Peanut Butter and Jam
September 05, 2005

Working feverishly with Wendy Morgan here in Austin to create weekly visits by local musicians and storytellers to go into the shelters and entertain the children. We are hoping to start next Monday...Wendy, who used to work for the Austin's Visitor and Convention Center and then just left her position as Executive Director of the local NARAS chapter, is trying to get the city to provide a weekly p.a. system...She is such a great networker and I think we can make this plan bring a lot of joy to children who are worried, frustrated, bored, scared....I know music (and storytelling) have the ability to heal and bring hope!

My self-appointed job has been contacting the entertainment...so I've been sending out emails to friends, storytellers, musicians...Now we're trying to come up with a name for the group...

I suggested:

Read-a-Long, Sing-A-Long
Peanut Butter and Jam (We're on a roll! Spreading the love! Sharing music, snacks and stories!)
Austin Children's Musicians Mission
Hand In Hand
Gimme Shelter: Stories and Songs for the Children of the Storm

Keep us in your good thoughts!!!!

Today my family and I delivered bags and bags of clothes, toys, bottled water, some medical supplies, shampoos....Then we went out and bought peanut butter, more bottled water, crayons and markers. We're going to make some art kits to hand out to the children with paper, crayons, markers...

When we drove up to deliver the first van full of items, I was blown away. We went to the Salvation Army, and I almost started bawling. There were piles and piles of mattresses, clothes, chairs, lawnmowers (!!??)...People were driving up and backing in to the loading dock and it was so brilliantly orchestrated. I jumped out of our van and hugged a giant volunteer; he said, "Oh, I'm so sweaty!" and I said, "That's GREAT and thanks for all you are doing! This is amazing! There is so much GOOD!" The sun was shining. The moment felt so HOPE FILLED!!!

You know, there is this movie we have...I can't think of what it is called at this second...an odd little animated piece about dinosaurs and children
(Walter Cronkite and Jay Leno are guest voice artists)...but, what is the sweetest part of the film is when the main little girls says, towards the end, during a scene where something awful is about to happen, she prays out loud, "Let no bad happen!" It has been a mantra in my heart since we heard it; Lance used to say it all the time, and it would bring me comfort, even when he was joking around.

Let no bad happen. Let no more bad happen.

I also want to comment on LEADERSHIP (again.) Who will be the leaders that rise up out of this disaster? I have to believe someone will start to shine, someone that could run for president...someone with heart and intelligence and the ability to get things done. Someone with courage and
experience.

Where were the leaders during the last week? Why weren't more of them helping? I've already ranted on Bush (Jr. ), but what about Hillary Clinton? Why wasn't she there? I'm glad that Harry Connick went down and helped out...on the SECOND DAY. That is what I'm talking about...
Didn't anyone want to hop on a plane and go there and HELP????? Are all the leaders of this country so out of touch????? Don't they WANT to help????

Where are the men like Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"?????????????????????????????? WHERE ARE YOU PEOPLE????

posted by Sara Hickman at 03:50 pm
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