Get Your Crawfish On!

 Dear Cher,
That is repetitious, but pretend I am Cajun for a moment. If you live in the Washington, DC, area, and want to get your crawdaddy on, head on over to Evening Star Cafe, on Mt. Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray part of Alexandria, VA.
Dey got yo crawfish, yo boiled taters, yo boiled corn and sausage... And you will leave with spicy lips on fire!
Whether you call 'em crawdads, mudbugs, or crawfish, go get you some. For only $14, enjoy a whole pound of finger-lickin' good bugs. Pull they heads off, and suck away. Squeeze they tails, and make some magic. Mmm, mmm. You will need plenty plenty napkins and water to wash down the fiery goodness.

Your Imaginary Cajun,
Patsie

Do You Know What It Means , To Miss New Orleans?

Dear Imaginary Friends,

I am visiting my home town of New Orleans! Happily, I have been eating my way through town. SO far, I have busted my diet by eating:

Crab Ravigote
Crawfish Etoufee'
Shrimp Po Boy
Crab Fingers
Stuffed Crab
Wedding Cake
Spumoni
Snowballs
Shrimp and Mushrooms
Chicken salad
Salsa containging mango, avocado and shrimp
Salad
Red wine
Manhattan
Martini
Pina Colada daiquiri
Champagne punch


Tomorrow, there are new frontiers to tackle, including turtle soup and shrimp remoulade. Hey, and what about gumbo and a Cosmo? And what about a mint julep?
So many great tastes here and plenty of iced tea to wash them down with.

I am in heaven. And did I mention that I have only been here for 24 hours so far?

Your Imaginary Diner,
Patsie

Rehoboth Boardwalk

Ay, carumba!

Patsie and the fam take Parker to the Rehoboth, Delaware, boardwalk. 

Rehoboth is the beach town adjacent to Lewes, but it is directly on the Atlantic Ocean, with more people, more restaurants, and a lively boardwalk, pulsing with saltwater taffy vendors, greasy pizza, and ice cream stands.As you can tell by his expression, Parker is unsure how he feels about the teeming humanity streaming past him on the boardwalk. Dunes and sand, sure, but what about all these people playing Whack-A-Mole at Funland? Are they nuts, or what?

Amusement parks are a mixed bag, but I personally love playing Whack-A-Mole. It reminds me of my pesky cruitters around my home. And a great way to end that problem.

We have squirrels who love nothing better than to eat the jalapeno/habanero pepper-laced safflower seeds that we left out for our friendly cardinals. The squirrels were last seen sitting in the bird feeder, enjoying the peppery dinner, full throttle.

Must be Cajun squirrels.

I give up.

Your Imaginary Friend,

Patsie

Happy Mardi Gras, Y'all!

Dear Imaginary Cajuns,

Hey, today was the official day to partay hearty! Especially if you were "down in New Orleans, where the blues were born, it takes a cool cat, to blow a horn! Mardi Gras Mambo, Mambo, Mambo...."

I sure wish I had spent the day in New Orleans sipping on a frosty mint julep, bedecked with beads, rather than sitting around laboring over my landscapes and washing paint brushes. But what can you do? Tuesday is painting day in Washington. For me, anyway.

It was also entry day at The Art League in Alexandria, on the main floor of the Torpedo Factory, and guess who had their Mardi Gras themed painting accepted into the show?
Moi, of course, cher! The painting is based on an old photo taken when I was just a tiny tadpole, wearing a Pirette costume (French clown). My sister Susan is shown sitting on a ladder, waiting for the parade to pass by and throw us something, mister.

Beads, doubloons, we don't care~! When I was a little girl, I just loved the parades, the costumes, the colors, the craziness. The marching band played heavy beats that resounded in your tiny chest. You had to sit on your daddy's shoulders in order to see, or on a specially constructed ladder, like the one Susan is on. Too bad I was not good at catching, because up there, there is no leaning over to catch those beads.

Flambeaux carriers predated the lit floats. Before electricity was widely used, young black gentlemen would dance down the streets carrying the lit torches, at no slight danger to their safety. I think the torches were ignited rags with kerosene. Back then,  necklaces were made with glass beads. When they were thrown to you, you had best catch them. Bend over to pick up a doubloon, and your hand would most likely be stepped on by someone who wanted it more.

Living dangerously, New Orleans style! Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Your Imaginary Friend,

Patsie

Bayou Bakery, 1515 N. Courthouse Road, Arlington, VA

Dear Imaginary Friends,

If you are stuck in the icy depths of the Washington, DC, area, and need a little spot of Nawlins sunshine, come on down to the Bayou Bakery. It has very tasty gumbo, muffalettas, pralines, beignets, cafe au lait, and the whole durn Creole/Cajun shebang.

"Cherry Pie," Oil, 8 x 10"

The decor is cute, with a see ya later, gator sign, and old painted shutters in various pastels. The prices are so low, you would swear they were paying you to eat there! OH, my. What a deal. A taste of the Big Easy, it is a casual establishment, where one orders at the counter.  The Bayou Bakery has an old school charm.

It is the next best thing to flying to New Orleans.

See ya there, cher!
Love,

Your Imaginary Friend,

Cajun Patsie