It starts out with a short drive (about a third of the way) on interstate highways, then another third on commercial and suburban street (4 and 6 lane) and finally the last third is all rural, woods and cotton fields. It’s a really pretty drive.
One of the many down sides to being stuck in Memphis is that Linda is using the time here in our two-room suite to spoil Maynard rotten!! Almost every night he finds his way into her lap, or goes to sleep next to her on the pull-out couch. Our (fairly) new couch back in New Orleans is doomed!
Someone asked me via email if the photo on the blog is really me. In case anyone else is wondering, no it isn’t. It’s British actor Robby Coltrane in his role as Hagrid from the Harry Potter movies. People have been known to make comparisons between him and me when I get a little shaggy and let my beard grow too long.
Which reminds me, while in Uganda this past July, we overheard a bunch of young boys in the back of a pickup truck talking about “Father Christmas” and pointing to me. I asked our Ugandan driver, Fr. Augustine, who Father Christmas was in Uganda. He said he came at Christmas time and gave out candy and sweets to the children. As it happened, we bring a lot of candy with us on our trip to give to the kids, so while driving next to the truck I took handfuls of candy and threw them to the boys. They must have thought Father Christmas was in Kampala on summer vacation!
Speaking of New Orleans (ok, I wasn’t speaking of New Orleans, but I WAS thinking about it), I wonder how the hurricane is going to impact the political makeup and climate in Southeast Louisiana. A very large part of the predominantly black and Democratic population has been driven out of the state, at least temporarily. With a mayoral election coming up in the not too distant future, the question becomes how will these people be able to vote? Or, will they? How can you distinguish between an evacuee who intends to return to NOLA, as opposed to an evacuee who opts to remain where he or she has settled, found employment and become a part of a new community? What will happen to Louisiana representation in Congress? It’s based on population, and tens of thousands of people are no longer in Southeast Louisiana, or anywhere in Louisiana for that matter. The hurricane continues to stretch out its tentacles into all areas of our lives long after it’s gone.
My daughter and her kids should be driving back to New Orleans tomorrow. Please pray for her trip to be safe and uneventful. Hopefully we will all be reunited in New Orleans soon.
We ask that God’s blessings be on each and every one of you. Take care and know that we love you.
Dean
1 comment:
Everytime I see your blog with Hagrid's face I smile!
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