Arrived safely @ hotel. 3 shows on Oct. 1 for1500-2000 students @ Tangipahoa Parish Free Fair (LA)

No power @ my house again! No Internet or phone. I have to pack for trip & leave today. Yay for cell phones w Internet!

Just edited an older picture book manuscript. One change made a difference in the story. I'm marketing it again!

Wow! Rec'd author copies of The Story Biz Handbook. Looks awesome! 30 chapters, nearly 400 pgs. Feel like proud mama! Order @ www.lu.com

Eliana posted new recipes (ck out her chocolate chimp banana bars) @ Eliana Cooks! http://ping.fm/vSLSB

New post @ Story Biz Blog about Tedd Arnold Author/Illustrator program @ East Baton Rouge Public Library http://ping.fm/8ymWr

Testing Ping from laptop...

Let's see if Ping works from my phone...

Let's see if Ping works from my phone...

No Internet either. Thank goodness I have my cell phone w/ Internet access!

No electricity @ my house. Transformer blew & on fire. Entergy & Fire Dept. on scene.

On way to Baton Rouge for author-illustrator program. Heavy traffic. Ugh.

Just received a new book contract from Libraries Unlimited, Stories on Board! Creating Board Games from Favorite Tales. Woo hoo!

Good morning! Eliana posted a new recipe (Ladybug Pizzettas) to her blog. Incredibly tasty. www.elianacooks.com http://ping.fm/vSLSB

Professional Development section updated on my website. www.storyconnection.net http://ping.fm/WEcVA

Online press kit updated on www.storyconnection.net http://ping.fm/PqdU3

Just posted to the Story Connection Blog. http://ping.fm/8ymWr

Had minor surgery today. On pain meds & should rest but I have so much to do...

Just added Skype. How cool. Do I really want to be that accessible?!! Video conferencing is awesome though.

Had a death in the family today. My husband's uncle died suddenly at 55 years old. We are saddened and in shock. Please pray for our family.

Julie Prince, friend & fellow writer, wrote an awesome blog post about Eliana Cooks! http://ping.fm/26jYO Thx, Julie!

Burning the midnight oil, working on my website. Thank God I have a fairy godmother. Her name is Heidi!

Eliana posted new ElianaCooks! blogs http://ping.fm/vSLSB

Made delicious low fat dessert too. Devil's Food Monster Muffins. Eliana will blog recipes at elianacooks.com http://ping.fm/vSLSB

Cooked delicious dinner w/ Eliana. Grilled eggplant steak roll-ups, stuffed sweet peppers, and garlic polenta patties. Yum!

Fielding booking requests. Yay! Love that. :)

Outlook done receiving the "dump." I cleared over 40,000 downloaded emails fr 2005 to present. Took 16 hrs! Hope that never happens again!

Eliana made 2 posts to her Eliana Cooks! blog. http://ping.fm/vSLSB

Burned the midnight oil and worked all night long. It's 7am and I have to get a little shut eye!

Wow! My website looks phenomenal! I LOVE the rotating pictures! Too cool. Thank you, Heidi. You rock!

Story Connection Express goes to press! Yay!

Working on newsletter issues. Technology! Sheesh!

Aaaargh! Gmail is dumping old emails into my Outlook inbox - thousands of them from 2005 on... Aaaaargh!€

Fooling around w/ new html format on newsletter. Trying to get it right... Trying to get it done... Trying to get it out!

My webmaster gave Story Connection website a makeover. Still needs some tweaking but looks fantastic so far! http://ping.fm/t1okz

Watching Righteous Kill @ movies then going to concert. :)

Watching Righteous Kill @ movies then going to concert. :)

Working diligently to get my newsletter done. This one is labor intensive. Whew!

At the library. Eliana's getting her own library card!

My website just had a "facelift." Love the new header! Just a few more tweaks left... Thank you so much, Heidi! I love it!

Posted 4 blogs! 3 are fun book crafts I am featuring in Story Connection Express. Check it out! http://ping.fm/8ymWr

My webmaster is working on updating my website. New pics, new template, a fresh look. Yay!

The Story Biz Handbook is out. Contributors have their copies but I don't have mine!!!

My husband does not want me to organize him. He says if it's organized, he can't find it. Huh?

My husband does not want me to organize him. He says if it's organized, he can't find it. Huh?

Now that I have organized my room, I have 3 MASSIVE suitcases packed w/ ofc stuff that needs to be put away. No hurricanes - no excuses!

Sept. Story Connection Express features "Fabulously Fun Book Crafts for Kids." Book crafts for your fave children's books. What a blast!

Dianne's whole wheat crepe recipe: 1 c. whole wheat flour, 1 3/4 c. milk or soy milk, 1 tbsp. oil, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, dash salt.

Made banana-berry cream crepes (whole wheat too!) for breakfast for family. Mmm!

Testing Ping again...

New Orleans Children's Book Author & Literacy Advocate, Coleen Salley, died. We are blessed for having known her - sad for having lost her.

Eliana and I posted another Eliana Cooks! blog. Our dinner last nite rocked! www.elianacooks.com. http://ping.fm/vSLSB

Cleaning your room isn't like it was when you were a teen - stuff everything in closet & under bed... Still not done with organizing room!

Now working on Story Connection Express. Yeah, at 2 in the morning!

Oh yeah - I forgot MY SHOES! Got a new shoe organizer that fits 36 pairs of shoes and I still need more room! LOL

Unpacked & organized MY side of the closet, all of my drawers & jewelry. Put away 3 suitcases so far... Haven't tackled office yet...

Been working in the bedroom - unpacking fr Gustav evacuation and reorganizing everything. Exhausting but satisfying work.

Rachel Hedman interviewed me for her blog! http://ping.fm/Xz2Hv

Eliana n I shopping for dinner - Chicken Satay Wrap n Rolls & Asian Veggie Delight Soup. Look for recipes on http://ping.fm/vSLSB

Designing new logo for my 8 year old daughter's new venture, Eliana Cooks!

LA Dept. of Social Services Secretary Ann Williamson resigned amid allegations of mishandling Gustav shelters & emergency food stamp program

Saints lost yesterday 29-24. W/ less than 3 min. left, Saints trailed but blew their chances, sealing doomed fate w/ Redskins interception.

Saints leading Redskins 17-9. 3rd Qtr. Go Saints!

Ike pummels TX. Millions w/o power. In parts of LA, flooding worse than in Rita.

@ movies (Mirrors) w hubby. A date! :) What a novel concept.

Eliana now has her own website. www.elianacooks.com, which defaults to her blog. http://ping.fm/C0Mdx Check it out! :)

Set up blog called "Eliana Cooks!" Features creative fun in the kitchen w/ my 8 yr old daughter, Eliana. http://ping.fm/C0Mdx

Posted Story Connection Blog for Fri, Sept 12, 2008 http://ping.fm/8ymWr

Brennan's Restaurant in Houston burned to the ground. Brennan family fr New Orleans - "restaurant royalty" Extremely sad.

Tornadoes destroy homes in LA. SW & SELA continues to be under tornado warnings until 10am. Fires burning in Galveston and Houston.

Chuck Norris opens his ranch to evacuees. Eye of Ike 60 miles wide & bearing down on Galveston. All homes in Cameron Parish, LA flooded.

800,000 in TX without power. Ike is the size of TX itself. Massive.

Building dominoes w/ Eliana while watching hurricane coverage. Geraldo Rivera on Fox is crazy.

Watching hurricane coverage @ Mom's house. Eye of Ike glaring @ Galveston.

testing Ping

In LA. Stopped @ rest area infested by love bugs! Ugh! Very windy.

In LA. Stopped @ rest area infested by love bugs! Ugh! Very windy.

My hotel full of evacuees fr SWLA & TX. I hope rest of hurricane season is quiet for all of us.

Checking out of hotel now. Hope weather's not too bad on the drive home. Very windy here in Jackson, MS.

A direct hit to Houston would be devastating. Gas may rise as much as $.50/gallon. LA may have to dip into reserves. Everyone affected.

Ike is huge! Still projected to make landfall in Galveston/Houston area late tonight. Vicksburg, MS out of gas. Storm causing panic buying.

Going to drive home now. All schools in metro NOLA closed due to Ike. Power restored @ home. Brother said a tornado whizzed by this morn.

Just finished seeing 680 students @ McWillie Elem. in Jackson, MS. What a fantastic school. Great shows. They want me back next year! :)

Show about to start & I left camera memory card @ hotel

Show about to start & I left camera memory card @ hotel

Power outages in metro New Orleans due to Ike. My house has no power.

Rise and shine! Today is an early day. My first show is at 8:15am. I need to be at the school by 7:30am. Here we go! :)

Reading The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. Stirring, poetic tale. Now I must sleep!

Posted Story Connection Blog - Sept 11, 2008. http://ping.fm/8ymWr

Hotel room in Jackson, MS very nice - king-size bed. 24 hr security. Snack bar. Cocktail reception I missed. :( Free brkfst I won't miss! :)

1 million evacuated fr coastal TX. As Ike heads to Galveston/Houston, Houstonians asked to "hunker down." Want to avoid evacuation gridlock.

Drove thru wind and rain squalls fr New Orleans to Jackson, MS. Ike is on the way...

Testing ping

Stopped for gas in Pontchatoula, LA. Out of all except reg.

Heavy, heavy traffic. 5mph & not even evacuating.

Packs of burger buns scattered all over road! McDonalds truck blown over? LOL

Stretches of sunny road puntuated by dark, end of world squalls. Must drive carefully.

Heading to Jackson, MS in rainy weather.

God be with you, Coleen Salley!

NOLA children's book author & literacy advocate, Colleen Salley, has Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a terminal disease. She is in hospice.

Check out Stormpulse.com, my fave site for hurricane tracking. Many features (use Nat'l Hurricane Ctr's forecast). http://ping.fm/7wPgv

Here come the outer rain bans. It's storming outside. We're under a flash flood warning - I still have to drive to MS! Yikes!

Heading to Jackson, MS today for shows at elementary school tomorrow. Gotta finish packing and preparing.

Hurricane Ike still headed for TX - Galveston? Tropical storm warnings for LA. I smell storm in morning's air.

Posted 2 blogs today - one for a recipe for Sweet Potato Pie! Fall is on the way... Yum! http://ping.fm/8ymWr

Collaborated w/ my illustrator for Cajun Cornbread Boy to jointly create study guide, bookmarks, color sheets & games to promote book.

Preparing dinner & a yummy dessert I will post to blog later tonite.

Very productive day. Submitted 3 manuscripts & working on next book due in December. Booked shows & preparing for show in MS on Fri.

Submitted another picture book manuscript to my editor. Here's hoping!

Tropical storm warnings from Ike have been issued for coastal Louisiana.

Finalizing research for a new picture book. Will send it out today!

Sending manuscripts to a big publishing contact I met at ALA this past summer.

Dancing on Cloud 9! Children's Book Author Robert D. San Souci gave my book, The Cajun Cornbread Boy, a phenomenal review. Merci, Bob!!!

Lots of booking requests coming in... one from Maine! Yay!

Laughing at my husband's first post to twitter. He said, "Got ur twit." Only he left out the "W!" ROTFL

Like creating to do lists? Try Remember the Milk service. http://ping.fm/XT8pt Thanks, Rachel Hedman!

I guess I can unpack my suitcase now since Ike is no longer visiting. LOL

Flash flood watch in effect tonight thru Fri. for coastal LA due to Ike. Water levels may rise in Southeast LA.

Yesterday, people lined up for emergency food stamps were turned away - ran out of cards. Crowd angry & nat'l guard called for control.

The only 2 emergency food stamp sites open yesterday in Jefferson & Orleans Parish are closed today. Applicants sent on wild goose chase.

Emergency food stamps biggest fiasco in post-Gustav days. Hundreds show up @ wrong place. Even NOPD confused.

Good news for LA, not so good for TX. Ike headed to central coast of TX. May cause tropical storm weather for LA but no evac. for this one!

FEMA says no electricity doesn't mean your home is "unlivable." Can we turn off power in summer @ White House & see how Bush feels about it?

FEMA won't reimburse hotel expenses even if under a mandatory evac. order if your house not damaged. People saying will not evac. again.

Say cheese! It's picture day for Eliana. She looked so pretty this morning. :)

Ordered food fr Angel Food Ministries, which provides food @ affordable prices for families. http://ping.fm/mkKKr

Zarah Gagatiga, Filipina librarian/storyteller, used my "Peanut Butter & Jelly Jam" in storytime. Wow! http://ping.fm/kGCK7

Cooked our first post-storm meal in our kitchen. Garlic chicken pesto tortelli. Mmmmm.

Gov't authorized 1 mo. of emergency food stamps. Only 2 sites to service thousands! Nat'l guard called to control crowds! A mess.

Grocery shopping is a challenge. Bare shelves, food shortages n high prices!

Picking up daughter fr school. Love seeing her sweet happy little face. :)

Picking up daughter fr school. Love seeing her sweet happy little face. :)

Gov't granting 1 mo. of food stamps to residents in Gustav disaster area - people lined up since 4am this morning. Lines are hours long.

Dealing with two insurance adjusters and FEMA. Ugh. Deductible is 5% of house value - substantial! How will we pay for all of the damage?

Good news this morning. Latest models on Hurricane Ike put Louisiana outside of the cone. Take a hike, Ike!

Posted September 8, 2008 blog. Read it here http://ping.fm/6xnXu

Having dinner w old family friend @ Mexican restaurant. Fun!

Sent in another book proposal to my publisher. What a productive day! Yay! :)

Hurricane Ike slammed into southern Cuba with 5 story waves and powerful winds. Ike's eye is now over warm Caribbean waters.

Just got booked for March 2010 by Florida Story Camp. Thank you, MyLinda!

Eliana (my 8 yr. old) has homework in reading, math, English, social studies, and spelling. Making up for the week of Gustav - no school!

Picking up 8 yr. old daughter fr. school (first day back since Gustav).

LA Dept. of Natural Resources advises residents to begin fuel planning in anticipation of Hurricane Ike.

Tangipahoa Parish now open for re-entry, however, many residences still without power.

Exxon Mobil Corp. announced today a donation to Red Cross & United Way of $1.5 million for Gustav disaster relief assistance in LA.

Checking on position of Hurricane Ike. Talked to husband about possible evacuation plans.

Today's blog "Hurricane Gustav Recovery" is posted! http://ping.fm/8ymWr

Blogging the day's events - Hurricane Gustav Recovery.

Going to Mom's for a big home-cooked homecoming meal. Yum! This time, with a REAL kitchen. LOL

Unable to find hotels to make evacuation contingency reservations. Many LA residents still in hotels, unable to go home. Where will we stay?

Will we have to evacuate again? Gov. Jindal declaring a state of emergency for LA has me worried!

Gov. Bobby Jindal declares state of emergency for Louisiana in anticipation of Hurricane Ike. Here we go again!

Patio ceiling coming down in several places. Looks like roof damage and major water leaking. Sigh.

Found more Gustav damage. Laminate flooring inside house buckling due to humidity. Will have to replace entire living room.

For Eliana, school starts tomorrow. My brother's 4 children don't have school til Thurs. They go to school in Plaquemine Parish.

Screens on enclosed patio are waving in the breeze. Looks like it's going to rain.

Neighbor cut down much of our uprooted crepe myrtle so it wouldn't damage his roof & car. 2 window shutters are down. Now Cat 4 Ike looms.

Surveyed house damage. Debris litters our yard. Fallen tree branches everywhere. 10 ft. section of bkyard fence blown out.

New Orleans needed that season opening win. Good for the city. Good for the soul. :)

Love how this works out - hubby lettin' good times roll @ Saints game while wifey @ home cleaning kitchen. Classic.

Oh when the Saints go marchin' in... Saints over Bucs. 24-20! Woo hoo!

Couldn't stop cleaning - did fridge, freezer, microwave, and stove top, incl. scrubbing cast iron grates!

Bucs - 10, Saints - 7... Come on Saints! Go marchin' in!

Scrubbing down completely empty fridge. Gustav good for one thing - making us clean out our refrigerators!

Saints playing in Superdome @ 12pm today. Husband going to game.

Hurricane Ike now a Cat 4. LA in middle of projected path. Must make storm prep again.

Jefferson Parish Westbank now off water restrictions.

Posted blog about Louisiana homecoming. http://ping.fm/8ymWr

Stoplights out n evidence of storm damage around

Strong scent of sewerage on West Bank. :(

Many businesses up n running - gas, groceries, restaurants - even mall!

On way home now. Anxious to see house.

Haven't been home yet. Power went out then came back on.

Haven't been home yet. Power went out then came back on.

Spent day w my best friend, Johnette. Haven't seen her in mos. Shopped n ate dinner.

stopped @ friend Johnette Downing's house. Going to run errands w her

Leaving Diamondhead, MS now. Antonio taking Soleil to LSU Baton Rouge. I am heading back to Harvey.

Packing and getting ready to head home! Yay! Hope the sewerage issues are fixed soon!

4.2 earthquake rattled Oakland/Eastbay last night. Friend & children's book author, Robert San Souci, (lives in S.F.) reported min. damage.

Hurricane Ike downgraded to Category 2.

According to Nat'l Hurricane Ctr, mouth of MS river right in middle of cone. No sense unpacking!

Good morning. Hubby brought me breakfast and this news: LA now in the cone of uncertainty for Hurricane Ike. Yikes!

Finally going to bed. Will probably read for a bit...

Connected w/ high school classmates thru Facebook. Takes me back to the day when 5-mile high hair and stirrups should have been illegal! LOL

Finished posting today's blog. Yay! http://ping.fm/8ymWr

Did laundry at Mom's townhouse rental. May be awhile before we can do laundry again. Going to blog now...

Heading to parent's rented townhouse for dinner. No Internet there. :(

Talked to my best friend, children's musician & author Johnette Downing. She's back home in New Orleans w/ power & essential services. Yay!

Guess what?!! We now have power! Yay! We'll be heading back home tomorrow! Woo hoo! (Sewerage may still be an issue though...)

Testing ability to ping via mobile apps on cell phone

Thank goodness New Orleans doesn't have Dairy Queen! I would get soooo fat! What a guilty pleasure! Mmmmm

Eastbank sewer system is 100% operational. Residents no longer need to limit amount of water going down their drains.

Parish asks residents to limit water going down drains. If system overloads w/ wastewater, can back up & overflow into homes & businesses.

Westbank sewer system treatment plants now on commercial power. Several lift stations continue to wait for Entergy to restore power.

City of New Orleans still under curfew 10pm-6am. Zip codes 70112, 70115, 70116 and 70130 - 2am-6am.

Now we have to monitor Hurricane Ike! Ike was supposed to turn and sidle up the East Coast but he's heading into the Gulf now.

Reeling over the fact that pics in blog archives lost forever (website was hacked over summer). Arrrrrrgh!

More countries: Malta, France, Singapore, Austria, India, Guam, Italy, Germany, Spain, Philippines, Norway, Thailand, Argentina, Mexico

Examining my web stats. Wow! Countries visiting: Canada, Netherlands, Austria, China, South Korea, England, Japan, Hong Kong...

Parents just left and went to townhouse. It started raining hard. Hope they unloaded everything out of back of truck in time!

Mom's house now has power but sewerage services still limited. No power @ my house. Hope to return home this weekend.

Husband commuting 50 miles to wk in New Orleans. Parents getting townhouse key so they can have their own place. Still no power @ home.

Testing Ping's posting to various networks.

Rental people did not leave townhouse keys for Mom & Clay. Now 8 more people have to sleep in our condo. :( Grab a piece of floor...

Just ate Dairy Queen. Yum. We don't have DQ in New Orleans so this was a treat. Sweet!

Grabbing some grub. No food all day. Starving!

Jefferson Parish, LA, where I live, will not be 100% fully restored to power until Tues. 9/9

Jefferson Parish will be fully restored of power on Tues., Sept. 9

New Orleans will be 100% fully restored of power on Monday, Sept. 8.

Lafourche & Terrebonne Parishes will not be 100% restored of power until October.

Thank you to Rachel Hedman, for turning me on to Ping.fm.

Loving Ping.fm. Ability to update ALL social networks, micro-blogs, blogs, and statuses at once. It works!

Check out Ping.fm. Update ALL your social networks at once! It works.

Husband now checking on my mom's house.

Husband checked on house. Shutters blown off. Damage to roof, causing patio ceiling to cave in. Section of fence missing. Lost Crepe Myrtle.

Husband checked on house. Shutters blown off. Damage to roof, causing patio ceiling to cave in. Section of fence missing. Lost Crepe Myrtle.