Home for the Holidays

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HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS DECEMBER 2021 | VOL. 15 • ISSUE 12 | POVHOUMA.COM

CONTENTS |

DECEMBER 2021 • VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 12

table of

Page 11

11

Page 20

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Chateau Chic welcomes you inside two local homes decorated for the holidays.

EXTRAS

20 CAJUN PEANUTS

Terry Lapeyrouse shares his history at Lapeyrouse Seafood Bar Grocery & Campground.

ON THE COVER

NOTE 06 PUBLISHER’S No Place Like Home for the Holidays

Page 26

26 FROM TENTS TO TRAILERS

Terrebonne residents have new homes for the holidays.

WORD, YA HEARD BLUSTERY adjective

08 INTERVUE Say What?

characterized by strong, gusty wind full of bravado and empty boasts, threats, or protests

30 UNDER THE SCOPE

The Legend of the Rain Deer (Part One)

WORD ON THE STREET

32 WE SUPPORT A

The blustery day caused the fallen leaves to dance across the yard.

HEALTHIER FUTURE

Pandemic Shines Light on the State of Our Behavioral Health

The argument lasted longer than necessary due to blustery speakers on both sides.

34 LOOK TWICE

Sponsored by Synergy Bank Photo: Misty Leigh McElroy

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PUBLISHER An angel

Brian Rushing ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Mary Downer Ditch EDITORIAL

Heidi Guidry STAFF WRITER CREATIVE

Lauren Pontiff GRAPHIC DESIGNER A big Christmas bow!!!

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE |

MARY DOWNER DITCH • ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

NO PLACE LIKE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Well, here we are, at the end of another year and what an extremely difficult year it has been! Our area is still hurting in so many ways. Our communities are still picking up the pieces of their lives post-Ida. Many of our families remain displaced, living in different homes, tents or trailers. “Home” is now a relative term, meaning something a little bit different for everyone depending on their situation.

It’s hard to imagine what it’s going to be like for those families, particularly those with little children who believe in the magic of Santa. In conversations with my own son, who just turned 7, about helping those in need this season, his worry for them has been Santa.

means to him, sitting outside what’s left of his store. Learn more about the traditions that make Chauvin home for him starting on page 20.

For many individuals, “home” has most literally been wherever they are able to lay their heads at night. For people like Scott Maronge, home was a tent in the area where his trailer used to stand. And for many of our locals, this just wasn’t going to be acceptable for longterm living arrangements. Through the groups’ efforts, they aim to get people a stable roof over their heads and out of tents as quickly as they can. Read more about how people are going from tents to trailers on page 26.

While we recognize that everyone’s home looks a little different this year, we still wanted to bring you our annual Home for the Holidays version of Chateau Chic. Two local families welcomed us into their homes at Christmas to share with you their decorations and traditions. We hope these homes serve as inspiration to you when decorating your own space, be it this year or even next.

“Mom, will Santa be able to find the kids that are not living at home? Will they still get presents this year?”

Yes, my love. Through the magic and love of Santa and other generous people in our community, those children will get to see Santa and he will deliver presents.

We are blessed to live in an area where we often witness individuals giving sometimes beyond their own means. Through our sister publication, the Houma Times, I have been amazed to write several stories on groups who did toy drives, Christmas decoration drives and clothing/coat drives to be sure no one in the bayou region goes without. These drives recognize that even through all the despair, there is hope, love and compassion among our people.

Our December theme is “Home for the Holidays”, focusing on stories that reflect on what the holiday season means to people.

We also enjoy sharing some beautifully decorated homes in an expanded holiday Chateau Chic feature. This year, we shift a little bit and focus on a few topics that hit close to home.

If you’ve ever stopped by Lapeyrouse Seafood Bar Grocery & Campground in Chauvin, right on Robinson Canal, you’ve probably met Mr. Terry Lapeyrouse. Mr. Terry was recently awarded the 2021 Louisiana Tradition Bearer Award for maintaining the age-old tradition of drying shrimp. We took a trip down the bayou to visit with Mr. Terry on what home really

I’d like to leave you and this year with one final thought. Each year, I pick a word to focus on. For 2021, that word was Hope. One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Oh Holy Night”. I drew from the lyric: “A thrill of hope - the weary soul rejoices”. In the song, this lyric refers to the hope we feel at the birth of our Savior. After 2020 being focused so heavily on the pandemic that swept our nation, Hope seemed to be the right word for 2021. I tried to live intentionally, focusing on the Hope I could bring to the world around me. This turned out to be the perfect word, as this year draws to a close with so much devastation.

Hope will continue to be my word for the rest of this month, as we focus on the Christmas season and all that it means to us. The Hope that all of our weary souls may once again find reason to rejoice.

Merry Christmas. POV

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Assisted Living and Memory Care LAUREN “My most sentimental holiday decoration is my Christmas Village! I always loved my family’s Christmas villages growing up and always said one day I would have my own! Now that I have my own house, I finally was able to start my own village with pieces that I picked out with my family!”

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NIKOLE “The most sentimental Christmas decoration for me is a plastic Santa. My grandpa loved Christmas and enjoyed decorating his Christmas tree. As soon as the tree was up this plastic Santa was out. My brother and I would play and wrestle with this Santa every Sunday after our family lunch at my grandparents house. My brother is the current keeper of this prized family heirloom.”

LEONARD “My most sentimental decoration is my Christmas tree, because I lost my mom in 1997 and her tree meant so much to her”

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RHONDA “My most sentimental decorations are my Christmas bulbs from Walt Disney World. We make sure to get one with our names and the year every time we go! They’re a reminder of the wonderful vacations we’ve taken over the years!”

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LAYLA “My most sentimental holiday decoration is a Mr. Bingle plush that my mom would put out at the beginning of the holidays. It was so exciting to decorate, and seeing it brings back happy memories.”

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Holiday Style by Katie Lasserre For as long as I can remember, I have always loved Christmastime. There was just something special about watching my favorite movies by the glow of our Christmas tree.

Enjoying those twinkling lights still brings me so much joy. Now, I get to share my love of all things Christmas with my own family.

I decided when Kerry and I remodeled our home, that I would make Christmas our thing!

I wanted a tree in every single room, so I could feel the magic of Christmas throughout our home. We really go all out! Thank Goodness my husband and sons are just as into Christmas as I am! Decorating is definitely a family affair. We crank up the Christmas music and start fluffing trees. We have a 6-10 foot tree with its own theme in every single room, plus other decor to match.

I would describe my holiday decorative style as modern farmhouse and traditional with a boho vibe.

Our living room and kitchen area is openconcept, so all of our decor in this area flows with our color scheme of whites, creams, grays, and blues. Our main tree is in our living room. It is a beautiful 10 foot full pencil tree

decorated with farmhouse-style ornaments and lots of white twinkling lights. This is also where we display our stockings and Christmas paintings.

Our dining room tree is “Kathy’s tree.” My mom passed away in 2018, and this 7 ft. pencil tree is our way to honor all the things she loved! She was a baker, a prayer warrior, and an amazing grandmother, so the tree is full of cookie and baking ornaments, angels, and other things that remind us of her. The kitchen is full-on Farmhouse and filled with tiny Christmas trees of all shapes and sizes.

There are elements of traditional Christmas decor in our master bedroom with the red and green decor. While I love white, I also wanted an element of masculinity for my husband, so we went with some Christmas plaid and lots of Christmas trees and fun pillows and throws. Our 7 ft. Pencil tree is whimsical, yet very farmhouse with buffalo plaids. It’s topped with a snowman’s black top hat. One of my favorite pieces in our bedroom is an antique music box with Santa and Mrs. Clause that was given to me by my grandmother when I was a child.

Our oldest son is away at college, so our middle son occupies the bedroom when he is away. Because of this, it is a very eclectic space. Our oldest son loves music and our middle son loves the outdoors. His 6 ft pencil tree is very earthy and natural. It goes well with the masculine brick wall and dark wood floors.

Our youngest son loves black and white. His 6 ft. super skinny pencil tree is very modern and boho style. Gold geometric ornaments mixed with macrame and black bulbs give the tree a very unique look that matches the cool vibe of his room. Grey walls with a white shiplap accent wall and black and white bedding with a hint of mustard yellow accents blend seamlessly with the Christmas decor.

Each year, we add a little more to the home and we never set out our decor in the exact same places. I like to keep things fresh and new, while keeping the tradition of our staples, such as our nativity set, family ornaments, and our love for the holidays.

Bonus Pictures on this page The Lasserre's give us a peek into their cozy camper decked out for Christmas.

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Traditional Meets Modern

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The holiday season is a special time for this family and their friends to gather. The design concept for their home was a traditional look with a modern twist that might transport you from the bayou to the mountains.

centerpiece with a mix of large vases and florals. The homeowners have collected these beautiful holiday decorations over the course of several years and added new pieces this season to give it a fresh, new look.

The moment you arrive, you are greeted at the front door by two majestic white nutcrackers, a theme that continues throughout the home.

The piano room is where the family likes to gather by the festive and fabulous Christmas tree to spend time together. Candles light up the piano, and nutcrackers – modern in design but in traditional colors – flank the ends of the mantle. More nutcrackers adorn the tree.

The foyer entrance makes a grand statement with cedar pine garlands draping the stairways and a beautiful

Next, you’ll enter the formal dining room, where the table is always set and ready for a holiday dinner by twinkling candlelight. White, green and gold color the decorations throughout.

The bar/game room has been winter a into transformed wonderland. You’ll find it the perfect place to make a holiday toast and break out into caroling under icicles and snowflakes. Here’s to the season!

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BY HEIDI GUIDRY Terry Lapeyrouse rocked in a wooden chair overlooking Robinson Canal and smiled as he told the stories of his family traditions. Not only did he carry on the traditions in the 87 years he spent in Chauvin, LA, but he is also determined to rebuild after Hurricane Ida took away a bulk of his facility for Lapeyrouse Seafood Bar Grocery & Campground.

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Mr. Terry is a fourth-generation Chauvin resident and secondgeneration owner and operator of Lapeyrouse Seafood, Bar, Grocery, and Campground. He continues the tradition of drying shrimp which has been practiced in coastal Louisiana as far back as the mid-1800s with the arrival of Chinese immigrants.

Lapeyrouse catches shrimp for drying adjacent to his store using a stationary butterfly net, while the remainder he purchases locally.

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Mr. Terry explained his family’s history that goes back to the 1800s when two Lapeyrouse families came from across the pond to Louisiana after the Louisiana Purchase. The process of drying shrimp, which he refers to as cajun peanuts, has been in his family since he can remember. He has a facility for drying shrimp that lies behind the store and is one of the very few to still practice the Louisiana tradition of drying shrimp. He reminisced about growing up and throwing shrimp in the truck before school and told stories of his grandpa having a plant and bringing shrimp down the bayou.

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“I’m 87 years old, and I didn’t give up, and I can’t give up. If the ole’ Lord wants to take me, he can take me in the store.”

He said his mother’s father, who was a Bergeron, invented what Mr. Terry calls the shrimp beater. The peeler machine is a cylinder tumbler that has finger-like attachments on the inside that knocks off the peelings to make a higher-quality product. The story behind the invention is when his grandfather noticed the grips on his boots squeezed the shrimp from the peeling when he accidentally stepped on them. This got his gears running and led to him borrowing his mother’s laundry wringer, and it worked.

When his father passed away, he said he and his brother was supposed to take over the family business, but his brother didn’t want anything to do

with drying shrimp simply because the process is a considerable amount of work. That’s when he said he and his mother’s brother repaired the store a little bit at a time until it was a geaux to carry on the family tradition. What made their dried shrimp so different is the shrimp were fresh and they would dry them almost immediately.

He described that the process they used left the dried shrimp less hard and much softer. “It was beautiful and pink,” he said.

Mr. Terry was recently awarded the 2021 Louisiana Tradition Bearer Award for maintaining the age-old tradition of drying shrimp. The award stems from the October celebration of

December 2021 22 povhouma.com

Louisiana’s Seventh Annual Folklife Month which is a celebration of the state’s living traditions and the individuals who sustain them, selected by local folklorists and other culture workers.

Mr. Terry said riding out the storm was a one-of-a-kind experience. He rode it out with a neighbor who was sleeping on the bar. He went back into the bedroom, and he said that’s when the flooding started inside the building. He said for this storm, they probably had around eight to ten feet of water which came from the direction of Lake Boudreaux. “They want to call it a number four, but it was a number five,” he said when

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describing what it was like to ride out Ida. He said the wind was over 200 MPH at some times and that some vessels were able to clock wind gusts much higher than a category 4 hurricane. He said there was a tornado that touched where they were and he was seeing camps and homes around his store simply blown away.

Roofs and walls were being blown away around him too.” It was bad,” he recalled riding it out in his bedroom,” it shook back there and the water was a foot and a half high.”

He said he’s never seen the water that high in the area for a storm

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and has never been through a storm of this magnitude. The water he said was as high as the glass on the back door of the building and he couldn’t open the door due to the pressure. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” he said,” it was unbelievable.” Although most people say they will never stay for a storm again, Mr. Terry has resiliency and loyalty to the bayou like no other,” I’d stay again...I was born and raised here,” he said,” I’m 87 years old, and I didn’t give up, and I can’t give up. If the ole’ Lord wants to take me, he can take me in the store.” He’s now staying with a friend and his wife because his building and home are unlivable at the moment.

Since they had water in the building, it left a muddy mess when they were able to finally get the water out. Since then, recovery has been on a one-day at a time basis. Water damage was evident during a tour of the store and bar. They had mold issues as well, but have since sprayed for, and the building is still drying. The evidence of the water in the bar is striking because the buckling created mountains between wood planks. Unfortunately, Ida wasn’t kind to Mr. Terry and took his shrimp equipment. When asked if they’re trying to get the shrimp drying business up and running, he only responded with “not right now.”

Although they can’t dry right now, he said they will rebuild. POV

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BY HEIDI GUIDRY Scott Maronge stepped into his new camper trailer which has been the first stable roof over his head in months.

His home being a tent, he barely had room to get in and out with his pup, Lafitte. Piled up directly in front of his temporary home was water and some supplies strewn across a cement slab.

Not only was his tent small for a grown man and his large dog, but Scott also is on disability due to an accident years ago, so it was tough on his body to get in and out of his temporary shelter.

Before he was able to secure the tent, he was living out of his truck in a Walmart parking lot. “I never hit rock bottom like this,” he tearfully stated. He described what it was like to ride out the storm in a metal building that he had to crawl in the window to get into because his

trailer tumbled away during the storm.

Driving up to Scott’s tent, you can see pieces of what used to be someone’s home on the bank of a pond, a trailer you can see through due to the walls being blown out, blue tarp roofs, and random items in foreign areas that were once a part of someone’s home.

This was just one delivery of an initiative that has taken storm with Terrebonne Economic Development (TEDA) and various other community organizations.

The housing initiative started with a much-needed conversation when the housing crises in the hardesthit areas were an apparent issue. Dr. Micheal Garcia, who is the chairman of the TEDA board of directors and the chairmen of the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, started having a December 2021 26 povhouma.com

conversation with Mitch Marmande and Reggie Dupre. They realized that they all had different recovery efforts, but they had the same goal. They approached TEDA to coordinate a meeting with the community’s business organizations in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes to begin a dialog around a more coordinated recovery than what has been in place Federally and State-wise. This dialog allowed them to better understand what was needed in local communities based on what the different organizations were hearing on the ground in their various capacities. Not only were they able to expand the initiative through these various efforts, but they were able to identify and make sure that they weren’t duplicating efforts or services.

About two and a half weeks after Ida left a trail of destruction, the group of concerned organization leaders had a kickoff meeting where Matt Rookard said the conversation never pivoted away from housing issues. “You know it’s kind of remarkable from a group of business organizations given how many businesses are damaged, but the crux of it was, you don’t have an economy unless you have houses,” he said. They realized in order to get our communities back to somewhat normal, they had to provide a simple necessity of shelter. If people can’t live in our community, they can’t work, they can’t start rebuilding, and all of the fundamental issues involve stable housing situations, so it was almost a no-brainer.

That’s when Matt said they left that first meeting knowing they would put together a project around housing to try to help where they could. They felt they might have access to some private sector funding as well, so they went to work figuring out what the housing program would look like. He said they had concepts that were pretty close to a bulkhousing site, with workforce-style units that they were going to make available, but every concept they came up with had some array of issues. They started writing grants quickly while reaching out to community organizations that also play an integral role in the program: the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce, Lafourche Chamber of Commerce, Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce,

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South Louisiana Economic Council, South Central Industrial Association, and Bayou Industrial Group. The program kicked off Tuesday, November 3, and has been nonstop since then.

The program has enhanced the efforts of community nonprofits that have been working on the ground to provide housing assistance to impacted residents of Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes.

The partnering organizations also help the initiative move forward by identifying families who require assistance. Those partners include the Hache Grant Association, the Helio Foundation, the United Houma Nation, the InterTribal Council, the Pointe–aux–Chien Tribal Council, Catholic Charities Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Terrebonne Parish NAACP, and Louisiana Shrimp Industry Coalition. The first phase raised over a million dollars to jump-start the program

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including the Bayou Community Foundation ($500,000), Chevron ($100,000), Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation ($250,000), Chandamuri Foundation ($100,000), and BHP ($500,000).

These generous donations and teamwork of everyone involved allowed the program to move at a slightly faster pace than the government was able to move at. The program includes private dollars which creates flexibility to the whole process which has provided 18 trailers so far and they are being deployed as soon as they can get them purchased. “We’re

not trying to replace FEMA or the state program,” said Matt, “I think the scale is just astronomical and we’re not going to be able to fulfill all of those needs, but right now I think we can probably buy and deliver around 70 trailers...and we’re kind of thinking this as a Phase I in recovery to get people a stable roof over their heads and out of tents as quickly as we can.” He said they can assist Terrebonne, Lafourche, and Grand Isle pretty quickly due to the credibility of the community organizations that are involved.

Matt described the program as one of the

December 2021 28 povhouma.com

most Louisiana ways of doing recovery.

Get some funding, go buy a trailer, hook it to a truck, and go drive it down to give to those in need. “Let’s not get too complicated or get too fussy about things.

Let’s literally just do it. So that’s what we’ve been doing,” he said.

He explained that since the storm, everyone is doing what they can, but the problem is there are so many regulations when it comes to housing issues. There are federal laws when it comes to donating trailers outright, and if you do, technically it becomes FEMA property.

That means they have to do the hook-ups,

"Hopefully, at the end of this thing, we’ll be able to help 300-400 people get out of tents and get into a stable housing situation and leave them an asset that hopefully can help once they get out of the travel trailer."

Merry Christmas!

- Matt Rookard get licensed and insured contractors, get them inspected, get them cleaned due to COVID regulations. Since the housing initiative with TEDA is provided by private sector monies, they don’t have to abide by any of those regulations, which in turn means a quicker process. “We’re getting approval to get to drop off the trailers where they are, and we’re working on this culture that we’re all to celebrate where people are being self-reliant to be able to give them opportunities and hand-ups so they’ll be able to figure it out on their own... so far we haven’t had any issues with that,” Matt said. This process has evidently worked and was clearly appreciated through Scott’s reaction.

“We’re not going to solve this problem by looking backward, that’s my approach, let’s move forward and look at what we can do, and if we do two a day, that’s two more families, if we do three, that’s three more families a day. Hopefully, at the end of this thing, we’ll be able to help 300-400 people get out of tents and get into a stable housing situation and leave them an asset that hopefully can help once they get out of the travel trailer.

They can sell it, or use it as a family asset and hopefully have something that can help kick off their recovery process. We’re excited about it.” POV

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Whether recovering from a stroke, fall, or other medical condition, our customized rehab program helps you recover quickly so you can get back home. If you’re getting ready for long-term living, we make the transition from home to our community as rewarding as possible. A variety of spacious resident suites offer the ultimate in privacy and comfort.

AMENITIES INCLUDE: •MUSIC & MEMORY THERAPY •KITCHEN THERAPY •LIVE & LOCAL CONCERTS •IN-HOUSE THERAPY DOG •NOVEL EXCURSIONS •GAMES & CRAFTS THE ONLY MEDICARE 5 STAR NURSING HOME IN TERREBONNE AND LAFOURCHE BAYOU REGION AREAS

(985) 532-1011 7534 Hwy. 1 Lockport, LA 70374

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( PART ONE)

A long-long time ago on the bayous, during the cold-cold part of winter, people would leave their little houses and go spend some days in the marsh at their trapping camps.

Whole families would go live at their camps to trap, except if you were too young or you were too old to go. If you were too young to go, like Tomas, you had to stay behind at the papère and mamère house.

Early in the morning, Tomas’ daddy and momma and brothers and sisters packed up the pirogues and headed out along the tranasse to spend a day at the camp and pass the traps. Tomas watched them pushpole away, and he got a little lonely. Over the tree line at the couteau, the big yellow sun was slowly rising, making the dark clouds turn white. Tomas knew that the next time the sun would rise, it would be Christmas Day. Until then, he had to stay behind with the old people in the old house. But the old house was scary to Tomas, especially the room with the fireplace, which was where he would have to sleep. He wanted to stay outside in the yard.

So, he began to feed the ducks with dry corn from the corn sack.

“Not the corn!” Mamère called out to him from the back porch. She was sweeping the porch steps with a broom. “Papère needs that for the trees at the couteau!” Tomas found this odd. He knew that trees didn’t eat corn, but ducks can eat corn all day long.

Papère was repairing the cistern nearby the back porch. “The ducks are not gonna want to eat today, tee-boy,” he said. Papère took the corn sack from Tomas and began walking to the couteau. Tomas started to follow, but Papère stopped him. “Go inside the house,” Papère said. “Those dark clouds are gonna stay dark today.”

But Tomas was afraid to go inside the house. Instead, he waited outside for Papère to return. While he waited, the wind grew strong and cold. He watched the ducks fight and quack to get close to one another, always with their heads down and their backsides to the wind. It began to rain, and he watched the ducks wiggle their black tails to shake the rain off their feathers.

When Papère returned from the couteau, Tomas was waiting for him outside, shivering from the rain and the cold. “Why you not inside, boy?”

Papère asked. Tomas followed Papère inside. Mamère wrapped Tomas in a blanket and then swept behind him. Papère took him to the room with the fireplace go get warm, but Tomas did not go in. “What you afraid of, boy?”

Papère asked. Tomas raised his eyes to what hung from the wall atop the fireplace. “That? That’s a 16-point whitetail buck,” Papère explained, “and that can’t hurt you now.”

“But it has horns…. and black eyes that always stare at me, and look…!”

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Tomas said as he pointed to the fireplace. “It lives in fire.”

“Abien, that’s not the Devil,” explained Papère. “That’s just a deer. Papère shot that a whole five years ago.”

“Then why you shot it if that’s not the Devil?” Tomas asked. “’Cause Mamère has a good recipe for that!” Papère said, laughing. Mamère was not laughing. She swept a little.

“The Devil’s got a pointy red tail that’s long like a whip, correct?” Papère asked. “That deer has a fluffy white tail that’s short and wiggles. It wiggles to shake the rain and water off. And the devil don’t like no rain and no water, correct? That’s just a deer, that.”

Papère made Tomas feel a little less scared of the big deer head with horns.

Tomas put some small logs on the fire because the house was getting more cold. The rain grew louder, and they had some cold wind that you could hear whistling though the house. The yard became flooded, and the ducks went hide in their little cabones. Mamère was rocking in her chair and praying a rosary, which she always did when it rained hard. When Papère entered and dropped some mud and raindrops onto the floor, she stayed at prayer and didn’t even sweep behind him.

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“That water’s deep,” Papère said to Mamère in French. “The cistern is spilling out the top. You can’t even see out there.” Tomas knew what Papère was trying to say. Back in the old days, people used the moon and the stars to find their way home at night. With this hard rain, Tomas knew that there would be none of that to see tonight.

His family will have to stay at the camp and not come back for Christmas Day. And Papa Noël will never find him in this old house and in all this darkness.

1362 W Tunnel Blvd Houma, LA 70360 985-851-3434

To be Continued. POV www.houmafamilydental.com December 2021 31 povhouma.com

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WE SUPPORT A HEALTHIER FUTURE |

BY THIBODAUX REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM

PANDEMIC SHINES LIGHT ON THE STATE OF OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

COVID-19 weight gain. Increased alcohol consumption and drug use. Depression and anxiety. Marital problems including increased reports of domestic abuse. And shocking reports of people acting aggressively with no concern for common courtesy.

As if the physical effects of coronavirus aren’t concerning enough, another long-haul symptom even for those lucky enough to have remained free of the virus has been the impact on behavioral health. Nearly two years of the pandemic have weakened coping mechanisms. And in southeast Louisiana, devastation from Hurricane Ida caused further deterioration of fragile psyches.

Even though COVID cases have dropped throughout Louisiana and much of the country, heading into the holidays you should remain cautiously aware of your health and triggers that can adversely affect body, mind and spirit.

At Thibodaux Regional Behavioral Health Center, highly trained staff work with individuals to identify root causes of conditions or problems that may affect them physically, emotionally or mentally.

Behavioral Health and Mental Health Behavioral health encompasses the effects of behaviors on someone’s health. These range from depression, mood changes and anxiety to diabetes management, eating disorders, smoking cessation, grief, fear, marital problems, alcohol and drug use.

Behavioral factors can be interconnected to our physical and mental health.

While the terms are often used interchangeably, behavioral and mental health are different. Certain behaviors—whether within or outside our control— can impact a person’s mental wellbeing. Thus, behavioral health includes mental health.

Undoubtedly, the global pandemic continues to affect mental health. The Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) reports that between August 2020 and February 2021, the number of adults with recent symptoms of anxiety or depression increased from 36.4 percent to 41.5 percent.

High-profile athletes and other celebrities have brought the need for taking a mental health break out of the shadows and into the mainstream.

Monitoring Your Behavioral Health • Take time to assess your own behavioral health. If you recognize problems, seek professional help.

• Care for yourself first. You can’t take care of others unless you are healthy. Examine your eating habits, sleep patterns and exercise routines—three behavioral areas that can impact the rest of your health.

• Identify and address triggers that may be causing you to feel anxious or agitated.

• When feeling overwhelmed, take a break, take a walk.

• With the holidays just around the corner, slow down, breathe deeply and don’t overcommit.

quarantine, parents and professionals initially failed to recognize the impact on children, especially teenagers.

Changes in routines, socially quarantining and missing significant events such as proms and graduations were particularly devastating for them.

While most children have resumed fairly normal school and social routines, continue to watch for changes in their behaviors and address any concerns immediately. Signs of concern include: • Excessive worry or sadness, which may be difficult to distinguish from typical teenage moodiness; don’t overlook anything.

• Unhealthy eating or sleeping habits.

• Difficulty paying attention and concentrating.

• Withdrawing from friends.

• Sudden loss of interest in sports and other activities.

• Drop in grades.

Seek professional help for your child if you recognize a problem. In the meantime, parents can help ensure their child’s wellbeing by:

Whether still remote or back in the office, most work routines have changed drastically since early 2020.

Worker shortages, supply chain shortages and what’s being called the “Great Resignation” are impacting workforce dynamics. Avoid burnout from overstressing and over-scheduling with these tips:

• Maintaining family routines as much as possible.

• Practice daily morning mediations.

• Reinforcing basic health and wellness routines.

• Take mindful breaks twice a day—close your door for quiet time or take a walk.

• Teaching them to recognize signs of depression and anxiety so they know when to ask for help.

• Clear your schedule one day a week of meetings.

If you or someone you love needs help with behavioral health issues contact Thibodaux Regional Behavioral Health Center for Inpatient Services at 985-493-4040 and 985-493-4437 for Outpatient Services.

Watching Out for Others’ Health During the early months of COVID lockdown and

And this means...

December 2021 32 povhouma.com

• Keeping your worries to a minimal around the kids.

• Talking to your children honestly, listening earnestly to them and encouraging them to express their concerns to you.

RENDEZVOUS |

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AROUND TOWN

Market at the Marina December 4, 8 a.m. - noon Downtown Houma Marina

Market at the Marina is an outdoor farmers market for our community presented by Terrebonne General Health System and Houma Downtown Development Committee. This month, the Market is getting into the Christmas spirit with multiple new vendors selling arts and crafts items. The market at the Marina is free for everyone and will go on rain or shine (unless extreme weather).

A Visit to Santa’s Land December 4, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Warren J. Harang Jr. Municipal Auditorium, Thibodaux

A Visit to Santa’s Land has become a beloved tradition for children in Thibodaux and the surrounding areas. Enjoy a family holiday event featuring Christmas themed crafts, games, and activities for children of all ages. The day is full of Christmas cheer where you can cozy up with a book with Mrs. Claus, create a special ornament, write a letter to Santa, and even take a picture with Santa himself. Snacks are also provided during the event. Tickets are required for every person that enters, and must be pre-purchased online.

Your Santa’s Land ticket is also valid for entrance to Reindeer Rowe - Thibodaux’s Premier Holiday Shopping Event.

Reindeer Rowe

December 4, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Warren J. Harang Jr. Municipal Auditorium, Thibodaux

Join the Thibodaux Service League for Thibodaux’s premier indoor shopping event! Reindeer Rowe will have over 30 of your favorite shops in one place!

Admission is free with your Santa’s Land ticket or tickets can be purchased at the door for $8.

Christmas Art Market December 4, 1-7 p.m.

630 Belanger Street, Houma

The Terrebonne Fine Arts Guild is hosting their Grand Re-opening in time for their annual Christmas Show and Sale. Enjoy “Selfies with Santa”, door prizes, food, snacks and drink, a lighted art exhibit and plenty of ornaments and paintings.

Houma Christmas Parade

Thibodaux Christmas Parade December 5, 3 p.m.

Thibodaux route

Welcome the holiday season with the Thibodaux Christmas Parade! The route begins at Afton Dr. and Audubon Ave., turns left onto Menard St., continues down Menard St. all the way to Canal Blvd., turns right onto Canal Blvd., then left onto 2nd St. The parade ends at City Hall with pictures with Santa.

Enjoy refreshments provided by Thibodaux Family Church while you wait.

Your Holiday

Holiday Drive-In Movies December 5, 6 p.m. & 8 p.m.

La Carreta, Houma

Junior Auxiliary of Houma welcomes you to enjoy your favorite holiday movies at the local “drive-in”!

The fundraiser event will have two showings: “The Grinch” (animated version) at 6 p.m. and "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation" at 8 p.m. More information can be found at jaofhouma.com.

Reindeer Run 5K

December 12, 1 p.m.

Bayou Country Sports Park

The Reindeer Run is BACK! The culmination of the Girls on the Run fall 2021 program season brings a memorable 5K event to our area, which girls from area schools in Terrebonne, Lafourche, and St. Mary have been preparing for since September. The 5K is open to all ages and abilities, and the public is invited to participate. Prior to the 1:00 pm race start, participants can take part in fun activities like letters to Santa, cookie decorating, and a “happy hair” station to jazz up runners’ hair with color or glitter before the run. Holiday flare, strollers, and FUN are all encouraged!

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Welcome Home Lafourche December 12, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Larose Civic Center

Add some community fun to your holidays at the “Welcome Home Lafourche” family fun day.

The event will have family fun and games, photos with Santa, Meet & Greet with Colonel Tilou, face painting, police car & fire truck presentations, a car seat check, giveaways, food, music, and drinks. It will also be a free community resource expo with services available such as mental health, wellness, safety, information, and other local resources. POV

December 4, 5 p.m.

Downtown Houma

Here comes Christmas! The annual Houma Christmas Parade welcomes 35 floats this year! The parade begins at Terrebonne High School on Main Street. It continues down Main, turning right onto Barrow Street, and ends at the corner of Barrow and School Streets.

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LOOK TWICE |

WIN A $50

COURTESY OF SYNERGY BANK

GIFT CARD

Find the six differences in this photo from our feature on page page 34. Email your answers to us at looktwice@povhouma.com or drop it in the mail: Rushing Media, P.O. Box 5013, Houma, LA, 70361.

A winner will be picked by random drawing December 17.

The winner will receive a $50 Visa® gift card courtesy of Synergy Bank.

Participants must be 18 years or older.

Congratulations to Lee Schexnayder for winning last month’s contest.

December 2021 34 povhouma.com

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CONTEST 1. Removed sound bar 2. Changed color of lampshade 3. Changed color of pumpkins 4. Removed door handles 5. Changed color of pillow 6. Removed decoration from table

6161 WEST PARK AVE., HOUMA, LA | 876-1817

December 2021 35 povhouma.com www.southlanddodgechryslerjeep.com