Bonjour!

Merci au Dieu for sparing Butte La Rose of rain and making the fundraiser a big success July 23, the community had supportive, visiting friends from near and far.

Gary Simon and Ricky Douet à travailler dur putting in a lot of hours and weeks of planning for this great day long party. Even the kids had their own area for playing. They’d blow up their own balloons and as one would bust they’d throw it in a trash barrel close by.

The grounds were not littered with trash because there were plenty of barrels for people to empty into. Trash on the ground does take up space. But the beer cans on the ground around the dance area are traditional and acceptable, because when someone grabs you for a dance and you have a beer in your hand, there isn’t time to look for a place to set it down. Right?

The music and dancing that make for fun was exciting as usual. I figure dancing for two hours every Saturday night would keep you in great shape, hold down your weight, keep you smiling and make you feel as though the whole world were right.

I was able to see Irene Bergeron and meet some of her family. Her three-year-old, curly, red-haired, blue-eyed, great-granddaughter Falyn Fredrick had her little cosmetic bag and took time to polish my nails blue. She pampered me with perfume and hand lotion, and of course, we showered her with compliments making her all proud that she was so helpful.

La famille des Kliebert from the popular show “Swamp People” were there signing autographs for their friends. When they were posing for the July 20 picture, I wonder if T-Mike told Myrtle Lasseigne he loves that old country music. It is one thing to have a picture of him, but to have it in the paper, oh my God!

Part two by Shasta:

A token of how far they’d come. The laughter it brings now verses the years it brought on that fateful day it was given. All these represent different lives, but similar end results. What to take and what to leave behind.

Sorting through the events of shared dreams, disappointments, struggles, laughter, sorrow, grief and tears. How do you pack a lifetime in a cardboard box? This is what the residents of Butte La Rose face today. Some wonder, “Do I have the strength to pick up a shattered life and begin again?” Some have nowhere to go, or the money to start anew. The news all full of voices of these displaced families today, but what about a month from now... Who will listen then? The waiting is the hardest part for these folks. They go to their homes and pack yet another load. The day is beautiful but the harsh reality is that life as they knew it is over. In a few short days there will be nothing left to go home to due to forced flooding of their homes.

As the day ends and the last load is packed securely, they wonder... Should I bring that velvet picture of Elvis that Aunt Agnes gave us, or not?

June 2011

After evacuating all of their belongings and leaving their homes, the flood never came.

The end.

Next week I’ll list the volunteers who poured out their courage, determination, and hard work for the Back to the Butte.

Thank you to all who supported our community with us.

God bless, and do come again. Cousine Hélène Boudreaux. 337-228-1714