7 Quick Takes: Stormy Weather

This week has been quite eventful.  Here it is in 7 quick(ish) takes: 

-1-

Saturday we paid a lovely visit to the shores of Lake Michigan at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. We discovered the Douglas Center on the west side of the park. If you have children you MUST visit sometime!  I'll be posting a review of the Center soon. 

-2-

Sunday was a beautiful day. I finished reading Something Other Than God.  Monday was wonderful too.  Monday was a very productive day.  I finally caught up on most of the housework.  Life was good.  I learned only one lesson that day: never put a jar of freshly made strawberry jam on top of the running washing machine unless you'd like to see it smash to the ground.

Finally!  That new normal I was looking for last week seemed to be here!

So the hubby and I decided to take it easy and watch something lighthearted and comical to celebrate the day.

-3- 

The chosen film was Airplane.  That classic parody of all disaster films. A bit past midnight, as the final scene came on, we heard sirens.  Seconds later we realized those weren't part of the movie - they were real. 

Tornado sirens.


We grabbed the sleeping boys and ran down to the basement.  We rocked them and calmed them.  Everything was going to be okay.



Suddenly there was a roar like a freight train. Sudden darkness.  We hugged them close and Peep cried. Hail Mary, full of grace...Hail Mary, full of grace...My God, my God...Hail Mary...



Quiet.  Eerie quiet.  It was gone almost as soon as it had come.  There was only the sound of heavy rain.



A dog barked.  A neighbor's voice!  Is it over? Do we still have a house?

-4- 

This is what we saw in the morning:

Most of our neighbors had roof damage.  Numerous trees looked as if someone had bitten off their tops.  These pictures hardly capture the immensity of the carnage.  Upturned trees, smashed cars and buildings. The neighborhood is barely recognizable in parts.

-5-

Clean up commenced immediately.  As soon as the heaviest rains passed we heard chainsaws at 2 AM. The night lead into a grueling day.  For all the devastation it was one of those really neat times where neighbors come out and are actually neighborly.  It gives you a little faith in humanity.

My proudest moment of the day was that despite the heavy clean up and lack of electricity I still managed to bake a birthday cake for a special someone! 

Did you know that a good old-fashioned canner or similar large pot and rack can make a makeshift oven?

-6-

Wednesday night, J went out to a going-away gathering for a friend leaving me behind with the boys and no electricity.  No problem.  Single moms have to put two kids down single-handly all the time, right?  

Oh my. 

Pebble was nearly asleep countless times and Peep would break down into a fit of crying because I wasn't attending to his needs swiftly enough. Over and over.  

I took the tearful Peep aside and sat him down for a little talk punctuated by his sobs:  "Look honey, I know, I know this has been a long day. I need to put your brother to sleep. I know you want the lights on.  I do to.  I know you just want to watch something, but we can't...."

A strange orange glow caught my eye.  It was coming from behind the closed door of the bedroom where Pebble lay. Either the aliens were abducting my baby or....OR.....POWER!!

"IT'S BACK!" I shouted.  "IT'S BACK! The power is ON!" I jumped with delight and gave Peep a hug.

Peep was terrified by his mother's crazed outburst and cried.  Then he realized what I just said.  Choking on his tears he said "I can watch something!"  

"Yes! Yes! You can watch something!"

And so I win the award for Best Media Limiting Mom.  Not.

-7-

The most difficult cleanup task was removing our black walnut tree.  The winds had pushed it towards the house.  And so it (and an awful lot of money) had to go.

So sad.  The yard feels like a blistering desert now.  I'm hoping to replace it.  Does anyone have any suggestions for a good, affordable shade tree that doesn't grow too tall?

Happy Independence Day!

Linking up with Jen.