The story of how Mel’s Diner came to be is one of two star-crossed lovers, Jack and Mel.  Mel grew up in Lafayette during the rock-and-roll era.  She had a passion for dancing, and she had several jitterbug trophies to prove it.  Jack was born and raised in the small town of Mansura, Louisiana and served in the US Navy.  He graduated from ULL (then known as SLI) with honors and began working for a local restaurant in 1963.

When the two met, it was love at first sight.  They eloped shortly after they met, and Jack made a promise to Mel that he would one day put her name in lights.  While Jack was climbing the hierarchy of the restaurant business, Mel stayed home with their children and spent her time volunteering for various civic organizations.  Both Jack and Mel valued hard work and dreamed of opening a restaurant of their own.

 

Thus, Mel’s Diner was born.  Mel decorated the restaurant’s walls with her old pictures of 1950s stars–Elvis, Marylin Monroe, Norman Rockwell, and James Dean to name a few.  Their mission was to serve great good with quick excellent customer service.

Mel’s became so popular that a second location was opened.  Today both Mel’s restaurants provide the best service to their customers and serve the same delicious items that they always have.  The diners are open 24 hours a day, so Lafayette residents can have a quick bite any time of day.  Mel’s Diner offers a fun, playful atmosphere and yummy food for everyone to enjoy!

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Originaly posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Success takes time, patience, and hard work.  At times, it may seem so far away that you’ll never be able to achieve it. But you are stronger than you think you are.  Your success is inevitable…assuming you’re working for it.  

You can’t expect success to come to you if you don’t put in the effort.  Ask yourself:  Am I doing everything in my power to ensure my success?  If not, what am I missing?

If you don’t think you’re giving it your all but aren’t sure what it is you’re missing, take a look at these 7 actions that guarantee success in the long term:

1. Have a plan.  How can you reach your goals if you don’t know precisely what they are or how you’re going to reach them?
2. Work when others play.  Be prepared to make sacrifices in order to set yourself apart from the rest.
3. Read everyday.  Expanding your knowledge with new beliefs or ideas will offer new perspectives from which to view and plan out your goals.
4. Have a mentor.  Find someone who has achieved what you wish to achieve, follow their guidance, and learn their secrets.
5. Rise and shine.  Take advantage of an early start in the morning to organize your thoughts prioritize your schedule.
6. Be passionate about your work.  Take pride in what you do and fuel yourself with positive energy.
7. Take massive action.  You alone have the power to move forward, and you alone decide how you’re going to do it.

Are you neglecting one of these areas?  Implementing it just might be what it takes to propel you forward on your journey to success.  Which of these areas do you need to improve on, and when will you start?

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Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

 

Of all the foods we Cajuns love, gumbo has got to be on top of the list.  Here in Acadiana, we take pride in our gumbo and all the different varieties it comes in: chicken and sausage, okra, seafood, Creole, thick or thin, we don’t discriminate!  

There’s a general rule of thumb that if your “gumbo” wasn’t cooked in South Louisiana, it isn’t real gumbo.  REAL gumbo is cooked in a large stock pot (or gumbo pot, as we call them), with dark, thick roux, fresh meat, onions and peppers, and just enough seasoning to entice your taste buds…or perhaps a bit more.  All of this is left to simmer for at least a couple hours, then served over a bed of hot white rice, usually with potato salad, fresh rolls, and crackers for sides.

There’s nothing like a piping hot bowl of good Cajun gumbo on a cold day.  The temperature in Louisiana has indeed begun to fall, and the gumbo is heating up–and so is the competition!  Next Saturday is the first annual Mawsie’s Gumbo Cook-Off, where Acadians will gather in Breaux Bridge to to put their best gumbo recipes to the test.  

If you don’t have a recipe to enter, you can still have fun listening to live music by Horace Trahan, entering in a horseshoe tournament, and of course sampling all that gumbo!

Mawsie’s Gumbo Cook-Off was inspired by Mary Lynn “Mawsie” H. Thibodeaux, who recently passed away after a long battle with lupus.  It was in her final wishes that her family have a party celebrating her life.  This party will take the form of a Gumbo Cook-Off, and all proceeds will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to unraveling the mystery that is lupus.

Join the Thibodeaux family and friends in honor of Mawsie Saturday, November 21 at Parc des Ponts in Breaux Bridge from 9 AM to 3:30 PM, and be sure to arrive hungry!

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Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Choosing to add herbs to your garden is a great way to really get back to nature. Not to mention the fact that when you grow your own you get better quality herbs, save money and have them ready any time you want them.  Buying herbs in the store can be extremely expensive; it’s a lot cheaper to buy the seeds or seedlings and grow them yourself.

There are so many wonderful herbs that you can grow in your garden.  We’re going to give you three great ones to start you out.

Rosemary 

This herb is absolutely awesome, and can be used dried or fresh. Thankfully, you are able to grow it inside a planter and move it indoors if the weather is too cold, and it can stay dry between waterings.  Depending upon your geography, rosemary can live all year round like an annual, coming back year after year!

Sage

Sage, another annual herb in the right geography, grows for an incredibly long time, over five years, and can go up higher than three feet. You can use it in recipes, as a decoration, or even to smudge and cleanse your home. There are so many uses for sage, it’s crazy. However, if you don’t want it go grow to a tall height, you can cut it back regularly and plant it into a container or a potter.

Chives 

Everyone loves chives. The smell, the taste, everything about them is wonderful. The great thing about chives is that you can grow it in a potter or directly into your garden, whichever you like. During the dead of winter (unless you live where there is lot of snow), green stems will grow. Therefore, this is a plant that has a use all year round!

Growing your own herbs is a great way to have organic food, save money, and even just grow them for fun. Pick the ones that you like but don’t forget to experiment and try some new ones.  You never know, you might end up with some new favorites!

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Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

You’ll be ready for winter’s worst and head off expensive repairs when you complete this checklist of 10 essential fall maintenance tasks.

 

1. Stow the mower.

If you’re not familiar with fuel stabilizer, you should be. If your mower sits for months with gas in its tank, the gas will slowly deteriorate, which can damage internal engine parts. Fuel stabilizer ($10 for a 10-ounce bottle) prevents gas from degrading.

Add stabilizer to your gasoline can to keep spare gas in good condition over the winter, and top off your mower tank with stabilized gas before you put it away for the winter. Run the mower for five minutes to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetor.

Another lawn mower care method is to run your mower dry before stowing it. 

1. When the mower is cool, remove the spark plug and pour a capful of engine oil into the spark plug hole. 

2. Pull the starter cord a couple of times to distribute the oil, which keeps pistons lubricated and ensures an easy start come spring.

3. Turn the mower on its side and clean out accumulated grass and gunk from the mower deck.

2. Don’t be a drip.

Remove garden hoses from outdoor faucets. Leaving hoses attached can cause water to back up in the faucets and in the plumbing pipes just inside your exterior walls. If freezing temps hit, that water could freeze, expand, and crack the faucet or pipes. Make this an early fall priority so a sudden cold snap doesn’t sneak up and cause damage.

Turn off any shutoff valves on water supply lines that lead to exterior faucets. That way, you’ll guard against minor leaks that may let water enter the faucet. 

While you’re at it, drain garden hoses and store them in a shed or garage.

3. Put your sprinkler system to sleep.

Time to drain your irrigation system. Even buried irrigation lines can freeze, leading to busted pipes and broken sprinkler heads.

1. Turn off the water to the system at the main valve. 

2. Shut off the automatic controller.

3. Open drain valves to remove water from the system.

4. Remove any above-ground sprinkler heads and shake the water out of them, then replace.

If you don’t have drain valves, then hire an irrigation pro to blow out the systems pipes with compressed air. A pro is worth the $75 to $150 charge to make sure the job is done right, and to ensure you don’t have busted pipes and sprinkler head repairs to make in the spring.

4. Seal the deal.

Grab a couple of tubes of color-matched exterior caulk ($5 for a 12-ounce tube) and make a journey around  your home’s exterior, sealing up cracks between trim and siding, around window and door frames, and where pipes and wires enter your house. Preventing moisture from getting inside your walls is one of the least expensive — and most important — of your fall maintenance jobs. You’ll also seal air leaks that waste energy.

Pick a nice day when temps are above 50 degrees so caulk flows easily.

5. De-gunk your gutters.

Clogged rain gutters can cause ice dams, which can lead to expensive repairs. After the leaves have fallen, clean your gutters to remove leaves, twigs, and gunk. Make sure gutters aren’t sagging and trapping water; tighten gutter hangers and downspout brackets. Replace any worn or damaged gutters and downspouts.

If you find colored grit from asphalt roof shingles in your gutters, beware. That sand-like grit helps protect shingles from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun. Look closely for other signs of roof damage (#5, below); it may be time for a roofing replacement. 

Your downspouts should extend at least 5 feet away from your house to prevent foundation problems. If they don’t, add downspout extensions; $10 to $20 each.

6. Eyeball your roof.

If you have a steep roof or a multistory house, stay safe and use binoculars to inspect your roof from the ground.

Look for warning signs: Shingles that are buckled, cracked, or missing; rust spots on flashing. Any loose, damaged, or missing shingles should be replaced immediately. 

Black algae stains are just cosmetic, but masses of moss and lichen could signal roofing that’s decayed underneath. Call in a pro roofer for a $50 to $100 eval.

A plumbing vent stack usually is flashed with a rubber collar — called a boot — that may crack or loosen over time. They’ll wear out before your roof does, so make sure they’re in good shape. A pro roofer will charge $75 to $150 to replace a boot, depending on how steep your roof is.

7. Direct your drainage.

Take a close look at the soil around your foundation and make sure it slopes away from your house at least 6 vertical inches over 10 feet. That way, you’ll keep water from soaking the soils around your foundation, which could lead to cracks and leaks.

Be sure soil doesn’t touch your siding.

8. Get your furnace in tune.

Schedule an appointment with a heating and cooling pro to get your heating system checked and tuned up for the coming heating season. You’ll pay $50 to $100 for a checkup.

An annual maintenance contract ensures you’re at the top of the list for checks and shaves 20% off the cost of a single visit.

Change your furnace filters, too. This is a job you should do every two months anyway, but if you haven’t, now’s the time. If your HVAC includes a built-in humidifier, make sure the contractor replaces that filter. 

9. Prune plants.

Late fall is the best time to prune plants and trees — when the summer growth cycle is over. Your goal is to keep limbs and branches at least 3 feet from your house so moisture won’t drip onto roofing and siding, and to prevent damage to your house exterior during high winds.

For advice on pruning specific plants in your region, check with your state extension service.

10. Give your fireplace a once-over.

To make sure your fireplace is safe, grab a flashlight and look up inside your fireplace flue to make sure the damper opens and closes properly. Open the damper and look up into the flue to make sure it’s free of birds’ nests, branches and leaves, or other obstructions. You should see daylight at the top of the chimney.

Check the firebox for cracked or missing bricks and mortar. If you spot any damage, order a professional fireplace and chimney inspection. An inspection costs $79 to $500.

You fireplace flue should be cleaned of creosote buildup every other year. A professional chimney sweep will charge $150 to $250 for the service.