Some Thoughts, Observances, and Opinions

Bogalusa Is Gone – At least lots of companies seem to have us listed that way, as destroyed, as no more. It makes it really hard to get a lot of things trucked or sent in here to us.

We are here. I swear we are here. It was bad enough when it seemed the government or the powers that be forgot about us in the first days, more than a week really, following Katrina, but now I feel like salt is being rubbed in an open wound. The repairman came, and joy oh joy after everything we are going to have to replace, he said that my freezer, which is less than two years old, can actually be repaired, but there’s one little problem. The parts’ company says Bogalusa is gone, so they won’t send in parts. The repairman said the office here is working hard on it and hopes to have things fixed in a couple of weeks so they can get the parts and fix my freezer.

Jellyfish – We have some. Well, we did. I doubt they are still alive. After all, jellyfish need saltwater and that’s not around here. How did we get jellyfish? Katrina brought them. There are a couple of large ponds at the sawmill where my husband works. When they where able to go back to work after Katrina, they found a new addition to the ponds, and it wasn’t more logs or big loud bullfrogs. It was small little bell-shaped jellyfish. Alive and swimming around. They don’t really swim though, do they? Well, they were alive and doing what ever you call what they do to get around. (Smile)

My Car – She’s gone. I know she flooded and has really been gone for four weeks, but the insurance company paid me her (very low) blue book value and then sent a tow truck to haul her away yesterday. I know it’s silly for me to be upset about it. I mean I’ve known for a month that she was dead, but she was my first nearly new car. The best car I ever had, I’ve babied her and cared for her to make her last, I didn’t owe one cent on her, and the insurance company just plops down a little money and hauls her away to some car graveyard without a glance back or a second thought. Like I said, silly of me to be so upset about it. But I guess we feel what and how we feel.

And While I’m on the Subject – I don’t understand insurance companies. Especially those that sell homeowners insurance. I’ve paid mine for over twenty years without one claim. Now I really need it and it’s hardly worth the paper the policy was written on. We made sure we had hurricane coverage, but guess what, that doesn’t cover water damage even when it’s caused by a hurricane. Go figure.

Blessings – I know I’m whining and complaining above--that whole weak human thing I’ve mentioned before. (Smile) But I know I’ve been really blessed. Sometimes I think we get so caught up in the bad that happens that we forget about the good, like that old saying about feeling sorry for yourself because you didn’t have shoes until you saw someone who didn’t have feet.

I might only get one station on our little black and white TV, but I’ve seen enough there on news in just the last couple of days to remind me of how blessed my family truly has been and is. After all, we might have lost our shoes, but by darn we still have our feet.

On top of that, I sure have a lot of great friends to dance with, even if we have to do it on line through e-mail and blogs. Thanks to every one of you who has danced the Katrina jig with me. Can’t say it hasn’t been interesting. (Smile) If it’s all the same though, let’s sit the next fast one out.