THEN SINGS MY SOUL: GOD’S BEEN GOOD

God’s Been Good

by Tim Parton of Legacy Five

MORE WINTER STUFF

FRIDAY

I awoke this morning to the cracking sound of ice which then hit the roof and slid off with a loud crash.  It is melting fast.

This morning I have heat, but no phone, internet or cable.  I prefer the heat.

Wednesday, my brother called to check on me.  I told him that I was fine, just had limbs everywhere, including on my driveway. But that I didn’t need to get my vehicle out unless I had a Sonic attack.  So he came and moved the limbs off my driveway. His company had closed – they had no electricity.

While he was here, my daughter called.  She hadn’t been able to remove the ice from her windshields that morning so had gotten a ride to work with someone else, but she didn’t have a ride home.  My baby brother, bless his helpful soul, offered to go pick her up and then try to clean off her car.  Now, The Kid works in a town just north of here and lives in a town further north.  In the end, brother went straight to her place to work on her car, then I picked her up and took her home.  No wonder she couldn’t get the ice off – he lifted four inch thick chunks of ice from that car.  Then, of course, he had to push the car out of the space where it was stuck in all the ice/sleet/snow stuff.

I know I brag on my brother a lot, but he deserves it.  Well…….except for being a smart alec, he does.  He called me yesterday afternoon and very seriously said he needed to ask me a question.  His important question:  “Did you make a Sonic run on your way home last night?”  He knew very well that I had.  Smart alec.

My brother went to the farm yesterday – as expected, the electricity is off there, probably has been since the beginning of the ice storm.  Some tree limbs are on the power lines, pulling them away from the pole.  I will call the electric company as soon as I have a working phone.

PHOTOS OF THE 2009 ICE STORM IN NW ARKANSAS

BEAUTY AND DESTRUCTION

Street near my home

THURSDAY

I am worn out from my exciting day today.  Remember, this retired lady is not used to much excitement in her life.

The day started off with me trying, as I usually do, to call the electric company and pay my bill  with my check card – two minute deal usually.  But  I haven’t been able to get a real person on the phone all week.  So, I make the drive to the office to deliver my payment, snapping photos all along the way.  No, I didn’t run over anybody while snapping photos, thank you very much.

The road was clear and the sunshine on the ice makes it look so beautiful.  So I’m driving along on a five-lane street, happy as a lark, when a bomb hits my windshield [Hey, it’s my story and that’s what it sounded like to me].  A huge icicle from the power lines overhead had targeted me.  I have to admit it scared the **** out of me [choose your own 4-letter word].

Anyway, I continued on, making the decision to go across one of the steepest streets in town to try to check on my SIL.  That was a REALLY fun outing.

My SIL lives on the side of a big hill in the older part of town, where the streets were built in horse and buggy days and are just wide enough for two horse and buggy travelers to meet. However, with all the icy limbs in the streets, it was a one-lane street, sometimes barely that.  After running over a huge chunk of ice that whomped around underneath my Highlander, I  decided not to go on up the mountain.  I know her electricity is off – probably the phones, too.

The 50 mile round trip yesterday to my daughter’s home was easier than this.

So I go back to the main highway through town, headed home.  Suddenly I see a power line hanging down from the pole and lying in the highway – too late, I just ran over it.

After a stop at Sonic, I returned home.  Uh oh, the garage door isn’t opening.  My electricity is off again.  [This time, just for seven hours.]  So, with ice plopping down from the trees like cannonballs, I leave my beloved Highlander sitting in the driveway, hoping there won’t be many dents before I can go inside and manually lift up the steel garage door my hubby had installed and drive into the garage.

My chest hurts from breathing in the cold air.  Albuterol helped.  I had a lovely nap until the electricity came back on about 9:00 pm.

I took a lot of photos – if you want to see more Northwest Arkansas ice scenes, GO HERE.

Uh oh, forgot to get prescription refilled.  Ah, something to get out for tomorrow.  Yay.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

Thankful Thursday is sponsored by Sting my Heart

Today I am thankful:

• That none of the many fallen tree limbs damaged my house.
• For my wonderful brother – he came yesterday afternoon and cleared the limbs off my driveway so I could finally get my vehicle out of the garage.
• For my daughter who checks on me and keeps me on my toes.
• That I am retired and could stay in my house for three days and not have to leave at all.
• That my electricity comes back on after each 6-7 hour outage and warms my house [and my cold body] again.
• That my inhaler made my chest quit hurting after I inhaled a lot of cold air today.

I HAVE LEARNED – Part 3

I HAVE LEARNED:

• When your mom is mad at your dad, don’t let her brush your hair. Bailey, Age 10.
• If your sister hits you, don’t hit her back. They always catch the second person. Alex, Age 12.
• Never ask your 3-year old brother to hold a tomato. Samantha, Age 9.
• You can’t trust dogs to watch your food. Evan, Age 9.
• Reading what people write on desks can teach you a lot. Tammy, Age 11.
• Don’t sneeze when someone is cutting your hair. Larry, Age 13.
• Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a tic tac. Jim, Age 13.
• Never hold a dustbuster and a cat at the same time. Stephen, Age 12.
• School lunches stick to the wall. Jonathan, Age 14.
• Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts. Heather, Age 16..
• The best place to be when you are sad is in Grandma’s lap. Laura, Age 8.
• That love isn’t earned, but a gift from the heart of someone special. that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. Vivian, Age 39.
• That the road to success and the road to happiness are two lanes of the same highway. And the toll you must pay is simply being true to yourself. Age 40.
• That you can make someone’s day by simply sending them a little card. Age 44.
• That children and grandparents are natural allies. Age 46.
• That the greater a person’s sense of guilt, the greater his need to cast blame on others. Age 46.
• That singing “Amazing Grace” can lift my spirits for hours. Age 49.
• That motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone. Age 50.
• That you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. Age 52.
• That regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die. Age 53.
• That making a living is not the same thing as making a life. Age 58.
• That if you want to do something positive for your children, try to improve your marriage. Age 61.
• That life sometimes gives you a second chance. Age 62.
• That you shouldn’t go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back. Age 64.
• That if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. Age 65.
• That everyone can use a prayer. Age 72.
• That it pays to believe in miracles. And to tell the truth, I’ve seen several. Age 73.
• That even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. Age 82.
• That every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch–holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. Age 85.
• That I still have a lot to learn. Age 92.
• That no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. Age 48.
• That keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills. Age 52.
• That whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision. Age 66.