Yeah, it’s a Friday night, we circled up It’s going down ’round these pick up trucks Yeah, it’s cold cans and Dixie cups Just out here doin’ what we’ve always done
~Florida Georgia Line
My sister, her husband, and my baby niece (Pj) were all here for the week of Christmas. It was sooo much fun! Adam and I babysat for Pj last Saturday night, while everyone else went out for awhile. We had a blast spending time with our cute little niece. The day before my sister and them arrived, my brother surprised me. I heard a knock on my front door, answered it, and it was my brother standing on the porch! That was such a great surprise!! He spent a few days with us, before he returned to his California home.
Christmas Day
Our good friend, Biscuit, was released from jail. He got out just before Christmas. He’s up here visiting us for New Years weekend. He passed out, last night, and Jackie and I decided to have a little bit of fun with him…
I painted his fingernails. We put my bikini on, and took pictures and videos. We used paint to fill in some of his tattoos.
When he woke up, this morning, I heard him ask “What theeee?!” 😂 He thought it was hilarious, though. He even sent a bunch of his buddies the pictures we’d taken.
I know I haven’t written enough, recently. It’s been a time with my family and good friends. I’ve been incredibly busy, but in the best ways! I truly hope everyone reading this has also had as wonderful a Christmas holiday as I did, and wish everyone a very happy new year as well! I still can’t believe it’s going to be 2024?!
Last night, Jackie and I got one of our Christmas presents. We both loved the same purse, so we now have matching purses. I love it, though! That was a very fun surprise.
The Real Housewives of Nashville…😆
Justin, Jackie, Adam, and I went out to eat. I was really surprised how empty the restaurant was. I expected it to be packed full, on a Saturday night, this close to Christmas. There was hardly anyone else in there, though. The waitress told us she thinks a lot of people are displaced by the tornado, and not spending their money going out to eat.
After we finished eating, we drove around awhile. We looked at Christmas lights around the city. We sang along to a bunch of old 90’s country songs.
When we got back home, we all played some games. Justin and Jackie didn’t end their night on a very good note, which made me sad. I won’t get into it, because it’s not really my place to discuss their business. We love them both, and I genuinely just want them to be happy. I’m hoping the light of a new day will help them to solve the issues they’re having. It’s the season of giving. It’s a time for joy, and making memories with your loved ones. I’m determined to make sure that everyone around me has an amazing Christmas. We’ve all had a lot of strain put on us, recently. It can be hard to overlook the stress and anxiety, but there is so much good all around us, if we can only slow down a little bit to take it in.
I’m working on some craft projects I’m making for everyone. I’ve got something for Justin, my brother, and my sister’s husband. They’re similar, but uniquely inspired. All three of those guys were/are military men. So, I’m making something they can hang on their wall to display their coins and ribbons and medals. I sure hope they like them. I’ve also got a wooden height chart, for Pj. We’ve measured her height on the same doorway we’ve kept track of our kids heights. I’m taking those measurements, from Pj, and putting them onto the height chart I’m making, to get it started. I’ve got several little things, like picture frames and personalized decorations, that I’ve made for people. I’m just about finished with everything. Then, it’s time to wrap all these gifts. We “adopted” a handful of children and teens to give Christmas gifts to, also. Mikayla’s friend will be with her family, for Christmas, but since she’s staying with us for a good while, we included her in that handful of kids to find gifts for. I love to give in secret. I prefer not to announce my involvement, when we do things like this. It’s more “magical”, for the receiver, I think. When you suddenly get an unexpected surprise, with no idea who it came from, I believe it helps to teach others to look for beauty and kindness in everyone around them. You never know then, which of the people around you had been your very own “secret Santa”. It could be your neighbor, your teacher, even the grumpy old man at the post office. So, you’re more likely to take a moment to smile, and to spread love. And, that’s a gift that lasts a lifetime.
Saturday, after we emerged from our basement, I heard what I thought was several car alarms blaring. It turns out, it was the smoke alarms, from a complex just down the road from our culdesac. It was eerie, when I saw this video, because I recognized the sounds exactly as I’d heard them, just a few days earlier.
The next video shows arial footage our neighborhood, and the extent of the damage around us.
We had our home inspected for damages, yesterday. Our roof is in very bad shape. The tornado winds and hail ripped more than just shingles off. There are spots where even the wood underneath was torn from our roof, and is merely covered by a few flapping shingles left behind. Our shed, behind our house, lost a chunk of one side. Our gutters and downspouts are dinged up. Our trampoline enclosure was damaged. There’s a spot on the side of our house where some siding was ripped off. A few of our window screens were torn and pulled apart. Our insurance adjuster will be coming out to assess the damages in the next few days. Then, we’ll begin the process of replacing and repairing our home. While I’m not thrilled about any of this stuff, I’m truly unbothered by it. What haunts me, is just how close we were to losing absolutely everything, or worse, losing someone. It makes me sad every time I leave our house, and have to drive past all of the empty pieces of what was people’s homes just days ago. I’m trying to go on about our “normal” lives, but the reminders of devastation loom heavy, and all around me.
We put together a big box of things to donate. We’re also working on putting together some Christmas presents to give to children who need them. Our community is incredible. People line up to volunteer. Restaurants are serving free meals to anyone in need. Businesses are donating clothes, groceries, toiletries, and money. People are helping one another to gather the leftover belongings, and to clear debris. There is so much hope and love being poured out. I hate that this happened, but also have no doubt that everyone will be taken care of. It’s beautiful, seeing the good that can be found in tragedy. Everywhere I go, people have been more courteous, more kind, than even before. And, this is a pretty friendly place to live already!
I’m making us some chicken for supper, tonight. I’ve been happily cooking and baking, since we were able to “move” back home. The kids decorated sugar cookies, yesterday. I’m going to make some homemade candies, this weekend.
It’s been a heck of a long while now, since I’ve found myself in any kind of trouble with Adam. I’m not going to go looking for that, but I am sure missing the playful banter that we typically share. Hopefully very soon, that too will resume. I haven’t been my silly self, either. I almost feel like I’m missing myself, too.
Yesterday, I got the sweetest birthday card from my daughter, Mikayla.
She also got me a new angel tree topper. The old one we’d had for years, fell apart a couple years ago. I’d just been using a star, instead. She knows I love the angel tree toppers, though, so she got me a new one. That was so incredibly thoughtful! She included a great big pack of my favorite candy, Reeces peanut butter cups, as well.
Mikayla’s boyfriend gave me this beautiful poinsettia plant, too!
I also received a late birthday present, at 9:03 this morning. Our power cut back on! I stood in my kitchen, with tears in my eyes, celebrating the relief that this is finally over…for us. For many families, getting back to normal will take months, or more. For some, their lives will never look the same. I know how blessed I am. I’m very grateful for everything I have. Something as simple as electricity means more than we consider, until it’s gone. Mikayla’s good friend, and her parents, lost their home to the tornado. They lived only a few blocks away from us. They were staying in a hotel, but their reservations have expired, and there are absolutely no available rooms around here, right now. We invited them to stay with us, until they can get into a temporary rental place. Their insurance has already compensated them for the costs of renting another home, and moving whats left of their possessions. However, finding a rental home takes some time. I truly want to do as much as I can, for all of our neighbors who weren’t as fortunate as we were. I’ve seen lots of people volunteering their time, talents, and offering anything they can to help. We’re often bombarded with news reports of people looting, stealing, and scamming. What we’re not often told about, is the thousands of people out here spreading kindness and compassion. The people giving with joyful hearts. These people don’t expect to be noticed. That’s not why they do it. I see them, though. The good deeds outweigh any evil among us, beyond measure. This community has a beautiful spirit, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
I took some video of our area, yesterday, while Jackie and I were out. It’s truly hard to comprehend the sheer magnitude of devastation all around us. I battle my own feelings of guilt, because I can’t understand why or how I’ve always managed to be one of the “lucky ones”. I’m no better than my neighbors. I’m no more important. I’m not special. It’s so random, and cruel, the way Mother Nature can indiscriminately destroy homes and businesses. It’s beyond unfair, to think of the lives lost, in a matter of seconds. It hit me, yesterday, as I realized it was just about to be 24 hours since we’d been struck with these tornado outbreaks… There were families who were losing loved ones, losing all their possessions, their homes, their businesses, at that very moment just 24 hours earlier. Two of the deaths were children. A 10 year old, and a 2 year old. The others were adults. There are people who probably had Christmas gifts stashed away somewhere, meant for those who were taken, that will never get to be opened by them. There are hundreds of families who no longer have a home to celebrate the holidays in. There are still tens of thousands of families without power. It’s cold as hell outside. Again, I’m one of the fortunate ones, because I not only have a warm place to go wait out this chaos, but we also have a generator to power some electric heaters inside our home, keeping it warm enough for our pets and to protect our pipes.
Adam and I slept in our bed, last night. We had two dogs and two cats curled up on and around us. It was plenty cozy. It’s not “warm”, inside, but I’ve had the generator off for several hours and the inside temperature is holding steady at 58 degrees. Our kids slept at Justin and Jackie’s place. Adam went into work, this morning. I’m fixing to head over to Justin and Jackie’s, so I can get something to eat and check on my kiddos. I’m holding out hope that our power might still come back on, sometime today. It’s hard to venture a guess on how much longer we will have to wait, though.
It’s my birthday, today. I’ve got no cause to complain at all. I have all of my people, safe and sound. I still have my home, my pets, and my health. It’s not exactly how I imagined spending my birthday, this year, but that’s okay. I have many blessings to count, today. The sun is shining. It’s only just about at freezing temperatures, outside, but the sunshine is nice. I’m going to go make myself and my babies something to eat, in Jackie’s kitchen. Although I’m grateful for the gracious hosts they’ve been to us all, I am so anxious to be able to get everyone back home, and back to our “normal” again. In the meantime, I’ll continue to celebrate the enormous, yet undeserved, gifts I’ve been given. All of the people and things that matter to me are still here, and that’s the best birthday present I could’ve ever asked for. I really need to remember to appreciate all of the gifts I regularly take for granted. My family and friends. My health. My home. These things that I forget to appreciate as often as I should. They are what truly ever matters. The gifts I’ve got stashed away, for my family, mean nothing without the family I’m blessed to give them to. Miracles happen all around us, everyday. It’s just too easy to ignore them, because we grow to simply expect them. We assume we will lay our head down on our own pillows tonight, next to someone we love. We assume we’ll hug our babies again. We assume we’ll all wake up, when the next morning comes. For every single one of us, there will come a day that all changes, though. We can’t predict when, or how. We can’t know why. All we can do, is appreciate this moment, right now.
We’re still staying over at Justin and Jackie’s place. We’ve got a generator helping to warm our house enough to prevent any pipes freezing. Jackie and I went and drove around awhile and checked out the area around our neighborhood. It’s heartbreaking…
We’re kind of in a weird state of limbo. Just watching and waiting to see what happens next. I do feel guilty for complaining at all. While we don’t have power at home, many people don’t even have a home anymore. Our kids aren’t going to school next week. Then, it’s Christmas break. So, they won’t be going back to school until mid January. Tomorrow is my birthday, too. Hopefully, we get our power back on. That would be an awesome birthday gift, to me! I am thankful to have people we can stay with, though. It makes me so sad to see all of the people sleeping on cots, provided by the Red Cross, inside my kids school gym, because they don’t have anywhere else to go. What an unexpected, tragic weekend.
This afternoon, all of our phones alerted in unison. They screamed tornado warnings, to us. We grabbed the kids and pets, and went downstairs. You could hear the tornado sirens outside. We could feel the air rapidly beginning to change. As suddenly as it began, it was over. We went upstairs, and walked outside. We lost some shingles from our roof, and the basketball hoop was blown over and shattered. Other than that, all was good. Then, a lady came running down the street. She flailed her arms frantically, and spoke in a shaken voice. She was begging any able bodied men to go help get the people trapped inside their houses. The entire area just up from ours was devastated. Mikayla’s good friend spent two hours inside her bathtub, waiting to be rescued. The downed power lines and standing water made it difficult to get into some places. Lots of homes were destroyed. Many people were injured, today. There were also lives lost. It’s tragic. Right before Christmas too.
We’re all over at Justin and Jackie’s place, because we still don’t have any power at home. I’m not sure how long it’ll be, until that’s restored. I’m just so grateful we’re all okay. I’m also very sad for everyone who’s suffered losses, because of our weather, today.
I found the most perfect gift to give Jackie, for Christmas! I’ve already gotten her several things, but I couldn’t resist this…
It’s perfect!
I’ve got her pajamas, fuzzy slipper socks, a new electric blanket (she’s mentioned hers doesn’t work as good as it used to), and I’ve crafted a couple of things for her, too. I’m doing pretty good, with my Christmas gift shopping. I’ve got a whole lot of people shopped for. I still need to find a few things for some people, and I’ve got some craft projects I’m working on yet, but I’m feeling accomplished. I’m excited about it all.
Last night, Adam pissed me off. I felt he was being a jerk, and even “showing off” to Justin. I didn’t appreciate the way he spoke to me, or his attitude towards me. It just wasn’t necessary. The truth is, I could’ve responded to all of this better. I definitely got defensive and gave him attitude right back. I cursed him out, and showed little restraint. If he hadn’t been acting the way he was, I’m positive I’d have been in serious trouble for the way I spoke to him. I got frustrated and upset, because if he expects me to be respectful and careful with my tone, he should give me the same things. I can’t pick him up and put him over my knee, which leaves me struggling to show him my upset. I should control my own attitude, but it’s not an easy thing to do in those situations. We didn’t end up going to bed angry. We both understood what went wrong.
Today, I’ve got a sick little boy here. One of the littles isn’t feeling well. He just wants to lay on the couch, under a pile of blankets. I’ve had it with all this crud making everybody sick! I swear, it’s been nonstop! I’m already ready for this day to be over with. It’s only 9:30am, so it’s going to be a long one, I’m afraid.
Jackie put up flyers, about our missing kitty cat, throughout our entire neighborhood, today. I’m so happy to report, just a couple of hours after she finished, I got a notification that someone had him. It was one of our neighbors! They’d found him, and brought him inside their home. They’d taken good care of Gary, and were glad to find who he belongs to. We are all overjoyed to have him home again!!!
Now that everyone is safe and sound, again, things can get back to normal here. I’ve got a ham in the oven, for supper. It’s going to be a much better evening, tonight.
Besides all of that exciting news, it’s been a fairly uneventful day. The littles were real good for me. My kids are great. I’m going to make myself some hot cocoa, and enjoy a few quiet moments.
How do I get through one night without you If I had to live without you What kinda life would that be Oh I, I need you in my arms, need you to hold
~Leann Rimes
I’m so so sad, today. My kitty, Gary, must’ve snuck out the door when Justin and Jackie left here, late last night. We didn’t realize he was missing, until this morning. We’ve searched everywhere. We’ve alerted our neighbors. We’ve made posts on social media sites. I’ve got him marked as missing, through his microchip company. I can’t begin to imagine what this must feel like, to have a child missing. Gary is our sweet pet. We love him. I can’t stop my mind from considering some terrible possibilities. I know he’s “just a cat”, but he’s our boy, and we’re all hurting. I can’t write anymore, because it’s bringing even more tears to my already swollen eyes.
Chronicles in Submission 