Most people are sung to, make a wish, blow out a few candles on a cake and call it a birthday.
Not the Roussels.
When the family realized that matriarch Catherine Roussel was turning 90 (Jan. 15); her son Buddy Roussel was hitting 60 (Dec. 2); and his wife, Karyn Roussel, was reaching 50 (Jan. 3), all in the course of a year, they thought big.
Catherine Roussel was honored at a ‘Forever 29’ party in September. She officially turns 90 on Jan. 15.
Buddy Roussel explained it like this: “So we wanted to celebrate the whole year. And we called it ‘The BigEAUX’ for the zero birthdays. ‘EAUX,’ of course for the Cajun twist on it. We started putting it on Facebook and wow, it’s so much fun that the people that we’re friends with are just, they’re hanging on, waiting for the next adventure.”
The family uses the term “adventure” pretty loosely. Sure, there were the cruises and exotic trips. The extended family cruise to the Caribbean with 20-plus Roussels aboard certainly was adventurous. However, the family dinners, other gatherings and often work-related trips/getaways also count as “BigEAUX” events.
Time for a group photo on the Roussels’ cruise to the Caribbean, No. 44 on the ‘BigEAUX’ list. Family matriarch Catherine Roussel, who’s turning 90, is standing at front left.
That extended family includes Catherine Roussel’s five children, 20 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Buddy and Karyn Roussel also have eight offspring and four grandchildren.
Catherine Roussel, who lives in Denham Springs, joined in the family cruise and made it to many of the local gatherings. She also accompanied her son on a business day-trip to Natchez, Mississippi — that was among the “BigEAUXs.”
“So it’s not always something tremendous,” Buddy Roussel said.
Buddy Roussel marked his 60th birthday with a trip to a Houston Astros baseball game. The team, coincidentally, is marking its 60th anniversary.
No one is better at expounding on this 365-day feat than him, the keeper of the “BigEAUX” running list of activities. As of Tuesday, they were at No. 92.
“It’s memories,” his wife added.
As is often the case, the couple’s commercial window business-related run to Houston earlier this week morphed into yet another “BigEAUX” experience. Wrapping up the H-Town project, they drove to San Antonio, Texas, to finish another job. After that came their “throw a dart at the map” practice and it was on to Fredericksburg for dinner and Luckenbach, Texas, for photos with the new statue of Jerry Jeff Walker and Hondo Crouch.
Buddy and Caryn’s trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, is No. 57 on their ‘BigEAUX’ list.
Looking at the “BigEAUX” list, what pops out is that many of the Roussels’ expeditions are planned around music cities or events. The couple, who are major Jimmy Buffett fans, operate Buddy’s Backyard, a laid-back outdoor music venue at their home along the Amite River in Baton Rouge. Informal trop-rock concerts are hosted periodically.
Consequently, “Jimmy Buffett at Jazz Fest” is No. 34 on the list, “Key West for Meeting of the Minds” at No. 82 and “Buffett Redux at Alpine Valley” at No. 62. There’s also No. 83, one of the year’s milestones, the Trop Rock Music Association Awards Ceremony in Key West, Florida, where Buddy’s Backyard was honored as House Concert Venue of the Year.
“So that was kind of a big deal,” Roussel said, especially since their music spot was established during the pandemic.
The Roussel’s activities often include just the couple, or plus their children, grandchildren and mom; some are solo trips for just Buddy or Karyn Roussel along with friends. It’s a mixed bag — Mexico to Mardi Gras, Belize to Buckee’s (they hit five in one day!), Astros games to alligator sightings (estimate 100).
With each experience, they take home at least one story.
Take Jazz Fest, for instance.
It’s a couples trip to Belize for Buddy and Karyn Roussel of Baton Rouge. The vacation was one of many the two took this year to celebrate turning 60 and 50, respectively.
“So, 40,000 people there,” Buddy Roussel began. “Karyn looked at the guy that was standing next to me and he had a koozie from our wedding 12 years ago. We got married in Key West. They were 20 people there, and nobody from here. This guy having that koozie from our wedding was crazy.
“We introduced ourselves, took pictures. His girlfriend was in Key West at that time and I guess we met her, gave her a koozie and she kind of crashed the wedding. But like of all the days to pull out a koozie from 12 years ago, standing right there next to us. That was wild.”
Karyn Roussel takes in the beach in Bimini on a girls’ trip.
Although Catherine Roussel’s birthday is in January, the family gathered on Labor Day weekend for an early “Forever 29” party for the woman they lovingly call MaMaw.
“It’s too cold in January,” Karyn Roussel explained. “We had a whole bunch, oh, almost 100 people there.”
There was a magician, the family played games, it was a “BigEAUX” day for the soon-to-be nonagenarian.
Gonzales magician Craig Boudreaux performs a card trick for Roussel family friend Annie Jones at Catherine Roussel’s 90th birthday party on Labor Day weekend.
A smaller party will take place on Catherine Roussel’s official birthday, with one of her favorites, crawfish bisque, on the menu.
The eldest Roussel still lives independently, still drives, and amazingly, is on no medications.
Her secret?
“I keep going. And that thing, he just left,” she said, chuckling and motioning toward her front door. “I keep him (her 9-year-old great-grandson, Brantley Weaver) every day, before and after school.”
“They keep each other company,” Karyn Roussel said.
“It really makes me think that, you know, we might have another ‘bigEAUX’ 10 years from now when I’m 70, and you’re 60, and she’s 100. Like, I could see that happening. She’s healthy as any 90-year-old I ever met,” her son said.
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