10-23-10 Dianne is feeling very Witchy...

Friends:

On Saturday night, it was on to New Iberia, where I was the featured entertainment at Terror-on-the-Teche, an annual Halloween event sponsored by the Iberia Parish Library and Shadows-on-the-Teche. I love the atmosphere of the place. It’s on the grounds of the haunted mansion, under towering oaks draped with Spanish moss. There is a genuine cemetery when you enter the gates!! Families come and sit on benches or blankets on the grass. It’s a spooktacular site for scary stories! I love how everyone comes dressed in costume. Such spirit! (Or is it spirits?!!)

10-23-10 What a cute crowd at Shadows-on-the-Teche!

I told my new children’s book, The Gigantic Sweet Potato, “We’re Going on a Ghost Hunt,” “The Strange Visitor,” “Who Took My Money?,” “The Headless Priest: A True Ghost Story,” and closed with “A Dark, Dark Night.” I enjoyed every minute and the time flew by so quickly! My daughter, Eliana, and her longtime family friend, Rebecca, enjoyed themselves immensely.

10-23-10 Dianne poses with fans. Eliana and Rebecca are in the back.

Gail Garcia and Kristie Rose are two spectacular ladies. Gail, you are FANTASTIC and soooo cute! LOVED your Dorothy from Wizard of Oz costume! I can’t believe your mother made that for you! Thank you for inviting me again! Kristie, thank you for your vivacious attitude and gracious spirit!

10-23-10 Kristie Rose, Dianne de Las Casas and Gail Garcia. Iberia Parish Library rocks!

After our spooks and spectres in the Shadows, we went to Duffy’s Diner with Gail. It has become our tradition when we are in New Iberia. It’s an honest-to-goodness 50s diner and all the wait staff dresses in poodle skirts. There is a juke box, a radio flyer red wagon, and even Elvis and Marilyn!

10-23-10 Elvisana, thank you. Thank you very much.

Here’s Rebecca…

10-23-10 Is that Rebecca with Devilish Elvis and Angelic Marilyn?

Check out this delicious looking shake!!

10-23-10 Rebecca's Pink Cadillac float!

The next day, when I was checking out of our hotel, I saw that I made the front page!! How cool is that?!

10-24-10 Haunting Storytelling article in The Daily Iberian, New Iberia, Louisiana

Then I discovered that Eliana and Rebecca made it in the paper too!!

10-23-10 Haunting Storytelling article cont'd in The Daily Iberian, New Iberia, LA

What a great way to end our visit to New Iberia!! If you want to read the article in its entirety, here it is… http://www.iberianet.com/articles/2010/10/24/news/doc4cc3b0b81eaef686126386.txt

Until next time… BOO!

Warmly, Dianne

10-24-09 Dianne, Eliana & Fan

Friends:

I had the pleasure of being the storyteller at Terror on the Teche at the Shadows on the Teche Plantation in New Iberia, Louisiana. The event was sponsored by the Iberia Parish Library. Shadows on the Teche is an old plantation with its own graveyard! The spooky tales were on the grounds of the plantation. Too cool!

10-24-09 The audience at Terror on the Teche

I had a blast telling funny, spooky and creepy ghost stories. I was so excited to see my friend, Cheryl Robichaux and her little princess, Savannah. I met Cheryl’s husband and his children too. What a beautiful family! Savannah and Caroline came on stage to help me with some magic… “Bloop! I’m awesome!” (Those were the magic words that Caroline and the audience came up with. Too funny!)

10-24-09 Dianne on stage doing magic with Savannah and Caroline

Eliana, my 9 year old daughter, ran around, taking pictures. It was so dark and difficult to get really good pictures with my digital camera but here’s one of me telling a spooky story. Thank you so much, Eliana! You are wonderful and Mommy loves you!

10-24-09 Telling a spooky story

It was such a fun event and I can’t wait to do it again! Here is a picture of me and Eliana with Kristy Rose and Gail Garcia with the Iberia Parish Library. Gail is the director of the library system. They are such a marvelous team and afterwards, we ate at Duffy’s, a 50s diner in New Iberia with delicious diner dishes!

10-24-09 Kristy Rose, Dianne de Las Casas, Gail Garcia & Eliana

Before we left the grounds, Eliana said I had to take a picture of the graveyard. And what is that spooky orb in the picture? A ghost? Who knows…

10-24-09 The Graveyard at Shadows on the Teche Plantation

Eliana and I loved our brief but fun visit to New Iberia. Afterwards, I had to head back to New Orleans to catch a 6:15am flight to Chicago. Thank you to Gail, Kristy, Cheryl, Acadiana Lifestyles magazine, and everyone who came to Terror on the Teche. Have a spooktacular Halloween!

Until next time…

Warmly, Dianne