Let me tell you a story about a dingo named Louie. He wasn’t really a dingo — my friend just called him that. He was actually a Chihuahua/dachshund/corgi rescue who remained a wildling until the end. You see, Louie was…
For as much as many of us might moan and groan about how hot and humid the summers can get here in Louisiana, we sure end up outside a lot. Not necessarily like folks in other places. We aren’t hiking…
This year is a challenging one for keeping on track, health-wise. Christmas and winter holidays have rolled right into Mardi Gras, which is early this year. That means it’ll be extra difficult to keep up with our fitness routines and…
Whether we go to a concert at a big stadium or catch a show at a local venue, we are going for a good time. To enjoy the music. To see our favorite band. To be in the moment. I…
I’m always excited when we get that first cool snap in the weather, usually in late October. Though our fall is short and inconsistent, it’s still much anticipated. Moods usually lighten because the heat isn’t as oppressive, and we feel…
While August and September may be the start of fall in some places, here in Louisiana, we’re still dealing with summer temps. It’s pretty hot here until maybe late October, so during these months, I still wear shorts and flip…
I love Eudora Welty. And I’m not quiet about it. Most people I know understand that not only am I a Welty scholar, but I am a big fan of her work. I wrote my dissertation on her first collection,…
Louisiana is a state filled with artists, musicians, storytellers, and just about any other creative you can imagine. The music alone that has come out of our state is legendary. Mahalia Jackson, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Dr. John, Lucinda…
In this issue, we’ve got healthy recipes and it's also Mardi Gras time and, in the past, those two things have not necessarily gone together for me: healthy and Mardi Gras. No, Mardi Gras was always prime time for junk…
I love this time of year. Not just for the holidays, but for the end of one year and the beginning of another. If you’re a planner, you probably feel the same way. There’s something exciting about a fresh year,…
My Cajun heritage goes back several generations, but I didn’t learn as much about my culture as I would’ve liked to, especially when it comes to cooking. However, there is one dish (literally only one) that I’ve mastered, and that’s…
One of my favorite things to do, whether I’m looking to move or not, is to search for houses. I’m not sure why or what that says about me, but from time to time, I’ll see what’s for sale near…
If you’re not traveling to places far and wide during the summer, June and July are the perfect months to travel close, to explore your own surroundings a bit more. Being a tourist in your own town or nearby spots…
More than January, with its built-in feeling of beginnings and setting new goals, Spring, for me, is the real time for a re-set. It might be that relief from the winter weather, as mercurial as it can be in South…
I’m not going to sugarcoat it (besides, it’s the health issue so this surely isn’t the place to do that) — we live in a hard place to be healthy. I’m not making excuses but between our amazing food and…
We have so many delicious, seasonal vegetables available this time of year, what I’m about to suggest isn’t even that radical. Or painful. A little switch here, an easy swap there and removing starchy, heavy ingredients and replacing them with…
My memory of Acadiana goes back to my early childhood when we’d visit family in Breaux Bridge. And my first concrete recollection was when I was around ten — old enough to go off on my own, book in hand,…
