I called Leslie last night because, though I knew they were way far northwest of Katrina's damage, I wanted her to know that we were thinking of her. They are all fine. Sara is trying hard to find work and Nora is working AND going to school. Leslie said that they are actually experiencing almost drought conditions and could have used some of the rain. But Katrina veered northeast after she destroyed New Orleans.

It is indeed heartbreaking to hear of the devistation and all the suffering the survivors must be going through. It is almost unfathonable to think of their plan to evacuate the 15,000 or more souls from the damaged Superdome to the Houston Astrodome. But they obviously have to get those people out of there.

A friend of mine, Steve Naffin, who was the choir director at Blessed Trinity before Beth Hoegger came, was in the music department at the Cathedral in New Orleans. It is apparantly an old old structure of great beauty. He is terribly upset as he says that there is no way this church could have survived the hurricane.

As Leslie said, What were they thinking, building a city in a bowl next to the ocean.

Dick is talking to his son Dick and mentioned that he no longer wants to go to New Orleans, at least for a long long time. We should have gone a couple years ago. We did talk about it several times. It will not be the same again, I am sure.

I had to do some repairs on one of the first quilts that I designed. It was really not quite made for hard use. I am going over it with freehand random quilting to mend and to make it sturdier. I think it will work and will keep mending until it is OK. Because I like it and it goes well in our bedroom.

Becky, my niece, called me this evening. They have wild grapes on their property. So, after the first frost, I will be a busy little harvester. Ken and Dolores have a good crop and I will go over to Becky's and get hers too. I am going to have to figure out how to "smooth" the flavor. My first batch is a bit "foxy" (a term we learned from Bobbie for a rawness in some wild fruit wines.)

I have frozen two batches of marigold flowers and will start that batch as soon as I get a couple of empty gallon jugs.

When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping. Men invade another country..
-Elayne Boosler-

Love

Mary