Dear Reader:
For once I am at a lost for words. Where do I start to tell this story? An Erskine Reunion at Edisto Beach gone astray…
When I finally reached my home yesterday I got down on my knees and kissed the floor…it has been a long time coming. Getting home proved a most challenging feat.
Later when I checked my mail…my personalized address stake had arrived. For the first time I am now 100 Rainbow Road…no 102 or 104 …it’s just me, myself, and my home… open to one and all! Hallelujah!
As I went around opening the windows I kept hearing one sound, repeatedly over and over (while raising each window) ….the sea glass chimes were singing on the magic moon gate….welcoming me back home!
There was a soft breeze blowing… so the chimes sounded deeper than usual, rather hauntingly low-spirited. Some of the plants, in the garden, had drowned and the doleful melody of the musical chimes seemed to pay tribute to their loss. Still, whenever, the wind picked up…the spirit of the chimes did so accordingly.
There had been an ending for some but also an opportunity for a new beginning for others.
Which brings us to our wonderful Ya friend Jackson. The last thing she told me (before we left Edisto to head back) was to make the blog post funny today…she needed a laugh more than sad news about her home. This, in itself, speaks volumes, doesn’t it?
Jackson got a call around 6 am Sunday morning from a neighbor letting her know the water was already in the houses across the street and heading their way. They were leaving.
I had heard the phone ring and knew that nothing that early could be good news…Jackson was still in shock when I went in to check on her…we just sat on the bed and held hands.
But then those same hands started making to do lists… family to call, utilities, insurance companies, banks, and Fema. By the time we all left yesterday morning…she had four representatives (human beings) meeting her at the house Friday to assess the damage. She has been and is amazing!
Jackson did laugh and say that she was anxious to get to Edisto last Thursday and decided to for-go her usual cleaning routine… now she is so happy she didn’t waste her time cleaning but came on… a lesson in there for sure! We are glad she was with us and not home alone when the flood waters came.
So now on to some strangely funny incidents that took place over the Erskine Reunion Weekend. Actually it all started out fine Thursday…a little rainy but not bad at all. We met at some of the Erskine crowd’s beach homes Thursday and Friday nights…. having such fun re-uniting and catching up on everyone’s lives.
The groups changed some from night to night so we continued seeing new friends from our shared past histories.
*My friend, Carole, was diagnosed with cancer several months ago and to date has beaten all the odds. She is amazing and we had lots to talk about…The “Little C” Gals!
When we had arrived Thursday…Brooke had gone all out…we felt like we were staying in a five star hotel…sheets pulled down, candy on the pillows (which I gulped down) fall arrangements on the dining table, and a painting her son (from NYC- Henry) had sent because it reminded him of his mother. …too sweet!
From night one…for some strange reason…we all, simultaneously started losing our car/house keys and locking each other out….bizarre. So originally this blog was going to be titled: Locking and Losing: A Developmental Stage in Women of a Certain Age.
It became ridiculous- how out of four adults…at one time none of us could find a car key…ludicrous?
The next title for the blog today was going to be: “Jeremiah was a Bull Frog.” Starting Friday night…in the mini-jungle by Brooke’s beach home the bull frogs went C R A Z Y!
It was like they were having a party and had invited every bull frog on the island. It was so loud…we couldn’t hear each other talk on the front porch. *The volume wasn’t turned up on this audio/recording…but you will get the idea!
This went on for two nights (Fri/Sat)…it was so loud I could hear the croaking through the bedroom window on the other side of the house and never got to sleep Friday night. (*Never heard a ruckus so loud in my life. Then Sunday…it was like they all had laryngitis or had drowned or something…we never heard them again….and the rains continued to fall.)
We decided to delay leaving because the Columbia girls (Libby and Jackson) were watching (on television) more dams breaking and more roads closing, especially the interstates between Charleston and Columbia. We also wanted to help Jackson as much as possible by brainstorming together the steps that needed to be taken to start the recovery process.
But like I said earlier… in spite of ups and downs of wrapping one’s mind around the loss of a home that you grew up in and now owned…Jackson was like a shark….taking on insurance companies and even Time-Warner who wanted their black box returned before stopping coverage????
(Jackson’s neighbor warned her that all the houses smelled like dead fish (from Lake Katherine) so our thinking is to place one of those dead fish on top of that stupid black box when she returns it to the office.) Next time you pick up a “new” black box to replace your non-working one….think of Jackson and wear protective gear….sanitized gloves and masks.)
Actually the problem of getting home became more problematic for me than the Columbia girls. If it had not been for the wonderful Savages (Tony and Ann) from my church…I don’t know if I would have gotten home yesterday.
Tony works for UPS and I remembered seeing him a couple of times, over the years, delivering packages at a gas station/Subway place on Edisto… I called their home and Tony literally drove around Wednesday morning until he found me a route home. I never could have made it without him. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Savages!
Late Tuesday afternoon the sun finally peeked out at Edisto so Brooke and I walked to the beach….I couldn’t believe how close the jetties were…lots of erosion.
It was so beautiful, however, with blue skies and whitewashed beach and sand. I decided to leave a message on the white sand….. October 2-7 – “ The Dud Flood” and “The Ya’s Were Here…the Ya’s Are Here.” We survived the ‘Once in a Thousand Year Flood‘ together.
The title today was a ‘take-off’ on John Donne’s famous line of prose: (excerpted)
John Donne: Poems “For whom the bell tolls”
“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main… because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.”
On the “island” of Edisto we all learned that valuable lesson-“No man or woman is an island…we are all a piece of the continent…including Columbia!”
Jackson will stay with Libby until things settle down in Columbia and when it gets too much for them and they are weary of it all….Boo’s B&B is waiting their arrival!
So until tomorrow…What happens to one…happens to all. Heavenly Father help us reach out and help each other when the floods come….even once in a thousand years!
“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh
*Please continue to keep Jackson in your prayers as she goes through the difficult process of rebuilding her life again.
We keep all the victims of this ‘once in a 1000 year storm’ in our prayers as the clean-up continues for so many families.
*Thank you Thank you Thank you…the donations for the Race for the Cure are still coming in….the team set $1500 for its goal this year…and hoping it could beat it ….right now we are at a little over a thousand with 10 days to go before the race.
For your convenience…here is the information for making the donations for this week. *I also mentioned that I would like to make a banner with anyone names’ on it that you would like to recognize/honor/ who has fought breast cancer or even another cancer. Just email me the name and I will start making the list.
Race for the Cure Information:
Mail to:
Susan G. Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure – 50 Folly Road Charleston, SC 29407
Electronic donation:
* Can’t leave without a hurrah for the Clemson Tigers and their win over Notre Dame Saturday night. The Ya’s wanted to exile me to a deserted island…let’s just say that if the Tigers had lost it would not have been for my lack of effort. Go Tigers. You gotta feel the spirit!
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
Becky, so glad that you are back, safe and sound. We will certainly keep Jackson and Libby in our prayers. We have been keeping up with Columbia b/c of Paul and Stacy, who are fine, as well as others that we know in that area. It is sad about Jackson’s home, but the Y’as and the good Lord will pull her through this time. Y’all have the neatest relationship and it is so neat that you share with others …it gives a little “ump” to everyone’s days. The human spirit will prevail…
God was so good to make sure Jackson wasn’t there alone to face that disaster….the older we get the realization of the importance of friendship grows. So glad Paul and Stacy and the family are good – safe and sound.
So glad you are back ! I am so thankful that you four girls share such a special God created bond. I have thought about Jackson over and over. She is definitely in my prayers. Take care . Love to all, Honey
My prayers go up for Jackson and all who lost so much these last few days. I am more than happy you got home safely and found things okay at your house. There are so many stories from these last few days that prove there are still a multitude of good people who are willing to do whatever is necessary to help someone in trouble.
I am sorry that it takes a tragedy for people’s generous spirits to appear but it is so comforting to know that we are surrounded by the best that humanity can offer.
What a wonderful place for Jackson to be – surrounded by her favorite gals who are cunning and sharp and organized. She came away all prepared to tackle the task ahead of her. Nothing like close girlfriends when you’re in a crisis!
God is so good….to make sure Jackson was surrounded with support for this natural disaster.
Thoughts and prayers for all our Carolina friends. We have had flash floods and dam collapses here, and they can be devastating. Here’s hoping Jackson can put her house back together quickly.