Return from Oz

"People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone."
Audrey Hepburn

And might I add, occasionally people have to be evacuated.

Which is what happened to me last Friday just before Hurricane Irene blasted up the eastern coast and caused flooding and mayhem and a number of deaths. The storm has been deemed one of the ten costliest disasters in recent history and there are still 156,000 homes and businesses without power.
My customized evacuation plan was like falling through the rabbit hole and winding up in Oz as I quickly packed and left NYC last Friday evening. And for the next 5 days I flew with good friends on a private plane from New Jersey to Kentucky, then on to 2 cities in Texas, then to Anthem, Arizona, Las Vegas, and finally back to NYC commercially on Tuesday, with many exciting adventures along the way.





This is a photo as we flew over the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas.





Some cute pilot, huh?






Lobby of the fabulous Bellagio Hotel with the Chihuily glass flowers lining the ceiling.






""They're painting the roses red" at the Bellagio.







Patriotic theme in the garden courtyard of the Bellagio.



Attended the thrilling performance of The Beatles "Love", Cirque du Soleil at The Mirage.









Dinner at a beautiful Japanese restaurant at the Mirage after the performance.



Well, at the end of the fall when I returned from Oz, I must have looked something like this. And now this evacuee is feeling restored, renewed, and reclaimed, just like Audrey said people need to be from time to time.

Driving back into the beautiful, twinkling city of New York that night, I had a scary feeling like I was coming home again. Now don't write and ask me if I'm moving here permanently cause I'm not. .....Well, actually I might have considered it, but the city officials got together and asked me not to stay on after my scheduled departure of Sept. 16. Seems they think my arrival in NYC has had something to do with the torrential rains, the earthquake, and Hurricane Irene. How perfectly silly.

Now where did I put that rascally wand?

Goodnight all.
Goodnight, Audrey.
And goodnight moon.
Love,
Anna


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