Sweet tea and candied yams . . .

crawfish, catfish and shrimp. Yummmm! So, as promised from last week, I do have a few things to say about my trip to the great state of Louisiana. The south is a different place - it might as well just be a different country. But different does not mean bad.

Growing up, my parents made sure that my brother and I often visited our relatives in Louisiana. Holidays, birthdays and vacations found us in Mansfield, Zachary, Monroe, West Monroe, Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Gueydon. Once we got older, and our grandparents all passed away, we visited less frequently. Now, we've been to New Orleans twice in the last five years for weddings, and when I lived in Dallas, I stayed with my aunt in S'port a couple of times.

Being there makes me realize how much I value this side to our family. We have deep cultural ties to Louisiana. I love the history (well, not all of it is great- hello, politicians/etc). I'm a big fracophile, and I think maybe this LA has something to do with it.

I noticed in my cousins traits that we all shared from the Daniel side of things. Similar noses, height, curly hair, gait. And how my dad and his older brother both cannot sit still for more than 30 minutes without having to get up and do something, anything. Or just take a drive to nowhere.

Other observations from the trip:
-there is a tendency for large, wooden Christmas cards to appear in yards, typically surrounded by large, inflatable snowmen.

-sweet tea is considered 'regular' in most places. My mom, being diabetic, doesn't drink sweet tea. Here is an excerpt from an order we placed at lunch:

Me: "I'll have a sweet tea"
Waitress: "And you, ma'am?"
Mom: "Regular tea, please."
Waitress: "Ok, so that's two sweet teas"
Mom: "No, regular tea for me"
Me: "She means 'unsweet' "
etc etc ad nauseum.......

-You can find the best blue plate specials at the little restaurant Monroe's airport. Their food is delicious! And you can't beat the price (under 6 bucks!).

-Monroe is the birthplace of Delta Airlines.

-Small town Christmas parades are amazing. Everyone comes out to see them, and there are cheerleaders, boyscouts and elk lodge members galore. All throwing lots of candy.

-I had forgotten what is was like to go to church in the south. Everyone goes. We went to First West to see their Christmas program on Sunday morning. There were probably 1000 people, just at one service (out of three). And the choir members were all wearing sequins.

-The town "Cheniere" is pronounced either 'shinny' or 'cheney'. what?! hahah

-my family rocks!!!!!