Been working all week to help put our house and the neighborhood back into some semblance of what one could call "normai" after Hurricane Ike came through Galveston, the coastal cities, Houston, Kingwood, and then took a hard right into the interior of America. Everywhere it touched, there was flooding and devastation. When our fence was blown down, I thought that I would inquire whether my insurance or FEMA could help. My insurance has a deductable of 1% of the value of our home and FEMA will reimburse only if damage is done to your "main structure." I gave this information up and down the block because it did fit some homes.

The kids in the block this week played "normally" and then helped when we had to carry parts of  broken fences and bags of debris for stacking (to be taken away someday in the future- a future none of us can guess as its date). When they helped me, I paid them in fruit drinks and the continued promise of popsickles (which they get all the time when they ring our front door bell) when the stores get back to having refrigeration for frozen foods.

Up and down streets, here and all over Houston, you see people sitting outside and sharing barbecue pit foods which could not be kept and must be eaten. We all seem to have folding chairs. And what is wonderful is that the faces that wave and smile back as you pass are a "true rainbow of America" - all colors, all nationalities, sharing what we have and giving what we can.

Actually, Hurricane Ike, besides being a pain everywhere- all joints, was a kind of blessing that reminded us that we have neighbors and we all are our neighbor's keeper. No complaints! An interesting ten days!

Joy of joys, (Anne just came and told me) "our neighbors across the street now have electricity" (so they took back the extension cords that have laced this short, dead end street, streching from those with power to those who needed it for at least running one refrigerator). Now, there are only 700,000 in Houston left without power. It was, at one time, close to 3,000,000!

Joe

September 28, 2008: Got the news yesterday that Paul Newman died. Immediately CNN had a survey that asked, "What was Paul Newman's best picture?" I read over the list (which, by the way, left out The Silver Chalice, by far his worst performance where he took out a full page ad in Hollywood, stating that he apoligized for his "awful acting". How many actors would do that?) and could not decide on any one. I loved them all. He was the underdog who rose to the level of his principles (in his roles and his life). I will miss any new adventures from this outstanding actor (who only won one Academy Award for The Color of Money out of the ten that he was nominated for) but his passing will start a movement to see his films again for a new young audience (and an older audience, where I will be first in line). He was a special man for me, in his films, his political activism, his philanthropy, and his understated wisdom about life and himself. His greatest gift may have been that he did not take himself too serviously for his fame on the screen or on stage. He only took the cause of children, his politics, his love of racing and Joan Woodward most seriously.

This week, I have lost a friend that I only knew virtually but I know that I knew him. Since his work will live after him, he is really not lost to me.  

This is my first meeting and first post as a full member of RECSWUSA, and I am very happy to be part of the team!

Here in Santa Clara, a small city of surprising community, given our place in the expanse of the San Francisco Bay Area, I have spent the last six weeks working to get my high school students in serious gear with how they approach learning Japanese.  I believe that efficient, effective habits make learning fun and easy, and I toss ideas at them whenever I can to get them to see what they are capable of, when they put forth the effort.

This was also the week when those kiddos who want to go to Japan with me in February had to plop down their deposits.  With the increase in ticket prices over the last year, I was worried we'd have trouble getting enough to go, but here I am with fifteen names on the list!  Sure wouldn't have bet on such a big group.

Certainly a high point of the last few days was getting the e-mail that welcomed me as a new member of this club.  I believe we have the chance to truly explore the possibilities for service and fellowship online, in cyberspace, on the internet, or within the metaverse, whatever we wish to call it.  I thank all of you for your encouragement over the last few months, look forward to your guidance as I settle in, and hope powerfully to give something meaningful to this community.

As they say on that side of the Pacific, "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu!" (a standard for when you meet someone new).

October 4, 2008: Found out that Larry Levenson would be attending a conference called Discovery (a meeting of all NPR representatives and other businessmen like Larry), we arranged to meet on October 3rd in the afternoon and then have a meal together. Anne and I drove to San Antonio from Houston in the morning (3 1/2 hours), met with Larry at the Grand Hyatt and later (after a brew or two) walked The River Walk). Our conversation covered eRotary, Rotary, our families, how to solve insoluable problems (you start, even if you do not know where it will lead), peace (a serious talk of peace and the jobs that need filled for peace projects in our eClub and other Rotary Clubs, plus engaging a wider community if possible), education (on all kinds of levels), business (on all kinds of levels), love (one woman, one man, children- consistency- and other kinds), stories upon stories, food and cooking, etc. We had five hours of serious, not so serious, informative, funny conversations, then Anne and I drove home to Houston (so that we could feed and walk our dog Honey). One idea that Larry and I agreed upon (actually we agreed upon many ideas but this was something that we thought might happen) was, "We, everyone in the eClub, should tell others when we are traveling, for fun or business, so that we can get to meet, face to face, and just talk." Yesterday was a 12-hour "blast": no TV, no IPod, no cell phone calls, no interruptions. Yet, the technology was there if we wanted it. Just consider, "Just talk!"

We hugged on leaving, which it is hard to do on the Internet, and we learned volumes from our stories and body language. I would recommend this kind of visit to all our eMembers. As I have said, when talking of history as President of Rotary Global History Fellowship, 2007-2009, "To know is to grow." Yesterday, I think that both Larry and myself grew a little closer to understanding each other. It was a day trip well worth the time spent.

Hmmm... Joe posted first, and said everything. We had a wonderful time together. Laughing and learning. Good beer. Good food. More laughing.

I will definitely continue to call our club memebers when I'm coming to there areas. . . Lots opf fun!

Thank you, Joe and Anne, for making the trek to San Antonio.  It was wonderful to get to know you both!

Regards,
Larry 

Larry Levenson
President Elect 2009-2010
Prescott, Arizona USA
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It is great to have a reliable computer again, and easy access to the internet.  After spending 4 months in the mountains of New Mexico, with only dial up, when we had phone service made me really appreciate high speed. On top of slow or no service for internet my new computer crashed. I was using my dinosaur to do SAA minutes, etc, so it is good to be back.  Carol

Carol Anderson

Hmmm . . . well, Kate and I toured Chapman when she was looking for a college - one of her camp friends went there.  She decided on Boston and Tufts but that's a different story. 

However, this week I mentioned an acquaintance's name in passing to my husband (as a result of walking past another person's house).  Ten minutes later, I ran into this woman in the grocery - I probably haven't seen her for 18 months since Kate graduated. 

The connection to Chapman?  Her daughter, who is at UCSD, is away at World Afloat as we speak.  Of course, it is now sponsored by UVA, my husband's alma mater (actually both of my husbands'). So both of you are one degree away from several people you've never met . . . or even heard of!

Karen -