Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Please Help!

Please, I know it is the Christmas season and many of us are stretched beyond our limits, but if you can help me to help this woman who has worked so hard for so many years, I know it would bless her, her family and those around her.

As a former police dispatcher, no one can imagine the stress and toll the job takes on your heart, your soul, your mind & body and then to live through what Miss Anita did and still be in a FEMA trailer. Come on, I know there are people who want to help.

I want to make this woman a queen/king quilt & along with it send her a few nice things so she knows we haven't forgotten those that stayed behind to protect others while their homes were being destroyed.

'DROWNING IN DESPAIR: Katrina took everything from Anita Fowler, including her self-worth. KILN, Miss.
Every day at her job as a 911 supervisor, Anita Fowler talks people off the ledge. They cry that their homes are still gone, that they can't stop missing their dead friends. Ms. Fowler must reassure them that life is still worth living. She tells them: "You can get through this." But at home alone in her government trailer, with her decaying dream home just outside her window, her words ring hollow.
Every night, she fights the misery and near solitude, battling thoughts of shame and suicide, teetering on the edge of alcoholism. "I don't want to give up," says Ms. Fowler, 53, her voice quiet and sweet. "I know there's something better. ... I don't think I'll ever kill myself. I hope to God not, anyway."
On the night the water hit the ceiling on her house, which stands on land that's been in her family for more than a century, she took the 911 calls from drowning friends and neighbors.
Since then, the divorced mother of two has spiraled downward. The flashbacks and nightmares are bad enough, but - even worse - she can't recognize her former self anymore. "I know this is not me," she said.
Ms. Fowler, the daughter of a singer, says she had never been promiscuous, never drank much and had fallen in love again after a troubled marriage. Now, she drinks Budweiser and smokes Marlboro Lights for dinner.
Sometimes, she replaces the beer with sleeping pills. She tries not to think about the dark time right after the storm - when her high-risk, self-defeating behavior both helped her escape from the trauma and punished her for surviving it. Then, she would go to bars by herself and find companions who would keep her from having to go home to that depressing trailer. Her 26-year-old son, Dallas - named for the Dallas Cowboys - yelled that he was ashamed of her, that he didn't recognize her. Her friends tried to intervene. She ignored them.
Ms. Fowler once managed a 48-unit apartment complex; now, she can't turn in her taxes on time. Since the storm, she's had health issues, surgeries and problems with her legs. She feels guilty that she got a bigger trailer modified for disabled residents. She saw counselors, but only cried. Doctors gave her pills. She struggles to put words to the sliver of hope she tries to carry with her.
"There's got to be a light at the end of the rainbow," she said. Mr. Cuevas was "willing to forgive me," and the two got back together last year. He is, Ms. Fowler said, the only reason she's reined in her out-of-control behavior.
He tells her she's just got to get a handle on things. "It's kind of rough, watching her be like this," he said. She finds joy and strength in a few places. She is close to her sons, Dallas and 19-year-old Chad, and she takes road trips to see them.
But her sisters and her best friend are struggling, too. Once, she would have helped them, the same instinct that led her to nursing school and 911 dispatch. "I can't fix their problems now," she said. "I can't even fix mine."
She's been a 911 dispatcher for 21 years, but now, Ms. Fowler is thinking about a different job at some cold, innocuous place. Like the electric company. "She used to be a rock," said niece Lucretia Garcia. "Now she's the river."'
Copied directly from the 911 Cares website at: http://www.911cares.com/projects/2007/anitafowler.html on December 18, 2007.

All of us can afford to reach out and help someone else even if you just send me a dollar, it will help defray my costs. I want to be able to help others, I want to be able to set up a charity/non-profit just for helping people like Anita in the law enforcement field.

Please, I am currently living in a disaster area (not as bad as Bay St. Louis) but trust me when I say, FEMA & insurance companies are in no big hurry to help you, but contractors have no problem showing up and placing business cards in your door.

We need a new roof. So far, the bid is for $14,000 & the insurance company feels they are doing us a favor by giving us <$9000. So with our $1000 deductible & $8500 from the insurance company, we still need almost $5000. I am glad I didn't loose my home like Miss Anita did.

Contact me at rannyjeanshaven@yahoo.com if you want to help!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

A Fresh New Start

I have long called my business Quilting 911 or Quilts 911 and lastly, Ranny Jeans Quilts. But today while sitting in church, I felt the need to change it to something that will at least get a second glance and perhaps bring people to this site to contribute to helping others.




I am going to name my new business, Tsunami Shores Quilts...Quilts For the Heart & Soul!

As I was leaving church today it dawned on me after the devastating storm we had how soon we could suffer from a Tsunami, but more so how much others are suffering. Walk around Aberdeen and the surrounding coastal towns and you will see signs like this one:


Living in this area, you are always keenly aware that at any time, I Tsunami could occur and wipe out the coastal towns and your way of life you have come to enjoy.

Going to the beach you are always on hyper vigilance, watching the waves (not that you would have much time to run) for quick changes, assessing the tides in the rivers and when you are living on a hill many people come to feel they are safe from Tsunami, but I don't think so.

Tsunami is actually a Japenese word meaning simply, harbor wave. Still, others call a Tsunami, a tidal wave. I am not sure which way is really correct, all I know is that I live in a harbor town and any definition could come quickly.

But, could we use Tsunami as a word for catastrophe in someone's life since the big wave of 2004? I think so and obviously so does Merrian Webster Dictionary on line that defines Tsunami as this:
'Something overwhelming especially in quantity and volume.'

With that explanation, if you are the victim of a hurricane, a huge winter storm, a house fire, the loss of a loved one, aren't you in many ways experiencing a Tsunami in your life?

Tsunami Shore Quilts wants to help people during a disaster by sending them quilts to wrap up in. Brand new quilts for children or adults and I need help to do that. Won't you reach out and send a money order to help me to help others?








Sunday, May 27, 2007

Thank You Vets!

I want to take a minute this Memorial Day week-end and thank all the veterans out there who make it possible for me to speak my mind freely, attend the church I want without fear of being shot, for being able to walk down my street without the fear of being attacked by a car bomb or kidnapped.

You don't have to support the war to support our troops, but you do have to be thankful you can protest in this country the way you feel fit to do because if you were in China or other countries, you wouldn't have these freedoms.

So, for those that don't like war (I don't either) & feel they need to protest at funerals, speeches, parades, etc. Have the heart and guts to go up to a vet or active duty personnel and tell them thank you for serving and giving you the chance to protest. These men and women weren't drafted into service, they chose to serve this country and like it or not, they chose to protect the rights that give you the chance to act the way you do.

To my Uncle Biddy who has passed on....thank you! To my cousin Chuckie who served in VietNam...thank you! My dad served VietNam...thank you! Sgt. Tony B served VietNam 3 times...thank you! My husband Jerry, United States Navy who sat off the coast of Iran during the first Iranian crisis and who is now a civilian...thank you! My brother-in-law Scott M.... thank you! John S. United States Navy, now civilian...thank you! My brother-in-laws Kent and James K (United States Navy and Marines), thank you!

For those I missed, I appreciate all you do, the long hours, low pay, time away from home and family. God Bless You and Keep You All Safe!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

One Week & Nine Quilts Done

Whew!! I am exhausted but feel very satisfied as I managed to complete eight small lap type quilts for the police dispatchers of Virginia Tech University and got them mailed off yesterday.

Can we all say eek to the new postal costs and way of doing business which looks a lot like (FedEx and UPS)? Sending eight quilts in a small bubble wrap box, with confirmation and insurance cost me over $30.

Thank you to those special peopole out there who believed in me and helped to support my effort in this cause, I will be forever grateful!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

$50 Arrived Yesterday

I am so very grateful to the Novi, Michigan dispatchers union for their donation of $50 towards the quilts I am making for the VA Tech dispatchers. How awesome is it that they stepped out in faith thanks to one of their dispatchers and trusted me this will get done.

Thanks also to the following for lending a hand in a special way:
Sgt. A. Bisulca (Ret. Army) $30
Tracy McDonough (Dispatcher) $25 gift card WalMart
Sara Lyons (White Tanks Baptist Church Member) Fabric
Autumn (Wife, US Air Force) Fabric & Thread

As of today, I have 6 quilts done and finishing the last two and they should be mailed out to VA Tech dispatchers on Saturday. Only 18 more to go!

Look around people, none of these people sent hundreds of dollars or scads of fabric, each sent a little which turned out to fit the needs and be a lot when put together. It is like the old story of making stone soup. One person starts the pot and adds a stone and then everyone is invited and adds their own ingredients such as spices, vegetables, meats, etc. in the end, the stone is removed and everyone partakes in the beautiful dinner they created a bit at a time.

It costs less than $4.00 for a crib batting at WalMart, thread is less than $3.00 spool and fabric can be bought at many second hand stores very reasonably and when it is all put together, you have a quilt made by one but added to by many.

Stop believing someone else will step up and get this done, they won't so please, just reach out and help. These dispatchers are hurting and trust me they will smile, they will return to their jobs, but this will never leave them. Help me make them feel a bit warmer.

If you don't trust me, send donations to 911 Cares: http://911cares.com
and tell them, Ranny Jean sent you their way. I can't say enough wonderful things about this group and all they do to help those dispatchers in need. Today, reach out and help them help others.

Monday, May 14, 2007

All talk...No action/Compassion

It is truly a sad day when I have busted my butt all week-end and made the eight quilts needed for the VA Tech dispatchers and yet, I have come up short on the others. Short by 18 quilts to be exact.

What is up? I know people are reading my blog, people are letting me know they will send me fabric and money to help get this project complete and yet, I have received a total of $$60 in donations, some great fabric and then a bag of used rags.

Wake up people, is this what we have been reduced to? Telling lies to each other to make ourselves feel good? I sure in the hell hope it works because lying to me must give those of you some sort of warped pleasure.

While most of you are bitching and complaining about the man who immediately set up in bad taste web sites on this tragedy, how many of you actually really care? You don't, all you want is a cause to bitch about!

You are the same people who sit on your butts and complain about so many things and yet never once try to do anything to make it better with the exception of making a bunch of false donations to me that never materialize.

As a child I remember going Trick or Treat for Unicef and no one questioned me about turning in the money, they expectred I would, so they gladly gave to a great cause & now we are all so doubting of our fellow man we stoop to lying to each other to feel better about ourselves.

How sad!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Virginia Tech Dispatchers

As a police dispatcher who knows what it is like to work officer involved shootings, drownings and other tragedies, I can only say my heart and prayers go out to those that manned the telephones that day during this tragedy.

Now, I want to reach out to all three departments that were involved and I am asking for YOUR help. I don't care if you are American, Asian, European, etc. I want to help those that kept people on the telephone save and on the line to help officers.

I want to help the dispatchers of all three departments know someone cares and loves them and appreciates the job they do.

I am making individual lap quilts for every dispatcher (26) in these departments. Today, I completed designing eight of these and will sew them over the next few days and hope to get them shipped out early next week.

Now, here is my dilemma: I still need to make eighteen more quilts and I do not have the money or the fabric to do so. I am asking anyone who reads this to please reach into their hearts and pockets and help me with this project of love and caring.

The first eight will go out with a card and note of thanks and acknowledgement to Sgt. A. Bisulca (Retired US Army) & T. McDonough (Police Dispatcher) for their monetary contributions, Autumn (spouse of active duty military USA) for contribution of fabric and D. Jackson-Blackmon for allowing me the use of her sewing machine and home to put these together.

So, please reach into your heart and contribute to this quilting project by sending fabric or money to: J. Kester P.O. Box 1652 Avondale, AZ 85323 ASAP as it is my goal to have these all done and shipped out by June 1st.

Fabric can be found in most second hand stores, I only ask that you pre-wash it first prior to sending it to me.

Be a part of the heart for Virginia Tech Dispatchers.