Texas NAHRO President challenges Region!

We got a "BIG" surprise for the Texas State Basket this year. I challange Y'all to have a bigger more unique state basket.Steve ShortsPresident, TXNAHRO

Other Comments:

Oboy!! It is time for the good times! See you all there! Barbara - De Leon, TX.

Can't wait to visit my friends in Louisiana. Most hospitable people in the world. Betty - Breckenridge, TX

I love to receive the emails. The music is a great start to my day! Already excited about the conf. Ya'll really know how to host one. See ya soon!! Nancy Roark

What a great job, counting the days until the conference. Sherry - Norman, OK

Ya'll sure know how to make a boy homesick. Wish you all the best ! Ed Hawkins

Wow, this Blog is great. I stumbled on to this site by accident. I don't know who you all are, but I think this the best I have ever seen in advertising an event. I wish I were close enough to visit you during your Fest! You people know what's HOT!
I think I'll have to visit the south and experience your style! Karen

Louisiana Lagniappe

Test your EduCajun skills and earn a chance to win that LAGNIAPPE GiveAway for a complimentary night stay at the Paragon Casino Resort.

https://www.paragoncasinoresort.com/site1.php

You must be registered for the conference by June 8th to qualify.
Sign the Lagniappe Guest Book and enter the answers to these eight questions correctly.

1. English translation of Lagniappe.

2. First You Make A ______?

3. Home of Pork Chop.

4. Until World War II the majority of Cajuns spoke this language.

5. What Louisiana city is credited for being the first to put crawfish on a menu?

6. French Acadians were exiled from which Canadian territory in 1755?

7. Cajun French translation: Good Times...Good Friends!

8. Pick a number from 1 to 8.


The deadline for registration and guest book entries is June 8th.

'Survivor..... Louisiana Style.'

Due to the popularity of the survivor shows,
an LSU network is planning to do it's own show entitled:
'Survivor..... Louisiana Style.'
The contestants will start in New Orleans ,
then travel up to Baton Rouge
From there, they will head over to Lafayette then go
West to Lake Charles .
They will proceed up to Alexandria , then over to
Natchitoches.
Next, they'll drive north to Shreveport , east to
Monroe, then head down south through Columbia ,
Olla, Urania, and Tullos, with a quick detour
through Trout and Jena .
Heading back to Alexandria , they will then go to
Marksville, then to New Roads on their way
through Baton Rouge , Gonzales,and back
to New Orleans
Each will be driving a pink Volvo with a California license plate
and large bumper stickers that read:

'Ban the boiling of crawfish'

'Duck hunters are wussies'

'Mardi Gras is a pagan holiday'

'Outlaw river boat gambling'

'Pickup trucks are for sissies',

and , finally,

'LSU football sucks!'

The first one who makes it back to New Orleans alive, Wins.

We have some bad news!!

There will be no more Boudreaux & Thibodeaux Jokes.
Boudreaux passed away & left a will.
He wanted to be buried @ sea.
Thibodeaux drowned trying to dig his grave.

What Is A Cajun?

WHAT IS A CAJUN?
By Bob Hamm

Between the red hills of North Louisiana and the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, lives the Cajun. Among the marshes of the bayous, the tall oaks and whispering moss, he carries on the traditions of his hardy Nova Scotian ancestors, les Acadiens, whose fight from persecution brought them to the lush South Louisiana soil over two centuries ago.

In other parts of the world, little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, while little boys are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails.
Little Cajun children – or Acadian, if you will – are made of gumbo, boudin and sauce piquante…crawfish stew and Oreilles de Cochon.
A Cajun child is given bayous to fish in, marshes to trap in, room to grow in and churches to worship in.
A Cajun likes fiddles and accordions in his music, plenty of pepper in his courtbouillon, shrimp in his nets, speed in his horses, neighborliness in his neighbors and love in his home.
A Cajun dislikes: people who don’t laugh enough, fish enough, or enjoy enough of all the good things God has given to the Cajun Country.
He doesn’t like to be hurried when he’s resting or distracted when he’s working. He doesn’t like to see people unhappy, and he’ll do all he can or give all he has to bring a smile to a face stricken with sadness.
A Cajun likes to dance and laugh and sing when his week of hard work has ended.
And just as Saturday night at the fais-do-do replenishes his store of energy and his personal balance so he can meet the next week’s chores with vigor…Sunday at Church refreshes his spiritual and moral values and keeps strong his always-sustaining faith.
A link with a proud past, a Cajun is a man of tolerance who will let the world go its way if the world will let him go his. He is a man of great friendliness who will give you the crawfish off his table, the Sac-au-Lait off his hook or the shirt off his back.
But if you cross a Cajun, He’ll give you the back of his hand or the toe of his boot. If he likes you, he’ll give you his whole wide, wonderful world. If he doesn’t, he’ll give you a wide berth.
A Cajun is a complex person; with as many ingredients in his makeup as there are in the gumbo Mama makes for special company.
He has tolerance for those who earn it…charity for those who need it…a smile for those who will return it…and love for all who will share it.
BUT…a Cajun can be as stubborn as a mule and as ornery as an alligator. If he sets his head on something, he’ll fight a circle saw before he’ll yield to your opinions.
You’d as well argue with a fence post as try to change the mind of a Cajun.
And, as fun loving as he is, a Cajun can work as long and hard as any man. He carved out “Acadiana” by hand, from the swamps and marshes and uncultivated prairies.
But when the work is done and the argument ended, a Cajun can sweep you right into a wonderful world of Joie de vivre with an accordion chorus of “Jolie Blonde,” and a handful of happy little words…five little words to be exact:

“Laissez les bon temps rouler”
Let the good times roll!

Copyright Bob Hamm 1972

Louisiana's Advanced Communications Network!

After having dug to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years and came to the conclusion that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago.Not to be outdone by the New Yorkers, in the weeks that followed, California scientists dug to a depth of 20 feet, and shortly after, headlines in the LA Times newspaper read: 'California archaeologists have found traces of 200 year old copper wire and have concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.'One week later, 'The Daily Advertiser', a local newspaper in Lafayette reported the following:'After digging as deep as 30 feet in rice fields near Forked Island , Boudreaux, a self-taught archaeologist, reported that he found absolutely nothing. Boudreaux has therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Louisiana had already gone wireless.'

About Lafayette!

Lafayette is a metropolis which displays an extraordinary mixture of tradition and progressiveness. Having a rich French heritage blended with Spanish, American, Indian and African influences, the city represents a colorful combination of lifestyles.
Lafayette lies 15 miles west of the Atchafalaya Basin and 35 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and exhibits the subtropical climate typical of South Louisiana. The city is situated in a geographical area of forests and prairies interlaced with bayous, swamps and marshes.
The first known inhabitants, the Attakapas Indians, were known to have populated the Lafayette area in the 1700s. The tribe was very powerful and feared by other Indians. The Attakapas dominated until three opposing tribes, the Opelousas, Alabamons and Choctaws, united in battle and conquered their opponent. Legend reports that the Attakapas Indians supposedly ate their prisoners of war.
The exact date when the first European settlers reached the Lafayette area is not known. Early historians report that a few trappers, traders and ranchers were present in the region prior to the Spanish occupation of 1766. A census conducted in 1769 by Spanish Governor O'Reilly indicated a population of 409 for the area.
The historical event of the 18th century which had the greatest cultural impact on Lafayette was the migration of the Acadians from French Canada. Approximately 18,000 French-speaking Catholic inhabitants settled Acadie (now Nova Scotia) in 1605 and lived there under French rule until 1713 when the region went into English hands.
Faced with the refusal of the Acadians to pledge allegiance to the British crown and Anglican Church, English Governor Charles Lawrence took action. Acting on his own and not under orders from the crown as he professed, he gave the orders that led to the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755, also known as "Le Grand Derangement."
Families were separated and as the Acadians went to sea under dreadful conditions, more than half lost their lives. The exiles ended up in many locations and in 1784, the King of Spain consented to allow them to settle in South Louisiana. The Acadians then joined a scattering of their people who had arrived as early as 1765 from the Caribbean and the East Coast.
Some exiles settled at various locations along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, but most followed the path which led to New Orleans. There they received a hostile greeting from the French aristocracy so they headed west into unsettled territory. They settled along the bayous of south central and south western Louisiana where they could live according to their own beliefs and customs.
The first settlement, known as Petit Manchac, was established by the English who used it during the Revolutionary War as an outpost. It constituted a small trading post on the banks of the Vermilion River where the Old Spanish Trail crossed the bayou (about where today's Pinhook Bridge is located). The village also came to be known as Pin Hook, a name about which many stories of origin exist.
The years of 1765-1785 marked the great immigration period of the Acadians and many land grants were given by the French and Spanish governments. As a result of the Treaty of Fountainebleau in 1762, Louisiana went from French to Spanish rule. The Spanish actually took possession in 1766. The French Revolution of 1789 had its effect on Lafayette as many French Loyalists fled to Louisiana to settle. With the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, Louisiana then became possession of the United States.
More specifically for Lafayette, in 1821, Jean Mouton (an Acadian) donated land for the construction of a Catholic church. On May 15, 1822 Bishop Duborg created the church parish of St. John the Evangelist of Vermilion which encompassed the area from Mouton's plantation south to the Gulf of Mexico and west to the Sabine River.
A settlement grew around the church and on January 17, 1823, the Louisiana Legislature created Lafayette Parish from the western portion of what was St. Martin Parish. Mouton made a second land donation to the new community, this time for a courthouse. The town of Vermilionville became the new parish's seat. The settlement grew and the town of Vermilionville was renamed Lafayette in 1884 in honor of the French Marquis de Lafayette.
Information courtesy of the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission. To learn more, visit the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission's web site as well as the website of the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.

Zydeco Breakfast At Cafe Des Amis

It's Saturday morning in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana (pop. 7,902). My bloody mary sports a dilly bean, my eggs share a plate with crawfish étouffée and my flatware is bouncing around like a Mexican jumping bean. This is the zydeco breakfast at Café Des Amis, a 20-table eatery in a former general store that dates to the 1920s and still wears its original moldings, pine floors and stamped-tin ceilings. Those who aren't standing on the sidewalk waiting to get in are dancing to Lil' Nathan & the Zydeco Big Timers; the floorboards bounce to the beat. This is Cajun country, where traditions trump all—even in the face of natural disaster.

Take a tour of Cafe Des Amis. You will find a link on the left -->
or type www.cafedesamis.com/ in your browser window.

Check out this link from Smithsonian Magazine and join us on Saturday Morning, June 21, 2008!

http://www.smithsonianmagazine.com/issues/2007/may/destamer-cajun.php

Boo & Thib at the Unemployment Office

Boudreaux and Thibodeaux worked together and both were
laid off, so they went to the unemployment office. When asked his
occupation, Boudreaux answered, "Panty Stitcher. I sew da elastic
onto ladies' cotton panties."

The clerk looked up Panty Stitcher. Finding it
classified as unskilled labor, she gave him $300 a week unemployment pay.

Thibodeaux was asked his occupation. "Diesel Fitter,"
he replied.

Since diesel fitter was a skilled job, the clerk gave
Thibodeaux $600 a week. When Boudreaux found out he was furious. He
stormed back into the office to find out why his friend and
co-worker was collecting double his pay.

The clerk explained, "Panty stitchers are unskilled
and diesel fitters are skilled labor."

"What skill?" yelled Boudreaux. "I sew the elastic on
da panties, Thibodeaux puts dem over his head and says:
"Yah, diesel fitter."