Butte La Rose

Bonjour!
My Easter weekend went well. Hope yours did too. Although I did not go to the St. Rita’s Way of the Cross walk on Good Friday. I have not missed that walk in many years. There will always be another one next year unless something unforeseen happens to take this right from us. You just never know these days.
I did attend the Good Friday 3 p.m. Mass. And the 8 p.m. Saturday Easter Vigil Mass. And the 10 a.m. Easter Sunday Mass. Our church choir, with Little Will Louviere and myself, played guitars and sang hymns while Father Fabre said the Mass. St. Rita’s church was full up.
After Mass was over, I sat in my van and thought, wow, I’m solo today so I’m going to break that mold and do something different for myself this Easter Day. None of my children were home, all out camping. So I decided to take my body to eat at the City Buffet in Breaux Bridge which I do a couple times a year. As the waitress seated me I told her by all means you can join other people with me. Said I’ve raised my own kids, so don’t bring me anymore. Ha! She grinned. She led me to a table in the back corner with three chairs. As I sat facing the door I watched incase familiar looking faces would walk in.
To my rescue walks in Jerry and Earline Sonnier from Parks. The waitress was leading them to a table across the diner from me. I rushed over, told them they are welcome to come join me. They accepted.
Our thoughts were on the same track to go eat out that day. We had a good talk. Earline keeps busy with her favorite gardening pastime. She gives her time doing holy hour of Eucharistic work at St. Bernard Catholic Church. Been doing so many years. Jerry enjoys doing his woodwork. Built a couple benches for his wife. Good Cajuns.
As promised, Tiona part 3: While readying myself to hit the big road, Gary brought me around to meet the office personnel. These people were very nice to me although we were total strangers. He assigned me with a Freightliner cab-over truck and a pneumatic tank telling me I’d be running the circuit from one job location to another like their other drivers and seldom come back to the terminal. Every dispatched load was handled over the phone. I’d be working refineries and factories mostly. Though a little nervous, everything sounded good to me. Then he said you’re almost on your own. Local company driver Sam was assigned to me in our separate trucks to be for about a month of running local to watch making sure I could handle the equipment. Company policy.
Sam talked with me on the CB, giving me the scoop on Tiona and how they operate. Big help. After my second load he called in telling dispatcher I could go out on my own. I didn’t need any more watching. So now I was on my own. Wow! And I was running the “circuit” on my own. Wow, on my own, solo!
I ran the Midwest, Kansas, Wyoming, Texas, Oklahoma, up into Canada through Montana, etc. I also ran the northeast, Ohio, New Jersey, Chicago, etc.
But no matter where you go you’ll find an oddball in the crowd. Unknown to me I’d met the “screw ball” the day I set foot at Tiona. Yes, Jelly Belly. Several months later I was down in Houston with a few of our drivers. We’d all made deliveries. And now waiting for dispatch. God is good to me. Watched over my girls while I worked my crosscountry trucking job.
Tiona 4, Jelly Belly, next week.

Cousine Hélène
337-280-1988.
helenboudreaux@juno.com.