Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 29

Progress

 

“Progress is not possible without change.”

— George Bernard Shaw (1856 – 1950)
Irish playwright & critic

Hope

 

“Hope is being able to see there is light despite the darkness.”

— Desmond Tutu (1931 – 2021)
South African Anglican bishop & theologian

Western North Carolina Strong

After Helene tried to drown out western NC in the wee hours of September 27, we are grateful to say, “The lights are back on, and we love having power and water again.”

 

 

Yesterday afternoon, as trucks started rolling into our pasture and along the road by our driveway, we cheered and applauded and expressed our thanks to the tireless workers from several states, who all responded with broad smiles.

 

 

 

They were unloading their gear and beginning repairs on yet another stretch of downed and tree-covered power lines.

 

 

 

 

NC Air National Guard has been amazing. Forestry, first responders, TIEC, and several local agencies, too. Choppers continue their flights, searching, rescuing, and recovering. We went from 400 to 650 roads and highways closed in the last days of September.

 

 

 

 

Entire towns washed away. The damage in the two towns abutting us to the north (Lake Lure and Chimney Rock) is beyond horrific.

 

 

 

We are very blessed. (FEMA was not ready for prime time in North Carolina… missed multiple basic steps like getting names and headcounts in stranded neighborhoods or contact info or addresses to which folks were going to evacuate. Communication 101 and some training are needed.)

 

In times like this, we learn the depths of generosity and kindness. Our confidence in the goodness of the human spirit is restored, as so many worked hard to help others, even when their homes remained without power and water.

Special thanks to friends David Weisgerber & Angie Vidibor for their pictures of Day 1 from Chimney Rock… and to Bill and Angie Leffort for letting us shower and gather water and then lending us their generator when their power returned so we could rev up the fridge and freezer, helping us to feed folks. And yes, now that Milton swept across Florida, Mom is safe, though without power and water.

Here’s my bottom line. In times of trouble and challenges, faith and the 5 C’s will get us through:
Calmness
Compassion
Competency
Cooperation
&
Creativity
My most humble and heartfelt thanks to everyone.

Freedom!!!

 

“If we lose freedom here, there’s no place to escape.”

— Ronald Reagan (1911 – 2004)
American actor & politician; 40th President of the United States

S.O.S.

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”

— Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992)
Russian-American writer & biochemistry professor

Harmony, Please

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

— Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1943)
Indian lawyer & political ethicist

Hello, Brothers and Sisters

 

On this, the International Day of Peace, let us all pray and work together… just as if we were civilized.

Lead On!

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”

— John F. Kennedy (1917 – 1963)
35th US President

Go with the Flow

“Those who flow as life flows know they need no other force.”

— Lao Tzu (6th century BC – 5th century BC)
Chinese writer & philosopher

 

Success Thinking

“Understanding that failure is not the opposite of success is part of success.”

— Arianna Huffington (1950 – )
Greek-American author