Monday, August 26, 2013

Trying To Get Over The Devastation!

The Rancher's Daughter...
is at The Rancher's house.

Mom happened to call in last week at a time when I couldn't hold back the tears,
and was just feeling so lost and not knowing what to do and where to turn.
That ole Rancher daddy man of mine and her put me on a plane
to come out and see them.
They told me it might clear my head and maybe they could help me to figure out a plan.

So let me go back and tell you all what happened since the morning
 I woke up to sloshing in water.

I do believe I was in shock.
Most of you know my hubby is living and working 1800 miles away in North Dakota.
 I didn't have him to lean on.
 
I called Tory. 
Her and her soldier man immediately drove down,
as well as another young soldier and his wife.

My son in law walks into my house,
looks around and is completely stunned and says,
"John'aLee it will take me 3 weeks to get all of this water out with the shop vac I brought.
This is a major job. Pack your bags, your going home with us. We can't do anything until it stops raining."

As I got in the car to follow them home, Steven said to me, "Where do you want to go to lunch?  You name it. We're taking you out!"
(I can look back now and see that this is when all of the little miracles and blessings started to take place.)

The next day the kids thought I was crazy when I told them I needed to head back to the house to get orders and Block of the Months out.
 
I said, "I will just have to slosh around in the water and do the best I can."

But that is what I did.
 
 I arrived at the house, unlocked the door, opened it, and
a wave of terrible mildew smell hit my nostrils making me feel sick at my stomach.
Had mold already set in?

I went to the very back bathroom of the house, the only dry place to sit and think.
I couldn't think. All I could do was start to bawl.

I called my best friend Nancy.
It took her an hour to try and knock some sense into me. She realized I was in shock and not thinking straight.
"John'aLee," she says firmly, "you have to get help!"
"No Nancy, we were taught to take care of our own problems. Clean up our own messes." I respond in between tears.
It wasn't until she told me that I might be hindering the work of God, that I started to listen to her.
She knows my new son in law isn't a believer, but he was drawn to Tory who is and married her, so she continued with, "John'aLee you have to call your church family. That is what they are there for. You would go and help them if they needed it. And maybe just maybe God's plan is for Steven to witness them coming through in a time of need and helping you. Are you going to not let them happen?
What if there is someone there who is needing to give, that God is working with. Are you going to deny them that?" She continues to plead.

Man these were hard things to hear. She knows that if God lays something on my heart,
anything,
no matter what that I will do it.

"Okay, Okay, " I say giving in, "I will call for help."

I hang up with her, and my daughter Brooke calls in.
She's never heard her mother in a state like this. 
She is used to seeing me strong, always fixing things. Never needing or asking for help.
I can hardly speak to her. After my call with Nancy I felt so helpless and defeated.
I knew with my back that this mess was not something I could take care of by myself.

Brooke takes charge.
"Mom, give me the name of just one person in your church. One name is all I need.
Still trying to hold out, I say, "No Brooke I can't do that!"
This after I told Nancy I would.

Brooke gets a little emphatic.
"Mom, you know I will find a number. You know I will call Grandpa or find out who 
the ministers are there. 
You can save a lot of headache and time for me 
by just giving the number!"

So softly I did.
I gave her the name and number of a 76 year old widow
who I have become good friends with. Who had kind of taken me in when I started going to church here.
But as I did, I felt like every bit of my being was broken. Completely defeated.
An utter failure.
 I can't explain it.

A few minutes later, Brooke called back.
"Mom, Labenia is on her way with help. 
Also, I have paid the deposit on a storage unit right down the street from you. It was the last one available. They said down there that they have been inundated with flood victims.
So go down there, finish the paperwork, and put it in your name."

The day before when Steven had walked in, he told me that everything was going to have to go in storage before the house could even be dealt with.

I hope I never forget the scene that played from that point;
 
Labenia walked in and took charge. She told me later that she could see I was in shock.
She started directing people. She went to Lowes, bought piles of bubble wrap, tape, tape guns, boxes etc.
The church people showed up in droves. Immediately.
Even the dear little 4 foot something 85 year old lady whose house we go to bible study at on Wednesday nights. 
She was hauling in boxes, packing up my china. There was no way she was going to be left out!
And they worked, and worked and worked.

Tory, Steven and baby Kash showed up too with the crockpot of beans and ham hocks 
I had put on at their house before I had left that morning.
They brought loaves of my homemade bread too.
You talk about 'breaking bread'.
It was a true picture of that.
In amongst all the turmoil, people were dishing up themselves bowls of beans,
toasting bread, slathering it with butter,
laughing, happy, cheering me up.
There was not one unhappy person there!

The Guitar Man flew in the next day. 
Over $700 for a one way ticket!
I told him I didn't care what it cost. He had to come and NOW!

And that's the way things went until the very end. 
Until everything was in storage.

I'm going to lose about half of all my belongings if not more.
I was talking to a man yesterday who knows a lot about mold.
He told me everything needs to get thrown out except for things that are very dear keepsakes.
The spores will not go away. And that actually the house needs a match lit to it.
It's very serious business. Nothing to be messed with.
I asked him what he would do if he were in my situation, 
and he said walk away from it all!
 

So as of now, we are just trying to come up with a plan.


Being here at Mom and Dad's,
getting some godly counsel, options, looking at things with a little clearer head,
the Guitar man and I are getting closer we hope to figuring it all out.

It's 3 in the morning and I need to get some shut eye, so I will write more later.

For all of my faithful Quilt Along followers,
I will get back to the quilt just as soon as I can.
My life is upside down, and it is very hard for me to disappoint you and let you down with something I started.
But please know I will continue and finish this quilt with you!
Promise!
Just give me a little time to piece my own life back together.
 
And oh yes....
prayers are gladly and  humbly accepted.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart....

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Sad Day....My House is Under Water

Can't believe it!
I'm flooded. 
Woke up, stepped out of bed...
slush, slush....

My whole house!

Tory, her hubby and another soldier in his unit
and his wife hurried down to help me.
But when they got there,
they realized how hopeless it was.
It's still raining....
had to walk away from it,
and come down here to stay.

Hmmm...
trying to see the good in this...
Nope....
still can't see it....
looking...
looking....

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Pssst.....Tory News!!!

  
  Little Baby Kash....
is going to have a little sister or brother....
come next March!

Yep...
Mama Tory is kinda freaking out.

We hit estate sales and the Nashville Farmer's Market on Saturday together.
Daddy too.

Grandma is ecstatic!
Grand baby #13!! 

And another special piece of news she posted on my Facebook page:

Just thought you all might want to know....

Toodles...

Monday, August 5, 2013

The Rancher's Daughter Quilt Along (Week 24) Work, Work, Work Block


 http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Z2IAL5jqyxg/UgA2qTS7wxI/AAAAAAAAD0g/reCS53Cs_lk/s1600/20130805_171505.jpg
I left my good camera in my Auntie's car in Idaho, and it was supposed
to be here by FedEx today ...but didn't come.
So I've been trying to transfer pics from this new fangled phone of mine!
Brother!!

So as of now, I have 5 different 'draft' posts going....
with one pic in each...
and can't figure out how to transfer them.

How can a 'Smart' phone...
make one feel so very, very DUMB!!

I was determined to get The Rancher's Daughter post done today!
On Time!
Ha!

I will tell you why I call this block, "Work, Work, Work!"

I ended up at the Pain Clinic today.
Yea...it's something I don't like to talk about.
I have some severe back issues that have taken me off the 'show' road this last year,
and the time has come where I am going to have to do something about it.

So I'm sitting there waiting for the doc.
Wondering what 'story' to tell for today's block.

And the memory of the time I broke my knuckle came back to me.

I was probably around 13.
I was at home.
Just waiting to go to Wednesday night Bible Study.
The phone rang.
And rang, and rang...and rang.
Nobody would answer it.

So I came flying out of my room,
ran into the guest room where 'a' phone was
and somehow hit my knuckle just right on the huge wooden door,
breaking it.
I look down and my 4th finger is sticking out at a 90 degree angle underneath my pinkie finger.
Mercy, did I cry.

Mom came running.
Took me to the ER...
The Rancher took the rest of the family to church.
Now we didn't miss church for anything!
So I was feeling pretty special.

I felt even more special when the doc said I couldn't do anything for awhile,
until I healed up.
He had bound my hand all up nice and tidy,
and with glee, the next morning at the breakfast table,
I told the mean 'ole Rancher that I couldn't do any work for awhile.
Note: Remember the post about The Rancher believing in WORK!

"Hmmm..." the Rancher contemplates...
"Looks to me like you still have one good hand...
I want you to go grab a hose, and water all the trees around the house."
We're talking 50 TREES!!
I couldn't believe my ears!!

Yep....I watered the trees.

That 'ole Rancher man!
Did he ever teach us to 'Grin and Bear It'!!
Yep...upside down!


Okay...block time.

Cutting Instructions
(A) Cut 9  2½" X 2½" Squares (Red)
(B) Cut (9) 2½" X 2½" Squares (Yellow)

Make (9) A/B Half Square Triangles using the two fabrics.

Line up block as in diagram.

Stitch horizontal rows together.
Stitch Vertical rows together. 


http://lh3.ggpht.com/-CAyGr7t5MPk/UgA2y4VzlpI/AAAAAAAAD0o/5RMF6VnL5jA/s1600/20130805_171525.jpg 

So there you have it.

Pain and all....
I still managed to get it done!

That ole man of mine, gave me a gift back then...
although I sure didn't look at it that way as a kid.

I don't know where I would be today, if I hadn't learned to just keep on going,
through adversity and all.

Keep on...keeping on my friends!!

With Love and Affection...


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Vintage Chic Farm

Do any of you quilters out there like to re-purpose furniture?



If so, I have to tell you about my son's company.
He has developed a chalk paint, that is awesome.

My daughter-in-law keeps a sweet little blog 
on all of her projects HERE!!

And tells you 'How To' redo furniture with the chalk paint.

The quilt in the background is the one I made them for their wedding years ago.

Stephen, my son, has been painting for over 15 years and really understands
the properties of paints, what they will do and what they won't do,
what kinds work on what and what won't etc.

They have a wholesale account in Cape Cod that keeps them pretty busy who originally was going to go with
the Annie Sloan paint which is so popular,
but they love that this paint is made in the good 'ole USA!


He starts with a top of the line base paint which is why the paint does what it's supposed to do.

These kids are really working hard to make it happen,
and I always admire that in the younger generation,
seeing so many these days just want a hand out!


So if you get a chance....
go check them out!

Oh yes...
and she's a quilter! Smile!
I can't get any of 'my' girls to quilt....
(burned them out at the quilt shoppe, making them work sometimes until 2 in the morning to get us ready for a show making kits!)
No wonder eh??

Have a fabulous day my dearies!!