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One Life Lived, Many Lives Changed
On May 4, 2020 the world stopped turning for us when my Mother passed away. The past few months have been some of the most difficult and most enlightening as we begin to understand what life without her looks like. We were so fortunate to have our honorary brother, Dr. Andrew Jolivette, to step in to take care of us and write a beautiful tribute to my Mom. We literally could not have put the words together to explain her incredible life the way he did. Here are his words: Mrs. Colson, age 75, a native of Natchitoches and resident of Opelousas, passed away on Monday, May 4, 2020 at…
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I have a therapist…and why you need one too
I’ve gone to therapy off and on for about twenty years. First, that makes me feel old as hell to say that. Second, that’s the only part of that statement I feel blah about. I have a therapist who is the bees knees do you hear me? The bees freaking knees. We are wildly inappropriate and we laugh and talk and she gives me “the face”. I have cried, celebrated, been pissed off and 47 other emotions in her office. And I love her with all the heart eyeballs emojis in the world. I do NOT hide that I go to therapy, I yell proudly that I go…
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Authentic Creole Surname Shirts…All the Craze!
After way more ideas that went in the trash than I care to remember, I finally came up with a simple design that says so very much. The Authentic Creole Surname shirts were a huge hit this holiday season and the names are still rolling in! Every name listed below was requested by a fan so if you don’t see your name make sure to get your request in HERE! Even if you see your last name and the spelling is different you can still request it! All Authentic Creole shirts are available on Amazon for $17.99 for a limited time! Take advantage of your Amazon Prime membership and…
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The Filé Man
John Oswald Colson has been making filé most of his life. His mother and the generations before her all provided the Cane River community with fresh filé, red pepper and other seasonings. His process of making filé is now considered a folk art and the special flavor that seems so rich to his filé is the story in the hands that create it. He is known by many names and has lived a colorful life to say the least. He is full of stories of Cane River, the traditions, stories but most importantly the people. Born in 1937, John lived on Cane River until, like so many others in…
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Ravard vs Ravare and Metoyer Connections
This will be the first in a series written by Janet Ravare Colson, retired director of the Creole Heritage Center. This series will focus on looking back at some of the over thirty years (30 years!) of projects she has worked on and how much of that information is still relevant or how it has changed as technology has changed. Ravard vs Ravare AND their Metoyer connection in France Janet Ravare Colson My family name is Ravare (or is it Ravard?). I am married to a Metoyer descendant. So the connection in France that I found was very interesting. Back to the Ravare vs Ravard controversy. To this…
