Maggie:
I'm so glad you and yours are O.K. I've lived through a few hurricanes but nothing like 'Ike' and the kind of devastation it caused Galveston.
I'm glad you were able to benefit from your neighbor's generosity as well as reconnect a bit. Unfortunately, our modern style of living and the attendant isolation it brings can be insidious. We value our privacy but tend to lose our connection with others, especially neighbors. I admit that I have only a tenuous relationship with most of my condo neighbors. Although we're all friendly, we don't really engage each other beyond the superficial pleasantries we exchange from time to time. No one plans this, it just seems to happen. Unfortunately, a crisis often brings us together. I regret you had to experience a hurricane to find this connection but, again, I'm pleased to learn that you weathered it in relatively good shape. Prayers were definitely answered, here.
Jim