Just Ask Gramma

With all the preparation, evacuation and anxiety prior to the impact of Hurricane Rita along the Gulf Coast recently, a notable milestone passed that should have received some sort of coverage, but was over-shadowed by major news events of the day. Landon Michael Stowe turned six-months old on September 21. That sick little "Peanut" who almost died twice in the first two months of his life is a real life, honest to gosh survivor. He now weighs-in at more than 20 lbs and is seriously as tall as a one-year-old. The once bare patches of scalp where IVs had been inserted are now covered in baby-soft brown hair. That little throat, so sore from all the tubes that had been poked in to help him breath, now produces sounds and laughter to please the ears of all around. Then there is the smile. Landon's smile lights up a room. His fat cheeks rise as he opens his mouth wide to reveal two tiny new teeth, slightly yellowed from all the antibiotics that turned his health from critical to incredible. The rolls of baby fat on his arms and legs could make you believe that his father was actually the Michelin Man or the Pillsbury Doughboy. Landon, or Little Dude as I now frequently call him, is a miracle. It's a miracle that he cheated death at least twice. It's a miracle that having had such a tough start in life he is now so strong, alert and inquisitive. It's a miracle that he has made his mom re-evaluate her life and focus on her future. But, one thing's for sure . . . . it's no miracle that Landon is a Houston Astros fan. It's in his genes. Just ask Gramma!

It Will Be Interesting

This is an interesting night. All the preparations are done . . . batteries, radio, flashlights, food, water, medical supplies and first aid kit, tools. The check list is complete, yet I still wonder what Space City USA will be like at this time on Saturday night. In two hours my family will be loading up the van and driving to College Station for safety. Normally an easy 60-minute trip, the thousands of evacuees on State Highways 290 and 6 have turned the trek into an agonizing hours-long challenge of fragile tempers, overheated vehicles and no gasoline at any price. At home we are stocked and awaiting Rita's arrival. The "we" are two displaced friends from League City in Galveston County and myself. The trucks are gassed up, there are seven cases of bottled water in the dining room and another 50 gallons in Igloo containers stored in the garage. We have ice chests of chilled fajita meat and chicken, a pantry packed with canned veggies and fruit and . . . SPAM! Any processed canned meat by-products in a storm as they say. . . Though this is an interesting night, tomorrow night is obviously going take the prize. My friends and I are as prepared as we can be. They are sleeping now having spent 12 hours on the road earlier today to make what should have taken only 90-minutes to drive. Needless to say they came home with me and abandoned their plan to drive to College Station . . . the same place that my family is evacuating to tonight. Tomorrow the wind will blow. Tomorrow the rains will fall. Tomorrow. It will be interesting.

God Bless Houston

It started with just a few cautious Cajun driving into the city for a few days to escape the approaching storm. They would be staying with family members or taking rooms at one of the many Motel 6 and Comfort Inns that pepper I-10 between Beaumont and Houston. But, as the predictions of 25 to 30-foot storm surges and winds topping 150 miles per hour spread, the wave of evacuees washed into Space City full force. Hotel rooms quickly filled. Churches and YMCAs along the ship channel at Baytown and Channelview were converted into Red Cross shelters. The numbers swelled and so did the relief centers and a city was mobilized to comfort and tend to the needs of thousands. As the City of New Orleans slipped into chaos, the City of Houston stepped up to help their neighbors to the east with a kind hand, a warm meal, and the emotional support that was needed so badly. The Astrodome, once tagged the Eighth Wonder of the World, would soon be filled with more than 12,000 weary, homeless residents of New Orleans, and the neighborhood shelters continued to open. Next, word came that the adjacent Reliant Center would be converted into a sanctuary for the continuous bus loads of people, and the neighborhood shelters continued to open. Now we hear that the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown, with its 1,000,000 square feet of open exhibit space, will become home to the homeless tomorrow, and still the neighborhood shelters continue to open. The unofficial count now tops 100,000 refugees calling Houston home. The city has opened its heart and its pocketbook to help in an unprecedented show of compassion. Many people across this country have never taken Houston seriously. They have never given Houston its due. But, this city is setting an example of how a community can make a world of difference in the lives of those in need. I am proud to be a part of this great city. God bless those coming to us for help. And, God bless Houston . . .