hello buttercup

When I was a student a Westmont College in Santa Barbara I had two great jobs. WAYyy back in 1987 when you went to chapel you had to handWRITE your student ID number on a blue card. My job was to input the student ID numbers into a computer. I got maybe $25 per week. Money for Penguins Frozen Yogurt.

I also worked at a little church. The First Christian Church in Santa Barbara. A historic little church in the center of downtown. Cool old pews and stained-glass windows.

The ad asked for a student at the college to teach the children's church every Sunday. The church consisted of mostly older folks but of course there were a few young families with kids. They would pay $250 per month.

I took on the job. They said that one of the couples from the church would pick me up at Westmont early Sunday morning to bring me to the church. I remember waiting outside the front of Clark dorm area until this ADORABLE elderly couple pulled up.

When they pulled up, I got in the car and they were very lovely and friendly. When we got to the church they really took me under their wing. They began to introduce me to the other families in the church.

My maiden name is Butterfield.

Somehow they thought my last name was Buttercup.

They started telling everyone that was my name. I did not correct them.

It all happened so fast.

All the way back to campus they talked all about what an unusual last name I had. How they had never met a Buttercup before, and on and on.

I said not a word.

So, for the rest of the year I was Paula Buttercup.

I was driving around downtown Santa Barbara this past month and I drove past this cafe.




Paradise Cafe is where a sweet elderly couple and Princess Buttercup ate after church on Sundays during the school year of 1987-1988.
They always treated. It still makes me smile.