in the "know it all" field for "fun" reading. I wish all of the articles had full text links, so you can immediately learn what they have to say. But it's not hard to access the articles. Some of them can be accessed through the EBSCO database, available through the Louisiana Library Connection Databases. If you're in

LSU and tofu

2007-11-05T11:31:00.000-06:00

LSU is going to kill me. We watched another stressful, heart stopping game Saturday. They didn't play well but they won anyway. Man, the score, I think, would have been much higher had LSU not made so many mistakes. They're number #2 again and got a shot. The three teams left to play should be won, but I'm wondering if I'll end up in the hospital by then. Can you imagine a championship game and

Good Halloween?

2007-11-01T11:03:00.000-05:00

I hope you had a good Halloween. We did. We ate a chicken and tasso sauce piquante and played a video game: WWE vs. RAW. I think that's the name of it. Anyway, very few kids came by to trick or treat. It was mainly family and friends. That's fine because Halloween is not that big of a deal for me. I enjoyed watching the horror films on AMC and I used to read Stephen King all the time, but

"I'll have to cook some"

2007-10-30T11:07:00.000-05:00

Man, I went Saturday to Saucier's Sausage Kitchen but they didn't have any boudin cooked. And there's nowhere to go and wait out there. I didn't pass through Mamou and L'Anse Meg road to get there; I have my map of rural Louisiana roads but I didn't feel like taking all those twists and turns. Instead, I took 13 and took a left on 347. I went all the way up to "headless bridge road" and then

Southern Boudin Trail

2007-10-26T11:24:00.000-05:00

Southern Boudin Trail is a good site. I was browsing around the net and came across it; I was hungry and reading about food. See the site for what it's about. I don't understand why some places will have a link for information but will also write the same exact thing on an article or post. That makes no sense to me. Anyway, the site includes oral histories where you can hear from people

Alligators in casino

2007-10-24T12:15:00.000-05:00

The alligators in the casino are all named Sauce Piquante. The Alexandria Town Talk had a feature article about them in last Sunday's paper. I skimmed the article and I believe they get them from Bayou Pierre alligator park in Natchitoches. They're small, which makes sense, and they feed them dog food. I guess when they're bigger they'll trade back with the park. We'll see them again this

Les Bons Vieux Jours Dans La Belle Avoyelles

2007-10-22T17:09:00.000-05:00

Les Bons Vieux Jours Dans La Belle Avoyelles will be October 27 at theHypolite Bordelon House-Museum grounds. It might be an interesting trip and visit for someone from Evangeline Parish, especially if you are able to speak French. It's not far away and an easy drive to take. You could visit and speak to the French speakers, comparing similarities and differences. I might go, just to see, but we

A cousin won the Tournoi

2007-10-18T12:04:00.000-05:00

I called Mom today and she said Boyd Landreneau did win the Tournoi. That's Tante Addie's grandson. I don't know him but Mom said he knows Daddy and them well. I like that, a cousin winning something like that. I think he also runs Mardi Gras in Mamou because he's good with horses. This weekend should be fun. We're going to the casino in Marksville to see the updated areas. People say it's good.

Tournoi and updated blog

2007-10-15T09:28:00.000-05:00

Well, I updated my blog so I can do more with it. I wanted to add links to blogs and sites I like to read, but the html codes were driving me crazy. Once updated, blogger uses an easy click and drag feature to create what I need. Ca c'est bon, Blogger. The only problem, however, is that the previous template I had needed Verdana style font, set to the lowest possible; otherwise the fonts would

du riz frit et Tournoi

2007-10-12T10:19:00.000-05:00

Comment c'est a ce matin? C'est jolie dehors encore, non? Ouais, c'est fraiche dehors. I heard of hot gratons with cold rice and of gratins, but I don't think I heard of du riz frit or fried rice. I heard it said and I'm pretty much guessing on how it's spelled. It sounds good: you take a little bit of cooking and oil green pepper, or onion I think, and fry that with ice. Fry until brown and

Quand vous priez,

2007-09-29T10:07:00.000-05:00

I'm bringing the Our Father and Hail Mary prayers to Mom and Dad today. Mom said Mere Mere knew it and she would say the rosary in French. You can hear the rosary in French on KVPI. I believe it's every morning around 5 or 6. On my last post, I had changed some words for practice, but I'll list them hear the way I received them.Notre Pere qui es aux cieux,que ton nom soit sanctifie,que ton

Ainsi soit-il

2007-09-27T10:25:00.000-05:00

Fontenot:Bonjour Hebert! Comment les affaires a ce matin?Hebert:Ca va mal padna.Fontenot:Quo faire Hebert?Hebert:J'ai ete a bar a la Ville Platte. J'ai un mal de tete parce que j'etais soule hier au soir. Beaucoup bonne biere fraide, padna. Ca damn bar!Fontenot:Ca! Mais neg, dis cette priere and you'll be good to go.Je vous salue Marie,pleine de grace,le Seigneur est avec vous;vous etes benie

Get drunk

2007-09-26T11:24:00.000-05:00

Vidrine:Bonjour Guillory, comment ca va?Guillory:Mon j'sus correct. Et toi?Vidrine:Ca va. Un gros brouillard a ce matin?Guillory:Ouais, un gros brouillard. A ce matin, j'ai ete a boutique de Fontenot pour du biere fraide et un boute d'boudin. I couldn't see a damn thing in front of me when I went. I asked if they were ready for the Tournoi, but he said his horse was sick.Vidrine:That's a shame

speaking English is not so bad

2007-09-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

“The old saw had it that if the use of English were enforced in schools, all boys and girls would soon speak in English, even if at home they speak in Spanish, because the pressure to conform would be irresistible.” -William F. Buckley Jr.National Review online articleYep, it sure does work. Look how all of us French/Acadian descendants are unable to speak French.But I can understand the

de mange a la boutique

2007-09-12T08:10:00.000-05:00

De (dzuh) mange a la boutique. Food at the store.J'ai achete quatre-vingt-dix piastres de viande a la boutique.:cinq livres de tasso:cinq livres de saucisse:quinze livres de poule:dix livres viande de cochon (pork chops and shoulder):cinq livres de bete (beef shoulder):dix livres de viande moulu (ground meat)I don't know when to have "du" or "de" for "of."Daigle had a different saying for ground

Prairie Creole Music

2007-09-07T11:05:00.000-05:00

I've been reading two books: Barry Jean Ancelet’s Cajun and Creole music makers/Musiciens cadiens et creoles and Accordions, Fiddles, Two Step, and Swing: A Cajun Music Reader by Ryan Brasseaux and Kevin Fontenot. They both contain a wealth of information on Cajun and Creole music. There it is: Cajun and Creole music or just say white Louisiana French music and black Louisiana French music. Many

une bouteille de champagne

2007-09-06T21:28:00.000-05:00

"Sus la jour ma noce, ma mouman arrete au Half Moon pour acheter une bouteille de champagne."Mom told me Maw Maw had stopped at the Half Moon to buy a bottle of champagne for Mom and Dad’s wedding in Mamou. Again, the French is my attempt at writing how Mom said it. The Half Moon, in case you’re wondering, was in L’Anse Grise. It was past where AJ’s grocery used to be, to the Y side of Hwy 13.

mouche a miel

2007-08-31T09:44:00.000-05:00

Killer honeybees have been found in north Evangeline Parish. They’re the “bad” honeybees: very aggressive and attack in larger numbers when bothered. Quitte ca tranquille. Soileau: Ca va? Hébert: Mais, mon j’correct, et toi? Soileau: Hein, ca va, mais ca fait chaud, Jack! Hébert: Ouais, il fait chaud. Soileau, qui tu crois les mouche a miels de l’Afrique? Soileau:

Ta femme est la?

2007-08-29T10:35:00.000-05:00

“Mais ouais, beaucoup femme ici.” My co-worker had to explain to me what she was asking me. I couldn’t believe that I couldn’t get that. It’s so simple but yet I had to think and then I misinterpreted the question. Yes, my girlfriend was nearby but I thought I was being asked if any women were there. Man, it’s discouraging. It’s good that I hear French but it’s not enough for me to grasp it

Bon livre et la Belle Amour

2007-08-28T08:46:00.000-05:00

I’m reading a good book: Accordions, Fiddles, Two Step & Swing: A Cajun Music Reader, edited by Ryan Brasseaux and Kevin Fontenot. The book is filled with articles covering Louisiana French music plus a little more. One example of the variety of subjects included is Rocky Sexton and Harry Oster’s article about the differences in Mardi Gras songs; they explore, among other things, how the songs

Liberty Theatre in Eunice

2007-08-27T08:56:00.000-05:00

We went Saturday to the Liberty Theatre in Eunice. I’ve never been and wanted to see what it was like. It’s located downtown Eunice on Second street, right across from the Eunice library and next to the Prairie Acadian Cultural Center. The center, by the way, is a great place despite its name; I don’t agree that Acadian should be in the name, being that it’s in Prairie Créole territory. The

Quitter mon voir les 'tite Milans

2007-08-21T09:06:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure of "quitter" for "let" but I asked Mom and she pronounced, what I believe is quitter (let), as "kit." Dad said our nickname, Milan, was used a lot. Eduis Naquin and Uncle Gussie met up with us one day and Eduis asked to see the little Milans: Mariesha, me, Marcus, and Monica sitting in the back of the car. I didn't know that Uncle Gussie's Dad, Eduis, was a well known singer. I

Mouman a Miller's Lake

2007-08-17T17:07:00.001-05:00

Ma mouman a Miller's Lake. She's from L'Anse Grise and can speak Louisiana French well. So can my Dad who is also from L'Anse Grise. This picture must have been taken in the 60s. I'm not the best at scanning yet. Mais ma mouman might get fache and I might even have to remove her picture.Also, I wonder about the spelling for mouman. I've seen mouma too. Mouman must be "Mom" and mere must be

"Colorblind" music and Cajun coolness

2007-08-16T09:33:00.000-05:00

The Lafayette Advertiser has some interesting articles this week. Yesterday was Acadian day and an article titled "Is Cajun Still Cool" generated beaucoup remarks. It seems the French are terrible but the Acadians are cool. The articles published today made me wonder why the labels Cajun and Creole are not colorblind. Both articles made me ask questions:If I find one African ancestor will I

Paillasse and Mardi Gras

2007-08-13T08:38:00.000-05:00

Paillasse is the French word for clown. I saw the spelling for the word on the Pascal Fuselier site and I also looked it up in Daigle's dictionary. It sounds like "pie-oss," or so it seemed to me when I heard it from Dad when he told us about Mardi Gras in the old days. The stories he told us were ones told to him from his Dad, Adan Hébert, our Paw Paw whom we never met. Memories are not

A different Mardi Gras tradition

2007-08-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

Roy posted this link on the L’Anse Grise forum. The documentary shows a different Mardi Gras style from our area. It looks interesting and sounds like Mario’s style of Mardi Gras in Charenton. I believe they briefly mentioned this style in Pat Mire’s Dance for a Chicken. I wonder how many areas celebrate this way and why it’s not known as well as the prairie style Mardi Gras. I’ll request it

peekapawk

2007-05-29T18:52:00.000-05:00

Man, it’s been “peekapawk” for me lately. A lot of work. No time to blog. No time to practice French. Anyway, I still don’t know exactly how to spell “so-so” but it sounds like “peekapawk.” “Hey neg, ca va?” “Mais, mon je “peekapawk.” I also don’t know what it means literally, either. Is it just sounds? Discussions on the L’Anse Grise forum and from my Mom and family said “pick a pock”

Creole language and a good movie

2007-05-03T11:24:00.000-05:00

There are two great sites that teach Louisiana Créole and history: Learning Louisiana Creole and Pointe Coupée history. The blog is good source for learning the language. The Pointe Coupée site focuses mainly on the parish’s history but it does have an area to learn Creole. The labels Creole and Cajun are confusing here because many Creoles - black, white and multiracial - speak “Cajun French.

Germans and Wares and Clarks

2007-04-29T14:39:00.000-05:00

I went today and asked Dad about the Germans. I found out that some did come from the German Coast. Well, all of them did except one from the New England area.Jacob Hingle – Christain Hingle and Appoline SchlatreAnnemarie Edelmeier – Johan Adam Edelmeier and Anne Catherine KleinMarie Ann Sanmarine – Edamael Sanmarine and Annemarie EdelmeierMagdaline Hayes – Nicoles Hayes and Marguerite

Germans in Evangeline Parish

2007-04-28T17:11:00.000-05:00

What did the Germans contribute to Evangeline Parish culture? I have several German ancestors and I think many people in the parish have them too. Shuff is a German surname and I have a Shuff in my genealogy. That's one name. I'll have to ask Dad where our German ancestors came from. I read some sites, will show links at bottom, but I don't think ours are the same.I wonder what influences the

La Tasse de Cafe a ce matin

2007-04-25T13:19:00.000-05:00

Well, Dad, you made it to the La Tasse de Café a ce matin. They read your information but nobody called in to talk about it. Mom said Maw Maw and Paw Paw heard your name mentioned and then they heard Revon Reed’s poem read - the poem where he refers to the French people in Mamou as Créoles. But they (Maw Maw and Paw Paw) were talking so they missed what they had said at the start. Maybe someone

Interesting quotes from 80s

2007-04-23T15:02:00.000-05:00

Mamou Acadian Press (Mamou, LA)March 25, 1982Revon Reed“The original Franco-Americans that settled this neck of the prairie did not consider themselves Cajuns or Acadians at all, but rather they referred to themselves and their ancestors as Creole-French. As late as 1946, I recall my father saying ‘What’s this with Cajuns? We’re not Cajuns. We’re Creoles. As far back as I know we referred to

Bourgogne et la Louisiane

2007-04-21T09:36:00.000-05:00

Huh? What does Burgundy, France have to do with Louisiana? That’s where my Hébert line is from – Martigny-le-Comte, Bourgogne, France. We’re one of the few non-Acadian Hébert families in Louisiana. Their route was France to New Orleans to Pointe Coupee to St. Landry. They intermarried with the other Créoles in the area. So, I put a link to Burgundy’s history on my blog. Quo faire? Because it’s

Créoles in … Missouri

2007-04-19T18:34:00.000-05:00

Yes, there are Créoles in Missouri. I hadn’t heard about that area until last year. Some people still speak French and they have a strong Créole culture in the area. They were French people who settled in the Missouri Ozarks – some moved to Ste. Genevieve and then later, some moved back into the Ozarks into the Old Mine area, or as they call it, La Vieille Mine.They have a tradition, similar to

1 year of blogging

2007-04-17T10:32:00.000-05:00

It’s been a year for me writing on my blog. I started a blog to learn more about my family’s history and culture. The labels Cajun and Creole confused me but I think I understand it now. It’s simple. Cadien was a word used by the Acadians. It was eventually applied to poor Acadians and became a negative word. The word was picked up and applied to all poor white French people, even if they were

Pas bataille de guime en Louisiane?

2007-04-11T18:27:00.000-05:00

"This practice fuels a negative image of our state and hurts our ability to bring in good jobs and economic development," said Vitter, R-La."I'm going to fight to protect the tradition of cockfighting," said state Sen. Donald Cravins Jr., a Democrat.Yeah. Louisiana will probably ban cockfighting. The pressure is on and Louisiana will stop something that has been practiced for years. Why? Many

Paques was good

2007-04-09T16:17:00.000-05:00

Easter was good. We dyed and pocked eggs, visited with family, ate good and experienced weird weather. It sleeted Saturday night. That was strange. Anyway, Mr. Dowell’s yard eggs proved to be champions and I defeated all my family’s pathetic store bought ones. I did a few “Christ has risen” sayings when I won -- I was feeling sympathetic to my foes -- but was answered with “you punk!” when I

Paque Paque, it’s Easter

2007-04-02T19:40:00.000-05:00

Paques - EasterI don’t know exactly how to spell pocking in Cajun. I’m seeing it spelled pacquing and paquing. I’m also seeing paques paques for pock pock, instead of paque paque.It’s that time of year again. It’s time to eat yourself sick on a lot of chocolate, dress up nice, hopefully eat some barbecue and paque eggs. We had fun last year but I was badly beaten because my eggs were store bought

Cajun movies

2007-03-28T19:29:00.000-05:00

Roy mentioned on the L'Anse Grise board that a new Cajun movie was made, Little Chenier. I want to watch the movie, hoping that it’s not distorted or unrealistic. Many movies that were made are. Read the article from Barry Ancelet -- he explained it well.I like Pat Mire's Dirty Rice because it’s modern and easy to identify with; it was also filmed close to our area, Eunice. I do like historical

Louisiana-French book

2007-03-27T19:52:00.000-05:00

Louisiana-FrenchWilliam Alexander Read.Imprint Baton Rouge, LA : Louisiana State University Press, c1931This is a fun book I came across in the library. It has definitions for several Louisiana French words. It also has definitions for Louisiana words from other groups: Native American, German, English, African, Spanish, and Italian.Read starts his book by describing the different dialects of

Good crawfishing article

2007-03-19T13:09:00.000-05:00

Acadiana profile has a good, brief article on crawfishing. It made me remember catching crawfish with nets and sticks. We would catch them in L’Anse Grise. I can’t remember which road it was on but it was before you get to Maw Maw’s house. We would each get a net and set them down in the ditch. The nets had ribbons on them so we could easily find them. While we waited on the nets, we would

Cajuns are exceedingly hostile

2007-03-18T16:05:00.000-05:00

Encyclopedia of the stateless nations : ethnic and national groups around the world / James Minahan.Westport, CT : Greenwood, c2002I was looking through this reference book and I was surprised to find an entry for Cajuns in it. I learn something new every day. Of course, the reference book says that Cajuns are descended from the Acadian exiles. This doesn’t surprise me. I was surprised,

What exactly is the tracas with cockfighting?

2007-03-14T18:12:00.000-05:00

Seriously, what is it with some people and cockfighting? I’m not talking about the Humane Society -- their philosophy is clear. Close friends of mine also think hunting, trapping, horse racing, etc to be terrible things. I understand their view and why they hate cockfighting. But some people will attend and bet at a horse race, put a bullet into a raccoon’s head while it’s caught in a trap,

A car dealer can be canaille

2007-03-12T13:03:00.000-05:00

Is your char a piece of crap? Mais neg, go get yourself a new char or truck. But I know. Buying a new vehicle is a bunch of tracas due to lack of information and ignorance of car dealers’ tactics in selling. There are sources of information to combat these worries and a library system has several of them.A good way to begin learning how to shop for a vehicle is to view a video on the subject. “

Drive a truck and learn Cajun

2007-03-08T13:24:00.000-06:00

The trucking industry is always in demand for drivers and jobs are out there for both men and women who want to pursue a truck driving career. Libraries have several resources to help you obtain your CDL, search for employment, and enjoy your driving job.The two main ways of obtaining your CDL are on-the-job training and within a truck driving school. In most states, the Department of Motor

Couillon Prince Hal straightens up

2007-03-07T10:37:00.000-06:00

Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part I” deals with politics, war, ambition and the responsibilities of both adulthood and society. Henry IV has recently acquired the throne but has not yet securely established his authority. He wants to unite England in a crusade to the Holy Land, but the Scots are threatening from the northern border and the Welsh are threatening from the West. To make matters

Jouer au billiard

2007-03-06T13:04:00.000-06:00

Pocket billiards or pool is a popular sport that is played by people from all walks of life. There are many reasons for the game’s popularity, examples being: the sport can be played throughout the year, it can be played at all times of the day, the game can be played by children and adults, and the equipment used in the game can be inexpensive.Pool also has a colorful history. The sport is

Interview avec Madame Grand Doigt

2007-03-01T19:22:00.000-06:00

-Fiction-MHé: Bonjour Madame! Comment ca va?MGD: Whatever. Look, don't try to humor Madame Grand Doigt by using your pathetic, limited knowledge of French.MHé: Sure, whatever. You recently divorced Jolly St. Nick and one of your grievances was that he was too soft on the bad kids. Madame, Santa did keep a list of who was naughty and who was nice - kids didn't receive gifts on Christmas if they

Cajuns, those tacky Creoles

2007-02-28T12:52:00.000-06:00

I like reading different interpretations of the labels Cajun and Creole. I've read several articles; however, I had to laugh when I read this in Corrine L. Saucier’s History of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana:The word "Acadian" is now never heard. A prosperous or educated Acadian is called a "Creole." An ignorant, or poor person, or tacky person, even though Creole in origin, may be called a Cajun.

Madame Grand Doigt divorces Santa Claus

2007-02-26T18:50:00.000-06:00

-Fiction-Madame Grand Doigt announced her divorce from Santa Claus Monday afternoon at the Evangeline Parish Courthouse. Waving triumphantly to the people gathered outside the courthouse, she exclaimed that she was finally free."I had enough of all that crap," she said. "I was tired of being a goody-two shoes, always bringing gifts, even for those little brats who deserved a beating instead - I

Mardi Gras was great

2007-02-25T12:59:00.000-06:00

Sunday I went to L’Anse Grise and Tuesday I went to Eunice and Iota with Mr. Dowell and Ms. Pinky. The L’Anse Grise children’s run went well. I enjoyed watching the kids dance and chase after those chickens. I think the kids got a big kick out of everything. Hopefully they’ll grow to learn the tradition and carry it on for the future. The music and company afterwards was cool. I met new

Mardi Gras

2007-02-17T11:30:00.000-06:00

I look forward for Sunday. We plan on being at L’Anse Grise with family and friends. I worked last year and only saw the beginning and end of the fun. This time I got lucky and someone was able to work for me.I’ve been to several places for Mardi Gras. I saw Lafayette’s parades in ’92 and ’93 when I was at USL. We stayed at a bar on Jefferson street and watched the revelry pass by us, with more

Cockfighting in New Mexico might end

2007-02-05T13:59:00.000-06:00

Cockfighting in New Mexico is very close to becoming illegal. Cockfighting proponents say that it’s a tradition and harmless; families teach their children the sport and it’s a wholesome activity. Opponents to the sport say it’s barbaric, cruel and senseless. Louisiana came close last year to banning cockfighting but it eventually failed. If New Mexico bans the sport it will leave Louisiana

That C mot

2007-02-03T11:22:00.000-06:00

Nick Saban caused some tracas when he said Coonass in retelling a story. I see Coonass on trucks, hear it from my family, and joked about often among me and my friends. Many people are very insulted by this word and there has been political things done to stop its usage. Some will say it’s right up there with the N-word and other racial slurs. I don’t exactly see that though. I read somewhere

gratons are good for you

2007-01-31T13:24:00.000-06:00

Gratons are good for you because they make you happy. I went to Paul’s on Chataignier RD to get some gas. I filled my char (car) up with quinze piastres (dollars) mais it stopped at onze. I went in to get my change and noticed some fresh gratons (cracklins) sitting on the counter. I had to get some. Deux piastres worth made me happy. Gratons will clog up your system but they’ll make you

oeufs (eggs) in gumbo

2007-01-30T19:21:00.000-06:00

Bonjour! Comment ca va? My girlfriend made a gumbo the other day and we talked about the many different ways that people cook it. She cooked a poule (hen) and saucisse (sausage) gumbo. I mentioned to her about eggs and she was familiar with it. She puts a toothpick at each end to make a hole. This enables the juices to run through, which supposedly puts more flavors into the egg. It sounded

Avoyelles Connections: bon source pour genealogy

2007-01-28T14:41:00.000-06:00

Bonjour, comment ca va? The Baton Rouge Advocate’s magazine published an article in October mentioning a new genealogical collection: Avoyelles Connections. The collection is 8 volumes with an average of 300 pages in each volume. You can spend a lot of time looking at all that. It was compiled by Harry J. Moreau. He donated the volumes to several libraries around Louisiana. The work has no

French education

2007-01-21T15:38:00.000-06:00

I wrote this for an in-house newsletter at work. It gives a brief description about me learning French and resources to go to if one is interested. I added more and had to stop because there are actually many more sites to go and learn the language. I might slow down writing here and post maybe once a week. This is because I’m busy with work and “looking for extra money.” This takes time to

Brignac et Hébert

2007-01-16T09:51:00.000-06:00

Brignac: Bonjour, comment ca va Hébert?Hébert: Il fait mauvais aujourd’hui. j'ai porté (mettre) mon capot bleu parce que il fait plus chaud que mon capot noir.Brignac: Ouais, il fait tres mauvais. Je haïs ce temps. Je veux rester à la maison et manger du gombo.Hébert: J’aussi. (I wanted to write mon aussi but that’s probably my English thinking again. I will, however, ask how “me too” is

Deville et Hébert

2007-01-11T12:45:00.000-06:00

Deville: Comment c’est a ce matin Hébert?Hébert: Ca va mauvais. J’chagrin. (Je sounds likes “shi”)Deville: Quo faire?Hébert: Parce que j’ai pas gagné le powerball hier a soir.Deville: C’est dommage Hébert mais tant pire t’as pris une chance et il est impossible a gagner ca!Practice avec ma mouman, mon poupa, L’Anse Grise crew and le Google translator. Merci!How is it this morning?It’s bad. I’m

Deshotel et Hébert

2007-01-09T10:47:00.000-06:00

Deshotel: Bonjour Hébert! Comment ca va?Hébert : Ca va bien. J'ai coupé mes cheveux a ce matin a la Ville Platte et asteur je suis trés beau!Deshotel: T'as coupé tes cheveux a Allen’s?Hébert: Ouais, a Allen’s.Deshotel: Mais Hébert, ils ont fait un mal couper parce que t’été laid et te laid encore!Hébert: AHH Deshotel, t’es juste jaloux de mon!Hello. How is it going?Going good. I cut my hair this

Fontenot et Hébert

2007-01-07T14:14:00.000-06:00

Fontenot: Ayoù t’achat ta culottes Hébert?Hébert: J’acheté ma culottes a Wal-Mart en Opelousas.Fontenot: Ayoù t’achat ton pantalons?Hébert: J’acheté mon pantalons a Tate’s en Ville Patte.Where did you buy your jeans?I bought my jeans at Wal-Mart in Opelousas.Where did you buy your pants?I bought my pants at Tate’s in Ville Platte.This is all practice for me so I know I make mistakes. I’m not

Berzas et Hébert

2007-01-04T19:28:00.000-06:00

Berzas: Bonjour Hébert! Comment les affaires a ce matin?Hébert: Comme ci comme ca.Berzas: Quo faire te dit ca?Hébert: J'ai réveillé de bon matin pour mon aller pecher a Miller's Lake mais il mouillasant trop.Berzas: Quo faire t'es pas faché? -Standard Google translator - pourquoi n'êtes-vous pas fâché?Hébert: Parce que Berzas, il y'avait une bonne vente sur la biere a Weelo's et il y a Football

Guillory et Hébert

2007-01-03T19:30:00.000-06:00

Guillory: Bonjour Hébert! Comment ca va?Hébert: Ca va mal a ce matin.Guillory: Quo faire te faites le boudin a ce matin?Hébert: Mais parce que Madame Grand Doigt pas apporté cadeaux pour mon le Jour de l'An! Pas rien!Guillory: Mais Hébert, t'es 32 années et un homme asteur. Madame Grand Doigt est pour les enfants.Hébert: Je m'inquiète pas! Je veux mes cadeaux parce que j'etais bon toute l'année!

bonjour et bonne annee!

2007-01-02T15:45:00.000-06:00

Bonjour, comment ca va? Je vous souhaite une bonne annee avec bonne chance et beaucoup argent. I'm not sure if "bonne chance" is not more appropiate for a saying as in "bonne chance mes amis!" Quand-meme, I wrote a short "library lines" for the gazette. Merci Doug Hebert for mentioning the information about Mel Gibson on the L'Anse Grise message board. The idea of a movie being made concerning

un gros brouillard

2006-12-18T13:21:00.000-06:00

Bonjour is the greeting if you want to say “good morning.” I learned something new at L’Anse Grise because I wasn't corrected before. Sometimes I think older people don’t want to correct me because I’m trying to learn, but I think they should because I want to know what’s right. “Bon matin” is not the correct thing to say when wanting to tell someone good morning. That is English but using

It’s frustrating...

2006-12-11T13:16:00.000-06:00

Hier, j’ete a mon “moo mon.”Yesterday, I went to Mom’s.I don’t know how to spell (moo mon). It can’t be mere because it’s not said like that. It’s frustrating.Un bout d’boudin.One link of boudin.I’m guessing this is the right way. Dad said it was as well as Mr. Dowell. When it’s said, however, it sounds like “boot” boudin. Bout (boo) means a small piece of something and it would make sense to say

belle femme sitting nu sur a rouge sofa

2006-11-18T11:09:00.000-06:00

Fiction:I woke up this matin et made some bon strong café. I filled my tasse et left it noire parce que adding sucre or cream to it makes it weak. There was pas rien on TV so I tried to read instead. Mais I was not in the mood to read. My chien wanted to go dehors so I put his leash on et we went dehors for a marche. It was a jolie matin. There was a fraiche brise coming from the nord, the soleil

Is Madame Grand Doigt really mean?

2006-11-02T13:14:00.000-06:00

Man, it’s getting close to the New Year and I’m starting to get worried. I always got nice things from the big fingered femme but now I don’t know what to expect; she might have been waiting all these years to do me evil.“…La plupart des jeunes ont eu peur dans leur petite enfance de Madame Grand-Doigt, cette horrible vieille femme aux longs doigts osseux qui se nouent autour de cou, ou encore

la gomme de mer

2006-10-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

Sea Gum? Bryan posted a message on the L’Anse Grise message board about la gomme de mer and I’ve been looking everywhere for references to this. It was mentioned on the La Tasse de Café but it wasn’t clear what la gomme de mer was. Roy on the L’Anse Grise board was told that it was “petroleum” that oozed out of the ocean floor. It floated up and landed on the beach. People would then chew it for

Tattoos, Google image, and Word

2006-10-24T10:47:00.000-05:00

I looked for a design for my tattoos in books and the Internet. There are many books on tattoo designs and books that cover symbols and their meanings. I knew the fleur de lis would be perfect for several reasons; it would symbolize my heritage, looks cool, and is a safe image. I say safe because many symbols are used for a variety of things and some of them aren’t good.The shamrock, Celtic