November December 07 Updates

12/31/07 Hey gang. I have a new picture! Now all I have to do is get it put up. LOL That'll only take another month or so.

Am feeling better, so am tickled about that.

Had a third article in our local paper this year about the blogs - woo! If it keeps the word out there that people still need help, then I'm all for it. Otherwise, just let me do my work and don't take any pictures!

Am starting 2 new drives.
#1 - magazines. If you have any magazines that you don't keep, but throw out or recycle, please consider sending them to a Katrina Family. It helps the kids with school (like a whole letter grade), it gives everyone in the family something to look forward to, and allows them to have a sense of normalcy that they most likely still can't afford on their own.
#2 - gardens. Yup, trying again. I'll keep trying until I get it right! I've ordered seeds for 1 family to have veggies throughout the year. They have access to soil, compost, containers (for raised bed/container gardening) and a real need for fresh produce. It's just financially out of reach for them, so am giving them enough seeds to do prolonged plantings to keep a steady supply of as many veggies as possible. Since there's no freezer to store for winter, we'll just have to settle for the other 9-10 months.
This too, will help the children stay healthier, allow them time to heal through gardening, teach them more life skills and save the family a huge expense.
If you want to help with either project, let me know. I could use the help!
Contact me at KatrinaCoalition @ aol.com
Thanks! Leslie

12/24/07 I've been laid up again. Hate that! I've been feeling like crap since the beginning of this month. It's time it stopped.

All of the families getting boxes have gotten them. I just heard from 1 family where all of the clothes I sent fit! Considering it was for 4 different girls, I was pretty excited. I don't always get that right.

I've sent out a request to my family and friends that if they don't otherwise recycle their magazines, to please contact me and I'll send them down to any number of families. It helps the kids with their grades SO much - particularly National Geographic. And something so simple that will help raise the potential of their future is so important.

If you'd like to help, let me know. There are many ways to reuse your magazines in your area, but we can also find ways to have you send them to a family. email me! It's Christmas. I'm dizzy. Life sucks along those lines. But the number of people who's hope is raised this season really makes it far more bearable.

Love to all. L

12/1 The difference a day makes! Woo! I had contacted a guy through our paper about some stuffed animals. I got those and much more! Clothes! Girls's clothes! So I've spent the afternoon and evening washing, ironing and sorting them. Only 3 of the pieces have small stains - the rest are pristine! I have about 8 girls on my list who can benefit, and all will get at least one new outfit. I am so excited! Plus, someone had made a baby blanket, but hadn't put any batting in - so I ripped the seams out and will quilt it up tomorrow to go with a couple of other baby things for one of the families. I don't know which one yet, but one of them! So right now, with the temperature hovering around 14 outside, 80 inside (woodstove my Dad stoked to the hilt), my livingroom is filled with Christmas Future! L

11/27 Much has been done in the last month. ...I have another update post specifically for holiday work
I've just sent out 20 letters to different churches in my radius of ability to travel. The first year I sent them out, I got a fairly large response. Last year I didn't get any response, but I worded it entirely differently. This year, with 2 articles in the paper regarding my work and wording it like the first year, I'm hoping to get a larger response again. Keep your fingers crossed.

I still have much to do on the blogs in the next few days for the holiday effort, but am making progress. I got a great deal done last night, and hope to do the same today.

Life has settled down, but hasn't, all at the same time. It remains fully overwhelming. While my mother's condition improves, issues continue to show themselves. Today she goes for an ultrasound of her arms because she has NO pulse in one arm and too high of a pulse in the other. Something is blocking the one and making the rest of the body suffer because of it.

She's also decided the diningroom floor we got her last Christmas must be installed before this Christmas. Talk about adding a little bit of effort to my growing list of work!

Dad is only so-so. His arthritis continues to worsen - as does his eating. His sugar is also getting very bad, and his cholesterol is out of sight, which never used to be. His salt intake makes him go into mild Congestive Heart Failure, but he thinks it's the arthritis that makes his feet swell so. Mmhmmm. So - he's heading for a stroke. He changed his eating habits for an entire month. But that's as long as he was able to manage, and is back to eating badly.

After Mom's heart attack April 1 - how appropriate! - she decided it was time to try to ensure my livelihood after she dies. Right now, I'm supported by them. All summer was spent building a workroom to put a long-arm quilter in. If you want to see pictures of that little project, go here That was a very high priority for her, but we're still not finished with the interior and I have yet to practise on the thing, which makes me very frustrated!

However, all of my research alone saved her over 8G, and my labor saved another 6. It got me back into shape! But it also kept me fully overwhelmed for the entire summer - and the autumn so far.

My autumn vertigo is in full force. The level of symptoms increases substantially, making daily life very difficult. I try to get work done around the house, but it's a struggle.

Am hoping to write to our 2 local TV news shows to get more coverage on the need for items for the Gulf. We'll see. And that's it for now.

It's enough for me! L