Tuesday in the Big Easy

"Who Dat " over there!!!
Well, good evening dear readers... today, (Tuesday, April 27, 2010) has been a very productive day for 23 hardy Western New Yorkers working in various areas of the New Orleans metro. area.
We are quite proud of the successes we have had today and do have some interesting stories. There are stories ranging from one group spending probably five minutes trying to find the church where we stay, having passed it just prior to that 5 minute circular tour ALL AROUND IT!!! to someone deciding they need to know calculus instead of math to work on the carport they are reconstructing... to another group of 2 trying to find chickens' feet to prepare for tonight's dinner (:-P)!!
The successes of the day ranged from no grinder being ruined at one sight compared to how one was "destroyed" yesterday by getting the cord twisted around in it ... getting a roof to be straight rather than bowed as it was yesterday... to a young female minister learning how to use a jig saw... to "ceiling joints being installed and being the BEST ceiling joists in New Olreans" ... to 2 rooms being painted in one home, moldings being installed, grouting being done to door frames being installed, to "umpteen" doors being painted, to soffits being repaired and replaced, to just plain having fun.
Our three groups reconvened shortly before dinner time and had one terrific meal prepared by our chefs, George and Rod. They stay behind each day to prepare a most wonderful dinner for us who are "out in the field" during the day. George and Rod have made several trips down here to cook for groups and I, for one, am certainly glad they are here this week.
As I mentioned earlier... these 2 FINE GENTLEMEN wanted to be sure to present the BEST entree for us tonight and searched ALL over N.O. (well, one or 2 stores anyway) for chickens' feet to serve us. You see, we are in the South and that is one of the "customary" foods served here.
Now, I grew up on an Iowa farm and have seen MANY chickens' feet and really do NOT care to see them on my plate... Fortunately we are allowed to serve ourselves so I chose to avoid them at ALL COST!!! Instead I selected the Chicken marseilles (hm, hm good) green beans with diced red peppers mixed in and a delicious orange. For those of you who wonder what the story is on the "other" item on the menu... George and Rod, our trusty chefs thought it would be SO much fun to act as though the chicken feet would be the main course or else throw some into the main course to see the reactions. They decided to "test" the idea on the office staff of the church and... hm... for some strange reason... mainly one lady running backwards out of the kitchen... they decided they'd better just have them as an optional side dish.
Needless to say, I wasn't thinking and sat down by one of the men who had taken one... I told him to be sure to warn me ahead of time if he decided to eat it as I would be leaving. Fortunately, he said he had no courage whatsoever to try one... THANK GOD for that decision.
But I will say, our chefs are top notch and I would travel anywhere with them if they agreed to be the chefs of the trip. They are super!!!
After our work day was finished, our group, which consists of Sherry Shaffer, Ned Kavanagh, Jan Hoyt, Brandi Wooten, Carol Fowler, Sharon Breeze, Paul Worboys, Gary Rehberg, and myself, Carolyn towers, went to see the homes that are being built by a foundation formed by Brad Pitt. They are indeed very very unusual in architecture. However, the ones we saw look to be rather expensive so some of us are wondering if they are bringing original families back to the neighborhood of the 9th Ward or if people of a different income level are moving into them. If you are in the least bit interested, put the words "Brad Pitt Homes in New Orleans" in your Google search and I would imagine something will come up about them.
Then we went to see the memorial built to honor those who lost their lives, those who survived and have continued living with a strong hope for the future and to those who have helped restore some of the most devastated areas. The most enlightening thing of the memorial, which is in the middle of a boulevard in the 9th Ward, is a display of pillars showing the different levels of water during the horrible time of Katrina and Rita in 2005. I stood between 2 pillars that had to be 3' to 5' taller than me. Just amazing to think how horrible it was. And there is still so much to either be torn down or restored...
While we were standing there and looking around a gentleman came to us from across the street and told us that it served no good for us to stop and see the monument. He said that money could have been spent to help families in the Ward rather than build the monument. He also stated that people are appreciative of groups like ours coming to help rebuild but he said the "ones who should really be here are not." He was very polite and kind in his manner but we could certainly tell that he was VERY serious in his comments. He said that over 14,000 homes were destroyed and only 3,000 have come back... Isn't that just too hard to imagine....
The group consisting of the people mentioned above are working on the home of a lady who is still in a FEMA trailer on her property. She has had so many hardships and disappointments ever since the hurricanes but she had another one today... She was backing out of a parking place in her shopping neighborhood and backed into another person's car. Of course the other person's car was not damaged at all but her back right light area, the bumper and the fender were all damaged. the fender is not a piece by itself of course... it continues on into the roof. She was not hurt but she was badly hurt emotionally... She has had so many things happen to her... I would have given up by now but she pushes on and she'll be so happy when her house is finished. They are hoping to finish it in May.
In contrast, the other group of Chili and H.F. people are working on a house that is down to the bare studs and they are thinking it is going to take a LOT longer than the Pres. Disaster Assistance organization had originally thought. Our group of people working there (Tim Engelbrecht, Ron Horton, Andy Atwater, Jean Bartholomew, Bill Hoyt, Roger Willis, Val Fowler and Len Picone) feel very good that they have helped the PDA find some very serious problems and are helping them find solutions for those problems.
The third group, consisting of Nancy Watson, Karen Pryor, Don Pryor, Sharon Kiellach, have found the home they are working on is near completion and they are quite excited to think they can help add finishing touches to the home and possibly get the home owner to her home this week to see what has been done.
All in all, we have had so much fun, so many weary bones, so many laughs, so many weary bones and so much fellowship and growth in our understanding of this tragedy, that we wouldn't trade this experience for anything.
Well, actually we might trade for another one if for some reason we ARE served chickens' feet for dinner one night!!!
We thank you for all your prayers, support, love and faith in us as we allow our faith to grow and our feeling of being an important part of God's plan for the restoration of New Orleans. God bless you and we send our love to our families and friends.
Most sincerely, Carolyn Towers, First Presbyterian Church, Honeoye Falls.