We Interrupt this blog to bring you the latest in our storm watch for Ike

I'd much rather be talking about quilting. See the top pink computer model line - that's to the west of Galveston Bay where we have our humble abode. It's still too early to know what's going to happen - but Galveston County has issued voluntary evacuations, with the west side of Galveston Island on mandatory. One of the neighboring counties west of us has also issued mandatory evacuation.... We have been blessed by friends and family inviting us to come hunker down with them if we decide to leave. Truly makes you feel loved when someone says they even have room for Pixxie! At this time we have no intentions of evacuating. All too fresh are the memories of hours on the road before Rita 2005. There are a lot of folks that feel that way too - some have chosen to leave already to avoid that traffic jam while others have chosen to stay put no matter what to avoid that traffic jam...hard decisions either way.

My storm prep today included grocery shopping and finishing up the laundry. Yep, clean clothes just in case we lose power. Most of the day however was spent trying to focus on the quilt on my frame...easy to be distracted with phone calls, emails, and news bulletins...but I truly needed to work today - if nothing else, just to have some sense of normality. Ah, but what is normal? I've heard it described by one Christian author (can't remember who, but one of the Women of Faith ladies) that "normal is just a setting on your dryer". I tend to agree. What's not normal is long gas lines and crowded grocery stores in the middle of a weekday afternoon. But I can say everyone was really nice about it!

Mission accomplished, the quilt is finished, and my professional quilt model Pixxie was more than happy to lend her services.

My oldest son and one of his friends came over today. His friend works with a construction company that travels all over to rebuild areas that have been damaged by the storms. He's been working in and around New Orleans for almost three years. He's here 'on vacation' with my son but has been notified that he's on first alert concerning this storm. Ironically the quilt above was pieced by his aunt -- our families have three generations of history together -- my husband's parents and his grandparents each had three boys (my husband's generation) who grew up together and now our son and one of their offspring are good buddies, actually there are three brothers and they along with my son have had some interesting times together to say the least! Their family has a head start on the fourth generation - one of the brothers of my son's friend just had their first sweet baby girl this past month...but I'm rambling again....back to my original story of distraction...when the boys came over I shared that I was looking for a scratch and dent sale for a kitchen corner cabinet and with him being in construction would he have a source for me -- I'm wanting to redo the corner of my studio to make it more functional and shared my ideas...one thing grew into another and it was decided that he could just build me a corner cabinet out of the plywood we have leftover from the windows -- and he said he'd do it tomorrow! Wow, what a nice distraction from the storm prep! I've had time to think about it though, and I'm sure the boys services could be best used elsewhere helping someone get ready for the storm...but for a moment there I thought I'd be doing remodeling tomorrow!!

I wish I could say tomorrow will be business as usual, but it will be Storm Prep 201. My husband will mow the yard since by the time the rain is over it will have probably grown two feet - best to start out short (grin). I will clear off the paperwork around my computer table and backup the system after updating business records and such. We'll probably head to Mickey D's for lunch just because we still can (double grin) and then the afternoon will be spent boarding up windows and bringing in the outside items. Its forecast to be a nice hot humid 90+ weather. As the old saying goes - make hay while the sun shines. Much easier than working in the rain!

What was normal about my day was how we chose to spend our evening. Our pastor had just returned from Israel with a group of church members and tonight was the "show and tell" - the slide show from the trip. Pastor Ron (Calvary Chapel Houston) is quite a gifted orator. He shared the travel photos and synopsis of the teachings they enjoyed on the very sites where the original event took place. Imagine reading the Sermon on the Mount while sitting under the olive groves in Israel! What a wonderful place it must be to see and visit, those that have gone say it just makes the scriptures come alive. As the Jews say "next year Jerusalem" -- one place I would dearly love to visit...

It truly was good to worship together tonight with fellow believers, fellow neighbors who all share the same hurricane warning (grin) Ours is a large church so there are several counties and cities represented -- some more inland than others. Many had plans of evacuating in the morning, many will sit this one out. We had a time of prayer together before the service ended that God would spare lives, allow minimal damage and keep those in the path of the storm safe. I was once again reminded of the song I love to sing by Scott Krippayne "sometimes He calms the storm, other times He calms His child". Reminds me that whatever happens to me, my family, or my stuff that God loves me unconditionally and will never leave me.

So tonight..it's sweet dreams