Sara Doherty and her homegrown tomatoes
Unveiling the Beauty of Historic Rennovations
Get Gardening: Expert advice on succeeding with your first garden
THE ART OF CHARCUTERIE
Makeitta Citizen brings art to life through food
By Crystal Stevenson and Shalyn LeMoine Photography
The premise of charcuterie is simple: meat and cheese. But it is this simplicity that makes charcuterie an art of endless possibilities and combinations.
Makeitta Citizen of Little Josie — the business name is a nod to her late mother — said the real trick is to create a board that is both “aesthetically and palate pleasing.”
“I like to marry the textures, colors and flavors of the food, but also the look of the board,” she said. “I like to mix the styling with a variety of metal pieces, wood, stainless steel, marble.
The mixing of the trays and boards can create a beautiful montage of serveware by itself.”
She also loves everything Louisiana. “I usually incorporate Louisiana pieces — whether they’re spreaders for jams or dips or using bowls in the shape of a fleur-de-lis or in the shape of Louisiana,” she said. “I’ve also got crawfish dippers and alligatorhandled tongs.”
Because she’s a local business, she shops local.
“I go to the farmer’s markets, local vendors and shops around town for pepper jellies and jams, seasoned crackers and serveware,” she said. “I want to support the local businesses here and I feel validated when I can bring other local businesses into my art of charcuterie. When people tell me they love it, I can tell them where it’s from. It’s rewarding in that way.”
When creating her layouts, Citizen usually starts with the greenery, such as kale, to outline the corners. From there she layers meats — usually three or four varieties, and some shaped like roses — and then the garnishes — including fruits, olives, pickles and other accompaniments — come last.
She has designed boards for grand openings, ribbon cuttings, birthdays, baby showers, weddings, Mardi Gras balls, community forums, family gatherings, teacher appreciation, Valentines Day, bridal showers, girls’ nights, Christmas, Thanksgiving and special gifts.
“I’m always grateful to be thought of, considered, and chosen to create for clients who I know and also for perfect strangers,” she said. “One of the most fun things I’ve been able to do is expand my classic charcuterie options with some more unconventional offerings such as brunch boards, s’mores boards, dessert boards, butter boards, and even barbecue boards. This past Christmas I even created a Grinch board.”
And she won’t shy away from a challenge, either — including if the client asks her to make an entire table spread.
“One of the things that I enjoy most is hearing my clients say things like, “When I got home, my husband asked where was his,’ or ‘My kids are requesting charcuterie for their birthday’ or ‘I couldn’t even enjoy it because my little one got to it first.’ These types of things give me the motivation to keep trying, keep learning, keep growing and creating unconventional displays and packaging options that compliment the art of charcuterie in a way that is visually appealing and palate pleasing.”
Citizen said it’s an “absolute honor and privilege” to be asked or requested to be a part of “some of the most meaningful, intimate and purposeful celebrations, knowing my charcuterie creations have been a part of these milestones.”
It’s also a way of sharing her mother’s love, pride, style and beauty with the world.
Citizen said one of her life’s mantras is “the greatest things that have ever happened to me … I’ve never had plans for.” “My charcuterie is absolutely one of those ‘things.’ I like to eat, but I don’t like to cook so I never envisioned catering or food prep in my future,” she said.
“But here I am folding, rolling meats and cheese, living, learning and loving charcuterie more and more every day.”
For more information, visit her Facebook page at Little Josie or email littlejosie8350@gmail.com.
By Emily Burleigh
Three Events to look forward to
1. Cyphacon
The 13th annual Cyphacon is April 11th through 13th. Over the course of three days, the convention will feature celebrity guests, cosplay artists, tabletop board gaming.
2. This Is Home Fest
The fifth annual This Is Home Fest is on Saturday, April 26. The free festival offers an afternoon of music, shopping and SW La. culture.
3. Downtown at Sundown
The annual Concert Series will provide SW La. with free music every Friday from May 23 until June 13.
Three Global easter traditions to try this year
1. Osterbaum
Three ways to modernize your home
1. Smart Lighting System
Smart lighting systems allow users to turn on the lights in their homes with their mobile devices, or even their voices. Smart bulbs are relatively inexpensive and come in several colors (some are even optimized to change color with the click of a button).
Smart Fridges live in the heart of the home, and can heart more technologically advanced. Users screen on the front of the fridge to access apps and, depending on the model, even see what is in the fridge without opening the
Christmas tree still up? Carry the tradition of a holiday tree to Easter by decorating an Osterbaum, the Easter Tree. This is the German tradition of decorating a tree with Easter eggs
2. Pysanky Eggs
This Ukrainian practice of decorating eggs with powdered dyes and beeswax can upgrade this year’s egg-dyeing parties.
3. Giant Omelet
3. Robot Law Mower
For homeowners with a yard that is an acre or smaller, a robotic lawn could be a convenient and time-saving option.
The town of Haux, France, celebrates Easter each year by cooking up 5,000 egg omelets to feed 1,000 people. This year, consider investing in a couple dozen eggs to cook the family a shareable Easter omelet.
Get Gardening
Expert advice for the beginner gardener
By Emily Burleigh Photography by Rodrick Anderson
As the ground thaws and the temperature warms up, colorful gardens begin to bloom throughout Southwest Louisiana’s neighborhoods.
Gardening has been proven to be beneficial for physical and mental health. It encourages people to get outside and move, and can reduce stress, improve moods and stimulate the brain. Curry Benoit, a manager at the Green Gate Garden Center in Lake Charles, can attest to this.
He began gardening when he was 17. What started as a simple new hobby became an energizing lifestyle. Not only is there something to gain from getting outside and soaking up the sun, but a successful garden can also bring an individual personal fulfillment and a feeling of purpose and accomplishment.
“I started waking up in the morning, and instead of getting coffee, I would check on my garden and water my plants.”
As someone who was once a beginner, he confidently said that all someone needs to start their first garden is a shovel and some seeds.
What to Plant
Green gardeners should focus on plants that are easy to grow and maintain - and pretty to look at. Benoit said newbie plants are easy to care for, and witnessing a garden flourish encourages new gardeners to keep up the habit.
He recommended Coleus Plants. These annual plants are vibrant and low maintenance. Putting foliage in a garden, especially foliage that is easy to grow, is a great step to take to fill the space with vibrant colors while one is still learning the ropes.
“The leaves are colorful, many are red and orange, and help fill the garden while you wait for flowers to bloom.”
Calcium bulbs are also a good, easy option for colorful garden foliage.
Phineas plants are a great option for beginners because they can handle drought as well as over-saturation.
“A lot of beginner gardeners will forget to water their plants for a couple of days, so a Phineas can handle that,” he said.
Herbs are also a Benoit recommendation. As another easy-to-grow plant, herbs are greenery that can be frequently reaped.
“Herbs grow fast, are easy to harvest and help fill the time while you are waiting for your other plants to grow,” he explained. “You have something to constantly go back to.”
Butterfly Garden
A good option for new gardeners is a pollinator garden.
“Herbs grow fast, are easy to harvest and help fill the time while you are waiting for your other plants to grow. You have something to constantly go back to.”
Curry Benoit
A good pollinator garden includes flowers like saliva, bee balm and aster. Milkweed is another important plant to include. Not only is it the only plant on which monarch butterflies with lay their eggs, but it also attracts aphids — insects that harm plants by feeding on their sap.
These gardens attract pollinators — animals that help plant reproduction by moving pollen between flowers — and support their populations. Benoit said this is especially important for butterfly populations; Twentynine species of butterflies are endangered in the United States. He is especially passionate about monarch butterflies, which have seen a steep decline in populations due to habitat loss.
“If we can build up that population locally, it will help rebuild that monarch butterfly population and help heal the planet,” he said.
One of the most important steps to keep in mind when beginning the gardening journey is to always fertilize, he said. Fertilizer replenishes essential nutrients in the soil (like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) to help plants flourish. And yes, a gardeners should use fertilizer on ungardened ground too.
“A lot of people think they don’t need to fertilize because the ground hasn’t been used yet, but grass has been there. The grass sucks up all the nutrients, espeically the nitrogren.”
He also recommended starting a garden with flowers and plants that are already in their infant stages because it can be difficult and discouraging to start with seeds.
tech tech tech tip tip tip
Dr. Steven Dabelow, Ph.D
Information Systems Technology Instructor
Sowela Technical Community College
know all this security, verifying emails, and twofactor authentication malarkey is probably frustrating to live with. But there’s a reason your favorite websites and banks use it. It is easier than ever for scammers to get your login credentials by employing a special type of attack called phishing. Scammers love using all kinds of tools to make you think that you’re logging into the real thing or clicking a real link, only for them to now have access to your account and personal information (many times without you even knowing they do).
I talked in my last article (see the Fall 2024 issue for more!) about how you should not put your personal data into ChatGPT, Copilot, or any other fancy-schmancy AI. That’s just asking for your information to get stolen.
But, more generally, you need to be careful about what information you reveal where. You may have seen some of those dumb quizzes on Facebook that can tell you what kind of fruit you are, which Harry Potter character you are, or any other thing that isn’t really that useful to you. In return for finding out that you would be a strawberry, the writer(s) of that quiz may learn information about you, such as what the name of your first pet was, where you were born, who was your firstgrade teacher, etc.
Are these questions random? Yes and no. Yes, in that none of these things have anything to do with determining you are a strawberry. No, in that these are common questions that you need to provide answers to any time you create a new account for a credit union, Amazon, healthcare.gov, and countless other sites.
Usually, when you log into a website from a different device, you need to correctly answer one or two of these security questions.
Phising and your Login Information
If hackers/scammers were able to get a hold of your answers (like through a stupid quiz) then that’s one less thing they need to break into your accounts and steal your identity.
Phishing is another classic tool hackers will use to steal your data. You may have seen emails pop up in your inbox that say something like “Y0u’re AplIe 1D has beën locked”. There are several things that you can do to easily identify that this thing is clearly not a real email.
First, check who set it. Sure, it may look like it was sent by Apple, but chances are you may see some weird email address that you’ve never seen before. Or maybe something like a Gmail or Outlook account. Second, misspellings are usually a dead giveaway, as well as any weird characters. The weird characters serve a purpose, believe it or not; They help scammers avoid an email system’s spam blockers. It’s also not uncommon to see different letters, like a lowercase “l” in place of an uppercase “I.” You can copy and paste the email subject line and contents into a word doc to see if the email is full of these “errors.”
The content of the email will usually also sound threatening or “urgent.” Or the email could read like an offer that is “too good to be true” (such as being from your long-lost cousin who is the prince of South Africa). Remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch, so if it sounds like it is too good to be true, then it probably isn’t real.
Additionally, don’t click on any of those weird and bizarre ads and “news stories” you see on websites, such as junk like this: “Single Brazilian women under 40 are looking for you in your area!” or “Find out how I pay only $7 for car insurance each year!” This is just another attempt to get your information or potentially install something even worse on your computer like a virus or ransomware.
It is easier than ever for people to get a hold of your information. But if you watch out for these and other signs, you can help minimize the possibility of accidentally giving scammers your credit card information.
UNVEILING THE BEAUTY OF
HISTORIC RENOVATIONS
By Crystal Stevenson
Edward “Buzzy” Ribbeck sees beauty and possibility where others may only see dilapidation and devastation. Called “Buzzy” by friends, associates and loved ones after his young sister declared during their mother’s pregnancy that she was getting “a new baby buzzy,” the contractor said he thrives on problem-solving. The bigger the challenge, the better.
“My father was in construction, and I grew up having to work for him — from 8 years old forward,” he said.
After a high school drafting teacher told him he should pursue architecture because he had a talent for drawing, he studied architecture at McNeese State University. It didn’t take long, however, before he realized he was not one to sit at a desk 40 hours a week. “I mean, there’s just no way,” he said with a chuckle.
“I wanted to actually do both design and
construction and was anxious to start so in 1981 or so I decided I wanted to venture off on my own. My father — who did mostly remodel and insurance repair — would say, ‘I don’t care what you do, but find something you’re passionate about and be the best.”
Ribbeck said no job is always easy “so why not find something you love? You are still going to have difficulties and struggles — and believe me I have had my share, sometimes more than my share — but
it keeps you pushing and you work through it,” he said.
After founding Ribbeck Construction in 1982, he moved quickly into the broader markets of commercial and industrial construction as well as real estate property development. His desire was to be a designbuilder offering architectural, engineering and construction services in-house. But restoration and remodeling are in his blood.
“I like building new structures, but I really like to remodel because it is interesting for me to watch my clients and other people go, ‘Wow.’ There is an aptitude involved. A small percentage of people have the aptitude of spatial skills needed to envision what something is going to look like in advance, such as looking at a twodimensional drawing and converting it into a finished project in their mind. It is really rewarding to see clients say, ‘Wow,’ because with an existing structure renovation, they knew what it looked like before.”
He said r emodeling has helped him substantially in designing and building new structures by learning from errors of the past.
“It’s kind of like art, but you just make a new picture,” he said. “That is why I always gravitate towards remodels. I like solving problems. Taking an existing structure and
converting it into a more functional and beautiful structure to meet the needs of the client is fun. I think the more challenging the remodel, the more I am attracted to it. It is rewarding when you solve the problem.”
That passion for remodeling has led him around the country, restoring and performing historic treatments to structures in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Colorado and other states.
His company has performed work in over 28 states across the nation. Closer to home, to name a few, Ribbeck performed historic treatments to Cox, Cox, Filo and Camel’s office on Broad Street, First National Bank on downtown Ryan Street, Immaculate Conception Cathedral on Bilbo Street, and others in and around Southwest Louisiana — as well as the Old State Capitol, Oakley House Museum and Baton Rouge City Court.
Ribbeck said institutional and commercial organizations treasure historic buildings because the structures educate people about history, help organizations create an image in their communities and feature beautiful architecture. He said his firm’s goal is to maintain the building’s historic aesthetic flair while dealing with the real-time issues presented by the aging structure.
Jeff Davis Parish Library
Old Louisiana State Capitol
First National Bank
Baton Rouge City Court
By blending turn-of-thecentury craftsmanship with today’s technology, his firm restores the building’s historically significant elements while meeting the demands of the contemporary business environment.
For those interested in restoring historical homes and structures, Ribbeck said buyers need to be fully aware of what they are getting into.
“First, you need to make sure the seller gives you an opportunity for a thorough inspection by a highly qualified person to determine what needs to be done,” he said. “Some structures may have already been totally or partially remodeled.”
To start, one must determine if it is already on the historical registry list. “That should be step No. 1, because if it’s on the national registry they’re going to have some responsibilities to keep it on the register,” he said. “There’s specifications that you have to follow to perform work.”
If the buyer’s plan is to buy the home or structure and restore it or if their plan is to buy it and perform additional historic treatment work, the buyer may be eligible for federal and/or state tax credits — which is dollar for dollar. “If you owe a dollar in income tax and you have a dollar in tax credits it cancels out the tax debt.”
He said the state and federal government offers this
incentive to encourage owners and investors to preserve historical structures, particularly those listed on the National and/or State Register of Historic Places or if located in Downtown Development or Certified Cultural Districts
“ They don’t want them torn down and if you remodel the property, their desire is to have you retain the historical significance in the process. The way they do that is to dangle money,” he said with a laugh.
He said buyers are eligible to get up to 40 percent in tax credits — 20 percent in federal tax credits and 20 percent in state tax credits. Some costs are not eligible but visual aesthetics — like the roof, walls, windows,
doors, exterior finishes, and interior artistry, etc. — are.
To obtain the tax credits, though, the buyer has to follow a set of guidelines set by the National Park Service and/or the State Historic Preservation Office. The four main divisions to historic treatments are preservation, rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction. Preservation focuses on maintaining and repairing existing historic materials and features; rehabilitation involves adapting a historic building for contemporary use; restoration aims to depict property at a particular period in its history by removing features from other periods and reconstructing missing features; reconstruction involves rebuilding non-surviving portions of a structure or a building that no longer exists.
“There’s rules for each one of these of what you can and cannot do,” Ribbeck said. “From there, you can determine from the guidelines which will meet the requirements to get the tax credits. You have to deduct the values of items that do not fall into the guidelines set.”
The Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation offers a webinar series online about the historic tax credits available.
The series can be found at crt.state.la.us., www.nps.gov/orgs/1739/secr etary-standards-treatmenthistoric-properties.htm.
“It’s a huge incentive for people to do preservation work if they follow the guidelines,” he said.
“If it is not in the national or state registry of historic places, you can apply to have it registered if it meets the standards set by the government agencies.”
Ribbeck said if the tax credits are not needed, they can be sold at a discount to other taxpayers.
Louisiana has adopted the Federal Guidelines for historic treatments, including the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and the National Historic
Preservation Act as a means to follow.
He said the first step in a historic treatment process is to determine if the property is on the State or National Register of Historic Places, followed by performing the design following the guidelines and submitting the plans and documents required to the federal and/or state agency committee for review.
“There are a lot of rules to follow but it is well worth the effort,” he said. “It softens the pain and helps ensure success utilizing experienced and seasoned professionals.”
Oakley House Museum
ECON 101 ECON 101
By Dr. Matiur Rahman Professor and Interim Associate Dean McNeese College of Business
EHousehold Budgeting
In Tough Economic Times
conomic tough times are concurrent to the prices of basic necessities rising towards the double digits and the unemployment rate rising toward five percent (plus). Every shopper feels the pains at grocery stores (escalating eggflation and meatflation) and gas stations. Pains of inflation ripple through every family’s daily life. The economic pains are concentrated on the families of the unemployed. The unfolding tariff war will add to the injuries. The businesses will always pass tariff-cost to the consumers. Any argument contrary to this norm is devoid of any rational economic logic.
Rising inflation steals buying power from shoppers. They have to buy smaller quantities of the basic necessities with their fixed household budgets. This dents their well-being. The worst suffering families are those who solely rely on weekly or monthly fixed income. To purchase the same quantities of basic necessities, the list needs to be reprioritized by reducing or suspending the purchase items that families can live without.
Another option is to find part-time job(s) to earn additional income for maintain the real household budget.
The unemployed and their families all feel the pains of income loss. In this tough situation, they have to reassess their family savings, unemployment benefits, investment income (if any), government assistance, and other family support. After adding together potential monthly financing from the above and beyond, monthly household budgets will need to be recrafted. Households should also reorganize (or even shorten) their grocery list of consumables by ranking them by importance.
To reduce the time-gap between layoff and finding another full-time job, the unemployed must be very active in the job search. In the intermittent period, the unemployed should find part-time jobs. To note, two half-time jobs together is less than one full-time job when you consider accessory benefits.
Another alternative may be borrowing against credit card and/or directly borrowing from banks to not lower the standard of living. Keep in mind that the accumulation of debt is destructive. For example, the average annual interest rate on credit card debt is at least 20%. Simply to put, the poor who have no credit history or a tainted one, or no bank accounts for a variety of reasons, usually take biweekly loans against their next paychecks from sharking payday loans. The effective annual interest rates on them vary somewhere between 200% and 350%. Thus, they fall deeper in poverty.
The short-termism motto of “enjoy now, pay later” is inevitable to debt accumulation. Debt is costly for the future. Finally, there is a trade-off between unduly comfortable present living and future living in financial distresses with some psychic costs.
Creating realistic and prioritized needs-based monthly budgets is essential to preserving a stable financial situation.
Always to keep in mind the old saying and “live within your means.” And save as much as possible (at least 10% of next month's net take home pay). In some Asian countries, “savings is considered as a virtue, and extravaganza as a vice.” In Asia, the average savings rate is 20 percent. In the USA, it is barely over 2%, historically. This requires foreign borrowings for USA to finance investment. Avoidance of compulsive and impulsive shopping behaviors in personal terms is an imperative to stay on the right course.
D HERTY’S T MATO FARM
By Emily Burleigh Portrait
Photography by Chad Whited
“Hi there! You looking for homegrown tomatoes?”
This is how one is greeted when they pull up to the white house on the hill on Doherty’s Tomato Farm, 1980 Highway 394 in DeRidder, in the summer months of June and July.
After a ride up a curved driveway, visitors will see just a fraction of the over 272-acre farm. They may hear gentle wind and the sound of Buddy, the old, shaggy dog. They may even be greeted by the cats Lil’ Bit and Smoky. And they’ll see Sara Doherty (possibly donning black and tomato red tortoiseshell glasses) on the front porch, ready to sell them a tomato.
Doherty started gardening when she was just a child. One summer, she took a hoe to an eight-byeight sandbox to plant radishes and carrots. On her first try, she was able to grow enough radishes to feed her neighbors. Her carrots were not quite as successful. They grew long and thin like string, she joked.
“God knew I was a farmer before I did. … I feel like God is in direction of our entire lives. I probably didn’t learn that lesson until I grew up and became an adult.”
In 1987, she and her husband Jim retired and sold their cable business, Iowa Cable Vision. Two years later, they moved up to DeRidder to raise cattle. They were 38 and 48 at the time. Three of their five children were grown and out of the house.
“A friend of ours had found this place for sale. My husband came and looked at it on a Friday, and he brought me up on a Saturday and bought it on the spot,” she recalled. “We didn’t know a thing about cattle, but here we are.”
Years passed, grandkids were born, and the Dohertys kept expanding their farming knowledge. As 2002 rolled around, two of her grandsons kept asking for video games to play. Instead, Doherty decided to teach them to grow tomatoes.
Much like when they first moved to the cattle farm, Doherty didn’t know much about tomato farming - other than the fact that they go in the ground. They started with 400 plants (which everybody said was too many, she added).
She did more than teach them how to grow tomatoes. She taught them how to market and sell them.
“Instead of a lemonade stand, we did a tomato stand. Put a
sign down on that front gate. Sold them right here on this porch.”
They made a little profit. The next year, she planted 4,000 tomatoes. The next? 10,000.
“Everybody in the country, including my husband, said I was nuts. Everybody said you can’t sell those tomatoes. … But I could visualize it. I could visualize my whole operation,” she reflected as she rocked on her porch, looking out at the sunlit expanse of fields.
The Operation
2025 marks the 23rd anniversary of Doherty’s Tomatoes. In that almost quarter-century,
Doherty has built a legacy of selling fresh, picked daily produce. She now has five stands in Southwest Louisiana. When she first started, she had a stand in DeRidder and one in Moss Bluff.
“Yeah, it was slow going. It was. Once people started buying my tomatoes and realized they didn’t come in a box … You know, produce doesn’t just grow on Saturday.”
Her business has always operated based on freshness. In addition to being a school bus driver at the time, every piece of produce she sold was picked on the morning of.
The trajectory of her success took shape after two of her fellow bus driver asked to work on her farm over the summer to earn money to put towards their college education.
“I said, OK, I’ll just plant two more thousand plants,” she said.
Her farm has offered employment to adults and East Beauregard students alike. In another moment of serendipity, one teenage boy working in the fields made a discovery that prompted some rapid business expansion. Doherty recalled when he popped his head up while tying plants, shouting, “Miss Doherty, it’s a rubber ducky!”
“There comes a time when you gotta quit, and I don’t know how to quit. ... How am I going to tell when it’s over? When that last tomato’s sold, it’s over. It’s over.”
- Sara Doherty
“He held it up and sure enough, it was two tomatoes that grew together, and it looked just like a rubber ducky.”
Leveraging her business experience, she knew how to capitalize on the conjoined tomatoes.
She brought it to her stand at the DeRidder Fairgrounds and called the Beauregard Enterprise, which published a picture of Doherty holding the rubber ducky that brought
hundreds of people to her stand.
“I sold them some tomatoes and the never looked back because once they tasted them and they realized they were real, my business took off.”
Looking Forward
Over the winter, Doherty and her husband sold all of their cows.
“Prices were high with cattle this year and we took that as a sign.”
As she and her husband get older and summers get hotter (last year, they were only able to harvest 11,000 of the 14,000 tomatoes they planted), she has become more contemplative about the future of Doherty’s Tomatoes.
“There comes a time when you gotta quit, and I don’t know how to quit,” she said. “How am I going to tell when it’s over? When that last tomato’s sold, it’s over. It’s over.”
Insider Tips
In March, her greenhouse was full of plants that she is growing for the Southwest Louisiana Garden Conference and EXPO.
Name of breed of tomato, Doherty is likely growing itheirlooms, cherry, bella roses, supremes, better boy, big beef, big boy, roadsters and bush early girl are a few that she listed.
She starts each season by planting 2,000 plants in her fields. After the EXPO in March, she plants the rest of her crops. Everything has to be in the ground by May 1.
Her offerings aren’t limited to tomatoes. The morning of her interview, she planted cucumbers, squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, watermelon, and peppers. Doherty, who is always in a stage of experimentation, offered 10 different herbs this year, too.
Though she might usually keep it to herself, she has experienced some learning pains along the way.
“I learned from those failures. Now, you can either learn from your own failures or you can learn from something that I told you that I failed at.”
The rules to grow tomatoes are simple, she said. Don’t over water your tomato plants. Don’t overshade. Don’t over fertilize.
Timeless Taste
INTERIOR DESIGN TRENDS FOR 2025 AND BEYOND
By Emily Burleigh
The home is where the heart is, and the heart deserves a home that is comforting and visually appealing.
Meg Lee, founder of ML Interiors + Art, chimed in on modern interior design trends and the importance of curating a space that sparks happiness.
She graduated with an interior design degree in 2018 from Louisiana State University. For four and a half years, she worked under the direction of a head design manager, ordering custom furniture, hand selecting fabrics for clients, and working on big projects in Pebble Beach, Calif., and Las
Vegas. After getting married, she moved to Lake Charles and began her freelance interior design career.
In the last 15 years, simple, clean and modern home designs have been popularized. Modernity is fast-paced, so many opt for adaptable styles that are easy to modify and functional, focusing on utility over design.
“For some, it’s too much commitment to have a colored wall or patterned sofa. What if I don’t like those in a few years?” she said. “Whereas neutrals allow you to shange out the pillows or put some art on the wall to add some color.”
Clean and modern designs are beneficial for resale. She noted that younger generations are less inclined to take root early on in their lives.
“I feel like younger people are not looking to stay in the same place as long, so it's easier to have this simple look where other people can come in and either change it up or keep it as is.”
A classic modern home features minimal patterns, fine lines, and white and neutral colors. She also said clients seek out natural woods without bold staining for the cabinets and floors.
Quartz countertops are becoming more popular in the kitchen because of their practicality, she said. They are durable, easy to clean and less likely to stain.
Modern furniture is practical furniture. The tables have sleek, straight edges. Couches feature fabric that reaches the ground.
Open floor plans are a major indicator of the modern home.
“Everyone loves the open floor plan where you can be in the kitchen and the living room and the dining room all at the same time,” she explained. “You can see the whole area … It doesn’t close off the house as much where you can socalize more with everyone.”
Even in an open space, the area can be split off into different areas with strategic furniture
placement to section off the room and create closed-off areas or nooks.
Lee iterated that just because a style is a trend does not mean it is a requirement. She actually prefers colors, patterns and furniture with intricate carvings. Homeowners need to make interior design decisions for themselves and fill their space with items that bring them joy.
“Every space you go in, whether you are thinking about it subconsciously or not, it gives off a feeling that affects you in some type of way,” she said. “In your home, if you make it feel like a home and put things in it that you love, then it’s gonna feel more inviting and you’re gonna want to be there more.”
Someone You Should Know
What is the best thing about SW La.?
My “aha” moment was at a 9/11 memorial service at the Lake Charles Civic Center when local families who attended spoke of their loss. I didn’t realize the impact of being raised in Southwest Louisiana until I lived elsewhere and returned home. We like people, to talk to people and enjoy being with people. We cherish relationships and our community.
You serve on several boards in the area, including Kiwanis Club, Historical Preservation Commission, CARC and are the past-president of Temple Sinai. What fuels your passion for the area?
In most cases, a person can choose to live and work anywhere they want or have the opportunity. What makes the difference is your involvement with your community. I have many communities I am involved in within the Greater Lake Charles area. My passion is fueled by being involved in helping make our communities better for all both citizens and visitors.
What was your last moment of gratitude?
At my mother’s celebration of life, when she passed at 98, in October 2024. I am one of six siblings born and raised in Lake Charles. We were blessed beyond words for having wonderful parents that cared for our individual characters through encouragement. Between our family, friends and community, the impact of having involved and caring parents.
Describe the last time you were inspired?
Every morning that my wife and I have a chance to talk about life, the news in our community and the world, planning our day provides me inspiration to make a difference or at least try to, each and every day. We all should love living life and doing our best to make the world a better place for all.
JOEL DAVIDSON
READING NOOK
Staff and Librarian Reviews
Devotions
Author: Mary Oliver
The collected poems of Mary Oliver continue to serve as a quasiphilosophical, poetic pillar for readers everywhere.
“Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver” comprehensively chronicles five decades of Oliver’s career with over 200 of her most treasured writings.
Exploring the themes of life, death, love, solitude and faith, the collection invites reader to enjoy every minute moment.
Her verse connects them to the quiet beauty of nature with simple language that brings attention to the details of the world — a dog, a river, a
wild goose — and, ultimately, connects readers to themselves.
The Skunks
Author: Fiona Warnick
It is the summer after Isabel’s college graduation. She moved back to her hometown. She spends her days house-sitting, babysitting, working the desk at a yoga studio. She hangs out with her childhood friend, Ellie. And she thinks about skunks.
After finding three baby skunks in the backyard of the house she is watching, Isabel begins to imagine what the lives of skunks look like. Simultaneously, she begins to ponder what meaning her life holds.
Part quarter-life crisis, part coming-of-age, part humorous take on 21st-century social politics, “The Skunks” is a meditative peek into the everyday lives of 20-somethings in the 2020s.
Review by Emily Burleigh
Review by Emily Burleigh
How to Solve Your Own Murder
Author: Kristen Perrin
Sometimes you go into a store for one thing and end up walking out with an armful of other items. For me, the same thing happens when it comes to reading. I was going to OverDrive to check out a different title, and, as luck would have it, I spotted “How to Solve Your Own Murder.” Looking into it, I saw all the ingredients for a great weekend read: British mystery(!), murder in a small village(!), and comparison to Knives Out(!).
In the book, aspiring mystery writer Annie Adams has just sent off her first manuscript to publishers, which she concedes to her best friend had no real editing. Annie’s future as a mystery writer isn’t looking promising, but she just might make a great mystery solver after her eccentric greataunt Frances is found dead under suspicious circumstances.
Frances is a key figure in family lore, specifically her obsession with a fortune told to her in the 1960s as a teenager that predicted her murder. While her theories are usually met with skepticism, Frances was always adamant that she had a grim fate in store. Her will challenges Annie to compete with another potential heir, Saxon, to solve her murder in order to inherit her property. Luckily, Annie’s love of murder mysteries and the impulsiveness it spurs in her soon come to work out in her favor.
I found the book very hard to put down, and I ended up finishing it in a day after stubbornly staying up late to keep turning the pages. The writing is well-paced, and Perrin deftly interweaves two separate-but-connected mysteries by alternating parts of their narratives.
Lovers of cozy British mysteries with a few twists will be happy to immerse themselves in the world of Castle Knoll and all of its characters, past and present, along with their secrets. The novel also has some meta-mystery elements that would appeal to readers who enjoyed The Woman in the Library and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.
The Third Gilmore Girl
Author: Kelly Bishop
“The Third Gilmore Girl” is a beautifully written memoir by Kelly Bishop with the help of author Lindsay Harrison. Bishop doesn’t gloss over the pain she’s experienced in life, and she doesn’t dwell on it. She acknowledges she had a difficult relationship with her father, struggled in school because of dyslexia, and had a terrible first marriage. Then she moves on to the more important things in her life: people and roles that brought her joy.
Carole Bishop, later to be changed to Kelly, was born in Colorado Springs in 1944. At an early age she learned to love ballet and had a natural talent for dance. Kelly studied under renowned dance instructors Dimitri Romanoff and his wife, Francesca Ludova Romanoff. Mr. Romanoff’s teachings are what led Kelly to New York where she began her career as a member of the Rockettes Ballet Corp. Her work in dance led her to many exciting opportunities, including the 1964 World’s Fair where she danced alongside Morgan Freeman in a production called “Wonder World.”
Later on, Kelly was a part of the integral group that created the highly successful show “A Chorus Line,” for which she won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. Eventually, Kelly made the transition into acting, and her first major role was as Marjorie Houseman in “Dirty Dancing.” Then in 2001, Kelly took on the role of Emily Gilmore, the witty yet controlling grandmother in the beloved television show “Gilmore Girls.” Kelly shares memories of how well the cast got along and the heartbreaking moment of saying goodbye to Ed Herrmann who played her husband, Richard Gilmore, when he lost his battle to cancer.
Kelly shares many moments of her personal life showing she has lived a full life of blessings and heartache. As a fan of “Gilmore Girls,” Kelly Bishop is a great example of pursuing what you love, working hard to attain success, and truly loving the people in your life.
Review by Sheryl Chaisson, Calcasieu Parish Library
Review by Sandy Buteau, Calcasieu Parish Library
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Renowned as a paragon of magical realism, this modern classic follows the Buendía family over several generations in the fictional town of Macondo, Colombia. The story begins with the town’s founder, José Arcadio Buendía, and his wife, Úrsula. Readers follow a century-long saga that is weaved by the characters’ individual desires, political unrest,t and unexplainable occurrences.
The characters experience cycles of fortune and misfortune that exemplify the cyclical nature of the human experience and the relentless passage of time. Paired with the narrative exploration of Latina American culture and history and the effects of colonialism, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” puts a mirror to humanity’s hubris.
The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
This reimagining of the story of Achilles and Patroclus - two figures of Greek mythologytakes place during the Trojan War. The novel blends the myth with an emotionally deep, poignant narrative about love, loss and human bonds that feel universal and generational.
Narrated by Patroclus, the story follows Patroclus as he meets with Achilles - son of the Greek hero Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis - and the pair make their way to Troy. “The Song of Achilles” explores the themes of friendship, loyalty, love, sacrifice and fate as their bond deepens (despite their differences).
Review by Emily Burleigh
Review by Emily Burleigh
FARMING FRESH HOMEGROWN FOOD PRODUCTION FOR BEGINNERS
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in February that U.S. food prices increased by 23.6 percent from 2020 to 2024. For many, creating a homegrown food supply is an attractive option to ease the cost of groceries.
One shop in Iowa has taken this practice and expanded it to provide local, fresh produce for the area. Fresh Pickins Farmhouse sells preserves, jellies, pickles, and food that travels straight from the farm to the table.
Located at 23077 Highway 383, the shop 24/7 operates on the honor system when the store itself is closed. This policy is based on Fresh Pickins’ family-first policy.
Owner Dana Guillory is a self-proclaimed city girl, but she comes from a family of farmers. She and her dad used to compete to see who could grow the best garden. One year, her dad had some extra satsumas. His act of putting them on the side of the road with a box to put money in was the beginning of Fresh Pickins.
With farming “in her blood,” Guillory knows firsthand the benefits of creating a self-sufficient food supply. The process of gardening one’s own food is good for health and good for the soul, she said. Backyard gardening prompts homemakers to get outdoors, which can provide exercise, bolster immune systems, relieve depression symptoms and improve sleep.
“It just tastes different from the stuff you buy at the store.”
On top of health boons, fresh food from the garden just tastes better, she said. But most importantly, gardening teaches patience. She called it a form of meditation that teaches flexibility, as gardeners are at the command of the weather and nature.
“We used to plant potatoes on Valentine’s Day every year. We did that last year and picked four truckloads. … We weren’t able to this year. It was so rainy and cold. But we were able to get them in the ground last week. I’m actually planting more today,” she said on a Thursday in February.
February and early March are prime times to plant potatoes. She also suggested planting tomatoes early to mitigate bugs.
“Maybe hold off on the cucumbers until later this spring.”
Summer harvests can include: cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, potatoes, bell pepper, banana peppers, jalapenos, watermelon, cantaloupe, eggplant, okra, purple hull peas, sweet corn, patty squash, blackberries, blueberries and peaches.
Crops like satsumas, cabbage, turnips, broccoli, mustard greens, carrots, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, peppers, pecans and pumpkins can be reaped during Louisiana autumns.
Preserves are a good option to build up a pantry of homegrown food. With preserved, jammed and pickled produce, families can enjoy homegrown food all year round.
Fresh Pickins’ offers jellies like apple, fig, mayhaw, strawberry and crawfish pepper; preserves like peach, fig, strawberry fig and raspberry figs; and pickled products like pepper, okra and green tomatoes.
METRO CREATIVE SERVICES
Homeowners may think they have to tear down walls or build room extensions to transform their homes with renovation projects. But small projects can yield impressive results, and that’s something homeowners working with limited budgets can keep in mind.
There’s no shortage of small projects that can change the look and feel of a home. Many of these undertakings can be achieved with a modest investment.
• Front door replacement: A new front door instantly improves curb appeal and can make a home more secure and energyefficient. Painting the existing front door is an even smaller project that still offers appeal.
• Lighting addition: Whether a homeowner enlarges a window or adds skylights, natural light can produce incredible results. Investing in new lighting can feel like expanding a space without pushing out walls.
• Kitchen and bath fixture upgrades: Faucets
and door pulls are used every day. Swapping existing fixtures for something a little more modern can unify spaces and provide subtle changes that enhance these popular spaces.
• Wood floor restoration: Scuffing and scratches can adversely affect the pristine look of a natural wood floor. Homeowners can polish a floor to restore its shine. A professional service will sand down and refinish older floors at a fraction of the cost of a new floor installation.
• Exterior lighting: Lighting isn’t just important inside. A welcoming glow in the yard is awe-inspiring. There are many energy-efficient lighting options, including ones that do not need to be hard-wired.
• Interior paint: Change the color of walls, doors, cabinets, or even furniture with paint. All homeowners need is a paint color that inspires them and a little bit of time.
• Replace outlet covers: Upgrade outlet covers with screwless options. Screwless plates for outlets and light switches can make walls look more sleek.
METRO CREATIVE SERVICES
Homeowners tend to want to maximize all of the space they have in their homes. For some this may involve turning a garage from a utilitarian space into one that serves multiple purposes.
According to The Mortgage Reports, a home-buying and improvement resource, garage renovations can increase the value of a home and add living space. Garage remodels can create additional storage space, provide an area for a home gym or even create room for a home office. Prior to beginning a garage remodel, homeowners may have some common questions about the process.
How much does the renovation cost?
Several factors will ultimately determine the final price of a garage remodel, but
HomeAdvisor says the national average for a garage remodel falls between $6,000 and $26,000. Most homeowners come in at around $15,000 for a total garage conversion.
Will I recoup the investment?
A garage conversion adds value to a home if it creates new and usable living space. The firm Cottage, which pulled together a team of builders, architects and technologists, advises the average garage conversion provides an 80 percent return on investment. That ROI varies depending on location.
How can I upgrade the flooring?
Garages traditionally feature concrete floors. Although durable, concrete floors can feel damp, hard and cold underfoot. Both vinyl plank and epoxy flooring
options can elevate the design and functionality of the garage.
Can I have the best of both worlds?
Sometimes a garage needs to serve many purposes. Lofting the garage means a homeowner can still park cars or utilize the lower space as a living area, all the while items are stored overhead. Some flip this design scenario and have the loft area as a bedroom or finished living space, while the lower portion remains a traditional garage area. Another thought is to finish only a portion of the garage. This works well for two- or three-car garages where there will be room to park a car and the remainder will serve another purpose.
What are other ways to improve the garage?
Installing more windows or improving on the lighting in the garage can be important. The garage improvement experts at Danley’s say window installation enables people to circulate air in the garage without having to open the garage door. Improving the lighting means the garage can still be enjoyed or utilized after dark. Spread out lighting in the garage, and use a combination of overhead and task lighting just as one would in the home itself.
How do I deter bugs or other pests from entering?
Insects often want to hunker down in garages, and they may find it easy to get inside a garage. Keeping the garage clean and organized is the best way to deter pests and to spot infestations before they become problematic, indicates Mosquito Joe pest control company. Reducing water and humidity in the space, weatherproofing at the base of the garage door and other entry spots and utilizing insect repellents to
make the garage less hospitable also can decrease the risk of insect infestation.
Remodeling a garage can add value and plenty of usable space to a home. Whether a garage houses cars or hosts neighborhood game night, a garage renovation can be well worth the investment.
