Sorry I've been so negligent...

Hello Friends and Family Members...Mitch Albom, author of "Tuesdays with Morrie," "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," and "For One More Day" is coming to speak in Beaumont on February 5.  He is pictured on the right.  More details in post.

Life has been on the very fast track for the past few weeks and we haven't stopped to catch our breath it seems.  We stayed in Nashville with the kids for a week and bought new calves for Steve, Nikki, Steven and Brendan for Christmas as well as a few other things we had taken up for surprises.  Nikki said every morning around five when she goes out to feed them their big bottles, she thinks of Ted very warmly.  But, truthfully, they love the big babies and are having fun with them.  Steven's calf, Truffles, is the largest and will bring the most money when it is sold.

From Nashville, we went on to Amarillo, Ted's home town, and visited there for a week and then returned to Galveston Island where we continue our long, long battle with FEMA, Texas Windstorm Insurance and trying to get electricity turned on and the beginnings of a house started.  We do have water!  And, I mean the kind that comes in a pipe and not by way of a storm.  Texas Windstorm continues to delay and everyone is getting angry over the four-month long battle. They are now saying that the study group of experts that they commissioned could not come to an agreement about what happened and it will now be the end of February before we are told whether they are going to pay or not.  So unfair after we, like our friends, paid those insurance payments faithfully to them.  We just want to resume our life on the beach.

Pam Hicks Gresham, a dear friend in Atlanta, has come up with an idea for all the ladies of Bolivar.  She just could not understand how we were making it without our "things," so she organized a group of family and friends to collect gently used and new jewelry and is sending it to the women of the Peninsula who lost everything.  My sister, Paula, also got involved and told the folks in her office who also wanted to share. Martha, my sister in law, told another sister in law who got involved and then a daughter in Dallas told her church, so we are having jewelry sent from various places.

We are organizing a February outing to disburse these lovely gifts of caring from many different places.  I think our ladies will love it!  And, our sincere appreciation to all those who have participated.  The boxes can be shipped to Post Office Box 323, Port Bolivar, Texas 77650.

I have also been very involved in the publicity for the Todd Christopher Legacy of Love Cancer Foundation.  The group has a huge event planned for Thursday evening, February 5, at the Julie Rogers Theatre in Beaumont, where Mitch Albom will speak.  Mitch wrote the very successful book, "Tuesdays with Morrie," featured on the Oprah Book Club, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," and  his latest best seller, "For One More Day."  I have been named publicist for this group and have been busy designing ads, fliers and personal appearances for the committee members.  We are doing radio, television and much print media.  It is a wonderful opportunity for the folks in Southeast Texas to meet and hear Mitch Albom, who is also a sportscaster for ESPN and an excellent speaker and radio personality.  Tickets are available by calling (409) 962-7866.

I continue to work daily with the Bolivar BLUE Yahoo Group members.  This is a group I founded shortly after Hurricane Ike hit our area.  To join this group and to keep up with what is going on here, simply go to Yahoo Groups and click on Bolivar BLUE and you will be directed to the site.  The BLUE is an acronym for Beach Lovers United Effectively, an idea I came up with around 3 a.m. one day shortly after the storm hit.  Ted and I have made some wonderful new friends in this group and have had many questions answered.

Have lots of new pictures to post and will just as soon as I can grab a minute.  Note to the lady who wrote me about the painting of bluebonnets done by Flo Davis in the 80s.  I don't think that was my mother, but I would love to know more about the painting.  My husband loves bluebonnets and has many pictures of them he has taken.  I have not been able to get back to you from the posting on the guest book.  So sorry.  I have tried.

Until the next page turns,

Brenda

If you want to write to me, please use brendacannonhenley@yahoo.com.