Ted and I are safe in Gulf Shores, Alabama for now

Hello family members and friends,

Where do I begin? For a woman of words, I find that I have few to describe the last days of my life. As most of you have read or heard, Mother became ill after a prayer meeting service, was taken to the hospital where she died after a 13-day battle, and we discovered that she had a massive brain tumor that was cancerous and had already spawned a second tumor. She also suffered a heart attack and 12-14 additional seizures. She made it 19 minutes into her big 87th birthday. We held her memorial service in Groves at Brent's church and found ourself under mandatory evacuation orders with the buildings being sand-bagged during the funeral. We left immediately for Georgia for a second memorial service among family and friends of a lifetime, attended my nephew's wedding and started home to the Texas coast.

Millie Jones Pincus, my gracious friend from elementary school days, shared wonderful southern hospitality with us for our stay in Atlanta and we had time with Ginger Bragg Doster, another long-time friend, and my sister-in-law, Teresa Stancil, as well as Aunts Anna and Minnie and Uncle Donald, cousins and close friends. I also took Ted to eat at the world famous Varsity, my favorite Steak and Shake and the new, old Rio Vista in Jackson.

As we drove through Alabama, we began receiving calls from friends on Bolivar Peninsula telling us that we were under mandatory evacuation orders once again — this time from Ike, the Terrible. Not wanting to face the Houston evacuation of more than 6 million people, we dipped down to beautiful Gulf Shores, Alabama, where we were able to secure a nice little hotel suite that is quite comfortable and very clean. We went to the beach yesterday only to find massive waves and much swirling and churning of the water here. Locals said the water had never been this rough, not even during Ivan, the terrible storm they remember too well. Returning this morning, we found it rougher and more turbulent and remember Gulf Shores Beach is some 250-260 miles from the actual storm in the Gulf. Gulf Shores has now had flooding of the beach road and other properties, but we are four miles inland and are safe.

Reports from home are not good. All living creatures have been evacuated off of Bolivar, according to an officer with the Galveston County Sheriff's Department, with whom I spoke this morning. When we talked around 8 a.m., she said we had water more than five or six feet deep on the highway behind our house and that it was rising rapidly. Officials are predicting that Ike will be worse than "the great storm of 1900" because of the surges, which are now predicted at over 20-25 feet. Much of Galveston Island (four miles across the bay from us) is already under water now and the seawall will not keep it back. Port Arthur and Beaumont and all of the Southeast Texas coast is in for a direct hit by the eye of the storm if it doesn't change soon. Landfall is now predicted for somewhere around 2 a.m. on Saturday, September 13. We have been led to believe to expect "complete devastation" of all we own. When we left the beach cabin for Mother's funeral, we only took with us what we felt we needed for the trip. I cannot explain my emotions, but we will survive, God willing.

I will keep the blog updated to let our family and friends know what is happening as we know. However, Ted says we will not be allowed back on the Peninsula until the water subsides, which will take several days and nights. DeAnna and Callie Grace are in Dallas with Jeff's aunt, Martha is in the Dallas area with her daughter, and Brent and family are in Louisiana at a church camp as I understand it at this time. All are accounted for and are safe for now.

Thank you for your calls, prayers, emails and kind words of encouragement. Sincerely, and until the next page turns,
Brenda

The pictures are taken at the beach at Gulf Shores, Alabama, some 250-260 miles from the storm itself. It was a "majestic fury" unfurled with each wave.