I am thankful

 

Good morning everyone ~ It is 7:08 EST and I am having my second cup of coffee this morning. My area is now under Tropical Storm warning, and the winds have really subsided. Did not lose electricity.

After I posted last night, the winds and rain picked up and lasted until around 4 this morning. Not like Frances, Jeanne or Wilma, but still scary, especially when you hear slams, thuds, bangs. I am nervous about going out and seeing how everything looks this morning. I hope no fencing is down, that the barn girls and barn are just fine, and other things are well too.

My stomach was a wreck yesterday from nerves. In spite of the wonderful, uplifting verses I had post yesterday morning, I had a panic attack around 11 a.m., after seeing the Accu-weather prediction of Matthew being a cat. 4 hurricane and making landfall north of here. I called my dear brother-in-law and he said they had just watched the latest weather report on TV, and the storm had veered a little to the east, which was a relief and an answer to prayer.  (I had been praying that God would blow the storm or make a hand motion and it would move to the east, and He did. WOW!) Todd told me he thought I would be fine, not that he had a crystal ball, but that’s what he thought. He and Sue had gone to Miami to stay with their daughter. Their home had been predicted to have the eye come right over them so they left. I hope their place survived.

I calmed a tad after talking to him. Being here by myself, is rather unnerving that’s for sure. It was good hearing his voice.

So with the storm staying more to the east, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. It sounded really awful in here though. I couldn’t sleep in my bed because it was just too stressful with the noise of the wind, so I took pillows, grabbed a sheet from the linen closet, and made a makeshift bed with the love seat. I put a stool with a pillow on it kittycorner at the end for a place for my lower legs/feet to rest. I had my pillow at my head bunched up to block noise to my ears from the wind. I put the a.c. on constant fan instead of energy saving mode, that way there would be some continual white noise. It was quieter in the living room and Miss Tork and I did get some sleep. She slept on my chest/stomach, bless her heart.

I turned on some LED battery operated Christmas lights in case we lost electricity, which we didn’t.

Ok, I got brave, got dressed, grabbed my camera and headed outside. I am truly blessed and thankful to God for protecting me and not giving me more than I can handle. I just wanted to bawl in thanksgiving, but didn’t, I said thank you, thank you instead and right now I have a huge smile on my face. I made it through this first hurricane without my dear husband. Yay! I did what I had to do to prepare.

There are some bent over flowers, a downed dead limb from the avocado tree which was the huge bang I heard last night as it hit some stored galvanized empty tanks. The biggest deal that I didn’t hear, except maybe the big section from the top of a dead pine tree that was the thud I heard/felt, at the back of the driveway along with some of the neighbor’s overgrown hibiscus tree limbs. I’ll cut up what I can and get help for the rest.

Even though I had my panic attack, and was fearful, God did not leave me. He was right with me through it all.  I even had a dream last night/this morning, about my dear husband being here with this hurricane. Things were a wreck outside and he looked at me with bright, shiny brown eyes and a smile on his face and he said as he hugged me, “it’s just stuff, but, we have Jesus”. Then he said it again, and kissed me on the lips twice and I woke up. I had to get right up and right down the dream so that I wouldn’t forget it.

Rinky, one of my barn girls meowed at me from one of the screened window shelves that are high up in the barn. What a relief! I need to go out and feed them and clean their litter and visit with them.  Bless their little kitty hearts.

I am praying for all effected by this storm, in the Carribean, in Florida and on up the east coast.

Thank you all again for your love and support.

Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady

Small bouquet picked yesterday.

Birds are singing.