NOT JUST ANOTHER SEPTEMBER

We've all been blasted from complacency here in Southeast Texas by Hurricane Ike. I, for one, am extremely fortunate to have suffered only minor setbacks because of the storm. My house and property are intact, and we are very comfortable even though we are still without electricity on day 15 of the aftermath. You won't find me complaining about having to camp out in my own home when others have lost their homes and everything they owned including their beloved pets. Of course, there are also those who have lost family members or friends or even their own lives. The distress and anguish of many is beyond any comparison to the inconveniences of being ranked with the "lucky" ones. I am grateful for time spent with dear friends and for generous hospitality given to us for ten days. We love you, Susan. I am grateful for loved ones who cleared our long driveway of fallen trees, limbs and debris so we could reach our house when we returned home. Thank you Derek and Allison for lending your help and strength while Uncle Sonny was recovering from surgery. Also, thanks for letting Abby stay with you for almost a week. It may have preserved her teenage sanity during this time. It is no surprise to anyone who knows my sister, Tanya, that she spared me a great deal of stress by helping me gather the valuables from my house on the day of evacuation. She took an entire carload of things back home with her, including my two dogs, Yeti and Daisy. She picked them both up from the kennel on her way out of town, and they are still with her at my parents home. This is after she spent the entire day before from 5am until 9pm at the hospital with me during my husband's surgery for prostate cancer. My sister seems to always be there when I need her the most. How blessed I am to be her little sister. I'm also grateful to Mom and Dad and my brother, Carl, for their love and support during this difficult time and for helping take care of my dogs. I'll continue this tomorrow because I don't want to leave anything out. I have soooo much to be grateful for. Til then......