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Hurricane Katrina Worries...Dear B.J.: Are You OKAY?? (Louie Writes...) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Rated "G" by the Author.
Louisiana is thinking of her friend in South Miami, Florida, Betty Jean (B.J.) Ciagalore, who was in Hurricane Rita's path; she is worried about her.
Weds., September 21, 2005, 11:03 a.m., C.D.T.~
Dear B.J.~
I haven't heard from you in quite a long while; and I am starting to get worried about you. If it is because of Hurricane Katrina (and now Hurricane Rita) coming your way, I can surely understand, particularly if you lost power or had anything in the form of damage. I pray you didn't; but if you did, I pray that you get back on your feet soon! I will keep you in my prayers!
We had the effects of Hurricane Katrina come through Nashville, but we mainly had some very heavy rain (not much in the way of flooding, thank goodness, but there WAS some in the lower lying areas of the city). We also had a lot of wind (it was blowing between 39-45 m.p.h.), and a lot of heavy, threatening skies; but it was gone in a matter of several hours, and then it cleared up nicely. Now Hurricane Rita is threatening the Texas gulf coast region (it may also hit Louisiana, depending on the track of the storm; LORD, I HOPE not!!), and once again, my mind is fraught with worry and concern, especially since both my husband and myself have friends (and family) down there in Texas AND Louisiana. I pray they make it through; all we CAN do is pray for the best...
Speaking of Hurricane Katrina, she has managed to turn our lives upside down, even here in Tennessee: we are paying for higher gas prices (and I am afraid that the prices are only going to go higher, thanks to Hurricane Rita), and it is costing us an arm and a leg (and part of another arm) to gas up our vehicles, and my checks don't seem to last as long as they did prior to Hurricane Katrina. She also caused us to get three evacuees (soon to be four, as soon as the fourth one is released from the hospital) to stay at our place (we have two boys and a girl from New Orleans, Louisiana, staying at our house; they lost their parents), and we are also having a woman come to our house just as soon as she is well enough to be released from the hospital. She lived in Biloxi, Mississippi, and she lost just about everything in Hurricane Katrina. I met her while I was helping out with relief efforts in Biloxi, Mississippi, and you just canNOT believe the scope of the destruction that I saw while I was down there! It looked as though a nuclear bomb (or several F-5 tornadoes) went through Biloxi; just about every building sustained damage, and there is so much in the way of debris and devastation! It is akin to what I saw in Sri Lanka, and it is both sobering and mind-numbing! You just canNOT believe the devastation that a powerful hurricane such as Katrina can cause unless you have seen it for yourself with your very own eyes! I hear it was even worse in New Orleans, Louisiana, and I personally feel that the mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, ought to be SHOT for how he handled the crisis that was at hand! There could have been a much better way to get out those poor, elderly, or disabled people who ended up being holed up at the SuperDome, and something should have been done with all the senseless looting and gang violence! That was absolutely paTHETIC, and it still makes me ill whenever I think of all the horrors down there! Then the levees burst, and it only made a severe problem all the more dire; and I am frankly sick and tired of all the finger pointing and blaming!! I mean, it was NOT President Bush's fault that Hurricane Katrina struck and caused so much misery: it was just an act of God, NOTHING ELSE!! We need to band together and HELP those desperate people, not hate them (or others) and make false accusations! It is no wonder our nation is so messed up nowadays! (One can only wonder where GOD is in all this!)...
But onto better (and more pleasant) things...Have the boys started back to preschool yet? How are they doing? How are YOU doing?? Have you managed to find a job yet, or are you still looking? I know it must be frustrating to not to be able to find work, but all you CAN do is hang in there and DON'T give up! Something SHOULD come up if you keep on trying; it CAN'T be this way forever! If I could hire you here, believe me, I WOULD; we are always looking for new faces at the hospital, and we could really use the extra help! You can try to apply for a position at one of the hospitals near you; I will keep you in my prayers! Let me know what you think!
Things here are going PRETTY good (for the most part!), but the kids are all growing up so fast, and we have since adopted another child, a girl of eight years, who has spina bifida (but she CAN ambulate very well on Lofstrands and leg braces). She is from Romania, and her name is Janica Kryzstina; and she is a very sweet child (if a little on the shy side). But she is adjusting quite well for being with us just over a month now, and she is learning English at an incredibly fast pace. We are really proud of her! She is so pretty: she is small in size, and thin, with short, dark brownish-red hair, green eyes, and freckles adorning her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. She is really cute! I will send you a picture of her one of these days, so you can see what our new child looks like!
Well, B.J., do write soon; I am really getting worried! I am sorry for not writing sooner myself, but things have been CRAZY here at best! (But I wouldn't trade ANY of it for all the money in the world! *giggle*) Please do take care of yourself, and know you are in my prayers and thoughts!
Love you!
(((HUGS)))
~As always, your (concerned) friend in Tennessee, Louisiana Mayrah. :(
Rovella is a beautiful woman with a cold heart whom blames herself for an unfortunate old family secret that is literally ruining her life. This secret impedes a gorgeous woman from having happiness in her childhood, and throughout her life. Dark sec
Weds., September 21, 2005, 11:03 a.m., C.D.T.~
