Life: It Goes On - April 28

Happy Sunday! I can, very fortunately, wish you a happy Sunday today because our home was spared from the devastating tornadoes that tore through Nebraska and Iowa on Friday afternoon/evening, one of which caused catastrophic damage in a part of town just north and west of us (in fact, in the neighborhood that Miss H used to live in). In the immediate aftermath of this kind of thing, everyone always says "we're just happy to be alive." Miraculously, everyone is. But in the days that follow, as reality really sinks in, I can't imagine the grief those who have lost everything are feeling. 

People often ask (as I do myself during the depths of winter) why people continue to live in a place where this kind of damage can happen. Here is why: when Mini-him and Miss C reported to the place they were to meet, there were 3,000 people at that location alone. Food trucks are providing free meals to the families affected and to the volunteers, vehicles are lined up along the roads nearby of people waiting to drop off donations. Most tell of all, the emergency shelter has had no one spend the night there because family, friends, and even strangers have stepped up to offer refuge for those impacted. This is how the Midwest responds. Life truly does go on. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: Zadie Smith's latest, The Fraud. 

Watched: We spent a good deal of Friday watching the local weather people as the storms moved in. The meteorologists all said they'd seen nothing like it and were too busy reporting on the movements of the tornadic cells to even show footage until much later. Since then, we've seen so much unbelievable footage of the aftermath. 

Read: I finished Percival Everett's James. Highly recommend it. 

Made: Fried potato casserole, homemade macaroni and cheese, taco salad. All while trying to watch our calories. I will happily skimp on calories early in the day for a dinner of homemade mac and cheese!

Enjoyed: Turning in the keys to the apartment my dad lived in for 32 hours and putting an end to a chapter that has been nothing but work. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: We'll head out shortly to take another load to my dad's new place and will spend the next couple of days getting him, finally, settled into the new place. Things will go on the walls, the desk and his computer will get set up, his clothes will get moved into his own dresser and the ugly stuff they provide will move out. It won't be his dream place but it will be homey. 

Thinking About: Everything that needs to be done in my house. And the five-day weekend I have scheduled at the end of May with nothing on the calendar...yet.

Feeling: Happy that Miss H's wisdom teeth removal went off without a hitch and that she's had very little pain. A mama never stops worrying, especially when she can't be right there to help. 

Looking forward to: A couple of quick trips to KC soon. 

Question of the week: How is your weekend going? Are you getting things planted yet, making your gardens and yards look beautiful?