I am going to go ahead and post a request for prayers.  Please keep New Orleans in your prayers during this difficult limbo phase with Hurricane Gustav. He is forecasted to make landfall as a Cat 4 Hurricane.  We are not sure where he will be ultimately going, but the whole coast of Louisiana is in his cross hairs.  New Orleans can ill afford a hit from a Cat 2 or higher hurricane.  The Army Corps of Engineers will not complete our 100 year levee protection until 2011!!!  Let me further inform you that 100 year levee protection is only for storms of a Cat 3 or LOWER.  So, New Orleans will not ever be protected from Cat 5 unless someone at the Presidential level deems it important enough.  It can be done. It’s been done in the Netherlands.  Is anyone listening to our pleas for Cat 5 levee protection and wetland restoration???

The Port of New Orleans controls much of the grain, coffee and other imported goods that the United States consumes.  Not to even mention, the oil we have down here! Scroll down the aforementioned link, to read about oil off of coast.  So goes New Orleans, so goes the Nation…

So, in the coming days when I am normally prepping for Christmas and making ornaments and other NOLA goodies for my customers…I have been boxing up as much of life as possible, getting prescriptions for dog filled, gassing up the car and getting on the road with my loved ones.  Trying to remain hopeful, but I know we may end up leaving our beloved city for evacuation. This makes my heart sink.  I am shell shocked by all of this…

All my friends: I will be evacuating tomorrow morning…Please let me know where you have evacuated…and that you are safe.

Please keep the people of NOLA in your thoughts and prayers in the coming days. 

** I will be checking emails and orders online while evacuated, so everyone please stay in touch!!

Much New Orleans Love to all who love NOLA,

Heather Elizabeth