In a small town, a canopy connects our city to a city in Spain.
Brinkley read about a project from New Iberia’s twin city of Alhaurín de la Torre in Spain, an installation of crocheted blankets forming a canopy. She decided to do something similar in New Iberia for the annual Spanish Festival that celebrates the founding of Nueva Iberia. On Saturday, my husband and I walked through Church Alley and visited with Brinkley and viewed the large variety of pieces being sewn together. She hopes to drape Church Alley in one long piece for the Spanish Festival in a few weeks. Click here to see an article from Spain about the installation.
In a small town, your best friend becomes Volunteer of the Year.
I am on the council for the Teche Project and our annual banquet was held last night. My good friend Jenny, helped at the greeting table, served food, and was generally all over the place doing whatever needed doing, and then she was shocked to be awarded the Volunteer-of-the-Year Award. The photograph on the big screen showed Jenny in boots with mud to her knees after planting native irises on the bank of the bayou in City Park. Anyone who digs in mud and rescues Patti from falling into the mud is worthy of this prize. I’m proud to call her my friend.
In a small town, you can walk down Main Street and sit outside for a Saturday lunch.
Saturday was a wonderful perfect weather day, so my husband and I visited the Church Alley Cafe, a new coffee shop and eatery tucked into an old building down Church Alley. We remember the years before revitalization when Church Alley was a gravel, trashy mess that most were afraid to walk through. But today it’s bustling with renovation and revitalization. We had a nice lunch outside. When Jeff finished his salad, one of the proprietors ran out with salad dressing and said, “Did anyone get a salad without dressing?” Jeff took his last bit and admitted he had a dry salad, but he didn’t want to complain. “I’m working on spreading good karma.” A few minutes later, she asked if he’d like a fresh bowl of lobster mac-n-cheese. After taking his first savory bite, he declared, “I traded up!”
I love a small town kind of day!
Reflections on the Teche 
Connectedness of past and present is makes your town so wonderful. Beautiful.
Mmm… I still think I need to come visit you someday. I love the way you describe where you live. And please please post a picture of the crochet canopy. I love this idea!
How lovely. And thanks for this slice – it was like traveling for free! Great post – thanks for sharing!
New Iberia sounds like such a fun place to live! Or visit! I can’t even imagine the crochet canopy; is one person creating all of the squares or has she asked a bunch of people to create them? (I still use the prayer shawl you created for me years ago, by the way). And I love your husband’s willingness to eat a dry salad rather than make waves. What a nice guy!
I should have put that in the post. Brinkley had multiple volunteers. I wish I had known sooner cause I would’ve done it too. The crocheters were of all ages and genders.
Just wonderful! I so enjoy your writing!
Such a nice slice to celebrate your town and your day. Small towns can be such wonderful, welcoming places. How lovely to celebrate that with your post.
You made me think of my small town growing up. I can only imagine how beautiful that crochet canopy is going to be. I love the connection you made to your twin city in Spain. You made me want to go for a walk with my husband.
Wow, I love your post about life in a small town. I especially like the idea of the crocheted canopy in honor of your Spanish Festival. Lobster mac and cheese–yes, I guess that would be a trade up! It sounds like a great day to live in a small town.
Margaret, your small town sounds like a setting from the past so it is wonderful that you and your husband do your part to continue its traditions. I like that your husband did not complain about the dry salad and was rewarded with a delicious sounding dish.