Butte La Rose et Les Entourage

Bonjour!
I think this is my eighth year writing for Teche News and techetoday.com. I have enjoyed writing about my people, the olden days, changing times, community activities, good and bad times and of course I have tooted my own horn a time or two.
I never expected lasting this long as a writer. And I’m so grateful to God for opening that door for me. Nothing exaggerated I wrote what I saw and knew. I tried to always tell the correct stories about our people nothing made up or lies about anything or anyone. Many people are shy not wanting their names mentioned in my column. Not to worry.
I’ll never forget that Saturday election day when Pam Guidry and I were working the polls in the Butte La Rose fire station. Pam was Commissioner in Charge at that time. Ken Grissom had come met us to see how Pam and I were adjusting to the new election machines. (I think I said that right) We were just talking small stuff when he said he was thinking if someone would write a column about our area and was offering that to us.
I’d had a column with Off Beat Magazine called Boudreaux’s Beat back when I had a children’s monthly Cajun music jam session in Breaux Bridge in the mid 1990s till early 2000s. That was a learning experience and lots of fun. I wrote about Cajun music and the artist. And you all know that covered a big area of our entertainers. Editor Dominic Cross was a great fellow to write for. But when he suggested I find a sponsor for my column, regretfully I gave it up.
Back to Ken with his offer to us that day, I quickly said no because for myself I knew I was not good enough to do it. Pam turned it down too. But by the time he left us I’d suggested Pam and I together could come up with something to write about once a month. She has much knowledge on the Atchafalaya Basin fishermen and all their stories and where the best fishing spots were. And I’d find other stuff’s to write.
Pam said maybe. After about six weeks went by I called Pam asked her was she ready. Said she’d call me back. I knew she was down with an injury and was tied up with that. So after two weeks waiting for her response that never came I went ahead and wrote something up and sent it in to Ken. It got printed.
I was nervous as hell. So I wrote a few more columns and sent them in one at a time to be ahead of myself. Buddy was I surprised when he was printing one a week. And now you all know the rest of that story.
Last week Dudley “Cheese” and Anna Theriot called to say they had two extra uncommitted bushels of okra and asked me the big question. Of course no one turns down okra. And as I gawked at their humongous aloe vera, Cheese pulled it from its soil and handed it to me. Wow!
It might be a slight inconvenience for you seniors to come a few minutes early for pick up before 10:45 a.m. at Parc Hardy, but last month was a big help. Also please mark your calendars on every fourth Wednesday monthly. I’ve been calling to remind, but sometimes I can’t. Many of the seniors mistakenly think pick up is always on the last Wednesday but sometimes there are five Wednesdays in the month. We care and try assisting disabled seniors.
Seniors say congrats to boss Fred and wife Helen’s new grandbaby.
Bonne journeé.

–Cousine Hélène
337-228-1714
helenboudreaux@juno.com