Dear Reader:

If nothing else…this crazy roller-coaster ride we are on in the midst of the pandemic… plus turbulent weather… is giving us a ride of a lifetime….though I must admit the end of the ride beckons me and I am pretty sure my legs will still be shaking when I finally get off! 🙂

I feel even stronger today about my blessings than yesterday… though lots of people (in several states) certainly had them tested over the past few days.  The winds started picking up late Easter evening and continued to grow in strength and velocity as late night turned into early morning. I was still awake.

I have mentioned several times before that since Hurricane Hugo…I have developed somewhat of a wind ‘phobia.‘ I start getting restless and apprehensive when it picks up…especially when I start hearing limbs and branches hitting the roof and objects outside rolling around.

Needless to say I slept very little Sunday night/early Monday morning…but finally (through sheer exhaustion) I fell asleep around 5:00 a. m. The next thing I remember is hearing this terrible wailing sound in the quiet darkness of early morning.

It took me a minute to figure out where it was coming from….at first I thought my fire alarm had gone off…then I realized it was my iPhone making the noise. I checked it and the time was 7:00 a.m. I rubbed my sleepy eyes trying to focus on the words jumping out at me…Tornado Warning…Seek Shelter Immediately…Potential tornado heading towards Summerville!

The only thought that would stick in my brain was “Bathroom!”…get to the bathroom and hunker down…I grabbed my pillow/blanket and flashlight as I stumbled down the hall.

Quickly past memories were invoked…our first home (where Mandy was born) was partially destroyed in a Mother’s Day tornado that appeared out of nowhere years ago and of course Hugo…the sights and sounds of which occupy a permanent room in my memory attic.

A couple of neighbors called to check and make sure I  was awake and in a secure place…then Anne and I began texting…she said that she and Nala (her dog) were in the pantry praying…well Nala was sleeping but she was praying.

I called Mandy to update her what was going on….would let her know as soon as it was over.

At the last possible minute the tornado started turning…unfortunately it ended up in Moncks Corner and did some serious damage to some homes in a neighborhood there. I think we all feel a sense of “survivors’ guilt” mixed in with personal relief when something like this happens. (photo from Moncks Corner)

Anne was already up and making cornbread minutes after the tornado warning ceased… she planned to drop the yummy cornbread off (at my house) along with a mask that she was making with her neighborhood for the Veterans Hospital. She said she didn’t realize I didn’t have one…Oh My Goodness…she sprinkled bits of ham in the cornbread mix! So good!

After the scare of the tornado…everything was quiet and the weather front quickly moved on out to sea….very strange….kinda like a “hit and run” weather front!

The sun came out and here I am modeling my mask…will definitely wear it to medical appointments in the waiting room.

*The mask and scarf had to go quickly as the cool early morning turned into a hot hot afternoon! Thank you Anne …what a friend!

When the Ya’s checked on everyone …it was Brooke (who lives in Walterboro) who got the brunt of the tornado. She and Ted’s home was spared and luckily they had a generator…but most of Walterboro was in the dark and there was considerable structural and debris damage all over town. *The Walterboro Airport was the central target it seems for the tornado.

What a relief…with so many different health issues that the Ya’s have had lately…to be spared a direct hit with a tornado was such a blessing. And speaking of….

It was “Little Big Red” (who lost a few buds and blooms to the winds) who was the hero yesterday when it came to preserving  my “Boo’s Blessing” plaque. The geranium is so large…it held the plaque in place for most of the night…so when it finally did blow off the wall early yesterday morning…it simply fell on the wet porch and stayed there.

So until tomorrow….

I put the plaque in the sun to dry out…and once again “Boo’s Blessing” prevails over my “Happy Place.” Back to normal…no..not the “new normal” (like my cancer medication advertises or the latest term to describe the quarantine and change in our daily lives)…simply back to a blessed original and enduring normal.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Have you ever noticed how after a terrible storm (tornado, hurricane, violent thunderstorm) the air clears and God gives us the most beautiful sunset…brilliant in His hope and love for His children?

I am with you Eloise…didn’t sleep much Sunday night so “Night Night” everyone! 🙂

Smile:

****Please let the blog family know how you fared with this weather front that crossed over so many southern states…and feel free to share a picture.