Things are settling down into some sort of routine here now, although it is new and different for Ted and myself. We are living in a nice condo, The Dawn, at 7000 Seawall Blvd., on Galveston Island, just across the bay from the Bolivar Peninsula, where we call home. We are still waiting, as our most of our friends and neighbors, on Texas Windstorm Insurance to decide whether or not they will be paying the value of our hard-earned policies.
Tuesday, Dec. 2 was Elena Nicole's (Nikki) birthday and she celebrated with her immediate family and friends at her home in the Nashville area after having to attend the funeral of a friend's grandmother in the afternoon. She was grieving over turning 32 years old. I can barely remember 32, but I do remember balking a bit at the decades' birthdays. Her sister, DeAnna and I both sent flower arrangements and will take gifts when we go nearer Christmas, but there's really nothing like being with a person on his or her birthday. I kind of dread Nikki's birthday some years because mine follows exactly three weeks to the day on the 23rd. When either DeAnna, Brent or Nikki talk about how old they are getting to be, I ask, "What about me? How do you think your age makes me feel?" Truthfully, I feel great and I realize that I have some wonderful blessings in my life. Happy Birthday, Nikki!
On Saturday, Nov. 29, BolivarBLUE, a Yahoo Internet Group that I founded, hosted a Thanksgiving Celebration for those on the Peninsula who were not going to be able to travel this year. We originally planned for about 30 to 40 people, but the word got out and we ended up with some 135 people at the gathering. It was wonderful! We had to move the location to Coconuts, a nearly-ready-t0-open business housing four different entities on Bolivar, and it was certainly a good thing we did move the gathering. It was overflowing.
Brent, (Dr. John Stancil), my son, who pastors Val Verde Baptist Church in Groves, in cooperation with Greg Rife, director of Restore Ministries, brought down two huge trailers of good canned food and bottled water and distributed it to the residents of Bolivar. The water was a big blessing as it is very difficult to obtain on the Peninsula just now. Everyone seemed grateful for the food and for the attention, and it was really a great day for all of us. Our sincere thanks to all who participated to make the day so special. There are 26 pictures of the event on the BolivarBLUE Group site.
Should any of you who read the blog wish to check out the Yahoo Group site, just go to Yahoo Groups and click on BolivarBLUE. The BLUE is an acronym for Beach Lovers United Effectively and we are having fun with this group as well as exchanging valuable information with each other about Hurricane Ike, Galveston County and the huge task of rebuilding our lives. Please continue to pray that we will get a good word from our insurance claims. So many are waiting on that to happen to continue to make plans to rebuild.
We had our septic system inspected yesterday, which is the very first step on the long road back to living on the Peninsula. It passed, which is great news to us. Now, we can file with the County, get a permit and get our electricity hooked to a new temporary pole. It is really starting over from square one right now.
A dear friend of mine called from Beaumont and said the three magic words that I find difficult to resist. She said, "I need you." And then, she added the question, "Can you and Ted drive into Beaumont this morning?" We did and I met with a board of trustees concerning a new Foundation being formed in memory of Todd Christopher, a local businessman who lost his battle with cancer at only age 57. I am going to be serving as the publicist for this outstanding group of people.
We also met Martha, Ted's sister, for an early dinner before returning to the Island. How exciting! I just found out that my sister-in-law, Connie Davis, just joined BolivarBLUE so she can keep up with what's going on in our lives here in Texas. That's the beauty of blogs and groups — They help to keep folks connected even with miles between them.
The Foundation is hosting "An Evening of Hope," featuring Mitch Albom, the very successful author who wrote "Tuesdays with Morrie," "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and "For One More Day," his latest effort. There will be a book signing, his speech to the crowd, and a dessert and champagne reception following the event. I actually had to start working really hard again this morning, but it is fun, too.
Two exciting things happened today: I received my new Storm Blackberry phone/thing in the FEDEX delivery and DeAnna is furious with me because I got one before she did. I don't know anything about it yet except how to answer it when it rings and how to place a call. They tell me I will love it when I get the hang of it all. Second thing is that the editor of the Galveston Daily News, the oldest newspaper in Texas, called me and is running a piece I did this weekend. So that is rather exciting in itself.
Please continue praying for the Peninsula residents who are facing rebuilding after the devastation of Ike. When Brent and DeAnna, and others from the church group, drove down the main highway on the Peninsula, they were aghast at the debris and destruction they saw. It is difficult to describe until you see it in person.
Oh, one other bit of really exciting news...One of my oldest and dearest friends in Georgia has had an idea that is just fabulous. Pam Hicks Gresham just can't understand how women can function without their "things," and she has questioned me about the losses we have had. She had an idea of collecting gently used jewelry from her family, friends and church members and sending it to the women of the Bolivar Peninsula around the holidays as a personal expression of her care and concern about our lives. Pam is an organizer and the idea took root and she is busy about making it happen. If you want to have a part in this in any way, contact Pam Hicks Gresham at pamgresham@comcast.net. She'd love to hear from you and I think her idea will bring a really bright spot to lots of ladies who lost everything they had. (The pic is the view out my bedroom window here at the condo - looking at the Gulf).
Until the next page turns, Merry Christmas,
Brenda
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