Friday was quite the day! I planned not to set an alarm and get to work when I got there; I was tired. But of course, I only woke up 5 minutes later than I normally do. Eased into the morning but noticed a lot of thunder and our house lights flickering more than normal. I knew it was supposed to be a rainy day but didn’t think too much of it. Started getting ready and so did my daughter. My oldest said he wasn’t going in until later due to a testing schedule. So I decided I’d take my daughter so she could avoid waiting for the bus in the rain. As we left, we noticed a bunch of emergency vehicles/lights about 3 houses down from us going north but the rain prevented me from seeing what all happened.
As we drove, I just hoped our route was clear. Sometimes during particularly windy storms there are a lot of branches down on this one road. But all was fine and I got her dropped off. Actually, while in the drop off line, I got an email from a coworker saying our building only had emergency power and that there was so much debris around the capital he said it would probably be a good day to stay home. I kind of chuckled and thought, ‘I have to save my leave so guess I’m heading in.’ A minute later we got an email from the Sargent at arms who said for everyone to stay home until they restored power. SO home I went! And when I got there, my boys told me they were going to swap rooms. And I thought, ok, start after school. But that’s where the day went off the rails.
We had two tornadoes in one small area of town! One more further south. We never get them there! Usually we have tornado warnings (as we did yesterday; it woke my kids up from the phone) and it’s because some big open land north of us had one sighting, but this was crazy. I believe the last tornado that came anywhere near the capitol complex was in 1974! So anyway, this was when it all went weird because my boys and I went out to investigate the lights I’d seen earlier and it was because a tree fell across the entire road! To the right of my house, a community service car blocked off anyone coming in and might I add, he wouldn’t let us leave either! The boys began their room project as soon as it became official they didn’t have school, but then they decided around 9:30 they wanted McDonald’s. Got in the car and even though Ell got out to speak to the guy, he was completely ignored. We ended up having to drive across the neighbors’ yard to get out! Right after they left, they closed my daughter’s school so any kids who went, which seemed a decent amount, needed to be picked up. I told Ell right away but he still had to wait in a long line. But they got her and then breakfast. Meanwhile, I’d left my laptop charger in the office to I asked the coworker who’d gone in if I could meet him on his way home for it. So I did that and then went to Publix. We made breakfasty type foods around 11 and I did some online grading.
I scrolled through photos of the other side of town. I will say, we dodged a bullet because our neighborhood ALWAYS loses power. And this time we never did! But over 80k are without it now and the city thinks Monday, maybe. As the day went on, things with the room swap got dicey. But they wanted to do it themselves. I worked on the pool but the storm set back my progress. I plan to go in to the pool store today and see what’s going on with it. In the late afternoon the kids finally made most of the progress and I took bags of donation stuff to the Goodwill and then more to a Christian thrift store I like to give to, especially books and furniture. They have a lot of that stuff. I started on dinner, then took my daughter to dress rehearsal for today’s recital. We drank some much deserved beer and I made chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Elliot picked up a friend whose house got pretty wrecked from the storm and then we watched some TV shows, though I don’t much remember because I was exhausted!
*** I wrote that section Saturday morning and then bailed because I knew I’d write more today, Monday. Because a lot of the city is still a wreck, the kids’ school times are pushed back by 30 minutes and there’s no buses today so I’m waiting to go into work. Anyway, Saturday was successful. I went to the pool store right at 9 and let them know I still couldn’t get the pool clear so I ended up having to raise the Ph and then doing the acid and chlorine again, which really only cost me the jug refills and the stop yellow. I’m thinking now I just didn’t kill all the algae the first time. Sometimes storms can ruin your progress too and we are supposed to get more rain later today and tomorrow (though scattered storms only) so here’s hoping that doesn’t set it back again. Anyway, I made tacos and then took Dakota up to the high school for her first recital. (Her group will usually perform at another group’s recital as a fill in for time, etc.) Our friend was supposed to come “after lunch” to help us hang a new door but it was more like 4. And he brought his daughter! Sigh. I ended up taking her with me to watch Koda’s dance. That worked out because her other friend came and she knows our friend’s daughter because they all go to the same school. It was nice, actually, for Dakota’s friends to be there for her. I know it made her happy.
So yes, Ash and Griffith hung the door while Isaac went to a friend’s, Elliot worked, and I went to the recital, stood in the back, and recorded it. It would have all worked out better but oh well. Ash wouldn’t have missed it but pinning down this friend for a time is difficult. They’re homesteader types so he’s always busy in the garden, etc.
Sunday morning, I woke up in a mood. I feel like I have finally reached a place where I can believe that while I have problems and things sometimes feel dire, if I believe He will take care of us and provide, then it will all be ok. It’s tough though to give it over to God, especially when you always need control like I do. I was rather tearful for a little bit there then I got my emotions together and was able to move on. Two of my kids hardcore slept in but I let them; they’re busy people! But since it was Mother’s Day, I had to choose what I wanted. Sure, I’d love for my family to make the choices but you know, they just aren’t those people. So I chose to eat at Smitty’s, which everyone likes. (Except they were somehow out of fries! Ugh.) It was nice though and then I decided we’d go out to Jubilee Orchard and do U-Pick blueberries. The last time we went was late May, 2021. Elliot was in a cast from when he broke his leg! I follow their socials and saw that they a. had a lot of fruit and b. were doing 15% off for Mother’s Day.
It’s funny because both times we’ve done it, everyone enjoyed it but it never takes as long to pick as you think it would. We gathered about 4.5 pounds in maybe 10-15 minutes. When we got home, Ash and I watched The Big Chill, a movie I knew about but had never watched. My parents and Ash’s really liked it but for me, the story didn’t resonate. A. People don’t make those kinds of friends connections as much anymore and B. that generation was just so different than mine. Good soundtrack though! I made the berry fluff that the kids like, and then two of my kids wanted crunchwraps, so I made those too. We had a video chat set up with Ash’s dad and his wife and their daughter and her husband so that was nice. We are going to see them on our vacation in a little bit so we were discussing all that.
Around 7, Ash and I took about a 2 mile walk then I put the youngers to bed and while I planned to read, I maybe only got in a few pages before I fell asleep! All in all, a nice Mother’s Day and weekend; I cannot complain. I told Isaac when we walked out Saturday to see if the rest of that big tree had been cut up, that sometimes big things like this happen for reasons unknown but they really take you down to ground zero, make you thankful for the little things and all you have. I mean, we didn’t have damage or lose power but a lot of other people did. I am ever so grateful for the life I have!
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Since we watched it and I remember listening to this on tape when I was a kid, here’s the soundtrack from The Big Chill. Have you seen it? Did you like it?
incognitusscriptor.com 
The blueberries in the greater Birmingham area won’t be ready to pick until June. Your growing season is just ahead of ours. There is nothing like fresh blueberries!! I’m glad y’all are ok!
Growing up in Oklahoma every spring was filled with tornado warnings and tornadoes. I have lived in an area hit by a twister less than a half mile from our apartment. While we were without power for several days, we suffered to other damage. They are very scary storms.
I don’t think I have ever seen The Big Chill, but the soundtrack is AWESOME!!! Have a blessed week.
I’m glad y’all were kept safe. The weather has been really wild lately for sure. It’s hard to turn lose of things and give it all to God but once you manage to do just that, then all of your worries feel downsized. It doesn’t mean they haven’t gone away but you know everything is going to be okay because the peace God gives. Have a boogietastic week and thanks for sharing your music pick!
Never seen *The Big Chill* nor heard the sountrack, but find it funny that the soundtrack is almost 15 minutes longer than the movie. Stiil, great music…
Tornadoes are scary! We definitely don’t get those where I’m at, but I had tornado warnings when I lived in Michigan, and when visiting people in tornado prone areas. Glad you guys didn’t have one come barreling through your neighborhood! I don’t think I’ve ever seen The Big Chill – thanks for sharing the soundtrack, though! 🙂
I lived in Tornado Alley (Wichita Falls, TX, Wichita, KS and Northwest Arkansas) for a number of years and met, over the years, several tornado survivors. We missed (by three years) a horrible F4 tornado that hit the Wichita Falls area in 1979 and killed 58 people. Knowing things like this really does put things into perspective. Tallahassee will build back stronger and better. As for the music, I saw The Big Chill many years ago. What a fantastic soundtrack that movie had. Alana ramblinwitham
yikes!! I think of tornadoes as the devil’s finger. It scares me to the hilt! You still drove In this is amazing. L9ve this sounds track but still need to see the movie.