Dislocation

I just received word from my mother that my cousin and her family no longer have a home in New Orleans.

I guess that's not 100% accurate. Technically, they still own their home near Lake Pontchartrain, only now it's under 20 feet of water.

My cousin, her husband and three children evacuated to Shreveport, but they are unsure what they'll do next. The short term plan is to move with the kids back to my aunt's house in Kansas so that the kids can get enrolled in school. They haven't decided whether to try to return to The Big Easy, or just relocate permanently somewhere else.

Obviously they are happy to be alive -- others weren't so lucky. But it is devastating to lose nearly all your worldly possessions.

Hopes and prayers to them and the thousands of others affected by Katrina. If the spirit moves you, you can donate a few bucks to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief fund.