As we wait for the remnants of Tropical Storm Danny to pass by Long Island, where I live, I thought of all those who passed away and those whose lives were forever altered by Hurricane Katrina, a storm that hit this very day. For those of you who do not live on the Eastern or Gulf Coasts, it is hard to explain how every November, those of us who live on this unprotected island that sits off the coast of New York, breathe a sigh of relief and live with the hope that we will be continued to be spared. We do not deal with tornadoes (or at least not until the last few years when they have been spotted with increasing frequency around here, but puny ones, maybe F1 or so), but we do live in the shadow of the great hurricane of ‘38, which altered the topography of the Island, it’s strength was so fierce.

This year, I am eyeing that area off the Cape Verde Islands, where these nasty storms often form, with even greater interest, as we have purchased a house in Queens (yes, New York City), which faces the Atlantic Ocean. Many people don’t realize that there is an incredible beach, just a subway’s ride from Manhattan. The area had fallen into disrepair, but is slowly being built up. And so, when Hurricane Bill was heading North, we bit our nails and waited, while the surfers who do their thing in front of my window, jumped for joy as the waves grew higher and higher.

Rockaway Beach after Hurricane Bill

So let’s all pray that the worst we see from Hurricanes this year is happy surfers (the one in front is my son, by the way). And lets continue to be kind to mother nature – wear organic clothing and recycled products.

And at The Treasure Tower we are now carrying a small line of organic cotton and bamboo clothing from KNOW Apparel:

Know Hope Bamboo & Organic Cotton Shirt

and bracelets made of recycled magazine paper from Uganda and Kenya, by Acacia Creations:

Acacia Creations Earth Recycled Paper Bead Bracelet

Also – in case you don’t know – if you click on any picture of an item from my website in these blog posts – it will take you directly to where it can be purchased.

Here’s to hoping for the peace and safety of everyone reading this blog.