One Lesson Learned: Evacuation Plan

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

I'm the keeper of the family heritage so to speak. Before their deaths, my parents lived with me and I have many of their things incorporated with mine in the house. Last night I asked my sister this question:

If I had to evacuate in a hurry and upon my return I found the entire house gone, what items/memorabilia of the parents would she have wished I'd taken with me?

Then tonight I began making my evacuation list: what do I need to take with me in case of evacuation? I also started a project to gather together and consolidate the family photos. Right now they're scattered across a multitude of bulky photo albums. I bought those acrylic albums that are condensed in size but hold a number of photos. It will take me awhile, but eventually I will have a bag with all necessary documents and then a tub containing those photos, negatives and family momentos that I can grab in a hurry.

After watching Katrina unfold, I plan to assume the worse and have a plan.

Carol Stephenson

Relief Agencies

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Here's the link to the MSNBC page listing the major relief organizations going to the aid of the Katrina disaster areas.

How to help Katrina's victims, get information - Hurricane Katrina - MSNBC.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9115520/

One of the local West Palm Beach TV stations WPTV [NBC-channel 5] is holding a call-in fundraiser for relief efforts Thursday, 9/1/05, from 4-8 p.m.

Carol Stephenson

Trying it again as to the photo

Monday, August 29, 2005

A Small Miracle Amid Katrina's Damage

A friend sent me this wire blurb today:

On Jackson Square, two massive oak trees outside the 278-year-old St. Louis Cathedral came out by the roots, ripping out a 30-foot section of ornamental iron fence and straddling a marble statue of Jesus Christ, snapping off only the thumb and forefinger of his outstretched hand.

As I had spent last night scanning photos from my visit so that my webmeister can add them to my photo gallery, I recalled that I had a photo of the statue. A photo of the church framed by one of those massive oaks is part of the gallery tribute to the Crescent City.

Carol Stephenson

Prayers for New Orleans Tonight

Sunday, August 28, 2005

I love New Orleans. I had the fortune to visit it during a Romance Writers of America conference and arrived early to explore the city. Wow, what an impression it made on me. Jackson Square with all its color and activity. Loved the trolley, loved Canal Street. Everywhere there was music, whether bluesy or Cajun. I took a tour into the bayou and plantation country. Endulged in the food and drink specialties. New Orleans is a unique city with a flavor and cadence all its own. My heart breaks to think of what it must face and endure with Katrina.

My thoughts and prayers are with New Orleans tonight.

Carol Stephenson

Three Hurricanes and Counting

Saturday, August 27, 2005

Hurricane preparation is becoming old hat. After all, I've weathered the third one in less than a year. My section of Florida got hit by Francis and Jeanne in September 2004 and now Katrina just brushed us.

But if you want to know a Floridian's first question following a storm, it is: Did you lose power? We can bear the long, long gas lines, the grocery stores with no refrigerated items or fresh produce, but what sends us screaming the streets is the lack of power. Our war stories consist of how many days were we without power last year. In my case: 9 days and 20 hours with a heat index of 110.

Last year my kind neighbor ran a line to my refrigerator, and what saved my misery as I cleared debris from my yard was a precious box of popsicles in the freezer. To compound matters was the fact that the deadline for my book COURTING DANGER was looming. My solution was to float in my pool at night, typing on my AlphaSmart with a book light clipped to it. I made my deadline with 17 days to spare, but I couldn't bear the thought of being without power again.

Consequently, I bought a generator this year, which I have to drag out once a month to test run it, but I figured it would generate it's own Murphy's Law: since I had bought one, no more hurricanes. Ha! Here came Katrina out of nowhere.

Fortunately, we were hit by feeder bands and I didn't lose power...so maybe the Murphy's Law of generators did pertain after all.

Welcome to my blog. I'm author/attorney/Floridian Carol Stephenson. Don't expect daily entries as I've never been good at diaries or journals, but I'll try to visit on a fairly regular basis. Palm Beach County is a fascinating place plus I'm working on a new thriller so there should be plenty to talk about.

:) Carol Stephenson