I am a fortunate one . . .

A barge that can't be filled too much as the water isn't too high here on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi in Vidalia, LA

We just returned from breakfast at McD's in Denham Springs one of the few stores that was not inundated. We circled home by South Park and Wax Road. My God, my heart seizes up and tears come unbidden when I see the destruction. It is overwhelming and I keep saying to myself, "And we weren't even touched by this devastation and I become emotional." P&D's Pop and I along with our son's family are unscathed along with the new friends we've made but the people surrounding us have been destroyed. They are stalwarts in the face of this enormous calamity but I can only imagine that if I am depressed by what I see whenever we go out by the thousands of families who have nothing but wet, stinking, rotting garbage in front of their once comfortable homes I'm not sure I could manage my life as they must. Their lives can't and may never again get into a routine comfortable pattern for they have been caught by nature and government in this hell. If the hell were fire and brimstone that cleaned the face of  Louisiana it would be welcomed as it is there is nothing but putrefaction and government regulation. Money does not flow into the hands of families desperate to clean up and move on with their lives. The red tape to get anything at all done is regulated to the nth degree and little is happening to clean up the rotten in the state of Louisiana. Good people are languishing  and I wouldn't  blame them if they pity themselves as government regulations and other forms of financial help are a matter of waiting in lines or online to fill out forms and hope that someone somewhere really does know how to get help to the people as they scrub themselves and their now meager possessions trying to get their lives back together. I cannot see how this can be done quickly because it is so widespread and bureaucracy is a set back every step of the way. I am rambling again as I am overcome by the magnitude of the desolation surrounding us. So I'll move on to a pleasant subject.

A friend who used to kidnap me from our son's home over the past few years when we were visiting from Connecticut will upon occasion still call me and we go off in search of old places and things. We ended up in Vidalia, Louisiana looking across the Mississippi River at a house on a cliff perched above Old Man River in Natchez, Mississippi. She asked if I would be okay with going to find the place and seeing if we could bum around it or at least peak in. In all the years my friend Angie and I hung out together Angie would always enlist me in her wild quests and we always had a blast - sometimes we did foolish stuff but we always laughed and had a great time. Friday was one of those days. A... and I are of different generations but she is very interesting as she tells me about her life growing up in a very small Texas town where her parents lived by their wits and what they could put on the table. She didn't know you could buy meat in a store until she was almost 16. Her Mom and Dad used to grow cotton, hunt, farm, butcher to feed and clothe their family. She pointed out the cotton fields as we drove North. I hope I'll get a chance to see them in bloom on LA 61 which goes into Mississippi. Cotton fields on both sides of the road! Must remind myself to keep track of the harvest. I think even P&D's Pop would take me for a ride to see the white fields. I didn't know that picking cotton by hand can cut your fingers to shreds. I knew it was back breaking work but not that it could tear your hands up. Thank God for the cotton gin. Wow, I have so much learning to do and I just put it off. It's time I go back and study US history for a start. I know so little and what I learned was minuscule. We shall get together again at some point in time after she does what she hates doing - doctoring!  A... reminds me of myself when I was so pooped and miserable I couldn't get out of my own way and was so grouchy I wanted to crawl into a hole. It took a nurse practitioner with lots of experience with women to listen to me and put me on synthroid even before she got the blood work back! I've been on somewhat increasing doses through the years and it is almost a wonder drug! Crazy.

Took a break to go to Mass while P&D's Pop is at the flying field at Bayou Park in Zachary. Immaculate Conception Parish continues to amaze me. Even though the property was flooded they have been working hard and a group from New Orleans has set up an outdoor kitchen in the parking lot to feed all who come to eat. They even send out food  and will continue to do so for as long as necessary which from the looks of our streets will be a very long time. The church has been emptied and the floors cleaned from the sludge left by the flooding. They are going to try to dry it out so they don't have to cut into the walls but that will take quite a while. They only have Mass in the church on Sunday's the rest of the week it is in a small chapel in their newest building which was built high and dry a few years ago. The rectory and early learning center were destroyed and have been gutted. As soon as they can dry out enough of what's left they will start to rebuild. Thank goodness the newest building on campus was built up high. The priests are sleeping on mattresses on the third floor and keeping up with their jobs getting help to all in need. That's a huge job. The phones are now working and plans have been made to start some of the religious ed classes. The Early Learning Center must be rebuilt before classes can start so I think it may be a month or so until I get back to help out. I really can't do any physical work but I am looking forward to the kids and teachers. I'm always surprised about how much I miss kids!

Quote:  The wise carry their knowledge, as they do their watches, not for display, but for their own use.
     I envy no man that knows more than myself, but pity them that know less.    ____Sir T. Browne