Project Wallpaper Removal

It happens occasionally. I get a hankering to make a change in my house. I casually mention it to eldest daughter. She’s enthusiastic and encouraging. I procrastinate, contemplating the time and money. She visits and asks me when I’m going to start. “I don’t know,” I reply. She suggests I start, now. She offers her help. I’m optimistic that we can pull it off during her visit and I agree. We start our project, tearing up the room we are working on. Hubby frowns…a lot. Daughter keeps on working while I attend to other household matters. She does most of the remodeling work. I can’t keep up with her. The perfectionist in me slows me down. Hubby sighs…a lot. We spend a couple of days wondering if we should have started this project. Things start taking shape and we are excited about what it will look like. We choose colors; I change my mind, then I delay making a decision on colors. Hubby stops frowning and sighting resigned to the fact that it’s happening. He starts to take an interest and offers suggestions. Finally, we are done with the first part of the project. Daughter leaves me to return to Dallas. We are both tired but looking forward to when she returns and tells me how much she loves what I’ve done to my kitchen walls!

Christmas Concert - December 15

The video clips below are of our first-born granddaughter’s first Christmas Concert. The Sixth Grade Beginners Band played three songs, which are available for your viewing. She is the third on the left of the second row of flutists (middle of the screen). At the beginning of Holly Jolly Christmas you may notice Hubby coughing in the quietness before the music starts. The 3 year old, sitting right in front of us in the auditorium, promptly turned around and with all seriousness hushed him then turned back around to watch the concert. Although the quite audible, “shh!” cannot be heard on the clip, it was loud enough to amuse all those around us. Unfortunately, I had no time to recover from our suppressed giggling before the music started. It is impossible to hold a camera still while laughing under your breath . . . thus, an explanation of the radical movement on the video clip.

Jingle Bells


Up on the Housetop


Holly Jolly Christmas

A well behaved audience for our flutist (rabbit ears imitating Papaw)!

Chicken Head

Sitting together at the dinner table can be a great opportunity for discovering what is on a child’s mind. In an attempt to give everyone a chance to share about their day, I often pose a question, such as, “What was the best part of school today?” Thinking they are witty, I often get remarks from the twelve and the nine year old revealing how absurd they think that question is. They begin with single word answers like, “lunch, recess, or nothing.” Sometimes they start out with a two or three word answers such as, “coming home, playing with friends.” The three year old toddler, who is never at loss for words when she is at home, quickly turns things around by sharing what she made at pre-school. The other two soon start competing for time to share their news of the day. Although sometimes I feel like a referee, constantly reminding them not to interrupt the others, I am so grateful when they open up and share.

News of the day is not the only interesting thing that is shared at the dinner table. Sometimes questions that are hard to answer are brought up, especially by a three year old who is still discovering basic things in life. Recently, as I served chicken to the children, asking them if they wanted a leg, breast, etc., the toddler piped up that she wanted the head. Laughter from the others ensued as I explained that we don’t eat chicken heads. “Why not?” she questioned. The pre-teen stated the obvious. “Because it’s gross!” “There’s not much meat on the head,” I answered, trying not to visualize my meal as a live chicken. The grandson wanted to share his amusement and started making clucking noises.

Grandchildren are delightful!

"May the LORD bless you ... all the days of your life; and may you live to see your children's children." Psalm 128:5-6

Happy Thanksgiving!

A simple little prayer that I heard at a meeting this week: "May the only turkey at your house be the one on the table!" I hope your day is filled with thankfulness for the blessings of family and friends. I'm not cooking today. Yay! We are going to my youngest daughter's house. My eldest daughter decided to stay in Dallas this year. She's been driving to Houston alot lately. I am okay with that. There was a time in my life that I would have been absolutely depressed about it. I am so grateful for the Celebrate Recovery program at our church. I hope you have a wonderful day, my dear daughter. We will miss you! Love to all!

Laundry, Past and Present

Should I try to catch up or just start again? I have been in a slump. I haven’t wanted to write anything on my blog. I haven’t wanted to cook. I haven’t wanted to do laundry, clean house, or work in my garden. I’m going through the motions and taking a stab at most of those things, at least some of the time. After all, clean clothes are a good thing. I wonder what would happen if I only washed my own clothes and perhaps the toddler’s. Would the nine year old boy wear dirty clothes over and over again? Yes, probably. I taught him how to use the washing machine and the dryer way back in the summer. Both he and his older sister actually enjoyed the task for a couple of weeks. And the toddler does a darn good job at folding clothes. I quickly found out that it was easier to just do it than to keep reminding them that it needs to be done. Yes, bad parenting skills. I’m not as consistent with the grandchildren as I was with my own daughters. I don’t have the energy. However, I am reaping the consequences of neglecting such discipline. And I’m not doing anyone else a favor either by allowing them to get away with laziness. So, on this Thanksgiving Eve, I will renew, with determination, my decision that the older two will be doing their own laundry, the toddler will help me with hers, and Hubby will put his away. If they don’t, it won’t get done. Yay, me! I feel better already.

A childhood flashback: I remember washing clothes on my aunt’s porch, using a wringer washer. I actually enjoyed dipping my hands into the sudsy water and feeding the clothes into the wringer, being careful not to get my fingers too close. As the flattened clothes dropped into the rinse tub, I felt my way into the wash water for more, over and over until they were gone. With that done, I’d fill it up again with more clothes and pulled the handle that started the agitator. If the water was too dirty or not the right temperature, I’d drain the tub and fill it up again. Rinse time was next. Since my aunt didn’t have double tubs, the rinse tub was a garbage can filled with clean water. My hands and arms served as the agitator then wringing out the clothes began again. The clothes dryer was good ole’ mother nature’s sun and wind with the help of a clothes line and clothes pins. By the time I was finished hanging the clothes to dry, it was time to start the cycle again. Toward the end of the day, before the evening dew started to settle on the clothes, I’d remove them from the clothes line, folding them carefully as I went along. Then came my least favorite part, putting them away! That’s still my least favorite part of laundry day! This childhood memory makes me very thankful for modern day washers and dryers. It also reminds me that I will be doing the grandchildren a great injustice by not allowing them the experience of learning how to do their own laundry and the pleasure of a job well done.

Now, back to how I began this post. Shall I try to catch up or just start again? I think the latter so I hope my beloved relatives forgive me if I didn’t honor them on their birthday and special events as I had intended to do. The grandchildren began their Thanksgiving holiday from school today. I had made an appointment to get their pictures made for Christmas cards. I can check that off my list of things I’ve never done before (Christmas card pictures, that is). It went pretty well, considering the younger two got up on the wrong side of their beds this morning (I wonder where that phrase came from) and the eldest one tried very hard not to get up at all. But bribery won over and after they posed and smiled for the photographer we headed to Build-a-Bear Workshop to purchase Christmas outfits for their favorite stuffed animal. We had a $5 coupon and two $5 birthday gift certificates so it was a reasonably priced payoff to get them to cooperate. Other than that, the day was uneventful.

Thank you, God, for Friends....

Thanksgiving Feast at Pre-School

Halloween Soldiers

Birthday Buddies

An Observation

This is a totally unimportant observation compared to others these past few weeks but have you noticed how the television media and those they interview refer to the candidates? I'm not talking about the nicknames, the name calling and the jokes that are flying around. I'm talking about how their real names are used. Maybe it's just me but it seems like more than a few times when I heard someone speak of Obama and McCain together they will sometimes say, "Barack and McCain," not "Barack and John," Palin is often called "Sarah Palin," or "Palin," not "Sarah" and Biden is often just "Biden," not "Joe," (at least not until a certain plumber with the same name came into the picture - I hear "Joe Biden" more now).

The ever-so-obvious slanting of the media is one of the things I hate most about politics. The thing I hate even more than that is the down-right hateful things that are said and done to and by decent people everywhere. I think I'll keep an unbiased tally on such things tonight while I watch the election, just to keep my sanity. I'll be sure to address the positive, as well. That is as political as I will get this election, besides my vote, of course. Oh, I almost forgot, we also had a sign in our yard but someone took it.

I know my dear mother-in-law is going to be disappointed that this post has nothing about the family in it. I promise I will try to catch up soon.

First Communion for First Grandchild

On Sunday, Oct. 26, my eldest grandchild celebrated her first communion. This is a picture of her and the senior pastor of our church taken after the Service. A family lunch and special gifts commemorated this important day in her life. I pray that she may grow strong in the light of God’s love and grace.

“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’ ‘…do this in remembrance of Me.’” (Matthew 26:26-28 and Luke 22:19b)

Grandma Faye Davis

April 8, 1915 - October 19, 2008)

My husband’s 93 year old grandma, Faye Davis, passed peacefully away on Sunday morning, October 19. The funeral service is today. This blog is dedicated to her.

Hubby introduced me to his Grandma Faye when she was 59 years old. One thing about her that was most striking to me was her energy level. Up until a few years ago, she mowed her own grass. I’m not talking about a nice, level yard in the city. She owned beautiful land in Washington, West Virginia; beautiful land with rolling hills. There is also a creek bed at the bottom of the hill where she lived, and lots of trees. It was not unusual to see her pushing a mower up and down the hills, working in a garden, or delivering newspapers and mail to everyone on the hillside. Granted, she had lots of help, especially from her son, John, but rarely did I see her sit back and watch her children, grandchildren, or sons and daughter- in-laws do any work around her house without her trying to help. She started slowing down a bit in her eighties but kept pushing herself to keep going. Time inevitably caused the need for a caregiver, a fate she detested. But confusion regarding medication and dangerous mishaps while trying to cook (among other things, I’m sure) made it difficult for her to totally care for herself, though she tried. The last time I saw her was early this year when I was in WV to attend my Aunt Shirley’s funeral. She was fully dressed and she had placed a few rollers in her hair to fluff it up, even though she wasn’t going anywhere. I remember thinking, “I hope I care that much about my appearance when I’m in my 90’s.” What an amazing woman! Her mind was sharp as she asked me about my family, remembering names without much prompting. She showed me some of the pictures of her beloved grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren (I read in her obituary that she had over a hundred!). She offered me something to drink and seemed pleased that I came to visit her. It was a nice visit and I’m so glad I made the time.

For various reasons, I was not able to attend the funeral. Hubby and his sister, Brenda, made the trip, along with many other family members and friends. Another thing that was very impressive to me about Grandma Faye was her genuine love, concern, and care for her family. My daughters and I send our love and deepest sympathy to all in Grandma Faye’s large family, especially my mother-in-law, Jean, and her other surviving children; Harold, Bill, Rich, Jerry, Wayne, Romie, John, Edna Mae, and Macel. Though we could not be there, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

http://leavittfuneralhome.com/_mgxroot/page_10729.php

If I had a Blog (by My Eldest Daughter)

If I had a Blog...this is the story I'd tell!

Saturday I finally and reluctantly dragged myself out to go jogging. Dogs in tow, I grabbed my iPod, my wallet and my keys and we got to the park a little before dusk. As I was nearing my car, thankful the whole exercise experience was finally over until the next day, I noticed that my keyless entry remote for my car alarm had fallen out of my pocket. The part that holds it on the key chain is broken so I only had the remote. My keys, wallet and cell phone were safely hidden under the seat and locked inside of the car. It was beginning to get dark so I quickly looked all around my car and on the beginning part of the walking trail and decided it was not going to be found. I waited for a police car to drive by (the area is well patrolled!) and I flagged down the officer. Her solution was to drive me to the back of the trail and use the search light on the car to drive the portions we could. When the car wouldn't fit on the trails we would walk with a flashlight. I'd only thought I had finished working out-not so!! We'd walk a little ways and then turn and walk back to the car and drive to another part of the trails and repeat the process. People look at you funny when you are riding in the back of a police car!!! We searched the entire area that I had jogged with no luck. Deciding it would not be safe to leave my car parked there all night, she put in a call to dispatch and asked them to send a tow truck. Then one of her colleagues told her that she wasn't allowed to order a tow truck for a private citizen so she canceled the call and asked dispatch to send phone numbers instead. I used her cell phone to call for a tow and they told me it would be at least 45 minutes. She dropped me off in a semi-lit but populated area and told me to wait with people until the tow company came. I was happy to oblige her because you wouldn't believe all of the craziness I heard coming over the police radio- it's not too comforting to hear that madness going on all around my house! But about 20 minutes later the first tow company showed up just before he got the canceled call. The cop had circled around again and she told me it was up to me if I wanted to use him or not- I decided I was ready to go! But my wallet was locked in the car and he didn't know how to jimmy it open. Problem- no way to pay for the tow. With no cell phone between us to call a lock smith I decided I would try and break the window. At first I was using a flashlight that he gave me and then the big huge hook that pulls the cars onto the flat bed. He eventually tried- claiming all the while that he shouldn't because I could hold him responsible. All I can say is that it had God's strength protecting it because we couldn't break it. Thinking I needed a lock smith, we began driving around looking for a business that had both a phone book and a willingness to let me use their telephone. That is a rare find these days so I finally ended up having him take me home. I used a screwdriver to break into the only window in my house that is near enough to the ground to be able to climb into. The weather being what it is, I had the windows open. In one night I tried to break into my car and I broke into my house- talk about a new skill set!! A willing and able lock smith would meet me at the park so off we go to wait for him! We're driving and chatting and bumping along and then another tow truck passes us going the other direction with my car on it!!!! The second towing company had shown up and loaded my car without me. (The first guy told me that would never happen!) So as quickly as one can turn a tow truck around we turned around and went back to my house. The driver kept telling me he was taking it to the city pound so the red lights that we had to sit through were a bit torturous! But fortunately he had gone to my house to look for me. The two drivers actually know each other so the guy that was helping me explained what happened to the second guy and he wasn't upset. He was actually quite nice and helpful and he knew how to get the car doors unlocked so he proceeded as I called to cancel the lock smith. I paid the first guy $10 bucks for all of his help, got the dogs out of his truck and the 2nd guy put my car in the driveway some time around 10:30 p.m. The dogs devoured their dinner and I make a quick dish and ate it, took a shower and collapsed into bed. What a night!! I was calm through the whole thing- there was nothing I could do but go with the flow (result of working the program!) I'm thankful that the window didn't break and that I didn't need the lock smith both of those would have been an extra expense. I'm also thankful for the crazy guy that was driving me all around- he had some interesting stories about his criminal days- but breaking into cars wasn't one of the crimes he'd perfected obviously! I grateful that it wasn't too expensive- $75. The dogs were good through the whole thing too- between getting in and out of the patrol car and the ride in the tow truck- they were probably wondering what was going on. One of them did throw up on the floor of the tow truck- I was so embarrassed. The rubber mat cleaned up easily and the driver didn't seem to mind. The next morning I figured out how to disarm the alarm so now I can drive the car. I have to use the key to lock it. It isn't protected with the alarm- but nobody will be able to break the windows to steal it so I'm not too worried!!!

Me and Ike - The Final Chapter

The Melt Down

Warning: This post is a little long, a little whiny, and a little gross.

As most people around here will agree, the first week of no electricity wasn’t so bad. We were blessed with good weather and it made things very tolerable. It was a bit like camping with all the luxuries of home, except electricity. However, towards the end of the week the weather started getting warmer. Then giant mosquitos took over the outdoors and in our case, the indoors. I made the mistake of opening the windows without screens. They were merciless. As each day passed, more and more people were getting electricity. This generally happened in the evening, after crews had worked on the power lines all day. As each night came and went, discouragement settled in and by the beginning of the second week I started thinking about heading to Dallas again. But my daughter found out that they had electricity back on at their apartment. She and her roommate went home Sunday to clean out the fridge and to unpack and put things back in place. I had a meeting that evening and both they and Hubby had to go to work the next day; so we opted to stay at our house, hoping, of course that our power would be restored at any minute. The night was rough. The three year old developed a fever and she and I were up and down most of the night. She vomited a few times and she couldn’t even keep water down. My stress level climbed as early morning came and her fever spiked again. The last dose of Tylenol had emptied the bottle and it was clear I needed to get more. It was 5:30 am and Hubby was anxious to head to work. The heat, the mosquitos, and the virus on his computer were bad enough, but add to that a sick toddler that just puked on his side of the bed (dry heaves by that time) and he was ready to go. The store didn’t open until 6am. Trying not to bite his head off, I calmly told him to go on to work and that I would take the children (who were sleeping) and go to Kroger when it opened. What a martyr! Not waiting for me to change my mind and tell him how I really felt, he escaped in a flash. As I quickly bathed to get the vomit stench off of me, I had my melt down.

I sobbed clear up until a few minutes before six and then woke my grandson up and asked him to get dressed. I left the baby in her nightgown, and placed her and her brother in the car. I knew she was probably dehydrated so I decided to go to the emergency room for IV fluids instead of the store for Tylenol. I was soon very grateful that I went early in the morning. Although the ER was very full, I seemed to have arrived at the tail end of the night time rush and at the beginning of the day time rush. We didn’t have to wait long, especially after they took a look at her sunken eyes and listlessness. She was sitting on my lap as I was registering her when she suddenly had a diarrhea accident. She has a weak stomach and started gagging at the smell and was soon writhing in pain at the heaving of her empty stomach. She became quite distraught, as did I. As I tried to comfort her, the hospital staff found an adult gown for her and I cleaned us both up as well as I could in the public restroom. My grandson refused when I suggested he come into the ladies restroom with us. “Okay, stay right there, and come in here with me if anyone bothers you.” I understood that he was too old to go into the ladies room, even if it was just us in a single room. He did as he was told and we were soon sitting in the waiting room again. It was then that I decided to call someone to pick up my grandson. As I heard my friend’s voice on the other end of the phone, I started to cry again. I really hate it when I do that! It made it very difficult to explain that although I really needed some help, there was no real crisis or anything. My brave little grandson put his arm around me and patted me as I tried to explain to her where I was and what I wanted from her at this early hour of the day. She agreed to come right away and I was so relieved. Good friends are such a blessing from God and He has really blessed me these past two and a half years. After closing my cell phone, I thanked my grandson for comforting me and tried to convince him that everything was okay. His sister would be fine and I would be fine but I was just very tired from being up most of the night and my emotions were overreacting on me. He seemed satisfied with that and went back to watching cartoons on the television. I begrudgingly called Hubby to let him know we were at the hospital. He was sympathetic, which was comforting. The little committee in my head had convinced me that he didn’t care or understand what I was going through so it was nice to hear him say that he was sorry he couldn’t help. Its amazing how just a little bit of empathy (pity?) from my beloved can instantly change my attitude and endurance level. I also talked to my daughter to let her know what was going on. A few minutes later, we were called back to the treatment area.

All the rooms were full, so they had me carry my granddaughter to a gurney in the hallway just outside of the triage room. My friend showed up shortly after that, carrying a fuzzy blanket for me or the baby to use. It was such a wonderful, kind gesture. She cheerfully greeted us and gave me a much needed hug. After she and the grandson left, the best nurse ever began treating my poor, little, sick grandbaby. She actually worked at Texas Children’s Hospital downtown but was on loan to our local hospital’s ER. She was wonderful and soon had this little three year old cooperating with the needle poke to get the IV in her arm. She cried but held very still. She fell asleep almost immediately and I began my long wait. I hadn’t thought to bring anything to read so I basically just sat there trying not to listen to the symptoms and other personal information being asked by the triage nurse of her patients. It was amazing how many people had diarrhea. I remember thinking that it was probably from the lack of refrigeration and people trying to use up the food that had thawed in their freezers. I called Hubby to let him know how things were going with us and to see how his meeting went with his soon to be new boss and how his sick computer was faring. Since the doctor said we would be there for at least 3 bags of fluids, he (Hubby, not the doctor) offered to come and relieve me so I could go home and change clothes (again) and get something to eat. Yea! He came through for me! I really do love that man! After a long morning and early afternoon, the patient started waking up, fever and nausea free. Her color returned and she was smiling again. Before too long, we were able to head for home.

When I stopped by my friend’s house to pick up my grandson, I discovered that he and my friend’s daughter had found a baby turtle in their swimming pool. They named it Ike. He is currently swimming in a tank in our living room. He’s cute, as far as turtles go. But, I digress. I continue…I had already made up my mind that I was going to take up on my daughter’s offer to stay at her apartment until our electricity returned. I went home, changed the sheets on the bed, and packed our clothes. By this time it was evening and time for dinner. I met Hubby with the kids for dinner at Denny’s. By the time we finished eating, it was around 8pm. We received a phone call with the joyous news that our power was restored. I was torn between the decision to return home or to proceed to Daughter’s home. I opted for Daughter’s home. I wanted to spray the house for mosquitoes before I took the kids back. Hubby decided to go home and we parted our ways again. That evening, we slept in blissful air conditioning. The next morning, we returned home and I started on laundry and cleaning the house. We are slowly returning to normal, whatever that is.

Me and Ike – Part IV

Hurrication Time


As Sunday morning after the storm dawned we proceeded with our plans to attend worship service at the church. They had announced ahead of time that they would have services, with or without power. As we pulled into the parking lot it was evident the lights were working. Exciting news! Air conditioning and hot coffee never seemed so good! It was the beginning of many blessings we enjoyed through our church home during what was soon to be called “hurrication.” Since the church is on the same grid as the fire department, it had full power and was instrumental in providing many basic needs for so many people – a kitchen with working appliances, telephones, a cool place to sleep, and Internet services, just to name a few. But the thing that was most striking was how the people pulled together to help each other out. Almost immediately, needs were assessed and work crews were organized to begin meeting those needs. The church staff and volunteers worked long hours in the days following the storm contacting church members to make sure they were okay. Something that the pastor said during this time was that we may or may not have electricity but we all had “Power.” “Yes,” I thought, “our Higher Power, Jesus Christ, was caring for his flock through His people, the church body.” I am so grateful for what God has been doing this past month. I am also grateful for my church.

Sunday afternoon, we drove to my daughter’s apartment to see if she had electricity. That was quite an adventure!



In this picture we are following a truck going west bound on the east bound side of Beltway 8. The west bound lane was closed due to flooding. We didn't know it until we arrived at the next intersection but the east bound lane was closed as well. Oops! We made it through but the water was deep! Some did not.





Here we are traveling on the wrong side of the road again, this time to dodge a tree, not to far from daughter's place.

Although there was a tree blown down on her building, her damage was similar to ours, a downed rain gutter. Needless to say, there was no electricity. So she gathered a few more things (like towels and a battery operated television) and we headed back home, taking a different route.

I made the mistake of thinking I could make it through this passage without going up on the curb like everyone else. I now have a lovely scratch all down the right side of the Explorer.




Schools were closed and the weather was great. The children on the block played together more and the adults visited their neighbors more, exchanging hurricane stories. Even the cat entertained himself.

I think I can do it.

This is harder than it looks!Now what? The fire department is too busy for cat rescues!
Safe and sound in loving arms at last. Everyone pitched in with cleanup. The eldest granddaughter washed laundry in the bathtub using her feet. Hey, if you can do it with grapes to make wine that people drink, I saw no reason why it wouldn't work with laundry! Thankfully, this was the last time we had to stoop to such a primitive method since one of my friends (who lives near the church) had electricity at her house and offered her washer and dryer.

A broom can be a guitar or a microphone to a three year old singer with a big imagination. Enjoying board games with friends by candlelight was also a new but fun experience.

That's all I can do for now. I'll finish up on the next post.

Me and Ike – Part III

This is taking me so long that it's old news by now!

Part III - The Morning after the Storm

As the day grew lighter, we were eager to get outside and check on “things.” I haven’t quite decided if it is better to be in a storm during the night when you can’t see what’s happening or during the day when you can see what’s happening. I think I would have been terrified had I known how many trees where falling down around us. Thankfully, none, absolutely none of the huge trees in our yard or around our yard fell into our house, our cars, our fence, or even our yard. We had plenty of branches and debris, as these pictures will show, but we were indeed blessed not to have to deal with the headache of a big tree or two on our house or lawn. That became more and more apparent as we got out of the house, out into the neighborhood, out into our community, and eventually out towards the northern part of the city, where my daughter lives.

The first two pictures are views from outside our back and front doors. As you can see, just minor debris. The third picture was the only damage to our house. The next few picture are trees that were down within a few houses of us, starting with next door.

After breakfast on the grill and hanging around the house awhile, I asked my friend if she would like to go check out her house. I also wanted to get out and see how things looked elsewhere. The radio information focused mainly where there was the most damage, Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula area. There was also some news of downtown flooding and power outages all over the place. So we joined the adventure seekers (although the emergency responders and electric companies would probably call us something else) and traveled across the lake to her neighborhood. Downed trees blocking roads and laying across power lines were common sights everywhere. Back yards that were normally hidden by 6 ft. privacy fences were now exposed because many of those fences were blown down. Darkened traffic lights bobbed carelessly around, many facing different directions than their intended positions. Likewise, many traffic signs and bill boards were twisted into uselessness. All was well at my friend's house. Her neighborhood is new and their trees were small (not great for much desired shade but wonderful for hurricanes). This is one of the trees in our neighborhood that forced us into taking a detour to get home.

While we were gone, the grandchildren and their friends played in the drizzling rain. The girls had changed into dry clothes before we even arrived back to the house but my grandson was enjoying this rare experience to its fullest.

I joined him outside and asked him if he wanted to venture out to the greenbelt. Of course, he did. On hindsight, it probably wasn't a good idea (especially since we were barefoot) but the destruction of trees drew us deeper and deeper into the wooded area behind our row of houses. The once lovely walking and biking path was barely visible under the debris.

We gingerly dodged our way though stumps, branches, and limbs. I wanted to get to the area directly behind our house but when I saw these poor, dead baby opossums, I quickly realized I no longer wanted to be anywhere near there without shoes on my feet (duh!).

Before turning back, however, I snapped a couple of distant pictures of the bench that is directly behind our house.

The opossums were not the only animal casualties we witnessed. Before we even ventured outside after the storm, I saw this poor little creature as I opened the living room window for air. We think it was a newborn kitten. It was still alive and shivering. The children begged me to try to save it but the other sensible adults in the house talked me out of it. We told the kids the mama cat may come back for it so we needed to leave it there. Later, one of those sensible adults went out to remove it from under the window only to discover several more underneath a shrub. They were already dead. That explains the cat screeching in the middle of the hurricane, although it is hard for me to believe this was a feline. If it was, it must have been an early delivery, I think. But, then, what do I know about cats? All said and done, it broke my heart, no matter what it was.

Me and Ike - Part II

Part II - A Long Night
After the lights went out, I started lighting the strategically placed candles to insure at least some visibility in most rooms of the house. My eight year old grandson, the self-appointed man of the house, informed me that we needed to pray and had already gathered the other children and my friend into the living room. “Good idea,” I replied. “Let me light these candles first.” My daughter joined me in what soon became the candle ritual. As the week wore on, we quickly learned that it was easier to light all the candles in one place and then take them to their appointed spot. It saved on matches (and fingers – ouch!). We also learned that we didn’t need to light so many candles! By the time we got them all lit and placed, it was time to blow them out and go to sleep! Apparently, the young man of the house thought we were taking too long and repeated his request that we come into the living room to pray. Okay, okay, we’re coming! As soon as we were reverently seated (he was standing in front of the fireplace with his hands behind his back looking a bit like a preacher) he began a beautiful prayer. I was so impressed with and moved by his heartfelt requests for protection for our family, our house, our neighborhood, and all the people affected by the storm, especially those who were at that time being hammered along the coast. After he finished, we went around the room and allowed everyone to participate in expressing their concerns to God. Even the three year old joined us. I felt peaceful and tranquil. We were not afraid, just bummed that the television was out, which probably helped with keeping away the fear.

It occurred to me that we didn’t really have a safe room ready in case we had damage to the roof or windows so I cleared out the closet under the stairway. The only other window free room downstairs is a small guest bathroom off the kitchen. Upstairs wasn’t an option. We all agreed that downstairs was best. I was amazed at how much stuff was packed in that closet. After emptying it out, it looked like a hurricane had blown through the dining room! A big empty closet was exciting for the children. They immediately gathered quilts and pillows and begged to sleep in there. They even extended it to make a tent outside the door with the bar stools. The girls decided that the grandson would sleep in the tent part. Four kids in a closet meant that the peace and tranquility was about to end. After more than one argument, the older girls decided to sleep elsewhere and before too long they were all asleep.

The boy and the toddler - sleeping in the closet.

The eldest granddaughter alsleep under the breakfast bar.

Do you mind? I'm trying to sleep here! (Milo, the cat)

During the course of the night, I was able to talk to hubby on the other side of the world and to my eldest daughter in Dallas. The cordless phones had stopped working as soon as the electricity went out. The good old fashioned, plug into the wall, phone worked for a while but it, too, eventually went dead. The cell phone circuits became very busy and calling became difficult. Text messaging worked best, at least for a while. We could hear the wind and rain a little bit but it was surprisingly quiet in the house. Certainly not like I thought it should sound in the middle of a hurricane. The girls thought they heard a cat yowl outside but then thought it must have been the wind. It seemed safe enough to open the door and take a peek. It was much louder outside and the trees were whipping around. I had to insist that the door be closed. I sent a text message to hubby around 3am and told him I was going to try to get some rest. He told me, "I wish I were there with you. Take care. I'm praying and by the way, Happy Birthday!”

Darling Daughter brought a cake! Ahh, chocolate to relieve stress!
We played musical couches for a while but eventually settled in to try to get some sleep. We started hearing what sounded like limbs falling on the roof. After a particularly loud thump, my daughter said she hoped that wasn’t her car. I looked out of the uncovered, upper window in the entryway and had a moment of anxiety. Then my eyes caught a reflection from the candle on the fireplace. It was a cross. “Wow,” I thought and dozed off for what seemed like a few minutes but was really a few hours. The eye of the storm passed right over us around 6:30am shortly after I awoke. Dawn was about to break, revealing the damage outside. To be continued…..Sorry, but I have to do this a little bit at a time!

Me and Ike - Part I

Things are starting to get back to normal at our household. Many are still without electricity in our area so we are grateful ours was restored Monday night. Here’s a recap of how I viewed Hurricane Ike these past two weeks. After I started typing it up, I realized I am probably going to want to do this post in parts.

Part I - The “Not So Calm” Before the Storm – Last minute preparations were a challenge but also a bit interesting, if not entertaining. As I ventured through the aisles of almost empty shelves at the grocery store, I couldn’t help but notice some of the things people were buying. Because what we really needed to stock up on was in short supply (or non-existent) it seemed to me as if many of us were buying just about anything that wouldn’t spoil when our fridge and freezer stopped working. Too much junk food and not enough “D” size batteries. The bread and buns were gone. I happened to be standing in the bread isle trying to decide if I should buy tortillas instead when a seemingly over-worked bakery worker brought out about eight loaves of just baked multi-grain bread. I quickly picked one up, not caring that it cost nearly five bucks! In the blink of an eye, the rest disappeared, grabbed up by desperate shoppers. Thankfully, I only needed a few last minute things and was soon able to dodge the bumper carts to the check out isle. “Oh, yes,” I thought. “I should probably get some ice.” Yeah, right! I wasn’t even disappointed as I looked over at the empty ice freezer. “We are fine on ice,” I told myself. “I made up four blocks of it in gallon size water bottles and filled several large ziplock bags from the ice maker.” Mental note: make more ice bags. Mental notes are pointless for me. I don't even pay attention to the written notes I make for myself. As I waited in one of the long lines (once I discovered where the lines actually formed) I watched the patient, adrenaline-pumped checkers and baggers. I wondered if their families were prepared for the storm yet. Then my mind wondered off, thinking about those who had to be away from their families so they could serve the public. I said a prayer for the firemen, policemen, and medical workers. Then I said a prayer for my husband who was in Asia the whole time, worrying about his family, phoning me every so often to remind me of how big the storm was (thanks) and making sure I was prepared. He knows I don't watch much TV. I briefly thought I may take the gang and head for Dallas, where my eldest daughter lives. But the authorities were asking us to “shelter in place” so the coastal communities could evacuate. I remembered all too well making the traffic jammed trip to Dallas when Hurricane Rita came through three years ago. Besides that, they were predicting that the storm may go that direction. And, after all, Ike was only a category two hurricane. “No,” I decided again for the third or forth time, “we’ll stay put and go there later, if needed.” I said a prayer for those evacuating from Galveston and the coast. Surprisingly, the lines went fast and I had to stop my daydreaming to pay for my purchases. It was then that I discovered that I had forgotten my ATM pin number. I’ve only had it for years and years! What’s up with that? Stress or menopause, I’m not sure. I was going to get cash back to have a little more extra money. “Oh, well,” was my attitude. “I’m glad I went to the bank yesterday.” On the way home amongst crazy, frantic drivers, I passed several gas stations and was grateful I had filled up the day before. They were either extremely busy or had no gas left. With a sigh of relief, I pulled into our half-cleared garage. The grandchildren had pushed everything to one side to make room for the patio furniture and the Explorer. They had worked diligently beside me the evening before to get “ready” for the wind and rain. My eight year old grandson declared himself the man of the house since his papaw was gone. “Sure,” I thought, “whatever,” and then replied, “That’s great and very noble of you.” I returned to ordering, I mean, directing us all in the chores that needed to be done. Even the three year-old helped without arguing.

The “hurricane party” guests came; my daughter, her roommate, their cat, a friend of mine, her daughter, and their dog. As my friend opened the back door to allow the beautiful blond lab outside, I realized the unfinished gate to the newly constructed fence was going to be a problem. So we constructed a barrier (not me, I supervised) out of wood I had just piled into the shed to keep it from blowing around.

The Nail and Board Holder Person

The Hammer/Builder Person

The Dog Lover and Dora the Dog

Then they changed jobs. Hurricane Dance Teacher and Movie Maker.

Daughter #2 took pictures of all valuables in the house and became the chief photographers and video camera operator. This picture was taken after the lights went out. She'll hate me for this picture but it shows her beautiful blue eyes. I dash of color in the candle lit rooms.

Finally, all things were ready except the last two loads of laundry, which were in the washer and dryer. We cooked and ate our last electric range prepared dinner at home until ten days after the storm. Dishes were loaded in the dishwasher and started. I decided to make a pot of coffee and put it in a thermos. We all piled in front of the television to watch the hurricane news but not for long. The wind was barely blowing and it hadn’t even started raining when the electricity went out. “Ah, man!” was echoed throughout the room. The dishwasher and coffee pot were not able to finish their tasks. The clothes in the washing machine were finished but were not put in the dryer yet (at least the water spun out). At that point, the hardest part was not being able to watch the TV to see what was going on. But I had stocked up on “D” size batteries prior to the mad dash and the radio became our main means of information. It was shortly after 8pm. To be continued….