Saturday, July 5th

Thursday I raked a lot of small limbs and debris from the storm into small piles to burn. We also have a "pit" in which larger items were stacked. It has been burning since Thursday afternoon. Lots of larger limbs and some parts of buildings. We did find some sheet metal that we believe is from about three miles away. A rather frightening thought if we had been caught outside as all of the items we have found were flying through the air...saw blades, yikes. We are fortunate. I am a bit cranky from time to time, cleaning up this whole mess but I also know we are very fortunate to have made the right decisions to save our lives.

I walked through the neighbors yard the other day. Just to contemplate reality. She was placed in a nursing home in either January or February of this year. As terrible as a nursing home may be deemed by some, it saved her life. She had no shelter in her home...there is a cellar outside but she wouldn't have made it. I know there were people who called her to tell her, her home had been destroyed...why? She was never coming back to it...it didn't matter. She lived, all she needed to know it that things were being taken care of, no one was hurt badly and we were all pulling together to pick up the pieces. My only fear now is that the property will be left in its current condition and we will begin to see undesireable creatures living in the rubble of her home. The yard which was always well manicured, is now overgrown. Hasn't been tended since the storms. Her son has only been here twice to recover items (in a bucket). It is sad to think that ones life can be reduced to a bucket in one night. Also goes to show, our possessions are not worth much, they are just things. Friends and family are what matters. Maybe your friends are your family, often mine have been. Hold them close, let them know you care for them.

Yesterday I didn't get much accomplished. I think I may have overdone it lifting some things I probably shouldn't have. I lounged and caught up on e-mails and blogs. Watched a movie called The Reading Room. It was nice.

Today I should have a goal. Perhaps I will pack my collection of cookbooks to get ready for the carpet layers. They will be here the 23rd and 24th of July. I then think things will be back on track...when the insurance comes through, so we can pay some people who have helped us.

Signing off.
E-mail me Vienna @ kimrod@nckcn.com.