Sherlock Breaux in the Creaux's Nest

AND HERE I SIT……

I don’t like it but I’m confined at home and that’s where I belong.

I’ve worked every day since I was old enough to drag a cotton sack. I had planned to work daily till age 90 then slow down.

You see, I love work.

What bothers me most is when I’m not accomplishing things I feel should be done.

My first inclination is to leave this cabin, so many things I would like to be doing.

I’m not in the boat alone; many of my friends are in self-isolation because it’s the only smart thing to do during this crisis.

In my case I know the likely outcome if I catch Coronavirus. My lungs have long ago been compromised.

My system is old and pretty well worn and my defense mechanism has gone south, otherwise I’m in fairly good shape for an old guy.

I just can’t fight off a deadly disease so here I sit.

I’m not ready to fold um’ so here I am in this holding pattern.

I miss my friends in the business world and I feel for so many of them caught in this situation.

Most, hopefully will survive, a large number won’t and to me, a lifelong businessman, that is heart breaking.

No one loves their friends more than I do and I really miss being with them.

Without the Wednesday Lunch Bunch there is a real void.

I pray for the day when this crisis has passed and we can gather again.

Hopefully everyone stays healthy.

My concern about not being at work is that I’m an on hands operator.

This newspaper has a good professional staff and loyal carriers.

Everyone does their best to put out a good, informative newspaper every week.

My fear is that advertising revenue will drop to the point that the Penny and County Record will cease to exist.

We have some very loyal advertisers who know the quality of this product and the loyalty of our readers over many years.

We are hoping, during these trying times, that businesses that are open and operating will allow us to put out their message to more Orange Countians than any other media.

We can give a very high reach at a very low rate. Together we can keep your business and your community newspapers viable in the coming weeks.

I’ll be checking in with the natives and reporting the happenings.*****I have to move on.

Come along, I promise it won’t do you no harm.

REMEMBERING PETE FREDERICK

Our friend John August “Pete” Frederick, age 86, passed away March 30.

He will be missed by everyone who knew him.

I tried many times to reach Nova Monday afternoon and evening to find out how Pete was doing.

I called both of her phones, one stayed busy, the other went to message.

I was surprised when I learned of his death Tuesday.

Pete was a regular at the Lunch Bunch get-togethers.

The last time I saw him he left lunch soon after arriving saying he felt really sick.

It’s ironic that he and his best friend and cousin, John Roy Frederick, are the last two from the Bunch to die.

Pete was really taking John Roy’s death hard.

They will both be missed by everyone.

They were proud of where they came from, proud of their heritage.

Both lived on property passed down by their ancestors.

Pete was an up front guy.

What you saw was what you got.

I always kidded him because he ate like a bird, a plain baked potato with no frills.

Long ago I heard stories about his car and bike racing.

He was proud of a particular picture Lawrence Trimm had taken when his car was off the ground up in the air.

Pete restored many cars and trucks.

He was extremely talented.

It’s said he could fix anything but a broken heart. Today our hearts are broken over the loss of this good, honest, decent man.

Our condolence to his family and many offspring, also his buddy and companion Nova Dee and her family.

Pete did to ride the range with.

May he rest in peace.

Please see obituary.

Beyond Narcissism, Trump’s Other Personality Flaws

Are Putting Americans at Risk

His obsession with revenge and his fatalism are endangering the nation.

By David Corn

Throughout the coronavirus crisis, critics of Donald Trump have repeatedly referenced his profound and outrageous HYPERLINK "https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/10/george-conway-trump-unfit-office/599128/" narcissism.

It was partly this pathology that led Trump to downplay the threat and resist widespread testing for weeks.

An honest acknowledgement of the mounting problem and a rising number of positive tests would inconvenience his reelection prospects.

For a narcissist, the most immediate personal need is the most important one.

So Trump viewed the burgeoning crisis as a threat to him, not the nation, and he took the steps he usually does in so many circumstances: Hedenied the threat, claimed he knew better than the experts, and relied on bluster and BS. He did all that instead of adopting early measures that could have slowed the transmission of the virus.

But beyond the narcissism, two other fundamental elements of Trump’s character are likely shaping his response: his obsession with revenge and his sense of fatalism.

And both are exceedingly dangerous for the American public.

This article on the Coronavirus crisis and more can be read

in full in Mother Jones’ newsletter

TURNING BACK THE HANDS OF TIME

10 Years Ago-2010

We lost one of our special people, G.L. “Red” Garrett, who passed away March 30.

Red, who had served on the Orange City Council, had a lot to do with changing the face of the city.

Please see Down Life’s Highway column, ***** Twenty-five coal miners have lost their lives after an underground explosion at Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch site in West Virginia.

The company was fined $900,000 in 2009 for 500 federal safety violations.

Now you wouldn’t think that in this day and time people would still be dying in the coal mines.***** Neighbor Cox and Ms.

Ginny stopped by our Henrietta office and dropped off a copy of Miss Mattie’s “Party Line” column published in the Shelby County “Light and Champion” newspaper, established in 1877.

Mattie Dellinger is 98-years-old.

She was inducted into the Texas Order of the Eastern Star in 1930-31.

Out of 207 members she is the only one still living.

She and Willie Nelson’s daughter Susie are good friends who talk often.

Susie is enjoying being with her father.

Since before Christmas, Willie has not picked his guitar, he is recovering from Carpel Tunnel surgery.

Meanwhile, a movie is being shot at his golf course home.

Susie is helping with production.

She is looking forward to coming back to Center for the annual Rotary Club auction.

Willie has two sons, Mike and Luke, by his present wife Annie.

Mike is in college; Luke joined his dad’s band.

Annie lives in the Nelson home in Hawaii.

Susie and Lana are sisters by Willie’s first wife.

There are two daughters by Willie’s second wife and two boys by his fourth.

Lana travels with her father and aunt, Bobby, on the Honeysuckle bus.

Lana cooks for them.

Susie oversees the horse ranch and writes children’s books.

Thanks to Miss Mattie we know the latest on Willie. ***** The West Orange-Starktrack team who participated in the Texas relays over the weekend.

The WO-S boys won the title of Most Outstanding High School Team at the meet.

Trey Franks won the 100-meter with a time of 10:48, second best in United States.

Phillip Jones won the 110 meter hurdles in 14:30.

Justin Thomas, Mark Roberts, Jones and Franks won the 800-meter relay in a time of 1:26.06, a new Texas relay record.

Thomas, Franks, Jones and James Hayes won the 400-meter relay with a time of 41:40, a meet record.

Toby Forman is track coach and is really proud of these outstanding young athletes.

***** Happy birthday to a few friends celebrating in the next few days.

Our buddy Jo Ann Collins, Cathy Riley, “Queen of the Strutters,” Dr.

Katie Olson, Lorene Zoch, David Thacker, a fine young man.

*****A special Happy Birthday to the old pipefitter Charles “Pappy” Ellis who turned 86 Tuesday, April 6.

***** On April 12, our loyal friend Cal Broussard would have been 72.

He passed away on July 12, 2009.

*****The retirement party for Maj.

Joey Hargrave 3-7 p.m.

Friday, April 9, at First Baptist Church in Bridge City.

Hargrave has retired from the Bridge City Police Department after 26 years.

*****Our Republican U.S. Legislatures just will not accept the facts.

There is no longer fear of a double dip recession in which the end of stimulus money would tip the economy back into contradiction.

Factories are producing more; the economy added 162,000 jobs last month, the most in three years.

The nation’s service sector is growing quicker than expected.

Contracts for home sales are up.

We have come a long way from the brink of a great depression to a stabilizing economy.

We’re not there yet but we’re out of the dark hole. *****The country has eight years of devastation to get over.

It will take time.*****We heard from Jack Huffman, a native of Brunner Addition, who married pretty Betty Ramsey 60 years ago.

A longtime friend, Jack was raised with the Garrett boys.

He called about Red’s death.

Jack attended Stark High with Don Harmon, then graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in engineering.

For seven years he served as Orange city manager with councilmen Red, Neal Miller, Bob Whithead and the others.

He left Orange in 1972 to become city manager at Greely, Colo.

Jack then spent 20 years as city manager of Irving.

The population was 90,000 when he arrived and 280,000 when he retired.

He’s a little upset that Sunday they are tearing down his beloved Cowboy Stadium.

He feels like it should have been saved for many other useful uses.

Through his professional life Jack has received many awards.

He’s one of our proud native sons.

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Obituaries 10 Years Ago-2010

Jimmy Lavon (Jim) Boyd, 78, of Orange, died Thursday, April 1.

He was survived by his sister, Dene Huddleston; daughters, Debbie (Boyd) Mazzola and Cheryl (Boyd) Simar granddaughters, Amanda Mazzola Goss, Emily Mazzola and Laney (Simar) Sanders; great-grandson, Ethan Goss and great-granddaughter, Shelby Sanders.*****Wendy Gail Etheridge Chargois, 51, of Bridge City, died Friday, April, 1.

Wendy was an outgoing person who loved her family, and was taken too soon.

Wendy was survived by her mother, Pat Lawson; sister, Candy Clark; daughters, Monica Leigh Bird and Anna Gail Chargois; son, John Henry Chargois.***** Clara Lopez, 77, of Orange, died Thursday, April, 1.

A Mass of Christian Burial was Tuesday.

Clara retired in 1997 after 47 years working at Sabine Title Company.

She was survived by her sister, Rose Lopez; brothers, Manuel, Marcelino and Roger Lopez, Fred Lopez, Tony and Ben Lopez.

A FEW HAPPENINGS

Last week Neighbor Cox was all prepped and ready for a procedure when Dr.

Morbia called a halt because Cox’s blood was too thin.

It will have to be rescheduled.

He is now with his family and seems to be in good spirits.*****Many Orange Countians are worrying about relatives that are first responders, nurses and doctors.

Every day they put themselves at risk.

We personally have a granddaughter Amber, an anesthesiologist and husband Clay, a surgeon, both on the front line.

Amber, the mother of two boys and one on the way, tells us they are issued one mask daily and lack a lot of equipment needed to stay safe.

*****Here are some special dates coming up this week.

April 4, marks the killing of Martin Luther King, age 39, in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968, by James Earl Ray. That was 52 years ago.

Very few people under the age of 60 remember the event but to me and people in my age group it doesn’t seem that long ago.

What is a little surprising even today is that he was so young.

*****April 5 is Palm Sunday, an important day to all Christians.

It is especially an important celebration in the Catholic Church.

This will be the first time I can remember, because of the Coronavirus, that Catholics will not be able to attend services.

*****A new report is out that fewer people are now watching FOX News.

CNN has the highest ratings they have had in 15 years.

MSNBC is also up in the ratings.*****April 6, 1917, the United States entered WWI. Throughout my life it has always been referred to as the 1918 War.

I’ve had an interest in that war because my father fought in it and was injured.

The year 1918 was also the year that millions died because of influenza (Spanish Flu.)*****Next week on Wednesday, April 8, in 1974, Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves, rocked the baseball world on beating Babe Ruth’s homerun record by hitting his 715^th homerun off of Al Downing.

Roy has a replica of that bat marking the occasion and signed by Aaron. *****A few folks having birthdays in the next few days.

Arlene Dodge celebrates April 2.***Pct.

1 Constable, Lannie Claybar, marks his birthday April 3.***Our longtime buddy Al Deroche, who sold advertising for many years after retiring from Gulf Oil, is now well into his 90’s.

He celebrates April 5.***Also celebrating on this day is our friend Earl Duhon, owner of Dupuis Tire and Service Center.*****Celebrating on April 6, is one of the great guys, Judge Chad Jenkins. It’s such a pleasure to know and be around the Pct.

2 Justice of the Peace.

Judge Chad is not only married to pretty Windy, but his other hobby is that he is a certified auctioneer.***Also celebrating on this day is pretty Cyndie Scales Chauvin, the longtime wife of Vance and from the Buster Scales family.*****A happy birthday to a nice lady, Bethanie Penning, on April 7.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL. See complete birthday list below.*****When the history is written about these terrible times in our country, the real leaders will be shown as the state governors.

They picked up the ball and ran with it early when Coronavirus first hit and the federal government was in denial.

For six weeks it was called a hoke, fake news, and would soon pass.

The U.S. is still far behind in getting supplies and equipment to states because of playing catch up.

The truth is that this presidential crisis is just too big for a novice.

BREAUX BIRTHDAYS

Celebrating on April 1, Tracie Ray, Pam Savoy, Steve Adams and Angie Sellers. *****On April 2, Vickie Foreman, Kellie Fontenot, Michael McAllister and Nevella Toal. *****April 3, Deana Blackmon, Linda Currie, Alan Anderson and Desirea Wilson. *****April 4, Debbie Kendick, Jason Ballard, Joe Peery, Kathie Dorman and Spencer Johns. *****April 5, Libby Harrison, Nancy McWhorter and Race Dearborn. *****April 6, David Blanton, Shirley Hayes. *****April 7, Shelly Watts, Kevin Ernst, Wayne McPherson and Billie Jo Nelson.

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Pop singer Susan Boyle turns 54 on April 1, Country singer Hillary Scott, 34 and Wrestler Randy Orlon will be 40.

*****April 2, Radio Host Bobby Bones, 40, Actors Christopher Meloni, 59, Clara Santana, 36 and Adam Rodriguez, 45.****April 3, Michael’s daughter Paris Jackson will be 22, Actors Eddie Murphy, 59 and Alec Baldwin, 62.*****April 4, Actors Robert Downey, Jr., 55, Jamie Lynn Spears, 29 and David Cross, 55.*****April 5, Pop singer Pharrell Williams, 47, Actor Sterling K. Brown, 44 and Wrestler Charlotte Flair, 34.*****On April 6, Actors Candace Cameron-Bure, 44, Paul Rudd, 51 and Billy Dee Williams, 83.*****April 7, former football player Tiki Barber, 45, Actors Jackie Chan, 66 and Russell Crowe will be 66.

CAJUN STORY OF THE WEEK

When Clovis Comeaux retired, he returned home to Lafayette after many years. Bored he got himself a job as a greeter at Walmart. Comeaux jus couldn’t seem to get to work on time. Everyday he was five or ten minutes late him. However he was a good worker, really tidy, clean shaven, sharp minded and a real credit to the company. He was obviously demonstrating dere “older person friendly” policies.

One day, da boss called him into da office for a talk. “Clovis, I have to tell you, I like your work ethic me, you do a bang up job but you being late so often is really bothersome.”

“Mais yea, I know boss and me I’m working on dat.”

“Well good, you are a team player dats wat I like to hear. It’s odd tough, you coming in late. I know dat you retired from da armed forces. Wat dey say if you come in late hanh?”

Well boss, dey say “Good morning Admiral Comeaux, can I get you coffee sir?”

C’EST TOUT

It’s a great time to get your tomato, bell pepper and cucumber plants in the ground.

The soil is warming and the little cool front coming won’t hurt anything.

Farmers Mercantile has a great selection of good, healthy plants.

Just about anything you might want to plant they have.

Fresh plants are arriving daily.

I had a little scare last week.

Lou Harris, in her Farmer’s Wife column, wrote about the best days for castrating.

After she read the column, I noticed my partner was sharpening our faithful butcher knife.

I apologized to her for everything I ever did wrong.

*****My time is up, thanks for yours.

Hunker down, wash your hands a lot and pray.

Some day this will all be over but for now the worse may still by in front of us.

Take care and God bless.