100 Word Challenge --- Yearning

This week's challenge word from Velvet Verbosity is Yearning. The following came to me after watching all the reports about Ike -- The Recovery. Many groups have answered the call for help, the call to be involved in the recovery. Texas Baptist Men is one such group. This is group the church I attend is actively involved with. We have men going out regularly to help in diasters or even when the need is just an individual who has fallen on hard times and needs a helpling hand.

He stood with the others mumbling the words of the song “Set my soul afire, Lord, …” He began to feel a tugging that he had never felt before in all those years of attending church. Was God was calling him? Surely not him. He had no talent. He couldn’t do anything special. But there it was growing inside him a yearning to help, to be involved, to make a difference. He heard another song on top of the one being sung “Yes, Lord, yes to your will and to your way.” It was clear, he could meet the challenge. God would show him the way.

Minor Wind -- Light Rain --- That's All Folks

Praise the Lord, we have been spared. The hurricane that has caused so much damage in Galveston and Houston and so many other places along the Gulf coast gently watered my grass and plants. Yes, we had winds of 30 mph gusting to 50 or 60 mph, but hailing from the Panhandle of Texas that didn't seem like much. The neighbors lost a couple of fronds off their Queen Ann palms, and that seems to be the extent of the damage here on my block. Robert and I did drive around town about 10:00 a.m. just to see what Bay City looked like. We saw very little damage. A few tree limbs broken and tree leaves scattered; business signs that were broken in some places, but not on every establishment. Most of the traffic lights were working; a few weren't. We also heard that part of the town was without electricity -- we never lost power. Yes, we were spared.

Now we are ready to go out to eat. When we came into town on Thursday we were in a rush to get to the house and board up --- and the mayor was ready for people to evacuate and had ordered both Walmart and HEB to close their businesses. We rushed in (actually slipped in behind some people coming out of the store and behind the person stationed at the door to stop incoming traffic). We grabbed a few things because I knew were would need something, only I couldn't thing very fast and we walked out with just a some tuna, bread, crackers, jelly and pork and beans. Strange, I know, but my brain just wouldn't work --- and obviously neither was Roberts. [smile there] We had a dozen eggs in the frig so I boiled them to have as needed just in case we lost power. This was Thursday. Talk about going on a diet. Here are our menu.
Thursday noon: grilled chicken breast, green beans
evening: tuna salad sandwiches (tuna, dill pickles, onion, boiled egg, mayo)
Friday morning: a boiled egg for me; Robert not sure he ate
noon: tuna salad sandwiches (see above)
evening: grilled pork chops, pork and beans
Saturday morning: repeat Friday
noon: tuna salad and crackers for Robert and pb&j for me

There are no chips, no cookies, not even any fruit. There is no more meat in the freezer so all that is left to be eaten is tuna, cheddar cheese, peanut butter, pork and bean, rotel tomatoes, some green beans, bread and crackers. We won't starve, but I'm seeing strange meals if a grocery store or better yet a restaurant doesn't open soon.

But for those of you who are thinking we are total idiots we do have flashlights, candles, and a crank radio (thank you Carrie). We would have had light and information had things gone differently.

Now we wait. To see if we will be needed to help the Red Cross in some way. We are registared with them to help or to assist where needed. I know there has been damage down in Matagorda even though the hurricane didn't hit directly there. Many homes are right next to the beach and we have seen what damage can be caused even if you aren't taking a direct hit. I'm an impatient waiter, but I shall wait.