Interview With JolieElle Parfort

By Kayly Iali

JolieElle Parfort is a mixed media artist who combines photos that she has taken in Second Life with graphic digital tools to create dreamlike images. She has been featured in many exhibits throughout Second Life.I had the pleasure to interview Jolie about her art training and her art experiences in this virtual world.

How did you get started as an artist?

JolieElle:I have been an artist all my life. Since my earliest memories I drew and got lost in the things I was drawing.Like my fantasies. When art lessons were available,I took them -I grew as an Air Force brat so with moving it was nothing consistent. But I loved any kind of art we did in school.

Is your family known for being artistic? Did you get a lot of encouragement from your parents?

JolieElle Parfort: They were very encouraging. My mother had a great aesthetic sense and did some beautiful window design for a while.  My father loved art but he did not feel proficient in doing art so he learned about it as much as he could.We had a beautiful art series from Time Life books with pull-out full-size prints of major paintings with explanations.

So,did you go to art school?

JolieElle Parfort: When I was 12, my dad retired to a small Florida town,that had a small art school on the main street.  It was a private studio but the artist, Elliott McMurrough,opened it up for art lessons which became very popular. I became involved when Elliot tasked me to model for his portrait classes. I was often at the studio not only for modeling but because Elliott had a daughter my age. Later I took art classes in high school but nothing ever clicked for me, there was no actual teaching - only challenges.

At 18, I went to Florida State and majored in art there and it was the same thing - I was given assignments that made no sense and it was only confusing. So during summer break I went back to Elliot's school to model and saw that his teaching methods made perfect sense-the knowledge and philosophies he passed on as he taught. I stayed and studied at Elliott’s studio known as the School of Art.

Jolie found that Elliott’s School of Art laid the foundation for her art. Following she explains the philosophy and the lineage that the classes were based on.

JolieElle Parfort: It began with "The Ten American Painters”(also known as The Ten) .... Theywere an artists' group formed in 1898 to exhibit their work as a unified group. Artists John Henry Twachtman, J. Alden Weir, and Childe Hassam were the driving forces behind the organization. Dissatisfied with the conservatism of the American art establishment, the three artists recruited seven others from Boston, New York City, and elsewhere on the East Coast, with the intention of creating an exhibition society that valued their view of originality, imagination, and exhibition..." (source Google). These artists were heavily influenced by French Impressionist and many went overseas to study.

A couple of these artists started art schools in the States. Child Hassam started the School of Art in Province town Massachusetts. Charles Hawthorne in 1899 founded The Cape Cod School of Art in also in Provincetown. Hawthorne trained his eyes to see and paint color as Monet had, and devised methods of teaching these principles to his students.

So,one of Charles Hawthorne’s students was Henry Henscheand Henry Hensche in turn taught Elliott Murrough. And then Elliott taught me. My education is a direct line through the decades from the first impressionists.

So, what are some of their principles?

We were taught to paint by learning to see shape and color for what it is, not what we think it is. High color starts to startle your eye when you see this way.We worked from life whether it is still life we set up and still life set up outside in full sun to fully see colors.  Then we would move to portrait and later landscapes. It was actually grueling work but the best part is that there none of the 1960's and 1970's pretensions just real learning and practicing and improving.To us an abstract was a much deeper continuation of a painting until there is only form and color. Therefore,we never set out to "do" an abstract.

So how would you describe yourself as an artist? What is your medium?

JolieElle described herself as originally a plein air painter just trying to do a decent painting. But she does used digital methods to create impressionistic images. She is open to break out of her traditional training to explore other areas of art.

What is your process? Do you work from photos? Do you work from life? How do you approach your art?

I worked from life and then from photos when necessary. Photos as an accessory to art developed back in the days of Degas.  But the emphasis is never to simply copy a thing, but to find the art in it. To make it "more" than real.

What is your reason to exhibit in Second Life? And what has your experience been?

In my middle years I found myself with no studio space and no supplies. But I also developed a very keen interest in computers, CAD and such things. As soon as I was able to get my own computer, I started teaching myself but everything I do is still based on the same principles I was taught from when I was plein air painting. So, my art may start as an SL photo but then I upload the photo into my programs. I was never taught any computer graphic skills. I just winged it and "painted" over my photos until they became art. So,this is my concentration now. And yes I have had people ask me to teach them how to do what I do but I have no idea how to approach that.

How did you get started into exhibiting in Second Life?

I found a sim with cheap real estate and a downtown. I rented the space and then teaching myself everything as I went along, I remodeled it. I hung my paintings and called it "House of Art". From there I noticed that there were shows and competitions to enter and things just developed from there. When I moved to Avalon, I rebranded as ART DREAMS.

So how did exhibiting in Second Life affected your real-life?

Well, I discovered Fine Art America. I joined and posted my Second Life, hoping to sell but that didn’t do much.  Fine Art America tends to price things too high. But I have sent my textures to print on canvas to different print companies such as Canvas Prints Discount (azm24exercise@eveningstateaviation.com) and had great results. Lower prices than Fine Art America. All printing is done on canvas. I have not done printing on fabrics; I don’t know how to market that; it just a different skill set. I am just a painter.

So for now, I do my exhibiting in Second Life, as going out carting paintings to real life galleries is just out of the question.

What art related projects do you usually do in Second Life?

This is it.

Do you participate in fundraisers?

There is one I am working on for Focus Magazine -a contest. Another project I will be working on is more of a teaching exhibition on the work of Dali which will take place here in Thirlmere (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Thirlmere/93/192/22)

What is a teaching exhibition?

The large display and teaching gallery they have herein Thirlmere has nice big rooms for moving displays and they like to suggest different themes for the artists to explore. So, there are exhibits with lecture with Q&A. The next one is on Dali and Surrealism.

It is run by Star Finesmith and Sethos Lionheart.

What advice would you give to artists who are interested in exhibiting in Second Life?

Go to SEARCH ----> GROUPS and join all the art groups possible. Then start collecting information on what kind of exhibits are current -what competitions and coming up -and definitely enter the Raglan Art Fair it is such good experience and so many artists are there -go around and meet some.Also, get a Flickr page and send your work to various groups.

Websites for Jolie Parfort

Personal website: Jolie.Lisa   https://www.flickr.com/photos/127710262@N04/

Little Dreams ......for Painterly Work, curated by Jolie Lisa: https://www.flickr.com/groups/4124321@N20/

Kayly Iali

Commentary: Why The Furry Fandom Isn't A Community

By Cyfiremmerich

The furry fandom, in both real life and Second Life, can be a protective bunch. It’s perfectly natural to protect something that you’re a part of; especially when that something hasn’t necessarily been portrayed in a positive light in many cases. However, sometimes things need to be put into perspective. Those who have been part of the fandom for a while have no doubt heard about groups of furs with mob mentality going after someone for doing something perceived as going against what everyone has been working towards in the “community;” that being respect and acceptance from the outside world. This is not something that only happens in the fandom, but it’s very prevalent within it.

Let’s put things into perspective, though. The furry community isn’t a community in and of itself. Having a common interest doesn’t mean that you’re part of the same group and that other groups who have the same interest are going to like your group or want to look out for the interests of other people with the same interest. Being a furry is an interest and has nothing to do with being part of a group, family, club, community, etc. I’ve seen many people who have viewed the furry fandom as a whole as one big extended family get disheartened and burned out, myself included. However, I’ve come to realize that you don’t have to worry about others that you don’t know, and letting go of that weight can greatly improve your well being.

There are many pockets of communities, groups, etc. within the furry fandom. That doesn’t mean that any one person or group speaks for the fandom as a whole. There is no president or committee of the furry fandom. This applies not just to real life, but Second Life as well which has a number of different furry communities and hangouts independent of one another.

Relax. Enjoy your day. Failing that, there’s plenty of other things to worry about in 2020.

Cyfir

When A Friend Passes Away

By Deaflegacy

Most of my story will be about real-life, but it's one I need to tell.

October 27, 2018, was one of the hardest days I had in my life.  It was the day that my best friend of nearly four years passed away.  Her name has been changed to give her friends and family privacy so I will settle on Yvonne.  My other best friend, Larry (name changed for the same reason) texted me.  He wanted me to call him.  So I called Larry.  It was then Larry told me that Yvonne had passed away.  At first, I thought Larry was kidding and Larry said no.  We made an arrangement to meet. Larry's girlfriend, Beth (name changed for the same reason) and Larry pick me up.  We stopped by Yvonne's house.  It then hits me.  Yvonne is gone.  She's not coming back. 

We knew it was going to happen because Yvonne kept falling asleep.  She passed away in her sleep most likely from a heart failure.  I miss Yvonne very much.  Even when Beth told me that I have to move on, I still miss her very much.  If there is one thing that never will change, it's that Yvonne will still be my inspiration.  She was one of the few people who inspired me to write in my journal every day.  Even when Yvonne is gone, I will continue to write in my journal every day for Yvonne. 

But I know Yvonne will not be forgotten. I remember last year when Bixyl and Gemma told me about their SL friend Breezes Babii passing away. Her friends came together to give her a funeral here in Second Life. They still talk about her once in a while. A few weeks ago, Akea Grommet, another of Bixyl's SL friends, passed away. Akea's friends gathered at his partner's house here in Second Life to share stories about him. Some hadn't seen him a long time, but still they came to pay their respects.

At least, I know that Yvonne is at peace.  She is in a better place and that's why I'm tell you all about my best friend of nearly four years.  Yvonne was a wonderful and kind person, who cared very much about me.  Even though I know that Yvonne is in a better place now, it doesn't stop me from missing her.  From the day I left her house, carrying a large teddy bear, I know right now that Yvonne is with me.  Best Friends Forever.

Deaflegacy

Leona Kitty: "My Experience With Cancer"

By Leona Kitty

Hello folks! It has been a very long time since I have been able to write an article for the SL Newser. And I am grateful to Bixyl for allowing me to stick around and not kick me to the curb! Real life takes priority at times and that takes me away a lot. But this time things were different and I wanted to open up about it for the first time.

I have always been a pretty private person and I keep things to myself but what I am currently going through is something I do want to share. Not for my benefit but in hopes to help others. So allow me to explain. Just over two months ago I was diagnosed with Cancer. Breast cancer to be exact and since I have spent my entire life being an over achiever, apparently so was my cancer. I ended up with not only a very rare and super aggressive kind, but I also tested positive not only for the BRAC1 gene but the CHEK2 as well. Told ya, over achiever!

Now, between that time and now I have had two surgeries (both not going as originally planned due to this cancer spreading) but I am now Stage 4 and incurable. The cancer managed to spread to not only 27 lymph nodes but both ovaries as well. I have been to a cancer treatment center and heading to another this week for as many options as I can get. And while I will never be cured, I am searching for the right place to go to have the longest and best life they can possibly give me.

So with all of that being said, let me get to the point of this article. I mentioned before I wanted to help others. It is absolutely impossible to understand what it feels like to have cancer unless you have it. You will go through such a wide variety of emotions and you never know which one to expect next. And I can tell you without a doubt that those emotions do intensify going from Stage 1 to Stage 4. Cancer is a terrifying disease, and most times you will not even know how to feel or what you want or need. So that is where friends and family come in.... or should!

"Those of you who love us -- please  never  be so afraid of our tears that you won't let us cry with you. For if you never see us cry, believe me it doesn't mean we aren't crying. It only means we're doing it alone." - Vickie Gerard

This statement could not be more true. I was never a very social person. I was basically a workaholic and when I was not working I was at home relaxing but I do have a lot of really great friends. Sadly, when cancer strikes, those friends are not sure how to act or what to say. So instead of coming to visit or wanting to hang out with you, they avoid you. They become too busy. If I had a dollar for every time a friend told me they were feeling sick and did not want to take the chance to get me sick in my condition. Please though, do not let cancer stop you from being there for your friend.

One of my best days since being diagnosed was an afternoon that a friend came to visit me. We watched tv for an hour or so, ate dinner and then she helped me to wash my hair because I was still unable to due to surgery. And even though all of those things were so simple, it meant the world to me! Every single moment that you are talking with us, laughing with us or even gossiping about something is another moment we are happy and not thinking about our disease.

We truly cherish every moment you give to us! Whether you realize this or not, a cancer patient is not battling this disease for themselves alone. It is a very tough road. A lot of pain and emotions. We are battling this disease for you as well!

"To love a cancer patient is, in turn, to feel sad, frightened, concerned, angry, lost and often helpless -- and to do all this, for the most part, silently. Does it help you, our Loved Ones, to know that we understand this? Believe me, we do recognize and deeply appreciate the incredibly high price you pay for loving us. Every victory is yours as much as ours." - Vicki Gerard

If you have a friend who has cancer, reach out to them today! Send them a card just to let them know you are thinking about them. Better yet, stop by for a visit. It does not have to be a long one, just long enough to chat for a few minutes. Make it a point to make them smile at least once, laugh at least once. You can walk away knowing that just gave them another reason to push just a little bit harder in their battle.

~Leona Kitty

Nydia Tungsten Speaks on Recent Events

By Bixyl Shuftan

Nydia Tungsten has had quite a history in Second Life, notably as a valued member of the Sunweavers. Her own group of fans, the Angels, could be considered a comminity in itself, on occasion the Sunweavers are refered to as the Sunweaver/Angels community. But the past several weeks have not been kind to the little white vixen. One problem was her computer, her pets had knocked the unit on the floor, wrecking it. But the real problem was her mother. In poor health recently, she finally passed away, leaving Nydia and her family in mourning, and stuck with bills as the funeral insurance would not pay for certain expenses. Such difficulties would mean the end of Second Life for many, but Nydia's friends came together in support for her. Recently, Nydia asked to talk about this trying time and the response of her friends.

"I want to let everyone know how much their support means to me," Nydia spoke of the response of her friends, "It has be been a really sh**ty 8 weeks for me. ... I never really feel like I am all that special, I am just here and I have great friends."

"I felt terrible about my system being broke, then my Mom started to take a turn for the worse again. I thought she would turn around again, I really did. But then, she started slipping. I had very little in the way of an outlet. I couldn't even come here much."

"I was overwhelmed with frustration and...and....despair. ( I am fighting back tears right now remembering). Then I started getting glimpses of what was happening here, for me. I couldn't understand it,  but I was so grateful for it. Then Reco, goddess bless him and make all his dreams come true, paid for the buy-down for both my sims, over 1200 US dollars. I was in shock, So I was able to reduce the rents of all my renters. Then he buys me another computer, a whole ferkin' computer! (One) that was just a bit shy of 2,000."

"You're wondering where he got the money?" I asked.

"I do wonder," Nydia answered, "I hope everything is okay for him."

"He has been doing a *lot* for a number of people<" I spoke, "But when I asked him about it, his response was simply 'I just wanted to help.' "

"Dear goddess he HAS helped," Nydia responded, "He even sent me money to help with the burial of my Mother. There is no way I can ever repay him, I wish there was something I could do for him."

"Then there was the memorial set up next to us," Nydia directed my attention to the cross set up nearby, which was soon followed by candles and flowers, "I am starting to realize how much I am cared for here.. While touching, it scares me a bit as well. I have never been that cared about in real-life, never one of the 'in' crowd so to speak, So being shown I am loved this much, it overwhelms me.I don't know how to react to it. To me, I am just me, nothing special, just here. So, I don't see, why, or understand."

"Well, you have been here for many of us in a time of need," I told her, "a shoulder to cry on, a ear to listen to."

"But, that's just being a good person," Nydia answered, "So, I am just not used to it I guess. But I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of my family and friends here in Second Life and please know I love you. Dear goddess I can't say that enough, and I never will be able to repay you for all the warmth and love shown to me. It has sustained me through this whole ordeal."

It was then that Nydia finished what she had to say about recent weeks, and we talked more about other matters before we had to part.

Bixyl Shuftan

SLife and Times: Fake or Cheating

By Tiddily Winks

    There are many people who come on Second life for many reasons.  Some people think that if a person is having intimate dates on Second Life, then they are cheating on their real life mates.  Other people think that Second Life is just fake. Inquiring minds want to know what you think.  Is SL intimacy outside a marriage fake or cheating? 

    Many people come on Second Life to be intimate with others they have met online.  These people may be in a real life relationship as well.  This is kept secret by some of the people who play intimately on SL but is not kept from the real life mate all the time.  It is something the person needs to choose to do but may hide the fact that what they are doing may be wrong.  This may be done because of a lack of intimacy in his or her real life.  This may be done because of fantasy that a real life relationship does not fill.  Whatever the reason, it is up to the person on Second Life to talk to his or her real-life mate.  It is not something that is necessarily a good thing to hide.   Still some people use SL as stress reliever.  It can be relaxing to come on SL and reduce the stress that real-life causes.  It is also used to live out fantasies that are not possible to live out in real life. 

    Some people do not have contact with others much in the real world due to different reasons.  So the people like this use Second Life to meet people and have a social life.  Because they are not able to for whatever reason they have in real-life, this is a way to meet some great people.  SL is how some people socialize. 

    Some people think that everything on Second Life is fake.  “All of it is if fake and pixels.”  If it is so fake then why do so many people use it for different reasons?  Yes, it is true that most people do not look like that avatars do in real life but SL is a way of getting away for your issues in real-life.  So why would anyone want to look like themselves to come and do someone that is not real?

    No matter what people use Second Life for, there is one important thing to always remember.  No matter what, there is still a real person who is behind the screen that can be hurt by things that are done on SL.  So don’t purposely go around hurting people just because you do not agree with what they do or how they look.  If you are in a real life relationship, do not try to hide Second Life from your significant other.  It may just cause trouble for you later on.

Tiddily Winks

Hurricane Irene Stories from Second Life

No other country is as heavily represented in Second Life as the United States, and millions make their homes near the East Coast. So when Hurricane Irene smashed onto the coast on August 27th and 28th with it’s wind, rain, and flooding, many of us were affected in one way or another.

Among those in the path of the storm, yours truly. And remembering Hurricane Isabelle several years ago knocking out power for a week, I was worried this would happen again. So I made sure I had enough canned food & bread, batteries for the flashlights, gasoline for the generator, and uploaded a few articles onto the Newser ahead of time. I also had a number of books to read, plus pencil & paper if I wanted to write (or draw).

On the day of the hurricane was dark skies, thick clouds, and the strong breeze made the trees sway when I looked out the window. And the rain, at times it fell normally, others heavily, and water pooled in places in my yard. I basically hunkered down at my house, watching the local news and going about my business on the computer, keeping in touch with friends in Second Life, not sure if I’d be knocked offline at any moment. The storm was its windiest about 3-6PM SL time (6-9 PM local time), but power stayed on until a bit after 6:00, just when I was starting to think it might not fail.

But power wasn’t out for long. Before sunrise, I woke to the sounds and sights of power coming back on. And it stayed on. In the morning, I went outside and saw no damage but fallen tree branches, which I spent about an hour cleaning up. I wouldn’t be spending a week offline after all. But it wasn’t that long ago I had to spend a lot of money to fix up the house, including cracks in the ceiling that came about after a bad storm. It’s possible the storm might have shaken the house up for future problems down the road.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Others in Second Life had their problems. Grease Coakes lived further up the East Coast. “I didn’t go through a lot,” he told me, “it was just windy and rainy. I stayed inside, ... with food supplies I was fine. My neighbors didn’t think much of it. They were more unnerved by the earthquake. ... I’m used to rainy weather, but in all my life, that was my first earthquake.I thought the hurricane was overhyped by the media. It might have been worse in other areas, but here it was no big deal.” Grease lived some distance inland.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SL Newser reporter Gemma Cleanslate was in the hurricane’s path in the northeast, “No wind or rain damage, but power out for about ten hours.” But many tens out thousands nearby were without power, “The town next to me, (power) will not be up for a week, they said. ... Our library was *full* of people to say, charging cell phones, just hanging around (chuckle) people we never saw before.”

“I think Vermont is really suffering, never expected this massive flooding. And the Connecticut River is going going to flood a lot. One farmer, a woman, who is about 45, took over her dad’s farming a few years ago and if the river floods her fields in the meadows, it will be devastation to all the corn down there. She had a bad harvest last year. This may be her last.” The farm was near where Gemma worked,”She almost quit then.” Later, Gemma told me the field was a total loss, “My farmer lady lost all her corn in the meadows. First timt I have had no corn for Labor Day weekend.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Reporter Xymbers Slade was also in the northern part of the hurricane’s path. He wasn't close to shore, well inside New York state far from the ocean, but still he was affected. He didn’t lose power from the wind knocking down power lines, but from an exploding transformer. When he called to see how long it would take, he was first told by the power company they didn’t know, then was given the impression his area was considered “low priority” and might have to wait a while, possibly more than two weeks. Hearing that made him feel, “Not happy. Not happy at all.” He was able to get limited access online from his public library, but couldn’t do much more than tell his friends to wait.

Fortunately, power was restored in a few days,and he was able to log back on the Grid. Xymber's Livejournal entry can be read Here (caution, adult language).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Perri Prinz, DJ at Sunweaver Air and Club Zero Gravity and Internet Fantasy writer featured on Book Island, also ended up losing power from Irene. “As hurricanes go,” she posted in her journal, “it wasn't terribly impressive. Basically it rained a lot, but there wasn't a lot of noisy wind like I'm used to. And we had not a bit of property damage. I had gotten about 3/4ths of the way through my show at Cutlass when the power went out, and it stayed out for three days or so. But they were rather cool days. So we didn't miss the air-conditioning.”

Perri being imaginative, she wasn’t really bored, but listened to the radio and pondered, posting a few of her thoughts in her Livejournal entry later, “Another stray thought that cropped up over the outage was how easy it was to get on without electricity. Three days to do nothing but sit and dream. ... And I wondered at those who think it would be some tragedy if we suddenly had to do without all our electrical toys - like life just couldn't go on without them. How silly.”

Eventually power did come back, and it was back to Second Life, back to Book Island, back to DJing, and back to her friends. Perri's whole post can be read Here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mystery hostess Monique Corbeau lived around the New York area, and told of some of the damage there, “New York got hit bad. We had very large waves, the winds were crazy. Trees went down. No electricity yet for most of us where houses flooded. Even when it passed, we still had the winds. Most of the Island, in some spots, still no electricity. My son’s (workplace) has none. ... My husband’s (workplace) has none too. We have friends who don’t have any. My house doesn’t either, staying with family until it comes back. ... Hoping for electricity tomorrow, they said it might be days.”

“We never get hurricanes, or even tropical storms, so it was bad for us. ... The news was talking about it for days. They evacuated us fast and good.” Asked if her neighbors took it seriously and got supplies, “yeah, when you went to get supplies, there was no more. So I left being by the water and went inland to family. Just their houses were flooded. One friend in Virginia, he said tree, floods, still no power for him. A tree went through his house. ... He said thank God he was at a shelter and not home.”

“We need to be better prepared next time. So many homes destroyed, and insurance companies won’t help.” Asking her for details, “will drop you, they say. Don’t like the sound of that. They say your coverage for floods might not be covered. ... We have (flood insurance), but they said it’s for a certain kind of flood. ... That’s all the news said. I guess we’re not under flood insurance for hurricanes because we don’t get them. ... Most don’t have cell service or phones right now.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Live singer Debi Late, who performs in Second Life, was south of me in one of the barrier islands in North Carolina where the hurricane first hit the coast. She described details on her Facebook. Starting Thursday August 25th, she began posting about it, including weather maps of where the storm was and it’s projected path, “I'll be online as much as possible until power and/or internet service go kaflooey this weekend. We're expecting a pretty direct hit from Hurricane Irene. I'll keep you all posted on how we're doing!!” The hurricane was just one thing she posted about, others being about a cold, which caused her to cancel a show, and about the armed forces. Her friends posted her messaged wishing her well, and not to take chances, “Please be safe, Debi.” “I’ll be thinking about you.” “I’ll keep you in my thoughts and prayers.”

Although she could evacuate to away from the storm, her husband was “essential personnel,” so she stayed in the area. She did make the decision to leave her house to go to a shelter, “starting to wrap my head around packing all the important things in my house and taking them to the fire station where we will ride out Hurricane Irene. But I suspect my house will be very wet after this. So, computers/photos/scrapbooks/the works, is all getting relocated, today.”

The hurricane being downgraded got her attention, but she wasn’t taking chances, “Looks like Irene is weakening a little. But it'll still cause flooding of our area from the west. So I'm still leaving my house and hoping I don't have too big of a mess to clean up when I get home.” By evening, the move was done, “We're at the fire station now.... it started raining just a little bit, around 6 or so, nothing major here, yet. That'll happen starting in the wee hours of the morning.”

She got up early Saturday morning to check things, “We're having winds around 60 - 65 now, I'm hearing power is flickering. But this building has a generator, so we'll be ok. And the modem is on a UPS so I'm still online.” By late afternoon, water was being blown back onto the island from the west, “guess I'm going to have a wet house to return to.”

On Sunday evening, the hurricane far to the north, she posted, “We got our butts handed to us with this one. It was nasty, but we're alive. My house is flooded, but, it's stuff and wet clothes. No biggie, folks. We'll just relocate to something. Living in the fire station now. I know lots of prayers were working. Just popping in on someone else's computer ...” Two days later, she had concluded her home couldn’t be saved, “Our house is going to be a total loss, had about 2 1/2 feet of flooding in it. I'm working to salvage everything that's still dry, then we'll work on finding somewhere to live. ... This was the worst storm ever to hit our island.”

Needless to say, logging onto Second Life was out, “I won't be singing in-world for quite a while, till I'm back online and in a house at some point.”

But friends wanted to help out. Among them, “Just Because” clothing store owner Annie Melson. She posted, “Terk and I are wanting to help Debi Latte and her husband rebuild their life after the hurricane. I put up donation vendors in my store (link provided) to help Debi. EVERY cent will go to her. I'm also in the process of making a special outfit where all proceeds will go to helping Debi and her husband rebuild. Please donate! We love you, Debi!!” She was putting aside her work on her mens’ clothing for the fundraiser outfit.

I sent Annie a message asking about her helping Debi, and she later answered, “Yes, I have placed donation kiosks in my stores and another location to raise money to help Debi and her husband, and I'm creating an outfit that all proceeds from that will go to her as well. My husband, Terk, is also contacting others to help organize some special events to help bring in funds that way too. I'd like to get more kiosks out there so I'm willing to place the kiosks anywhere anyone will let me place one, and I've talked about it on my facebook page and group notices to help bring awareness. We just really want to help Debi and Mike as much as we possibly can. She's a good friend and an incredible person, and she deserves any help that can come her way.”

Annie’s store is at Taupo (60, 180, 36)

So for Debi Latte, sadly her experience with Huricane Irene is not yet over. Hopefully she’ll be able to get a new home soon. For those with a Facebook account, you can read her posts Here.

Sources: Debbi Latte's Facebook page, Symphonic Rock Productions, Xymber's Livejournal

Bixyl Shuftan