A Farewell!!!

This morning is overcast and it probably will rain if we are lucky enough to get one of the scattered storms that arise from the gulf. I have been pondering for quite awhile now of how I will bring my blog to a close. Last evening I watched the panel of candidates that are vying for the presidency and what I observed was a travesty in my opinion. I noted that in the diverse group there was a black man, an indian and a woman. All on the panel gave opinions on a mixture of issues in their hopes of being the one that takes the high office. Are they sincere? Each made comments and took a stance on every controversial issue that was put before them. Several took a partial stand on allowing marriage between homosexuals, the female candidate seems to separate what may be the actions of a future president (her) by recently quoting psalms. Does that mean we can trust her? Okay by now I have at least offended a few people which is my intention. So many of us have been silent because of the fear of repercussions but I am taking a stand now. Yes, I was married for many years (same man) and bore four children. I never had an abortion and if I had found myself in that situation without the benefit of a lawful marriage between a man and woman I would not have aborted it.. there are options to let a life continue. There are many caring people who want a child and will adopt. My blood boils when I realize that saving animals has taken precedence over saving innocent babies still in the mother's womb. There are pictures of dead dogs in garbage cans and that is very sad but not as sad as seeing parts of babies in a garbage can. The elderly and the disabled are being treated as a non- person of no value as they take from the system. I assure you that they are getting only a portion of THEIR money that they paid in as taxes when they worked.

America was founded under God and has been blessed more than any other country. We were a god fearing country, a moral country. As wholesome as apple pie. Then we began thinking that we were doing all these wonderful things on our own (who needs this God we have never seen) and we slowly and steadily began falling. All the problems we have now can only be blamed on our present "anything goes" mentality. I wouldn't have thought that people would openly ridicule the President of the United States. We have become so used to media propaganda that we believe we are entitled to know the stratagem of the Defense Department. The land of the free has been maintained by America for the past 231 yrs. but it took wars to maintain it. We had to fight for our freedom.

So I have watched the panel of Democrats giving their promises to take care of America and next I get to watch the Republicans as they try to counteract what the Democrats said that so many of us disagree with. Will they be sincere in what they propose? Probably not! Morally I can't cast my vote for either party. Shape up America!

As just a footnote.... we are still in a mess from Katrina. Everything is moving very slowly. I have publically documented my writings but have become very disappointed in the lack of response to our ongoing problems so any further writings will not be aired. Thanks to all of you who have visited my blog.

DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN - GCN

OUR TROUBLED NAVY - Senator Trent Lott

Katrina Recovery In Crisis

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANITA!!!

Charles Warner families told to get out

Charles Warner families told to get out: "PASCAGOULA -- An elderly woman relying on oxygen tanks to breathe was forced to relocate Friday from her home of 26 years even though she just paid the month's rent.

The shattered pieces of her life lay scattered in corners and stacked on tables as Agnes Rouse packed boxes, took phones calls and prayed for strength."

Insurance: Catastrophic coverage the answer? -The Clarion-Ledger- Real Mississippi

Insurance: Catastrophic coverage the answer? -The Clarion-Ledger- Real Mississippi: "Said one: 'Haley has been right on the money for every key Coast issue and we need to encourage him to help get HR 920 passed. If it passes, the Coast will boom and Mississippi will never be last again.'"

As recovery lags in Gulf, spirits sag too

I am finally coming out of the Katrina dreamland that I have existed in for two years now. Sure I still ride around looking for progress almost every day but things have become more realistic to me. The homes that are being rebuilt are more beautiful than what existed before the storm but the discerning part of me sees the hopelessness that must exist for a great percentage of people on the coastline. There are so many rules that we must all follow to succeed in life, I agree with that but morally I can't accept that we shouldn't help people who, for whatever reason, can't help themselves. I am not just talking about what is happening here but all over the United States there are "haves" and "have nots" Many faith based volunteers have come to offer their help but the procedure, in my opinion, that they have to follow excludes those who with just minor work could help themselves. For example, they rebuild an entire home for a person but on either side of the house they are working on there may be people who if they had help putting the sheetrock up could then repair the rest of their home. Someone else may just need help with flooring or a roof to give them the "jump start" they need. I don't believe a volunteer would object to that method at all but they would have to be given the freedom to go where they see needs. It would certainly speed recovery for the people who have been in the miserable trailers for two years.

There is something else I would like to say ... browsing around the internet I many times enter forums and people have such terrible thoughts about what is going on down here. They will say to stop whining you didn't have a hurricane, New Orleans did. Yes Sir, Yes M'am, we did have a hurricane and it was far worse than what New Orleans experienced. I have my own opinion about why Mississippi didn't get good coverage on what happened here. I still am of the same opinion, perhaps it was because Katrina wasn't a normal hurricane. Perhaps, if the people in the United States had seen what a destructive force hit us it would have shaken their own fears for their safety. Last August my daughter miscarried and last September I was diagnosed with thyroid disease. Want to hear my way out idea on why these two things occurred so close together? Because we were here during Katrina and we waded in water that contained every contaminant known to modern man. I search for info on the health hazards that would result because of this and I have yet to find anything. The concern has been put solely on our mental health. Why do I feel lied to? Don't we have a right to know? I went out today so I snapped a few pics.

Pascagoula P.O. Gone

Park Taking Shape at M&M Bank

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge Making Progress

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge Making Progress: "'A lot of hard work going into the bridge,' said Kelly Castleberry, as he looked toward the massive construction project.

He's the engineer in charge of overseeing all that work. Castleberry feels good about meeting the November 13th deadline but makes no promises beyond that."

There is only one other thing that is hotter than the month of July down South and that is the month of August down South. It hasn't rained in Pascagoula for the past four days but amazingly my flowers are still alive, although a little scorched. A steady drizzle would be nice .. I don't think my nerves could handle anything beyond that. Yesterday I went to the doctor complaining that I was extremely tired again. I have a thyroid problem and was put on synthroid and for several months I was feeling great. I wasn't to come back for a year but I called for an appointment as I knew something was wrong. I got the results of my blood test today and the dosage was raised as the level of the hormone was out of whack again. I should be feeling like my old self in a couple of weeks. I know we all have to get something but I was sure hoping I would be the exception. Darn it! Well, here we are two years out from Katrina and we are still recovering. Katrina has, I believe, taught us all a lesson. Not the lesson of "Get out when a storm is in the Gulf". It goes deeper than that. Not only has it taught us to reach out to people, countless volunteers from all of the states have extended helping hands to speed our recovery. They work hard and the joy that radiates from the people they help is all the payment they want. There are so many stories of miracles in our areas, some great, some small. I met a wonderful couple yesterday and the husband gave me a book on local people's experiences during the storm before he left for an appointment. His gracious wife took me through their beautiful home they are rebuilding. As we talked, I listened to what she experienced on returning to find her home destroyed and I noted that the things that were lost didn't take priority over something that had belonged to a loved one. She possessed a calmness of spirit that was pleasant to be in the presence of. Afterwards, I drove around taking pictures. went home, took a pain pill that was prescribed to ease the pain in my legs. An hour later I was pain free but was so sick with an upset stomach that it wasn't worth it.

Beach

Beach

Beach

Beach

Beach

Beach

Beach

Washington Avenue

Washington Avenue

The link I have provided below is a very informative blog about post Katrina rebuilding by dedicated volunteers

Reel Relief Productions, LLC

Help!!! I am burning out ...! Each time I do put a post up I feel that it will be my last as I have been covering happenings in our area since November 05. I have manually copied my writings and am in the process of backing up all the pics I have taken. Kodak put all I had there on a CD (1,036). So now I will get Photo Bucket and Shutterfly to do the same. Our areas are still in need of intervention. Sure casinos are "popping" up all over but that is not helping the people that are in need. When I speak of need I am talking about housing... they have the basic necessities. Volunteers have virtually stopped coming in great numbers. There are apartments scattered around in all the counties but note the word often used in news articles... affordable. All people are not in the same financial category. Then there are the people who have come into our area to "cash in" on our misfortune. The simpliest job has a high price tag. Personally, I have found that saying I have a thyroid problem is undermining the disease that I was unfortunate enough to contract. The synthroid tablet I take every day has done wonders taking the extreme fatigue away but it does nothing to stop an attack on some other part of the body. It now is "messing" with my joints. How crazy an auto immune disease is ... it doesn't recognize the cells in my body and attacks as something foreign. Gee! We have been getting rain and at first my flowers were flourishing ... now they are drowning. It is a trade-off though because the lawn has improved. Why can't I have both? Because of the rain, the beach fireworks were postponed until Saturday in Pascagoula. It didn't stop the locals .. as the neighborhood and surrounding area was like that of a war zone. Afterall, it was the Fourth of July! I am just documenting with this post. I know from time to time that I will be back. The pic below is of a Chevron gas station and convenience store on Ingalls Avenue.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Ocean Springs Police Seeking Assault Suspect

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Ocean Springs Police Seeking Assault Suspect: "'Neither of the young ladies felt like they were in danger, until he produced the weapon,' said the Ocean Springs police chief, as he reviewed the facts in a pair of robberies and a sexual assault."

LARGELY ALONE, RESIDENTS SLOWLY RECLAIM NEW ORLEANS BLOCK BY BLOCK

STAR SPANGLED BANNER

Gulf Coast News - Your Mississippi Coast News Source

Gulf Coast News - Your Mississippi Coast News Source: "Only a Fraction of Governor's Katrina Relief Money has been Spent - Clarion Ledger"

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Gamblers Line Up For Hard Rock's Grand Opening

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Gamblers Line Up For Hard Rock's Grand Opening: "People stood in line long before the Hard Rock opened its doors Saturday morning ready to rock. Once the doors opened, the die hard, hard rockers kept coming, and coming and coming."

Downtown Gulfport

Gulfport, Mississippi

I spent Friday and most of Saturday with my daughter Peggy who lives in Gulfport. As promised, I took pictures around the area. My mind, as we drove around a city that was my home for a number of years, was filled with flashbacks of happy times spent there. Many of the downtown buildings are there ... some restored, some still damaged. The beach is very barren, very few homes have returned. Some are under construction amidst a jumble of weeds and remnants of debris. The trees that once lined the beach gave relief from the hot summer sun to the homes nestled under their branches. So many trees are gone, leaving a barren look. One bright spot, palm trees have been planted in the median along Hwy. 90. There are no words that I can use to describe what I saw today. Some of the pictures are uplifting, many are not. Still we go forward .. inch by inch!

VA Hospital

Gulfport, Mississippi (Continued)

Eleven�dead in Texas floods; more rain expected - CNN.com

Eleven�dead in Texas floods; more rain expected - CNN.com: "'This is the worst I've ever seen it in my lifetime,' said Mayor Raymond Whitman, 47, who has lived in Marble Falls his entire life."

SunHerald.com : Slow recovery a surprise to insurance giant Lloyd's

SunHerald.com : Slow recovery a surprise to insurance giant Lloyd's: "PASS CHRISTIAN --
The recovery's slow pace surprised Lloyd's of London insurance broker Frank Murphy and other insurance executives who toured the Coast Wednesday with two members of the state's wind pool board."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Local Fishermen Start Cleaning Biloxi Bay

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Local Fishermen Start Cleaning Biloxi Bay: "Local fishermen have started the process of ridding Biloxi Bay of tens of thousands of cubic yards of debris left behind by Hurricane Katrina. Monday was the first day of a 120 day marine cleanup that also includes St. Martin and Davis Bayous."

Feds: No answers yet on FEMA funding crisis

Feds: No answers yet on FEMA funding crisis: "Last week FEMA announced it has revised its policy on funding government buildings in a memo received June 18.
The memo sent shock-waves through local government entities and even irritated Governor Haley Barbour so much he blasted the agency in published reports."

Why are they surprised, I'm not.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Chertoff Says, "We Have To Prepare For The Worst"

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Chertoff Says, "We Have To Prepare For The Worst": "On a trip to Biloxi Wednesday, the Secretary of Homeland Security said his agency was better equipped to handle Mississippi's next natural disaster. But Michael Chertoff also said FEMA could only do its job if you do yours."

Maybe I am in a bad mood tonight but this article really angers me. We were prepared for the hurricane as we are for all hurricanes. We were not prepared for Katrina. We had all the water and food we needed that would have gone way beyond 72 hours as did all the other people. Common sense would tell you that the surge contaminated all we had and sadly, for so many others, the food and water went with their homes. Also why all the certainty that Mississippi will have another disaster? All hurricanes are not disasters.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Pascagoula Schools Superintendent Vows To Fight Funding Bill

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Pascagoula Schools Superintendent Vows To Fight Funding Bill: "'It's an unconstitutional act. We're being disproportionately impacted by a law that's been set specifically targeting this school district.'"

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Murder-Suicide Investigation Involving Vancleave Couple

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Murder-Suicide Investigation Involving Vancleave Couple: "Besides an occasional dog barking and children playing, it's a quiet day on Southern Pine Street in Vancleave. But sometime after 9:00 Monday night, inside a small trailer, something horrible happened."

Sorry folks that I haven't been here much lately. I am bored not having anything new to talk about. A lot of time has passed and there have been no "big" changes in Pascagoula. There are small businesses that have not reopened. The homes that are being rebuilt are mostly on Beach Blvd. and Washington Avenue. The homes on east beach were not completely destroyed and they came back rather quickly. West beach was wiped out and it is taking longer. A great swath of Washington Avenue was destroyed and there is much to do but they are showing progress. Out of this great tragedy that befell us, I have been witness to the goodness of people. For instance, today I kept an appointment with a dentist that I had called because I had lost a filling in one of my teeth. Since I personally didn't know any I looked in the directory. The first I called said he was booked. The next never answered the message I left. When I arrived for my appointment, I was shocked when I entered the small building ... it was storm damaged. He told me as he worked on my tooth that he had been practicing for 30 yrs. It was a painless procedure. He certainly knew his profession. Afterwards, we chatted for awhile and I told him that my late husband had worked for doctors and dentists. I took my checkbook from my purse and said, "How much do I owe you"? He said, "Thirty five dollars." I said, "Doctor that isn't enough ... I am going to pay you more". As I was writing the check he very softly said, "So many people are having a tough time and I am trying to help. " Now that is kindness, isn't it? Fema has been reneging on promises made. I want to tell as many people that I can in case you are ever faced with anything like happened to us. They say all kinds of grand things that never materialize. We have been getting a lot of rain. Usually, I complain about the heat and lack of rain killing the plants but now too much rain will kill them.