Went "Home" for Christmas
to Shreveport. Man, that's a long drive! 760 miles! Anyway, it was good to visit my brother and sister and their families. On the way over, the temperature never got above 32 degrees, then on the way back, it did not get under 70 degrees until I hit Atlanta! I LOVE winter in the south!
Brought home a "CARE" package - items I can't buy here locally. Of special note: Slap Ya Mama! Cajun seasoning, sort of like Tony Chachere's, except less salty and more peppery. Mmmm, good stuff! It's made in Ville Platte, LA, so they know Cajun!
Took a side trip on Tuesday down to Natchitoches, which is the oldest settlement of the Louisiana Purchase - 1713. Some will remember that the movie Steel Magnolias was filmed there. Not my taste in movies, but it's a quaint, historic area. I had wanted to visit the library at Northwestern La University to verify the existence of my family's bible. I had several relatives tell me of it and that it was now in the college's library, in the cultural and historical section. Alas, closed for the holidays!
So, I visited the Fort St. Jean Baptiste museum, then went to my fave restaurant, Lasyone's, for a lunch of red beans and rice and a meat pie! Awesome! The meat pies are a legacy of the Spanish influence on the area (there was a Spanish fort, Los Adeas, 15 miles to the west), and are a variation of the Spanish dish, empanadas.
It dawned on me that my ancestors were actually the founders of Natchitoches, as one was a French marine - Jean Baptiste Brevel - assigned to assist Louis Juchereau St-Denis in establishing the French fort in 1716. Grandaddy, or rather Grandpere Jean married one of the local girls. Really local. She was a Caddo Indian, whom they named Marie Anne Des Cadeaux, or Marie Anne of the Caddos, en l'Anglais. Her name, Marie, while a common name, has been carried through the generations since, through my grandmother, Dora Marie, to my aunt, Donna Marie and her daughter, also Donna Marie.
It's pretty cool when history becomes personal.
Brought home a "CARE" package - items I can't buy here locally. Of special note: Slap Ya Mama! Cajun seasoning, sort of like Tony Chachere's, except less salty and more peppery. Mmmm, good stuff! It's made in Ville Platte, LA, so they know Cajun!
Took a side trip on Tuesday down to Natchitoches, which is the oldest settlement of the Louisiana Purchase - 1713. Some will remember that the movie Steel Magnolias was filmed there. Not my taste in movies, but it's a quaint, historic area. I had wanted to visit the library at Northwestern La University to verify the existence of my family's bible. I had several relatives tell me of it and that it was now in the college's library, in the cultural and historical section. Alas, closed for the holidays!
So, I visited the Fort St. Jean Baptiste museum, then went to my fave restaurant, Lasyone's, for a lunch of red beans and rice and a meat pie! Awesome! The meat pies are a legacy of the Spanish influence on the area (there was a Spanish fort, Los Adeas, 15 miles to the west), and are a variation of the Spanish dish, empanadas.
It dawned on me that my ancestors were actually the founders of Natchitoches, as one was a French marine - Jean Baptiste Brevel - assigned to assist Louis Juchereau St-Denis in establishing the French fort in 1716. Grandaddy, or rather Grandpere Jean married one of the local girls. Really local. She was a Caddo Indian, whom they named Marie Anne Des Cadeaux, or Marie Anne of the Caddos, en l'Anglais. Her name, Marie, while a common name, has been carried through the generations since, through my grandmother, Dora Marie, to my aunt, Donna Marie and her daughter, also Donna Marie.
It's pretty cool when history becomes personal.
Comments
I never have forgotten the little flag and it was great food. I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant.