Hope Prevails:
Wonderful news for us--the death toll in Louisiana is expected to be far less than anticipated, at least in the New Orleans area. We agonize over the daily reports of bodies found, but rejoice that, at least thus far, the masses of people who were believed dead in the city seemed to have escaped, or were successfully evacutated. There can be no words to express our gratitude for the rescue workers who achieved, and continue to achieve, this miracle. And we see something very hopeful here. We see the resourcefulness and determination of the people of New Orleans--in getting out, in enduring the horrendous conditions of the shelters in the days immediately following the hurricane. In returning to help restore some of the facilities we need to go back to our homes.
They went to the Convention Center by the thousands, and even when it became obvious that no assistance was provided for them, they endured. They, and the thousands of others at the Superdome, bore the ravages that Katrina had wreaked not only on the landscape, but on the human spirit. Those who could not be evacuated right away stayed on their roofs and porches, in their attics, and even interstates and mausoleums have become home to the most intrepid. They share what food they have, and take care of one another as best they can. This is the spirit that defines New Orleans.
The soul of New Orleans is intact. Her people, wherever we are, remain tied to her with the strongest of spiritual cords. Generations of New Orleanians have only to look back on the culture that our ancestors built and left to us. The sense of place that we have been privileged to inherit cannot be torn away by the rages of nature, or the failure of man-made institutions. In her almost 300 year history, New Orleans has been destroyed by fire, by war and reconstruction, and by other hurricanes. We have no doubt that the challenge of Katrina, although formidable, will be met with our ususal determination and failth both in ourselves and in our fellow Americans.
Love letters to New Orleans:
Last week, we wrote a blog asking for your thoughts on what you would most like to see when you come back to visit New Orleans. The reponses were amazing and I thank you all. Many of you wrote about the streetcars on St. Charles Ave. Here are some memories I have. I recall riding the streetcar with my grandmother as a child and now I'm the grandmother taking my grandchildren on the streetcar. I am lucky enough to live close enough to the St. Charles Streetcar to hear in my garden. Next time you are here, take a streetcar ride from Canal Street all the way to the end of the line. It's a leisurely and inexpensive way to see some of the beauty of New Orleans.
Miss Hayley Elizabeth's White Tiger is Fine!
My granddaughter loves the white tigers at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. She has a stuffed one we bought for her on a visit there and she often brings him with her to my house when she spends the night. I have worried about the zoo since the hurricane. But all is well. This morning I saw a report on the zoo on the video stream from our local TV channel, WWL. All of the animals are fine. In fact they were actually more upset after storm by all the helicopters flying overhead.
One of the first things I'm going to do when I get home is take Miss Hayley Elizabeth to see her friend, the white tiger.
New Orleans History:
New Orleans is reeling in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Many people who live outside of the city are asking if she can ever recover. Those of us who know the history of this fine old city are not doubtful. We know she will recover. The history of New Orleans has taught us that.
Insomnia Notes:
From Patricia: We had all been getting somewhat used to our displacement, or at least were becoming familiar with our Texas surroundings, and a kind of routine had set in. Now we have been told that we will be able to return home in the next few days. With the joy of this news comes fresh anxiety--we fear what we will find, and the amount of work to be done is staggering. So we are all beginning to have sleepless nights again. After a llttle (or a lot) of wine, we usually go to sleep fairly easily.
But the 3:00 a.m. moments come regularly--my husband tossed and turned, and finally got up and left the room, because he couldn't pace in the room. We had information that a house owned by a family member had burned down; bank deposits had been misdirected, and we are missing some much needed funds. We don't know the state of our businesses. There is a tremenddous amount of uncertainty.
Still, we know we are blessed. As of this date, we have homes to go back to. I hope to be dreaming in, not just of, my home soon.
