Calcasieu Cover 10-15-17

October 2017

Bayou Living Publication

Dining Guide | Events | Halloween | Recipes | Hunting & Fishing | Breast Cancer Awareness| More…

Bourque Smith Woodard Memorials, LLC Our facility offers a wide selection of headstones, slant markers, flat markers, bronze markers, benches, mausoleums, and much more. If you're looking for a custom memorial or monument, please contact our friendly support staff and we will do our best to create a meaningful tribute to your loved one.

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(337) 439-4431 1818 Broad Street, Lake Charles, LA

SERVING ALL OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA

a Word From …

Delta Dawn

I’m a person on a mission – always working to bring the best to whatever I do in life. It makes no difference if I’m working for someone else or for myself, I like challenges! That said, working for myself can be a bit tough! The drive to do better with every step I take is always present, as I constantly envision more on the path ahead of me!

My most-recent challenge has been an idea that would not fade from my mind’s eye: to bring the quality of the Bayou Living Magazine to The Jambalaya News! Now, you are seeing that happen even sooner than planned. As life would have it, situations stepped before me – melding into a timing that created this reality and I am thrilled! With the glossy printing of this October issue, those dreams have come to fruition and you are holding it in your hands!

You will notice a few changes with this new presentation.

Most noticeably, it’s been resized – it’s a tad bit smaller but we’ll make up for that in quality. With a few differences to accommodate the new size, we hope it’s not too much at once for anyone! I hope our readers can enjoy this new look and feel of The Jambalaya News and I know our old Bayou Living Fans will eat it up! This is a win-win situation for everyone, no more ink-covered hands from reading newsprint, plus it has a certain appeal to those who collect the magazines for the recipes and articles! Wonderful news all the way around!

Among the changes are ones you are sure to enjoy, especially one I must point out to everyone … our contest for the lightning bolt will be $500 for the months of November and December!

In addition, I added a few new qualifying rules: 1. To win you MUST like and follow us on Facebook!

2. You can earn extra entries by following us on Instagram, Twitter & YouTube.

3. If you rate us on Facebook you’ll earn an extra entry.

4. If you share the virtual issue and the contest page on Facebook, you earn another entry as well!

Let’s get social on all our medias and win the big $500 Cash Holiday Giveaway!

We are proud about the rise in popularity The Jambalaya News has experienced since March of this year – the first month under the wings of the Bayou Living Magazine family!

Since that time, as we gauged the public’s reaction to our steady changes, we’ve seen our issues move steadily off the racks and into the hands of a reading audience at an increasing pace. Our issues leave the stands at a high pick-up rate – moving 75% more magazines than when first beginning. With this new move and our proposed changes, we expect to be seeing even greater interest in our magazine.

We are also glad to be expanding into the Lafayette, Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend & Alexandria areas in the following months at the request of our online fans! I’d like to personally thank everyone for their input to let me know where they’d like to see the magazine and what they love about it!

One of our most recent features – Traveling the Backroads by Marilyn Brunt – has become incredibly

popular in a short period of time! She is clearly in her element with this column and does a great job of it! If you’d like to see Marilyn visit somewhere near you, please feel free to share your ideas on Facebook messenger or by email. You can write to me at jambalayanews@gmail.com or to Marilyn at mbrunt@bellsouth.net … we will be glad to hear your ideas!

Our Facebook page is also a good way to share your opinions on any of the new changes we’ve made. We’d love to hear feedback, so chime in and let us know how it affects you!

~~ A Personal Note ~~ In November, my brother Joshua Cade Hughes will be marrying a wonderful lady from Ohio named Mandy Johnson.

Having moved to Ohio and working as a mechanical engineer in the automotive industry, he has also found the love of his life! Everything came together as he fell in love with Mandy’s three beautiful children and then, last December, Mandy and Josh were blessed with the birth of their son. Now, a fulltime dad to 4 children and doing a wonderful job, I’m so happy for my brother and warmly welcome a new sister into our family!

I look forward to their Louisiana wedding and will be quite busy helping with cooking traditional Cajun dishes for Mandy and her family after the wedding! It’s going to be a day to remember and enjoy as my brother steps into the realm of being a married man. Mandy Johnson is one lucky lady to have found such a wonderful soul mate in life! May God bless them and all their children as they enter a new chapter of life! Congratulations, and welcome to the family!

Delta Dawn

Joshua Cade Hughes & Mandy Johnson. A Date to Remember November 11th — also my grandparents wedding date and my twins Mikko & Mikailyn’s Birthday. <3 6

Bayou Living Magazine, LLC

October 2017

October, 2017 …. VOLUME 11 …. ISSUE NUMBER 7

CONTENTS 630 West Prien Lake Road, STE B #301 Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 Phone: 337-348-2958 Www.thejambalayanews.com

Publisher / Editor Dawn Miranda Hughes-Daley jambalayanews@gmail.com

COVER STORIES 22 The Flea Fest Calcasieu Parish 40 Traveling The Backroads Lafayette, Jeff Davis & Beyond

IN THIS ISSUE

Bill Elliot Dawn Miranda Hughes-Daley Dorothy Hughes Dominique Dugas George Cline Luke Eddleman Jackie Tabor Jade Harrington Marilyn Brunt Nicole Shuff Arabie Paige Vidrine Tiffany Casey Russell Pawlowski

6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 47 48 50 51

Contributing Photographers

THE SPICE OF LOUISIANA

Contributing Editors Dorothy Hughes dorothyhughes1951@gmail.com

Contributing Writers

Dawn Miranda Hughes-Daley Dorothy Hughes Marilyn Brunt Tiffany Casey

Sales jambalayanews@gmail.com fayedrake@sbcglobal.net heatherhughes808@gmail.com joshdaniel4544@gmail.com

Graphics Art/Production Director Dawn Miranda Hughes-Daley Legal Disclaimer The views expressed by The Jambalaya News Columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Jambalaya News, its editors or staff. The Jambalaya News is solely owned by Dawn Daley, published by Bayou Living Magazine, LLC, 630 W. Prien Lake Rd., STE B #301, Lake Charles, LA 70601. Phone 337-348-2958.

While every effort was made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of going to press, the publisher cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility of the standing of advertisers nor by the editorial contributions. Copyright 2017 The Jambalaya News / Bayou Living Magazine, LLC all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

October 2017

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A Word From Delta Dawn Contest Guide & Winners Note From Dorothy & Editor’s Choice All Things Football Matthew’s Calling Sportsman Bragging Rights Page Sportsman Bragging Rights Page Life On My Terms Memorial Hospital Breast Health Nighttrain’s Seafood Bisque New Orleans Strong New Orleans Strong Continued Roll—On Soul Matters Tips from Tip Sweeny Todd Cookin’ with Chef Redhead There Once Was A Kitchen Table According To Bill Spice Cover “Ryan’s Performance”

Dining, Entertainment & Event Guide 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 70 72 74 76 77 78

Los Ponchos Mexican Grill Dining Guide Dining Guide Lake Charles Ranks #2 in Nation Dining Guide Society Spice The Buzz The Buzz Events DIY: Teal Pumpkin Project with Jade Halloween & Harvest Happenings Dogs of Louisiana Funbalaya Word Search & Tic-Tac-Toe The Poker Lady - Ace in the Hole

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72 Traveling the Backroads With Marilyn Brunt

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Win Cash & Prizes …

Find the Blonde Bomber’s Necklace ……..

WIN $500 in CASH Holiday Special ..

The Blonde Bomber has lost his necklace. Can you help him find it? He’s been wearing this necklace since he was 16 years old, it’s a lightning bolt with the letters TCB on it. Do you know what TCB means? Taking Care of Business and the lightning bolt symbolizes: in a flash. Elvis wore a necklace just like this one. Thankfully only the lightning bolt charm is lost. It’s important that he finds it … he’s lost it somewhere within the pages of The Jam, probably in one of the ads. If you find it please TEXT 337-348-2958 with details on where he can find it (page number, ad description and where in the ad). Leave your name when texting for the reward of $100. A Drawing will be held the 5th of each month and one lucky winner will be chosen. Look close it’s hard to find! Good luck! You MUST FOLLOW & LIKE us on Facebook to

The Blonde Bomber is a local retired professional boxer. He can be found punching thru ads in The Jam to help you get a prize. Find the Blonde Bomber’s red boxing glove in one of the ads & TEXT 337-348-2958 to claim your chance to win this months prize. Include your full name, page number and ad description. Drawing will be held on the 5th of each month. To earn extra entries in the drawing each month like and follow us on our social medias & rate us on Facebook. For each social media you follow us on you will get and extra entry! Winner will receive A $50 Gift certifi-

win this prize. Want extra entries? Follow us on our social me-

dias. You’ll get and extra entry for each that you follow us on! Also one for Rating us on Facebook!

cate to dine at a restaurant of your choice.

The Jambalaya News @jambalaya_news

Hadi & Sammi Chloun of Toga presenting Rebecca’s Gift Card.

Bayou Living Magazine The Jambalaya News @bayoulivingmagazine & Bayou Living Magazine

NEW!!! Find the Eye-Of-The-Tiger! If you find the eye of the tiger during LSU football season you could win the prize of the month! If you find the eye of the tiger Text-337-348-2958 and list the page number & ad you found it within along with your name! If you want to get an extra entry please like and follow us on Facebook and rate us and tell us how you like our contest games! This month we are giving away a $50 gift card to Buffi’s Peaux Boys!

Rebecca DeRouen of Lake Charles won a $50 gift card to Toga Grill for finding the eye of the tiger . Try your luck at finding it!

Find the Blonde Bomber’s Boxing Glove …

Daphene Davis of Lake Charles was our September winner. She won a $50 gift card to a place to dine of her choice. She chose Rikenjaks of Lake Charles. She found the boxing glove in the Action Arms ad on page 23. You could be our next winner, find the boxing glove and TEXT 337 - 348 2958 with the page number, what ad you found it in, where it is located in the ad along with where you picked up your copy of The Jam & your Full Name. If you are correct your name will go into our monthly drawing. GOOD LUCK!!

Find the Blonde Bomber’s Necklace.

—————— Trent Watkins of Lake Charles was our September winner. He won $100 for finding the lightning bolt necklace charm in the Frosty Factory ad on page 60. You could be our next winner, find the lightning bolt necklace charm and TEXT 337 - 348 2958 with the page number, what ad you found it in, where it is located in the ad along with where you picked up your copy of the Jam & your Full Name. If you are correct your name will go into our monthly drawing.

GOOD LUCK!

Alex Lemoine of Rikenjak’s presents Daphene Davis with Gift Card.

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LCPL. Trent Watkins is our lucky winner!

Bayou Living Magazine, LLC

October 2017

Call Today

Gayle’s Hardware & General Store 2625 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA Phone: 337-436-4126 Hours: M-F = 8am-5:30pm Sat = 9am-3pm Cajun Classic Enamel Pots McWare Pots Hi—Low Pressure Burners Burner & Fryer Combos Boiling Pots Roux Stainless Spoons All your outdoor & tailgating cooking needs in one spot.

All your hardware needs Tools PVC & Galvanized pipes & Fittings

LUMBER PAINTS STAINS ROOFING DOORS TOOLS WINDOWS GARDENING AND MUCH MORE. Local Family Owned serving all of southwest Louisiana over 80 years.

337-734-2244 Find Us On Facebook 511 E. Russell Ave., Welsh, Louisiana 70591 October 2017

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“Paramount Visions” Photography Exhibit in the Paramount Room during Gallery Promenade. L-R: Brice & Lauren Perrin, Tim Fontenot, Maggie Gregory, Rick Lee, Dorothy Hughes, Deidra Reed, and Chuck Curet. Photo By Karen Bourdier.

Discoveries & Seasons …

Finding Passions on the Journey of Life Fall days are here once again, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! It’s a time of arrival here on the farm – as the harvest continues into “second crop” and the migration of birds from the north makes its way to these southern parts. The place that will become a temporary resting spot for a myriad of water fowl in the rice stubble and marshes of Southwest Louisiana. Their “winter home”! Each year I wait to hear the first honking from flocks of geese that fly in characteristic formations overhead – a striking sound in the crisp air that ushers into reality an excitement of arrival.

There is another beautiful gift during the fall season – an extraordinary light that transcends all other illumination!

From the crisp blues of drier skies and onto the glass-like waters of our lakes and bayous, this fall light is pure magic!

You can see differences in shadows and feel an excitement in the morning air, and all combine to make this time special.

Photographing such beauty – reaching to capture its special essence held within perfect moments to remember – has become more than a hobby for me. It has escalated into a passion! Having taken time away from the business of editing and writing has mostly been about that very passion, being given my first opportunities to collect my work into public exhibitions. Perhaps a new era for me to explore! And that has given me a reason to reflect, once again.

Life is about seasons – the yearly four we experience serve to project a greater meaning as we travel through the seasons of our own lives. Stepping stones lay out before us, along a path that is punctuated with profound discoveries and delightful gifts along the way. At times, we may face jagged disruptions and boulders that must be moved to continue; but the effort and the process is so worth the rewards!

I’d like to wish everyone a beautiful fall season, because winter will surely follow. Take the time to revel in this special time and see things through kind and thankful eyes – your path is waiting. Have a wonderful fall season, everyone!

Dorothy Hughes Editors Choice Photos October 2017. Hashtag to enter editor’s choice #bayoulivingmagazineimages on Facebook.

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October 2017

October 2017

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2017 LSU Tigers Football Schedule

All Things Football

Date Opponent 10/14 Auburn Tigers @ Tiger Stadium 10/21 Ole Miss Rebels @ Oxford, MS 10/28 OFF 11/4 Alabama Crimson Tide @ Tuscaloosa, AL 11/11 Arkansas Razorbacks @ Tiger Stadium 11/18 Tennessee Volunteers @ Knoxville, TN 11/25 Texas A&M Aggies @ Tiger Stadium 12/2 SEC Championship Game @ Atlanta, GA

By Scott Haltzman

In watching LSU's first 2 games, I came away pretty impressed, especially against a BYU team that year in and year out is a solid team, although clearly a mid-major, with LSU having far superior talent.

Especially not allowing BYU to cross midfield on offense the entire game! So, going into the Mississippi State game, I knew this would-be LSU's first real test.

Watching the game go along, several things became apparent to me. First, as one analyst put it beforehand, the Tigers were going into a Hornets nest. What jumped out to me was that for some odd reason, LSU just didn't seem like they were ready to play. And when they got punched in the mouth, which happened throughout the game, they didn't seem to want any part of it. I believe LSU has superior talent to State, albeit young. This game showed that talent alone is not enough to win.

I knew it would take time for Matt Canada's offense to gel. So, you depend on the defense to at least keep the score close, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;til they could find a way to pull out the game in the end. What defense? Yes, we're young, yes, we have injuries and yes, the offense was struggling. I just found our defensive play to be very puzzling. As far as the penalties and from where I'm sitting the overall lack of intensity, I'm gonna have to put that squarely on coaching.

Bottom line: no one saw this coming. I'll be very curious to see how the Tiger's respond. Again, much like the first two opponents, Syracuse and Troy are mid-major teams that LSU, if they play well, should have no trouble with.

Afterward that, the game in the Swamp against Florida, I believe, sets up much like the game against Mississippi State. It will go a long way in determining the outcome of the season. As much LSU Kool-Aid as I drank before the season, I have to be just as careful at this point not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

TV/ Time TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA 3:00

2017 LSU Tigers Football Schedule Date Opponent TV/ Time 10/21 Incarnate Word @ Cowboy Stadium 6:00 10/28 Central Arkansas @ Conway, AR 6:00 11/4 Southeastern Louisiana @ Cowboy Stadium 6:00 11/11 Northwestern State @ Cowboy Stadium 6:00 11/18 Lamar @ Beaumont, TX TBA

Rajun Cajun Date 10/19 11/4 11/11 11/18 11/26 12/2

Opponent Arkansas State @ Arkansas South Alabama @ Mobile Ole Miss @ Oxford New Mexico State @ Lafayette Georgia Southern @ Lafayette Appalachian State @ Boone

TV/ Time ESPNU / 6:30 Radio 107.9 / TBA Radio 107.9 / TBA Radio 107.9 / TBA Radio 107.9 / TBA Radio 107.9 / TBA

Should be interesting. Don't forget to listen to Patrick Frye and myself on Pigskin Preview at 1470 am on Friday from 10:00 am -12:00 pm or tune at cajunradio.com. We will be talking lots of high school and college ball. Stay tuned...

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October 2017

The Jambalaya News High School Football Photo Captures of the month!

Lake Arthur vs Vinton captured by Ashlyn Spence.

Game Info: 9/29/17 Lake Arthur wins 47-33.

Sulphur vs Lafayette captured by Ashlyn Spence.

Game Info: 9/29/17 Sulphur wins 52-14.

All Pictures Gameday and tailgating ...

You can share all your pictures with me by facebook messenger or email … jambalayanews@gmail.com

Charles, Taylor & Ashlyn Spence! LSU vs Auburn 10/14/2017 … LSU wins 27-23

Colburn Marquez enjoy the LSU game!

Rex & Toni Alexander, Dianna Ardion & Gavin Kittrell.

October 2017

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Matthew’s Calling —

By Dawn Daley

Matthew Suire, a 20-year-old from Bell City (now residing in Ragley with his fiancée Bailey and 3-month-old son Maddox), watched his daddy do woodworking from the time he can remember. Now a father himself, his own son will have the privilege of doing the same as Matthew carries on the family art of working with wood.

tom-made calls that are in the avid hunter’s hands and make the experience more than just purchasing a duck call. I created a call designed to fit each and every individual, a call that they designed, making quality custom calls our priority.”

Suire notes that he has always been interested in hunting, but to build hunting tools is the bonus, or as we Cajuns call it, lagniappe. The compliments he receives still awe and inspire him to continue to bring a better product with every call he makes.

Matthew found his woodwork calling when he was only in the sixth grade. Add hunting in the marsh with his grandfather at an early age, and the natural result of this combination became a passion to build duck/goose calls.

His custom, made-to-order calls are very special and are built with a passion from his Christian upbringing. Starting young, he crafted a skill that will stand among the best of calls. In his own words, “With hard work and a strong faith, I will make it.”

I have gotten calls from Suire for myself and for my family members and they never disappoint. They are tuned perfectly and designed exactly as you want, with a custom-made call in your hand, you can be sure when you are in the blind with others, no one else will have one like yours!

Suire has a skill that will make him our own hometown Duck Commander. At the age of 12, he placed first in a duck-calling competition with his own homemade call.

His self-taught skills of turning and tuning duck calls as well as cutting his own reeds to create a style all o his own worked then and works now, with even more talent and precision put into his work. He recalls that it took a month to get his call exactly as he wanted it back then.

But now, with all the tools he needs, the process is much quicker.

“I like when I build something of my own that no one else has tried,” he says. “It’s what keeps my business custom, and the custom orders are what I like doing most because it allows me to create all sorts of different calls.

At Hidden Marsh, we plan to expand the amount of cus14

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October 2017

Place your holiday orders early.

To place your order call: 337-707-3640 October 2017

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The Sportsman Bragging rights Page â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Karen LeJeune with her first red she caught in Big Lake! Way to go Karen and thanks for sharing this beautiful memory with us at Jam!

Sheriff Garber of Lafayette, LA and Ron Richard of Lake Charles, LA shot this buck opening weekend at Covey Rise Big Game Lodge in Husser, LA.

Misti LaPoint (daughter of Jordan LaPoint) shows of her first pig.

Emma, Kinsi & Crystal showing off a albino catfish that lives in a private pond in Ragley.

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October 2017

Myers Landing & RV Park A place to come, play & stay … Relax & Enjoy

337-287-4890 1411 Shasta Street Sulphur, LA Action Arms is your locally owned and operated class 3 gun dealer with a knowledgeable staff and fast friendly service.

We stock a wide range of pistols, shotguns, rifles, ammunition, accessories and even suppressors.

We offer an indoor shooting range.

Hurry in today to see our new items for the fall and winter seasons.

Remember if we don’t have it we can get it!

On-Site Gunsmith with over 25 years of hands on experience for all your repair needs!

Cabins & RV Space Rentals. Fishing Supplies, Restrooms, Boat Launch, 18-hole Mini Golf Course, Playground, Clubhouse & More! Book & Enjoy Today! Visit — www.myerslanding.com for more info.

169 Myers Landing Rd, Lake Arthur, LA | 337-774-2338

Ask about 0% Financing on Guns and other Hunting Products.

Firearms Ammo Hunting supplies tactical accessories Firearm cleaning and repair

Carrying such name brands as Beretta, Mossberg, Ruger, SIG, Tikka, Smith & Wesson, Browning, Winchester and much more!

Come in today and check out our new fall and winter stock!

HIT YOUR TARGETT WITH BLACKWATER GUN COMPANY! M-F 9am-5:30pm

337-246-7373 SAT 10am-4pm www.blackwatergunco.com 447 N. Main Street, Jennings, LA 70546 October 2017

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www.lakecharlestackle.com

Your One Stop Shop for all Your Outdoor Needs …

Guns Rods Reels Ammo Decoys Game Calls Hunting Apparel Costa Sunglasses Rod & Reel Repairs

4909 Common Street | Lake Charles, LA | 337-479-2999 17

The Sportsmen Bragging rights —

Daron Farquhar got his buck of a lifetime! The 197-1/2" 23 pt buck weighed 230lb.

Spoonbill Adventures

Spoonbill Adventures …. A load of ducks & dogs! : )

Book your Hunt Today Call — 337-368-5969 Dove, Duck, Goose & Speck Hunts …

Dove hunt—$100 per gun Duck and Goose combo—$200 per gun Speck hunt—$175 per gun Lodging—$50 per person per night per person … where the sport begins.

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October 2017

October 2017

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on site call Today

Expert Gunsmith

25 years Plus

the let downs and the pain lead many people to just not really care enough anymore to try to make life any better. “It never works out anyway so why try.”

For these types of people who have recurring heart ache, I want you to look at the circumstance and think about whether or not you play any role in sabotaging your own life. I like to think of an example of a young girl whose father was in and out of her life. She didn't realize it, but his irresponsible behavior taught her early on that she wasn't really worth it. She felt like if he can’t stick around then she didn't matter all that much. As she got older, she took easy jobs that offered quick money because that was instant validation. She became a compulsive spender because that too made her feel good in the moment. With every opportunity or stroke of luck she received in life, she could never find a way to maximize her potential. She associated with people who stayed in ruts themselves, always thinking that the underdogs deserved love. These poor relationships with people who couldn't catch a break, pushed her further and further into her irresponsible lifestyle. Never once did she think that she might need to make a change in the way she acts, handles money, deals with people, does business. This story is one of ultimate sabotage. It is true that bad circumstances are not always your fault, but what you do with those circumstances and the choices you make because of them can either wrap you up into more of a mess or allow you to pull yourself out.

So, stop for a moment and be honest with yourself. Think about whether or not your choices and mindsets could possibly be sabotaging your success.

You have time. I was talking to a friend of mine who had lost her baby boy. I found that she has such potential to be successful in life, but in the moments, that mattered most, she would make decisions that didn't benefit her all too much. This led me to question her deep beliefs. She explained to me that she believes that time just isn't on your side. Hearing this made me sad, because the way she framed her loss was in a way that couldn't benefit her long term. When you are always feeling like you're running out of time, you will try to short cut your way to results and that never builds a solid foundation for a successful life.

I used to do this myself. In my mid-twenties I would think that I should have it all together. I felt terrible for not even knowing what my passion actually was. This led me to feeling constantly frustrated with life, causing me to focus on what I am not accomplishing. I finally realized that time was on my side, that I could accomplish a lot in twenty years if I started now, that I could make up for 5 years of unknowing in one year of intense focus and hard work. Because I changed the way I viewed my time, I make the most out of every second of every day. I try to make the best choices based on what I have decided that I want. I reach out to people who I admire and let them teach me. Framing my mind this way has eased so much anxiety and helps me to really focus on what matters most.

We all make mistakes. Own up to it. I used to hate when people would call me out for the mistakes I would make. It was like a jab to my ego every time someone would mention my shortcomings. I hated being wrong and messing up so badly that I would even lie to myself when things wouldn't go right. I would blame other people instead of owning up to my mistakes.

Change Your Thoughts

Change Your Life

Image by Emily Martindale

Are you stuck in a rut? You can’t catch a break; your relationships aren't working out and life just keeps sending you curve balls. I used to ask myself, “Why me?” when things would go wrong. I felt unappreciated at work, couldn't make my own business successful and was raising two kids all while going through a divorce. “I am doing everything I can to have a good life and nothing is working out in my favor.” This was my reaction to any problem I would face until I learned the most valuable lesson in my life. As I was trying to claw my way out of depression, I watched a Tony Robbins video explaining that the way we frame events in our lives completely changes who we become as individuals.

Imagine this, there is an entrepreneur trying to make a living selling a milk shake mixer. Sales weren't all that bad, but they weren't all that good either. This entrepreneur had big dreams but each endeavor he took on would come to a screeching halt.

His relationships never lasted and something always seemed to go wrong for him. If he would have framed his circumstances by thinking, “Why me?”, he would have thrown in the towel or just given minimal effort in his jobs. Instead, he was always looking at every failure as an opportunity for growth. He thought, “What can I learn from this?” and kept on moving.

Because of his determination to keep going, he opened himself up to the entrepreneurship endeavor of a lifetime. He became the co-founder of McDonalds, making hundreds of millions in his career. Ray Kroc and other successful men and women find ways to frame their thoughts so that instead of sabotaging their lives, they create something beautiful.

I have been inspired by stories like this, probably because my mom has a pretty cool one herself. Listening to her rags to riches story always inspired me to study other successful people and figure out what it is that makes them keep going in the face of adversity. I have learned a lot in my studies and I can honestly say that I am a stronger person because I put into practice the idea of thought framing. Here are a few pointers so you can help yourself start living life on your own terms: Realize that you might just be sabotaging your own life. I want to start with this idea, because so often people will find themselves in terrible situations over and over again and then question why life just doesn't work out for them. Eventually, 20

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When things go wrong or situations turn out badly, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not beneficial to look at what role others played in the situation before truly evaluating your role in the problem. My relationships really took a turn for the better when I started disagreements off by simply saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I may be wrong, but this is where I was coming from.â&#x20AC;? It has been amazing to see the benefits of simply owning up to the mistakes I make in my life. I used to believe that admitting my shortcomings would make me less of a person, but in reality, it has made me more secure in myself and given me the strength I need to move past problems quickly, not allowing them to get out of control.

Stop expecting not to struggle.

If comfort is your goal, then you will always be chasing something that is very elusive. I see people every day on social media complaining every time something goes wrong in their lives. Is it such a monumental event every time multiple things go awry in a day, that they feel the need to share with their internet friend groups? It seems as though facing issues is an unusual thing for these people. I cannot say I was never like this.

Granted, I never used social media as a tool to vent my frustrations, but I did at some point call friends to do just that. After I started working towards a more positive life though, I realized that this was not beneficial. I also started to see how griping when things went wrong could become an every day ordeal, because things always go wrong. So instead of expecting them not to, I just made up in my mind that when they did I would be ready for it. I would not expect a perfect life. I decided that life would be wonderful even if I had a flat tire. I would change it and move on. I decided that I would be happy. Even when

October 2017

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my brother died, I found a way to use the grief and pain to fuel my passions. At the end of the day, the rain will fall. I have found more joy in dancing in it than seeking shelter.

All in all, the greatest asset in my life has been the way that I have trained myself to think. At one point my mindsets where chaining me down to a miserable existence. When I learned to frame my thoughts properly, I stopped sabotaging my life, realized I had enough time to build something significant, learned to build better relationships and how to enjoy the struggles life brings.

Life isn't perfect now, but it is much more enjoyable. I have a newfound hope and that is all that I need to build life on my own terms.

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A wise man once said that the secret to longevity is to keep breathing. That may be true, but being a whole lotta fun doesn’t hurt either! Just ask any of the frenzied shoppers at Flea Fest. This November will mark the tenth event for the family-friendly shopping extravaganza that has helped to make kitsch cool again. It marks a milestone of sorts for the semiannual event that has grown dramatically since its 2013 inception to become one of the most anticipated and well-attended events in the south. The sprawling country fair-type festival has amassed a truly massive fan following on social media, and now welcomes an estimated fifteen to twenty thousand loyal shoppers through its gates for a weekend of fun each Spring and Fall.

It’s easy to see why Flea Fest has gained such a following. It somehow manages to combine the truly good things in life shopping, music, fried food on sticks, and incredibly cute ponies - all under one very large roof. Did I mention fried food on sticks? But it’s not just funnel cakes and family fun at Flea Fest; there’s a lot of heart too. Each show hosts a multitude of fantastic organizations and worthy charities. Like LAPAW Rescue, an all volunteer organization working to provide a second chance for homeless, abused or neglected companion aniWilliam Watson mals; and Safe From Slaughter Equine Rescue, which seeks to save abandoned or neglected horses, mules, and donkeys from a tragic end. So while winding your way through the seemingly endless rows of myriad vendor booths, you just may encounter something you didn’t expect - your new four-legged best friend.

In the true spirit of the upcoming holiday season, Flea Fest is once again teaming up with 20/20 Vision Clinic to support Operation Christmas Child’s effort to spread holiday joy to children in need around the world. Flea Fest will serve as a drop-off location for the gift-packed shoe boxes. Shoe boxes can also be purchased at the event. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 146 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories. In SWLA the goal is to pack and provide donations to distribute 30,000 shoebox filled gifts. It’s a great way for parents to teach their kids about giving, while

making a truly global impact.

Boasting vendors of all types, the upcoming Fall show is expected to be the biggest yet, featuring nearly 4 acres vendors and a virtual drove of wide-eyed shoppers. Flea Fest’s offerings include antiques, retro & vintage goods, handcrafted items, toys, collectibles, clothes, art work, comic books, upcycled furniture and décor, gifts, plants, handmade jewelry, crafts, a farmer’s market, adoptable pets, and so much more. Local shop favorite, The Polished Peasant, will also feature a booth at the show. Flea Fest also features many locals holding their garage sales at the festival, so you truly never know what you might find!

Flea Fest is set for November 11-12 in the Burton Complex Event Barn, located on the South side of Burton Coliseum.

Regular show hours are 9am-5pm both Saturday and Sunday. A specially priced Early Bird Hour is also held Saturday morning only from 8am-9am. Adult tickets for regular hours are $5, with the exception of Saturday from 8am-9am (The Early Bird Hour) when ticket prices are $10. Kids 12 & under are admitted free at all times. Tickets are only available at the gate – cash only. Parking is free, but if shoppers want an up-close space, a limited number of spots are available in a special VIP parking lot for only $2. The venue is entirely covered so the event will go on rain or shine! More details can be found at www.FleaFest.com and Facebook.com/ FleaFest/.

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Care After Breast Cancer - Lymphedema

“Since medications haven’t shown to be very effective in treating lymphedema, we usually refer our patients to a physical therapist,” Dr. Daigle said. “Once there, the patient will receive an individualized treatment plan that can include massage, exercise, or the use of special bandaging or compression sleeves, and learning about proper skin care for swollen areas.”

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is underway – a time to honor the brave women who have fought and survived this all-toocommon disease, to remember the women we’ve lost to it, and to remind ourselves of the importance of early detection through regular mammograms and other screenings.

“Any woman who has had breast cancer treatments and notices swelling in her hand and arm, should contact her doctor as soon as possible to keep the condition from worsening,” Dr. Daigle said.

When it comes to breast cancer survivor stories, we often don’t hear about some of the lingering side effects that can result from treatment. Despite the relief of beating breast cancer, for many women the journey “back to normal” can also be challenging. One of these challenges is a condition called lymphedema, which can occur long after breast cancer treatment has ceased.

For more information on breast health and cancer awareness, please visit lcmh.com/ breasthealth.

“Following breast cancer treatment, many women - particularly women who have had lymph nodes under the arm removed or who received radiation therapy – can experience a condition called lymphedema,” said internist Leigh Daigle, MD, with Memorial Medical Group. “Even though these are often the best treatments for completely removing breast cancer, they can damage the vessels that lymph – the fluid that circulates throughout the body to remove wastes and toxins – moves through. Those vessels being damaged or blocked can cause a backup of lymph fluid in certain areas, which leads to swelling– typically in the arm and hand.”

While there is no cure for lymphedema once it has begun, there are ways to successfully manage it so that the swelling does not persist, the risk of infection is reduced, and the discomfort and disruption to daily life does not continue.

“Just like most medical conditions, the earlier we begin treatment, the more likely we can help reverse the condition and help prevent flare ups in the future,” Dr. Daigle said. “If it is allowed to get too advanced, it can significantly damage the tissues and become much more difficult to treat, and can even become infected.”

Lymphedema treatments vary based on the patient’s particular needs and medical history, but often include various types of physical therapies or special equipment to help promote lymphatic drainage.

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Nighttrain’s Seafood Bisque Written and Photographed by Marilyn Pepper Brunt

Louisiana seafood is so abundant right now that it seems like the perfect time to share a recipe for seafood bisque with you.

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Blane Faulk, Chief Deputy Clerk of Court for Acadia Parish. Along with his many duties for the parish, he is an avid chef also. On many occasions he can be found preparing food in his gourmet outdoor kitchen for in excess of 500 people for fundraisers or pleasure!

Blane’s nickname, Nighttrain, was bestowed on him by a former teacher and has become the only name that many people recognize him by. I hope you will enjoy his bisque as much as I have!

8 oz. pepper jack cheese 1 bunch chopped onion top 1 bunch finely chopped parsley 1 tablespoon Worcestershire 1 tablespoon Louisiana Hot Sauce 1-2 lbs. shrimp 1 lb. lump crab 1-2 cups Blonde Roux (1 cup flour to 1 cup Canola Oil mix well) Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Saute seasoning blend, garlic, tasso, and butter. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower fire and add all corn, parsley, half and half and heavy cream. Bring back to a slow boil. Add both cheeses and reduce to simmer. Stir often so that cheese does not stick and cook for 10-15 minutes. Add blonde roux to thicken to desired thickness by adding a little at a time. It will thicken fast so be careful not to add too much. Add drained shrimp and lump crab and cook for 10 minutes. If the seafood has water, you may have to add more blonde roux. Add onion tops, Louisiana Hot Sauce, and Worcestershire and season to taste.

Ingredients: 1 stick butter 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 container fresh seasoning blend (Guidry’s or equivalent) 8 oz. tasso 1 32 oz chicken broth 1 quart half and half 1 quart heavy cream 2 cans cream corn 1 can white shoe peg 8 oz. provolone cheese

Makes 16-8oz. servings.

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States and I’m sure everyone agrees with me. It’s also nothing like the rest of the southern states that it is nestled in. New Orleans has that loud style and gravitas, whereas cities like Mobile, Biloxi, Montgomery, Atlanta, and many other southern cities are more in line with that southern belle-type culture of cotillion balls and southern manners.

New Orleans doesn’t really give a hot damn about all that pomp and circumstances. We get our manners from Spain and France, but we know how to take off our corsets and start twerking and holding the rum in one hand and the cigarette in the other. The rest of the south doesn’t have anything on New Orleans - or South Louisiana as a whole.

We’re the most laid back, passionate, loud, emotional, most resilient city and people - and we keep getting knocked down and getting back up, louder than ever and demanding somebody to find our shoes and grab us a beer and a shot. That’s New Orleans.

While I’m been here in Charleston, I’ve had a chance to interact with people from other states. And they say things like, “I’ve never been to New Orleans. Does everyone just drink all day?”

I tell them no. But we can if we want to. Any damn time we want.

We have drive thru daiquiris and sell alcohol at movie theaters. And we’re against drinking and driving. Doesn’t make much sense? It’s not supposed to. It’s New Orleans. Deal with it. We can hold our own against any storm. Literally.

So they all of a sudden say what they’ve been wanting to say: “I really have always wanted to go to New Orleans to see Bourbon Street. I mean it looks like so much fun, the carnival right? And the women flash people for beads?”

When they say all that, that’s when I know that’s what everyone across the rest of the United States says about and rumors about New Orleans and its citizens behind our backs: We’re a bunch of stylish, loud, uppity drunks who somehow stumble through life and get a bunch of fleur-di-lis tattooed on them and get drunk in bars and have sex in the streets.

That’s what they rumor about us behind our backs. Just like that family reunion analogy I used earlier, remember? That’s what every city says about New Orleans at the family gatherings. The drunk whore who everybody secretly hates….. But everyone wants to be.

Because after I tell them what New Orleans really is, and how we really are, then they realize, “Oh my God! It’s okay to say it aloud. I want to be naughty! I want to cut loose and be wild and be free just like New Orleans!”

They just don’t want to admit it like we do. And that’s what these people all end up saying and they all want to be in New Orleans and be a part of New Orleans and they want to see it all and live it. Just like we do. But they can’t admit it out loud. They have to be like Charleston, and other towns - their citizens who just don’t wear it out like we do.

The Big Easy is a city of truth. It’s honest about it’s ugly side. It’s crime. It’s honest about it’s beauty, it’s heritage, it’s faults, it’s sorrows, it’s triumphs, it’s tragedies. New Orleans is not a city.

It’s a person.

New Orleans is a beautiful French-Spanish melting pot of love and emotion, and mystery, seduction, and an urge to live life to the fullest. Yes, in New Orleans you can drink all day, and somehow we do - and we still get just as much done as any other worker in any other damn town with alcohol in our system. We’re New Orleans Strong.

New Orleans is the most honest person ever. It can give you all its secrets and treasures and make you the strongest man alive as long as you are as true to yourself and all your inhibitions as this city is. New Orleans never lies. From it’s vicious potholes, to pump systems that don’t work, to our beautiful St. Charles Avenue and the streetcar line that makes you feel like your transported back to a simpler time. New Orleans can be everything you want her to be.

New Orleans Strong As I write this, I’m sitting in a hotel in Charleston, South Carolina.

It’s a port city deeply rooted in a southern culture that most of the United States has probably deemed antiquated, but history is history, and it’s a part of every city in this big blue American country.

Charleston is a bit similar to New Orleans, but it’s only in little ways.

In fact, it reminds me more of Boston and Baltimore more than New Orleans. And I’ve been to both cities, and I always kind of considered Baltimore to be a bit of sister city to New Orleans, but a kind of prudish older sister of New Orleans, who you need to shovel a few shots of bourbon and tequila to get her to really cut loose and forget about the husband and kids at home. That’s Baltimore compared to New Orleans.

If cities in America is a big family, then New Orleans is possibly the sister who comes to family reunion and everybody asks her what she’s going to do with the rest of her life, and talks behind her back, and says she’s never going to get married and dates too many men, but they all want to be her, and they envy her, and they love to live vicariously through her Facebook posts but they trash her to the more conservatives sisters. You know who those cities are.

Charleston is kind of the sister to New Orleans that was wild, loose, and carefree just like Nola, but Charleston met a nice guy, got married, had some kids, but here and there she goes to the bar and cuts loose if the circumstances are right.

But if you ask Charleston about what she did the other night, she’s going to say she was at the Movies with her sister Raleigh. Whereas New Orleans will say, “Hey, I went to the bar, and I don’t even remember what the hell happened next but I got home safe and my car doesn’t have any blood or signs of a collision on it. Hey. Let’s call LAs Vegas and New York and see if we can get together for a Bloody Mary around 10am.”

I was about to write that I have New Orleans on my mind, but that’s a total astonishing lie.

New Orleans is in my heart, my soul, my blood. Everywhere I go I take this city with me. People say New Orleans lives in you, that it’s a part of your makeup, your DNA, but it’s so true.

We’re a loud people, New Orleanians. We are. We’re loud either with our voices, or our actions, or loud even in our unnerving calm.

We’re loud in our successes, or even in our tragedies. You know it’s true. Look at Ellen DeGeneres - loud. But beautiful, and energetic.

Even her style is loud in the fact that it’s graceful but sporty. Think about Emeril Lagasse. Argue with me. Tell me he isn’t loud.

Aaron Neville’s elegant voice is loud but in the sense that it’s so overwhelming of your emotions. If you think I’m wrong, try listening to “Tell it Like it is.” Irma Thomas, Fats Domino - look I could go through a long damn list, but let’s not do that. It wouldn’t be astonishing.

New Orleans is the loud sister of American cities, but what do you expect? Her father is French. Hell, everybody calls New Orleans the City That Care Forgot. Why? Because of our outwardly easy-going and carefree nature of New Orleanians. That’s The Big Easy.

Well, France actually. But New Orleans had a lot influences that changed her upbringing. I mean she had some Spanish influences.

She had contact with some relatives from out that way and they really helped encourages to stick to the values of her French daddy while her American mother kinda wanted her to stay in school, study hard, don’t stay out late and never ever talk to boys and strangers. America really didn’t want New Orleans end up like Miami.

But New Orleans went her own way. Obviously. New Orleans is a loud city, from a stylish France, mixed with the relaxed and hardworking Spanish.

I’ve always said New Orleans is nothing like the rest of the United 28

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Contact Ed Ezemas for booking information at: 504-957-5490

537 Decatur Street New Orleans, LA 1-800-992-9699

Come by and check out our large selection of Halloween Costumes!!

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It’s kind of sad that people dwell on their misperceptions of New Orleans and its citizens, yet truly overlook the significant contribution that New Orleans - well, Louisiana itself made to the entirety of the United States of America.

A little land deal happened a while ago, back in July 4th, 1803, the Louisiana Purchase took place. Funniest thing about that deal. See, France controlled the Louisiana territory from 1699 until the French gave it to Spain in 1762 and then Napoleon took the Louisiana territory back in 1800. So the Louisiana territory, which included the port city of New Orleans mind you, was under the sharp eye of America. They wanted some of that good New Orleans lovin’, so that’s all President Thomas Jefferson wanted. He was like, no bruh, I just want the girl. I just want New Orleans. Bring it on.

That sounds so seductive and classy in an astonishing way doesn’t it?

Couldn’t you just imagine Thomas Jefferson walking into the room looking like Daniel Craig’s James Bond and making moves on New Orleans over a game of blackjack? And for the record, New Orleans is a woman. And she looks exactly like Eva Green.

So Jefferson only wanted the city of New Orleans and it’s surrounding coastal areas. But France had a better bargain. See, the french gave New Orleans the innate ability to give great gifts. It’s called lagniappe. And France gave lagniappe to America.

See, the entire Louisiana territory was about 828,000 miles. That’s not just the state of Louisiana you know.

In 1803, the Louisiana territory included land from fifteen current states that you might know as Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, and Iowa. Portions of Minnestoa, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Mexico, Texas, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado as well as part of the current Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were all part of the Louisiana territory.

And France sold off her most beautiful prized possession for $68 million francs, which included the cancellation of debts that America owed to France.

Like that, New Orleans was an American girl.

That’s the contribution Louisiana - and New Orleans by proxy made to America.

Did I mention that New Orleans - her Dad, France? Well yeah. He helped out America when they were trying to leave their abusive husband, Great Britain, or England, or whatever name they were going by at the around 1778. So France said, “Hey, America, it’s cool.

I’ll help you get away from this guy. It’s like you’re having a revolutionary war with Britain.”

So even France helped America. And gave us America a beautiful child, known as New Orleans.

New Orleans became a decadent jewel of the south, still maintained

by France, her daddy, and then Spanish stepped in with her schooling, but soon, New Orleans returned to her mother, America, and it only led to her other sister and brother cities just trying to bring her down.

Am I wrong?

You know I’m not.

Everyone wants to come here, and share in our rumored and fabled debauchery. I can’t tell you how many times people ask me about our Mardi Gras, and ask when the bars close, and inquire about every little wives tale they’ve ever heard about New Orleans.

What I don’t get is the people who look at how we can go to bars at any time during the day. You know what I’m talking about. People see the pictures of tourists on social media who start out the night with a Hurricane from Pat O’Brien’s and not too longer after, you see the same tourist passed out possibly in their own vomit - right on Bourbon Street.

It happens more often than not doesn’t it? If you’re from New Orleans or a resident here, you understand. There’s always that one person who says, “I can take on New Orleans. I handle the city and it’s alcohol.”

It becomes a challenge. A versus mode. Tourist versus New Orleans.

I love when I hear that. They’re going to take on New Orleans and try to outdrink New Orleans.

Good luck.

New Orleans, just like her citizens and native sons and daughters, is resilient. You wanna take on New Orleans? Go ahead. New Orleans is like a casino and the house always wins.

The Big Easy has endured many hardships throughout its history, and survived everything from floods, fires, riots, corruption, slavery, the civil war, the Battle of Liberty Place, the War of 1812, and most of all, this city has survived some of the most savage hurricanes ever.

And you know their names. I don’t even have to reference the biggest ones.

Tourists think they can outdrink NOLA. They’re wrong.

New Orleans can’t even be drowned by Hilda, Betsy, Camille, Katrina, Rita - all of them tried. They tried to hurt New Orleans, sink her, beat her and her natives.

This city will always get back up, and wipe the dirt off her shoulders and keep on going. And so will her residents.

We’re New Orleans Strong. When you live in New Orleans, you’re not like anyone else, because you come from a heritage that is unlike any other in the entire United States of America.

No matter what we won’t sink. We can fall but New Orleans is strong. We’re loud. We endure. We don’t care what the other cities think of us. We don’t care what they say about us behind our backs.

Because we can take it. And New Orleans and a real damn New Orleanian will never sacrifice who they are just to make somebody else feel good.

In New Orleans, we make a point to make ourselves feel good. And it’s why we’re confident. It’s why we’re loud. It’s not that we’re loud verbally. We’re loud with our personalities.

Just like New Orleans.

This beautiful, dirty, decadent, historic city is astonishing. It lives in all of us. Once you’ve been to New Orleans, you’ll never forget this city and your experiences here. Just like meeting a New Orleanian.

At the end of the day, I live in the city that everyone wants to go to in America. And I am a native son that once I say I’m from New Orleans, everyone wants to hear what I have to say.

My city could be destroyed by another Hurricane soon. It could be underwater before the middle of September hits possibly, due to storms in the waters.

New Orleans will always survive and come back stronger.

Wherever I go, I bring New Orleans with me.

We’re New Orleans strong.

And I’m proud to be from the city that gets rumored about among the other cities. Good.

At least we know New Orleans lives inside of them too, just like it lives inside of me.

By The Astonishing Kyle Jackson — You can find him on Facebook and at www.theastonishingtales.com 30

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13. Best part of being a Cowgirl Kicker? Two Bests 1. Cheering on the Pokes 2. Kickers make the best friends.

14. Beauty product you never leave home without? Mascara.

15. Who is your hero?

My Dad. 16. What instantly puts you in good mood?

Fresh beats.

17. Person you've always wanted to meet?

Michael Jackson. I know, I know but I've admired him....and those moves.

18. Favorite Hope Soap scent? Lavender (insert heart eyes emoji).

19. Best fast food option? Panera.

20. Favorite vacation destination? Colorado.

21. Favorite part of being a Roll instructor?

Daily dance parties on the bike along with inspiring others to be their best self is super cool. Being a spin instructor isn't much like a job and I'm definitely in the studio as much as possible.

Let's ride LCLA!

Roll-on

By Jackie Tabor Photo Credits Chad Whited Creations Bubbly, big hearted and obviously at the top of her fitness game, Katy Stegall is the just inspo we need to lead LCLA in to Spring 2017. After all, we are the official Sweat Sesh + Juicery for the pride of McNeese State University, the Cowgirl Kickers and we couldn't be more excited.

Roll's rockstar instructors include a diverse array of personalities. From Dancers, to CPA's, Business Owners, to Construction Managers, & top-notch students all who love Lake Charles, dance parties on the bike, and Unicorn Blood. Katy's disciplined but sassy attitude, enthusiasm for dance, and the heartfelt insights she shares with her classes from week to week make this veteran Cowgirl Kicker a breath of fresh air.

We chatted with Roll's newest rockstar instructor to find out everything from the mantra she lives by to what's on her screensaver and more.

So, Katy....

1. Pool or Ocean? Um Ocean.

2. What's always in your grocery cart? Avocado 3. What's your spirit animal? Bruno Mars 4. What's your favorite lunch spot in LCLA? Luna, love it!

5. Spin bike to street style tip? Always leggings + tennis shoes...

I can switch from Roll Tank to Roll-T in about 3 minutes. (Really, I couldn't do any of it without our eucalyptus towels i.e. lifesavers) 6. What's always in your gym bag? A Water B. Body Spray 7. Man-Bun or Fade? I'm a fade kind of girl.

8. What's your guilty pleasure? Froyo 9. Your current mantra? Grow through what you go through.

10. What's on your screensaver? Ozzy...my Morkie, my life.

11. Fave Juice? Currently stuck on Cool Breeze, that could change though because I love them all...just crazy about that fresh squeezed mint.

12. Last movie you watched: Back-to-the-Future (lowkey obsessed with Marty McFly).

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unleash Your Inner Rockstarâ&#x20AC;?

2801 Ryan Street, Ste 800 Lake Charles, LA 70601 337-429-5260 www.roll-indoorcycling.com

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Love can rewire your brain. Remember, new cells are born every day. You begin experiencing healthier habits. Could the experience from just a spark affect you so deeply that it reshapes you from the inside out? If that spark is actually a spark of love, it can lift you up so high that it actually moves you to higher ground. You begin experiencing a new view.

We have all been created for love, a love that nourishes our souls. We become healthier, happier, and we grow when we are in love. Love wasn’t created to be solitary.

Most of us have experienced real love, along with the pain that happens when the spark dies. We lose hope and begin looking for love in all the wrong places. The false excitement we find there is simply not acceptable. You have to remember that the spark you once felt was real. There was something actually going on that got your neurons fired up between your brain and your heart. It might have made your heart beat faster and made you smile all day. Your world and his/her world collided into each other. Real love is not pressured or uncomfortable, it will feel natural and fulfilling.

If the person you loved practices faith, then you will find how deep your relationship can go if your heart is centered and focused on God. Don’t settle for anything less than an extraordinary spark. Pay attention; you will be able to see God in it. Some of those godly sparks are the ones that matter most. Becoming a person that is more aware of what truly matters in this world is important. One of those godly sparks that call out to you might just be the way God is working through another to ignite the flame within you.

Soul Matters With Nicole Shuff Arabie

THE SPARK Have you ever experienced a spark with another person? Do you ever feel your heart beating fast and butterflies in your stomach from an encounter with another person? Sometimes a spark is so bright that it catches your attention and you discover another heart in a crowd.

Are we experiencing the language of how we communicate with each other? Is that what creates the spark? Do you pay attention to your mind and body and listen to it? Information is being sent to us in various ways by our body all the time. But could you possibly be preventing a spark from taking root in your life because of how it is revealed to you? Perhaps the language wasn’t clear enough.

Could that spark actually be a spark of love? When you truly connect with another, love vibrates between you. Your brain syncs with the other person’s brain. The moments of love you experience with them are actually on the same frequency.

What really makes you click with someone else? Remember when met someone and they shared a story with you? You hung onto their every word. It was clear that you both enjoyed the connection. Could it have just been “brain coupling?” Or was it a place where, for a moment in time, both of your brains lit up like fireworks? It was that little thing we call synchronicity with another person, that matches in both space and time.

It’s more than just a normal connection. You really just get that other person. You share a smile, laughter, similar passion, or a story that engages you. You begin feeling genuine concern and care for that person, along with a feeling of trust. You are left questioning what happen to the walls that you had built up.

How did that happen?

Then reality hits you and you begin questioning their true motives. Instead of allowing the possibility of fear scare you away, your gut instincts tell you to trust. It’s like a door opens and compassion, support, and love invites you inside. It’s your choice to step through and discover that world on the other side.

Through love, you become a better version of yourself. The more you allow yourself to experience those authentic interpersonal connections, you will begin noticing love entering into your life.

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October 2017

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Call us about Landscaping October 2017

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items that repeat every month. Making sure that all items are dealt with can be problematic if you don’t have a plan.

I regularly prepare a monthly list, computer spread sheet but a hand done one is just as useable. I list, not only regular bills to be paid (I am adamantly opposed to having my monthly payments taken automatically out of my bank, easy to set up but can be nearly impossible to terminate), but recurring monthly chores such as changing the A/C filter, adding salt for the water softener, a heart worm pill for my faithful companion and so on make up just a few of the reminders on my form. I arrange the format according to the normal due date for each expense, some are set amounts and others (cable and cell companies have amazing ways of finding new fees to charge to inflate their take) are variable but normally due approximately the same day of the month. I list the credit card due dates as well. I find making this list (budget if you want to use that term) helps to ensure that the dreaded “Late Fee” does not rear its ugly head and that all obligations are met. This method allows me to check off each item, circling the amount and indicate the date paid. The form can then be filed with the bills and statements for the month for easy reference should or when the need arises. Utilization of this method can give a nice sense of security in that you are on top of the situation. Just a “Tip” I wanted to share.

TIP$ FROM TIP

By George Cline

Our local governmental entities have become so possessed with development that they are losing sight of the wishes and desires of the local population. Yes, we are in a period of rapid expansion and the expected need for housing is increasing. The quest for additional tax revenue has seemingly blinded many of our elected officials to the wellbeing and quiet life desired by existing residents. Apartment development has run rampant in areas that the existing infrastructure can’t begin to stand. The drainage problems that are so evident should cause caution on expansion of massive increases of concentrated development. The resulting lack of absorbing ground caused by the impervious covering of the soil leaves less area to absorb the water. There are already drainage problems being created in areas where no flooding problem has ever occurred due to the new construction. With all the obvious flooding problems, we all have seen in many areas of both town and the suburbs, one must wonder why the concerns of residents are being ignored and pushed aside. The increased traffic load on our roadways will lead to unnecessary delays and congestion. The quest for the almighty dollar by both developers and governmental bodies has reached rough shod proportions. The citizens of adjacent areas are trying to maintain some sense of normality and preserve the existing nature of their investment in their homes and neighborhoods. We can only hope that some semblance of responsibility will take over the mind sets of these officials before it is too late. These residents will surely remember which elected official favored improper development in their areas. One can easily point out that much of this proposed industrial expansion was planned when oil was in excess of $100.00, now oil is half of that amount and already there have been retractions in expansion plans. Let us hope and work for responsible development of our neighborhoods.

I’m a first of the month kind of guy, the end of the month can be the 28th, 29th, 30th or the 31st; but the first is always the same. I, same as most of my readers, have 36

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The remainder are all well-rounded musicians in their own right. As in all KC Productions, there is absolutely no canned music. I have not only been directing and teaching the music, I will also be conducting a small ensemble of seven extremely talented musicians that are all outstanding and professional. It is my privilege and honor to be working with them and this amazing cast. The answer to your question is by all means yes.

How could we omit any of this great music? Every note will be in it!

KC Productions SWLA Presents

Sweeney Todd

For the past two years, KC Productions SWLA has presented The Rocky Horror Show during the Halloween season. This year, we’re in for a treat: Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, will be on the stage at Central School Oct. 2629. We caught up with the very busy and very talented Keith Chamberlain to find out his plans for this production.

JAM: How are rehearsals going?

JAM: What made you decide to do Sweeney Todd instead of Rocky Horror this year for Halloween?

KC: Rehearsals are going well. Of course, you have your off days, but when this cast is on point they are ON FIRE! I know after the audiences experiences this production, they will realize the level of difficulty of this music and will be impressed and entertained. It's a lot of hard work and the cast has put in so much time preparing. It's such a magnificent experience to be a part of a project that everyone in the cast is thrilled to be involved in. It’s quite a unique story line with all of its underlying themes. I'm so excited to be able to offer this production to them.

KC: When I started the theatre company, I wanted to make Rocky Horror a staple production around Halloween so everyone could do "the time warp again" every year! We've produced it for the past two years and while I'm sure it would be a success again this year, I just wanted Frank to rest his pumps for a season! Sweeney Todd is a great choice this time of year. It's campy and fun in a different kind of way. I'm a huge Stephen Sondheim fan and the music is brilliant. After directing a few years as KC Productions, I knew we had the talent in this area. When we announced the productions, the public arrived at auditions in abundance. The cast is absolutely amazing with vocalists that transcend all of those haunting lush melodies to another level. It is sure to please. Not to mention it's also one of my favorites. I'm very pleased and excited to be able to present this to the Lake Area.

JAM: What do you hope to achieve with KC Productions?

KC: This is plain and simple: I will continue to bring top quality productions to the Lake Area showcasing our local talent. I want the public to remember this. This cast, crew, musicians and everyone involved are all local. This area is loaded with so many talented people. With each production, I keep meeting and having the pleasure to work with new people. I love working with my faithful troupe but it's always nice to have new blood! There are so many others that need to experience being a part of live theatre.

JAM: What do you want people to know about Sweeney Todd itself?

KC: Sweeney Todd is a musical, but it still has a bit of dialogue. It's not the Johnny Depp movie by any means. The director, Tim Burton, took his own dark spin and of course added that Hollywood gore factor a bit too much, in my opinion. I do believe that there were some amazing performances in the film, especially the characters of Toby, Pirelli, Judge Turpin and Johnny Depp (at times, when he wasn't sounding like Jack Sparrow). It was dark as it should be with the subject matter but a lot of things were left out of the movie version that makes the stage version so much better. You don't have to have blood spewing everywhere to get the point across.

JAM: What’s coming up in 2018?

KC: Our first production in January will be Ernest Thompson's On Golden Pond. It's not a musical, but it’s an outstanding drama that will make you laugh and cry. The show has a cast of six and we plan to start rehearsals in November. I'm overwhelmed with the amount of talent and emotion that these six fine actors will be bringing to the stage. It's nice to break away from the musical mode occasionally. With a cast like this and such a great story, I couldn't resist.

What a lot of people don't realize about Sweeney Todd is that it's not only a tale of revenge, it's also a comedy and a love story between some of the characters and "elements" in the story line. It's a fantastic melodramatic thriller! Just know when you come to see this performance you will be entertained and will not leave disappointed. I guarantee if you don't know the story you'll never look at a pot pie the same way again!

We plan to have two more productions that are huge and will be announced at the beginning of 2018. Always remember when you come to a KC Production, we will bring you quality theatre. Our goal is to make it a wonderful theatre experience.

Please join us on our journey!

Sweeney Todd will be performed Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 26-28, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. Get your tickets NOW at www.kcproductionsSWLA.org. KC Productions is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Please consider a tax -deductible donation!

JAM: There are a lot of complicated songs in this musical.

Will all of them be in the performance?

KC: Complicated is putting it mildly! The textures and composition elements that come from the works of Sondheim are baffling but brilliant. We have a cast of 25, most of whom are all music and vocal graduates, teachers, and college students.

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Written and Photographed By Marilyn Pepper Brunt

It’s Fall Y’all! Beautiful autumn colors are everywhere. I love traveling the backroads and discovering new roads to venture down, especially if it includes a festival!

Such was the case one Saturday morning when we packed up my SUV and headed East down I-10 towards Gonzales, LA in search of the Ascension Hot Air Balloon Festival. It was a crisp morning but soon warmed up to a blistering September afternoon.

As we crossed over the Atchafalaya Basin, I was determined to try to capture a couple of early morning photos of the Cypress stumps that seem to stand like soldiers guarding the swamp. As I looked out over the basin, memories of a recently deceased dear friend invaded my thoughts.

Greg Guirard (1937-2017) was such an advocate for preserving everything pertaining to the Atchafalaya Basin. He authored several books surrounding life in the basin and was an English instructor at ULL, as well as an accomplished photographer. He was also a film consultant, philosopher, part-time crawfisherman and logger. Among other things, he was well known for recovering sinker cypress logs and repurposing them into works of art.

I met Greg through my friend Eric Couvillion, who also recovers logs and creates works of art out of these forgotten treasures in his business, Live Edge Woodworks in Breaux Bridge, LA. These two men have such a passion for the basin and they have invested a lot of time into preserving it for future generations.

The swamp stumps proudly stand as a reminder of the annihilation by loggers in the 1800’s when they clear-cut trees starting separately on both sides of the 20-mile-wide basin and met in the middle. The Atchafalaya is protected under the October 2017

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federal Wetlands Protection Act, but such laws are not always enforced in Louisiana. I propose that we all take a lesson from Greg Girourd and Eric Couvillion by doing our part also to preserve the beauty of our Louisiana state tree. The Bald Cypress can survive with our help.

The traffic was backed-up on I-10 so we proceeded down to I-12, exiting on LA Hwy 447. I was quite all right with the detour because I was interested in exiting off I-10 to “travel the backroads” between Baton Rouge and Gonzales. It was a very scenic route winding through small towns and crossing the Amite River that empties into Lake Maurepas.

After arriving in Gonzales, we checked into Home2 Suites by Hilton and were very pleased with the accommodations. The comfy spacious suite was very stylish and packed with perks.

The General Manager, David Scarnato, does an exceptional job of welcoming guests and providing services to meet their needs. He allowed us to check-in early and I was happy that we did because we returned to the hotel rather late that evening.

Now…Let the Fun Begin! The Ascension Hot Air Balloon Festival is a very popular festival in Louisiana drawing thousands of visitors each year. It is held at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center. The gates open for the festival on Friday afternoon from 4 to 10 p.m. and on Saturday from 12 Noon to 10 p.m. I suggest you go early to avoid the long lines waiting to enter and bring your own chairs or blanket for viewing the balloons.

As you enter the festival grounds, it’s a feast for the eyes.

Carnival rides, a children’s petting zoo (complete with Llamas), arts and crafts booths, face painting, food vendors, live music and a fabulous car show are just a few of the things that 41

you can enjoy!

Tethered balloon rides were definitely the most sought-after activity. I was really looking forward to going up in a balloon because I had already envisioned the great photo ops that I would have. When I realized that festivalgoers had been standing in line for two hours waiting for their turn to ride, I changed my mind. But I think you’ll agree, the photos from ground level were quite colorful also!

I strategically planned to be in the car show building during the hottest part of the day. I was relieved that I did because even though we are officially in Fall, the temp was in the upper 90’s.

There were numerous cars on display and I wanted to see every one of them and so did my daughter, Gigi, and my grandson, Griffin. They were in awe of the ’57 Chevys, Corvettes, Muscle Cars, Camaros, Woodys, etc. that were all shined up and sparkling like the priceless jewels that they are.

Claude Prejeant from Assumption Parish had his red & white ’57 Chevy Bel Air there. It even had a carhop tray and drive-in speakers for an added nostalgic touch. Parked beside him was a black ’69 Camaro owned by Roland Jacob of Prairieville, LA. It was just one of the many collectible cars that Roland owns.

Walking across the pavilion, I noticed a beautiful teal B-4 Dodge pick-up. I must admit, for us (me & the truck) being the same age, the truck has gotten a few upgrades, but I’m not judging! Sal Graffia from LaPlace painstakingly restored it. The interior was refurbished with new upholstery featuring Maltese crosses on the back and seat cushions. It was well done!

Left to Right—Griffin, Jada, Doc & Gigi.

My grandson’s favorite color is orange and he couldn’t wait to show me a shiny Omaha Orange 1955 Chevy pick-up truck that was owned by Kenneth Bourque from Gonzales. To appease him and myself, I decided that it was the perfect vehicle to be featured in for my October article. Thanks to my daughter, Jada Brunt, who did a nice job of taking these photos.

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We voted for our favorite vehicle and were anxious to hear if our choice won “Best of Show”. It was announced that Mark Bougeois from Denham Springs was the winner with his ’69 black Camaro Super Sport! Congrats to everyone on a great show!

Dusk was setting in as we strolled towards the stage where we noticed a large crowd had gathered to listen to Sara Collins sing. We also noticed that almost two dozen balloons were being inflated in preparation for the signal from the announcer to set their balloons aglow. We meandered amongst the balloons in amazement. There were balloons of all shapes and sizes and creative characters. It was such a festive, color filled sight. It was rather exhilarating when the announcer instructed the handlers to “twinkle glow” then “all burn”. I must admit that I thought my camera was smoking from taking so many photos! This was breathtaking and definitely a photographer’s dream.

A few interesting facts about hot air balloons, they were invented in 1783 in France. It was discovered that a fabric bag filled with hot air would rise. The first passengers in a hot air balloon were a sheep, duck and a rooster. The first manned balloon flight traveled over Paris for 5.5 miles. Champagne was shared after a landing first originated to appease farmers for landing in their fields. I did some research and discovered that the largest hot air balloon festival takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico each year. That festival lasts nine days and features more than 500 balloons. This festival is definitely going on my “bucket list”. Maybe next time I’ll be lucky enough October 2017

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to go up!

I would like to share something with you that I received from my friend Frank J. Anger from Tupelo, Mississippi. His red, white and blue “America” balloon gave everyone a sense of patriotic unity and God knows we could use more of that right now.

Balloonists’ Prayer: The winds have welcomed you with softness.

The sun has blessed you with its warm hands.

You have flown so high and so well, that God has joined you in your laughter and set you gently back again into the loving arms of Mother Earth.

With our country in turmoil over standing or taking a knee, torrential flooding, wildfires and Las Vegas under attack, it was nice to gather in unison and enjoy the freedom that we have in America. We need to unite for the good of our country.

As we left the Expo Center, fireworks were exploding in a plethora of colors in the sky. It was a perfect ending to a near perfect day.

Naturally, the first thing the kids say when they get in the SUV is “we’re hungry”! Honestly, so was I and Don’s Seafood Restaurant was just around the corner. In true Cajun fashion, Griffin ordered a bowl of their Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, which he said was delicious. That’s a powerful review coming from an 11-year-old! I decided on the Jacked-Up Shrimp. This is one of Don’s original menu items. It’s broiled shrimp with 43

bacon, jalapenos and pepper jack cheese. They are cooked and served in a sectioned black iron skillet and are scrumptious!

Early the next morning after breakfast, we checked out and headed over to Cabela’s Outfitters store to browse. This store is a sportsman’s fantasy come true. Their exhibits of taxidermy wildlife and aquatic creatures are outstanding and worth traveling for.

I told my husband, Doc, that I was interested in taking a scenic drive home so we headed south on LA Hwy. 30 then down LA Hwy.73 toward the Mississippi River. I’ve traveled River Road from New Orleans to Gonzales before so I was curious to travel it all the way back to Baton Rouge.

We turned right at the river onto LA Hwy.75 and traveled west to Carville LA. As we approached the end of the asphalt road we were fascinated by a stately, two-storied, columned structure.

I remembered reading about Carville In LA History many years ago but couldn’t recall details. My memory was jolted when a young lady, clad in a military uniform, informed us that we had just entered the grounds where the National Hansen’s Disease Museum is located. For those of you that are unfamiliar with Hansen’s Disease, it is more recognizably known as Leprosy. This once abandoned sugar plantation became the Louisiana Leper Home in 1894. Eventually the facility developed into a hospital that promoted understanding, identifica-

tion and treatment of Leprosy. In the early days, there was no effective medical treatment. Patients entered the gates under mandatory quarantine and many never left the hospital.

The facility is currently operated by the LA National Guard as a camp for at-risk youth. The museum’s archival collection includes photos and records of the Daughters of Charity who lived and worked at the facility from 1896-2005. If you’re interested in touring the compound, they’re open Tues.-Sat. from 10-4.

You can follow LA Hwy.141 along the river but we backtracked and turned left onto LA Hwy.75 that eventually runs parallel with Nicholson Drive and the Mississippi River.

I was not disappointed with the points of interest we encountered along the route. Old barns, houses and even a wooden church built in 1769 were intriguing. St. Gabriel Roman Catholic Church is one of the oldest wooden churches along the Mississippi River. Its design is Classical on the inside; representative of its French Acadian origins. Its exterior is an example of the Gothic style, which is executed simplistically with its frame construction. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open by appointment only by calling 225642-8441.

You can imagine our surprise when out of nowhere, the L’Auberge Casino & Hotel appeared right in front of us. We decided this would be a nice place to stop for lunch. Their 44

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facility on the bank of the mighty Mississippi River is simply gorgeous. I can thoroughly understand why people travel great distances to visit. It really is breathtaking when you enter the main hallway and a view of the river appears at the far end of the hall.

We had lunch in the Stadium Club, which was delicious, and then we toured the rest of the facility. The pool area that is located on the top deck of the hotel looked so inviting, especially since you have a panoramic view of the river. We’re definitely coming back here for a visit. I’m already envisioning capturing sunset photos from the rooftop.

We’re finally getting back to the reality of the city when we drive past “Death Valley”! That’s right, the LSU Stadium is just down the road from the casino. I’m familiar with how epic it appears on a Saturday night for a game, but today it’s void of its 90,000 + fans that occupy it for a game and it looks ginormous.

We proceeded toward I-10 and merged onto the bridge enroute back to Lafayette. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wondered what is in the two giant, white, dome-shaped structures on the north side of the bridge. At one time, I heard they were filled with molasses…seriously! I’ve since discovered that they’re filled with 40 tons each of wood pellets that will be used as a clean and renewable power resource, primarily in Europe.

Shipping this product has definitely increased the number of October 2017

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Eric Couvillion & the late, Greg Girourd. ship calls at the port. So now you know also!

I was only in Lafayette for a few days before I was traveling the backroads again. This time I was headed to Opelousas to connect with some previous clients and deliver magazines. I invited my sisters-in-laws, Debbie and Katy Brunt to accompany me.

Opelousas Mayor Reggie Tatum met us at Le Vieux Village and was very excited to receive The Jambalaya News to share with locals and tourists visiting the city. We made a few more stops then decided to venture a little farther northeast from Opelousas.

I had read about a local grocery store/restaurant that has been in business since 1920 and that is just the kind of place that I like to visit. Stelly’s of Lebeau, LA is where all the locals gather. They offer breakfast, plate lunches and more for dine-in or take-out. I had one of the best burgers that I’ve ever tasted, so fresh and flavorful. A little farther down the road in Palmetto, 45

Opelousas Mayor Reggie Tatum & Marilyn.

LA is another establishment that has been in business since 1934. Budden’s Hardware will take you back in time to how it felt to shop in an original general store. These two establishments are a little off the beaten path of LA Hwy.149 but worth the detour.

I had one more shop that I wanted to visit and that was The Kitchen Shop in Grand Coteau, LA. Nancy Brewer has owned the shop for 24 years. She’s such a lovely person and we enjoyed visiting with her and learning about all the pastries she bakes. One particularly caught my eye and I inquired about its filling.

She told me that her Gateau (cake) NaNa is a take on a European dessert called a Gateau Breton. Generally, they are filled with apples, pears, hazelnut or macadamia nuts but she likes to fill hers with a pecan praline filling. The crust has a dough like texture and I can vouch that it’s one of the best gateaus you’ll ever eat. She said she makes about 2000 Shelbie Comeaux of Billy’s in Scott, LA of these gateaus every year with about 1000 of those sold between ThanksgivBilly’s was bustling with locals and tourists wanting to stock ing and Christmas. They have a shelf life of about 9 days but up on some of their Cajun specialties. Boudin Balls, Rollups, can be frozen and reheated at a moments notice. Along with Pistolettes, Specialty Meats, Sausage and more can be found at her sweet pastries, her shop is filled with every gadget imaginaany one of their three locations that are also in Krotz Springs ble for your kitchen as well as unique gifts for the person that and Opelousas. has everything. We bid Nancy au revoir and promised to return. She reminded us of the sixth annual Sweet Dough Pie I stood in line about a dozen people deep and was told that it Festival that is held in Grand Coteau on October 28, so I was a “short” line today. Trust me, it’s worth the wait! I guess that will be included in my return trip. placed an order for boudin and some of their delicious crackThere is one more stop that I would like to tell you about that lins. Shelbie Comeaux was so helpful; she even cut and double I made on a different weekend while enroute to watch an LSU -bagged the boudin since I was traveling with it. LSU didn’t game at my sisters’ camp in Lake Arthur, LA. I was traveling win the game but the boudin and cracklins were a hit! ConsidWest from Lafayette on I-10 and decided to make a stop at er visiting them before your next tailgate party.

Billy’s Boudin & Cracklins in Scott, LA. It was in 2012 that the Louisiana Legislature designated Scott as the ‘Boudin Capital of Fill your life with adventures, not things. the World’. Other cities have laid claim to this title but it is Have stories to tell, not stuff to show!

Scott that produces more links than any other city.

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Russell Pawlowski

Cajun Red Head Duck Poppers It’s that time of year again! Duck season is coming. One of my favorite times of the year.

The weather is cooler, football is on the TV and you get to go Duck hunting first thing in the morning before the family gets to stirring around. I have so many dishes that I like to cook with Duck but unfortunately my family is not a huge fan when it comes to Duck. So, I find myself disguising the duck meat and Cajun Red Head Duck Poppers is one of the ways I do it.

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Cajun Red Head Duck Poppers 10 Jalapeno peppers 10 slices of Apple smoked bacon, cut in half 1 8-ounce package cream cheese 1 lb. duck breast ½ cup Milk 1 Tbsp. Cajun Red Head Wild Game Seasoning Directions

Cut duck breast into 1-inch slices. Place duck in a bowl with milk. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the jalapenos in half and scoop out seeds and ribs. Fill jalapeno halves with cream cheese.

Take duck out of milk and season with Cajun Red Head Wild Game Seasoning. Place a duck slice on each cream cheese filled jalapeno half.

Wrap each filled jalapeno half with bacon halves. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until bacon reaches desired crispiness. Eat and enjoy!

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For Whom the Bell Pepper Grows

By Tiffany B. Casey There Once Was A Kitchen Table Our backyard gardens would be incomplete without them and the Holy Trinity of our Louisiana kitchens would be considerably less "holy" if not for this ancient crop. Although the bell pepper has been cultivated for more than 9000 years.

Native to the Americas, its origin is believed to be that of South America. In fact, like so many foods that are native to that region, it is also believed that these peppers were carried throughout the world via Spanish and Portuguese explorers who traveled across this continent and beyond.

Because bell peppers were able to adapt to a number of soil types and prosper in tropical climates, they were quickly embraced by many other cultures throughout the world becoming staples in many of their cuisines.

These days it seems that the odds are against me and are not at all in favor of me tending to a fruitful garden of my very own.

Now a city dweller, I often recall the backyard gardens of my youth. Images of three or four small green bushes partially line the edge of that family garden with their bell-like fruit hanging heavy from thin branches. Star shaped, white flowers seemed endless, budding, then blossoming before setting more fruit well into fall.

The bell pepper is a cultivar of the plant species Capsicum annuum [Kap-si-kuh m] [An-nu-um] belonging to the nightshade family Solanaceae [Sola-nace-e-i]. Like other nightshades which are deeply rooted in our culinary history (tomatoes, eggplants, and okra), one cannot imagine preparing countless Louisiana favorites without it. Although referred to as a pepper, the bell pepper contains no capsaicin at all. It has a crisp flavor profile which sweetens the longer it is allowed to ripen on the plant.

With age, the bell pepper will turn variant shades of yellow, orange, and red.

Louisiana cooks have fallen hard for this not at all peppery pepper plant. We use it religiously in etouffees, fricassees, gumbos, and bean pots. Perhaps that is how it became such an intricate ingredient in what we so lovingly refer to as the “Holy Trinity” - the combination of celery (or garlic depending on

who you ask), onion, and bell pepper that is used as the base for Louisiana's regional cooking.

While these glossy, often green peppers are thought of as little more than seasoning to the pot, nothing could be further from the truth. Bell peppers have been held in high regard in kitchens throughout the continental U. S. for some time. It is, however, the recipe for the popular American classic “Stuffed Bell Peppers” which has been documented as far back as the late 1800’s.

Among some of the first recipes recorded, one which stands out is a Pickled Stuffed Pepper from “Miss Parloa’s New Cookbook”; Boston circa 1880 and is a concoction of cabbage, horseradish, cucumber, and mustard seed stuffed into a bell pepper before being covered with cold vinegar. Fannie Merritt Farmer printed two in her “The Original Boston Cooking School Cookbook”; Boston circa 1896 in which one is filled with meat and rice while the other is stuffed with a mixture of chicken or veal with breadcrumbs. In 1946 the "Joy of Cooking” published instructions on how to go about the task of preparing, stuffing and baking your “pepper cases”. Finally, one of my personal favorites is the 1955 Louisiana Acadian Handicraft Museum's "French Acadian Cook Book" which offers its readers two versions of the stuffed bell peppers – one of meat and rice and the other of seafood and cheese.

The following recipe for Stuffed Bell Peppers is based on one that made regular appearances on my mother’s dinner table.

Most often the peppers were stuffed with leftover rice dressing that she had prepared the night before using either Savoie’s or Richard’s Dressing Mix. It made for not only a quick fix weeknight meal but a very satisfying one as well. While I often make mine the exact same way as my mother, I do enjoy going the old -fashioned route sometimes, making my dressing mix from scratch. Whichever version you choose, your family is sure to find a new appreciation for this modest backyard essential, the bell pepper.

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Rice Dressing By Tiffany B. Casey 1 lb. chicken giblets, ground 1 medium bell pepper, chopped ½ lb. ground pork 3 cups white rice, cooked 1 ½ cups onion, chopped ½ cup green onion, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped ½ cup parsley, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tbsp. bacon drippings or lard 1 cup water salt, black pepper, cayenne to taste Boil giblets in salted water until tender. Remove giblets and grind them. Place them back in broth. In a large pot, brown pork lightly in bacon drippings or lard. Add your onions, garlic, bell pepper, and celery. Allow to sauté until moisture cooks out of the vegetables. Do not allow to brown. Add a cup of water to this mixture and simmer on low until the vegetables are tender. Add water as needed. Add salt, black pepper, and cayenne to taste. Add the ground giblets along with the broth and simmer this mixture down until it is completely broken down. Remove from heat and in small batches, fold your cooked rice in until completely incorporated. Do not add all the rice at once as you may not need to use it all. You want a moist, even ratio of rice to meat. Return to a low heat, fold in your green onions and parsley; adjust seasoning if needed.

Cover and heat thoroughly without stirring just before serving.

The secret to a great rice dressing is making sure that it remains moist at all times. You may add chicken broth the dressing if you find it to be a bit dry.

Stuffed Bell Peppers By

Tiffany B. Casey 6 bell peppers 1 tbsp. butter, melted Rice dressing, enough for six peppers ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs Fill a large pot with water. Salt to taste and bring to a boil. Cut tops off the bell peppers removing any seeds from inside. Parboil the peppers being cautious as not to cook through. While waiting on the peppers to parboil, mix butter and breadcrumbs to form a topping. Remove and drain peppers for a couple of minutes before stuffing. Once dry, stuff each pepper generously with the rice dressing mixture. Top each stuffed pepper with the buttered breadcrumbs before baking in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked through and the tops a golden brown.

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According to bill Givers and takers

By Bill Elliott This month I wish to throw my words at a paired category I call "Givers and Takers." Consider this thought: Is a wealthy person that throws money but never their personal time a true giver? Is it not true that a life consists only of time and does that not make time our most valuable possession? Is a person a giver if he only parts with things of which he has plenty or otherwise does not care about? But be assured this writing is not about contributions to churches and charities. Those Givers of whom I speak receive no tax benefits or promises of first class tickets to the hereafter in payment for their efforts.

I think that true spontaneous acts of social caring are apt to result in the planting of seeds of ideas which may sprout and be picked up by the culture as models and yardsticks for how we should be treating each other. Furthermore, I think it is only proper that we recognize those spontaneous Givers who quietly perform for society with no expectation of recognition or gain.

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Low Prices On —

Now, these Givers are a diverse lot and their mark is like sweet spoor. They always leave more than they take and ask nothing in return. Their reward is quietly and securely couched in their own person and needs no clapping, whistles, glorious accolades, or "atta boys." But, darn it, I think they should get a little recognition now and then because they are everywhere.

Beer & Wine Alcohol Cigarettes Tobacco Icee Gasoline & Diesel 99 Cent Fountain Drinks w/ Crushed Ice Bagged Crushed Ice $1.29 for 8 lbs.

Hunts Brothers Pizza & Chicken Wings

So, I reach into the hat of chance encounter and out pops a Giver that inspired me. His name is "Mark." Mark lives in Sulphur, Louisiana. In the course of our conversation Mark told me that he has built and maintained a free neighborhood mini book exchange that sits proudly in his lawn where it is convenient to its patrons. Mark tells me that his book exchange even sports a light to accommodate those who, for whatever reason, find the evening hours most convenient.

When I complimented Mark on his splendid and unselfish contribution and told him that it would be wonderful if neighborhoods everywhere could have their own free mini book exchange, he offered to provide the "how to” information sources to anyone interested. Just email Mark and he will let you know how to set one up and get it going.

Evan’s Jennings Location — 1207 S. Lake Arthur Ave., Jennings Fishing Supplies & Bait—Live shiners, worms & frozen bait.

Iced Single Beers Alexis’ Diner offers—Video Poker, Fried Chicken, Hamburgers & also available on Waitr App. Store is open 6am—10pm

Mark's email is: mkratzer@mail.com

Coming Soon!

5th Ave., Lake Charles, LA Location!

To serve you better!

And once more for all you Silent Givers: Thank You!

Evan’s Corner Store Opening Soon on 5th Ave For Your Convenience — 4252 5th Ave Lake Charles, LA Iced Single Beers, Beer, Wine, & Liquor.

Cigarettes & tobacco products.

Gasoline & Diesel.

Krispy Krunchy Fried Chicken, Hamburgers, Boudin, Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice and More!

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711 Enterprise Blvd.

Lake Charles, LA 70610 www.ryansperformance.net

DINING GUIDE

Table …

Come Have A Seat

By Dominique Dugas — The Food Dude will be back next issue … he’s having to deal with sickness in the family and needs your prayers … so Dawn Daley will be filling in this issue.

Godspeed Food Dude and Family!

Are you a fan of Mexican and Tex-Mex food? No matter where you’re from, there are plenty of choices out there, but it’s the small places that really make the top of my experience with this cuisine. I found a neat place in Lake Charles that deserves a shout out.

I tried their chimichangas and they were pretty amazing. With every bite, the seasoning is clearly present and tasteful in the mix of beef and chicken covered in white cheese sauce with guacamole and sour cream salad on the side! I also had a chance to drink their margaritas and they are really good as well as strong!

I drive around a lot, yet I managed to miss this place completely until they opened their third location on Broad street in Lake Charles. But honestly, I had eaten at one of their locations before and loved it. I just don’t drive down 171 that often so I hadn't been back yet.

Each location has its own Facebook page, so follow them all or the one you visit most to keep up with specials. And, they are going to start live entertainment this month! The 397 location will have live music starting on October 21 from 7-10 p.m.

They are talking about karaoke soon as well! You might just see me there singing Delta Dawn! Until then, I hope you’ll go to one of their locations and try some of their amazing dishes!

The first one they opened is on HWY 171 right on the outskirts of Moss Bluff going toward Gillis in the old Harry’s Restaurant. I was there for a quick meeting and just had some chips and dip, but I had been meaning to go back because I so enjoyed the atmosphere there. The place was hopping and smelled of sweet Mexican dishes!

Two more locations opened in June of this year: on Broad St. and on 397 next to Vegas Magic off the Chloe exit 36 off I-10.

The Mendoza family has worked in the restaurant business for over 15 years and brings us the Mexican and Tex-Mex experience with a creative flare, combining the best of both worlds to their dishes. They put a lot of love into every dish they serve — because serving your family is how they support their family. They want you to enjoy your experience and savor every bite of that love!

Their entrees consist of the most popular dishes served at most Mexican restaurants along with steak and wings and lots of appetizers. Tuesday night is Kids Night and kids eat for .99 cents with an adult meal purchase. They can choose from chicken fingers (made from real chicken), corn dogs, pizza, burritos, tacos and enchiladas. Margaritas are available at all their locations and they have a 2 for 1 special all day every day!

So why get a margarita anywhere else? They also serve many other specialty drinks, along with beer and liquor. Looking for lunch specials? Menu items 1-12 are $6.99 every day with a cold ice tea. They also have Taco Wednesday where tacos are .99 cents!

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DINING GUIDE

Bon Appetit

October 2017

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DINING GUIDE

Nina P’s

1600 W. McNeese Street, Lake Charles, LA 337–474-6462 | www.ninapsafe.com At Nina P’s Café, we have great home-made southern-style plate lunches, dinners, burgers, New Orleans style po-boys, gumbo, etoufee and much much more! We’ve now added a special Saturday Brunch to our menu! Serving some of the best breakfast in town! Some of our specialty are so mouth watering you’ll have to try everything on the menu, such as our Crepe C’est Tu, Cajun Monte, Omelet C’est Tu, Nina’s Eggs Benedict to the Cajun Eggs Benedict! Not to mention drinks like The Big Crispy, which is glazed donut-flavored vodka and coffee served with a sugared rim or the Raspberry Sparkler, which is raspberry vodka and champagne & everyone's favorite Bloody Mary!

Sassy Oil & Vinegar

4310 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 337-540-1408 www.sassyoilandvinegar.com Sassy Oil & Vinegar has recently opened a cafe inside The SEED Center Lobby. They have a coffee bar with a 75-cent cup of coffee for a quick cup of Joe on the Go. Their menu includes sandwiches and salads made to order. Two-egg omelets are also available with your choice of add-ons.

One of the unique features of the cafe is that their menu changes weekly, with one new item included each week. It can range from healthy varieties of chicken salad and avocado chicken toast to the not-so -healthy Super Deluxe Nachos and Frito Pie. They also sell bottles of oils and vinegars with flavor cards to give you ideas on how to use them. They like to say, "It's OK to play with your food!”

Look for Sassy Oil & Vinegar to go on Waitr in July.

Spoonful of Sugar

1155 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana.

337-488-9315 Spoonful of Sugar is perfect for any occasion. If it is for a planned event are just stopping for some daily sweets they have what you are looking for.

With some of the most creative tasty working coming out of their doors they aim to please their clients with everything they do. They also serve a daily lunch special each weekday. They are located downtown Lake Charles and offer a nice clean open dining area. During the holidays don’t forget to order your pie ahead of time because it is the word that they have the best homemade pies around. So head down town this summer and bring the kids for some sweet treats!

Tio Juan’s Fresh Taco’s & More

2211 B Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 337-602-6772 At Tio’s you’ll find friendly smiling faces ready to serve you Breakfast at 6am! Lunch starting at 11am and thru dinner at 9pm! The food is a perfect blend of authentic Mexican and tex-mex. It’s sure to satisfy your taste buds and you can also now get Margaritas and ice cold beer! Tio Juan’s Fresh Taco’s & More is a little oasis that is sure to be one of the up and coming favorite Mexican restaurants in town! They also have a convent drive thru for when you are on the run!

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Raja’s Curry Kitchen & Grill

3821 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana.

337-476-2777 www.therajasgrill.com The cuisine at Raja’s Curry Kitchen & Grill reflects the food found in modern day India with diverse Indian cuisine. They have a freshly prepared buffet each day. You can get the buffet or order off the menu. The buffet offers some of their most popular foods and is serves fresh and hot. So go on down to Raja’s Curry Kitchen & Grill ready to taste some foreign flavors that will have you come back for more very soon!

The Bad Apple

3436 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 337-474-2294 The Bad Apple invites you to COME TAKE A BITE! They are serving breakfast starting at 7am and thru-out the day Monday thru Saturday. They are also rumored to have some of the best burgers in town! They have many other favorites that they serve during lunch and till closing everyday such as their catfish sandwiches, Grilled Jalapeno Cheese and much more! Also now serving steak on Tuesdays! They have service industry specials as well as 1st responders specials! The grill is open Monday thru Saturday 7am till 10pm.

You can enjoy music and pool while you have a draft beer are one of their many specialty drinks.

Now available on WaitR so you can enjoy at work are home by delivery!

Bayou Living Magazine, LLC

October 2017

DINING GUIDE

Steamboat Bills

1004 N. Lakeshore Dr., Lake Charles 337-494-1070 | www.steamboatbills.com

Listed as one of the top 10 places to eat in the US and voted #1 in the top 20 best restaurants in Southwest Louisiana. Steamboat Bill’s draws in Cajun-Creole-craving tourists and locals alike.

This fast full-service restaurant offers a wide range of Louisiana flavor from fried, etouffeeloaded pistolettes and the locally favored, boiled crawfish to the rivetingly pleasing homemade gumbo crafted from their family recipe. Steamboat Bill’s not only serves highly rated, Louisiana cuisine, but is an outstanding place for fellowship with close friends and family.

Los Ponchos Mexican Grill 2502 Broad St., Lake Charles, Louisiana 337-564-5814 2555 N. HWY 171, Moss Bluff, Louisiana 337-905-1016 520 HWY 397, Lake Charles, Louisiana 337-602-5553

Los Ponchos Mexican Grill has three location in the Lake area to better serve you. They serve an authentic Mexican Tex-Mex menu. They have 2 for 1 margaritas all day everyday. They have a lunch menu for $6.99 with a sweet tea. All of their locations are located next to a video poker right next door. With their great prices, drink specials and great tasting food you are sure to find a unique little place to dine!

October 2017

Bayou Living Magazine, LLC

Sloppy’s Downtown

329 Broad Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana 337-602-6365 Sloppy’s Down town is serving towns best street foods around. They have everything from Pizza, Burgers, Sushi, Sliders, and so much more! They also serve lots of beer on tap! Offering such specials as beer and burger, pitcher & pizza nights!

Recently they added a kids night to their menu.

Kids eat free! They have entertainment for the kids on Wednesdays from 4-8. Another thing they have recently started in Lake Charles was a Saturday Zydeco Brunch! So not matter what night of the week you decide to check them out they have something special for you!

Hackett’s Cajun Kitchen

5614 HWY 14, Lake Charles, Louisiana

337-474-3731 www.hackettscajunkitchen.com If you love boudin, sausage or home cooked plate lunches you’ll want to head on down to Hackett’s Cajun Kitchen. Hackett’s has so many great varieties of boudin that you’ll have to get more than one because it will be to hard to choose! Their sausage is pretty darn good as well! Plate lunch are served daily Monday thru Saturday. If you love Crawfish and Boudin you’ll have to try their special Crawfish Boudin it will take you to Cajun heaven for sure!

Buffi’s Peauxboys

Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp

If you’re looking for a Louisiana Poboy, Buffi’s Peauxboys is the place to go! It’s a little hide away restaurant on the east side of Lake Charles. They serve gourmet, New Orleans style poboys that pack a big punch in flavor.

The options are endless when your searching for southern flavors with a flare. Their speciality is the Boiled Crawfish Peauxboy. You can find us on Facebook. Now available on Waitr as well!

A vibrant atmosphere breathes life into anyone who walks through the doors of Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp! The name alone suggests a casual little vacation from the rush your day might’ve been.

With terrific food, colorful décor, a great downtown location and friendly service—this place is nothing short of a delightfully unique experience.

Vintage brick walls, with memorabilia from times past, offer a virtual exhibit with an undeniable ’coolness factor’! Looking through the menu for the very first time, you’ll know you want to keep coming back — trying EVERYTHING served up by this eatery of special flavors, mixing their own version of Tex-Mex laced with Cajun Flair! It doesn’t get any more special than that!

3620 Gerstner Memorial Blvd.

Suite H Lake Charles, Louisiana 337-656-2883

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723 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana 337-602-6243 | www.tiajuanitasfishcamp.com

DINING GUIDE

Daigle’s

Strickland’s Spirits & Eats

415 E. Russell Street., Welsh, LA 337-734-4483 Hot-To-Trot in Welsh, Louisiana is now under new ownership! They plan on bringing you the same great daily lunch specials, boiled crawfish & Shrimp as well as adding some new items to their menu soon! So they encourage you to follow them on Facebook and stop by soon to see what’s new! I hear the rumor is that they are adding steaks and gumbo to the menu! So y’all go by and give them a try!

726 E. Russell Street, Welsh, LA 337-734-2500 Daigle’s has you covered for breakfast at 5am and for lunch and dinner until 5pm Monday thru Friday and Saturday from 5am until 12pm. They are serving homemade daily plate lunch specials every day! They are also know for their boudin and sausage for miles around.

For all you hunters they also offer known for some of the best priced deer processing and any other of your needs.

203 East Nezpique St., Jennings, LA 337-246-7411 Everyone is talking about Strickland’s Spirits & Eats. They may be new to town but they are quickly becoming very popular. Everyone is boasting of their amazing burgers and chicken fried steaks, the atmosphere is good, the staff is friendly and they serve adult beverages late.

It’s a place to go for a daily plate lunch are to order off the menu. It’s dubbed to be the gather place to hang with friends. If you haven’t tried it yet you may want to scurry on down and try them out. It may just be your new favorite place.

Cajun Tales Seafood Restaurant

Darrell’s Po-Boys of Jennings & The Crawfish House

Roy’s Meat Market

Richards Hot-To-Trot

501 North Adams Street, Welsh Louisiana 337-734-4772 | www.cajuntalesseafood.com

Cajun Tales is committed to satisfying their customers with great food and excellent service.

They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

They feature a daily lunch special, crawfish pie, broiled stuffed catfish and award-winning seafood gumbo… just to name a few of their great menu selections. They offer a buffet on Friday & Saturday evening and a breakfast buffet on Sundays.

They are also family friendly with a menu just for the little ones. Their menu is full of irresistible Cajun favorites as well as burgers, steaks, seafood, gumbo, red beans & rice and so much more!

Your sure to find a reason to go back soon and try another dish off the menu. Conveniently located right off I-10 in Welsh.

1020 North Lake Arthur Avenue Jennings, Louisiana 337-616-9977 | www.darrellspoboys.com

Darrell’s Po-Boys of Jennings is a franchise from the one in Lake Charles, Louisiana. It is the first and only one like it. The unique thing about the Jennings Location is they also have The Crawfish House connected to it and serve crawfish and shrimp in season. They have ice cold beer bottled are on tap. They serve the same specials that are served in Lake Charles. They are a great location to go sit have a beer and watch the big game during football season.

Everyday from 2-4 you get a chip for a free beer every time you purchase one, that buy one get one free! Stop in for a quick bite are stay indoors and cool off while having a cold brew, hey it’s hot outside!

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401 S. Thompson Ave., Iowa, Louisiana 337-582-2220 This isn’t just your average everyday but butcher shop. They are a specialty grocery store and a restaurant as well. They have daily lunch specials each day of the week it is different serving up anything from shrimp stew, beef tips, pork jambalaya, pork chops & gravy, of course they all have great sides with all their plate lunches, and so much more. They have really great burgers, chicken etouffee, and sandwiches.

They are one of the number one places to go during hunting season to get your meat processing need taken care of as well. So next time you are passing thru Iowa stop by Roy’s and the friendly staff will be happy to get you what ever you choose to try!

Bayou Living Magazine, LLC

October 2017

DINING GUIDE

Life is Too Short for Average Food !

Restaurant Hours: Mon-Thurs: 11am-9pm Fri-Sat: 11am-10pm Sunday: Noon-9pm

Buffet Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am-3pm Sunday: Noon-3pm

337-476-2777 | www.therajasgrill.com 3821 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70605

Now Serving Brunch on Saturdays 11am-2pm

Royâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Meat Market 401 S. Thompson Ave. Iowa, Louisiana 337-582-2220

SMOKED & SPECIALTY MEATS BOUDIN CUSTOM MADE SAUSAGE DEER & WILD GAME PROCESSING PLATE LUNCHES SPECIALTY GROCERIES NOW SERVING BURGERS ALL DAY We Now Have Alcohol Steak Dinner & More on our New Menu!

Great Food * Great Service October 2017

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* Outdoor Dining 57

DINING GUIDE U.S. Tourism Quality Index Ranks

PLACE YOUR HOLIDAY ORDERS EARLY—20 DIFFERENT PIES TO CHOOSE FROM. THANKSGIVING IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

Lake Charles #2 for Small Destinations LAKE CHARLES, La. (October 11, 2017)—With the vast amount of data available to analyze online, it is no surprise that the sentiment of consumers is being heard and considered strongly in almost every industry. Websites like Trip Advisor, Yelp or even social media sites come to mind whenever people are looking for recommendations. Taking this into consideration, the U.S. Tourism Quality Index ranked Lake Charles as #2 in the entire nation for the “experiential quality” for small destinations.

The sentiments that were measured include culture, entertainment, sightseeing, sports, adventure, culinary and lodging. The rankings are based on the analysis of the number of products or experiences marked as “very good” or “excellent” by consumers. The top 10 small destinations include: #1 Tallahassee, Florida. #2 Lake Charles, Louisiana. #3 Bend, Oregon. #4 Dothan, Alabama. #5 Augusta, Georgia. #6 Greenville, South Carolina. #7 Greensboro, North Carolina. #8 Mesa, Arizona. #9 Pensacola, Florida. #10 Hot Springs, Arkansas.

“We could not be prouder of this ranking. It is evident that the hospitality community in Southwest Louisiana is working hard to deliver an exceptional visitor experience.

The staff at the bureau is grateful for the many partnerships that we have across all sectors in the hospitality community. With everyone working together, great things can be accomplished from hosting successful events, conferences, media tours or the individual leisure traveler,” said Shelley Johnson, executive director of the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana CVB (LC/SWLA CVB).

The LC/SWLA CVB works diligently to showcase the best of the area through public relations efforts, hosting travel writer conferences as well as implementing hospitality training seminars and social media community trainings. The bureau is extremely active online in promoting partners in tourism in Southwest Louisiana and creating a sense of community online across many platforms.

To engage with the bureau online, go to www.VisitLakeCharles.org, follow VisitLakeCharles on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, or you can read and subscribe to the VisitLakeCharles blog.

NEW HOURS

FIND US ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM ALSO AVAILABLE ON WAITR

Thursday—Friday 10am—5pm Saturday—10am—2pm 1155 RYAN STREET, LAKE CHARLES, LA PHONE: 337-488-9315

$1.50 draft beer on Monday Nights … come watch the game with us!

Thursdays after 5pm all Ladies drinks 1/2 Off.

Start Losing Weight today!

Daily 2-4 free chips for every beer you purchase.

Dawn Daley Call: 337-348-2958 www.DawnDaley.arbonne.com

1020 North Lake Arthur Avenue, Jennings | 337-616-9977 www.darrellspoboys.com 58

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Cajun Tales Seafood Restaurant

DINING GUIDE

501 N. Adams St., Welsh LA 60591 | 337-734-4772 Visit www.cajuntalesseafood.com for our complete menu.

Seafood Buffet Fridays & Saturdays 5-9pm Sunday Lunch Buffet 11am-1:30pm

Daily Lunch Specials

Hours: Monday-Closed Tuesday-Thursday 8am to 9pm Friday-8am to 10pm Saturday - 7am to 10pm Sunday - 7am to 2pm

Now Under New Ownership.

Serving …

Boiled Shrimp, Burgers, Fries & More.

Daily Lunch Specials.

Now Serving ….

STEAKS & GUMBO!

Have you tried our Daily Plate Lunches? Follow us on Facebook to see what we are serving!

Breakfast & Daily Lunch Specials. We also service all your processing needs. Best Sausage & Boudin Around!

Monday-Friday 5am-5pm Saturday 5am-12pm 726 E. Russell Ave, Welsh, LA | 337-734-2500 October 2017

Bayou Living Magazine, LLC

Hours: Mon-Fri 10:30am to 2pm Wed-Fri 5pm-9pm Sat 5pm-9pm

415 E. Russell Street, Welsh, LA | 337-734-4483 59

DINING GUIDE

If you’re looking for a Louisiana Poboy, Buffi’s Peauxboys is the place to go! It’s a little hide away restaurant on the east side of Lake Charles. They serve gourmet, New Orleans style poboys that pack a big punch in flavor. The options are endless when your searching for southern flavors with a flare.

Their speciality is the Boiled Crawfish Peauxboy.

Buffi’s is located at 3620 Gerstner Memorial Blvd. Suite H. in Lake Charles Phone: 337-656-2883 Also NOW available on wiatr app order today!

Hours — M-F 10am—7pm Sat 10am—4pm Sun Closed

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DINING GUIDE

Hours: Monday Thru Friday: Restaurant: 11 am - 2 pm & 4:30 pm - 9 pm.

Bar Area: 4:30 pm - ‘til.

Saturday: Bar Area: 2 pm - ‘til.

203 East Nezpique St. | Jennings, LA

MEET YOUR FRIENDS HERE AND PASS A GOOD TIME PLAYING POOL, SHUFFLE BOARD, FOOSBALL & WATCH FOOTBALL

|

337-246-7411

WEDNESDAY DRAG SURVIIVOR

$1 OFF ALL MIX DRINKS AND LONG LECK BEERS! OPEN 9PM-2AM SHOW 11:30PM $25 CASH PRIZE FOR 1ST PLACE

THURSDAY KARAOKE W/ KELSHA

OUR FRIENDLY STAFF IS ALWAYS AT YOUR SERVICE WITH A BEER, WINE OR FAMOUS FROZEN DRINKS!

DRINK AND DROWN $10 BUY IN $1 REFILL ON ALL WELL DRINKS PEN AT 9PM-2AM KARAOKE @10PM

FRIDAY FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE PARTY $3 FIREBALL OPEN 9PM-4AM DJ IN THE MIXX

SATURDAY SHOW NIGHT

4688 COMMON ST., LAKE CHARLES, LA * 474-9019

2 FOR 1 FROZEN DRINKS, DRAG SHOWS ANNOUNCED WEEKLY ON CRYSTALS FACEBOOK OPEN 9PM-2AM * SHOW 11:30PM

$1 DRAFT BUDLIGHT $5 PITCHERS $2 JELLO SHOTS ALL THE TIME. 112 W. BROAD STREET, LAKE CHARLES October 2017

Bayou Living Magazine, LLC

JOIN US FOR KARAOKE FRIDAY & SATURDAY!

| 433-5457 61

SOCIETY SPICE

Get Spicy with Society Spice

Sugar Cane Farm Festival

Written and Photographed by

‘The Spice Girl’…

Marilyn “Pepper” Brunt What: Sugar Cane Farm Festival When: Thursday, September 21, 2017 Where: Shadows-on-the-Teche New Iberia, Louisiana The Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia, LA has often been referred to as “the sweetest time of the year”! This year was very sweet because they were celebrating their 76th Annual Festival.

I have never been told “Hi Sugar!” so many times in my life and I even got the pin to prove it; courtesy of my sweet cousins, Pam Pepper Olivier and her daughter Marcy.

Under the towering Live Oaks on the bank of Bayou Teche, locals and tourists gathered to celebrate the sugar cane industry. The Farm Festival is an annual event that is hosted on the lush grounds surrounding the Classical Revival, Shadows (as commonly referred to by locals).

The grounds were alive with music and families were participating in numerous games and activities hosted by members of the Sugar Cane Festival Association.

Music, dancing, food and fun were the order of the evening. A Petting Zoo, Cane-Vaulting, Root Toss, and Cane Croquet are a few of the activities that were enjoyed this evening.

As this “Spice Girl” arrived, a square dance caller was calling instructions to the See Saws Square Dance Group from Lafayette. They were a joy to watch as the ladies promenaded in their flared-ruffle skirts and the guys do-si-doed in their boots around the dance floor.

Royalty was in attendance as I noticed several members of the Royal Court strolling the grounds in their beautiful jeweled crowns. This five-day festival begins with a Street Fair on Wednesday, including a blessing of the crop on Friday and culminates with a Royalty Parade on Sunday afternoon.

It truly is one of the sweetest festivals that I’ve ever attended.

Until next time, remember…

You Can Never Have Too Much Spice in Your Life…SUGAR!!!

Until next time, remember…

You Can Never Have Too Much Spice In Your Life!

Never to young to learn to Do-Si-Do!

Marcy and Pam Pepper Oliver … it’s the Hi Sugar button!

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See Saw Square Dance Group from Lafayette, LA.

Royalty sweet as sugar …

Enjoying live music under the live oaks …

Festival goers of all ages enjoyed this fun filled event …

Kane Kettle Fishing …

Put some spice in your life! If you want to see us at your event and be featured in Society Spice please email us at jambalayanews@gmail.com ...

October 2017

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THE BUZZ

Hidalgo-LaFleur Appointed as Arts Council Board President The board of directors of the Arts Council of SWLA recently appointed Heather HidalgoLaFleur as its 2017-2018 Board President during its annual board meeting. LaFleur has served on the Arts and Humanities board for three years and previously held the positions of Second Vice President and 1st Vice President. She is a native of Church Point, La., and graduated from McNeese State University with a B.S. in Mass Communications-Print Journalism, with over 17 years of experience in advertising, public relations and copywriting. She has worked at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Health System for 11 years and currently serves as Director of Marketing and Communications. The Arts Council is an umbrella organization for Southwest Louisiana’s arts and cultural groups and initiatives, and coordinates annual events and fundraisers for the arts. For details, call (337) 439-2787 or visit www.artscouncilswla.org.

Martin Awarded WCCH Foundation/ Mac Burns Scholarship

The West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Foundation recently awarded the WCCH Foundation/Mac Burns Scholarship to Mia Martin, a 2017 graduate of Sulphur High School. The $1200 scholarship is presented to a graduating high school senior in the service district of WCCH who has chosen a career in the medical field and who will be attending McNeese State University in the fall and spring semesters after graduation from high school. During her time at SHS, Mia maintained a 4.0 GPA. She is now at McNeese pursuing a degree in biology, pre-med. For more information on the scholarship, call (337) 527-4144.

Coushatta Donates to McNeese Homecoming Coushatta Casino Resort donated $5,000 to the McNeese State University Alumni Association to help sponsor 2017 Homecoming week activities.

From left: Bill Gadberry, director of HR Coushatta; Stephanie Clark, assistant director for alumni affairs at McNeese and Greg Raynor, CFO/interim GM, Coushatta. McNeese photo BBBS Receives Golden Nugget Donation

McNeese Faculty Members Receive Pinnacle Awards Six McNeese State University faculty members are recipients of the 2017 Pinnacle Excellence Awards established by Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. – the parent company of L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles - to recognize the best teaching professor in each of the McNeese college. L’Auberge VP/ GM Michael K. Pendergast and McNeese President Dr. Daryl Burckel presented the educators with their awards totaling $30,000 during a ceremony held at McNeese’s Stream Alumni Center.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana received a donation from the Golden Nugget Lake Charles for the annual Bowl For Kids’ Sake fundraiser held on March 25 and the Gratitude Luncheon held on August 2 for a combined in-kind donation total of $8,000. For Bowl For Kids’ Sake, the Nugget generously donated the Top Ten prizes, an in-kind donation valued at $3,000. The Nugget also donated $5,000 in sponsorship of BBBS of SWLA’s 2017 Annual Gratitude Luncheon held on August 2 at the Golden Nugget.

From left: Dr. Matthew Aghili, College of Engineering and Computer Sci-

ence; Dr. Kathleen Williams, Burton College of Education; Dwight Bertrand, College of Science and Agriculture; Dr. Mercy Palamuleni, College of Business; Dr. Derek Blakeley, College of Liberal Arts; Dr. Rhonda Johnson, College of Nursing and Health Professions; and Pendergast. McNeese Photo 64

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October 2017

Rotary Donates to Dewanna’s Community Closet

dents awarded include Olivia Karam, management major and CITGO employee; Alla Voth, accounting major; Morgan Hawkins, marketing major; Brandon Robert, accounting major and McCall Monceaux, accounting major.

Robinson Dental Welcomes Dr. Sara Phillips, DDS Dr. Tim Robinson, Dr. Jonathon Rusnak and Dr. Rolando Tapia are pleased to announce that Dr. Sara Phillips, DDS, has joined their team at Robinson Dental Group Family Dentistry. Dr. Phillips is now accepting new patients at Robinson Dental Group’s Lake Charles location. Dr. Phillips graduated from the University of Texas with a bachelor’s degree in nutritional science before receiving her doctorate of dental surgery from the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental School in 2014. Robinson Dental Group has locations in Lake Charles and Moss Bluff. For more information, visit www.robinsondentalgroup.net or call (337) 474-3636.

The Rotary clubs throughout Lake Charles, Sulphur, and Westlake held an inter-club mixer recently at Blue Dog Café in Lake Charles to spread Rotarian togetherness and to help raise money for Dewanna’s Community Closet. A check for $1,100 was presented to Dewanna Tarver, which was raised by Rotarians that attended the mixer in a “pass the hat” style collection.

The organization, founded in 2016 by Tarver, strives to help needy children in Calcasieu Parish with obtaining school uniforms, and other necessary learning essentials. Calcasieu Parish educators can come to Dewanna’s Community Closet and acquire school uniforms, belts, jackets, underwear, socks, shoes, backpacks and school supplies free of charge. They are available at J.D. Clifton Elementary School, 100 N. Prater Road in Lake Charles, every Thursday from 10 a.m-1 p.m. To donate, call (337) 217-4420 or email atdewannascloset@gmail.com.

SOWELA Ranked Among Best U.S Community Colleges SOWELA Technical Community College ranked 40th in the U.S. out of 721 community colleges on the personal finance website WalletHub in its 2017 Best and Worst Community Colleges nationwide list. The three key aspects WalletHub utilized to determine its ranking include 1) Cost and Financing, 2) Education Outcomes, and 3) Career Outcomes. Other assessment metrics used by WalletHub to determine the rankings include student-faculty ratio, school spending efficiency, return on educational investment, first-year retention, graduation rates, and other data.

CITGO Rewards McNeese Business Students with Scholarships

Allison Massari Speaks at LiveWell Women’s 7th Anniversary Event. We attended this outstanding inspirational event and I highly recommend this annual event to all. I was truly inspired. To learn more about Allison you can find her on YouTube.

Just type Allison Massari in the search engine.

Get inspired!

CITGO Lake Charles looks for opportunities to award deserving local students for academic excellence and recently awarded $5,000 in scholarship funds to McNeese State University Business students. The MSU business scholarship recipients each received a $1,000 scholarship towards their college education – a share of the $5,000 scholarship funds that CITGO awards to Business students annually. Business stuOctober 2017

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THE BUZZ

Healthy Image offers comprehensive marketing, advertising and public relations services to over 100 local regional and national clients in a wide range of business sectors. The agency was named the 2012 LED Small Business of the Year for the Southwest District; a Top 100 Small Businesses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2013; the 2014 Small Business of the Year by the Southwest Chamber Alliance, and the 2016 Women Owned Business by the U. S. Congress.

Lake Charles Business Owner Chosen to Participate in Regional Economic Development Roundtable Group Kristy Como Armand, coowner of Healthy Image Marketing Agency and Thrive magazine, has been selected to join a group of regional business leaders in Lafayette for CEO Roundtable sessions, a project of Louisiana Economic Development (LED). CEO Roundtables take place in five regions across the state and bring together groups of 15 18 key decision makers from Louisiana-based small businesses. The groups meet 10 times over the course of a year for collaborative, growth-oriented, peer-to-peer learning, business networking and strategic support.

Mausan Development Breaks Ground on Sugarcane Townes

Roundtable participants typically operate high-growth, second-stage companies, and participants are chosen based on a stringent list of eligibility criteria. “Small businesses are vital to Louisiana’s economy, and LED is committed to supporting them and helping them grow,” said LED Secretary Don Pierson. “We know that small business owners are some of Louisiana’s most innovative, hardworking and creative people. They face many challenges as they work to grow their companies, and the CEO Roundtables provide an effective platform for identifying and implementing solutions to shared challenges.”

Iowa, LA – Mausan Development officially broke ground on its traditional neighborhood development, Sugarcane Townes, on Tuesday amongst family, friends, and local government. This $200 million dollar development, located in Iowa, LA, will be one of the largest real estate developments to ever be built in East Calcasieu Parish.

Armand is originally from Sulphur, Louisiana, and has worked in the marketing and public relations field in Southwest Louisiana for over 25 years. She co-founded Healthy Image in 2002, and Thrive in 2003. Armand was named the 2013 Chamber SWLA Women's Business Leader and honored as one of 75 notable alumni from McNeese State University in 2014. She is active in numerous community groups and serves on the boards of several organizations.

“Today is another huge step in the development of what we know will be one of the most beautiful developments in Calcasieu Parish. We are humbled by the presence of so many friends, family, local officials and partners on this project. We are building affordable, high standard

“The CEO Roundtable provides the opportunity to step away from the daily stress of running a business to focus on thinking strategically about where we are, where we want to go and what we need to do to get there,” said Armand. “It’s so interesting – and validating – to recognize that even though all of us in the group work in different fields, we share the same struggles in owning, managing and growing a business. It’s so much harder than anyone who doesn’t do it could realize, and it’s motivating to work on solutions with people who understand.

We’ve only had a few sessions and I’ve gained some great insight already.”

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Nominations Sought for Mayor’s Arts Awards LAKE CHARLES – The Arts Council of SWLA and the City of Lake Charles are currently accepting nominations from the public for persons to be honored at the 2017 Mayor’s Arts Awards ceremony which is scheduled for Thursday, November 2 at 6 p.m. in the Benjamin W. Mount Auditorium at Central School.

The Mayor’s Arts Awards honors those working in the arts by recognizing the contributions of Southwest Louisiana’s creative workers, patrons, and artists to the region’s culture. Newly-elected mayor Nic Hunter presents the awards to each recipient.

“Our community’s arts and cultural scene is phenomenal,” stated Ashli Waldrep, Arts Council Executive Director. “Many of our cultural workers often aren’t in the spotlight, and this is a perfect opportunity to really show them the community’s gratitude.”

Categories include Artist of the Year, Citizen of the Arts, Citizen of the Humanities, Arts Educator of the Year, Arts Organization of the Year, and Patron of the Year.

The Keystone Award is also given to an individual who works diligently behind the scenes, without whom programs and performances would not be possible.

Award winners are chosen by an independent panel, and kept secret until the night of the ceremony.

Those who wish to nominate an organization, individual, or group can download a nomination form at www.artscouncilswla.org.

Nominations must be received by the Arts Council office no later than Friday, October 20, 2017. For more information call 337-439-2787.

living options and creating new job opportunities,” said Mauricio Santacoloma, President and CEO of Mausan Development.

Sugarcane Townes is a multi-family residential neighborhood with 661 units over more than 200 acres, and will also include commercial space opportunities, a 6,000-foot circular walking path, more than 15 ponds, and other world-class amenities.

“This is going to grow our community,” said Carol Ponthieux, Mayor of Iowa. “We couldn’t be more excited about this project. It’s going to create jobs. This is history being made.”

“This is a smart development. For example, they’re making beautiful water features that will serve as a source for better drainage. This project is going to provide a better quality of life for our citizens. We need it,” said Kevin Guidry, President of Calcasieu Parish Police Jury.

Construction on the first homes of Sugarcane Townes will begin in early 2018.

For more information about Sugarcane Townes, visit www.sugarcanetownes.com.

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Meet Jeanne-Claire Benton, 2017 Winner of Fashion Week Lake Charles “Emerging Designer” Showcase!

A few more collections followed Jeanne-Claire’s designs, all great, but none as cohesive and show-stopping as her collection. The runway showcase comes to a close, and it is time to announce the winner of the 2017 FWLC “Emerging Designer” Showcase. Famed model and actress Ania Spiering comes out strutting down the runway wearing none other than a JeanneClaire Design. Jeanne-Claire stands there in disbelief. Ania reaches for her hand so they can grace the runway together, JeanneClaire hesitantly takes it. It becomes very clear Jeanne-Claire had no idea she would actually win this. It was that moment I fell in love with her, not only as a talented designer but a person.

By: Deveney Marshall

I recently caught up with Jeanne-Claire, and we chatted a little bit about everything. From where she gains her inspiration, to what “good fashion” means to her, to what we can expect to see from her next as an artist.

Be sure to read my interview with Jeanne-Claire now!

Deveney Marshall: The last time we spoke you had just won the title of Fashion Week Lake Charles (FWLC) "Emerging New Artist" for 2017. What's happened since then?!

Jeanne-Claire Benton: Not long after the fashion show, I decided to study abroad in Paris France at a fashion school called ESMOD. It was a wonderful month. I took both courses in fashion design and pattern making. It definitely gave me insight on what it takes to be a fashion designer and the beauty behind the creative processes.

DM: How amazing! Let’s state the obvious, your 2017 collection was great! What was the inspiration behind it?

*Jeanne-Claire with model and actress Ania Spiering.

JCB: The theme of the [2017] FWLC show was [centered around] the singer Prince. I was very much inspired by his style and use of elegance. He pushed the limits with ruffles, crop tops, collars, etc. It was fun playing with those ideas.

I had the pleasure of first meeting Jeanne-Claire at this past year’s Fashion Week Lake Charles event. She was your typical bright-eyed and bubbly nineteen-year-old. Filled with southern charm, she quickly introduced herself, and told me all about her upcoming collection. I browsed a few of her couture pieces and couldn’t wait to see them come alive on the runway.

DM: How did you get involved with FWLC? I actually found out about it online. I was really apprehensive and scared to put myself out there, but I knew I had to step out of my comfort zone and prove to myself, and loved ones, that I could do it. Fashion Week Lake Charles gave me a wonderful opportunity to show that and to grow.

Following our meet and greet, I made my way to my seat, shortly after the show begins. A few collections grace the runway, and then the collection takes over the runway, that collection was Jeanne-Claire Designs.

DM: Tell me a little about your journey as a designer, how did you get into fashion designing?

As soon as the first ensemble was revealed, it was clear this would be the collection that would have everyone talking.

Jeanne-Claire’s collection was filled with daring pieces, that had an avant garde flare. It became apparent very quickly that she was paying homage to the late-great artist that was Prince. This year’s FWLC coincided with the one-year anniversary of the legendary artist’s death, so it was only right that the theme for 2017 be “Purple Reign.” Not only did Jeanne-Claire’s designs scream Prince, she made sure to have her models’ makeup reflect the artist as well. One model even had the iconic Prince symbol painted on his chest.

JCB: At an early age I loved looking at fashion photos in books and magazines. My parents, seeing that I enjoyed it so much, put me in a sewing class at the age of 12. From there, I kept looking and drawing and sewing. I made all my prom dresses and immediately began to participate in fashion shows when I entered college.

DM: Describe your designs in one word.

JCB: Elegant 68

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DM: What legacy do you intend to leave behind as a fashion designer?

JCB: I wish to leave a legacy of confidence. For every person who wears my designs and walks out of their home knowing they look beautiful and feel confident.

DM: It is so important for you to feel confident in whatever you are wearing. What can FWLC attendees expect from your 2018 collection?

JCB: This upcoming FWLC, attendees will see improvements in craftsmanship with a slight experimental journey to unique materials, all with taste and style.

*To learn more about Jeanne-Claire Benton and her designs follow her on IG: @jcb60 Visit fashionweeklc.com to stay updated on all FWLC news. *Deveney Marshall is a freelance writer, filmmaker, and actress based in New Orleans, LA. She runs the lifestyle and beauty website thedevandthecity.com

*FWLC models wearing pieces from Jeanne-Claire Designs.

DM: I know you're a Louisiana native, what Louisiana tradition would you say most influences your designs? *FWLC models wearing pieces from Jeanne-Claire Designs.

JCB: Definitely Mardi Gras. To me, Mardi Gras is a celebration of extremes. Colors, beads, jewels, royalty, and fun. Fashion is key to the entire Mardi Gras process and experience. The regal and exotic costumes, jewels.

Love it!

DM: Some fashion critics would say Louisianans don't know anything about good fashion, what do you have to say to those people?

JCB: To me, the only time individuals aren't wearing “good fashion” is when the clothes they wear don’t reflect positive attributes of who they are and what they are feeling. [Good fashion] isn’t about where you are from. What matters is that a designer understands that clothes have a direct effect on how people feel about themselves.

DM: I love that! How important is it to have an event such as FWLC take place in the city of Lake Charles?

JCB: I’m not from Lake Charles, but I truly felt a strong sense of community throughout my entire time there. It's so nice to see so many people coming together to make something fun and interesting happen in their community for a great cause. *Ania Spiering wearing the collection’s finale gown.

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EVENT GUIDE Vinton Heritage Festival Oct. 14 Celebrate Vinton’s 106th birthday at the 2017 Vinton Heritage Festival on Saturday, October 14 with plenty of live music, rides, food vendors, door prizes, crafts, free laser tag, pony rides, fun jumps, rock wall, and more. The festival will be held 10 a.m.-8 p.m. in downtown Vinton at the corners of Center and Horridge streets. Admission and parking are free. For more festival information, contact Vinton City Hall at (337) 589-7453.

Cal-Cam Fair Oct. 18-22 In its 93rd year, Sulphur’s annual Cal-Cam Fair will take place Wednesday-Sunday, Oct. 18-22, at the West Cal Arena & Events Center, 401 Arena Rd. in Sulphur. 4–10 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday; 5p.m.–midnight Friday; 10 a.m.–midnight Saturday; 1-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $6 for ages 11 and older; children under 10 get in free. Call (337) 527-9371 for more information.

October Events at The Children’s Museum Saturday, October 14 Sasol's Second Saturday Science Show Sasol continues its 5S Project with "Pressure" at 11:30 a.m.

Roberta Rabaioli and Travis Corbello will demonstrate the properties of pressure. Demonstrations include crushing a soda can without touching it, egg in a bottle, plumber's magic and other pressure demonstrations.

Monday, October 16: Homeschool Day The museum is a great place to explore and learn through play!

If you are homeschooling, join us from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for a chance to interact with others doing the same. Admission is $6.50 per person with a homeschool ID or approval papers.

Friday, October 20 Closing Early The museum will close at 1 p.m. to prepare for our annual fundraiser, Imagination Celebration.

Saturday, October 21 Imagination Celebration The museum will be closed to prepare for our annual fundraiser, Imagination Celebration. For more information on the event, contact the museum office at 433-9420.

Saturday, October 28: Kids Choice This is a workshop to use extra projects that were leftovers from previous workshops and weekly projects. Fall and Halloween themed projects will be available from 10:30 a.m.-noon on a first-come first-served basis. Limit one project per child.

Tuesday, October 31 Frankenstein Join us in the ArtSpace from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. to create a Frankenstein! The museum will also close at 4 p.m. Have a happy and safe Halloween.

Culture Fest Oct. 21 Culture Fest Louisiana is a celebration of all the many cultures represented in SWLA. It is an opportunity to travel the world and learn how diverse our community is. There is music and art, dance and fashion, food and festivities, and a chance to learn that even with our differences, we are very much the same. Come celebrate with us! The event will be held Oct. 21 at the Lake Charles Civic Center from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, go to www.culturefestlouisiana.com ArtsFest Oct. 21 ArtsFest engages area children in a free arts festival from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Lake Charles Civic Center’s Exhibition Hall.

This event is hosted annually by the Arts Council of SWLA and the City of Lake Charles. Local businesses and organization will host booths where children can craft fun and creative pieces of art and can take home all of their projects, which cover a wide range of mediums. ArtsFest showcases the wildly popular one-on-one pottery lessons, assorted crafts, fun snacks, live music, storytelling and other entertainment scheduled. For more information, call the Arts Council office at (337) 4392787 or visit www.artscouncilswla.org Chuck Fest Oct. 21 Chuck Fest is free to the public and will feature local restaurant favorites, Louisiana-made beer and spirits, and bands from all across the Chuck. Located in the 700 Block of Ryan Street, downtown Lake Charles, Chuck Fest is equal parts food, drink, and music, garnished with a twist of art, served chilled with neighbors! Noon to midnight! Visit www.chuckfest.org to learn more.

Imagination Celebration Oct. 21 Imagination Celebration: A Louisiana Saturday Night will be held on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the historic Cash and Carry to benefit The Children’s Museum. The evening will feature

The Children’s Museum is located at 327 Broad St., downtown Lake Charles. www.swlakids.org 70

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amazing items in the live and silent auctions, great food from 1910 and desserts from Coushatta along with music by the Lost Bayou Ramblers. Sponsorships are now available! Please email Allyson Montgomery at Allyson@child-museum.org for more information.

Veterans Day Ceremony Nov. 11 On Saturday, November 11 at 11 a.m., the City of Lake Charles Mayor’s Armed Forces Commission will host the City’s annual Veterans Day ceremony at the Lake Charles Civic Center Mezzanine. The guest speaker for this year’s ceremony will be Major General Ronald G. Richard, who is a retired United States Marine Corps officer who last served as the Commanding General of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. The U.S. Coast Guard Command Safety Unit Lake Charles will post colors, and a 21 gun salute will be fired by the Marine Corps League, Detachment 535. Several Gold Star Families will be recognized at the event. If you are a Gold Star Family member and wish to have your loved one honored during this event, please call 4919176. Immediately following the ceremony, the public is invited to a free family luncheon.

KC Productions SWLA Present Sweeney Todd Oct. 26-29 In Victorian London, the barber Benjamin Barker is married to the gorgeous Lucy and they have a lovely child, Johanna. Lucy’s beauty attracts the attention of the corrupt Judge Turpin, who falsely accuses the barber of a crime he did not commit. After 15 years in exile, Benjamin returns to London under the identity of Sweeney Todd, seeking revenge...! Tickets are on sale now for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street presented by KC Productions SWLA. Performances will be held at Benjamin Mount Theatre at Central School Arts & Humanities Center Oct. 26-28 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. General Admission tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at www.kcproductionsswla.org

Tasting on the Terrace Nov. 16 L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles presents Tasting on

the Terrace: An Evening in Support of the Children’s Advocacy Center. The popular wine tasting event will take place

2017 ICCS Panther Run October 28 The 2017 Immaculate Conception Cathedral School Panther Run is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 28, and will feature a 10K, 5K and 1-Mile Color Run. The 10K and 5K races will begin at 7:30 a.m. at ICCS, located at 1536 Ryan Street in Lake Charles. The 1-mile Color Run will start at approximately 8:30 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to the top finishers in the 10K and 5K races. Cost to enter is $25 for the 10K and 5K races and $20 for the 1-mile Color Run. To register, visit www.active.com and click on the ICCS Panther Run link. Participants must register by Friday, October 13, to receive a guaranteed race day shirt. Race proceeds benefit the ICCS PTO. For more information, call (337) 433-3497, or visit www.iccschool.org/ panther-run-packet.

Thursday, November 16 from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. on the Event Center Terrace. Sample more than 100 unique wines and Louisiana beers and spirits while enjoying delicious food and fun interaction with vendors. Tickets cost $75 and are available at www.ticketmaster.com or at the L’Auberge Box Office. Guests must be 21. A limited number of tickets will be sold; advance tickets only. Show your event credentials at any L’Auberge restaurant and receive 20% off of your total bill; valid November 16 only. Find out more at www.fyca.org/childrens-advocacycenter or by calling Family and Youth at (337) 436-9533.

Walnut Grove 5K and Bubble Run Nov. 4 Come run and have fun with us at Walnut Grove! We will have a 5K, Nutty Fun Run, rock wall, slide and maze for kids, music, food and much more. 5K race begins at 8 a.m. Nutty Fun Bubble Run will begin after runners return. Early Registration for 5K and/ or Nutty Fun Bubble Run: Includes a commemorative T-shirt (must pick up on race day). Pre-registration deadline is October 13. 5K: $20/person. Nutty Fun Bubble Run (ages 2 and up): $15 for kids ages 2 and up (parents are welcome to run with their children). No T-shirt will be included when registering after Oct 13. For your convenience, online registration continues from Oct. 13 through Nov 2. Register at runsignup.com/Race/LA/LakeCharles/ WalnutGrove5KNuttyFunRun SWLA Heart Walk Nov. 11 Festivities start at 8:30 a.m.; walk officially begins at 9 a.m. at the Lake Charles Civic Center Arcade Amphitheater. The Heart Walk is free and open to the public. For more information and to register, visit www.swlaheartwalk.org or call (225) 666-4282.

The non-competitive, 5K walk raises funds to support heart disease and stroke research and educational programs in the Southwest Louisiana area. (1-mile route available.)

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DIY: Teal Pumpkin Project

By Jader Bomb AKA Jade Harrington

The Simple Secret to the Perfect Teal Pumpkin Project!

From playful pumpkins to spooky sights, Michaels has everything you need to MAKE it Spooky this fall!

It’s always good to raise awareness of food allergies this season and promote inclusion of all trick-or-treaters throughout the Halloween season. That is what the Teal Pumpkin Project is all about! Check out my other projects I have created for Michaels at www.jaderbomb.com .

The safety of kids being able to trick or treat and receive allergy free treats is key!

Faux Pumpkin ♥ Teal Paint ♥ Mod Podge ♥ Teal Glitter ♥ Craft Brush You can purchase all of the items I used in this project from Michaels. I’ve attached the links above to each item so you can order strait from the comfort of your home!

I specifically chose a paint that was designed for outdoors! On the flip side I am a true fan of Folk Art paints so this was a win/win for me. Can we all take a moment to swoon over this specific color…drooling!

You can use this paint on so many different materials like metal, terra cotta, wood and any other outdoor craft surface that you can think of! Remember these pump72

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kins are going to be outdoors so using an outdoor paint is ideal.

The awesome news is you can pour tons of love into making beautiful faux pumpkins and they will never rot! Simply store them in a safe container and they will be ready to use the next year.

Why teal?

Teal is the color of food allergy awareness. It has been used to raise awareness about this serious medical condition for nearly 20 years.

Step 1: Paint the top portion of your pumpkin with the first coat. Once it’s dry paint the bottom and let it dry. I always like to apply a second coat so it looks completely painted. This is what it will look like when you have two coats. If you are wondering why my top has some of the pumpkin showing through it’s because I will be pouring tons of luscious glitter there. Are you feeling all giddy inside yet? There is multiple formulas for Mod Podge however the gloss finish is my all time go to. It adds just enough shine to finish off any project I am working on. If you’ve never used this product, it’s a decoupage glue and sealer.

Tip: If you have never used this product it is white in the beginning but don’t worry friends it dries clear! Did I mention this product cleans up with just soap and water and is certified AP nontoxic! This is perfect since we are doing a allergy free pumpkin for Trick or Treaters!

Step 2: Grab a craft brush and start adding loads of Mod Podge at the top base of your pumpkin. The thicker the better because the glitter will look very full on the pumpkin.

I hope learning about the Teal Pumpkin Project is going to give you a jump start to making ton’s of teal pumpkins! Step 3: Make sure to apply a small section of Mod Podge at a time since this dries fairly quick. Once you have a section coated literally pour the glitter on top of Mod Podge. I like to pour over a sheet of paper making it easy for me to pour back into the bottle. This is what it will look like when you do your first section. Continue doing step 2 until your entire top of pumpkin is finished. I will tell you pictures do not do justice because these look like magical candy in person. When done let it dry then add a layer of Mod Podge on top of glitter.

This will seal the glitter so it does not shed.

P.S. If you seal the glitter when you add the Mod Podge on top of glitter it will look really white, but remember it dries clear! Once I made one I just couldn’t help it, I had to make more! I love how elegant and classy they look! I hope you enjoyed this project as much as I did! See you in the next post, until then hugs from my computer to yours!

Don’t forget to follow me on all of my social media channels because I love all of you to pieces!!!!

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ORLECK Naval Museum. The event is a fundraiser for the restoration and operation of the Museum, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Mark these dates on your October calendar: 13 (Fri), 14 (Sat), 20 (Fri), 21 (Sat), 27 (Fri), 28 (Sat), 31 (Tue), with Monday, Oct. 30 reserved for our younger trick or treaters at our "Carnival of Treats" starting at 6 p.m.

Halloween & Harvest Happenings in SWLA Zombie Patrol Sept. 29-Oct. 31 Lake Area Adventures is hosting the first annual Zombie Patrol! The hunt begins every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting September 29 through October 31. Bring your friends, family, or coworkers for a scary night of platoon-style paintball raids through our abandoned warehouse course. Your squad will be given one mission to complete the course. Shoot as many zombies as you can and make it out alive. Admission: $25/per person, no one under 10 allowed. Lake Area Adventures, 2555 Industrial Avenue, Lake Charles. lakeareaadven-

www.orleck.org

St. Luke Simpson Trunk or Treat Oct. 29 Join us for an alternative to trick-or-treating!! Great games created by SLS Youth will be inside in the gym and we will also have vehicles parked outside so you can Trunk-or-Treat, too!

Donations of canned goods will be given to our Manna Ministry. St. Luke-Simpson United Methodist Church,1500 Country Club Road, Lake Charles

tures.com

Halloween Harvest Festival Oct. 31 The City of Lake Charles Recreation and Parks Department's Harvest Festival will be held on Tuesday, October 31 at the Lake Charles Civic Center, 900 Lakeshore Drive, from 5 to 8 p.m. This free community event will feature a variety of games, train rides, arts and crafts, bounce house jumps, face art designs, balloon characters, and lots of fun. A “Tiny TOTS World” for children ages 2–5 years will be held in the Exhibition Hall. Costumes are not required. Concessions will be onsite. The City recommends that trick-or-treat activities end at 8 p.m. that evening. Parents are encouraged to have their children home by 8:30 p.m. unless they are attending a supervised function sponsored by other parents or civic organizations.

Lost Hollows Sept. 29-Oct. 29, Oct. 31 Begin your terrifying Halloween journey with a hayride at The Lost Hollows! After traveling to the creepiest woods in Southwest Louisiana, get lost on the Deadly Pines trail, a spinetingling path that winds through the woods and into your darkest fears. Children under 13 years must be accompanied by an adult. Victims must wear closed-toe shoes to enter.

OCTOBER 31: "Lights Out": We will be turning off the lights along the Deadly Pines trail, but the monsters and terrors will still be roaming the woods. Patrons will have to maneuver their way through the trail with only the light from a provided flashlight to guide them. Enter if you dare!

www.thelosthollows.com.

Creepy Crawlers Bar Crawl Oct. 31 Pops and Rockets gourmet frozen pops and ice cream is teaming up with Botsky's for a Downtown Bar Crawl!: Come down to Botsky's to grab a drink and a bite, but don't forget to make your way to Pops and Rockets to sign up for our the costume contest and get a treat! The costume contest will have many different categories and prizes from our downtown business sponsors! PLUS the Halloween King and Queen will win gift cards to Pops and Botsky's! For more information, go to the Pops and Rockets FB page.

CM Farms Corn Maze Sept. 30-Nov. 26 (weekends) Come out to Louisiana's largest corn maze! Farm Admission includes both phases of the 12-acre corn maze along with passports to help you navigate the maze. FSI (Farm Scene Investigation) game to play throughout the maze and “Text” for clue stops throughout the maze using your smartphone. Enjoy the “Spookley” maze with your little ones and NEW Fairytale Trail for 5 years of age and younger. Lots of fun including the giant jumping pillow, UNLIMITED junior ZIPLINE rides, farm animal barrel train wagon ride, Spinning Vortex Tunnel and so much more. Friday nights from 6-10 p.m. Saturday from 10 to a.m.-8 p.m., Sundays 1-6 p.m. November Hours: Saturdays from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sundays from 1-6 p.m.

Skeletunes on the Lake Oct. 31 Celebrate the season with a concert performance by the Lake Charles Community Band. The music begins at 7 p.m. on the second floor mezzanine of the Lake Charles Civic Center. This concert is in conjunction with the Lake Charles Harvest Festival.

cmfarmsllc.com/plan-your-visit

St. Luke Simpson Pumpkin Patch Oct. 4-31 The St. Luke Simpson annual Pumpkin Patch is back! Bring your children, your classes, your whole family, and enjoy our family friendly patch! In addition to selling pumpkins of all sizes, color, and variety, they offer decorative hay bales. Feel free to take pictures, browse, or sit and visit in a beautiful fall setting. Mon.-Fri. 2:30 p.m. - dark, Saturdays 10 a.m.- dark, and Sundays noon – dark. www.slsumc.org Carnival of Screams Haunted Ship Oct. 13-14, 20-21, 27-31 Something unexpected and totally twisted: Carnival of Screams is the latest spine-tingling offering from The USS ORLECK Naval Museum Haunted Ship division! Carnival of Screams Haunted Ship kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13 at the USS 74

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By Luke Eddleman

Meet Gladiator!

Gladiator is a four-year-old Siberian Husky and is a certified ATD (Alliance Therapy Dog). Gladiatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner, Meghan Verret, is a mental health specialist who counsels children. She has a 2-year-old son, Elijah, who has a brain malformation, called Lissencephaly.

He is incapable of eating, walking, or speaking. While watching Gladiator interact with Elijah, Meghan realized that he would be the perfect therapy dog. His gentle demeanor and his ability to remain calm and obey commands allows Meghan to bring him to St Patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hospital to visit patients, including those in the waiting room.

Gladiator favors children, above all else. They often go to public libraries, where Gladiator lays down while kids read him their favorite stories. He has even gone to an elementary grief group to comfort children dealing with the recent news that a classmate had cancer.

Therapy dogs are similar, but not the same as a service dog. Service dogs are individually trained to perform tasks and do work that mitigates their handlerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disability, while therapy dogs provide psychological or physiological therapy to individuals other than their handlers.

Dr. Dogs is a local group that serves as a volunteer organization to help appropriate dogs that meet the criteria to become ATD-certified.

Check them out online at www.therapydogs.com to get more information and read the requirements!

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Tic-Tac-Toe

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You’ve Got to Have an Ace in the Hole

G

ame ...

Take A Seat

Playing poker is an adventure worth taking. I don’t have as much time to play poker these days with so much on my plate between the family and work. But when I do, I set aside a lengthy block of time so I have the opportunity to be patient.

In this game, patience is a virtue that you must have in order to put winnings in your pocket!

$400 as his bet!

Wow! Talk about opportunity! I knew how he’d been playing all night – he wanted me out of that pot because of the preflop money and following bets. Everyone knows I’m not a risky player and he expected me to fold with his bet. I turn over my Ace of hearts and watch his reaction. (You can only do this if you are head up with one other play – but always check the poker room rules before you make a move like that.)

A few nights ago, I set out on an extended poker adventure that lasted almost 12 hours. Yes, I did sit at a poker table for that long! The outcome is a new story to tell--and a nice payday!

It was obvious that he didn’t like the card I showed, but it was also clear to me by his reaction he was regretting the size of his bet. I was feeling lucky from the look on his face and I had a good feeling he had at best top pair on the board. I looked directly into his eyes as I started pushing $400 across the line – clearly not the move he wanted to see me make.

The night started out slow. I took the first seat available in the poker room at a 2-5 no limit table (I don’t play 2-5 often; I prefer 1-3 no limit), and had my name on the list for a 1-3 seat.

The 2-5 game was fun and I had a few good hands, but the winnings were merely a give and take game, barely leaving me up much over my starting money.

Now came the river, that moment that would determine my fate! Most of all, I wanted to see a heart hit the board but if not, I’d need an Ace or Jack to take this pot. The card fell: a 4 of hearts! Perfect! I was so excited that I didn’t even bet again.

I just turned my cards over and let out a little woohoo! He turned over a 10 of clubs and a Queen of clubs. I must admit the rush of winning that pot with the final card on the river was exhilarating!

I was glad when I got my seat at the 1-3 table. The tables were 10 seats at each and I was on seat 4. The game was good, there were raising going on pre-flop and the pots started out good. I folded many hands before I started catching pocket pairs almost every other hand or so and hitting a set on the flop. Pretty soon, everyone at the table started calling me the set flopper!

I was hitting really good, but the other players started becoming apprehensive to play against me and that made it harder for me to make money: if I bet, everyone folded. I had to slow down and check versus betting or raising to get more money in the pot!

So not two hands later, it’s me and that same guy, Pete, again head up. I’m holding a 10 and a Jack in my hand. There was good action preflop from everyone and again he and I are head up after the flop of A-J-K. I’m one card shy of a gut shot straight and holding a Jack in my hand. I check and so does he- it’s a 3 on the turn and no flush probable. He bets $217 after I check my hand. I see he only has $100 left in his chip stack, so I raise to push him all in. Don’t ask me why I did it, I just felt like I should make it all or nothing for him! He went all in; he was invested and really had no other option at that point. The river reveals another Jack and I’ve got Trips! WOW! Talk about luck on my side! He didn’t show his cards, but he did come over and shake my hand and told me I had more guts than any other guy at the table that night!

But with all the pocket pairs of A’s, K’s, Q’s, 5’s, 9’s etc., these were not the hands where I made my money. That happened way into the wee hours of the morning on two good head up games and a perfect draw.

We had been moved to another table as the night slowed down and I was still playing with most of the same players from the other tables. This gave me an advantage by knowing how they had been playing all night long.

I wake up with an Ace of hearts and a Jack of diamonds in my hand. There was a raise to $20 around the table and I was the last to act – at this point I decide I’m raising the bet to $50. I got 4 callers prior to the flop. The flop comes down 10-5-3--all of hearts! If that isn’t a perfect set-up, what is? Everyone but one guy checks – that guy raises bets $100. Of course, I call. If he is on a heart flush already I still have the best draw in my hand. That Ace in the Hole! The turn is a 4 of spades. I still have one more chance, so I check. I put him on the spot to see if he really has a flush already. What does he do? He pushes

I agreed with him. It did take a lot of guts. I also let him know, I’d been reading him all night and was allowing him to think he could push me around with a strong bet. But most of all, luck was on my side and I had a little ace in the hole all night long!

May you always have an ace in the hole; both in the game of poker and in life. Until next time, I hope each one of you holds the winning hand!

The Poker Lady 78

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Copyright 2017 Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Isle of Capri and FanPlay are registered trademarks of Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Must be 21 years of age. Isle of Capri employees and the immediate family of executives and marketing team are not eligible to participate. Disregard if prohibited from visiting Louisiana casinos. All promotions and events are subject to change / cancellation without notice. Rules and promotions may vary. Complete rules and eligibility for promotions are available upon request.

COMPULSIVE OR PROBLEM GAMBLING? CALL 1-877-770-STOP(7867).

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