The Omen: A smirk. We were making a pit stop in Natchitoches (pronounced Nak-a-dish...I know, those Cajuns are crazy!) on our way home to LA , and I had a conversation with a woman in the rest room (yes, I talked through the stall door with a woman who was peeing). She informed me that the gas stations in DeRidder were running out of gas. Huh? For a category 1 hurricane? When I walked out of the bathroom, the lady I had talked with whispered to her friend that we were headed to DeRidder, and her friend smirked. A subtle smirk, but a smirk that said, "Those poor schmucks!" Jim and I discussed whether it was wise for us to continue, but we were SO CLOSE to home, and we'd been looking forward to this trip for such a long time!- Let Nana spoil Jim-Jim as only a grandma can do
- Take Jim-Jim swimming for the first time in Gran's pool
- Play with our nieces and nephew
- Visit old friends
- Eat Gran's pecan pie
- Eat shrimp etouffee
- Eat shrimp etouffee left-overs
- Pack up shrimp etouffee and take it back to Dallas with us (it's really THAT good:)
What actually happened:
- Arrived Friday night at 8:30pm and visited briefly before turning in for the night
- Spent some time with family on Saturday morning
- Prepared the house for a hurricane
- Helped load sandbags for members of the community
- Left 22 hours after getting there due to impending evacuations
Who knew that category 1 hurricane Gustav would gain intensity and speed becoming a category
5 hurricane? I feel like we got to LA, blinked, and we were gone again. It was just what we needed, though, and some good things came of our trip. We were able to retrieve the top of our wedding cake so we can celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary on Tuesday, we now know that we are capable of taking a long trip with Jim-Jim, and we were able to visit family even if it was brief. We really needed that time with family! Jim and I feel like an island here in Dallas because the closest immediate family we have is 6 hours away. We feel isolated and alone, and technology only goes so far in bridging that distance. We pray every day that God 
will take us closer to family. I want my son to grow up knowing his Gran, Nana, GrannySan, PawPaw, CoCo, aunts, uncles, and cousins. For now, we will enjoy the precious few moments we do get to spend with them and look for opportunites to make it happen, even if it means driving 300 miles only to leave less than a day later.
Kara
1 comment:
Sorry to hear about the trip...hopefully there will be some more weekends to spend in LA. At least the families are within driving distance...I can't exactly take off for a quick trip anymore (not like I really did that often anyway). It's a 2-day drive or an expensive plane ride.
Post a Comment