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[staceew]

HI! Dad would probably know where those places are that you mentioned in South Dakota & Minnesota. I will have to ask him. I know what you mean.....I am the youngest child, have 3 older brothers & I am the only girl. Man, my brothers would get me to do all kinds of stupid crap just to see if I would do it...& of course I would! LOL!
I'll have to try the turtle soup. It doesn't sound bad.
Oh the last time my husband & I were in New orleans we wanted to take one of the midnight voo doo tours but we didn't get to do it. It sounds like fun! You are right...Mardi Gras is CRAZY! That is when the really crazy stuff happens! I have been to that a few times & it is wild! Just about any time of the year that you go to New Orleans to the french quarter is will be busy & crowded. But never as crowded as Mardi Gras. It's fun but it's definitly a place where you want to be extra careful. Did you get to drink a "Hurricane"? They are the best! I love them! Did you eat any Boudin? I have some in my fridge right now. It is soooo good!

Stacee

[Barrett]

Are the Hurricanes like a dacquari? I think I remember they sold them in many flavors in a corner bar? YUMMY! I don't think I tasted Boudin, what is it? I know how you feel about being the only girl, I have 7 brothers and 1 sister. You know those Minnesota families....BIG! LOL If your Dad has been to Browns Valley, ask him if he has ever been to Ike's Chicken Shack. When I was a kid my parents would drive us from South Dakota into Minnesota just to eat dinner (supper ) there. The resturant had a petting zoo with monkeys, an old time silent movie theater where we could watch Charlie Chaplin and The Little Rascals movies for 10 cents and there was a small arcade to play too. The best thing I remember was an icecream machine where my brothers and I could fill our bowl up like a volcano and eat as much choclate icecream as we could until our tummies hurt and no one ever told us to stop.

[staceew]

The Hurricanes are "kinda sorta" like a daiquri (sp?). It's a red alcoholic drink & originates from New Orleans. They started out at Pat O'briens in New Orleans. They still sell them there. I don't know if they come in different flavors now. I've only ever drank the original red ones. Yummy! :-)
Boudin is kinda hard to describe. It looks kinda like sausage....but it's not. LOL! It's stuffed with meats & rice & seasonings. It is in the shape of sausage. It's stuffed with something similar to dirty rice or cajun rice. You just squeeze it & eat the meats & stuff from the inside. That's the best way I can describe it. I'm sure you are thinking it sounds strange but it's really very good.
I will mention those places to my dad & see if he remembers it. What part of Minnesota is Brown's Valley in? Do you remember what towns are near Browns Valley? A couple of the small towns we visited while we were there last april were Perham, Pelican Rapids, & Fergus Falls. We drove though "Foxhome" Minnesota, which was the tiny town that my dad was born in. I think the sign said the population was 143 or something like that! Very small town!
I'm gonna take a wild guess....were you raised Lutheran or Methodist? I was raised Lutheran....& I noticed that minnesota had mostly Lutheran & Methodist churches when we were there.
I really enjoyed Minnesota. I thought it was very nice & I just loved the accent! Of course everyone there got a kick out of my southern accent too! I never realized how southern I sounded until I got there. I want to go back one winter & see some good snow! We rarely get snow here & if we do get it then it melts by the time it hits the ground! It did snow a little while we were there in april...I was the only one outside playing in it!

[Barrett]

I will have to call my dad and see which towns are near by. We lived in Minnesota when I was 3 years old and only for about a year. My dad retired from the Navy and we stayed with my Grandma while my mom and dad looked for a small farm to buy. Two of my brothers and I were born in the Phillipines and we lived there until we were 3. My dad bought a farm in Sissseton SD and we moved there from my grandma's when my brothers and I turned 5. We were raised Roman Catholic. My dad was raised Lutheren but my Mom was raised Catholic. Again, there is where the big family comes from! LOL
Boy do I remember the snow! My dad had a big snow plow on the farm and he would push the snow into two big piles about 10 feet high each. All of my brothers, sister, and I would hollow out the piles and build snow forts. We would throw snow balls at each other between the forts. We would play out there everyday until my mom would make us come in for some hot soup and cocoa. Once we thawed out a little we would beg to go out and play again. The best times were when my mom and dad would come and play in the forts with us and they were always on the little kids team. My dad could throw a mean snowball and hit my big brothers everytime!

We moved to California when I was 10 because my Dad lost the farm. He got a job working civil service at China Lake Naval Weapons Center. I cried when the first winter came and I learned that we wouldn't get snow. I couldn't imagine Christmas with out it. They took us to the beach for the first time on Christmas day and we threw sand balls and tried to make a sandman. It was fun.

[Barrett]

As for the accent, I loved it when my dad asked us if we wanted toast for breakfast every morning. It sounds like tohhhhst. LOL I love the accent too. I don't have any accent.