Maybe I am beginning to look forward
It has been over a month since I last posted anything. I can scarcely believe where the time has gone, yet so much has happened in the period of four weeks.

We lost Pat's mother the day after Thanksgiving and buried her the following Tuesday. Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, we were first told that we would not be able to have her services for two weeks because most of the funeral homes in New Orleans had been wiped out and had to move into the one in Metairie where Pat's parents had bought a funeral policy and where Pat's father's services were held just five months ago. Since so many are being held there now, and because they lost 35 limousines and all but one hearse, they are booked solid. If it were not for a cancellation because of family members of an originally scheduled service...all the family members couldn't plan to get there in time because of the Thanksgiving traffic and travel.. we would never have gotten the Tuesday date. Then we ran into the problem of not being able to bury my mother-in-law and father-in-law together as they had always wanted to be, because it had only been 5 months since my father-in-law had passed away and it was a "double single" plot. So we had to find another site. We ended up buying a family tomb in St. Rose, which was beautiful, and they will eventually be able to be together there.

Also during this four week period of time, my insurance adjuster finally made it out. Miracle of miracles!

I am finally going to be able to start repairs on my home, and do some other projects that have been being put off.

Pat's son Wesley had been caring for his grandparents, and now with them gone, has agreed to come and help me out, so I am thrilled.

We also managed to start getting patients moved back from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, so I won't have to continue to commute every weekend, but what a chore getting them moved was!

Colton and Bo don't really care about all of that, all they know is that "Grandmama still doesn't have her Christmas tree up nor any Christmas decorations yet". To them, this is just not right, because I usually have them up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and some traditions have become engrained in them, and I just had no idea how strongly. I WILL have that tree up by this weekend! I have to...I haven't even wrapped a gift yet, as I have no place to put them.

Colton made me the most beautiful Christmas wreath and Bo made and gave me my first Christmas card of the year.

I love seeing my neighbors returning. Matt and Mandy are back full time across the street now, and it is comforting to see them taking Henry out for walks, and the glow of their Christmas lights from their tree shining from their living room window.

I see Chase outside, or his girlfriend walking their dog, and we wave, or stop to talk to each other as we continue to do some clean up or renovational work, and it is nice.

Vanessa is often seen outside working in the front yard, with Enya music playing as she cleans or tends to whatever plants she is fussing with. And I am trying to get to know Michelle, Clair's neice that is subletting her place until she returns.

Desiree is steady and creative with everything she has been doing to make her and the boys' new house a home next door. We've talked about leaving the fence down in the backyard for a while, to give the boys a larger area to play in and also to give them a safer way to come to Grandmama's house than by next to the street.

Yes, it is all coming together. Maybe I am beginning to look forward to the holidays.