Cajun Corner - Vol. 5, No. 6

Cajun Corner – Vol. 5, No. 6 – February 16, 2013

 

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

 

ΘΘΘΘΘ

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Mardi Gras is over and I’ve given up alcohol for Lent.  There is a good reason for that but to understand you would have had to be with us last Sunday for the parade.   Sitting high on top of our float with an incredible view of the island was simply breathtaking.  I could see the Gulf of Mexico, the beautiful white sands of our beach, and the sound side of the island.  Our sandcastle float sparkled with fleur de lis everywhere.  I was drenched, head to toe, with twinkling, sparkling bling that my friends and Royal Court had bestowed on me.  Topping if off was the gold and rhinestoned fleur de lis crown on my head.  We “lined up” around 11 a.m.  The parade didn’t begin to roll until 2 p.m.  Initially, the time is spent hanging our beads and setting up our throws.  Usually we walk up and down the sidewalk socializing with people from other floats.  One of our wonderful krewe members always provides lunch at the float and the alcohol flows freely.  This year I was on top of the float and had no intention of risking life and limb climbing up and down, so I stayed in my wonderful, sparkling perch with my king.  It wouldn’t seem like a problem but all I had to drink up there was champagne.  Oh, yes, and I didn’t eat breakfast.  Oops.  My sweet King John was quite the gentleman throughout the parade.  Or, to hear King John explain, “George kept looking up and saying ‘she’s drunk, you better take care of her.’”  We waved and wished everyone a happy Mardi Gras.  On or about 2 p.m. the parade began and the float started moving forward.  The roar of the crowd was deafening but glorious.  We threw our beads and throws to the excited crowd.  The next thing I recall was getting off of the float and the deputy rushing us off so the floats could keep moving.  Several of the krewe members congregated near the beach pavilion.  Some remained on the float until its final destination.  Overcome with alcohol and the shear intensity of emotions, I broke down and cried from joy.  We walked to the pavilion where the music was blaring and everyone was dancing, sitting or socializing.  George sat me down on one of the benches.  I do recall sliding off the bench and sitting on the ground.  A friend lifted me back onto the bench.  Then it was time for our krewe to dance.  I did dance.  Sadly, I do not recall dancing except for the point where we go into the audience and pick someone from the crowd to bring onstage to dance with us.  I recall grabbing a friend and telling her, “You are going to have to hold me up.”  The awards were given out and we all began to disperse. 

George drove a car load of partiers back to our krewe den.  Upon arrival he asked me where my purse was.  I lost my purse.  We drove back to the pavilion and I retraced my steps but we did not find my purse.  What really irritated me was that I did not remember what I did with my purse.  We came home and filed a report with the sheriff’s department.  I held no hope of finding that purse.  I called my friends but no one remembered my purse.  The following morning George and I went back to the beach to retrace my steps, again.  Still no purse.  I finally bit the bullet and cancelled my credit cards, although there had not been any activity on them.  I figured whoever had my purse threw away the credit cards and was spending the cash.  One of my good Catholic friends emailed me that she prayed to St. Anthony to find my purse.  Within the hour the Sheriff’s Department called that they found my purse and were holding it for me at the beach station.  We jumped into the car and drove out there.  Not only did my purse still contain my credit cards, drivers’ license, cell phone, etc., but all of the cash was still there.  We were both so grateful.  On the way home I checked my cell phone.  I knew George had called the number several times hoping we would hear it ring in a garbage can or something.  As I began listening to the voice mail messages, there was a message, “you left your purse at the pavilion.  We have it and are at the Sandshaker.”  Then, “We left the Sandshaker and are going to our hotel room at the Hilton.”  Then, “We have to go home to Perdido.  We have left your purse at the sheriff’s sub-station.”  When I got home, this gentleman had even emailed me.  Of course, I replied that I now had my purse and thanked him and offered free embroidery.  As this week has progressed, I found out that my knight in shining armor was the king of the Krewe of Seville and that I had been partying with him.  In fact, I’ve now seen a photograph of him and me at the pavilion.  I don’t remember meeting him but apparently I was having a really royal time.

Therefore, I have given up alcohol for Lent.

This has been the fastest Mardi Gras season that I’ve ever attended.  I was able to attend all of the Krewe of Wrecks festivities except the Pub Crawl this past Tuesday night.  I’m sure my mother could have partied a lot longer and harder than I did, but I’m tired.  It was like being a princess in a fairytale and I will treasure all of the memories until I go senile.  Suffice it to say being queen is a real good thing.

Having fun is great but there is a season for all things and the embroidery was calling me.  Tuesday there was a rush order for shirts and hats that had to be completed and in the hands of the customer in Orlando by Friday.  Yes, we made the deadline and the customers seem pleased.

The power board had arrived for poor Boudreaux but the tech couldn’t get here until Thursday.  All in all several things had to be replaced on Boudreaux but our new tech got it all done and Boudreaux is now purring like a kitten.  Yep, now we have to get back to work to recoup those service calls and cost of parts.  Repairing a commercial embroidery machine is not cheap.

The embroidery on the antique bedcover was finished on Friday.  It turned out beautiful.  That project took a lot of time but I remember when I first looked at it, my thoughts were that I don’t think I can do this.  We copied and digitized the antique design and stitched it out on the same bedcover near the original embroidery.  It was all white on white.  The hardest part turned out to be matching the thread color.  Then we created a monogram for the bedcover.  My sweet customer thinks she can make the thread colors match with some special laundering.  I hope she can because my opinion is that bedcover is a work of art.

In the meantime, George is working next door on a ball cap order.  It is so good to have Boudreaux back in business.

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Thank you to Paulette Provost for the following:

LOST CHURCHES OF LOUISIANA

When hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, even houses of worship were not spared. A local television station interviewed a woman from New Orleans and asked how the loss of churches in the area had affected their lives. Without hesitation, the woman replied, "I don't know about all those other people, but we ain't gone to Church's in years. We gets our chicken from Popeye's."

Thank you to Harold Wilkes for the following:

Crawfish Prayer

Bless us, Oh Lord, and these crawfish which we are about to enjoy.

Bless those who caught them, those who prepared them,

And give crawfish to those who have none.

We thank you, Oh God, for this wonderful world

And for all that You have put on it.

And we give special thanks, Oh God,

For having put the Cajuns and the crawfish

Down in the same place.

 

Amen

C’est tout, mes Amis

Peggy Henshall

Cajun Stitchery

(850) 261-2462

cajunstitchery@yahoo.com

P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.