Garbage gobble

Often I think about the residents of Galveston after the storm of 1900. They had to clean the mess themselves. They had no help, no water, little food and little knowledge on how to clean up such a mess.

This weekend we spent cleaning up, not your typical "clean the house before you decorate" type of cleaning, but removing debris from the streets and public areas that are sill left from Hurricane Ike in an effort called "The Garbage Gobble!" We wore safety equipment, I had to sign waivers for myself and my two sons who are under the age of 18 and we were only able to work of 5 hours before they made us stop and supplied us with a healthy meal.

The goal is to have the city looking good for our annual "Dickens on the Strand!" This annual winter festival is a great boost to the lagging economy every winter and it's just fun.

As I look over some of the writings of the 1900 survivors, I realize that they all believed that God had saved them for a reason, and that while they were feeling the stress of the moment, the miracle of their survival was still fresh in their mind. Most felt lucky that they had the ability to help rebuild their city.

I look forward to our Dickens celebration this year, not because it's going to be the biggest or the best celebration we've ever had, but because we are here to enjoy it!