The Spring Issue by Rushing Media

FREE APRIL 2021 | VOL. 15 • ISSUE 4 | POVHOUMA.COM

CONTENTS |

APRIL 2021 • VOLUME 15 • ISSUE 4

CONT HOME + LIVING

Page 12

12 CHATEAU CHIC Home Oasis

FOOD + FUN

Page 22

22 SWEETER THAN HONEY The Johnston family goes all-in with their hobby turned business.

18 THE OBSERVER Just Say Yes

MIND + BODY

Page 30

30 HAVEN FLOWER FARM

Reesa and TerriLynn Gravois-Arabie share their love of flowers with their unique farm.

36 WE SUPPORT A HEALTHIER FUTURE

Renew and Reset: Self-Care Goals This Spring

April 2021 2 povhouma.com

ENTS EXTRAS

ON THE COVER

WORD, YA HEARD

RUEFUL [ roo-fuhl ] adjective feeling, showing, or expressing sorrow, repentance, or regret.

WORD ON THE STREET We’ll soon be rueful that we wished away the cold front. The children looked at their teacher with a rueful grin after being caught playing tricks on her.

06 EDITOR’S NOTE

The family behind Averie’s Apiary pauses for a moment to let us capture their smiles.

08 INTERVUE

Photo: Channing Candies

The Spring Issue

Say What?

37 FAST FACTS

Things you probably didn’t know.

38 UNDER THE SCOPE Mars Rocks (and Rollers)

40 RENDEZVOUS

Where you need to be around town

42 LOOK TWICE

Sponsored by Synergy Bank

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VISIT US ONLINE: povhouma.com

Are you more likely to get pranked or be the prankster on April Fool’s Day?

Prankster

PUBLISHER

Brian Rushing EDITORIAL

Mary Downer Ditch EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Drew Miller ASSOCIATE EDITOR Prankster

ADVERTISING

Beth Tabor MARKETING CONSULTANT

CREATIVE

Lauren Pontiff GRAPHIC DESIGNER PHOTOGRAPHY

Misty Leigh McElroy Channing Candies VIDEOGRAPHY

Keely Diebold

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Prankster

Michelle Ortego SUBSCRIPTIONS

Point of Vue magazine is published monthly. Subscriptions are available for $36 for 12 issues. For more information, email mail@rushing-media.com or visit rushing-media.com/subscriptions.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jaime Dishman John Doucet Bonnie Rushing Keely Diebold CONTACT

Publisher: publisher@rushing-media.com Editorial: mary@rushing-media.com Creative: graphics@rushing-media.com Sales: sales@rushing-media.com

8167 Redfish St. Chauvin, LA 70344

(985) 637-0896 (985) 594-2067

Business address: Rushing Media, P.O. Box 5013, Houma, LA 70361 • 985.868.7515 Point of Vue magazine cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited material such as manuscripts or photographs, with or without the inclusion of a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. The opinions expressed in Point of Vue magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Rushing Media, our employees or any of our advertisers. No employee or family member(s) of employees of Rushing Media are permitted to partake in any contests, giveaways or sweepstakes.

HAPPY

Easter

April 2021 4 povhouma.com

EDITOR’S NOTE |

MARY DOWNER DITCH • EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF POV

THE SPRING ISSUE It feels like a lifetime ago that Brian and Bonnie Rushing launched Point of Vue magazine. With a crazy creative team and some wild dreams, they created the wonder you are holding in your hands now. With April 2007 being the first issue of PoV, we are officially 14 years old this month. It’s amazing to look back at all the changes and see how much we’ve grown. In the world of “niche publications”, reaching your teen years is a major accomplishment. Even more so for us, being a free publication published by a small, family owned business in a relatively small community. We are extremely grateful for the support of our advertisers and our readers over the years. We owe our success to you. I joined the Rushing Media family in July 2007 as a sales person. While my job title and positions within the company have varied throughout the years, one thing has never changed: my passion for what this publication brings to the community. In my heart, I believe our community deserves a publication like this one. A creative space to learn about the amazing things those around us are doing. It’s such an honor each month to share the stories of the people and businesses that make the Terrebonne-Lafourche area so unique and strong. Each month as we do our final edit and read-through, I am always awestruck by the final product. From the story subjects themselves, to our gifted writers that bring their stories to life, to the graphics team that ties it all together on the pages you see, it all comes together to create an amazing publication that you can’t find anywhere else.

Our April edition is “The Spring Issue” and it is bursting with all the joys that spring brings. As new life springs forth from the newly warmed ground, beautiful blooms open to face the sun. And where there are flowers, you will find nature’s busiest buzzer, the bee. One is as equally dependent on the other for success. In this issue, we happily bring you local tales of the flowers and the bees. Averie’s Apiary is the hobby turned local business of Alicia and William Johnston. With a love of beekeeping, the duo have become a popular local retailer of honey and a variety of beeswax-based products such as soaps and lip balms. With help from their daughters, the Johnstons hope to continue to bring a love and appreciation for bees, honey and beekeeping to our community. See what the buzz is about starting on page 22. Farmer-florists Reese and TeriLynn Gravios-Arabie have taken empty land on their property in Lockport and turned it into a stunning flower farm. Haven Flower Farm blooms with passion and dedication as the duo dig into fine-tuning their particular talents on the farm. Learn more about the flower farm starting on page 30. As we leap with both feet into our 15th year, I am so proud of what we have accomplished. Every day I am humbled by the blessing of being able to do what I do each and every day. Just as the flowers and the bees need one another, PoV also needs you, our reader. Help us continue to lift one another up, by supporting the local businesses that advertise in our publication and by sharing the good stories of our neighbors. POV

April 2021 6 povhouma.com

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INTERVUE |

SAY WHAT?

What would you do with an extra hour each day?

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BROOKE If I had an extra hour in my day, I would spend it with my family without any distractions such as TV, cell phones, homework or extracurriculars. Like many others, the pandemic has made me realize how important and sacred family time is and how much we take for granted. It’s so refreshing to just unplug from life and have simple conversations with the people that mean the most to you.

BRANDON I doubt I would even notice the extra hour especially how busy life is but I would pray for this country and spend quality time with the family.

DANIELLE As a chronic workaholic, I’m going to have to go with, What is SLEEP? Most certainly no doubt about it. I would fill that hour with more z’s than it would know possible. Yep. That’s my final answer. Sleep.

GLYNN This question was harder to answer than expected. My life is non stop! I’m always involved in some random venture often wishing I had more time. An extra hour in the day would be great to use to take a mental break and have a few moments of doing nothing, unplugged from the world and just enjoy the peace.

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COURTNEY With an extra hour a day I would love to spend that extra time with my kids! Just having fun & playing outside!!

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HOME + LIVING

CHATEAU CHIC | 12 Home Oasis

THE OBSERVER | 18 Just Say Yes

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WE CARRY EACH OTHER It’s how we do things in Louisiana during times of challenge. We’re stronger together and we know our strength lies in the helping hands of our neighbors. So let’s wear a mask and 01MK7496 R3/21

protect one another. And protect the life we love.

BUILT TO COMMAND

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HOME + LIVING |

CHATEAU CHIC

HOME OASIS

BY BONNIE RUSHING | PHOTOS BY MISTY LEIGH MCELROY

Pouring their slab just days before the world shut down due to Covid-19, Paul and Lora Ledet’s home is as unique as their building experience. As the second generation owner of Chris Ledet Homes, Paul has been building homes in the area for a decade, but this build was anything but typical. “My subs needed to keep working. They were afraid, just like everyone else. So I said, ‘we’re going to buckle down here.’” In conjunction with 50 consecutive days without rain, they were able to complete the build in just five months. “It’s unheard of, but we all worked hard and late hours, sometimes they were still here at 7 p.m. We really got to know each other and become friends. I think during that time, we all needed it,” Paul recalls. As a school teacher, Lora wasn’t working at the time due to school closures. She remembers, “We’d pack an ice chest for dinner every night and we’d come here and sit on our unfinished back porch and the kids would play in the gravel and dirt. And the girls got to watch their dad build their house. I have

fond memories of it.” With the help of Anna and Will Soniat at Soniat Architecture, the Ledets were able to achieve their goal of a Modern Acadian home. Simple furnishings and sporadic pops of color throughout keep the space light and airy. Centered around a turf courtyard, the 1,850 square foot living home features 1,500 square feet of porches as well as a separate 350 square foot office allowing Paul to work from home. “My dad worked from a home office and I remember him being there. He was there to eat breakfast with us, and when we got home from school. That stayed with me, and I wanted the same thing for my kids,” Paul explains. “Having meetings at night with clients is also easy, it’s just a walk away.” Connected by a breezeway, the office is a separate space, but all under one roof and opening to the central courtyard. “ The concept was to have a shielded courtyard that’s its own oasis with

April 2021 12 povhouma.com

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a brewery vibe,” Paul says with a smile. Another unique feature is a custom bed in their daughters’ room. A custom bunk bed with entrances from opposite sides is built into the house in the center of the room. “My heart is in Anna and Julia’s room. It’s something they can grow with. With the bed being in the center of the room, it’s like they are sharing a room, but not really. It creates a versatile space that can be closed in to create two separate rooms in the future.” Clean, custom white oak cabinetry by KrisBuilt out of Baton Rouge is the center of attention in the main part of the home. Topped with two centimeter white quartz throughout the kitchen and bathrooms, the architecture of the home remains the focal point. In the kitchen, a connected island and dining table with a grain matched

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“Everyday is a hustle and bustle,” smiles Paul. “It’s nice to come home to something so clean. It helps to clear my mind.” POV

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THE OBSERVER |

BY JAIME DISHMAN

JUST SAY

YES

The Best Choice

IN SHORT TERM

Have you watched “Yes Day?”

REHAB

The recently released Netflix movie is based on the premise of a mom and dad who say “yes” to their kids for 24 hours. The parents feel guilt over all the typical answers of “no” and decide to spend a 24-hour period of time simply saying yes. Well, it’s a movie. And are things really ever simple in a movie? No. Because then no one would watch. But let me say it’s a hilarious hour and a half of all the things that could happen when you tell your kids yes for a 24-hour period.

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Its hilarity masks a truth, though. Don’t we all feel some guilt over the avalanche of nos? And the absence of yeses? Before we had kids, I still remember a parent talking at a conference we attended, and she said “say more yeses.” No one called me mom, but there I was thinking “Ok. I’ll file that in my ‘things I really want to do as a mom’ box.” Fast forward 16 years (because our oldest turned 16 last month and I felt all the things about that). The desire to say yes more is still there. But sometimes, it’s so hard. Right? And it’s not that I want to say yes to all the things they ask for. It’s that I want to say yes to all the time they ask for. Sometimes it’s the simple things. My youngest walked in the room before bedtime and asked if I could do double french braids for her before school in the morning. Yes. But can I be honest? My first thought was “that takes 10 extra minutes and mornings are already a struggle.” I wanted to say no. But double braids it was the following day. Mom, can you walk with me around the neighborhood? Yes. But my head says “but I wanted to do just one more load on laundry.” But the yes keeps us fueled with memories, stops to remind of us the love we have and breaks the monotony of a life lived with a to-do list with no deviation. It’s a yes to noticing them. It’s a yes to hearing their stories and stepping into their world. It’s a yes to letting them feel loved. So simple, but sometimes so hard. We have a fairly long road into our neighborhood. The road is what

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my kids consider their “practice ground” for driving. As we pulled into the neighborhood, they used to crawl on my lap and steer the car. Now that they’re older, we swap seats, and they “drive” us home. But so many days, I give a quick no. “Mom, it’s my turn to drive in the neighborhood today. Can I?” “No, we need to get home so that we can hurry up and leave again.” It’s the typical response. I don’t want to take a few extra minutes. But a yes would be so easy and not even be that much more time. So why does the no fly out of my mouth instead of a yes? “Mom, can we stop by the animal shelter and see the kittens?” My girls asked this question repeatedly two summers ago. My ‘no’ grew wearisome to them so they convinced the babysitter to take them. Why couldn’t I have simply said yes? These days are gone before we know it, and we will wish we said more yeses and spent just a little more time. My to-do list often takes precedence over my to-love list. We love our people by giving them our time and a whole lot of our heart. What if we said yes as quick as we said no? Spontaneous fun would erupt into memories that we will laugh about for years. So here’s to more yeses and less nos. More time spent together and less stress of endless lists. More yes and less no. I’m pretty sure your loved ones will approve. POV

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FOOD + FUN

SWEETER THAN HONEY | 22

The Johnston family goes all-in with their hobby turned business.

April 2021 20 povhouma.com

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BY KEELY DIEBOLD | PHOTOS BY CHANNING CANDIES When Alicia and William Johnston decided to take up beekeeping as a hobby five years ago, the husband and wife duo could hardly have predicted that their venture would turn into both a beloved local business and a chance to connect with the community around them. “It’s been a very humbling experience. We just can’t believe how quickly it grew. I mean, it was just kind of like a little side hobby,” Alicia says. Named after one of the couple’s three daughters, Averie’s Apiary has become a retailer of both raw, unfiltered honey, in addition to a unique variety of beeswax-based soaps, lip balms, beard balms, food wraps and more. Its products are sold on the company’s website, as well as through local businesses in Houma, Thibodaux and Raceland like Deep South Oil and Vinegar, 4L Mercantile, Sprinkles N Spice, C’est Bon Cafe, Three Stitches and Handbrushed Charm from Amber. Though Averie’s Apiary was founded in 2016, the Johnstons’ appreciation for honey and its health benefits date back to 2009, when the Schriever natives moved back home to Louisiana from North Carolina following William’s service in the Marine Corps. After the move, William began to suffer from bad allergy problems that required prescription allergy medication and the use of an inhaler. His mom, he says, convinced him to buy a jar of honey and consume one teaspoon a day as a remedy. Within two to three months, William was free of his allergies. “We started buying honey and eating honey religiously,” William says. “At the time, [Alicia] had started her Ellie Aubrie Boutique, and we had some free time and started tossing some ideas around, and I didn’t really have a hobby, so I pitched the idea one day of…getting some bees and seeing if we liked it, and we did.” Alicia says the Johnstons began by giving jars of honey to friends and family, but once they became “obsessed” with the process, they decided to turn it into a business. William says that Averie’s Apiary operates without much of a business plan, instead developing its products based on requests from the community. The couple ultimately researches how to make a requested product and develops it using the cleanest, most local materials possible. Of the variety of products the Johnstons have created at the request of customers, their favorites are a high-demand hot honey and jalapeño honey that they produce on a limited basis. “We love to get pictures of what [customers] figured out to put it on, anywhere from ice cream to tossing their wings in it, and that’s been

April 2021 23 povhouma.com

probably the biggest hit, and if we could make enough honey to just make those two, we would probably be set with just those,” Alicia says. Developing products based on customer requests is just the beginning of Averie’s Apiary’s push for community involvement, though. For a start, the couple provided members of the community with free boxes and painting supplies to allow them to decorate what would ultimately house the hives used to produce Averie’s Apiary’s products. The couple hopes

that their business will offer education that helps people to become less afraid of bees and more aware of the valuable impact that they have on the environment. “We know everybody isn’t crazy about bees. Not everybody wants bees, and people are scared of them, so we just really love being able to introduce people to that…and just how important bees are for food and for nature and all those good things,” Alicia says. Given their firsthand experience with the health benefits of honey, the Johnstons are also committed to ensuring that their honey remains untreated and free from chemicals.

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William says that their goal is to provide the most natural products by the least-invasive means possible. “We just like to keep those chemicals out of there…We don’t believe that we need to add different chemicals and things to that honey that we’re going to eat and ingest…Those types of things are important to us and family and to get that out to the community,” Alicia says. “The biggest thing for me is because my kids eat it, so I can give my kid a product that I know hasn’t been treated with oxalic acid, hasn’t been treated for all these harsh treatments for mites and hive beetles and everything else,”

Let us put all your eggs in one basket!

William says. Averie’s Apiary hosts two sets of beehives on Alicia’s parents’ property, as well as 21 hives on William’s parents’ property. The Johnstons produce all of their products from their home, Alicia says. Once they extract honey from the beehives, they spin it through a centrifuge and run it through a sieve to remove chunks of wax and pollen out before bottling it for retail. The duo behind Averie’s Apiary is grateful for the growing support they’ve received from both the

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“We know everybody isn’t crazy about bees. Not everybody wants bees, and people are scared of them, so we just really love being able to introduce people to that…”

April 2021 26 povhouma.com

community and local businesses since its inception in 2016, as well as for the opportunity to offer their support in return. Just last year at Southdown Marketplace, Alicia says, the couple brought 48 jars of honey and sold out by 10:00 in the morning. “It’s just awesome to be able to be in the community, be at these local stores, see the community fall in love with honey and beekeeping,” Alicia says. The Johnstons also welcome the opportunity to have their three small daughters as involved with Averie’s Apiary as possible. William says the girls help with behind-the-scenes work like painting boxes and packing products for retail, but Alicia says that they aren’t fond of beekeeping yet.

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“They’re not into the beekeeping just yet,” Alicia laughs. “We have some suits on order for them, so hopefully…we’ll try to get them to fall in love with it like we have.”

Spruce Up

As Averie’s Apiary continues to grow and welcome new ideas, their mission of helping the community to develop a better appreciation for bees, beekeeping and honey remains unwavering and they would advise anyone who’s interested in the beekeeping process to give it a chance.

for

spring!

“We would encourage everybody to get into beekeeping. We need it. They’re our pollinators,” William says. POV

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April 2021 27 povhouma.com

MIND + BODY

HAVEN FLOWER FARM | 30

Reesa and TerriLynn Gravois-Arabie share their love of flowers with their unique farm.

WE SUPPORT A HEALTHIER FUTURE | 36 Renew and Reset: Self-Care Goals This Spring

April 2021 28 povhouma.com

April 2021 29 povhouma.com

BY DREW MILLER | PHOTOS BY CASSIE PORCHE WITH THISTLE AND ROSE CO.

April 2021 30 povhouma.com

Instead of kicking off their shoes and unwinding on the couch when returning home from work, Lafourche natives Reesa and TerriLynn Gravois-Arabie grab their pruners, trowel or whatever other tools they may need to clock in their second job. Moonlighting as “farmer-florists,” the two tend to their garden, create wedding arrangements, figure out logistics and market on social media, among other activities that extend their day’s work. Reesa and TerriLynn, industry newcomers, push through setbacks, trials, errors and frustrations as they learn the twofold business’s ins and outs.

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All the exertion that stems from just seven 4-by-65-foot rows of flowers in their backyard is well worth it to them, however. Because when that patch of land gleams during Lockport sunsets, it reflects the beauty, opportunity, community, dedication and passion sprouting from Haven Flower Farm.

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It started with the “Black-Eyed Beauty,” anemones with white petals contrasted by a dark center. The flower caught Reesa’s eye, and she aimed to grow it at their South Lafourche home, one that sits on USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 9b. With a Google search, she stumbled on the website of the nation’s top flower farm, Floret Flowers, which gave Reesa plenty of information to launch her new side project. It also sparked her interest in flower farming.

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“I realized that this is a growing industry in the United States, where people are actually farming their own flowers and using them in their own designs. It definitely brings a unique approach to floral design,” Reesa says. “Then I literally convinced my wife two days later to dig up a third of our backyard, and I’m like, ‘We’re going to be flower farmers.’” Reesa always loved growing flowers. Her wife, however, admits she never really had a green thumb. “I could never really keep anything alive,” TerriLynn says. “My sisters would buy me [plants]

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REESA and put them by the door. And I would pass them every single day and never notice them until they were dead.” “When I met Reesa, she said her dream job would be to work in a nursery; she always really liked to work with flowers. I’m not as obsessed with it as she is. But I support her ideas, and here we are,” says TerriLynn, with a smile towards her life and business partner. It took a great deal of work to get where they are now. After extensive research, they sent off soil samples to LSU to learn their dirt’s fertility level. The results were far from positive, so they ordered truckloads of fresh soil to mix with what they already had. “We had to take it from the truck, put it

all over the rows and had to till it in a few times. We just kept doing that until we were at some kind of a good consistency,” Reesa says. “So far, we did that three total times...And we’re going to keep doing that because it’s really making for a good plot.”

The anemone might be Haven Flower Farm’s flagship, but the sunflower first garnered the most interest. By August, they managed to grow a variety of sunflowers, the most popular being maroon with a dark center.

Haven Flower Farm’s groundwork started in May of last year, so they missed out on the spring season. Still determined to see the possibilities of their newly-plotted ground, they seeded and grew in the harsh south Louisiana heat, a cruel heat that caused them to lose two-thirds of their crops.

“The sunflowers exploded. They were everywhere,” TerriLynn remembers. “Everybody wanted the dark sunflower because they usually just see the light ones.”

“Our first growing season was really tough,” Reesa says. “But we were able to salvage some of the plants that did survive, like sunflowers, zinnias and cosmos.” April 2021 32 povhouma.com

“We weren’t really ready to start selling anything because we were just trying to see what we can do; we didn’t really know when to sell stuff,” Reesa shares. “So when they started popping open, we just wrapped one of them up, and everybody was like, ‘Oh my god, I want one.’”

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TERRILYNN Haven Flower Farm announced bundles with the sought-after flower through social media, and within 24 hours, they sold out of everything. The business continued to make strides, growing its crops and customer base, until the tail end of an active storm season. “We had a nice garden until October came,” TerriLynn says. Hurricane Zeta hit south Louisiana as a powerful Category 2, impacting the southern regions of Lafourche, Terrebonne and Jefferson parishes the most. Included in the damage in its wake was a virtually destroyed garden of Haven Flower Farm. “We didn’t have a single flower or stem,” TerriLynn recalls.

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passion. TerriLynn and Reesa got right back to work, amending their soil once again and gearing up for the spring season. Haven Flower Farm prospers today, in part due to such eye-catching flowers as anemones, sunflowers, ranunculuses, dahlias, English garden roses and more. “In our floral designs, we strive to provide an aesthetic that speaks to our idea of beauty – romantic, wild, whimsical and gardenstyled. Our arrangements look different from most, and that’s intentional,” Reesa says. It also works because each person in the duo brings her unique strengths.

“I guess I would be the creative one, and she’s more like the engineer: she can think of how to do things best and is also really good with small details. We make an amazing team,” says Reesa. “In the beginning, there were a lot of frustrations when you’re having to do your first bridal bouquet...But then we kind of figured out our niche.” In addition to arrangements for weddings and other occasions, the farm aims to sell flowers to Houma-Thibodaux area florists, giving them a local source that doesn’t come with the hassles of non-local wholesalers.

April 2021 34 povhouma.com

“We buy wholesale flowers to supplement in the off-season, where we don’t have big focal flowers yet, and the damaged flowers that come in are crazy. The quality of flowers is not always the best,” Reesa says. “I think growing different types of flowers that florists can’t get from normal wholesalers also brings a design edge that you see in bigger cities that we don’t have available here to us.” The two plan on expanding their operation to include more property for flower beds and a greenhouse, dreaming of becoming “surrounded by flowers” -- although they both say in jest that it’s more Reesa’s dream than TerriLynn’s. “I learned that Reesa is relentless,” TerriLynn laughs. “When she gets focused on something, nothing is stopping her. When she sets her mind on it, she’s flying.”

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Flower enthusiasts can visit thehavenflowerfarm.com to follow along with what’s in bloom. POV

April 2021 35 povhouma.com

WE SUPPORT A HEALTHIER FUTURE |

BY THIBODAUX REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM

RENEW AND RESET SELF-CARE GOALS THIS SPRING Much has happened since we set New Year’s goals. Hurrah for anyone who made it through football championships, Mardi Gras and the polar arctic-palooza without slipping or giving up. But, spring gives us a chance to reset self-care goals.

• Exercising more;

While the past year interrupted our lives, the “stay home” environment has also positively impacted our lifestyles. Washing our hands more often; wearing masks; staying home when not feeling well; eating out less; and taking advantage of online fitness classes can help make us healthier. However, remember to reschedule any screenings or other medical appointments, including dental exams, that may have been postponed. The most common 2021 resolutions for adults in the U.S. were exercise more (50%), lose weight (48%), save more money (44%) and improve their diets (39%). Three of these, basically the same goals for 2020, go hand-in-hand. We can live longer, healthier lives by: • Eating more fruits and vegetables;

• Limiting alcohol consumption;

activities that you enjoy. Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity.

• Not smoking.

Reducing Stress

Healthy Eating

April is also recognized as Stress Awareness Month. Resetting goals to manage stress is crucial to our health.

• Maintaining a healthy body weight;

Most medical dietary guidelines recommend plant-based over animalbased diets. With springtime weather, fresh produce is readily available at grocery stores and local farmers’ markets. Now is also a good time to test our green thumbs by planting gardens. If space is limited, herbs, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables grow well in containers in Louisiana. Gardening is also a good form of exercise. More Exercising The American Heart Association includes an easy-to-follow rule among healthy living recommendations—use up as many calories as you take in. It’s getting warmer and daylight is are lasting longer, so let’s move outside. In resetting fitness goals, select outdoor

And this means...

April 2021 36 povhouma.com

Daily yoga and meditation can help reduce stress, as can taking routine breaks during the work day. Be vigilant about turning off screens and turning on “do not disturb” messages. The stress hormone cortisol affects our metabolism, which in turn, can cause weight gain. As we age, our metabolic health naturally slows. We can’t slow the aging process, but our healthcare providers can work with us on ways to reduce stress and improve our metabolic health. For resources to help you reach your health and wellness goals, contact Thibodaux Regional Wellness Education Center, 985.493.4765.

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UNDER THE SCOPE |

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In mid-February, NASA landed its latest rover, Perseverance, on Mars. Among Perseverance’s jobs on the Martian surface is to search for signs of past or current life. For this, it carries groundpenetrating radar, an oxygen generator, a mini-helicopter, environmental sensors, a bunch of spectrophotometers, a couple of lasers, 19 cameras, and two microphones. Together with other landers and hardware from a bunch of countries, it’s getting kinda crowded over there. Following 2012’s Curiosity, Perseverance is no less than the fifth little rolling vehicle that the U.S. has landed on the planet. As Jimi Hendrix famously sang, “Move over, Rover!” And that’s not likely the first rock lyric that comes into the minds of PoV readers when they learned of Perseverance’s successful landing. Instead, that lyric is probably from David Bowie’s 70s hit, “Life on Mars”: Sailors fighting in the dance hall / Oh man! Look at those cavemen go / It’s the freakiest show. // Take a look at the lawman /Beating up the wrong guy / Oh man! Wonder if he’ll ever know/ He’s in the best-selling show / Is there life on Mars? But Bowie’s 50-year-old song is really not about Mars. Critics of the time called it a metaphorical masterpiece, which is a smart-aleck way of saying they don’t understand the words. Some believe that the song criticizes how pop culture and movies direct modern life. Some believe it’s a generational plea for finding escape from reality. Whatever it is, it reminds us that people have been curious and concerned about Martian life for some time. H.G. Wells synthesized much of the late 19th century’s Martian terror in his novel, The War of the Worlds. Orson Welles, Tom Cruise, and a slew of other Hollywood earthlings perpetuated the fever. Perhaps to reduce that temperature, NASA put microphones on Perseverance to enhance Martian reality for us. Luckily, those audio files survived their 11-minute transmission back to Earth. After waiting with nervous eardrums to hear what music cryptic Martian life forms are making from their crusty home, however, I’m still waiting to hear those “rock” songs. To me, the slight howl of Martian wind pushing past the microphone head, crackling every now and then as red, wind-blown grains slam against it, reminds me of hearing breeze and sand in the grainy audio of old films our family took on visits to Grand Isle. The only difference is the absence of Mom screaming to us as we walked out of the waves, “Pull up your bathing suit!” Some people say that, if you listen carefully, the recorded Martian wind-blowing is actually the same soundtrack of breaking waves at the beginning of “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors. Others faintly hear the opening guitar riff of The Eagles’ “Hotel California.” Someone reported hearing “Mars and Venus” by Paul McCartney and Wings, but that was probably just Ringo. Still others insist they hear Tom Jones in the distance, singing “It’s Not Unusual,” as he did to end the movie, Mars Attacks! Admitting what you hear in these Martian tracks may get

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April 2021 38 povhouma.com

you a few snickers from disbelievers. Snickers, however, are the same caramel, nougat, and milk chocolate found in Mars candy bars. So, let those cavemen go! They’re the freakiest show. We estimate that life on Earth began about four billion years ago. What if similar life started on Mars eight billion years ago, and, as it was going extinct, technologically intelligent forms sent a probe of microbes to the closest habitable planet—Earth—to hopefully restart the four-billion-year process? What if with rover landings we’re trying to repay the Martian gift? Is that humanitarian? Martianitarian? A good script for a movie? The bestselling show? Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, enamored with the Red Planet, wrote the short story “Mars is Heaven,” another metaphorical masterpiece from an earlier decade. But even that story suggests something other than life. Why do we want or need to know if life can or did exist on Mars? Because, like Bowie, all the young dudes need a hunky-dory place to escape? Because it’s the only place besides Texas and Mississippi where you don’t have to wear a mask? Or maybe because it will answer one of the most asked, lyricized, movied, and short-storied questions of humankind. When I watch NASA’s high-resolution images from Perseverance’s 19 cameras and see an old, burnt landscape, I can’t help thinking of all the dreams and science and movie plots and tax dollars that’ll be dashed if our high-tech fails to find anything. Mars again would become nothing more than the place that Wells and Bradbury fictionalized, that place never visited by Abbott and Costello, Robinson Crusoe, Flash Gordon, or any other human. Yet, I hold out for some signature of life, some tiny, fossilized sphere of perchloratereducing bacteria, or, at very least, Matt Damon. Holding out? Some might call that perseverance. POV

Designer Smiles

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6th Annual Jackie Bartels Kids Conservation Fest April 10, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Bayou Country Children’s Museum, Thibodaux

Spring Arts Walk

The Jackie Bartels Kids Conservation Fest features lots of fun outdoor activities for children and adults including dog demos, duck calling, fishing pole casting, wildlife ID, antler hunts, access to the museum and much more! Entry is only $5 and includes food, conservation activities, memberships for your kids to Ducks Unlimited, Coastal Conservation Association and Quality Deer Management Association and Bayou Country Children’s Museum access for the day.

Arts Walk invites the community to stroll through Downtown Thibodaux while enjoying the talents of a variety of local artists set up along the sidewalks and storefronts. Arts Walk is free and open to the public.

April 30, 5-8 p.m. Downtown Thibodaux

Save the Date:

Scan QR Code to Learn More or Join Today!

Inaugural Bayou Boucherie April 17, 10 a.m - 9 p.m. Bayou Terrebonne Distillers, Houma

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Nothing like a boucherie to remind us of the importance of community! The Inaugural Bayou Terrebonne Boucherie will be a day of food, festivity and teamwork. In addition to mounds of pork, there will be a white bean cookoff, arts/ crafts, live music and the Cajun Cup (a series of bayou-themed competitions). Whether spectating or participating, it’ll be a day of good Cajun fun for the whole family. General admission is $15. Proceeds will go to rebuilding the old bandstand downtown.

TFAE Run for Excellence May 8, 6 p.m. Downtown Houma

To celebrate 30 years of Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence, their annual Run for Excellence is going to be offered in in-person and virtual formats! Participants will be able to join in the fun virtually, completing their miles from May 5-7. The in-person race will be held on May 8 in Downtown Houma with celebrations and fun along the route. For more information, visit RunForExcellence.com. POV

April 2021 40 povhouma.com

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LOOK TWICE |

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Find the six differences in this photo from our feature on page 12. Email your answers to us at looktwice@povhouma.com or drop it in the mail: Rushing Media, P.O. Box 5013, Houma, LA, 70361. A winner will be picked by random drawing April 20. The winner will receive a $50 Visa® gift card courtesy of Synergy Bank. Participants must be 18 years or older.

Congratulations to Braia Blanchard for winning last month’s contest.

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ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CONTEST 1 Removed flower 2 Changed color of lampshade 3 Changed color of pillow 4 Added pillow on chair 5 Removed lightbulb in light fixture 6 Changed color of book

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