By demand

Oh MY how demanding some people can be.  "More pictures" was the demand on a comment. Well, I wish I had more, to be quite honest.  We were so diligent about working that we didn't really take a whole lotta pics of the work.  Now, the food?  OH YEAH, I can show you those pics. And Brad Pitt houses?  Got those pics too.  And levees?  I can talk about those too.

When we got to the airport the first night, Ben called and told me to drive into Mississippi from NOLA on I-90 which, at one point, means you have Lake Pontchartrain on one side and Lake Catherine on the other and the Gulf of Mexico just beyond Lake Catherine.  This is where we saw most of the damage.  I didn't take pictures of that but suffice to say, there were boats on the side of road, CLEARLY not where they were supposed to be.  Mounds and mounds of leaves, vegetation and other natural debris and then there was the garbage piles...though the garbage piles were mostly inland a little, like in Pearlington.  It reminded me of arriving in Pearlington in April of 2006 and seeing piles trash on the side of the road only to realize that it was there on purpose.  That trash was someones home under repair.  The Army Corp of Engineers would come by and clean it up every-so-often.

Anyway, on the drive into Mississippi on I-90 we drove through this gate thing, which admittedly made me a little nervous.  It was such an imposing gate, I wondered if we were driving past a military base or something and though we saw some vehicles that looked military-like, pretty soon homes appeared again.  Then Jolynn or Laurel or Gail noticed there was a hill off to the right of the road and someone said "oh, maybe it's for the railroad."  We kept driving and didn't think much else of it.

Driving up towards the gate...there is a better picture.  I'll see if I can find it.

Fried Chicken and Macaroni and Cheese anyone?

The next day Ben and I drove into to NOLA to get doors for the house at The Green Project.  We drove back on I-90 and we approached the place where the hill was and Ben then said, "that's the levee."  What?!  That big hill is the levee?  And as we approached the gate looking thing he said, "When the water starts to rise, they close those gates to keep the water out of NOLA.  Now, there were two things going through my head.  One was, "I didn't know were were that close to NOLA." and the second was "I don't like those gates."  There was something menacing about those gates.  Clearly there was a right side and wrong side.  I'm still working through my thoughts about those levees, especially as we talked with Ben and realized the introduction of the big levee and those gates and some levees up the Pearl River, meant that to protect one place from flooding, other places are now beginning to flood because the water.has.to.go.somewhere.  There is a cause and effect to our actions, whether we realize it or not...I think I feel a sermon coming on.

So, Ben and I spent an hour or so in The Green Project, bought 6 doors and saved about $200 which made Ben really happy. So happy we went to Rocky and Carlo's for lunch.  Can I just say, best fried chicken ever.  It was so good that when Ben realized, near the end of the week, that he needed to buy another door and we were thinking of what to do for lunch, well, the 5 of us piled in that truck and headed back to NOLA for a door and Rocky and Carlo's!  This time I had the baked macaroni and cheese (and the fried chicken!)  I hope heaven has baked macaroni and cheese as good as Rocky and Carlo's.

It's hard to tell but this one has a metal "waterfall".

The first time Ben and I had been to The Green Project, as we were pulling out of town, he made a comment about wanting to get back to the crew at the house or he would take me to see the "stupid houses" that Brad Pitt built.  The second time Ben and the four of us went to the Green Project, he took a different direction out of the parking lot and I knew right away we were going to see the "stupid houses".  Now, I'm going to just say this...there are people who disagree with Ben's description of the houses.  There are people who will say that it's art.  There are people who like the houses, who think that Brad Pitt and his architects are adding something new to the Lower 9th Ward.  I respect those opinions and the others who are quick to defend the choices made in the design of the homes.  I also respect that people are living in these homes and like them.  I did not like them for the area.  They would fit right in along the beach here in California.

Nope, not in California, though it looks like they should be! 

Yes, this is a house.

I did not like them because of this: for every artsy home there were two empty lots.  Clearly, some money had been spent to build the homes, to create a piece of artistry.  The homes stood out like sore thumbs in a pretty downtrodden neighborhood.  They just didn't fit the area, in my opinion.  Instead of putting the time, money and energy into making these few homes stand out, I couldn't help but wish there had been more time, energy and money put into building more, less artsy homes so more people could return to the neighborhood.  There may be more homes to come, I don't know.  I do know these homes are providing a need and while I appreciate that, I still just don't think they fit...and some of them ------------>
are downright ugly!

Quick...where was this picture taken?  If you said a beach house in California, you lose!

This trip was also the trip of food.  Oh my, the food.  Besides Rocky and Carlo's (where we all came away with souvenir cups that say "Ladies Invited"), there was La Pines, featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, where we had catfish and the best fudge pie ever.  We also went to the Turtle (Turtle Landing that is) for cheeseburgers, shrimp po'boys, onion rings and sweet tea...YUM!  One night we bought steaks and Ben grilled steaks for us...divine!  Of course, the trip would not have been complete without a trip to Yun Long's Chinese Buffet.  I'm getting hungry just typing this out!  OH and Daiquiri's Now! and begniets and cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde ended the week.  Yep.  Food was not a hardship this time around.

Catfish anyone?  Don't forget to follow it up with Fudge Pie!

Add caption

Po'Boy!

Overall, the week was good and went by way too quickly.  I know there are others in Pearlington who still need help and we may go back again,(I've learned not to rule that out) but I will say for this time around we did what we were supposed to do.  Not only was our presence there to work important but our love, our listening ears, our compassion and friendship was needed as well.  I felt this trip, more than I have the last few, that my job was to be a friend and so that is just what I did.

OH!  I almost forgot.  On one of those back roads was the a NASA center where they built the fuel rods for the space shuttles.  This was out in front.  This is the part of the space shuttle that would fall back to earth.  Wowee!!

Pictures of the work...Mississippi 12

As promised, here are pictures of the work.  We don't have many pictures of us actually working because, well, we were busy working!  There are some before and after photo's though.

Inside Ben and Sue's house.  The sheet rock was removed around the lower level from the floor up 16 inches.  We worked at replacing all that sheetrock.

This bedroom had a laminate floor it in that had to be torn out.  The rest of the lower level has tile floors.

Water mark on the outside of Ben and Sue's house.

 

Jolynn preparing to cut the new sheetrock.

Laurel became a pro at rasping the sheetrock to fit just so!

Gail fitting sheetrock into the closet.

The closet under the stairs..

Brittany fitting the sheetrock into the closet under the stairs...

THAT is a PURTY cut...finally!! 

Jolynn mudding...just before she stuck her tongue out at me.  HA!

Siding and OSB removed 24 inches up the side of the house.  This will be done around the whole exterior of the house.

After the siding was taken down and insulation replaced.

A layer of waterproofing went on before the siding is replaced.  There aren't any pictures but suffice to say the ground was still wet and my pants had a layer of tar and mud on them from crawling around on the ground getting that waterproofing on the house!

Ben fighting with a particularly complicated section of siding.  The hope was not to have to take the whole porch down to get to the siding on the house!

 

The group with Ben and Sue at the end of the week.

The Yellow House. 

 Douglas and Mary spent a lot of time getting the sheetrock up in this room a couple of years ago.

The floor.  There are 4 dehumidifiers and a fan running trying to get the moisture out of the house.

Last time we were at the Yellow House, the sheetrock wasn't up in this room.  Hard to see it being torn out already.

The week that was...

We didn't have internet access last week at the rental house we stayed in.  I could have tracked it down but I decided not to add that level of stress to the week.  I didn't NEED to write on the blog, though some of you may have been waiting and waiting and waiting...

You will have to wait a little while longer for the photo's.  I'm not quite awake enough to deal with getting them off the camera and to the computer.  I can give you a quick rundown of the week.

1. Ben had us drive from NOLA into Pearlington on a different route to view the damage better.  There were piles and piles of debris along the roadway, vegetation and household debris, along with multiple boats that washed up along the road and just stayed there.
2. It's disheartening to walk into a home that one helped to rebuild and see sheet rock one helped put up being taken off the wall.  Very disheartening.
3. The week was about work, which we did.  The sheet rock was cut 16 inches from the floor in Ben's house, the insulation removed from that level as well and the walls framing was bleached throughout most of the lower level by the time we arrived.  We took out the miscellaneous nails and screws and then cut out new pieces of sheet rock and replaced them.  Laurel and Jolynn did an amazing job of taping and mudding as well!
4. We helped Ben take off siding and OSB from the exterior of the house and got a very small portion waterproofed as best as possible.  The latter was hard work, my fingers have the scraps to prove it.
5. This trip wasn't just about doing physical labor.  We offered a lot of emotional support, walked down memory lane a little and did all we could to lift the spirits of Ben and Sue.  That emotional support involved A LOT of Southern Cuisine.  Pictures will tell the story.
6. This 12th trip (for me) was the first time I had been in the Lower 9th Ward of NOLA.  I'm still working on my thoughts about that but I can say that Brad Pitt plays a part in those thoughts.
7. This 12th trip I also saw the levee that was built after Katrina...more thoughts on that are coming as well.

  There is more but my brain has decided it's time to stop for the night and go to sleep.  Pictures and further thoughts to come!

Trip #12 is coming...

It's officially, official.  There are 4 of us heading to Pearlington next Tuesday, September 11th.  Can I just say  how strange it is to be going to help with hurricane clean-up on September 11th for a hurricane that hit 7 years to the day after the hurricane which brought us to this town that has so captured our hearts?  Really, really strange.

Prayers are appreciated!

The news from Pearlington after Hurricane Isaac

**Cross posted at my personal blog**

I heard from Mr. Ben today.  The conversation went something like this:

Cell phone vibrates.  I look at Caller ID and answer with, "I've been waiting. What's the news?"

The answer on the other end was "I really didn't want to call you with this but I told you I would check in."

"What's going on Ben?"

"I really don't want to tell you this but I'm just going to tell you like it is."

"Ok, Ben.  What's the news?"

"Well, I really don't want to tell you..."

The news finally came out.  This time it's Mr. Ben's house.  The laminate floor in the small bedroom needs to go.  That's not so bad.  All the sheet rock in the downstairs of the house needs to be torn out from about the 2 foot mark on.  Dang.  The siding on the outside of the house needs to be replaced from about the 3 foot mark on down.  Double dang.

Then the news on the pretty house (aka yellow house). While the water has receded from Mr. Ben's house, the yellow house now has a lake.  Underneath the house and surrounding it.  Lovely.  The sheet rock needs to come out from about the 2 ft. mark here as well.  The sheet rock that we put up two years ago.  DANG IT!

While a part of me wants to just get on a plane and go right now, the logical, practical side of me is sitting and praying for a moment.  Do we go or do we send the money we would have spent on the plane ticket to help with repairs?  That will be tomorrows conversation with Mr. Ben...which will start off something like this..."so what is it that you need the most?"

--As a side note, I've heard comments, already, from some who say "why would you live there?  This is just going to keep happening."  They are right.  It will keep happening.  But why do I choose to live on  a hill that could give way with one good rain storm (Ala 1982-83 rainstorms and floods), that could be wiped out in an earthquake (um 1989?) or burn down in a fire (just a few summers ago there was a close one!)?  We choose to live where we choose to live and deal with things as they come to us.   

A little news

Still waiting on news but here is a little tidbit to, well honestly, it made me a little more worried about what has happened in Pearlington this time around.

I'm also curious as to where this house was in Pearlington.  I didn't think Pearlington was 6 miles wide either direction!

http://www.sunherald.com/2012/08/30/4154790/at-least-75-rescued-from-isaac.html

Hurricane Warning

It's been quiet on this blog.  The work in Pearlington came to a halt and so have the stories.  That doesn't mean those of us who spent so much time in Pearlington have forgotten the town or the people we have met.  We talk about our time there often, with joy and hope of one day returning.  We don't want to return because of another hurricane, though.

Tropical Storm Isaac is on path to becoming a hurricane and the Gulf Coast is now in the projected path.  Tonight I am praying the storm dies out...because changing paths just puts other towns in the line of potential destruction.  Praying that the rain and winds cause no harm and that the next time we go to Pearlington it's for vacation!

Memories

I stood at a bus stop this morning in California, dressed for a day at the office.  It was about 8am and there was a soft breeze moving the cool air around.  I stood with my face to the sun and closed my eyes.  I heard birds, the sound of a tractor in the distance and a few cars driving by.  It one second I was transported from that curb in California to the edge of the porch at Captain John's house on a cool December morning, with a breeze blowing the cool air around, the sun shining down, birds singing their songs, tractors moving in the distance and cars driving down the highway.  I could see the paintbrush in my hand and hear the murmurs of my friends voices as they painted on the other side of the house.

I opened my eyes and looked down, half expecting to see my work boots on my feet.

I'm missing Pearlington today.

49ers vs. Saints showdown today!--Update

Are you going to be watching the game??  Need some company?  I'm moving the TV to the room with more seating, come on over and join me!  :)

Whew!  That was a game!  Would have cheered on either team in the next step but secretly excited about the 49ers moving ahead.  Or maybe not so secretly now.  

Blog silence break...for football

This has nothing to do with rebuilding Pearlington and everything to do with friendship and a little competition in the sports world.

I got an email from Ben Saturday just saying "Playoffs--Lions at the Saints 8pm EST". 

Yesterday I sent a reply email that said:  "Perfectly happy to cheer on the Saints last night.  However as a born and raised 49er fan, my allegiance lies with them next Saturday."

Ben's reply:  "Girl, put on your gloves."

The New Orleans Saints play the San Francisco 49ers this coming Saturday at 4:30pm EST.  A Facebook, email, texting match will be held as well between Mississippi and California.  Fun will be had by all.

The end?

It has been 6 years since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.  It's been 5 1/2 years since a team of 21 people headed to Pearlington from California and found themselves in the midst of chaos, struggle, heartache, despair and the tiniest, smallest amount of hope...and strangely joy. 

It seems amazing that so many years have passed.  For many of us it seems like just yesterday.  About this time of the year for the last 6 years, I've been in the beginning process of planning a trip to Pearlington.  This year is different.  The work, though not done, has stopped.  The money has dried up.  The attention of the country and the world has moved on to other places.  While I would love to be planning a trip, to be reunited with my friends in Pearlington that does not seem to be happening.  This seems like the end.  There is the fact that I'm no longer employed at the church but that won't stop me from jumping at the opportunity to take a group of people back Pearlington if God makes it happen.  Not being in Pearlington around Christmas and New Year's will definitely be different!  It's in God's hands.

For now, this blog will remain up, though maybe not active, just to remind us of where we have been, what God has done and to keep the little town of Pearlington in our hearts and minds. 

Irony of color

On trip #8 our crew was charged with painting Captain John's house. There are pictures here along with some back story of the colors. I remember opening up the paint can and all of us going...ummmmmmm. The statement we all made was "It's going to dry darker." That's the thing you say when the color in the can is not quite what you expected and you aren't sure you are going to like it, right? Yeah. Autumn Surprise was the color. It was bad. Really bad on the outside of that house. Like really, really orange and bright and wow. It did not blend in with the bayou at.all.

Ben didn't think so either and we changed colors. Autumn Surprise became the base coat, Twilight Jungle became the top coat and all was right with the world.

This week, I'm in a hotel near Disneyland. Our rooms are nicely decorated, with beautiful windows that overlook...well a parking lot but the backside of California Adventure's, which is fun. I was laying in bed, exhausted after our first day when I looked at the wall behind me and saw...(wait for it) AUTUMN SURPRISE!!! No kidding. I can't quite get a great picture of it but I tried. It looks better on the wall than it did on the house, but still...AUTUMN SURPRISE!! What are the chances? :)

PayPal

Hey there friends! We had a great day, yesterday, sharing memories of Pearlington with the Church Family at FPC. It was so good to hear the experiences of other people. Hopefully I will get them to report HERE soon!

We have decided to take down the PayPal button. Our mission to Pearlington has been completed at this time. If God decides we are to go back, the PayPal button will show back up.

Thanks for your support, encouragement and help through the years. We have been blessed!

Sammy's Thoughts

Every time I have visited Pearlington, I feel like someone who has just been pushed into the ocean. You know what is there, and what it will feel like, but the experience is always different.

I did what I thought I was going to do, and I accomplished all I could have accomplished, and everything in my heart told me that this chapter in my life was over but fulfilled. God was and is so good to me. and there is not one aspect of money raising or working or team meetings that would have been done without Him and all his amazing grace. But I cannot say that the tears I shed on the last day there were the last ones I will every cry for Pearlington. Although I have not been on every trip, I have been enough to know that what I have done there will stay with me for the rest of my life. This nowhere town has changed my path in this mess we call life for the better.

It's pretty amazing to think that after all the death and destruction and disaster this storm has brought, it has also brought hope and love and friendship that no one ever thought possible. God is so good, and I thank him every day for this great opportunity to laugh, love and live.


Watch out...she knows how to use that caulking gun!

Pictures

Pictures as promised...

Unloading sheet rock (Jonathan and Sammy)


Preparing the walls for sheetrock (Lynn, Gail and mystery person in picture)


DJ working in the attic at the Yellow House. There will eventually be two bedrooms up there.


Before


And after...(Mr. Ben, Debbie and Doug in photo)


Mary waiting for sheet rock to arrive


How many people does it take to level posts...a lot! (Steven, Sammy, Brittany, Jonathan and Bordie--Captain John's son)


Ellen and Captain John...buddies


Looking down a ramp...what a beautiful sight!


A beautiful archway...though Debbie looks a little concerned!


Tearing down a trailer (Jeff and Gail)

And lest you think that all we did was work...

Bill trailer surfing


Steven striking a pose


The group at Peck's Seafood...best Po-boy's in town!


A little lunchtime Christmas Caroling (Brittany and Gail)


The December 2010 Mississippi Team