I thought it was the most amazing story to hear about the girl who had been kidnapped 18 years ago to be found alive and with two children. I can only imagine how her family felt to find out not only that their daughter was alive after all these years, but also that they had two grandchildren as well. I’m sure they are all going to need alot of therapy, but oh the joy of having her home.
THAT my friends is what real news is made of.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget when I heard on the news that Hurricane Katrina was expected to make landfall in New Orleans. Anyone from the Coastal area knew that a Category 3 hurricane had the potential to wipe out New Orleans if the levy’s broke, but here was Katrina, the monster storm headed towards New Orleans, almost assuring that the New Orleans that so many knew and loved would be no more.
Sometime or another before making landfall, Katrina turned, with the Mississippi Gulf Coast as her landfall target. As she made landfall, she literally obliverated the Mississippi Gulf Coast, taking almost everything in her path with her, including many historical homes that had survived during the devastating 1969 storm, Hurricane Camille.
By this time, I no longer lived on the Gulf Coast, but I watched Fox News and cried as I heard stories about the Coast that I know and love being ‘wiped out’, and the levys breaking in New Orleans, flooding part of the French Quarter and the lower 9th ward. Even though I grew up a short 15 minute ride from the beach, my parents moved inland after we graduated high school, and now live close to an hour from the beach I spent so much time at growing up.
I had limted cell phone contact with my parents, but enough to know that they, along with my brother and his family had made it through the storm without any damage, but the same wasn’t true for so many others. So many had lost everything, and I do mean everything, walking away with the clothes on their backs and llittle more.
Anyone who was on the Coast during the time has a Katrina story. I have videos, and I have a book, neither of which I’ve ever been able to watch or look at in their entirety because I just can’t stand to see that much dispair, devastation and pain. I’ve heard stories, many stories from family and friends, of how they made it through the storm, and the stories never cease to amaze me at the power of the human spirit.
It wasn’t until a year later that I actually visited the coast with Marcel, and I remember driving down Highway 90 and realizing that the news reports and the articles had been nothing compared to what I was seeing at that moment, and it was a year later. I couldn’t and still can’t wrap my head around the days after the storm, and what the people of the Gulf Coast and of New Orleans had to endure. I do know for certain that what we saw on the news, doesn’t even come close to showing us the real story.
Katrina did show us the power of the human spirit, as people the world over came to the aid of those in need. Even as I type this and the tears are streaming down my face, I know that in spite of the evil in the world, that good always prevails, and hope is a powerful thing.
Many have been able to rebuild their lives when they were left with little more than hope, a sure sign that with hope anything is possible. Four years later, there are still those who are struggling to find their way, to rebuild their lives, but progress is being made. If you visit the Coast for the first time today, you may not notice much evidence that Katrina ever practically destroyed everything, but for those of us who have made the Coast or New Orleans our home- we know.
We may be moving forward, but we’ll never forget.
I’ve barely seen or talked to Desere this week, so Marcel and I are headed to hers and Heins for coffee and a chat. I’m SO glad it’s Friday and with Marcel being free this weekend, I’m ready to enjoy myself.
What are YOU doing this weekend?
Oops time to go. Hope it doesn’t start raining while we’re walking, but I really want the exercise. I have been lacking in that department this week.
It has been another busy day in the Wizzy and Marcel household, but not so busy that I didn’t watch Anderson Cooper 360 last night, who is live in New Orleans with the 4 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaching tomorrow. More on that later.
Since I don’t always have time to watch my favorite television shows when I want to, and I’ve been known to forget to set the DVR, I was thrilled when I found that I could watch Army Wives on Spreedy TV. It’s a source to watch Free TV Online legally, which is not only great for shows that no longer air in my area, but also for those missed episodes. Makes me love technology even more.
Some people think that once you get to a certain age, that you actually stop learning new things. Obviously nothing could be further from the truth. Yesterday I learned that working 15 hours and staying up until un-Godly hours of the morning thinking that it will help you be more productive by getting ahead only leaves your ability to think in slow motion the following day, not to mention annoyed with yourself for thinking that this was ever a good idea in the first place.
Lesson 1- No more 15 hour days unless I can follow it up with at least 9 hours of sleep.
Lesson 2- Sleep- is as important as they say it is, and then some.
It’s going to be an early night tonight folks.
Even though Marcel has a laptop, and I have a PC, there are times when I would prefer the ease of a laptop to sitting in one place in the computer room. When the weather is nice, I’d like to sit outside and work, but when Marcel is home he wants to be able to use his laptop when he wants. It’s understandable since he isn’t a fan of my computer, even though it’s fast, it doesn’t have all his regular programs. This has led me to conclude that it may be time to start looking at laptop deals sooner than later. I’ve been drooling over a MacBook Pro, but not sure if that is more laptop than I really need, but I really, really want it.
If you’re going to open your mouth, then by all means, at least have somewhat of an idea of what you’re talking about instead of just babbling for babblings sake.
As Forrest Gump would say, “That’s All I’ve Got to Say About That”.
I’ve worked for about 15 hours today and I’m up way past my bedtime, so time for some beauty sleep. Hopefully tomorrow will prove to be a lighter schedule, but at least the weekend is around the corner. Night y’all.
Busy- That’s me in a nutshell. Bear with me as I continue to try to strike a balance in this new found schedule of mine.
I have much to talk about, including the now alleged homicide of Michael Jackson. I know, we’re all tired of talking about it, but more on that later.
I have the feeling that the bath water that I ran more than a half hour ago is cold by now, so I guess actually going to the bathtub and taking a bath may be a good thing. Plus I realized I haven’t eaten, AND I have clothes to take off the line and fold.
Since I got so busy last week, I didn’t have any chances to continue with last seasons Surivor, and I’m really hoping that after I get caught up, that I’ll at least have a few hours to do just that.
How are you spending your Sunday?
While I’m on the subject today of things that I find to be a little crazy. I may as well begin on the topic of exit signs, and other signs in the United States that can now be found in almost every town in languages other than English. While I definitely understand that in larger cities, which tend to attract tourists from other countries and languages, I can’t quite comprehend it happening in small town America where there is no tourism to speak of. I am a firm believer that when you reside in a country, you should be able to speak the language in everyday settings. What you do in your own home is your business, but I do believe that people should have an overall grasp and understanding, plus be able to communicate in the English language.
What do you think?