No Place Like Home
There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home! That’s what I thought as I watched the events of Hurricane Katrina unfold on August 29, 2005. In awe, I watched … unable to do anything … unable to pull my eyes away from my flooded house during the live television coverage on CNN. It was at that moment that I wanted to click my heels three times and go back home, the way it was when I left: comfortable, predictable and certain.
Despite the unexpected challenges thrown my way, I am picking up the pieces and trying to return home and rebuild the city that I love. Many people in the Gulf Coast Region and the City of New Orleans are also moving forward with their lives, though they will never be the same again.
As I look back on my many losses, I am most heartbroken by the ruin of my family recipes. No amount of insurance can replace them. They were all destroyed by the floodwaters that filled my home for weeks. Many of these recipes were handwritten, handed down for generations. I will never again be able to create my mother-in-law’s doberge cake or my aunt’s corn and crab soup.
In an effort to maintain my sanity over the nine months following Katrina, I self published an International Award-Winning book:
Ruby Slippers: Life, Culture, Family and Food After Katrina, a unique assortment of photography, stories of hope, support and return, and family recipes passed down over decades from family member to family member and from friend to friend. The mix of life, culture, family and food in the pages of Ruby Slippers is quite refreshing and something completely different from other cookbooks on the market today. That was my aim, to provide something different, to provide something from the heart and to provide a book that preserves the New Orleans way of life.
Also included are menus for festive occasions, interesting history and the stories of people whose lives were impacted by the storm. Accounts from rescue workers, volunteers, residents and friends of the region are included. The book truly captures the look of New Orleans after the flood while maintaining a positive outlook for a bright and colorful future.
Many people across the United States are tired of hearing about Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, but there is a message that must not be lost. Such tragedy can happen anywhere, maybe not in the same way, but other unfortunate events are possible. The people of New Orleans need continued support and reassurance of their safety and rebuilding opportunities.
I promise, you’ll find the book interesting, heartbreaking, heartwarming and funny all at the same time.
It is available for order online at
http://www.rubyslippersnola.com/ and at wonderful bookstores around the country. The purchase of
Ruby Slippers helps a great cause, because a portion of the proceeds will be given to the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. I am working tirelessly to share the message of coastal restoration with the entire country.
Thanks for your support of our great city!
Sometimes it seems like just yesterday and other times it seems like an eternity since Hurricane Katrina and the flooding happened. Today is a day to remember and and a day to look forward; knowing what to remember and how to look forward are keys to our success and our survival.
