The day after Hurricane Rita

I spent the morning raking leaves and picking up branches. Every time I do anything I feel thankful. Yesterday I was thankful for the glass on the French doors, and for the French doors and everything else I came in contact with.

It felt so good to sleep the night in my own bed. I still can’t believe the tree did not fall on the house. I love that tree so much and am sorry to see it is at the end of its life.

I wanted to go to church and be thankful with those that I am with each weekend, but I was exhausted.

I feel strange, out of sink. I know I should get back to work, but it is hard to focus. It feels good working around the house and yard. I keep saying I am so lucky so blessed.

Sitting in my office still feels kind of strange; we have not gotten to take the boards off of the second floor. I am ready to climb a ladder and do it myself. I want to bust out of this Hurricane Rita thing, get back to normal. I suppose this is what those here from New Orleans want as well. I can’t imagine not being aloud to go home. Even if my home was destroyed, I would feel better to see it, to know. Give some closure. Many from New Orleans still have not been able to see their devastated homes.

There was a point, as I was getting ready for the hurricane, that I started to put away all of my glass antiques in the hall and bathroom. Everything came down from the walls. As I put it away I noticed I had no attachment. Those things that I once thought were important were losing their meaning. I was taking them down and putting them away because I knew that the bathroom and hallway would be our last resort of safety. If the roof came off I would offer my bathtub to my family and nestle in the hall with mattresses over us. Anything left in these rooms were no longer precious possessions but dangerous missiles. The detachment feels so strange.

I keep thinking about the quote I heard from corie ten boom. She is a holocaust survivor that helped Jews.

“I’ve learned to hold everything loosely because it hurts when God pries my fingers from it.” CORRIE TEN BOOM

I don’t have much but I am grateful for what I have, I wish I could hold things more loosely.

Even though I just have a house and a beautiful studio, I am so thankful, but I know had they been destroyed I would still be thankful.