Those in need

Like sometimes, I get all caught up in my own totally minor problems and don't think about other.

Then this email brought me back to reality ...

Hi Friends of Rose ~

I have received word from Rose's daughter, Josie, that she and Salt are safe. However, she is still going through a horrible ordeal.

Here's what I know as of this morning....Rose & Salt did stay in their apartment to ride out the storm. When their first floor apartment began to quickly flood yesterday morning during the height of the storm, they made their way up to the second floor of their building to escape the rising waters. Rose was only able to grab her cell phone, laptop, a bag of cookies and a few teddy bears before they fled. They remained on the second floor all of yesterday and into last night, awaiting rescue.

At some point during the overnight hours, the Coast Guard rescued them along with 50 other people and dropped them off on a bridge in pitch darkness in City Park. Josie said, by this time, the water had risen to 20 feet around their apartment building and there was a main gas line leak very close to them. So they are VERY LUCKY that rescue personnel reached them in time.

However, they still are awaiting rescue now from the bridge. Rose has very little power left on her cell phone but was able to contact her daughter to let her know they were safe. However, they still have no food or water and, of course, this entire ordeal continues to be very frightening and stressful. And it's not over yet.

Rose will have a lot more to deal with even once she has reached a safe location. Her home and everything in it has been lost. All she has in this world right now is what she has managed to carry with her. Can any of us even imagine that kind of devastation?

Josie has asked that I let Rose's online friends know what is happening and has asked if we would all continue to pray for Rose and Salt's safety. I assured her that we would!

As soon as I hear any more news from Josie, I will forward it on to all of you as I know that all of Rose's friends here are very concerned about her.

If any of you are on any other of Rose's many garden lists, could you please spread the word that what Rose needs right now is PRAYERS and more PRAYERS! I am sure we can all join together and provide her with plenty of those.

Hugs to All ~ Lily

Oh my god, poor Rose. I mean she lost all her belongings including her teddy bears. She must have been very scared and appreciated Salt's company. We may not look like much, but teddy bears can be resolute in times of crisis. We never like flinch in the face of danger and we are always ready for a hug.

So now that I am something of a minor celebrity, I thought I should use my newfound fame as a force for good. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina (btw, what a great name ... maybe those National Oceanographic Institute people should serve a naming consultants for expecting parents) is like so HUGE I didn't think there was anything I can do about it. Like Katrina is all over the news, so it doesn't need any more attention. The hurricane caused billions of dollars in damage, and our profit margin on Bear in the Bed Boutique clothing is only one penny ... so like I'm not even going to be a drop in the bucket. I'd like to organize a telethon, but I don't think they allow rising stars like me on television in times of crisis. Seriously, the B-list celebrities just disappear. It's like the network executives decide there is enough disaster on television so they pull any show with Kathy Griffin or Tony Danza off the air. Any-ways, like the point is I'm not sure Brad and Angelina combined could do anything about Hurricane Katrina, so what is an aardvark supposed to do?

As I re-read that heart rending email, like I totally knew what I could do to help out; I can tell the stories of people who otherwise might go unnoticed (and maybe we'll "borrow" Ozzie's credit card while we're at it).

We're pulling for you, Rosie, and keep up the good work, Salt!