Finally an opportunity to Help!

Several blogs ago I wrote about my staff and how disappointed we were that everything we tried to do for the Katrina victims felled through and how our hearts ached to do something just to show them we cared. To make a long story short, we were able to get involved on the ground level. Initially we would have worked directly with the victims but being able to help in some way made us feel a lot more valuable and much more helpful then sitting around staring at pictures and walking away with a broken spirit. I am excited to report that we donated over 20 hours toward packing and sorting through donated clothes and other needed items to distribute to the victims of this hurricane.

We also talked directly to more than 600 people who had located to our city in search of housing. We had planned with other groups a festival for the victims in our state, supposely about 5,000 who came in on their own as reported recently by the American Red Cross. Our organization and many others had planned this huge festival with employers who were going to hire on the spot, assistance in getting kids in schools, clothing, food and housing, etc. Each arm would be there with plenty of singing, crafts, food, you know trying to lift their spirits during this terrible time for them...Guess what!

It rained. It poured down. Why is this happening? Well, anyway if any of you have ever heard of the St. Louis Arch-we are going to be there this Sunday. We rescheduled the festival again...









We will be at the bottom of this Arch... the area surrounding it is beautiful...

Pray that the weather stays beautiful so that St. Louis can show their love......


I finally met someone from New Orleans. His name is Ernest. We are going to help his family. I got a chance to hug him and really talk. He wanted to talk and talk he did. About everything...I saw stuff through his eyes. We are meeting his family and will probably adopt them.

Fail to plan, then you plan to fail

There is an old saying that I absolutely love and it rings true most of the time, it is "when you fail to plan, you plan to fail". As we look at the events of Hurricane Katrina and Rita you feel sad about the death of so many as well as the lost of property, and feelings of security. Even in the midst of these great cities tragedies, I found myself learning many lessons that I would like to share with you. These are lessons that I think we can spread around to help others to evacuate safely and timely when needed. I realize that many folks may live pay check to pay check and may not be able to squeeze any extra money to plan for major disasters, but we must plan because if we don't, its' putting ourselves and families in harms way. Planning for major disasters is more important now than it ever was considering that we will be in hurricane season until November 30. Also keep in mind that as a nation we are constantly on guard for terrorist attacks as well as earthquakes, etc. This is my list. You may want to write one for yourself and family.


Worry about your life, not your property. Material things can be replaced. It may take time, but if you survived the tragedy you will have time to replace your material.







Leave your city when the officials tell you that devastation is imminent. Don't wait until two million other folks decide to leave, because you will have to face others trying to flee at the same time which could cause major problems such as mass confusions, traffic congestion, shortages in gas, food and cash.



Always keep at least enough money in the bank to pay rent at a hotel for three weeks. Also you need to save flight money for your family members to fly out at a moment notice.







Keep your gas tank full. You never know when you will have to leave in a hurry. Trying to flee all at once causes highway congestion, attitude problems, fear, and possible gas and food shortages.





Keep at least fifty dollars in your pocket. I saw long lines in Texas of people who were upset because the ATM machines ran out of money. People were literally standing there with a check in their hand and no money or no way to cash their payroll. Many said they would wait it out because they couldn't cash their checks to get anything, at least having fifty bucks will give you enough cushion to get to the next destination by car.




Plan with your family an emergency evacuation plan, not just your immediate family but your parents and siblings too. Questions to ponder? Where do we meet? Who is willing to open their home up to family experiencing devastation? What family members are able to help those family members who may not have money to move quickly?



If you can, get a credit card strictly for emergencies in the event of other disasters. This is not for getting in debt. This card should be use to survive, should you need to leave quickly and have no money to do so.



Keep duplicate copies of important paperwork like insurance policies, bank account information, important numbers, etc.




Make you a survival kit. You can put water, medication, food, important paperwork and phone numbers, first aid kit, flashlight, extra set of clothing, etc. Put them in an easy accessible place that you can grab in a hurry when needed.






Pray and never stop.





Even planning sometimes have its' problems and may not work out like you plan it too, but at least you will be able to help get your family to safety if you just do some of these things. I know I am not an expert but after watching so much television on these hurricanes and how they affected people, I learned a couple things to do to help myself and family.

Things about me...

I am very sensitive and emotional. I cry at movies whether they are comedies or dramas. I cry watching family type commercials, especially McDonald's ones.





I love playing the piano even though I am not good at it but my daughter is and whenever she has a recital, I just cry because I am so proud.





I have had the same blanket with me on my bed for almost thirty years, every since I was a small child. It is torn and ragged, but I will not throw it away. My husband threw it away twice and both times I went to the garbage and took it out. You remember Linus from The Charlie Brown Show, well that's how I am. My bedding is always beautiful, until you turn the covers back and see this thirty year old tattered blanket...

I Love my friends and my family....I must get my pictures scanned.



I love to sing. It gives me joy and I love to hear other people sing.





I love happy people. They spread so much sunshine..









I love romance. I like being with my special someone.






I love church. It's a great time to fellowship and feel closeness with God and family.




I love roses. I really liked being surprised with them like if I am working hard and I'm paged to the front to pick up a delivery...When I see that someone cared enough to think of me that makes my heart smiles.



Now I know that this is bad....See I need to lose a good thirty to forty pounds but when I am exercising and doing well, these oatmeal cookies find me and I eat them and then its' on...Pray for me ya'll so by Christmas I would have dropped the pounds...


I love to read, newspapers, Bibles, brochures, and books and when I was growing up my siblings and I would fight over who was going to read the back of the cereal box.

Things that I know and things that I think I know

1. I know that people who borrow money usually can’t or will not pay you back. Otherwise, if they had it they would not have asked you for in the first place.

2. I know that if you eat the wrong foods and do not exercise you will become overweight.

3. I know that people will take advantage of you if you let them.

4. I know that if you hang out in the wrong place and put yourself in harms way, eventually you will get hurt.

5. I know that if you want others to respect you, you must first respect yourself.

Things I think I know:

1. I think I have friends who will support me in my career choices and other important endeavors.

2. I think that if I plan for something to happen, it will.

3. I think that I can make $100.00 last a week.

4. I think that I can sing and that I have a great voice.

5. I think that the longer I complain things will change.

This is Our President!

The note reads: “I think I May Need A Bathroom break? Is this possible”

U.S. President George W. Bush writes a note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a Security Council meeting at the 2005 World Summit and 60th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York September 14, 2005. World leaders are exploring ways to revitalize the United Nations at a summit on Wednesday but their blueprint falls short of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's vision of freedom from want, persecution and war.



Yes, the note is real. And yes, the president really wrote it. “It was shot at a pretty good distance,” Wilking tells Gelf. “I had no idea what was on the paper.” Until, that is, the editors at Reuters enlarged it. “I was just as surprised as you,” Wilking says.



He thinks he has to go to the bathroom. He thinks, he thinks, he thinks.

Okay. I'm through blogging on the president. It's too hard... oh one more thing..yeah I got jokes...I got this picture from gramyactress@21. Too funny!

What to do when?

What would you do if the fire burned out in your sex life?









How do you make your love last when you been in a relationship for 15 years or longer?






What do you do to get the romance back when you still love your spouse, partner, etc., but you are no longer "in" love with that person?

A Big Ole' Mess

Thank each of you for responding. But get this-our country is in terrible shape. We are very unorganized, and we lack planning skills as well as many other skills. Apparently FEMA, requested the State of Missouri to take 2500 evacuees. The state agreed. Then FEMA came back and said plans were changed, they could only send 500. Mind you this was after hundreds of volunteers redesigned an airplane hanger at the airport. They built a cafeteria, recreation rooms, health rooms, couples, singles, senior citizen rooms, family rooms, showers and bathrooms, to be told that it was a mistake. FEMA didn't intend to send anyone to Missouri. Can you believe that? How dumb are these people?

They had many conversations with the governor. But even still, we may get to work face to face with the victim of Hurricane Katrina. We were told today that many other evacuees came in cars, because they had nowhere else to go. We've been told there might be 5,000 who fled to this area because the hotels were filled through the southern states. So the local organizations in this coalition that my company is a part of have started to registered and placed these families into some of the homes and churches that built rooms for their guests. Our task is this...my staff and I will walk the children, teens and college students through the education system so they will not become frustrated and stressed out. So we may still get face-to-face contact. In addition, six of the staff went to the United Way today to pack boxes and sort clothes by sizes, others will go tomorrow and Thursday.

Unfortunately, I will not be able to pack boxes because yesterday we set up a phone bank so that volunteers could operate out of our offices coordinating services and I have to supervise and train the staff who will do this...for more of this story you could read it in today’s' St. Louis Post Dispatch. The governor is pissed. He wants all the money back our state put in to do all this over their mistake and he is saying he will get reimbursed. Stay tuned...

Sad, Disappointed and Needing to Help Others

To make a long story short, I work in the social service industry and we were selected as a key organization to welcome the victims of Hurricane Katrina into our city. We were expecting 2,000 people, then they came back to tell us that only 500 would come. Many of the organizations and our state government prepared many places, both temporary and permanent for the people to stay. Everything was in place, mental health services, church support, supportive services, supplies, clothing and educational assistance, transportation, everything, and trust me, I mean everything. Well, I met with my staff this morning at the request of our board and asked for volunteers to meet us within a three hour period to spend the next 18-24 hours to help us make the victims comfortable and to be there for them to answer questions, etc. We were so prepared and so excited to be able to contribute our services. Then we got a call telling us that we were on standby, because the flights were delayed and they would get back to us to let us know when to get to our designated places...well we received a call to tell us that they victims were not coming....I mean disappointment. Folks had been planning, building rooms, showers, purchasing clothes, you just don't know.... for more than eleven days and this...I really wanted to help. The staff was so disappointed. So this Thursday, I think we will just go to our local United Way and helped to pack boxes of clothes and other things. But to have that face to face contact with the victims, to offer a hug and to welcome them to the city...was like healing a broken spirit because of the delays in our country helping the victims, maybe it was like making up for something that didn't happen, but whatever the reason my staff and I are truly disappointed.

Tribute to Kim

On Saturday, September 02, 2005 I attended the wake of one of my high school and college classmates. This young lady, Kim Cross-Thomas always appeared to be happy, smiling and bringing cheer and joy to others with her positive energy. The beautiful attitude that she always showed us helped her to live an additional 15 years since she was first diagnosed in 1990 with breast cancer. Her death brought together her former classmates. It also reminded us that we must all do routine checks to look for lumps or any changes in our breast. Please talk to your family members and friends and let them know the importance of getting regular breast exams as a preventive measure against cancer. To her husband James and other family members we will continue to educate others on the importance of preventive health care. To Kim, thank you for the smiles and laughter, your classmates will truly miss you.

What in the World Happened!!

The people who were victims of Hurricane Katrina needs our prayers, support and money. They need hugs too.


















I know Bush and his merry followers wish they could put their foot in their mouth for committing a crime unbecoming of the Leader of their country........









The President and his cabinet should take lessons from granny. Learn how to fight and protect America's people.










Where was this man when we needed strong decision making skills? Why is he holding his nose?














If you were in need of help, would you call this family? It was stated by the media that she said, "the refugees are in the astrodome. It is nice, afterall they were low income." Did she really say that are is this inadequate reporting again by the media?







This is how it should be, all people loving and supporting each other. No race boundaries.

















The President as usual was clueless.




The mayor (C. Ray Nabin) in the center tried to get the government to help. This castrophe was too big for him alone. He needed national support. He received none until almost five days later.








Due to Hurricane Katrina, there was much destruction.

This lady(Hillary) is calling for heads to roll for being inept during a time of great devastation.











It is because our government did nothing to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.


But good news........I heard today that Toni Jackson, the wife whose husband did the CNN interview explaining how their house split in half and she told him to let go and take care of her grandchildren was found alive. Remember his story, He said, "Im so lost."

Twenty-two (22) things I love.

Now that I released my emotions and am normal again I can tell you about the things that I love...every once in a while I get a chance to let off steam and then I go for another five years or so before I do it again. So now that I can breathe freely again let me share with you twenty-two things I love....

1. I love God because I feel safe in his care.

2. I love my parents and siblings.

3. I love the way my man smells daily because he always smells good.

4. I love french fries drenched in cheese sauce, but can't have any because of this low carb diet...darn!

5. I love teenagers being respectful to the elderly and going to school trying to carve out their careers..

6. I love when people smile.

7. I love to look at God's land and see the beautiful greenery over hills and the way that trees are nestled in their coves.

8. I love when my husband calls me everyday to make sure I'm up for work. It shows that he cares. He also says to wake up DeeDee, my daughter.

9. I love rewarding my staff for a job well-done.

10. I love my mothers' turkey and dressing and cabbage and corn beef.

11. I love writing because it relieves me of stress and brings me peace.

12. I love my dog Ebony. She too is a cutie pie.

13. I love community service and helping others.

14. I love church. It is a great place to fellowship with people who say they believe the same things.

15. I love driving my car and letting the wind blow through my hair.

16. I love looking at bow-legged men. I think that is sexy.

17. I love reality television. I know that's weird but I love it.

18. I love CSI, CSI-Miami, House and Law in Order.

19. I love the show Girlfriends because they remind my of my friends.

20. I love money but I will never steal it. I work hard for it. But I am not materialistic. I just like having freedom to buy or not to buy.

21. I really like my bed. It is fluffy and soft and sits up high.

22. Honestly, I love me. I really do.

Ten things I hate!

Everyone have pet peeves. I probably have more but I tend to keep mines to myself but today I think I want to list some of them... Maybe if I see them I can get rid of them and move forward.... As you read this remember I don't hate people just the things they do. Let’s see, here I go.

Ten things that bothers me....

1. Fake people who pretend to be someone they are not.

2. So called successful people who look down on others.

3. People who use words to hurt others and not to uplift.

4. People who still wear Jeri curls and put that activator on it, then bag it and you can see rivers of liquid in the clear bags on their heads. I don't hate the people just their curls.

5. Cheap people who say they are conservative.

6. People who pretend to support you and won't lift a finger to help you.

7. People who go to the bathroom and will not wash their hands after they do their business.

8. People who sing loud and can't hold a tune.

9. People who gossip behind others back and when they are confronted, deny what they said.

10. People who wear their braids or dreads until they look nasty and dirty.