Amazing Grace

(photo taken by Don Franke the night before Ike hit the Texas coast)

What a couple of weeks it has been! For the last fourteen days or so, we have, yes all the way over here in Qatar, been watching the news and following the path, and now the aftermath, of Hurricane Ike. It has been a bit unnerving, knowing that many of our friends and loved ones were potentially in harm's way and are now still without electricity, a commodity we so often take for granted. Crazy as it sounds, I wanted to be in Sugar Land, hunkered down with my chicks and the rooster. Just not knowing is sometimes the worst part. As it turns out, we were personally blessed...Will weathered the storm just fine. In fact, he went to a friend's parent's house and may have eaten better than usual! Not much damage to the old homestead. Just what you see pictured (thanks to Barb Pepper for the photos) and a few shingles on the lawn. Will has been in charge of getting a company in for fence repair and has not gotten anyone out just yet. However, in a joint effort with handymen David and Kendrick James, Will got the fence back up enough for Rocky to return to "his" backyard. (Hey, D and K....we owe you a steak dinner in Dec.!) We continue to wonder about friends that we have not yet connected with since Ike. I have sent some emails and attempted to make phone calls, but I know that those services are spotty at best. I will keep trying!

I know that my little story is nothing compared to the devastation experienced along the Texas coast. Just the same, I have a story to share that is amazing and somewhat close to home.

We have some wonderful neighbors here in Doha. God put us in just the right spot when He guided Keith to choose the pink villa down the street from our new and dear friends, David (Buck) and Peggy Buchanan, and their pink villa. David and Peggy are from La Belle, a small town outside of Beaumont. They, of course, watched the storm with a deeply vested interest. Not only do they own a home in La Belle and property in Crystal Beach, but they have many relatives in the area. I wish I could say that their homes were spared from the wrath of the wind, rain and storm surge, but I cannot. There has been considerable damage to their property, as well as that of their relatives. However, the Buchanans knew that all of their dear ones were safe...well, almost all of their dear ones. Amber, one of David and Peggy's daughters in law (who I have been blessed to meet!) had not yet heard from an aunt and uncle she is very close to. They were, of course, quite worried about the well being of Aunt June and Uncle John.

Peggy was glued to her computer for days after the storm, searching and looking for pictures, especially in the Crystal Beach area. You will not believe what she found, on her computer, on the Yahoo news site, in her office, all the way over here on the other side of the world.

This was the first message that anyone in the family had gotten about Aunt June and Uncle John! And it came from Peggy in Doha!

Peggy made another amazing find. She discovered yet another random aerial photo that someone had taken of the road that leads to their Crystal Beach property. A little zooming action and Peggy could see that the roof was still on their boathouse on the bay! They love that property and it holds many precious memories for them. The Buchanan's are now back in Texas, reunited with their family and assessing the damage. Our hearts prayers are with them. (stories told with the permission of Peggy)

What can I say? Even in the midst of tragedy, God is big and mighty and awesome. His grace is amazing! I continue to hold all of you at home in the Houston area in my heart and my prayers. Looking forward to connecting with many of you soon.

P.S. I can remember another hurricane named Gilbert that hit the Texas coast 20 years ago. There was some amazing grace associated with that storm, too! While everyone was evacuating the Lake Jackson area, I was firmly in place....in labor at Brazosport Hospital! Jake came into the world on Sept. 15, 1988. Right in the big middle of it all. Our lives have never been the same. We love you, Jake!

Sun Chasing

I had heard of tornado chasing, but when photo pals Sybil and Karen suggested we chase the sun, I was a little surprised. Nonetheless, I gave it a try and I think I am hooked. I was a couple of sunsets behind. The gals had been out two evenings in a row before I was able to go with them last night. They had captured some wonderful pics of the brilliant orange sun saddled up next to various mosques. Last night it was really dusty so we did not get the orange-ness we so desired, but it was fun just the same. I will be out again, attempting to perfect the craft of sun chasing. When I am not picking up Sam from volleyball, that is!

Not So Desperate Afterall

I am slowly, but surely finding things to occupy my time during Ramadan. Yesterday it was a Thai cooking class at my neighbor's villa. Natthawan is a sweetie and an excellent cook...she welcomed me into her kitchen with open arms. You see here the fruits of our labor. Homemade spring rolls for dinner! Keith added to the oriental flavor of the meal with his ever so delicious fried rice. No calories floating around in our kitchen last night!

What better time than a period of fasting to learn how to cook a new food? I am lovin' it!

Natthawan from our previous Pad Thai Noodles cooking class.

Desperate Housewives???

Karen, Peggy, me and Sybil - a few of the Pink Ladies out for one last lunch before Ramadan begins. No, we are not in the Galleria in Milan, but in our own beloved Villagio Mall!

(Syb, thanks for the pic!)

Okay, so maybe desperate housewives is a little too "enthusiastic" a term, but it's not far from the truth! It's Ramadan and here we are, us expat wives, right in the middle of it. What's a girl to do when the only shopping available is grocery shopping, and that only between the hours of 8 and 1??? You can go back at 4, if you forgot tomatoes for the dinner salad, but who in their right mind wants to be out that close to dark? Dark would be that mysterious hour when the fasting is over for the day and everyone rushes out to join friends and family for the iftar dinner. Crazy traffic!

So, no Starbucks, no shopping, no lunches out for a month! One has to get creative. Or get to cooking! I have taken up knitting again. I should have at least a dozen scarves just in time for the harsh Qatari winter.