The party was slow to get started, one or two guests trickling in. By story time at 5 PM, there were a number of kids around. The Roy House is a renovated house for the Center for Louisiana Studies across the campus from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. There are multiple rooms. One was set up with a bird craft. Ten year old Mathilda led this section with step by step directions that even the smallest of toddlers could follow.
In another room, Julie from For The Birds of Acadiana set up a table of bird nests for kids (and adults) to explore. In this room, I placed a basket of crochet birds for kids to play with.
Another room houses the book shop where I sat on an antique settee and signed books.
For story time, I read aloud What’s that Sound? Birds of the Bayou while the amazingly attentive group of kids echoed the bird sounds and asked intelligent questions like “Why does the mockingbird copy the sounds of other birds?”
Then the whole house got quiet. Where did everybody go? I walked outside to see everyone enjoying the spring weather and being together. I’d say that was a good party.
Reflections on the Teche 