September 24

Today has been jam packed ( is that about a traffic jam ?) with full spectrum head on emotion. Let's start with the heavier side. Our insurance won't cover any damage....wind not water is their dealeo. So of course they won't cover any temporary housing. Then we received an e-mail from FEMA saying that we have no housing allowance because we have insurance overage. We can appeal through snail mail, with our insurance denial which will take up to 90 days. I have been in tremendous despair, I am feeling we have experienced defeat from every financial source available. Don't get me wrong I am so grateful for all of the generous gifts, go fund me, crescent city corvette club, and it's members, personal gifts of all kinds. Sadly, this kind of disaster is inordinately costly .....Faith not fear.....love not isolation.
Now, the amazing part. We have been offered extra rooms in several homes. I have been surrounded with so much love, sincere care, ideas and hugs. We live in a world of wonderful, often selfless, magnificent human beings. Please hear me, we all need to live from the absolute truth that I have been chosen to share. No matter what trauma I am experiencing, my house will be beautiful again and love, generosity, and human kindness will prevail.
I do have a bit of an uncomfortable truth when I consider staying with friends.Trauma people can be very weird. No judgement, just a distinct possibility. Every day is different, food and meal times are erratic, talking too much or not at all, the new normal. I personally like to stare into another time zone for who knows how long. I believe that grief is real and tears are for healing. The hardest part of all, I become highly sensitive. I feel like a little girl, I am afraid that I will do something not quite right, break something, be inadvertently weird, have to apologize for Pablo's behavior, etc. feel stupid uncomfortable. You must remember your own roommate disasters. It can happen again. Just have to put that out there. Feeling better already.
Before I end this entry, I have to tell you what this pic. is about. After Katrina, I was invited by a mentor, to visit her in Vermont. Lots of artists like Vermont. Ben and Jerry make their ice cream there! Best of all at the end of the day anyone who wants a cone gets one free. The only catch is that the flavors are the ones that didn't make the cut. Still fun. That was off track. I went into an artists gallery. There was a woman from an Eastern European country. She had to evacuate for political reasons. Understandingly, horrific for her. She made tapestries of beautiful places. The prices were $220 and up, a value that made sense to me. Beautiful art is priceless. I told her due to my own evacuation I wasn't able to purchase a piece of her work, but that I wanted to buy something as soon as my new life began. She asked which one would be my favorite. I pointed it out. It was $450. I told her that I had complete faith that a day will come where I can afford it. We went to dinner that evening. She gave it to me. I was overwhelmed by her incredible generosity. She told me that all she wanted was for me to tell the people of Louisiana that Vermont had not forgotten them. My heart grew that day. Flood waters did touch it, but it will survive. Like us 💗

Long entry for a reason. A miracle just occurred. A wonderful cousin of Orlando's wants to loan us enough money to rent an apartment for one year, no interest, pay back when possible. You get to witness a miracle too. God is good ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

September 24

Yesterday started with two many no's and dead ends by 8AM. I am marching on autopilot to go to Lifetime 's Amp class taught by JR. This is a class of 100, to support Houston. As soon as I get there, I get a huge hug from my sweet friend Tony M. I start to sob, kindness is the blessing that releases tears. Everyone is cheering and Happy. Not Mimi at the moment. I dive in, it a rock concert/ dance club sort of thing. Caring and endorphins are a great cocktail for a beautiful day

September 21

Trust I need every minute of every day. It is not so easy. To be brutally honest, I can workout like a race horse, but I am not so good at manual labor. I was born and raised in the NYC area. I know a lot about art, dance, music, and ethnic food. I am passionate about people and their stories. Connection is the force that drives me. I am a healer. It is a gift, not an ego driven performance.I still know the subway system. Great stuff but, not so practical. I hate to admit this, but I am not very competent at tasks that require extensive labor and focus. I am a wimp, I get overwhelmed and feel incompetent. I have the loss of hope, the needle in the haystack despair syndrome. I get discouraged and I an not ashamed to say that I need big time help. Hurricane/flood destruction houses require work, patience, and vision. I just didn't learn that in NYC. It is just the way the way that it is. So...here comes the fierce working squad, Daysi, Mariko, and Harriet. They just do it. They are not afraid of mold, dirty stuff, enormous tasks and letting go. I get to be a beginner of a different sort. Day in day out, baby steps to climb to the top of this mountain. Building my new life brick by brick. 
Okay FEMA, I get it, no extended hotel stay, housing allowance, compassion for loan reject. How about an allowance for a little Botox and filler? My shameless vanity
would like my evolving new insides to match my weary little face. Don't be disappointed, we all have a little extra growing to do with the ego stuff. Not ready to give it up 😎

September 20

Today has been jam packed, ( is that about a traffic jam ?). with full spectrum head on emotion. Let's start with the heavier side. Our insurance won't cover any damage....wind not water is their dealeo.So of course they won't cover any temporary housing. Then we received an e-mail from FEMA saying that we have no housing allowance because we have insurance overage. We can appeal through snail mail, with our insurance denial which will take up to 90 days. I have been in tremendous despair, I am feeling we have experienced defeat from every financial source available. Don't get me wrong I am so grateful for all of the generous gifts, go fund me, crescent city corvette club, and it's members, personal gifts of all kinds. Sadly, this kind of disaster is inordinately costly .....Faith not fear.....love not isolation. 
Now, the amazing part. We have been offered extra rooms in several homes. I have been surrounded with so much love, sincere care, ideas and hugs. We live in a world of wonderful, often selfless, magnificent human beings. Please hear me, we all need to live from the absolute truth that I have been chosen to share. No matter what trauma I am experiencing, my house will be beautiful again and love, generosity, and human kindness will prevail.
I do have a bit of an uncomfortable truth when I consider staying with friends.Trauma people can be very weird. No judgement, just a distinct possibility. Every day is different, food and meal times are erratic, talking too much or not at all, the new normal. I personally like to stare into another time zone for who knows how long. I believe that grief is real and tears are for healing. The hardest part of all, I become highly sensitive. I feel like a little girl, I am afraid that I will do something not quite right, break something, be inadvertently weird, have to apologize for Pablo's behavior, etc. feel stupid uncomfortable. You must remember your own roommate disasters. It can happen again. Just have to put that out there. Feeling better already. 
Before I end this entry, I have to tell you what the picture below. After Katrina, I was invited by a mentor, to visit her in Vermont. Lots of artists like Vermont. Ben and Jerry make their ice cream there! Best of all at the end of the day anyone who wants a cone gets one free. The only catch is that the flavors are the ones that didn't make the cut. Still fun. That was off track. I went into an artists gallery. There was a woman from an Eastern European country. She had to evacuate for political reasons. Understandingly, horrific for her. She made tapestries of beautiful places. The prices were $220 and up, a value that made sense to me. Beautiful art is priceless. I told her due to my own evacuation I wasn't able to purchase a piece of her work, but that I wanted to buy something as soon as my new life began. She asked which one would be my favorite. I pointed it out. It was $450. I told her that I had complete faith that a day will come where I can afford it. We went to dinner that evening. She gave it to me. I was overwhelmed by her incredible generosity. She told me that all she wanted was for me to tell the people of Louisiana that Vermont had not forgotten them. My heart grew that day. Flood waters did touch it, but it will survive. Like us 💗

Long entry for a reason. A miracle just occurred. A wonderful cousin of Orlando's wants to loan us enough money for an apartment, no interest, pay back when possible. You get to witness a miracle too. God is good ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

September 18

Yesterday's post!
I have lost my house and gained a super power. A magnetic force field has surrounded me with compassion, love, kindness, empathy, hugs, donations, fun gifts, time, labor, and more are being sent my way. I believe that I have been chosen to be the ambassador of good, generosity, and lovingkindness. I have been given despair, loss, heartbreak and also given love, support, generosity, and hope in return. A little like Charles Dickens; " It is the worst of times and the best of times ."

If I don't stay in the moment, I am the proverbial toast. The past, " What the F---k, Katrina then Harvey with no flood insurance. We have one car, low income at the moment, have no housing allowance, and have a few suitcases with us. ( Sorry I am from NYC and I use expletives when relevant.)

The future is never will I have… (Not a good place to be.)
The present, Sweetheart Mellie and her ability to spoil me with fun and fabulous donations. The go fundme account, with donations from my brother Bob and his friends, Michael and his friends, my beloved Krista and Miguel and their friends, and generous friends of friends. Then, ALL OF MY BEAUTIFUL FRIENDS. These are the coolest humans on the planet. OMG, my sweetheart Harriet, my new big sister, scrubbed floors with me and took my clothes to be washed or dry cleaned. And THE CREWS; labor in heat, mold, despair, and faith. This new world filled without routine or security is filled with many things that you cannot see or touch, only........feel.

This has been my life's work.

September 17

This is my house and my belongings.. I know that it is what I am going through. It is not me or my life. No matter what it just hurts to my very core.
I am so very grateful to the Mormon Church, their church members were more helpful than I could have ever imagined. Hillary Smith, she came ready to help in between teaching 2 classes. Tragedy hurts, heart felt people heal ❤️

September 16

I wrote a long post last night and some how it disappeared. This is not uncommon for me, I am certain that it had to do with my electromagnetic field. I know that things are things, like appliances, dishes, chairs etc. I can release them. The part that saddens me deeply are the creations. Art work created by all of us. The items that have come from many states and countries. The precious gifts from beloved family and friends. This jacket is clearly just a leather jacket. It can be replaced. The painful BUT is that it is a special memory.Three years ago, our whole family took a trip to Europe for the first time together.. Orlando bought this jacket for me in Florence. When I put it on, I was wrapped in the delicious memory of Italy. I adored it just for that reason. I live under the light of sentiment and meaning.. It is who I am. As a sensitive person, I adore details, people's stories.wonderful ethnic food, animals, the wisdom of my kids......
That is the loss of this leather jacket breaks my heart.

September 15

Tonight , I feel like I have to write two entries. Entry no.1 This is my I feel loved face. I have been surrounded by more love, care, kindness, selfless time, hard labor, financial donations, personal donations of clothes, make-up, even a Tory Burch hand bag. I have been treated like a queen. People have reached out from all over, and from all the times of my life. Family from the U.S. and Bolivia. Friends from my early childhood, Master's School, Sarah Lawrence, Hunter, New York, New Orleans, Houston, dancers, professors, therapists, fitness folks, yogis, every single one with a golden heart. 
I am returning from Hattiesburg where I have work as a Therapist for 12 years. Pinegrove hospital took up collections, gave me hugs, gift cards and appreciation. Everyone is praying.....I am surrounded by real angels. A piece of heaven shinning through the darkness of a whole neighborhood lost.

Orlando's Post - September 14

There needs to be a new language created to express the immense gratitude that we feel towards the incredible human beings that have been helping us.
First and foremost, Krista and Danny, my daughter and her husband. They took vacation time to work tirelessly, never stopping.. dedicated to us. Our family, they insisted that Mimi keep her commitment to work with patients at a facility where she has worked for 12 years. Krista felt that Mimi would be too devastated to throw away so many of her more precious belongings.There will be months more of work for all of us.

Today's Crew:

Gris, she worked hard, while giving us constant information for recovery. Supporting our continued need for help.

Rebecca, Mimi's super hero friend, came early and worked intensely as she possibly could. Orlando,( like many men working out near her ), was seriously impressed by her strength.

Daysi and Mariko, day 2 for the dream team. Daysi, a friend beyond measure, and Mariko, caring and dedicated. They are organized and work as experts. Orlando said that they are real professionals. and could successfully run their own company.

Andy, day 2, a precious family friend, showing up wanting to help without hesitation.

Erin, Mimi's sweetheart friend, who has brought light and love on the darkest of days. She is crazy fit. Showing up with demo hammer and crow bar in hand, How cool is that?

Brad, as busy as his life is, shows up with fruit. He worked hard and helped so much !! He knows Mimi's heartache and was compelled to do something about it.

We have been given a brilliant demonstration of kindness, generosity, hope for the future. This is the world that we live in. Love is a verb. We love you all dearly ❤️

September 13

Gratitude, Love and Thank you!!!!!
The crew 💜💗💝💙💟💓

September 12

Flying to New Orleans, hard to stay, hard to go. My mind is free floating, Calm and optimistic, anxious and lost, sad and distraught, loved and hopeful. Sometimes I feel like a sail boat without a place to dock. 
I am here to spend some time with my brother, before I head off to work in Mississippi. As some of you may remember, I was here 5 weeks ago, I was ripping out carpet after Michael's house flooded. It was a freak rain storm, and a malfunctioning pump. It was a horrific combination of events. My mind could barely comprehend it. Today we sat , got mad, laughed , bandaged a wounded cat and remembered Katrina. 
Wow, Katrina, the aftermath looked like a nuclear war had taken place. The end of city, a military state. My kids had to go away to school, Orlando worked in another. I turned the house into a shelter. There was no fresh fruit or vegetables, not even ice burg lettuce. Military trucks drove into the neighborhood handing out MRE'S and flats of water. This was not America, it was no
man's land. 12 years later, there are many differences. Some lost neighborhoods and eateries. New life abounds, a rebirth of young artists, musicians and restauranteurs. It is New Orleans, dark, light awesome. 
A regular day in a regular city. The experience was traumatic, exhausting and it grew my heart.

September 12

Today was more than okay. So many tears yesterday, allowed some brilliant light to burn through the darkness. So many people are beautiful, loving, caring human beings. I don't feel pitied, but a recipient of genuine giving. The overwhelming loss is still there, my mind is often like a lost child. But, She has a mad crazy amount of the sweetest connections, friends and supporters than her heart knew possible. A day in this world is not so bad at all. Today, there is a circle of compassion. A glimpse of what is valuable that you cannot see, or touch, but feel in every cell in your being. I have been pushed off a cliff and I know I will be caught.

September 10

These are crazy days. I awoke with no words, just the weight of a battle ship on my chest. My eyes held tears waiting for me to wake up. Grief...lI waits for all of us. During the past two years, our financial security eroded., my mother passed away, and my brother almost died. Perhaps this is the dark night of the soul, so I can bravely mourn away the blackness, close a most painful chapter and move into Spring. It is not easy, but I believe we must accept endings, before a brilliant new beginning. I trust that I will walk through this passage, sometimes like an athlete, other times tentative, like a baby step. The hardest part for me is to grieve while the world gears up and goes on. A very powerful poem for me is called Funeral Blues by Auden. Far more serious it is about a man who has lost his life partner. The sentiment resonates with me. Several of the lines are especially powerful;

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone.

The last verse;
The stars are not wanted now, put out every one, pack up the moon and dismantle the sun.
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.

Loss can leave us frozen, slowed down, hyper,no routine, out of sync. Sometimes, I am looking through a window. My tears can bring me back home to myself.

I am grateful for all of the love, compassion and generosity of spirit that abundantly surrounds me,,giving me the fortitude to be okay just as I am. Thank you for so much love that I can see through the darkness.

September 9

That's my guy, Pablito. He is my new role model for adapting to change. Plus, he really really loves me. Just can't get enough of that.
Today has required both an open heart and a tough spirit. At 5:30 AM, even though we have an awesome credit report and solid 401K, unstable income, ,( Houston recession ) we do not qualify. Like many Houstonians, we didn't have flood insurance. Lots of tears for fears over this one. Prayers, trust, believe in the plan, faith not fear...Trying, Trying, Trying...Please don't freak if you see me crying. Tears are healing and are a great source of strength. It takes courage to feel pain. I want to support all of you to have such courage. I am trying to lead the way.

Then, after Barre class, Mellie gave me two lovely shopping bags, filled with glamorous surprises. The giver wants to remain anonymous. Necklaces, make-up, a sweater, dresses, a gorgeous purse....I love being a girly girl. Everything is perfect, This giver knows me quite well. My heart bursts with gratitude 💛💛💛

The water is draining, not my house yet. A million questions, mold, bacteria, stability of foundation, the safety of keeping our belongings on the second floor.....
Any answers out there??? Day at a time. 
My love

September 9

Hi, I am committed to my journal. I was quite distracted yesterday wrote it twice and erased it twice. I refer to this as hurricane brain. Yesterday I had a wide assortment of emotions. Of course I started my day at my village, (Lifetime fitness center). I was given lots of love and gifts. Mellie asked me to write a wishlist on Amazon. I feel like a new bride. Everything in the kitchen is gone. I hate the feeling of looking for something only to remember that I now longer own it. This list is an awesome antidote for this feeling of constant loss. I got to FaceTime with Valeriya, she is such a reassurance because she know and loves our home/ her home. That is my gratitude list.
Irma, terrifying, Orlando's sister and nephew have successfully evacuated. We were able to help Fernanda, like a niece, get to Houston From Miami. She is on her way to study in Germany. Orlando spent hours to get her the last seat. More gratitude 🌟
Pray-Pray- Pray.

Then, I kinda felt aimless. I spoke to my brother. He wishes that I was there. He is exhausted , sounds depressed. It makes me feel so sad. He flooded in
NOLA . Angry again
I am scheduled to fly to NOLA/Mississippi for work I hope I can find the work me. I don't want to leave and I don't want to stay. Need to work on this one.

September 7

My new "Do"!

September 7

Today brought some challenges. Presently, we are staying a whole lot of traffic away from our home and neighborhood. Our hope was to use a FEMA voucher at a very convenient hotel. We were told that perhaps a room would open up. We called, e-mailed and made a personal visit to no avail. We have some very generous offers but nothing close enough. Katrina taught me that hurricane recovery presents many disappointments and as
my Nana used to say, "The patience of a saint". The little kid in me is screaming...UNFAIR. We all know that kid. Who doesn't need a good temper tantrum sometimes???
We went by the neighborhood, the Red Cross gave us a shovel, a rake, buckets, big black garbage bags. heavy duty gloves, mosquito repellent and water. Thank you so much, but I really don't want to need these things. We went to the entrance , the water has receded, it looked like a.community built on a lake. I always wanted to live on the water. By the way, humor is a requirement for natural disasters.
I know that my external safety has been really messed with. I hear my voice saying "Internal safety is a choice no matter what ". Okay Mimi what's the plan, today? I took a rocking spin class with Candis and an incredible yoga class with Randi. Did you know that you can throw in a handstand any time you want to. ( I am saving that one for the future when I really need it ).These woman are magnificent, I always take some light home with me. I promise that I will post some photos of them in the near future.. This journal, a connection with those that are surviving and those that are thriving grows my heart. We all get our turn.Next requirement for me is daily gratitude. 
Thank you Leslie for giving me some work clothes and some lulus. Even though you are gutting right now !!!
Harriet, you are adorable, thank you for the gifts....especially the t-shirt with stars. I loved that you told me that I was a star. The beautiful haircut and color from you , the most talented hairstylist, Marisol.

So so many prayers for Florida, especially my sister-in law, Patricia, and my godson, Eric.

September 6

It just occurred to me that I didn't mention my very, very very close friend Betsy. She always has my back. Her husband Dieter, who would do anything for us. 
My lifetime family where I am supported every time I show up. Tisha💛, Marisol😘, Harriet💓, Daysi💜Susie💝💝💝 
Please know if I didn't mention you, I didn't forget you. Tomorrow is a whole different adventure.

September 6

Today was a great day!! Mellie is my Barre, yoga teacher and beautiful angel. She helped me remember that dance, exercise, movement and music will always be there for me, ( I know that my creative arts therapy PEERS are cheering right now ). Then, through amazing networking, generous people are coming together from their area of expertise to give us gifts, magnificent clothes, shoes, makeup, ( just for me ) and help with housing. There is nothing more comforting than love, kindness and generosity. 
My mind was able to stop the images of all of my losses, replacing them with the life changing thoughts of go fund me, all of the friends reaching out to me daily, the lodging provided by Liliana, Paul and Ashlie. The love of Valeriya, and her efforts to help while she is playing professional basketball in Europe The dinner tonight and gifts provided by my sweet friend, Erin. My greatest gifts in life the unwavering support of my kids, Krista and her husband Danny and Miguel and his partner, Care. I may have sadly lost a lifetime of precious belongs... but it is being replaced with limitless love, care, kindness and authentic hope. I know that the days to come will still be filled with angst, loss, fear..., and I will share the truth. BUT if I had to chose ??? NO CONTEST ‼️‼️‼️

September 5

Dear friends, 
thank you for your continued support in these difficult times. An app on my phone just sent me a routine roads conditions report "45 minutes to get home". Well, sadly, it is going to be 45 minutes and who knows how many months. The fact is we are not getting home any time soon and it feels like we never will.
Life moves on as it must, this event will be soon fade in your memory, we hope new life challenges and other events will replace it. For us, the road backhome, back to normal, is just beginning. As hurricane Katrina taught us, we are going to be living with the painful consequences of hurricane Harvey for a long time to come.
Take a moment, create a new memory of how generous and thoughtful you are. Our lives are forever altered in the most precious way by your love, support and financial donations. No matter what painful a day may be, it will be made far more bearable by the abundance of your generosity. we send to you our sincere love and care. We know we are not alone, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Mimi and Orlando (and our cat Pablo)

Muchas gracias queridos amigos por continuar apoyandonos en estos momentos tan duros. Mi telefono me acaba de mandar uno de esos mensajes de rutina con las condiciones de ruta, "de donde te encuentras, 45 minutos para llegar a casa". Desafortunadamente, van a ser 45 minutos y, no se todavia cuantos, pero muchos meses mas antes de poder volver a casa.
Como es natural, la vida continua y este evento pasara a la memoria en unos dias, remplazado por las vivencias , problemas diarios y nuevos eventos. Para nosotros el camino de regreso a casa es largo y recien comienza, como fue el caso despues del Huracan Katrina, vamos a vivir con las consecuencias del Huracan Harvey por mucho tiempo.
Quiero recordarles lo valiosas que son las contribuciones que, con sacrificio personal, ustedes hacen para ayudarnos. Este apoyo nos acorta considerablemente y hace mucho mas llevadero el camino. Sus donaciones,sus muestras de apoyo y amor viven y viviran en nosotros todos los dias, por el resto de nuestra vida. Por favor capturen este momento y creen una memoria de lo generosos y considerados que ustedes son. En medio de este desastre, nuestras vidas se han alterado en la forma mas preciosa gracias a ustedes.
Nuevamente, muchas gracias queridos amigos, no nos sentimos solos.
Mimi y Orlando (y Pablo nuestro gato)

GoFundMe