sometimes i find a scrap of paper with someones name on it in my wallet....and can't remember...who the person is....Duhh...i think it's age getting to me...you'll be alright...live long and prosper

Steve, with everyone you've got to worry about, its not a surprise that you're fogetting things. I think they call it post-traumatic stress? Must be why I forget things, too. Maybe if you posted all those pices of paper on the blog, we can help you remember the things you need to remember!

Hi, Y'all,
I just returned from a two-week mission trip to Bay St. Louis. I am telling everyone I meet about the needs there, and the beautiful people I met and who need to know that we care. I will never forget you, nor will I stop telling of my time there, and my desire to return as soon as I can to continue to encourage and help any way that I can.
God Bless you with patience and comfort during this rebuilding. You are not alone!

Someone, somewhere is making a fortune out of little notebooks. We all carry them everywhere, all the time, to write down all the important things we need to remember. Steve is right. No one can remember anything--including remembering to look in the notebooks.

Steve, Your posts are so sweetly funny and honest. Hang in there...and thank you for sharing your life, the good the bad and the ummm, I know there was something else really important. I'll get back with you on that one... You know it takes a lot of humility to accept it all and to do so with grace and humor. Thank you! Things will get better. I always loved the Southern patience and generosity in the Bay. Glad to see it is alive and well!

Please tell us how we can help St. Rose de Lima with donations. Could you also explain where we learn more about service opportunities. We remember all the people in prayer but would like to do more.

Da** Angela your right many vendors give away those notebooks.....i'll be dogged....if i can even find one of those sapsuckers.....usulaly have to ask my wife......where is a note pad?.....LOL!....she laughs when i come in with notes written on cardbord..or a scrap of 2x4 lumber.....sometimes i forget where those are too

Kathie and anyone else wanting to help, go to www.baystlouis.us for all the contact information to help under the volunteer tab at the bottom.

What everyone out there needs to remember is the list is long of the way we are all effected. Remembering things, sudden tears over the littlest things one day, etc. etc. etc. EVERYONE should realize that people with little distruction on their home, people back and their home, just as people with no home all feel the pain. We all here live within the walls of piles of rubble. Imagine? Every day seeing trash, destroyed lawns, mud, dirt, nothing stays clean.
To purchase things you need might be a 30 mile trip only to find that item is all sold out. What a different world.
I think everyone, volunteers, people who want to help need to realize that some of us are so overwhelmed at times it is hard to move, hard to even smile. No matter the situation of our home, our insurance company and so on we all have broken hearts.
Everyone remember to take a break, smell the roses (meaning get of town where you can smell the roses). There are other ways people can help. Donate a room so we can escape a day, or two, or etc.
I put all my money, every dime into our home. A donation of a break even for one night where you are guaranteed not to get a wind blowing the smell of that storm odor or see more trash than you can imagine or to even go to a store and see all the shelves stocked would help our minds, our attitudes.
The news media has said that depression and suicide are leading to more deaths to this storm. Please don't let this get out of hand. We also need help in ways of joy. Mardi Gras I am sure played a part of that for many.
Remember there are many ways to help. Also please lets think of ways to get the elderly out of there FEMA trailers, lets find something more for them to live for.

Hey, I got an idea lets play hookie from work and go make some new homes or learn how to so we can reduce casualties? Er wait no go to work and make some money instead of RESPECT? I could make some money if I had the right machine to do it I could make more than anyone in the world. I COULD BE A MILLIONARE!!!! Well I could but I am more concerned for the people who are scared and sad it would be more worth my time making a house than making money. We got too many trees to save for global warming if its really on its way.

I am very sorry for your losses. Dont worry I know there is at least one kind hearted soul out there. I rember when I lost my grandmother to cancer I used to play prince when doves cry and punch a higher floor songs like that help us with suffering. Just know your loved ones are looking down upon you as we speak. Keep our loved ones in our hearts and our people on our sides. I love prince. I love the world more though thats the only reason we are here today. God bless america. May we all be human and live on for our rembered loved ones in iraq, katrina and anyone in general that has passed on. Do the future not for yourself but for love and harmony. F T I G For Those In God.

I burst into tears every time I read about the heartache and loss suffered by the victims of Katrina. Then I tremble with anger at our government's inability (or ineptness) to help my fellow Americans. Then I am inspired by the stories of the individuals who are somehow managing to start their lives over amidst chaos. If only I could do more.....

Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to say that I am very sorry for the tragedies that ave occurred to all of you.. When your feeling down and believe that your all alone, know that even though we cant always be there through materials, we are still here thinking about you and praying for each and everyone of you every day, and dont think your memory loss is due of age, because im only 18 years old and im more forgetfull than anyone it must be all of the stress, but everything will soon get better because of everyones prayers. Hang in there and dont give up.. Just like the story said..Through hard times a man looked back to find only one set of footprints, he asked god "Why weren't you there when I needed you the most" and god replied "I was the one carrying you when you got down.. God is always there....

My tears, love and prayers go out to all who were touched by Katrina. Although a Yankee by birth, I was a Southerner by choice for 18 glorious years. I lived in MS, Walthall County where I owned a nursery and delivered plants to the Gulf Coast and to New Orleans every week. I know these areas intimately and miss them terribly. I'm back in the midwest now but my heart will always be in the South. I dream of the gardens, the food and the people. You will rise again and be even better than before

I did not cry when I saw Biloxi in splinters, literally, though my heart broke near to being in splinters, also. I did not cry when I saw young mothers who could fight off the proverbial wolf at the door, collection agencies and shut-off notices while doing their nails become completely undone when their children whined while standing in a hot line for water and diapers. I did not cry when I saw the elderly who had survived World Wars and the Depression suddenly become mute, their scared faces making them look so much like small children that your heart threatens to just stop. I did not cry when we were suddenly surrounded by people from everywhere but here aching to help almost more than we ached from our losses. But a few days ago, I thought I was finally havin' the stroke that I've promised my son he was responsible for many times, the stroke that I just knew was waiting if I didn't take an unscheduled day off from work, the stroke that has followed me for the last ten years waitin' for its chance - but no. Six months of stiff-upper-lip and working hard because I was lucky to have a job, and stayin' busy or sleeping so's as to not be able to absorb any more and feelin' guilty for a little roof damage, and feelin' helpless ALL...THE...TIME - all of these things and more have been leaking from eyes and while I'm not really crying, I have tears all the time, just tears. I'm not a cryer by nature, and it's not easy to give over to it, so maybe this is my version of a crying jag - weeks of tears. Maybe it'll be months...I just hope that I haven't absorbed so much that I will never cry them all before my life is done. We all have different ways of absorbing, digesting and using or discarding as needed. But hey, ya’ll – here’s a hot tip: Buy stock in Maybelline ‘cuz their waterproof mascara sales are gonna go thru the roof…so to speak.

As long as you're still able to laugh at yourself for being forgetful, then you'll be able to carry on. I just thought old age was the culprit. I think Katrina made us all age a little faster, even up here in Hattiesburg.

Carol A. Cashes, Your comments really paint a clear picture of what it is like to live through this. How many times can a heart break? I guess there's no limit. I'll be praying for you and for everyone else hit by this terrible storm.

Carol, I feel your pain. We are in Alabama and feel guilty that we are not home. Everyone thinks that I am so strong because I haven't broken down after six months but I don't think the reality has even hit yet. I have two boys that keep me busy. It might not hit me for years. As for the forgetfulness, my whole family is in Alabama(evacuees)and none of us can remember anything. It's happening even if you didn't make it home. I am constantly thinking in the middle of a conversation,"Now what was I saying...?" As for the little notebooks, we are using them, too.I just wish I could find mine...

Ya'll think maybe a lesser known side effect of mold might be short-term memory loss? Or maybe it's sump'n in those MRE's...no, can't have soldiers out there runnin' 'round goin' "Now, what did I come this way for?"
I've noticed that recently I have begun to relive those first few days after the storm - vividly - the sounds of helicopters, generators and ATV's; the smell of pine, the heat...is it because I have room for these memories now, or is it premonition?
Alette in Alabama - I hope you're okay where you are - jobs and schools and stuff like that. Just know that somebody here is missin' you - all of you evacuees - someone here is missin' you and yours.
Thanks for your prayers, Laurie, put us on your permanent prayer speed-dial 'cuz it ain't over, yet.

I have come to love reading and writing these comments....I was gonna write another....then I forgot ....what i wuz gonna write!!!!....LOL!...love all you guy's

Carol, you got it. Sometimes that speed dial isn't even needed. I've got a phone ringing that I've got to pay attention to and pick up and answer, 'cause it's important, even if I don't understand why. I am pretty stunned by the connections that the Lord is making and initiating in this storm. Sometimes it's just uncanny...it's almost scary. But I believe, if it's God, then we're in good hands and it's ok. We don't have to be afraid, just trust it and respond and leave the results in the hands where they belong.

But...the resumption of your memories is frightening me a little, in that you are fearing it is a premonition. I think it's really natural for people to start looking forward and remembering. How can you not? I think more and more people are going to start talking about what's ahead and wondering. I hope and pray that this is a quiet season coming up, but if not...somehow we've got to find some peace inside to survive it. (Last night I dreamed I was singing a blues song in the Bay in one of our old hang outs (no longer destroyed)...it was nice. I think it ended with..."I know...I know...we will survive. We are the Bay and we will survive." It's sounds really corny in the light of day, but I felt really encouraged by the dream. I know you are from Biloxi...so all that stuff about the Bay is a little parochial, but somehow I have this feeling it's going to be alright, even if it's hard to see how, now.

On a lighter note: I love the MRE story! You are a story teller and should start writing this all out for yourself and for others. It's the right thing to do and will be a real blessing. You stay safe and I will hold you and so many other dear people on the coast in my heart. I know this is a long, long road.

(Heck... how 'bout I pray for a road...a real road... with pavement and a bridge, and grocery stores! and kids out fishing in boats, who aren't scared of the water and piers and people laughing and...all those good things! Anyway.) Take care and hang in there!

Laurie, honey, that road is yellow-bricked, last I heard tell...
I am a writer, and have contributed to the local paper several times. I am currently working on a piece in which the last time that a little girl sees her mama is when she ties an old and stinky life jacket on her and pushes her out the second story window...I am open to all story line suggestions.
All of us down here have become "corn-ball junkies"! LOL! We won't jus' allow ourselves to just cry, so we look for stuff that will get it started...
I don't think it's premonition cuz folks down here are gettin' ready or makin' arrangements now. We may be structurally wiped out again, but we won't be isolated or without what we need...never again.

Carol, I know that last little bit was just dreaming, and hoping that somehow things could be the way they were. It would take a "wizard" to put it all back together again. It's still hard for me to accept. We take so much for granted, until its gone. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that so many places that were part of my life and memories and those of my friends and neighbors could be so completely destroyed. We weren't in the Bay for Camille, and were "imports" so I don't have that family memory of destruction...just the stories of my friends who stayed through Camille. But somehow, they were less scary, than awe inspiring. Nobody talked about the debris...and the sadness...I found a beautiful brass tray buried on our property years ago when we were digging a strawberry patch. I've been told recently it was from 1850-70's. I had just figured it was from the house destroyed by Camille, but maybe it's from the one before that, or the one before that... It's one of the few things I have from the Bay. I'm rambling. Anyway. I'm glad you are getting ready. I think we do live in "interesting times." Glad to hear you are a writer!!!

Oh I love the sense of humor, even if it's to keep from crying. I just returned with a volunteer mission to help with the cleanup in MS. Several of us share a very twisted sense of humor that also comes in very handy as a coping mechanism. We were, however, struck speechless as we rode through mile after mile of devastation only to learn that "it looks better now that they've cleaned up"!! And then we road through Waveland. No words, no humor, no sarcasm. Stunned silence. I can't believe that more people aren't travelling down to help with the cleanup. Never fear, we are most persistantly annoying as we spread the news around the northwest PA area. We've also come to recognize a new syndrome that has afflicted many of our volunteer group: P.M.S...Post-Mississippi-Syndrome; characterized by staring into space, comparing current surrounding to what we just returned from, mindless hours spent on the internet looking at before and after pictures of the MS coast, plotting and planning the next trip down. The hardest part is putting into words not only what we've seen but what we experienced. The world has seen the photos but they don't begin to tell the story. In this area we can only relate it to a tornado without beginning or end. Through the smiles and tears we will continue to spread the word and keep y'all uplifted in prayer. P.S. we'll be back!!!!

Your post demonstrates a classic example for disaster psychologists. My heart goes out to all of you who were affected by Katrina, but especially those in Hancock County. Most all the media focus has been on New Orleans, then on the Biloxi area, without regard to the fact that Hancock County suffered the brunt of the storm's surge.

I was in Hancock County in September, then again in early November. The first time the storm was still so fresh--and Rita was on the way--that everone seemed to still be in shock. By the second trip cleanup was proceeding, with all the related traffic jams and road hazards. However, recovery was just beginning, and from all the evidence and meetings, I believe it will be a very long road to full recovery--if ever.

My heart is with all of you. I wish I had the means to come back and help, but all I can offer right now is prayers. I continue to tell people about the destruction, but also about the resilient, proud people I met who never lost their southern hospitality despite their pain. God bless you all.

Diane DeAngelo - May God Bless You!! I lived south of the tracks in Waveland and it's unbelievable - but y'all will be glad to know that there are about 5 homes within the first block off the beach on Waveland Ave. that are almost COMPLETELY built - brand new!! We are making progress and with people like you, I know we will make it! It's so good to hear just about everyone who has come here from all around the country say how much they fall in love with the people and the place - I always tell them, "and you are seeing us at our worse - it's only going to get better!" Keep us in your prayers - Thanks!
Jill Faber - don't sell your prayers short - they are the most important thing that ANYONE can give us! Don't worry - even if it's years before you can return, you can always just come back to visit us after we are back on our feet!!
Carol Cashes - I have been experiencing the EXACT same thing lately - recalling the first week after the storm very clearly (sights-smells-sounds) - but then again, I don't think I will EVER forget those first few days after - literally, just trying to survive - no water, no ice, no food, no vehicles to get anywhere to get any and no one coming to bring us any!! Hang in there - we are going to be the strongest people in the country and we will always have this to keep our lives in prespective!!

T.Ryan....Alisha.....same....but we still had a house.....and a van full of gas.....decided to go to the beach....at least a radio in the van....pitched a tent and stayed a few days{but talk about sand in your a**}.....but Alisha.....was nothing....compared to ya'lls losses....get better every day....see ya latter aligator

T.Ryan: I think we remember the sounds of helicopters and generators because of the absence of all other sounds: traffic, bells, whistles, sirens, kids, etc. But I have to say the loss of communication was the scariest and I urge anyone who is or knows a ham operator to dust it off and get back into it - our law and fire departments, and other rescue agencies will need you. Let them know where you are or work out a plan with these agencies for communication with each other and outside rescuers and relief agencies.
I think that we all should be taking CPR and first aid courses, learning to swim if we can't already, storing life jackets with our storm "kits", teaching elderly how to operate gas-powered machinery such as generators. Home Improvement stores should be holding seminars on the safe operation of generators and chain saws - free to the public. We should all have more survival skills than other urban dwellers - the impossible has happened and could happen again. Our federal government is no more prepared now than they were before Katrina, so you can't be let down iffen ya don't expect it to begin with! We hate to be a burden to our fellow Americans, but we must ask that YOU help us be ready for the coming season. We are still structurally, financially and emotionally fragile and I'd much rather know that all of you were ready to come when needed than all the billion-dollar federally funded agencies that exist. We'll be strong again, but this year has gone too fast, with too much bull**t from people who have no vested interest in us other than as taxpayers.
Prayers from all are needed and so appreciated. We down here pray for all of you that have shown your faith by showing up or giving it up for the cause - God bless you and keep you safe, but know, that if you need us - jus' holler - we'll come a'runnin'- bare feet and all.

Carol, Your post is giving me goose bumps. I love the bare feet!!! You know, when we moved to the south from Denver, I was six years old, and I really thought that people in the south didn't wear shoes! Actually, once I landed in Alabama, I was shoeless all summer long, every year. Those new shoes really were confining each September. The rockachaws and the fire ants in the Bay made me rethink the shoeless thing a little. Here in Colorado they have something called goat's heads that do the rockachaw thing. They've got a little bur on each spine that just digs in and holds on and some kind of allergen too that burns like the dickens, when you pull them out. My poor dog looked like she was highstepping out in my back yard, which was full of them when we moved in. I took her to the vet 'cause she was going crazy one day and limping. Goat's head bur was burried deep in her paw. Sorry for that digression. But there is truly nothing so pleasurable as walking barefoot on the beach, with the gentle lapping of the waves and the soft breeze just blowing and whispering in your ear and all the little critters that wash up on the beach are such a joy and surprise to discover. So ya'll get on out there and try to enjoy it, if you can this summer. We'll holler if we need you!

(Ya'll hang in there and do what you can to get ready. Man...here come the goose bumps again. Heaven help us! Carol, you had some great practical suggestions. Wonder what Home Depot would think of them? They do like to do those "do it yourselfer" workshops...maybe someone should approach them with the idea...somebody needs to teach people how to use these things!)

you know it goes to show how selfish our government is they can run the country they can do what they want we the people govern them. getting the things done that should be done first seems like a complete problem with the government. yeah the national guard and everyone one else in the military are doing a great job and i give them props b/c they are just people like us and to see what they see really has to put a burdon on them and everyone that survived the storms. its so upsetting to hear about things on the news or to hear one of your friends or family complain about something small and petty. there are people out there that have been through the worst and seen the worst, if everyone in the united states would pitch in one dollar it would still mean a lot with the population of the country we should be able to get somewhere. i just wish everyone would realize this is life and our country why not do something to help, i am not saying there has not been any help b/c missionary and churches i know... but everyone nedds to help you know some of the richest people in the world could make a huge difference. its like a huge family and when your family is in need your there for them and people are in need so what are we waiting for?

I am in desperate need of a king cake from Ruth's Cakery. I used to live in Waveland, MS. I am now living in North Georgia. My daughters birthday is February 9th and she always has a king cake made by Ruth. Does anyone know if she is making king cakes again. Thanks