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....
