Katrina

Like most of the country (with the notable exception of our golf-loving President) I've been reading and watching all the coverage of Hurricane Katrina, at first hopeful that the aftermath wouldn't be as bad as predicted, then the devastation she's caused in the South...the town of Biloxi all but wiped off the map, New Orleans slowly vanishing beneath water, the man who couldn't hold onto his wife and had to watch her disappear into the floodwaters, all the people still waiting to be rescued, the animals...

I feel ill. I've always wanted to visit New Orleans, but never got the chance. Now I never will, at least not the way it was. That's a selfish thought, I know, but I mourn the history that's being wiped out, along with people's lives, property and sense of security.

I don't have a lot of extra money or a secure job situation, but I did send a donation to one of the animal rescue organizations that go in after disasters. Depending on your view of the importance of animals, some people may think this is wasted money, but as a pet owner, I know that if I lost everything I owned, but someone saved one of my animals and I got it back...that'd be enough to keep me going. I'd like to donate several boxes of very good clothing that I was going to sell, but so far all of the relief organizations are asking for money - with the hike in the price of gas, shipping items is going to be too expensive to be practical. If anyone hears of any place accepting donations of clothing or household items, please let me know. The link above, btw, is a comprehensive list of different types of relief organizations, not just the ones related to animals.

Not much else to say other than the post I was going to write about special occasions and celebrations will have to wait for another day.