Cut Off + New Orleans, Louisiana

Within moments our world can change. Just as we welcomed a new generation on my side of the family, Husband bid farewell to an era on his side of the family.  His grandfather passed away, and amidst the sadness of his passing, there was a joy in celebrating him "coming home" to heaven.

We bid him farewell from this life and traveled to Cajun country down in the bayous of Louisiana, where there French-Acadian language is still spoken, and everyone you meet is your family.  The culture is moving, the food is spicy,  and the bayous echo the memories of my husband's childhood.

Even though our travels brought us here with sorrow, we had a wonderful time with family.  There is always lots of laughs, and this trip brought some light into who my husband is and the culture he was raised in.



We enjoyed lots of good seafood during our visit. There aren't many commercial franchise restaurants around besides general fast food, so the best home cooking is found in little hole-in-the-wall places.  Thus explaining my husbands love for random places that serve food.

   

Bayou waters

Family time....

    

The day after Husband's grandfather's funeral we had a family friend host a crab boil on his back porch. Random strangers came by to pick up their orders of crabs and were invited to join us.  In Cajun country everyone sits around and shoots the breeze, also known as "makin' the veh yay." 

  

Louisiana crabs are SO MUCH HARDER TO EAT than the crabs I had in Baltimore.  Good, but so much work. 

One of the things that cracked me up was the thick Cajun accent of the couple who hosted the crab boil for us.  They were so adorable, and I could literally listen to them talk for days! 

The next afternoon we headed up to New Orleans for a little site seeing. Well, mainly just to get beignets at Cafe Du Monde.  

  

  

Laura's Candies. Hey, that's me! 

That evening we drove back to Cut Off to ring in the 4th of July with the family.  We drove home the next day with our hearts a little bit fuller.  Even though saying goodbye is so hard, I was so thankful to get to experience more of the culture that Husband was brought up in.