One morning I found a crumpled sticky note on which our 7-year-old son had scribbled this ardent petition to God or Santa Claus or most likely, me – the parent perceived to be the biggest pushover:“I wish I had a…
Alexandria eyes moviesCarved from the retail vacancy of a former Alexandria Super Kmart store is a soon-to-be located film production studio and medical business incubator.The development, supported by the state through a capital outlay award of $1.7 million for renovations,…
WHAT'S HOTRoll out the barrels. Hannah Pittman, 12-year-old daughter of Matt and Jane Pittman of Bogalusa, recently won the title of 2007 National Barrel Horse Association 2-D Youth World Champion at the competition in Jackson, Miss. Pittman and her gelding,…
What surprises me is that I actually have two stories on the subject of women fighting each other in Avoyelles Parish. The first is from my youth when, so the family story goes, an uncle who was a justice of…
Like so many other residents of New Orleans, Troy Peloquin lost everything in the fury of Hurricane Katrina. The only possessions he salvaged from his flooded home were his college diploma, passport, his father’s dog tags, a set of cufflinks…
Abbeville's Giant Omelet Celebration, Abbeville, Nov.3-4. Information, (337) 893-0013.Northern LouisianaOct. 5-6. Robeline Heritage Festival, El Camino Rio, Natchitoches, (318) 472-3405.Oct. 6. Lake Claiborne Car and Bike Show, Lake Claiborne State Park, Homer, (318) 927-2976.Oct. 6. Indian Games, Poverty Point State…
You know Texas for the Alamo, the theme parks, the Texas-sized malls and the miles of beaches. But even for long-time travelers to the Lone Star State there are plenty of attractions that you just might’ve missed. Have you examined…
Call it a side effect of the Baby Boomers going gray. Or blame it on financial pressures squeezing adults of all ages. Whatever the reason, more and more people in the U.S. are worrying about health care. They fret about…
Called the Sportsman's Paradise for good reason, Louisiana offers hunters diverse habitats ranging from salty tidal marshes to piney hills where they can pursue various species of game. Nearly 300,000 Louisiana residents hunt, spending more than $500 million a tear…
National Football League camps opened with 123 players from Louisiana. Nearly half of these professional prospects and veterans competed at a Louisiana university. As the 2007 collegiate season unfolds, fans will see a new batch of talent emerge from the…
Historian, author and attorney Payne Williams of the Natchitoches Historic Foundation is already recruiting spirits to make gravesite appearances during the town’s popular Sacred Places Tour in mid-March. South Louisiana towns are preparing for the All Saints Day whitewashings and…
A young woman in a flowered dress floats dreamily across the canvas in a dark blue sky. Her blond head rests on one shoulder. Ducks fly by while in the distance mosquitoes seem to swarm in a swirl of white…
Overlooking picturesque Cane River along the main street of Natchitoches’ business district, this amazing apartment was created by architectural designer James Hearron several years ago from a space that had endured life as a storage area over a hardware store.…
If you bake pies you may have experimented with different recipes to find your ideal crust. I know I have. I can’t begin to remember how many ingredients, combinations of ingredients and techniques I’ve tried over the years. I’ve used…
Sometimes life on a hay farm feels like a cross between Winslow Homer and a Norman Rockwell painting. Like one Saturday not long ago … (Cue swirly flashback sequence.)Mathew and Andy BienvenuMelissa Bienvenu photographI’m at the wheel of our battered…
In this election year, listening to the words of the candidates has influenced me to change my life. I want to be a “Good Ole Boy.”By the ways that some candidates decry the Good Ole Boys I can only assume…
Scotty Rogers proudly puts on a new uniform. After a career in the U.S. Air Force as a fighter pilot and a few years flying for a major commercial carrier, he understands the importance of professionalism. He respects his previous…
Northern LouisianaJuly 1. 6th Annual Monroe Jacee/Ryan Chevrolet Water Front Festival & Fire Works Show, Forsythe Park Boat Launch, Monroe, (318) 325-9018.July 1-8. American Junior Brahman Association Show, Ike Hamilton Expo Center, West Monroe, (318) 325-9160.July 4. 4th of July…
“So be my guest, you’ve got nothin’ to loseWon’t you let me take you on a sea cruise?”Frankie Ford, “Sea Cruise,” 1959DONN YOUNG PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PORT OF NEW ORLEANSIf Frankie Ford is willing to foot the bill for a cruise…
The best thing about living in Louisiana is the variety of destinations for easy summer travel. From the picturesque wetlands to the vibrant urban areas to the epitome of small town America, Louisiana has it all. This summer, with gas…
Few states even come close to Louisiana for offering so many water activities. Abundant waterways across the Sportsman’s Paradise naturally draw people to engage in recreational options, including fishing, canoeing, water skiing, swimming or boating. Of course, no list could…
The story of Stewart and Juli Juneau is part hometown-boy-makes-good tale, part Jungle Jim adventure and part inspirational account of one family’s urge to share the fruits of their labors with underprivileged and inner city children. The saga begins and…
Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, called simply Gilbert by family, was born Sept. 6, 1757, at the Château de Chavaniac in the Auvergne region of France, 250 miles south of Paris. He showed an affinity for the colonists’ cause…
Our family calls it “La-La Day” – Louisiana Purchase/Louisiana Statehood Day, April 30 – and this year’s was a good one. My Louisiana belle was off on a sister-sister getaway but our (ahem) doc and juris-doc sons Paul and Matthew…
