Lafourche Parish (where I live) president, Charlotte Randolph, has issued a "mandatory evacuation order". The order does not mean that you must go or they will drag you out of your house. You may stay, but no emergency services will be provided for you. Of course, everyone should evacuate, but this is part "cover our asses" coming from the powers, because I know, and they know, that a number of folks are staying, including my two sons, and the parish authorities will be forced to provide emergency services to those who remain here.
I don't think my sons are wise, but one has three basset hounds, and the other has four cats, so you can see their reasons. Their families won't be with them, just the pets, which I assure you they will not leave behind if they decide to evacuate after all. My son who lives in Houma will come to stay at our house in Thibodaux, which is further away from the Gulf of Mexico. We live in the higher part of Lafourche Parish
In lower Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes, there will be flooding from the storm surge, no matter where Gustav lands, so those folks have already or will soon move out - I hope.
Beannacht
ReplyDeleteOn the day when
the weight deadens
on your shoulders
and you stumble,
may the clay dance
to balance you.
And when your eyes
freeze behind
the grey window
and the ghost of loss
gets in to you,
may a flock of colours,
indigo, red, green
and azure blue
come to awaken in you
a meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays
in the curach of thought
and a stain of ocean
blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters
a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow
wind work these words
of love around you,
an invisible cloak
to mind your life.
John O'Donohue
Anam Cara: Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World
Three bassets must make for a quiet existence. More besides, if the incontinence of the one I once owned is any indication. Will you be getting them or is it the son with the cats who will be boarding with you? Must all be very, very worrying, particularly after going through Katrina three years ago. On the bright side, you have a lot of people rooting for you.
ReplyDeleteOstrich, thank you. I loves me Celtic wisdom. I especially like the thought of the clay dancing beneath me when I stumble.
ReplyDeleteMore prayers for you. This time I know someone, you, and this all is more real. So the candles burn.
ReplyDeleteLapin, Babs, one of the bassets, is ill with untreatable cancer. She is still doing fairly well, but she only has a few months. She has a difficult time getting around.
ReplyDelete(((((Mimi, family, pups))))
ReplyDeleteI'll keep checking in.
Prayers for all concerned, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteThree bassets?!?!?!? The mind, she boggles at the thought of so much drool....
(Great prayer, Ostrich.)
God bless the animals, and the humans, too. Now that I know you're going to be ok by getting the heck outta there I can start worrying about your sons. Sheesh. God bless 'em for protecting the dogs and cats, but if the storm develops, I pray they'll just stuff them in a car and get a move on. Prayers (not as beautiful as ostrich's, for sure, but just as sincere).
ReplyDeleteGrandmere Mimi... God bless all of you in the region. My prayers are with you! The cats are praying also for the two legged and four legged friends.
ReplyDeleteThoughts and prayers continue to be with you and your family. This must be terribly stressful for you all. Be safe and be careful all of you.
ReplyDeletePrayers coming from this end of the world for all of you--two leggeds and four-leggeds. All precious in God's sight. Leave the light on and don't forget to take the oil. . .(Lord, have mercy on les idiotes at Fox News.) Sheila
ReplyDeletePrayers continuing, Grandmere. (Fox News indeed! I continue to believe in the hunting of Fox, preferably by Basset Hound!!)
ReplyDeleteDevotion to dogs and other domestic animals, not to mention farmstock, will always dictate to our hearts when it comes to decisions such as evacuate or not. When our next hurricane comes, and it will, we will stay and pray.
Chere Grandmere Mimi
ReplyDeletePrayers and incense ascending for you and the creatures and folks of your great city.
from one great city to another
du fond de coeur
David@Montreal
Oh my! Prayers and good wishes from around the world. Even the four-legged friends pray. And incense! What consolation!
ReplyDeleteMes amis, merci beaucoup du fond de coeur, as David@Montreal says.
Mimi -- will you have access to the intertubes so that you can reassure your worried fan club as to your (undoubted) well being?
ReplyDeleteSusankay, I bought a laptop yesterday, but I do not have my wireless hook-up yet, and I won't have it before I leave. There is no internet connection in the house over there. I can go to the library in New Roads and use their computers, and I will try to do that. Also, FranIAm has the key to my blog, so if I can't get online, I will call her, and she can post basic news that we are OK, which I am sure we will be. Thanks for your concern.
ReplyDeletestay safe and may you return to a house that's still a home!
ReplyDelete(and your sons too)
Grandmere, you also have my email for the Wenchoster diocesan offices. It is yours for use if you need me to post on your behalf. I promise that neither the Bishop nor Grindle will assist, this clarifying any post!
ReplyDeleteRR, thank you. I wouldn't mind either the bishop or Mr Grindle leaving a clarifying word or two. Of course, my favorite will always be the underdog(?), Mr Grindle.
ReplyDeleteOur prayers follow you. Godspeed, safe return!
ReplyDeleteThanks all for the prayers. They do help, you know. I feel lifted up.
ReplyDeleteJohn White, welcome. Thanks for visiting and leaving the good words.
'God is our refuge and strength,
ReplyDeletea very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake
in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble
with its tumult...
The Lord of hosts is with us,
the God of Jacob is our refuge'
(Psalm 46:1-3, 7).
Praying this psalm for you and yours, Grandmére Mimi.
An appropriate psalm, Tim, and Oh! the Celtic prayer. Ostrich, what a blessing to us all.
ReplyDeleteMimi, you are a blessing to us all and will be very closely held in prayer, along with all your family, cats and dogs included.
Tim, what a beautiful and appropriate psalm, very comforting.
ReplyDeletePaul, thanks, love. I was better today than yesterday, although Grandpère and I quarreled this afternoon. I know it's stress. My daughter had a really bad day today, so we all need prayers. With her, it's the thought of traveling with her husband, the three boys, and her pet menagerie. The waiting and wondering has dragged out so and taken its toll on all of us.
You're all such great people. I feel that I have been so much about me for the last few days. I wanted to write about the speeches at the convention, but I could not focus. I want to write about McCain's choice for VP, but none of it came to be.
And then, there's poor Jane and Maya with their house uninhabitable.
A couple of the readings from the Lectionary today were hardly cheerful, a sad psalm and then Job.
I'm taking your Celtic prayer with me, Ostrich, and a reminder of your Psalm 46, Tim.
Keeping you and your clan and the critters and your homes in my prayers, dear Mimi.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. Please drop me an email via my blog if there is anything I can do to help.
ReplyDelete