Let The Sunshine In

A whole lot of folks in
NEW England are currently struggling with the aftermath of some of extreme serious flooding, not seen in the lifetime of many.
As someone who has first hand experience with the damage created by a 100 year flood, and many smaller, but powerful floods, I really feel for them.
The total hopeless feeling that fills you when you watch everything you own, and have worked a lifetime to build and acquire is underwater, can be emotionally overwhelming.
To them I can only say, FEMA has always been great to me, it just takes time.

Considering what others in the region are coping with, and because we relentlessly fought this one, we got through with only 3 minor issues, One, was my sleep, or lack of it. Two, we had some sump pump issues, and without a sump pump we would have filled the basement with water. Jordan thought that might be cool if we could let the ducks swim down there. Spending $105 on a backup pump was what allowed me to finally relax a bit and sleep. Three, Jeanne lost her living room. It was not lost to flood damage, but it is currently filled with all my tools and other items from the basement.

Family and friends called often, and I always knew all I had to do was pick up the phone and anyone of them would have been here in a second to help.
Ron and Wendy offered us a place to stay if we should get wiped out, and that was very comforting when the thought of losing your home races through your mind, and you have 2 kids that need a safe and warm home. I thank them for that offer, it took a load off my shoulders knowing it was there.

Peggy and Willie spent hours here helping to empty the basement, and securing the rest of our belongings in the event the water rose up into the house like it did during the flood of 2005. It was very comforting to have them here. And when I was exhausted, their son Bill and his pal, Cameron arrived and took on some heavy loads. They both are built like rocks, and it was great to have that amount of strength here.

Peggy And Willie took Jordan, Tommy, and Kopper home with them on Monday night, the most critical night, and that was a major relief to both Jeanne and myself.
I am sorry Dale, he snapped something in his back loading a canoe to bring here, and I think he might still be recovering, and my mouth is starting to heel from the burns I received when Peggy tried to feed me what she called cooled tea for my cold.

I live with 3 amazing troopers. Jeanne, Jordan, and Tommy, (aka: the Boy). We all love it here in spit on the flooding. They take the entire situation in stride. When the kids got home from school Monday, they immediately went to work emptying the basement and doing whatever was asked of them. I have never seen such hard work and was impressed, and very proud of both of them.

Jeanne is my Rock, and going through these floods with her by my side lowers the stress level. Plan for the worst, do all we can to protect what we can, and what happens-happens, and we will get through it. That is her attitude, and she keeps me strong.( sorry about posting a picture of your living room)

And one finale thing that helped me. During my constant monitoring of weather, and river related web sites. Tuning into Channel 3 live Doppler, and while watching the weather channel. They had a story about Tornadoes. I would pick everything getting wet, over everything you own being shredded into splinters.

Keep things in perspective.