Celebration

I’m enjoying the company of my older daughter and her family this week and have so much less time to write. That is not a bad thing, just a comment on the nature of life, I suppose. It is as my mother always said it would be. As we grow older our children become a different kind of joy that adds dimension to the aging process. And grandchildren! Well, that is much more than just a dimension - it is a whole ‘nother world!

This past Sunday we all went to the Catfish Festival in Des Allemands, Louisiana. First, my apologies to the vegetarians. Cajuns eat everything. Fried fish is one of the more “usual” delicacies. Add crawfish and alligator to that list, along with the usual seafood, all cooked up in gumbos, etoufees and court bouillons, and you begin to sense a flavor of the richly seasoned repast.

Cajuns also celebrate everything. Des Allemands (most commonly pronounced “dez zalmonds”) claims to be the Catfish Capital of the Universe. Appropriately, they named a queen and a court of ladies to accompany her in spreading the word and celebrating the event. My granddaughter had her picture taken with the queen with whom we chatted for several minutes and who is not only a beautiful girl, but a very gracious and poised young lady, even after a grueling weekend in the high summer heat.

The tradition of Catfish Queen is a long and proud one, as noted by the photos of past queen’s lining the walls of the church hall. Her duties, apparently, are pre-advertising/campaigning for the weekend of celebration, with requisite photo-ops and local media involvement. This culminates in the weekend event when she is expected to walk around the parade grounds in casual wear - to accommodate the heat - wearing a sequined sash and a crown emblazoned with rhinestones of various colors all intertwined to set off a striking, blue rhinestone catfish to commemorate the impressive BlueCat.

Besides food, and quite a lot of it, this fair had the requisite music, rides and craft booths. And, as we say around here, all things considered, “I passed a good time, sha', me!”