Dear Diary,

I have returned from a week long vacation in Seabrook Island, South Carolina. As I posted in my last entry, we almost were not able to leave. But we found a generator and a Sum-pump battery backup, and we managed to pump out the water with no electricity in our basement.

Thanks to my dad, he could not leave until Monday the 27th, so he managed to dry the wet carpet and remove the carpet from the floor of the basement. He saved us money and helped our consciences to be wiped clean. The power in our house was restored on the day he left to join us.

When we returned, we realized the food had been emptied out of the refrigerator; therefore, on the way back home from the airport this evening, we had to take a trip to Whole Foods!

After this incident, I have realized I have taken most things in my life for granted. We almost lost our basement the night of the terrible storm and with no power, we may have not left on vacation. We could not cook in the microwave and had to use a lighter to power the stove. We were lucky we had no tree damage or my dad could not have stayed at home until Monday.

I look back at Hurricane Katrina and the lives and homes that were lost in the terrible storm. I feel safe in Illinois where no tornadoes or hurricanes hit our Lake Michigan. I feel extremely lucky to have family, a home, and friends to love and care for me. I can't imagine the strife that Katrina victims felt.

I dedicate this post to the lives that were lost in Hurricane Katrina and in other hurricanes in the past. God bless all of the families that have suffered.

God bless you!
~Meg/Horselvr1188