Back to Belle Chasse...(to pack!)

Finally - it's final! We are back in Belle Chasse to pack. As soon as I entered what is home, at least for the next few weeks, I began preparing to leave it again - this time forever.
Forever is a very long time. To think of being out of this place which has been a my home for my entire life forever seems so final, so abrupt, and yes, though exciting, still a bit scary.
Being out of the house itself isn't what I find so difficult to imagine...it's leaving New Orleans.
I can hear all of you saying "How can it be difficult to leave New Orleans?!?"
Simple: It's home. I was born here, raised here, have been through all of my major joys and struggles here, and I was beginning to think that I'd die here.
The city itself is intriguing, the history is fascinating, there is no comparison to the food anywhere else on the planet (Begniets and Cafe au Lait aren't the same anywhere but Cafe du Monde!)

The friends we have here are very dear. Our church families from Berean - the church I have attended since I was six, and from the Home church in Franklinton. Also our re-enacting and musical friends. These I shall be sad to leave.

Though in one sense it shall be hard to leave, on others it shall be quite easy.
First on my list would be the wonderful families in the Houston area who have taken us in and treated us as their own. The love that they have shown to us is incredible, and their love of Christ is contagious! They truly live out what Christ said when he told his followers: "They will know you are Christians by the love you have one for another."
I am looking forward to getting to know my newly met sisters and brothers even better in the time to come.

Besides the wonderful fellowship and fun, the opportunities for studies, working as a family and being closer to extended family are also big draws.
Yes, I hear Texas calling my name! It must be in the blood...

We'll be de-cluttering and packing for the next few weeks and the plan is to be at our new home by mid to late October. The mixed emotions run strong, but trusting that this is God's will for our lives, I begin to abstain from worry and resign myself to peace!

And now I am off to bed, dear readers...unless I can't help but pack up another box!

~Robin <><
The Louisianan for a bit longer

The Calm Before the Storm

Stocking up on water...















...and on homemade bread!















The fort in the back yard where we rode out some of Rita.





































Merisha and Grace. (above this picture: Emma at sunset)

Random Ramblings on Rita...

On the day of the storm, we swam all afternoon with the McDonald girls and Caleb (8) at their neighborhood pool. It was quite fun, especially when we started getting mellow gusts.
After dinner, the winds started getting stronger. Several of us went out to the fort to experiance the beginnings of Hurricane Rita. When the gusts strengthened more, we enjoyed the winds from the back porch.

Other than the winds and rain, the only thing remotely interesting that happened was when the lights flickered and the house alarm started howling. I jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs into the living room. It wasn't until I reached the bottom that I questioned the wisdom of such a dicision. With Mr. McDonald and his 22 year old son in the house, me (of all people) going to check out why the alarm went off must have seemed strange.
How embarrising! They must have thouht that I was such an idiot...the 17 yr old guest frolicking down the stairs when the security alarm went off!

"It'll go East"

My favorite statement whenever a hurricane is coming is: "Don't worry; it'll go east...they always do." So far, this has been true. Even Hurricane Katrina did veer east, away from home, at the last moment. It wasn't far enough east to keep 80% of New Orleans from flooding, but my statement still stands true. I am now in Houston, and it looks like this one will go east from us as well.

Tonight we watched Master and Commander with the McDonald family (Mr. McDonald wanted to watch something with weird weather in it). I slept through it. Not that it wasn't a good movie, but I had seen it before and knew that I wanted to stay up and watch the hurricane come in tonight.
Now the whole house is asleep except me and Mom. There wasn't enough weather action to keep anyone awake.

We bought lots of stuff to sew while we're here, dresses, aprons for the store etc.
Perhaps I shall learn to sew. Who knows?

(30 minute interlude)

I have just returned from coaxing Emma (almost 3) back into bed. She woke up and realized that she was no longer in her mommy's bed. Poor thing, she's afraid of the hurricane.
She was quite easy to bed back down, though. All I had to say was "Would you like me to lay down with you?" Ah-ha! I have found the golden ticket. I was a bit surprised that she was so easily comforted...usually when kid's want their mommy, nothing else will appease them.

Anyway, perhaps tomorrow (er, later today might be more accurate) I will post some pictures. Won't that be exciting! Jessica has said that I can use the pictures that they have been taking of our families and that she will show me how to put them on my blog! Yay!

If this post is incoherent in places, notice the time and remember that I am not typically a night owl :)

Until next time,

~Robin <><

Blogging on the Road...

After returning home at 4:00 pm on the day of the last post, we emptied two VERY repulsive refrigerators, packed up some of our things, got a few hours of sleep and jumped in the car early the next morning to check out rather or not we should move to Houston.

We stayed with one family for about a week or so (it's hard to keep track of days at this point), then headed off to stay with the McDonald's.We have been having a great time with their wonderful family. Their daughters are quite delightful, but are also REAL PEOPLE, which I wasn't sure at first if that would be the case. I guess since they're pretty well known (at least in the Homeschool community), I figured they must be snobs who never broke a smile. Quite the opposite, I assure you! They even do historical dancing...a typical Townsend Ladies' favorite.

We've worked at their store, Books on the Path (http://www.booksonthepath.com), almost every day to try out working there. It's a very nice store, and the tea room is coming along quite nicely – it’s getting busier and busier!

Anyway, we're considering this as a possibility and continuing to pray for dierction and guidance in this very large decision.

Saluti!

~Robin <><

Home Sweet Home

Today we will return home to see what damage we might have sustained and to pack up some of our things (it's a good thing home is where the heart is...I'm never at my house!).
We are going out of town again, this time we will be searching out a job that has been offered to us in the Houston area. It looks pretty promising, but not by any means definite yet.
Your prayers for rather or not this is the direction for us to go in would be appreciated.

Hopefully I will see most of my readers in a few weeks when we return - hopefully with some answers on what our future holds.

Saluti!
~Robin <><

Katrina makes a visit to my Parish...

When I made my last post stating that I would never forget this summer, I had no idea just how true that statement would be.

Though from what I understand, our little town in the New Orleans suburbs seems to have sustained minimal damage, we are unsure how long it will be before we can reenter to gather our things (much less reenter for good).

Everyone is more than welcome to pray for us! Wisdom and guidance will be needed to determine what to do for the few months before we can go home and if we should relocate or not.

Thanks everybody!

~Robin <><