We had quite an adventure this week when Joel woke up at 2:45 am Friday morning after hearing a big boom outside. He got up to check and discovered we had a huge limb break off our backyard Locust tree outside the living room window. I only woke up when he opened the door to go outside. That got my attention! I can sleep through storms and tree limbs shaking the ground, but someone open a door to the house and I'm awake! Ha!
There must have been a weak spot in the tree, and the 30 foot long limb that was mostly horizontal, became heavy with rain and wear, causing the break. It came down on our neighbor's yard. It looked like the roof, siding and wooden fence must be damaged along with a metal fence and veggie garden. The tree rescuers came the same afternoon and removed it all from the neighbor's yard. They said they were surprised that it would be weak there. Looking at everything after it was gone, we could not find any damage to the siding, roof, or wood fence. Their wire fence and veggie garden are flattened. What a relief that damage was minimal. Our neighbor is going to check to make sure, but it appears that which looked bad was not! Thank you God!
Taken from our living room window
Bushes, garden, fence, and garage hit
but little damage....Yay!
Speaking of "yay", the Olympics are going full force and USA's Women's gymnastic team has done so super. Yay! They are a powerhouse group of five, for sure. Michael Phelps has a great comeback story......and so many others have done so well. I enjoy watching Women's Beach Volleyball and have managed to find a few matches. Archery has drawn Joel's attention and some of the swimming. The pictures of Rio's coast are beautiful to look at, but I have heard something about sewage in the water? Or is that somewhere else...... We enjoyed watching the parents in the stands too. Sooooo funny! I would be just like them! I can remember when our oldest son played T-ball and I would walk up and down the sidelines chewing on sunflower seeds to keep calm....that pretty much carried over into all the kids sports, musical competitions, etc.
The flooding in Lousiana, Mississippi and Alabama is awful. How sad. This endless rain is crazy.
The low pressure system just keeps spinning and spinning over that area. Wowza. Makes me grateful our ground is holding it's own, flood watches only, and nothing like the South. I am ready for fall, but that does not surprise people. Fall always beckons me and then leaves too quickly after we embrace. Sigh......
Joel is busy preaching and writing and riding. He enjoys them all, but I am not sure in what order. I have been walking 1/2 mile every day this week and a couple of 3/4 mile days, which feels good. I have been reading, writing some, and reflecting a lot on our time in The Philippines. Just scroll down and you will find the post I wrote here. As I said before, those two years were life changing.
Another neighbor moved out and a new family moved in. I think we will miss the family who sold their home so quietly and quickly. They are building somewhere on the edge of town. Their little ones reminded us of our Des Moines grands when they were little, and were delightful to visit it. So, three new neighbors in the past few months. This past week our next door neighbor's bike was stolen in the night. He had forgotten to shut and lock the garage door. He heard a noise but by the time he figured out it was in the garage they were gone. Joel heard a car idling but thought someone was delivering papers. We all try to keep track here if garage doors are not closed or something seems odd, but he had come home late and we all were in bed I expect. We always lock the door from the garage into the house, too. Many don't because they think if the garage doors are locked all is okay, but seriously why not lock the door into the house too, just in case??
Cicadas are here. They are so loud, big and ugly. And they bring with them a certain kind of wasp that likes to eat them. Another reason I am ready for fall. It is just not that buggy in our part of the world, so when they come, we don't tolerate them well. I remember summers as a kid with June bugs around. Yuk!!
This has been a week of pondering life as we know it. Ever have that? Like, why does what we desire always cost more than we have? And the the friends thing....and finding the best church for us to belong to.......and of course our forever undecided question of where we are to be and what are we to be doing in this season of our lives? With the high dew points and humidity this week my body has been telling me to go where it is dry. I am sure people get sick of us talking about it.....try living it! Haha
Is anyone else ready for the election to just be over so we can get on with life?!?! I am not holding my breath on who gets elected, nor do I put all into my candidate, believing they will solve all the problems and make my life wonderful. Seriously not going to happen if we go by our lifetime of history. We need to make our lives wonderful, by our choices, beliefs, and trusting in God.
I have been watching some of Charis Bible College's yearly healing conference this week, catching up on some reading, and tuning mostly in to the Olympics. I am being stirred by Lioness Arising (Lisa Bevere) and am drawn once again to Christie Purifoy's book, "Roots and Sky".
Well, I hope you pulled up a chair and are drinking a cup of coffee as you visit my cyber home. I enjoy our Saturday chats, especially when you chat back with me! Stop by again.....and tell me what you are up to!
Until next time............
1 comment:
I always enjoy catching up with you, Renee. And I identify with your pondering about life. Seems I've been doing that a lot lately. Wondering just what God wants me to do at this point in my life. Yes, I'm a wife and mother, a daughter, sister, and grandmother. But what does He want me to do for HIM?
Still pondering, still praying, still listening.
GOD BLESS!
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