I'm with ya, Laurie. And then with the looters, thieves, SHOTS FIRED AT THE RESCUERS????, and those damn gasoline price gougers in North Carolina (hello? $6 per gallon?? YOU SUCK! Don't THINK we won't release the fury of Sobakowa on you!!!) it is enough to be very depressed.

But then .... but then! ... I looked at Craigslist and all the people offering up free housing for the people now without homes. Very heartwarming. I will have a blog post about it later today.

So there is hope for some goodness left in this world. Really.

Word. Except I just tried to give some money to the Red Cross and the website shut down. Which could be a good sign...so many people donating that the site couldn't handle the load...

So how much was gas? I can't make it out in the pics.

Auntie Purl, you're the greatest. Your post today made me laugh and cry at the same time. Be well.

Gas went from 2.79 a gallon (for regular) to $3.06.

I've heard it's even higher today.

Amen, Sobakowa, amen!

More places should use cats in soliciting donations. Though, I am not sure just any old cats would be as effective as your menagerie. ;) (P.S. Laurie, I finally completed a respectable ERBH. No more accidental shrinkage.)

Thanks for the links. I put them on my dog's blog and made a donation. Thinking about all those homeless dogs and cats makes me cry.

Gas jumped to $3.09 here in OHIO. Jeez. I'm with Soba...give, give, give! I paid my bills this month, I've got food for the cats, my car's tank is filled...it's time to be thankful for what I have and give what I can. Either that, or Soba's gonna kick my you-know-what.

I couldn't get through to the Red Cross, either, so I donated to Mennonite Disaster Relief. I'm not a Mennonite, but their organization is considered exceptionally efficient and competent, two qualities which seem to be much needed in this situation.

I have donated. It's all so very very sad.

Ugh! So much is going on. I thought, Ms. Purl,since SO MANY people read your faboo website that I'd offer a few more Katrina Relief options. Two knitting bloggers have set up a program for donations to Katrina victims. The idea is to donate on-line (http://www.redcross.org/) or
call 1-800-HELP NOW. Then, let the bloogers know what you have donated to Katrina Aid through the American Red Cross at this email address:
givealittle@gmail.com. Please put your name and the amount donated in the subject line. (They only want the amount so that they can keep a
tally on our sidebars of their blogs so people can feel inspired to donate as well.) Then, at the end of every week, they'll draw names
from people who donated and send them some fibery prize.

For more info, see here:
http://zeneedle.typepad.com/zeneedle_process_of_art/2005/09/
life_will_never.html

I, too, am feeling helpless about many of my friends...musicians and artists. To begin with, one of the city’s most important legends, Antoine "Fats" Domino, has not been heard from since Monday afternoon. Domino’s rollicking boogie-woogie piano and deep soul voice are not only part of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame but responsible for dozens of hits like “Blue Monday,” “Ain’t That a Shame,” “Blueberry Hill” and “I’m Walking (Yes, Indeed, I’m Talking).”
Domino, 76, lives with his wife Rosemary and daughter in a three-story pink-roofed house in New Orleans’ 9th ward, which is now under water.
On Monday afternoon, Domino told his manager, Al Embry of Nashville, that he would “ride out the storm” at home. Embry is now frantic.
Calls have been made to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s office and to various police officials, and though there’s lots of sympathetic response, the whereabouts of Domino and his family remain a mystery.
In the meantime, another important Louisiana musician who probably hasn’t been asked to be in any telethons is the also legendary Allen Toussaint. Another Rock Hall member, Toussaint wrote Patti LaBelle’s hit “Lady Marmalade” and Dr. John’s “Right Place, Wrong Time.” His arrangements and orchestrations for hundreds of hit records, including his own instrumentals “Whipped Cream” and “Java” are American staples. (He also arranged Paul Simon’s hit, “Kodachrome.”) Last night, Toussaint was one of the 25,000 people holed up at the New Orleans Superdome hoping to get on a bus for Houston’s Astrodome. I know this because he got a message out to his daughter, who relayed to it through friends.
Also not heard from by friends through last night: New Orleans’s “Queen of Soul” Irma Thomas, who was the original singer of what became the Rolling Stones’ hit, “Time is On My Side.”
Let’s hope and pray it is, because while the Stones roll through the U.S. on their $450-a-ticket tour, Thomas is missing in action. Her club, The Lion’s Den, is under water, as are all the famous music hot spots of the city.
Similarly, friends are looking for Antoinette K-Doe, widow of New Orleans wild performer Ernie K-Doe. The Does have a famous nightspot of their own on N. Claiborne Avenue, called the Mother-in-Law Lounge, in honor of Ernie’s immortal hit, “The Mother-in-Law Song.”
Ernie K-Doe, who received a 1998 Pioneer Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, died in 2001 at age 65.
Dry and safe, but in not much better shape, is the famous Neville family of New Orleans. Aaron Neville and many members of the family evacuated on Monday to Memphis, where they are now staying in a hotel.

I know this is a very long COMMENT, but the history and richness of New Orleans culture is not lost, just water-logged and out of commission for now.

Thank you Laurie for making me cry and laugh!

I want to tell y'all about the best thing I saw yesterday.

I was driving home from work and saw three little girls in front of their house with a flower stand. They had flowers from their own garden and were holding up signs that said, "Buy our flowers. Save New Orleans!"

Things like that help you remember how wonderful people can be.

Laurie I'm sure Pete is fine...they have no electricity and poor communication, he just can't tell you he's fine.

I'm frustrated with the government, I know Bush cut his 5 week holiday a whole 4 days short and he's setting up a cabinet committee but do ya think they could airlift in some food and water immediately... 10,000 National guard somewhere... don't you think they could do a little better (oh thats right our equipment and men are in the Middle East).

Thank goodness I don't own a TV or I would be stuck for hrs. It is like 9-11 but instead of the worst being over being in one day, it gets worse every day. Looting, agression...sigh must stop and try and concentrate on work.

Just one more relief site and something to help us feel more usefull in this awful time:

http://www.gumbopages.com/looka/

I paid $2.86 a gallon for gas here in little old Dade City today. And there at least 3 stations here in town that are out of gas and say they won't get any shipments for 6-8 days! I have a handful of friends who work at the electric company and this AM they said the electric company was planning on having rolling blackouts this weekend because they can't get any shipments of natural gas.

And watching the news at noon today they were showing two more storms forming. I think if any Southern State gets hit any time soon, we are going to be in a lot of trouble.

Thanks for a great message!

I wonder if there is anything as knitters that we can do. I know the heat is intense right now, but that won't last forever.

Any ideas?

Here's a suggestion for people who may not be able to afford a donation. My company buys pizza for everyone on Fridays, and I asked if people would mind brown bagging it this Friday, and donating the money we would have spent to the Red Cross. Everyone was really receptive to the idea, and those that can are kicking in extra.

Unless knitters are armed and ready to haul ass down to the gulf, I don't know what we can do other than open our wallets.

I am so sad and freaked out and disgusted right now, this is AMERICA, I expect to see boats on the Mississippi river, planes in the air, convoys, food and water for chrissakes, this is AMERICA! Where the hell is our peacekeeping force for our own cities?

And why are the newscaster (Cokie Roberts included, herself from New Orleans) saying "New Or-lee-ans"? I just don't get it.

Someone mentioned what can knitter do? If you like to knit and want to donate, rather than send items, put them up for auction at Craft Revloution's Crafters United at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=3146. All proceeds will go to Hurricane Relief.

Sobakowa rocks!

Other sites that are helping the effort:

CoffeeCup Software in Texas is collecting comfort items to be delivered to the refugees when they arrive in Texas. Details at http://www.coffeecup.com/hurricane/

For the critters: Best Friends (www.bestfriends.org), Noah's Wish (www.noahswish.org), and the Animal Rescue League of Boston are already on site and helping out.

The American Red Cross is training additional volunteers this weekend (the effort is massive and they will need reinforcements). Contact your local chapter to sign up.

Love your cats, Love SOBO, Love you CAP!!
Get off your ass people!!!
I worked for the SBA (US Small BUsiness Admin) during Hurricane Hugo and the Johnstown Flood and that was only a small version of hell on earth we were given a taste of...this is the worst we can imagine. I am ashamed of the looters, sickened by them, feeding on other's tragedies....but they will answer for it in the end....

The cat pictures were very clever. It prompted me to finally make a donation to the Red Cross.

I also want to add that my grandmother, who passed away last year went to the Farmer's Market every week for over 60 years, and when I read about you going to the Stitch and Bitch over there, it reminds me of her and it makes me happy.

I came to your website today because I was having Drew withdrawl. (I've known him since High School, so if you ever need any good dope on him look me up!) I understand the dirty laundry thing, and the hat thing, and the gas thing, and I really wish I had public transportaiton out here in the boonies so I didn't have to fill my tank on the way home today. My gas gage "dinged" at me this morning and I just about had to take some valerian (think "herbal sleeping pill") to calm down. Regular gas prices in Western Michigan were $2.99 on Tuesday, $3.18 yesterday, and are $3.29 today. I feel raped! But that's still less than I paid for gas in Ireland over a year ago, so we still need to count our blessings: Our gas blessings, our health blessings, our house blessings.... etc. ad nausium.

Lowest price I've seen in Boston: $3.29. I don't drive, so it doesn't affect me-except emotionally. I am haunted by what I am reading and seeing in the news.

Your kitties could help support you by being paid "Pitch" Cats. Of course, you might have to drive them to auditions...

I agree that if everyone, even us poor everyones, could just do 5 bucks, it would help so much. Thanks for your (as usual) great post.

Hi, Laurie -

I've been lurking on your blog for the past few months and loving it. I too feel helpless about this whole situation. I have donated money to the Red Cross but it just feels like a drop in the bucket. I would rather do something more hands-on. Just don't know what!

I'm also missing someone in New Orleans, though I assume he would have left during the initial evacuation. Just waiting to see.

Also - I live in Charlotte NC and there is an outright PANIC going on today over gas shortages. As in, there is no gas, and the gas we CAN get is up near $4.00/gallon. Looking bleak over here...

Thanks for the blog - love it!
Erica

If I donate can we get the horror-o-scopes?

You can combine knitting and disaster relief: Crafters United is a group effort - crafters donating supplies and finished items for sale, all proceeds going to the Red Cross. There is some verrrry nice handspun/handdyed yarn up for sale, for starters.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=3146

I am so with you. I can't tell you how much I wanted to call in to work today and say, "Um, boss-lady, I'm going to use some personal days and try to drive some people out of Naw'lins. This may take a while so you better just put me down for some vacation time too."
I happen to be wearing khaki, so I'm halfway there...

Thanks, Laurie. I have friends and family in N'Orleans and they're thankfully all safe - just no homes to go back to. It's so hard to imagine having to deal with that.

(And please let Sobakowa know I have donated... I don't want her comin' after me!)

Unfortunately, I don't own anything khaki (I know, shocking!), but, as I don't officially have a job at the moment, and I don't start teaching dance until the end of the month, I've been considering finding an organization to volunteer with and being down there for a couple of weeks. *sigh* I don't even know where to start with figuring that out though.

In the meantime, I'm giving money and, because I always want to give *things* too, I'm starting to make health kits to meet UMCOR's emergency appeal. It helps to know I'm doing something tangible, providing washcloths and towels and soap and toothpaste. If any of y'all have that desire to give things as well as money, hook up with these folks.

in my town, gas was 3.36/gallon.

so i took the train into work today.

funny crazy aunt purl, you may be all sad, but you still managed to make me smile.

Here's HSUS's site for donating to help the rescue efforts of all the little homeless furry friends, wading around looking for their mamas and daddies. https://secure.hsus.org/01/disaster_relief_fund_2005?source=drfhb4

Gas is $3.19 here in Northern Cali - it's disgusting...but, it's sunny and warm, and my house and pets are all in one piece. XO

Hey Aunt Purl! That Sobakowa is a powerful motivator. That and the fact that I could jump in a hot shower this morning and flush the toilet and drink water straight from the tap and know that my friends, family and kitties were all safe got me donating. Thanks for always being a (hilarious) voice of reason in a crazy world. Did you get the gift I sent?

You're the best. I'm just sayin' is all.

Buy Yarn, help Katrina victims! www.yarn.com is donating 10% of sales to the Red Cross until 9/10. So support your habit & help other people @ the same time. Thought I would spread the word.

Thank you for making me laugh. Maybe tonight I won't cry on the way home while I'm listening to all of the stories on NPR... maybe...

Tell Soba I donated $50 to cover myself and nine other lazy-assed humans.

Hi Laurie, Yup, I'm standing in line, so to speak, to make my donation, because the Red Cross site seems like it's overloaded at the moment. Same with the phone lines. Just a quick word about the Network For Good...it's a great idea, easy and all, but when you get to the place, "place my donation now," it puts up a little thing in the corner that says they take 3% off the top for "administrative costs." That didn't make me feel good, so I got the hell out of there. Paypal has a link for the United Way, and they said they waive all fees associated with it. I think this is a good option, except two things: Their site is down for maintenance 'til the wee hours of tomorrow morning, Pacific Time, and you have to email someplace for a receipt. Wasn't sure how I felt about that, either. But my experience with the United Way locally has been awesome. So I'm thinking I will do that tomorrow. Or even Monday. Even the poor workers who are processing the money need a bit of time to handle the volume, I'd bet. And they'll still need money come Monday.

Oh, all ya'll, I totally didn't even realize it was September 1 and hor-o-scope day. Tomorrow we'll have astrology :) Whoops!

i donated to the animal people. and i think tomorrow i will buy a bus pass.

"Give till it hurts," the Salvation Army buckets used to say (and maybe still do), so I did. No new yarn for me for a few months, but you won't hear me complain; hundreds of thousands of folks have no yarn, no food, no water, no electrics, no shoes. No nothin. Laurie and her kitties are so right, friends. (And what darling kitties! Soba reminds me of my parents' cat Mollie, who died at the ripe old age of 17 in 2004. She was a doll!)

Peace and love to all.

Thanks again Laurie! I have donated for myself and some other lazy humans to help the kitties and puppies.

I wouldn't have my kitty without that kind of help. Since she is a hurricane rescue.

I've got a list of organizations that are helping out over at my blog as well. We're far away and I know it's hard, but we can help a little and that helps too.

The catathon continues at www.feminista.com/buttonwillow.

We gave and are continuing the call for donations....

I wish my mommy's credit card worked better so we could donate more!

I gave $100 to the Red Cross and $2 more at my bank-- they're matching donations! So Sobakowa will smile at me... does she do that?

That looter thing is pretty ridiculous though.

Hi Laurie - thanks for inspiring me to help out others. I donated to the Red Cross and Petsmart Animal Charities through the link on your website. Keep up the good work - the world needs more great humans and cats like you & yours! So, thanks for the motivation, Soba!

I was just going to say that you should auction off one of your lovely knitted hats to your blogstalkers for donations, but it looks like someone already suggested it!

I'll bid on the pink camo one :)

Dudes, if I were in Mississippi or NOLA in the 100 degree heat with no drinking water or food and people dying HELL YES I would be taking bottled water and bread from the store where nobody exists to sell it to me. I'm sorry, hello! WalMart should be saying, PLEASE TAKE IT ALL, WHAT WE HAVE IS YOURS.

There is goodness in the world, and much of it seems to be found online today. And I'm with you about the pronunciation!

Lurked in your blog for a few months...love you, love your cats....I too am thirtyish....ok 35, recently divorced cat lady....but ONLY 3....I say that like it will make me seem less crazy...

While married, my ex and I travelled to many places. New Orleans being a place I wanted to see very much and as a result, he refused to go, so I never got to see the city that is now destroyed....damn him.....I don't think it will ever be the same.

Watching all the devestation on TV also made me want to run off and join the Red Cross, Search and Rescue, Salvation Army, whatever....I want to go grab people off the street and say, hey you, you and your family, come stay w/ me and my 3 cats if you want. Kinda hard to do living in N. CA.

So, I and my puppy-cats got off our asses and dontaed to help some homeless people and animals....Feel better...would feel better if i could take some shots at those shooting at the rescue people, but I know I can't have everything!

I too work for a big financial type corporation and while the big whigs may not be White Guys In Ties, they are White Women In Powersuits - and those women have spring into action setting up American Red Cross collections in all of our offices world wide AND the company will be matching all employees donations by 150% and will be giving paid time off so that we can volunteer some of our time at local Red Cross chapters.
Tell Sobakawa I've donated and am volunteering - I fear her.

I just donated 50.00 to the Red Cross and 50.00 to North Shore Animal League. I've got 5 cats of my own - all strays. Since 2001, when I moved to Baltimore, I've rescued 16 cats and 6 dogs off the streets. I too wish I could go there with a a big boat and a lotta food and water and take everyone away. The mega millions lotto is 131 million. I'm buying a ticket. And for the music fan who posted earlier - they have seen photos of Fats Domino being rescued. Dunno about Irma, though.

I'm laughing, I'm crying, your cats are retarded, and I love you.

So do my cats, even though they're POOPING and POOPING. At some point, in between the pooping, I will be doing the donating.

xo
Rabbitch

Thank you for posting about animal rescue as well. I have done the same.

Thank you for writing this! I've donated but it's not enough - I also want to jump in a car with a bunch of water and get to that convention center but I live in DC. I just deleted a rant because I'm sure everyone's feeling the same and doesn't want to hear it again. I'm just sick about all of this. I wish I could be there just to hold someone's hand while they die, and then lay them out properly instead of rolling their wheelchair against a wall, sigh! Okay, mini-rant over...Amen, Sobakawa, amen.

Give till hurts. Five dollars can save a little precious fuzzy. We can do so much when we let go of ourselves and hold on to each other.

Give now, all you can. And if you work for a company small enough to listen to its employees, try to convince your company to give as well (if it hasn't already).

Just a thought - when the first emergency is over, when the evacuations are complete, there will still be people left with nothing living in temporary shelters for a long, long time. Maybe, in addition to the far-more-important cash donations, the knitblog world could get together then and start putting together care packages for those stuck in shelters? I'm guessing there will be quite a few knitters there, and in those conditions, I know I would be itching for yarn and needles to sooth my spirits. Seems silly and shallow right now, I know, but I'm trying to think of anything I can do....

Sobakowa for President...NOW!

Another place to check out--where you can donate finished projects or whatever as a tiny reward for the people who have donated to the Red Cross. Since I also spin, I'm going to toss in some laceweight I'm working on now, probably enough for a shawl, so please give, whatever you can.

http://zeneedle.typepad.com/give_a_little/

No horoscopes until next week , I'm not feeling all astrological right now.

You know, if I see one more politician on the TV congratulating each other for their "help and response" I will scream. The governor of Mississippi says he "is pleased with the response" and yet folks in Biloxi got nothing to eat! No food! In America! Five days into this thing!

Give, give, give whatever you can, please!

Hey Laurie, I made everyone in the office check out your post, apparently Soba is a force all her own. Most everyone ponied up with some cash! We are sitting here in Idaho with the calm weather, beautiful sun and broken hearts. I am so ashamed of Bush and the way he has handled this! I would like to see him try and survive down there -- with NOTHING! You bet your ass he would be taking food and water if he could get his hands on it. I never thought in my rich country, something this horrible would happened to people...something that could have been prevented with immediate response.
Thanks for letting me vent!! donate on!!!

We donate now, as they desperately need our help, but please, PLEASE, don't forget about 3 or 5 months from now. Rebuilding has to occur, etc. I had planned to vacation right after Christmas, but have decided to hold that money and donate it to Habitat for Humanity in a few months. Skip a few Latte's, or movies, or pitchers of Margaritas between now and the holidays and donate it then. This will be a long, LONG, problem to fix.

Fucking gas. I don't even commute (I am lucky and work at home) but GOD! I know. I want to do something like open up my home to a family or something. Some lady from Idaho Falls did that, did you hear? Loaned them her 2nd car, got their kids enrolled in school with hers. I look around at all the wealth we have (dry, food, roof, wine, yarn, dry) and am SO THANKFUL.

Well, I know this is a cat-friendly site, so talking about horse rescue might be a little startling, but I have another site y'all might want to look it. Days End Farm Horse Rescue, located in Lisbon Maryland, is already on the scene with a fully-equipped van for all sorts of emergency rescue stuff. Sorry I'm not too eloquent right now. Like everyone else I'm too upset to think, or even spell correctly. Anyway -Days End is down there right now, trying to help the horses. You can read more about it on their website: www.defhr.org. Laurie is right. We have to do all we can to help - this is literally Hell.

Well I'd already donated to the Red Cross but I added another contribution and also made a small donation to the NSAL. (Which incidentally is where my kitty came from)
All your kitty pleas were effective but if they get specific credit.. Frankie was the one that did me in!

Here in Naples, Florida, we are OUT OF GAS. As in, the stockpilers have won, and there is none to be had. Can't fill up my freaking tank anywhere, so we feel oddly stranded.

It's killing me to watch what's happening. I feel like I'm going to throw up at least 100 times a day when I see it. It's breaking my heart.

Thanks Laurie for asking people to help. As a New Orleans evacuee, I really appreciate it. I'm ok and have plenty of family to help me but many aren't so lucky. I just need to do something other than sit on my mom's couch and knit while watching CNN. I know my problems are small compared to most of the ther people from New Orleans, but I burst into tears last night when I realized I forget to pack several pairs of my beloved Addi Turbos. I'm just wandering around in a state of shock. We didn't pack much because we really didn't think it was going to be this serious so all of a sudden I will think of something I may never see again and the tears start. I know they are just things, and I am happy that all my friends and family (and kitties) made it out safely. I miss my beautiful city..y'all I just want to go home. Sorry to ramble...thanks to all that help. Even a little means a lot.

Thankyou for making me laugh and cry.The Australian Red Cross has a link to The US Red Cross that works.Our thoughts and prayer's are with you.

your gift reached me just in time.... because the little devils are back.

so even if you're feeling sad about not being able to help all of those people, know that you helped this one.

There's a lot of comments, and I just skimmed some, so I don't know if anyone mentioned it--last I heard, Texas is taking in 75,000 refugees, plus the thousands that arrived there before the storm hit.

Here's to the Homeland. :)

It's been so frustrating for me hearing all of these places saying that what they really need is cash, since money is something I just don't have right now, thanks to my University's pay schedule, and that I won't have until October.
But since I live in Central Texas, I do happen to live in one of the cities that is receiving refugees from Louisiana. Goodwill here is accepting donations of "Whatever you would need if you lost everything," and it is giving refugees vouchers to get the things they need from the Goodwill of their choice. I just took in several skirts, shirts, and a couple of summer dresses. I figure that they may get to a Katrina refugee, or they may just get sold by Goodwill, and either one is cool with me. With that and the addition of my apartment to a list of available crash spaces, I still feel broke but a little less useless.
I feel particularly bad about Biloxi, since it is the first place that I ever gambled. I won $150 at nickle slots, using a voucher provided by the hotel where I was staying. Two days ago I saw that very same casino plowed into the side of a Holiday Inn. Part of me believes that I really ought to have left that little bit of luckiness where I found it. When I have $150 again, it goes straight to Biloxi.

I was intrigued by the raising of our gas prices by 80 cents over two days. We are getting closer to European prices without the cute cobbled streets and truly civilized pace of life! Meow! My cats say spring for $10.00 and some catnip! I guess all those bags of scoopable litter at the store are cement by now ... no point in looting those! .... another thought, where are all the looters going with their loot? and for what? there is nowhere to go and nowhere to put it and noone to sell it to. I'm missing something here. Maybe it's just a disaster passtime or is it pastime. whatever. my cats are climbing and laying on me, the dogs are quiet, peed and pooped and i have a hot cup of coffee and a big gob of wool ... I am grateful and happy.

Well your cats definitely convinced me! And for the record, you crack me up even when you "aren't funny".

It's Nawlins people, Nawlins! Whew! I Survived Katrina and all I got was a Wet T-Shirt t-shirts will be on sale in the lobby. We can finally get our dang horror-scopes. I so need mine after the nightmare of Hurricane Biatch Katrina. I jest because I'm still completely freaked out because of my ordeal. No, I will never stay for a hurricane ever again no matter how small. Ms. Purl is doing better now as I contacted her and made sure she knew I am safe. I will write about my 5 days in hell once I get to a place of my own. It is just too chaotic here with my friend's kids running around. Know that the bad people CNN and other sensationalist media knuckleheads are propogating is a very minute percentage of the people of New Orleans. Know that St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes were hit at least as hard if not harder than New Orleans and need attention. Places like Pass Christian and Biloxi were on the east side of the storm and caught the brunt of the assault and that New Orleans was on the west side and got the LESS intense part of the storm. It was the failed levee system that has been known about since 1970 that was the cause of the problems in New Orleans. The Feds would never approve the funding to restructure it the way it should be. Thanks L for caring so much and all of you for your well wishes and prayers. It is much appreciated.

We've donated through UMCOR (United Methodist Committe on Relief. 100% of donations go directly to relief, as the overhead expenses are covered by the denomination. Here's info on making donations Contributions may be made online at www.methodistrelief.org ,to any local
United Methodist Church, over the phone 1-800-554-8583, or by mailing a check directly to UMCOR, P.O. Box 9068, New York, NY 10087-9068.
Checks should be made payable to UMCOR and noted as Hurricane Relief.

Despite my reservations about their employment policies, another very good organization is the Salvation Army. Their overhead/administrative costs are among the lowest of any charitable organization.

Now a question: Does anyone have an address for schools that are taking evacuee students? It would be a wonderful thing to be able to send school supplies directly to those locations. Anyone out there, if your district has taken in one or more kids without a backback, notebooks, crayons can you get me an address and name/phone #/e-mail of a contact person? Most public school districts in the country these days are barely making it as it is. I'm sure any district impacted by this disaster could use some help.

Gas here in Indianapolis went as high as $3.49 for the cheap stuff. Yee Gods!
I've spent many a wonderful time in Biloxi, Gulfport, and Bay St. Louis. The home I visited are now gone. I still have not heard word from friends in Bay St. Louis. The Friendship Oak is still standing at SMU-Gulf Park.

I don't know how to do it, but if one could combine one of those cat pictures with Aliya's "Five dollars can save a little precious fuzzy" comment, and get bloggers to put it up by their ads section (clueless, aren't I), that would probably be a very effective get-lots-of-people-to-donate thing.

As far as gas goes, we're very lucky up here in Minnesota. The last time I checked it was $2.69.

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