One Year Later

It is so hard to believe that Hurricane Katrina happened just about one year ago. I have personally seen the affects of the Hurricane. It was just about one year ago that I noticed a news report stating that Katrina would most probably hit New Orleans and that people should begin evacuating. I have lived in Los Angeles all of my life but I recently moved to the Houston Texas area. My husband is a native of New Orleans and many of his family members were still residing there at the time of Katrina. Knowing the proximity between Houston and New Orleans, I began tidying up my guest room because I knew that my in-laws were most probably on the way to Houston in the evacuation process......and they were. As we were glued to the TV and watched the news unfold day after day, it was not only heart-wrenching to see what was going on in New Orleans but it was very painful to witness the emotions of uncertainty of the future and loss of the past life that my in-laws knew may be gone for good. I prayed a lot during those days. I thanked God that I had a home to make available to some of them until they were able to get back on their feet.

All of my husband's family was accounted for except for one elderly uncle who refused to leave. I am sorry to say that he perished in the flood waters that rose into his home but everyone else did evacuate and are still in the process of trying to rebuild their lives. Some have moved to Houston permanently. Some moved to Dallas and others have gone back to New Orleans to see if they could try and salvage some of the life they once knew. Things will never ever be the same again for them. The rich culture that made the city of New Orleans unique, vanished overnight. To me, New Orleans was like no place else on earth. They called it "The Big Easy". The theme was "Let the good times roll". The music, the food, the language and the people had their own flavor....much like the Gumbo dish that they are so famous for. The first time I visited New Orleans, I was taken by surprise. You must remember that I was coming from Los Angeles where strangers rarely speak to you or look you in the eye as they pass you on the street. Everywhere I went in New Orleans, I was genuinely and whole-heartedly greeted like a long lost cousin. I can't begin to tell you how many times I was offered to partake in the culinary offerings of others. I quickly found out that to decline was almost darn near offensive. The folks of New Orleans take great pride in their cooking. It is almost like a secret contest. Who makes the best Gumbo or Pralines? Whoever is offering you some at the time!

The architecture is simply fabulous in New Orleans and the French Quarter. There are beautiful Victiorian homes, Acadian styled homes, Gothic looking homes and an exquisite host of other types. There are houses with ornate wrought iron railings going around wrap-around porches and galleries. There are beautiful gardens to accompany these homes, especially on Magazine Street. I just loved going down St. Charles Street on my visits to the French Quarter. I would see the lovely mansions with their gas-light lamps as I viewed the quaint street car (trolly) making its way down the street and I would be immediately transported to a different place and time. It was almost like getting a brief glimpse into history. There is the mixture of Spanish, French, African and Indian influence in the region. The language spoken in New Orleans is English of course but it is the most interesting use of the English language I have ever heard. I just love it. I have secretly practiced it and I generously use it whenever I am repeating something that has been told to me by my in-laws. Once again, it is a Gumbo melting pot of all of these backgrounds mixed together and the dialect reflects this. I am curious though.....now that so many New Orleanians have moved to Texas, will the New Orleans dialect mix with the Texas drawl and form a whole new way of talking. We'll just have to wait and find out. My brother in law is a die hard New Orleans type of guy. He has New Orleans in his blood but when he came to Houston, he purchased a cowboy hat. I have since named him "The Crawfish Cowboy". The other funny thing about New Orleans is that they had drive-thru Daquiri shops. That really goes against the don't drink and drive slogan, huh? But I guess it goes with the "Let the good times roll" theme". New Orleanians love a good party. The whole world knows about Mardi Gras but does the whole world know that they will pretty much have a party for any reason. I am told that they used to have Hurricane Parties. They are also the only people that I know who literally will turn a funeral (which is supposed to be a sad event, right?) into party and a joyous occasion.

There is something to be said for people with this type of resiliency. I believe that their optimism will see them through their challenges and difficulties. Yes, It is one year later since Hurricane Katrina struck. Not much has been accomplished or rectified but I am praying for the people of New Orleans. I am praying for all of those who are still destitute...those who have lost loved ones.... and those who feel lost and alone and displaced. I am praying that those who don't know God yet will come to know him and that those who do know God will have their faith strengthened and renewed. Prayer changes things! Won't you please take some time this week and join me in prayer for the people of New Orleans, Mississippi, Florida, Texas and all those who have been affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita? They thank you and so do I.

13 Times A Day

Working with small children (as I do) can be quite funny. I know every song that Barney the purple dinosaur sings. Let's not even mention the fact that there are days when I feel that I actually live on Sesame Street. Yes....I can tell you how to get to Sesame Street! Elmo, Big Bird, Grover, Ernie and Bert are my peeps...my homies....my buddies. We hang out together every morning before I begin Phonics lessons with my students.

There is no way that I would win on a game show such as Jeopardy or Who Want's To Be A MILLIONAIRE. Don't ask me about world events. Don't ask me about politics. Don't ask me about stock prices. Don't ask me about Brangelina or TomKat because I won't be able to tell you a thing. But if you want to know who Mr. Noodle is, or the color of Clifford the Big____Dog, I can tell you that. I know that If you try "Green Eggs and Ham" you may end up liking them. I can tell you why Jack and Jill went up the hill. I can say the"Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers" tongue twister faster than you can blink. I can play a mean game of "Go Fish or CANDYLAND" but don't ask me how to play poker or bridge. I even knew that London Bridges were falling down before Fergie decided to steal a child's nursery rhyme and make song out of it. I don't think that a week goes by that I don't touch finger-paint, glue, construction paper, or blow bubbles. I know how to play house and princesses. I know how to build tunnels and bridges with wooden blocks and I know how to make car engine sounds with my mouth when I make the toy trucks go over and under the tunnels and bridges. For all of these reasons, I have to make sure that I get my daily dose of reality checks. I try to make sure that I have at least one good adult conversation per day. I also try to make sure that I read something interesting or learn something new each day. This keeps me from actually having to take up residence on Sesame Street.

I thought it would be fun to share a few fun facts with you. Test your knowledge to see how many of these facts you know. If nothing else, you'll have some great conversation starters at your next boring Company Picnic or Family Get Together. Memorize a few of these and dazzle your friends and colleagues with with your superior knowledge and intelligence. They don't have to know the truth! (Tee Hee)

1. The Yo Yo was originally used as a weapon in the Phillipines Jungle.

2. The best selling glue in America is ELMER'S Glue All.

3. The longest recorded flight of a Chicken is 13 seconds.

4. The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is over 9,000 years old.

5. A quarter has 119 grooves on it's edge.

6. In 1880's England, the word PANTS was considered a dirty word.

7. The average American drinks about 600 sodas per year.

8. Millions of trees in the world were accidentally planted by squirrels who forgot where they hid and buried their nuts.

9. 1 out of every 230 cars made was stolen last year.

10. A person uses an average of 57 sheets of toilet paper per day.

11. There are more plastic flamingos in the USA than real ones.

12. A fetus develops fingerprints at 18 weeks.

13. Rice Paper doesn't have any rice in it.

14. Every second, Americans collectively eat 100 pounds of chocolate.

15. Forest fires move faster uphill than downhill.

16. Money is not made out of paper...it's made out of cotton.

17. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos.

18. Coca Cola was originally green.

19. Diet Coke was only invented in 1982.

20. Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on our planet.

21. Men are 6 times more likely to be struck by lightning than women.

22. It is impossible to lick your elbow.

23. Honolulu is the ONLY place in the USA that has a Royal Palace.

24. There are approximately 50 bibles sold each minute across the world. Yes, the word is getting out that JESUS SAVES! And just in case you didn't know, let me be the one to tell you just how much he loves you. I hope that brings a smile to your face. And it leads me to one final thing.

QUESTION?

What does the average person do at least 13 times a day?

ANSWER:

Laugh

Try and count how many times you laugh today. If it is less than 13 then make sure you find something to laugh about. Remember this....The Joy of the Lord is your Strength.