The Pierian Study Club held it’s annual end of year Guest Party and this year it was a delightful Cajun Shrimp Boil! The date was May 14, 2009 at the beautiful Mill Pond Park Gazebo. The Gazebo was decorated with turquoise table cloths with turquoise and tangerine accessories. Each table was adorned with a minature pier with nets and an alligator in keeping with the Cajun theme and lush greenery throughout the Gazebo. The guests were welcomed with Cajun music and Hurricane Fruit Punch. They were also served a cheese ball filled with avocados, red and green peppers, and pecans with a mango sauce poured over the delicacy and strawberry, grape, and pineapple fruit kabobs.

Troy Gilger following in his dad’s footsteps as our own local chef, prepared the shrimp boil with assistance from his son, Morgan Gilger, and his friend, Gary Gant, and Troy VanCleave. Hat’s off to these guys who did an excellent job! If you’ve never been to a shrimp boil it is a real treat. The boil is filled with shrimp, sausage, corn on the cob, onions, peppers, and new potatoes and dumped on the table for your enjoyment. Actually it was served in a huge turquoise table cloth lined caldron. And as a special courtesy, there was also a ‘chicken’ boil on the side for those that didn’t care for shrimp. This was complimented with green garden salad and bread sticks. The dessert was Lousianna Pecan Pralines. Jimmy Jones led the group in the invocation.

All the ladies had on colorful attire in keeping with the invitation dress “Cajun Casual” which made it a fun party. And continuing with the Cajun theme, after the dinner Kyla Byrd Duncan was present to teach the guests the Cajun line dance. Many guests participated in the lessons and in the line dance and the Gazebo was filled with laughter and fellowship at it’s best!

The hostesses are to be commended for such a delightful party that everyone enjoyed. The hostesses for this event were Barbara Gilger, her guest David Gilger; Liz Haug, her guest Leif Haug; Cherry Kay Lange, her guests were Debbie and Bob Millican; Kay Nettleship, her guest Larry Nettleship; Patty Shaw, her guest was her sister, Linda Sloan, who practically became a hostess helping out in so many ways; and Vickie Stevenson, who didn’t get to attend but did more than her part preparing for the party.

Other members attending and their guests were Connie and Buddy Adams and their guests Sharon and Johnny Clawson, Bebe Bagley, Loy Nell and Tommy Behrens, Gail and Lester Bruner, Millie and Stan Burnham, Barbara and Les Hardy, Kathleen and Ray Hawkins and their guests Anna and Ralph Wilson, Jeri and Jimmy Jones, Sandy and Lovell Kuykendall and their guest Bernice Sloan, Joycelyn and John R. McRorey, Anita Miles and Will Adams, Dorothy Miller, Betty Jo Miller and her guest Wanda Davenport, Martine and Joe Miller, Jane and Wardell Randolph, Sandy and Larry Smith, Geanne and Jack Taylor, Lisa and Byron Theodosis, Trish and Henry Warren and their guests Patsy and Grant Hall, Donna and Larry Baker, and Louise Williams.

The Pierian Study Club does not meet in the summer, therefore this will be the last meeting until September 2009. It was a great way to end the year!