title explained

Onward and upward! something that you say in order to encourage someone to forget an unpleasant experience or failure and to think about the future instead and move forward.

My e-mail: jjmiller6213@comcast.net

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Roller Coaster Week

Even me--who usually remains on an even keel--emotionally, have had my emotions go up and down like a roller coaster, until I nearly made myself sick.

I watched too much of the Weather Channel and the news--too many hours for two days straight.  How can those people ever recover?  WE ARE TEXAS STRONG!  Well, of course that's a nice motto and supposed to be uplifting, and any State would say that faced with a disaster like the flood, but c'mon...at sometime in this tragedy, any normal person would break down.

Coming home to find everything destroyed with a couple of Water Moccasin's curled up on my flood soaked davenport, would put me right over the edge.  Let alone seeing every scrapbook and photo album I have, ruined.

Having to live in that big center, for more than two days, would put me into a catatonic state and mentally gone.  No privacy.  All the humanity--the noise.  How could you sleep--on a small uncomfortable cot, babies crying during the night, people coughing, snoring.  The fatigue alone would kill me.  Having to be on guard in case some drug addict, coming off his high, was going to take the few dollars I had with me.  

FEMA can help, but it wouldn't help me.  They would loan me some money to restart, but with what little I have, I couldn't re-pay the loan on a new place.

I don't know how any of those people can ever recover.  Especially the farmers!  No food for their live stock.  After the flood waters recede, the pasture will be covered with heavy silt, mold and not fit for cattle to eat.  

I sometimes think, those that died are the lucky ones.
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Friday came along and I HAD to go foraging for food.  I had two prescriptions to pick up at Walmart, so I made a list of what I needed for food, the cats, anything I could think of and walked to my car, parked in back, and traveled on up to Howell.

It was like a Saturday in there.  Why were these people, who usually work on Friday, in the store?  My gosh--every kid in the county was in there--arguing with their parents over school supplies, or just crying in frustration.

Well, I put on my smile and went about my business and when a boy came out from a side aisle and T-boned my cart and his mother screamed at him,  I said, "Hey, that's okay.  No harm done.  I should have been watching more carefully."  He looked at me with tears in his eyes.  Trying to be a big boy and help mother with the cart and the baby sister.  I wanted to just hug him.

Then on the drive home, I wondered how I was going to make 7 trips back and forth to the car--parked 85 steps away from my front porch.  I knew, I couldn't do it.  I was already exhausted and feeling a bit weak.

I pulled onto my street and thought, "To heck with it.  Drove right up on my lawn--as they have tape across the old part of my drive--where I could have carefully parked.  Got another bright idea, trudged out to my shed, got my wheel barrow, put some of the smaller bags into my canvas shopping bags, loaded the two gallons of water in the front, over the wheel, layered my 4 jugs of Pepsi in the bed of the wheel barrow, and put the rest on top.  Pushed it up and under the yellow tape up by my front steps and toted in my groceries.

Came in and rested my back.  My doc would have been happy to see I had a nice heart rate of 67 going on.















Saturday, I was all ready to sit in my recliner and watch the first football games.  To my dismay, when at noon, I clicked on to watch my Michigan State Spartans, I discovered it was on ESPNU--a channel I had last spring, but lost when I had to down grade my Comcast.

So I watched a pretty good movie on TCM, then watched the Michigan University game against Florida and later the Florida State/Alabama game.

This morning, I watched my favorite pastor and bible teacher, Dr. David Jeremiah and then, once again I watched a live-stream, on my computer, of the Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina.  The sermon was based on one of my most favorite hymns, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and the last hymn they sang was my Mother's favorite hymn, "I Need Thee Every Hour."  I am getting more used to the style of preaching the pastor has.  I felt very blessed from his sermon.  

I am such a lazy church goer.  I have to admit, I kind of like "going" to church while in my jammies, drinking my warm cocoa and eating my Cheerios.
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3/4 done with my counted cross stitch project.  It took me the entire month of August to stitch just that part on the hoop.  Such detail in this.


I started the last two Shepherds today.=
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Rain is expected late tomorrow, so I better move my car.  The lawn is hard enough now, so the tires won't leave any dents, but with rain?..............

12 comments:

  1. You're right. A lot of those hurricane victims won't recover financial. Many will relocate and not come back. So very sad.

    You need a folding grocery cart. You can even take it up steps and it saves a lot of trips back and forth. Glad the wheelbarrow worked out. Smart thinking.

    By the way, Franklin Graham III makes more to run Samaritan's Purse than the director the Red Cross does.

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    1. I didn't know that Jean. Maybe that is why the ONLY charity I donate to, is St. Jude, where 100% goes to the work.

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    2. I just checked Charity Watch--Red Cross uses 77.50% to charity. Samaritan's Purse, is at 87.30%.

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  2. The news has been very grim, and getting grimmer. I cannot watch for more than the first 10 minutes to get the weather and a bit of local info, then that is it. The flood is so terrible. We have dear friends who have lost their home of 40 years, and my sister's former home is in total ruins I am grateful she now lives in WA state. Very sad.
    I am always so amazed at your ingenuity. The wheel barrow is a great idea. Jean's idea for a cart is great, too, as they are light but sturdy.
    May you have a peaceful week ahead.
    We are off to walk in a park in New Bedford
    today. Interesting in that the park/walkway is on top of a massive hurricane/flood barrier that can be closed to protect the city in the event of a hurricane. We have our eye on Irma coming at the US from the east. The MA southcoast had some massive hurricanes in the 50s resulting in the building of the barriers. I remember those storms and their power. This time of the year in NE we are constantly on the watch.

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  3. we have experienced similar here (not as bad) with super storm sandy. it's been 5 years and many people have not recovered or rebuilt....i understand what you are saying!!

    your needlework is gorgeous!!!

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  4. Oh-My-Dear! Why???????? Why did you immerse yourself, in all that horror?

    What good did it do, for any of those people? Nothing. All it did, was hurt your emotional and general health.

    -sighhhhhhhhhhh-

    Personally, I'd have been driving right up close, in front, from the beginning. What is more important, in the long run? Your back? Your health? Or your pretty lawn?

    But then, that's me.

    We all do, what we think, works, for us...

    Luna Crone

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  5. Friday was busy everywhere. It was the day before the 3-day weekend AND payday so people were out getting supplies and spending their hard-earned cash. Yesterday, however, was so quiet on the streets. Especially here where we again had 106 degree heat.

    A friend of mine would use her walker to transport her purchases. She had a walker with a seat and a basket so it worked well for her. She also had a ramp in her garage to her back door. It looks like you have steps to maneuver so that wouldn't work for you.

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  6. Yes, so very sad in those hurricane areas, and we do have to wonder what will happen to those who have lost everything. I was so glad to see that many, many volunteers were out to help the ones they could.

    Your needle point is so beautiful, Judy.
    xoxo

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  7. You are right about the hurricane victims...I was reading an article today about the working poor / no flood insurance etc.

    Then the cotton crop farmers

    Then other articles on city planning and urban sprawl and building on flood plains

    Houston notorious for little regulations or planning

    And on and on :(

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    Replies
    1. They build up those coastal cities with more and more concrete, with no places for the water to drain to, and a hurricane comes along and turns that city into a concrete swimming pool, filled to the brim.

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  8. The wheelbarrow was a good idea.
    I didn't watch too much of the disaster coverage. I just couldn't. Those poor people are so devastated. I'm with you. I'd have a hard time in a shelter. Sad.

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  9. Clever with the wheelbarrow, Judy! That's the spirit. Work smarter, not harder. We're so glad you are enjoying our services. Pastor Rowell sends his regards. We enjoy having you with us at Gantt Street. xoxo

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