[StBernard] Chalmations Across the Country

[Westley Annis]

We had people in town the last few weeks who were St. Bernard residents
before the storm, we hope for them to be again someday.  While they were in
we pulled out photo albums we put together of when I first came back into
the parish, probably around September 20 or so in 2005.   We went riding
around and took the photo albums with us and Gaby you are so right, the
parish has made so much progress in 18+ months that it really is amazing.
They could see what we were talking about and they were impressed because of
what they hear from others living outside the parish.
 
Each day I try to find something that happened while I was away at work that
I consider progress and our family emails each other keeping everyone up to
date with what is going on in their area of St. Bernard.
 
I just feel like people who do not visit the parish daily or as often as
others truly don't get a feel of the progress happening daily, if you visit
once every month or two, you may see something that looked the same then and
say to yourself nothing has been done when that is the farthest from the
truth.
 
I agree 100% Gaby, thanks for making me smile.
 
Chad
 
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I am just glad to see how far the homefront has come and the azaleas are in
bloom.  MsSimms

When Bob stopped by to visit, he tells us how much nicer and cleaner
everything looked from last year. You see, he came last year and mucked and
gutted several houses in our neighborhood. He brought us a disk with a slide
show, and the pics have mountains of debris, I could almost smell the
Katrina stink. Today the street has many abandoned houses, but no more piles
of flooded hopes and memories. There is green grass and birds are chirping.
Some houses
have people and flowers. He opened my eyes to the dramatic change from last
year. Some days I see the work still to be done, and the work that never
will be done. Then on days like Bob's visit day, I see the progress with his
eyes. Keep getting up every morning and keep going on. The azaleas will
bloom every year and more will bloom. As Hemingway entitled his book: The
Sun also Rises.
 
Good Luck, Ms Simms. God Bless.

Gaby