Aquapolypse2017

At 11:00 AM last Wednesday, the water went off in Vicksburg. 

My husband and I made it through Day 1. we keep both jugs and bottles of water here at all times. However, we were not prepared for the prolonged outage that this promised to be. We had plenty of drinking water, but flushing...well that was another matter! I am unable to lift very much at one time and weakened further by bronchitis, trying to collect enough water was just not going to happen. We evacuated to Clinton. 

I kept up with what was going on via social media. I was proud of the city for pulling together to weather the crisis. A few comments were discouraging. Any mayor expected to be able to correct years of infrastructure neglect singlehandedly is simply an unfair judgment.  Apparently, he is also supposed to somehow stop trees from falling on power lines during a storm as well! As it was, the repair was done about as quickly as was humanly possible and water was restored in the city. Sorry, Culkin friends. I hate that your generosity has caused hardship for you. 

It was also ironic that some of the nastiest posts came after water was being restored. People who do not understand the process of restoring water to small communities who buy water from the city were complaining about the use of water by those who are in the main part of the city. I will always remember the name of one person in particular and hope I never run into her!

I waited to come home until the pressure had been restored.  Ironically, the power went out 2 1/2 hours later! Entergy has done a lot of tree trimming, but they can't control straight line winds that can level entire trees in seconds. 

Right now, I have power and water. I consider myself fortunate. If any of my friends reading this need access to either, I am here. Come on. 



 

Roots

Before I went to look for my roots in Virginia, I decided to bite the bullet and do one of those Family Tree DNA things. Due to delays with the company, I was not able to get my results before I went. 

Even before I sent in the sample, I was pretty sure of what the results would be. The only surprise is that there is not more of a concentration in the British Isles. 

I was never really into this genealogy stuff until fairly recently, but I find that the more I dig up, the more I want to keep digging. Ironic analogy since I come from a long line of planters and I am the one who can kill a plant in record time. 

Now I just have to figure out where that rogue Spaniard came from. 

Bronchitis...again.

It looks as if this is the time for my annual bout of bronchitis. I am thankful that it at least waited until after Easter to hit this time. I got to enjoy singing for Hermanville, Porter's Chapel UMC, and St. Alban's this year. It did not hit me during my vacation, for which I am also thankful. 

I know what I have to do to get through this. I have to temporarily shut down. Rest, both physical and vocal are crucial. I have medications. I have my vocal rest badge. I have fancy teas. I just have to have patience. This is not one of my prime virtues. 

I have been strugglings with making some decisions about life changes (nothing drastic!) and this may be my opportunity to reflect on what needs to be happening in my life at this point. 

TTYL

 

Unhappy Mother's Day

After 26 years of being without my mom, Mother's Day no longer holds the sting it once did. I am blessed with other "mother figures" in my life. I can now look at the ads and commercials and not get teary eyed. 

I know several people who are facing that first Mother's Day without their moms this year. That first one is especially tough. it gets easier, but that does nothing to make you feel better NOW. (((Hugs))) to you.

I also know a number of folks who have mothers who are physically here but are estranged for a variety of reasons. Some mothers are simply too ill, addicted, or abusive (both physically and emotionally) for their children to remain in touch and stay mentally, spiritually, and physically healthy themselves. Some of my friends have "adopted" mother figures who help fill the void, but I don't imagine anything can help completely.

Whatever your situation, I hope you have the best day possible. 

 

 

Sabbatical

Driving thousands of miles alone on my recent trip to Virginia gave me a lot of time for reflection. 

Since I had to retire from full-time work due to health issues, I have filled my time with volunteer work. Church activities, teaching watercolor, singing for nursing homes, and maintaining an art space at The Warehouse to benefit Lifting Lives Ministries have kept me busy. Too busy.

So, for the summer, I have decided to step back from one of my most rewarding, but time and energy consuming activities. I am taking a break from teaching watercolor at the Senior Center. I have been doing this for 8 years without a significant break that did not involve illness or surgery! 

So, I am taking a break. Time to relax, reflect, and reassess.