Remembering Ike

This is the backyard of our former home in Houston one year ago today when Hurricane Ike hit Galveston and Houston...and we had it good comparatively. The first two photos show the destruction by a fallen tree of a playhouse that came with the house when I bought it...I always intended to turn the playhouse into a cute potting shed, but, oh well, so much for that idea. You know what though, the Lord was not only meciful to us and my whole family through this ordeal, but a year later He even gave me something better than a playhouse-turned-potting-shed - He gave me a storage-building-turned-studio, and let me tell you, it's a real dream come true! I can assure you, in the midst of chaos, wreckage, loss, and brokenness, there is something better, sweeter, and more beautiful around the corner when you put your trust in Jesus. You cannot see it just yet, but you can have faith that it is there and that He has you in His loving arms, carrying you over the wreckage and into your promised land. He's all about beauty from brokenness...

Here's a link to a series of posts about my remembrance of the approach of Ike, our evacuation, and the aftermath of the storm. It was quite an adventure. Please keep the region in your prayers - there are still many folks who are impacted by the losses they sustained even a year later....thank you.

By the way, after we returned from evacuating, my Hubby faced the arduous task of tearing down the playhouse - it was a lot more work than I ever dreamed it would be...

...but we were able to salvage a lot of the wood and we have it here at our new place. I plan to make some handpainted signs and other projects for the boutique from the salvaged wood. I'll keep you posted on my progress...  Hopefully it will be more beauty from brokenness...

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One quick note about progress on furnishing and setting up the studio - it is going GREAT but it still has a ways to go before I can share photos. I have spent ALL of my time this past week and today working on it and I'll be at it again all this week I'm sure...but I am loving it! However, since I don't seem to be able to blog and chew gum at the same time, I'm afraid my posting will be sparce again this week...sorry about that. I always miss you guys so much when I'm away from Blogland for any significant length of time. I'll be back just as soon as I can with an update and photos galore, I promise!  Meanwhile, take care and God bless you friends!

The Hurricane Ike Chronicles: The Aftermath

Hi Y'all - I know I am terribly late in getting this update and photos out to you, but I have been doing a lot more illustration work like this over the past couple of weeks and had deadlines to meet - so that's why the delay. (I haven't even done much blog-visiting or any commenting lately...so sorry...I miss you guys!) Sweet Hubby and I are heading out tomorrow for a 4 day birthday trip to Central Texas (Happy Birthday Sweetie-pie!!), so I wanted to be sure and get this out there before I was going to be away for several more days and not be able to post...
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So, here is a bit about the aftermath of Hurricane Ike from my perspective...and how it affected us personally...(mostly photos with minimal commentary) Once again - we had it pretty good compared to the utter devastation of so many places...

Our Back Yard/Home

Playhouse/Garden Shed before...(Oh, I had such plans for this cute little bundle of potential)

Playhouse/Garden Shed after the neighbor's tree fell on it...

Thank the Lord it didn't hit out home though...

Fence damage all around our back yard...

General mess...

No power...spoiled food...

Bill paying by lantern light...

Other than the substantial mess in the back yard (which we are still cleaning up), we really were quite fortunate - there were LOTS of folks in and around our neighborhood that had scenes like this to deal with...and this was a relatively minor one...

We are very blessed...

But nothing around here was anything as terrible and heartbreaking as the utter devastation on the Boliver Penninsula (incredible before and after shots), Gilchrist (amazing images), Kemah and surrounding areas, and in Galveston itself...just stunning in its scope. So many lost so much...and so many are still hurting and struggling...please continue to pray for the folks so deeply impacted by this incredible storm....

So Sad to See Them Go

I just wrote a blog post about this sweet Bed and Breakfast (The Clipper House Inn) a few weeks ago - my dear friends from Colorado joined us there in Kemah just two weeks before Ike hit - and now on the reservation page of their website it simply states the following:

"Due to hurricane Ike, the bed and breakfast will probably never be back in business."

So very sad...we loved it there...it was so cute and cozy with its 9 unique cottages, adorable furnishings and accessories, etc...all washed away by a 20 ft. storm surge that ravaged Kemah. Here are photos of our favorite cottage...now all destroyed...

Another favorite we are saying goodbye to is the Hula Hut Beach House in Crystal Beach on Boliver, our family's favorite vacation rental. We spent Christmas of 2006 and Thanksgiving of 2007 in this cute, kitschy beach house and have so many fond memories of our times here. We were booked there for Christmas this year, but received our deposit back in the mail with a simple note from the owners saying that our beloved Hula Hut "was no more".

It wasn't fancy, but it was perfect for our family...

It was so very close to the beach...just a stone's throw...it never had a chance....

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Post-Ike - 10 Things I Hope To Never Take For Granted Again:

1. Ice


2. Full grocery store shelves (it was the most eerie sight to see WalMart with empty shelves all throughout the cold and freezer sections of the grocery department)


3. A soft bed


4. Neighbors (it's amazing how we actually visited and got to know our neighbors through this, many for the first time)


5. Air Conditioning


6. The Internet


7. Hot coffee


8. The beach


9. Traffic lights


10. Our home and family

I'll see y'all when we return on Sunday, with lots of photos and stories to share I'm sure...and so much more...thank you so much for hanging in there with me through this time!

The Hurricane Ike Chronicles: The Evacuation

Well folks, so sorry it has taken me this long to get back to the blog. We are doing just fine! Power was restored at our house last Thursday, but I missed an entire week of work at my real job, plus we've had tons of post-Ike clean-up, and the closing of the shop (whole separate post coming on that topic alone)...so I've been in catch-up mode all this week since the hurricane...Thank you SO much for your concern and prayers for me and my family during this ordeal - I sincerely appreciate it!

I have quite a few photos to share from our adventures with Ike, so I broke up the story into two installments: this one, "The Evacuation", and the next post, "The Aftermath".

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As I mentioned in a previous update, my Mom and Dad and John and I (and sweet Maddie of course) evacuated on Friday September 12th in advance of Hurricane Ike to Huntsville Texas, about an hour north of the north end of Houston. My brother is a track coach at the university there and he offered to shelter us in the Athletic facilities during the storm. The school had its own backup power source so we were assured to never be without power for the duration of the stay. So for three days, this is where we called home...

(I need to state again that we had it SO very good compared to the folks who rode out the storm closer to the full fury of its impact - in retrospect, our evacuation experience looks silly and frivolous by comparison, but it is our real story nonetheless...)

Maddie, Our Evacuation Mascot


Of course Maddie thought this whole adventure, though confusing at times, was quite fun, and all about HER...

Hanging out with her Daddy is one of her most favorite things to do, no matter where are...
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How We Slept

Well....if you take 8 of these....(note the cushy seats)

...you can make one of these...

Not too bad a bed, all things considered...Johnny and I created these Friday night, and by Saturday night, the rest of the family did the exact same thing. It was far better than sleeping on the floor.
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Evacuation is All About the Food

Our makeshift kitchen - a card table stocked with the finest in disposable tableware...

A healthy, well-balanced assortment of food is essential for an effective and efficient evacuation, but this is what we had instead....

Maddie is more than willing to do her share to help with the kitchen chores...

My brother reluctantly allows me to to carefully document the making of a grilled ham and cheese sandwich - what decent foodie blog post doesn't include step-by-step pictorial instructions for creating culinary masterpieces...?

And if you've never simply dumped 2 cans of chili in with a pound of Velveeta cheese and heated it in a crock pot....

...then poured it over tortilla chips...well, you haven't lived...

...now that's evacuee epicurean excellence!
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How We Passed the Time

Whenever we managed to take a break from eating too much of all the wrong things, we were able to set up information central with 2 laptops, wireless Internet with streaming news of the hurricane's approach, and a stack of Romantic Homes and ME Home Companion magazines...all the essentials for being well informed as well as inspired!

Sometime early Saturday morning, when the storm reached Huntsville, we lost cable (how tragic), but never fear, the university backup power kept all the power on the entire weekend, so we were able to do things like watch DVDs in the plush executive suite at the school's stadium to pass the time...

We were really suffering...

I know Maddie, it was a "tough" weekend....but you were a real trooper!

Seriously, we were so grateful to have had this safe haven to run to from the storm - I am so glad we decided to ride it out there rather than at home. My other brother and his family opted to stay home and they said it was the most terrifying 24 hours of their lives...
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Well, what followed this weekend respite was not nearly as fun as we hit the road and travelled back home and faced a real mess. I will tell that tale and share more photos in the next installment of The Hurricane Ike Chronicles: The Aftermath - please stay tuned...

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"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1)

Coffee Shop Connection (Ike Aftermath Update)

Hi friends

Just a really quick check in to say hi and let you know we are OK. We are back home, and our home is still without power, but tonight, we found a coffee shop in town that has power and a wireless connection, so we are soaking in the glory of hot coffee, air conditioning, and the Internet! Aaaahhhhhhh.....

I have SO much to share with you...lots of photos and anecdotes about life as an evacuee and now Ike survivor.... Let me say, we have it so good compared to so many folks further south and east of us who were absolutely devastated. Although we have no power, we have gas appliances so we can cook and we have hot water....plus, we have been blessed with unseasonably "cool" weather (for us...80 high, 60 low), so opening the windows at night is actually an OK thing! Yep, we got it pretty good...

I so appreciate all your comments and concern - sorry that I don't have time to visit with you all right now...but soon, hopefully very soon, I will be able to spend some quality time with you all...

Meanwhile, please continue to pray for the folks who are suffering...there are thousands and thousands of them. I can't believe that just three short weeks ago my friends from Colorado were here and we were enjoying Galveston and Kemah together...and now...utter devastation in the very places we were...wow....so very sad....

I'm looking forward to sharing more soon...I miss you all so very much...

Hugs and Blessings,
Becky

We're Hangin' In (Ike Update)

Hello friends!

I'm reporting from a safe, secure spot at a nearby University where my brother is a coach -we decided to flee here yesterday morning and we are VERY GLAD we did. We are very blessed to be able to shelter in the athletic facilities here (showers, bathrooms, towels, etc) - we have an independent electrical power source here and we are still online..so we have air conditioning, lights, internet, ice, etc. Considering the early reports of widespread damage and 3 million people without power, we have it REAL good here...

From all the reports from our friends and family, everyone is safe...no one was hurt and everyone's property is faring well so far. THANK YOU LORD!! We have not heard yet from our neighbors about the state of our home and my parent's home next door - but we are believing for the best...

Because I have LOTs of time on my hands, I am keeping a detailed photo journal of our evacuee experience here...how we're sleeping, cooking, making do, and I will share those photos soon. Then later, as we are safely able to venture out, I will document whatever I see...no telling what we will encounter...

Your continued prayers are greatly appreciated - there is going to be quite a bit of work to do in the coming days, weeks and months to clean up, restore ad rebuild....

Thanks all - I'll check back in soon...

Hugs and blessings,
Becky

We're nervous about this one...(and some good news too!)

Wind Forecast: Hurricane Ike

(The circles represent where we live and where most of our friends and family live)

Well friends, this hurricane has everyone around here in Houston and the surrounding area very nervous. Here's a quote from our local weather forecaster's blog, highlighting what we might have in store for our area in north Houston (marked with the arrow above):

"Sustained winds 75-100 mph, 5-10" rain with flooding in poor drainage areas,
isolated tornadoes."

Yikes, Ike, is this really necessary..?? We are doing our best to prepare and plan to hunker down here unless things look dramatically worse as it approaches. I would appreciate your prayers for us and for the whole region - there are plenty of folks east of here who really don't need anymore weather grief! By the way, our kiddos in Louisiana are all doing OK - some have even got power back!

This will likely be my last post for a while...I'll blog again as soon as I'm able. And I will take photos you can be sure....hopefully they will just be of cloudy skies with a rainbow!!

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Meanwhile, for a bit of good news, check out this link which should take you to Universal Design's new supplemental catalog for September. I just completed a bunch of new illustrations for them and they are featured throughout the catalog (along with other artists)...and my little teapot/muffin design made it on the catalog cover!!

©BeckySchultea, published by Universal Designs Inc, DeLand , FL - All rights reserved

What's extra special about this batch of illustration work is that all of the pieces are integrated into small collections, which have a lot more visibility than the one-off designs I had done previously that were mixed in randomly in large displays. Here's an example or two - my art is marked with arrows (they even used my itty-bitty flowers to decorate the page!)...

©BeckySchultea, published by Universal Designs Inc, DeLand , FL - All rights reserved

©BeckySchultea, published by Universal Designs Inc, DeLand , FL - All rights reserved

©BeckySchultea, published by Universal Designs Inc, DeLand , FL - All rights reserved

All of this illustration work was a direct result of sending the Universal art director a copy of my calendar. She adapted several of the calendar designs to her products - I really had very little drawing I had to do...there was some, but not too much. It was so fun - and best of all, I have an open invitation to submit artwork throughout the year for all their seasonal and general releases, so I'm hoping to do even more with this fine company in the near future!! Thank You Lord for the opportunity to spread Your Word in such a sweet and unique way!!!

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Well, gotta go and start securing all the loose stuff around the house - thanks again for your prayers!!!