Saturday, January 28, 2006

Cafe' Des Ami



Well we went back to Lafayette to pick up our trailer and this time we stayed in Breaux Bridge, La. We stayed at Maison Des Ami Bed and Breakfast. It was really nice, it is on the bank of Bayou Teche and this bed and breakfast is actually rooms in a 150 year old home. Our room had a huge four poster bed with a claw foot tub, antique armoir and chest of drawers. This house had porches all around. When you went outside to walk down to the bayou, gardens with lovely water fountains and a huge kumquat tree, loaded. Walking down to the gazebo on the bayou, of course David was already out there playing his mandolin, everything was so beautiful and just thinking about how old the place was and the rich history of the cajuns in this area. What was it like back then, in this huge home with no ac or heat to speak of. How did the family live, they must have been prominent with a home like this. The home was literally closed and abandoned for 30 years. It was renovated in 1995 by a couple. As the renovation began some of the older people in town would stop by and share memories of the home with tears in their eyes, memories of the family that lived there before it was abandoned. The actual home was first built in 1810 and the larger home was eventually built around the small stone home in the 1870's.They say there are ghosts that protect the place, that is if you believe in ghosts.
The next morning we woke up and walked downtown to the "Cafe Des Ami". Every Saturday beginning at 8:30 a Zydeco band plays. This restaurant is also in an old home with long leaf pine floors smoothed by dancer's feet. As we went in to listen to the music and eat breakfast, the Zydeco music played quite loudly I must say. The wait is long if you want to sit down, the hostess asked us if we would mind sitting with someone else at the table, which we said that was fine. So we waited at the bar, ordered beingnets and drank dark coffee watched the dancers and listened to the music. I love Zydeco music, the singer sang songs of old, "Whatcha gonna give me for a piece of cornbread", "Dont mess with my toot toot". It felt as if you were in another world another time, one that is slower where the people love to have fun. There are a couple of old men that go there every Saturday to dance with the women, and I'm talking old like around 80.Children danced, old, young, black and white. I loved it.
Finally the waitress seated us at a table with a family that had two little girls and a little boy. We ordered our food, couche-couche and huge steak omelot covered with thick crawfish etoufee, toast, butter, cane syrup and hot black coffee. Our meal, 14.00, can you believe and we did not even pay that because it was included with our room. We ate our breakfast watched the dancers, listened to the music, then headed back home.
So Beth if you ever want to go over there, come on down I'm ready to go back.Lafayette is only 7 minutes from there and they have lots of boutiques, I just dont know where they are at.
luv and hugs,
Aunt Pam

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Maison de Memoire


We went to a bed in breakfast for our anniversary. It was so nice. This couple has several acres and has brought in old, old little houses and brought them back to life by rebuilding them and furnished them with antiques. It's called Maison de Memoire or House of Memories.There is a pond on the land with a wharf with lights along it. Lynn, the owner paints and her paintings are in the house, she brings breakfast to your door each morning in a basket and I'm not talking about continental, a very good homemade breakfast with fresh homemade cookies in the evening.
We got back on Saturday, just in time for Jordan's first birthday. It was good, she is still sick so she was not in a very good mood.
Chris is having some anxiety in crowds so he was stressed. I think a lot of the guys have that when they get back from Iraq.
Heres a pic of David on the front porch of the bed and breakfast house.

Monday, January 02, 2006

Holidays and New Year





As you can see we had a very blessed Christmas. Full of family fun.Mason and Gabrielle were not in the picture taking mood. I don't know about Mason but we can hardly ever, get Gabrielle to sit still for a picture. As you can see in the photo of her and Mason she is scooting away just as we set her down and she is trying to get away taking a picture with Granny and the kids. Don't they all look so cute.