Columns

McCheebugar

Would McDonald’s rip off the SNL Greek Diner’s signature sandwich? Yes, AND I think that food junkie and late SNL cast member, John Belushi, would be secretly smiling. Also, Butch Golsan texted to remind me that the Diner had, “No fries … Cheeps”.

First a report on the Cheeseburger Casserole that I cooked last week. It was good, I think the kiddos will like it and I was glad that I halved the onions because saving some for garnish after along with coarse chopped tomatoes and lettuce was good. If you have onion haters to cook for then the thin sliced onions cooked down so that they were almost invisible when everything was done. Toasting the chopped up bacon dripping infused buns on top of the casserole was genius and gave the whole thing an extra crunch. So, I will give it a thumbs up – but try it and let me know what you think at reechjr@yahoo. com (with the title ‘CheeBuggar’) or call 318-540-7500.

Our nation has a long, rich tradition of thanking God for his blessings. We know very little about the first Thanksgiving the Pilgrims celebrated in Plymouth. We do know it took place in 1621 sometime after the autumn harvest. More about this particular day later in this article but let’s look at earlier times in our history where Thanksgiving was practiced.

Rooting For Tree Success

Land-grant universities, including Louisiana State University, are committed to advancing agriculture in America through research and innovative growing and farming methods. Another part of our mission is disseminating research information to the public. I recently had the opportunity to attend a training program focused on urban tree health, an initiative aligned with this mission, and I’m excited to share some of the great techniques we learned.

To ensure tree health in urban settings, we’ve got to start with the roots. One technique we learned about based on successful research is called root shaving. This technique can improve the health and success of the root of newly planted trees. The technique isn’t quite so new but has not been readily adopted by many home gardeners and landscape professionals.

Happy Thanksgiving!

How do we measure ‘enough’? Is it when our savings account is stuffed to overflowing? Is it when we need to buy a bigger house, just to have more closet space for shoes and clothes? Is it when our paychecks double and the cost of living is cut in half?

Everyone has their own idea of what is enough. But if you look around, your ‘enough’ is much different than the person next to you. A homeless person considers a meal in their stomach enough. It is sheer luxury to them to have a real roof over their heads, instead of a tree limb or a cardboard box.

A young couple with a new child feels it is enough if they can just pay the electric bill this month. Last month they weren’t so fortunate. If there ever is any extra, the thought of buying something for themselves is unheard of. Instead, all extras go towards the care of their child.

Taking care of our feathered friends

Gardeners are stewards of all things natural. When we garden and use environmentally friendly practices, we promote biodiversity, conserve resources and minimize harm to the Earth. We also can provide ecosystem services in our gardens.

You may have read this term in my columns before. What does it mean? Ecosystem services are the various benefits that an ecosystem provides to humans as well as the environment and all the living things around us. With some creativity and planning, we can transform our backyards into critical ecosystems that are part of the larger ecosystem where we live here in Louisiana.

With the holidays rapidly approaching, we tend to get excited about spending time with family, the festivities, and all the delicious food. That is, until we think about how much all of that will cost. We cringe and wonder if we can really afford to celebrate the way we want. But we have a better chance of making our money stretch if we have a Holiday Budget in place.

One of the most productive ways to stay within your holiday budget is to go back to the very beginning. This means adding a line item to your normal budget that is labeled ‘Holidays’, or ‘Christmas’. By having that item in place, you will not only allow for that heavy spending season but will feel more comfortable knowing you have the funds to do so.

It may sound like a simple process to set up a Holiday Budget, but you may be surprised to realize just how much you actually spend and what you spend it on.

It was such a pretty Saturday with temps in the 60’s a light breeze from the southwest and a partly cloudy sky. The perfect day to do some Autumn yard chores before the wet cold Winter arrived. I’ve been cutting up the four fallen trees and chopping them into firewood and after several loads I decided to take a break about mid-afternoon on the back patio and hydrate with a frosty adult beverage.

My remaining cat, an adolescent black and white male I call Mr. Tux, came around to visit and while we sat soaking up the warm sunshine I noticed that he’d become very still and had stopped purring. Slowly without turning my head I shifted my eyes to my left and into the edge of the woods behind my house. At first I didn’t notice anything but after a quick movement I made out two deer, a doe and a spike about 20 yards away and right at the forest boundary. Almost majestic and solemn - How quiet they’d been coming up.

The histories of DeSoto Parish and Mansfield are interesting and additional facts are constantly found. An example of this very thing is the surveying of Mansfield and where the names of the streets came from. Of course DeSoto Parish was formed April 1, 1843 when Governor Mouton, Father of Gen. Mouton of the Battle of Mansfield fame, signed Act 88 of the first session of the Sixteenth Legislature of the State of Louisiana. DeSoto was not named to honor the Spanish explorer Ferdinand DeSoto, as many believe. It was named after Marcel DeSoto, who led the first group of European settlers to a settlement known as Bayou Pierre. Marcel was the son-inlaw of Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, founder of Natchitoches. As a review, the first president of the Police Jury was John Wagner who lived west of Grand Cane and south of Screamerville. He was also selected by the Jury to execute deeds during the 1843 – 54 period.

Don’t worry—John and I are still very much in love and married. We’re not going anywhere. But I did fall in love a few weeks ago. And what do I mean, exactly?

Merriam-Webster defines love as “a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties”. This strong affection can come from romantic feelings, admiration, benevolence, or common interests. Synonyms for love include affection, attachment, devotion, fondness, and passion. Even the British use it as informal term of address, as in, “Thank you, love.” Love is also a score of zero in tennis. Honestly, we use the word way too much.

But I think I did fall in love a few weeks ago, as in a strong affection for another arising out of admiration. Exactly eight anothers—ten if you count the dogs.

There will be 4 more constitutional amendments on the Nov. 18th ballot.* Please know that there are often credible, principled reasons to view such measures differently. Below are my respectful recommendations:

CA 1) Yes. It allows for efficiency if the Legislature is already in session and they want to override a governor’s veto instead of requiring the expense of a separate veto session to do so.

CA 2). No. These so-called inactive funds could be used again in the future even if they are under- utilized now. (People could also legitimately vote “For” this if they want to clean up these six inactive funds).

CA 3). Yes. I am always in favor of allowing police, firefighters and other first responders to be afforded an additional property tax exemption given that they are often so underpaid as it is.