Disaster Response Services--Slidell, LA

This is a brief review of what we've been up to here in Slidell.

Feb 26 Friday -- back in our little house on the pavement.
We set off from sunny Texas after packing up, walking the dogs one last time and leaving a couple gifts for the boys (and Amanda). It soon started to rain and continued raining until night time. We camped in a Walmart near Port Charles, didn’t have any electricity--dead battery. Cold, but got out lantern and candles. Ate at Cracker Barrel in the morning. Got to Slidell around 2:30. Met Pete and Jane, Virg and Esther Baker and others. Virg didn’t know we were coming so we had some good talks about Prinsburg. (He was my high school teacher many years ago.) He said he taught me everything I know and I said, “Ain’t it the truth!”
Met the rest at supper.

Sunday, we had breakfast in the camper, met the rest of group and went to Trinity Presbyterian Church, next door. Then we all went for lunch at a restaurant. Home again, toured work sites, supper with group, then did a puzzle with the group. The trailer tank is full so we can’t shower in it.
Saw a bluebird.

Monday March 1

Started work Worked with Esther Baker, Carl and Lee. Did a lot of cleaning, then helped unscrew and screw screws in railing spindles until it started raining too hard. Had a nice visit with Esther. Bruce and I were on clean up duty. Played pegs afterwards. Bev called me a Meany Beany Chili Weanie for bumping her off all the time. Used main shower. Found out Marcella is from Prinsburg, was a Roeloefs, but isn’t related.

Tuesday March 2
Very cold all day. I worked at the Florida house with Bruce, Bev, Gary and Henry. We put in baseboard and caulked. Had fun but really got cold. Bruce felt sick afterwards and skipped supper. I played Wizard with the group. Beat Virg, but the rest beat me. Washed clothes. Showered but tank filled up again.

Wednesday March 3

Worked at Pearl River--Randy’s home--with Virg and Esther and Pete. Beautiful day, had to shed in the shed in the afternoon. Got sweet rolls from the cooks. Got a lot done--fire caulking, cleaning, and putting up spindles.. Even got Randy to help, and he did a great job. Met Max, his son. Great day.
Bruce drained tank so we finally had shower power! I played Wizard with the group. Lost by -40!

Thursday March 4
Another beautiful day. Bruce hit his head on Pete’s trailer mirror. Worked at Pearl River again. Started putting up insulation. Met Bonnie and Max. A Methodist group joined us, so things sped along, even though we sometimes got in each other’s ways. Saw lots of bluebirds. Played Pegs with the bunch.

Friday, March 5
Beautiful day. Bev joined us at Pearl River. We started dry walling. Us ladies got almost 3 closets finished.
Shared well with the Methodists, I fed the horse carrots with Bonnie’s mom. Got a porta potty. Randy got upset because he was told not to put nails in drywall. Got pictures taken of the group. Played pegs--ladies won!

Saturday, March 6
Another beautiful day. Bruce and I went to Picayune, MS and visited Jean, Cathy, Hunter and Rachel. It was Hunter’s 11th birthday. Rachel had 3 teeth knocked up from a fall in the bathtub. Had a very nice visit. Came home early, shopped, visited with rest of gang, washed clothes.

Sunday, March 7
Went to church at the Presbyterian church again. They had a potluck and we were invited. Afterwards a bunch of us went on a trip around the area, stopped at Randy’s house, saw some houses that had been worked on, went to a canal where they were catching crabs, came home for soup--very good. Bruce and I both played Scum. Lots of fun.









We also saw this house which was NOT on our list of houses to fix!


Monday, March 8
Gary and Bev left to see their new granddaughter. They used our car to bring their RV to the next site. We moved to their camp spot. I worked at Randy’s house, Bruce at Florida--Danny’s house. We mostly dry walled with the Methodists, who mudded also. I burned my finger on a drywall screw and got branded. Called Madison to assure her we hadn’t died. Very tired, no games, had a hard time getting to sleep. Dave called.

Tuesday, March 8
Back to Randy’s. Warm but cloudy and sprinkled some at our place Bruce and John got rained on working on ramp at Danny’s. This was the last day for the Methodists. We got almost all the dry wall done. Randy and Matt have been helping and Max has helped some when he’s around. Played Scum again. Called Amanda.

Wednesday, March 9
Worked at Randy’s again. Nice day, quiet without Methodists. Got a lot done--almost finished drywall. Did a lot of mudding. Bruce had a swollen and bruised foot that the nurses ace bandaged. He went home after supper to keep it up. The rest of us visited a sight where there were 32 kids and adults working here for one week. Very interesting setting.

Thursday, March 10
There was a truck in the ditch in the morning near our home site. It had a trailer on and slid off the road. It was pulled out by the time we left for work.
Bruce and I were on for devotions. I used 2 poems, Bruce did his “The good that I would I do not---”. Did a lot of mudding.
Played Scum.

Friday, March 11
More sanding and mudding. Beautiful day. Randy was somber. Matt was very friendly. Cleaned up a lot of stuff, won’t be there Monday. Two of our workers, Neal and Carl left. Everyone was very tired, so we all turned in early.

Saturday, March 12
Beautiful Day! Went to Metairie and visited Theola McAuliffe--Amanda‘s mother-in-law. She gave us a personal tour of Longue Vue. Very interesting and the flowers were awesome. We had supper with the group in the evening.

This is a picture of "The Wave". It's a sculpture made from boards of homes wrecked by Katrina as a symbol to those who lost their homes or lives in the flood. Very impressive.

Sunday, March 13
Went to church at Aldersgate, United Methodist. Saw Lisa there. I thought it was a great service (it was the contemporary one). Bruce was less impressed. Ate at home, napped, called kids, etc. Very nice day.

Monday, March 14
Worked on Danny’s house with Esther, Lee and Henry. Talked to Danny awhile, very nice guy, really excited about his new house. Got a lot done, cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, some work outside. Very nice day. Bruce started at the mobile home, putting a new roof on it with Peter’s crew. It’s a real mess there with all the stuff inside and all the rain damage from Gustov. Becky and Dick came. Had a good visit. Played Scum.

Tuesday, March 15
Finished at Danny’s, then had a last nail ceremony. Very impressive. Bruce played “Bless this house” on the clarinet, I read the meaning of the wreath. Danny was very happy. His cousin Jordon was there, too. Becky presented a quilt from Prinsburg. Played Scum at night.







Wednesday, March 16
Went to Danny’s to rehook the air conditioner, kids came to knock out blocks. Next we went to Dewey to finish cleaning. Got it done--lots of sand! Met the owner.

Thursday, March 18



I went with Peter’s gang to the mobile home. Worked on the roof for awhile, then Bruce and I worked on the ceiling in the back bedroom. Pretty yucky but we got it all down and then spent some time cleaning outside. Visited with Camerina. She gave me some eggs from her chickens for the group. Also bananas, strawberries, spaghetti, rice pudding, bread. I had devotions--used Max Lucado--Heaven--final home. Went well. (Amanda called just as I started. I called her back. She told me Ari had severe arthritis and got some meds from the vet.)
Had a farewell session with the group.

Friday, March 19
I worked at the home site with Marie getting stuff organized. Some more of the new people came. Bruce worked at Camerina’s. The group went to Randy’s to say goodbye and see how the house was coming--the drywall looked great.
After lunch we finished getting the camper ready and washing clothes, then left around 4:00.
It was sad to say goodbye to all our new friends, but we were both ready for a repreeve from the hard work.

Slept at a truck stop behind a gas station until 4:30 a.m.