Friends of St. Francisville - - Monthly Articles by Anne Butler
ST. FRANCISVILLE CELEBRATES SPRING WITH GARDENS, RODEOS, AND A COUPLE OF JOURNEYS HOME
By Anne Butler
 Like every clever, creative kid who has ever felt stifled and suffocated by the confines of a small town, Rod Dreher couldn't wait to hightail it to the big city from tiny St. Francisville (population maybe 1700, give or take a few) and the even tinier neighboring Starhill community where his family lived. A couple of years away at the state high school for gifted students, followed by college and high-profile careers in print from D.C. and Dallas to Miami, from New York and a ringside seat for 9-11 to Philadelphia, provided the distance and differing perspective to more fully appreciate what he had left behind. Full story .... | | | | Upcoming Events: |
Music at The Mag
Friday-March 1st – Gary Bello
Music at The Bluffs
Saturday- March 2nd – LA 1 7pm to 10:30pm at the 19th Hole Bar and Grill
Imahara's Botanical Garden –5341 Mahoney Rd.
Open Every Weekend –Saturdays 10am until 4pm
Sundays 1pm-4pm
March is the Azalea Stroll.
All tours begin with a brief history background in the Educational building, followed by a hilltop overview and a self- guided garden map for the rest of the tour.
42nd Audubon Pilgrimage – March 15, 16 and 17th
Tickets can be purchased online or at the Museum.
Daytime Tours - $30.00 – 9:30am -5:00pm (good for all three days) includes all of the following:
Four Private Homes – Evergreenvine, Wakefield Plantation, Catalpa Plantation and Beechwood Plantation
Oakley Plantation (Audubon State Historic Site),
Rosedown Plantation (State Historic Site)
Afton Villa Gardens
19th Century Churches
Recreated Working Rural Homestead
Authentic 1820's Costumes
Costumed Children Dancing
Art Show and Sale in Temple Sinai
Friday Night Entertainment $20.00 6:00pm-9:30pm includes the following:
Cemetery Tour-(last tour starts at 8:30pm) Grace church
Robust Hymn Singing – United Methodist Church
Wine and Cheese Reception – (reception starts at 7pm) Bishop Jackson Hall
Period Costume Style Show – Bishop Jackson Hall
Art Show and Sale in Temple Sinai
Royal Street by Candlelight
Saturday Night Entertainment $40.00 7pm- Light Up the Night
Live Music, Fine Food, Drinks and Dancing
For more information visit www.audubonpilgrimage.info or call 225 635 6330
The Friends of the West Feliciana Library will present "Writing Ruthie Leming: Biography and Our Town" Saturday, March 23 from 2 until 4 pm at the West Feliciana High School Auditorium.
Ruthie Leming was a beloved teacher, neighbor, friend, and family member to many in West Feliciana. When she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2010, the community rallied to her side. Throughout her 19-month fight with the disease that ultimately took her life, her brother Rod Dreher, a Philadelphia journalist and West Feliciana native, wrote about her struggle on his nationally-read blog. He told a compelling story of his sister's faith and courage, and the love and solidarity Feliciana folks showed to the Leming and Dreher families during their crisis and how the amazing grace he witnessed convinced him to return home.
In April, The Little Way Of Ruthie Leming: A Southern Girl, A Small Town, and the Secret of a Good Life, Dreher's memoir of life with his sister, her battle with cancer, and the lessons she taught about hope, family, home, and how to live, will be a major release by Grand Central Publishing. The Friends of the Library present an opportunity to hear Rod Dreher read advance excerpts from Little Way, and to ask him questions about what it's like to write intimately about one's family and community. Also on the program are Ruthie's friend Abby Temple Cochran, physician Dr. Tim Lindsey, who both played leading roles in Ruthie's life and death, and her daughter Hannah will discuss their key parts in telling her story in Little Way.
Refreshments prepared by members of the Friends will be served. This is an exclusive pre-publication event and books will not be available for purchase until April 9. The Friends of the Library will take orders for the books during the program, cash and checks only.
"If you are not prepared to cry, to learn, and to have your heart cracked open even a little bit by a true story of love, surrender, sacrifice, and family, then please do not read this book. Otherwise, do your soul a favor, and listen carefully to the unforgettable lessons of Ruthie Leming." -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of "Eat, Pray, Love"
"This is an authentic and deeply touching memoir, which honestly asks many of the best questions about the things that matter. Interacting with this story will change you!" — Wm Paul Young, author of "The Shack" and "Cross Roads"
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, available at the library and at the door. The event is not suitable for children under 10. For more information call the library at 225-635-3364.
All proceeds benefit the library.
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