Jandara's Life

WE HAVE ELECTRICITY AGAIN!  There were several "Thank you, Lords" and "Hallelujahs"  spoken (loudly) around here by my hubby and I when the power came back on yesterday at 5:pm!!  I even found out today that at least one of our grocery stores is up and running and has replenished what they lost.  So after being shut in for days I'm off to the bank and the store today.  I hope I never take those things for granted again...try going for very long without your bank, grocery store or gas station...

As for my daughter, Summer, she is expected to be in the hospital on into next week we know.  They are trying to reach her Urologist but haven't been successful due to the phone systems being down in the city where he is.  They have found that one of her kidneys is not emptying like it should.  It's emptying at about half the speed her other one is and there is a blockage.  That's probably why she's been swelling so much.   All along it's been kidney stones and infections but now kidney function?  That worries me a lot.   Poor thing.    Thank you for remembering her in your prayers.  God bless you for that!

All my hens are laying now.  I just love all the different colors I get each day.  I knew I'd be getting pastel blue, green and pink, and of course brown and white, but I'm loving the deep olive green eggs.  Those were a surprise to me.  Look at that tiny brown egg in the basket!  I put it in the pot when I was boiling eggs for potato salad and egg salad today and snapped a picture of it in a teaspoon right before it got salted and peppered and popped in my mouth!  Mmmm-good!

I was beginning to get quite a number of eggs in the refrigerator so I knew it was time to freeze some.  Recently I have cracked bunches of eggs into a big bowl and scrambled them, added a little salt and poured them into a freezer bag to keep until I needed them for a scrambled egg breakfast. (or supper!) 

Today I wanted to freeze them individually to use in recipes like cakes, cookies, pies, so I emptied out my ice trays and cracked an egg into each section and this time added a pinch of sugar and broke the yolk of each egg.  {Always remember to add a bit of salt or sugar before freezing.} Once they're good and frozen solid I'll just pop them out and put them into a freezer bag.  This will keep me in good supply of farm fresh eggs even if my hens stop laying for a time.         Just eggcellent!

The sun has come out today and it's pretty hot.  We're still without electricity.  I hear there are places here and there getting power back on.  Walmart had power yesterday but someone told me there was no fresh produce or frozen or refrigerated food or bread, etc.  I got out and picked up a few limbs in the front and some around the chicken coops today.  It will take a lot more work plus a power saw  to get all that mess cleaned up.  This sunshine will dry things up I hope.  Thank you for your prayers and kind words and thoughts everyone.  It does cheer me up.  And it was great hearing Kitty was alive and well and she asked that I let everyone know here at HSB and asked for continued prayers during her very trying circumstances.  My daughter was able to be admitted into a  hospital ast night thankfully and her doctor has started another IVP and has called in a Urologist.  Please keep her in your prayers.

I was able to talk to Kitty today.  She and her family are doing okay.  Her house withstood the storm and I think they lost a shed and maybe some things outside.  She is fortunate to have a generator but they are only running it a little while at night.  As we are finding out too, the gas to keep one of these things running is very expensive.  She said where she lives took a direct hit from the hurricane and they are without power and may be without for 6 weeks.  I sure hope that's not the case!! 

Her mother is in need of prayer.  She is not doing well at all.  She is considering calling an ambulance today.   It's very hot  in her house, yet she's cooking a lot of food, rather than it going to waste.  I think others in the area are coming over and eating at their house. 

Let's all continue to keep Kitty and her family, her mother especially, in our prayers.  They are going through such a terrible time.

*PLEASE READ BOTTOM OF PAGE:

Still no electricity.  My neighbor said the newspaper said it may be 4 more days or more.  The generator hasn't  failed us yet.  As long as we can get gasoline we'll keep it going.   So far we're able to run the freezer, frig, tv, a couple of lights, computer, and the small window unit a/c at night, though not all at the same time.  I am so thankful for that.  It's such a helpless feeling watching all your food thaw out and spoil as has happened before with Katrina.  I feel bad for those who don't have a generator. 

 I'm hearing that a few spots here and there have gotten power but for the most part we're still without.   My hubby is really having to work extra hard.  Then there are so many that can't work at all until power is restored.  We've got hotels filled to capacity with evacuees.  I wonder what they are doing with no electricity. 

Thankfully, it's still rainy and windy so the temperatures are bearable.  I'm able to "live" throughout the house.  If the sun ever decides to come out then the temps will rise to the 90's and it will be like an oven in here so I'll have to stay in the bedroom and turn on the window unit for the most part.   

The weather channel shows there may be another storm that might head to the Gulf.  I'm not going to think about that one just yet. 

   Today is our 26th Wedding Anniversary! 

After typing all this my daughter called and is sick and needs to go to the ER.  She can't reach her doctor, the nearest hospital is not taking patients, and the next closest is overflowing and running on gereator power and can't even be reached by phone due to phone lines not working.  Please pray for Summer.

The sun just came out....

A couple of images from my back door after Gustav paid a visit.  The pictures really don't do justice to the sight of the mess that we see. 

It's still raining but the strong winds have died down.  I just got phone service back on so I was able to get on the computer.  I also called Kitty in S. Louisiana but didn't reach her.   I did get her answering machine and left a message.  (I found it reassuring that her machine was working.)   As for us, for the first time that I know of our entire city and county are without power.  You can't even buy gasoline.   My husband talked to someone with the power company that said this storm hit us harder than Katrina. We were without power for about a week then so I'm wondering how long this time.   Our weather radio is going off every time I turn around warning of tornados.  But we are safe and all our children are safe and we have had no damage to our house and we are thankful to God for that. 

Thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for us.  God heard and answered.  

We are experiencing the calm before the storm here.  So far it's just drizzeling rain and a little windy.  We are expecting it to be bad between 5 and 7 pm.    I didn't think I'd have time to post today but I'm glad I do.  Several family members have phoned to check on us this morning and I called my daughter to check on them.  As of now at 10:38 am we are just watching and waiting.  I do wonder about Kitty and have been praying for her. 

Thank you all so much for your kind words and thoughts and prayers.   I'm over my pity party about feeling that I wasn't missed while I was away.  I would delete the post altogether if it weren't for the nice things you had to say. Thank you all for putting up with me.  How special YOU are!

I have this thing that I do...I feel I have the need to get things neat and spic and span before we go out of town on a trip.  And I've found the same rule applies to hurricanes!  It would probably be called a nervous habit!  My hubby seems to be the same way.  I think I started out that way first maybe and gradually after almost 26 years of marriage we have grown into in some ways the same person!  LOL  So he's been working hard around the place outside and I've been working inside.  I just finished up the last thing that was in the laundry hamper and all is put away.

  I notice I'm running that central air conditioner pretty steady today, remembering what it was like after Katrina without it for over a week in scorching heat!  ugh... :  [  Would you believe after  being so proud we had gotten a generator since Katrina that when we tested it this morning it didn't work??  It has worked fine until this morning!!  So my hubby had to go and get another one (sob, whimper) and we are fortunate that there were any in stock at all.  So that shows  the stores are more prepared this go 'round thankfully.  So that's 1000 bucks we'll have to work towards paying off after JUST getting our credit card paid off for the first time in years.  (wah-ha-haaaaa-haa-haaa!)

Well, with all the trees out here where we live the power will likely be going off soon so I better say goodbye and watch the weather channel while I can.

ta-ta for now~

Please pray for those of us who are bracing ourselves for the hurricane.  I don't know who all here at HSB that includes but I do know our friend,Kitty is in dire straights living only 50 miles inland in Louisiana.  They have no where to go and she has a very sick mother in her home that has been having hospice come in and care for a little each week.  She can't put her in a nursing home or hospital - they have all been evacuated.  Not to mention she has her children and everything she owns.  When I spoke to her she said she believed in the power of prayer and is pleading for us to intervene on their behalf.  I'm in SW Mississippi and for the first time in my life our area has a mandatory evacuation of those living in mobile homes. 

Thank you, and I will report as soon as I can. 

First let me say a big THANK YOU to all who are keeping us in their prayers.  I had a wonderful response and feel warmly safer for it. I was even surprised with a phone call from a wonderful blogger from here who offered me and my family a safe place in her home in a near to us state. I love you K and thank you again. Will call as soon as I am able.

  The storm still continues to head directly for us. We are under a mandatory evacuation but due to my mom's inability to travel, we are staying put. I am on a roller coaster ride with my emotions these last couple of days.  They are saying that it will hit us sooner than they first expected, which brings it up to tomorrow morning.

 I have as much as I could carry packed up in the trunk of my car. We are planing to go under the sugar mill for safety around midnight tonight. I hate that it has to be that way, mostly for my mom. We have spent several storms in the mill and it's a somewhat dirty place, which we have learned to make due of. But with mom not being about to move or care for herself, I worry.

I spent several hours in the my bible this afternoon looking for peace of mind for our wellbeing. I read many great protective passages and feel confindent that we will be OK. BUT PLEASE continue to pray for me and my family over the next 24 hours. And as I said before, it may be days, even weeks, before I will be able to get back on line for an update.

Thanks again and I love you all................warmly, Kitty

   First let me say that I havn't been blogging  much of late due to the fact that "LIFE" is happening all around me, so please forgive me. I do intend to come back full time once things settle down.

   My mom is going down hill a little more with each new day. As of yesterday she has blood in her catherter bag, lots of blood. We knew that the catherter would cause infections, so there it goes.  Things not any better with my husband, divorce more than likely still  happening.

   But even that is not the worst of things going on right now. As many of you are aware there is a storm, Gustav, in the Gulf of Mexico. Well they are predicting it's land fall, as of now, to be none other than on yours truly, lol. Yes it is headed straight for us.  We live approx 50 or so miles north of the gulf. And with my home being an older one, it can no longer be insured, so we would lose everything. My car is on the blink right now so leaving is out of the question, and even if we did have a  good vehicle, mom can't travel.

  When I tell you I have never been so scared, it's not a lie. I have lived through so many storms here in Louisiana and none has ever effected me like this one is. That is why  I am asking for you wonderful people to pray for us down here in the south. I know it's hard to pray for it to go somewhere else, cuz that would mean it has to hit some one else. I am a nervous wreck to say the least. I have been on the edge for several weeks now about mom and her condition and this storm is kicking my butt but good. All of this is taking a great toll on me physically too. I have lost almost 20 lbs in the last two weeks. Although I am excited about the weigth loss, it's not the healthiest of ways to do it. I am feeling the effects of the stress on my body, and I have to say, I'm a little worried about that too.

   SOOOOOOO ladies, PLEASE pray for us. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer and that is why I am posting this.   I will probably be without power for sometime if hits us ( i hope that is the worst of it, I can live with that), so I will update as soon as I can.

PLEASE KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS...................MUCH LOVE......KITTY