2017 Every day. (09.03.17)
As we were singing Sunday, these words really struck a chord with me after evacuating my home the Sunday before and being scared of my backyard Bayou rising water, you can read more on that here.
09.04.17
Monday was Labor Day. We gathered again and went to neighborhoods all around our city. I worked in a house alongside some dear friends and served a family who’s home has been near a Bayou and not flooded in the historic Tax Day or Memorial Day floods but took on 18″-24″ of water in their home and garage this time. I held a trash bag for a resident as she went through her art studio piece by piece of what was salvageable vs not. A box of things from her grandparents home; vintage aprons and kitchen tools soaked in dirty water. We watched as they wrestled with what can go to the curb as trash and what was salvageable in furniture, keepsakes and memories. In the midst of trying to get a home stripped of sheetrock and flooring to save the structure all the things which make up a home are ripped out from under these residents. It was heartbreaking to see.
09.05.17
Tuesday I went back to work, which was a strange feeling. Time seems to be defined as before and after Harvey. The 10 days we were off seem to be “lost”, in so many ways. Though in the midst of so much chaos and loss, routine has to be re-established, and normal somehow finds it’s way through routine. Our office felt heavy, co-workers dealing with water, those without having served their neighbors, stories of rescue, the status of our 200+ schools, donations arriving for our students, so many things at once.
Getting back to routine was hard for everyone. 🙂
09.06.17
Wednesday night I went back to my MBA classes after a week off from the storm. My classes are only 8 weeks at a time, so one week lost makes this semester a bit frazzled. I took this picture walking down the stairs from my first class to my second class. We just finished 2 hours of spreadsheet modeling of data that I don’t even know which way is up and somehow it churns out trend-lines and histograms and standard deviation and…. But, I’m determined to “get it”, and slay it like David did Goliath, with a slingshot and a tiny bit of knowledge.
09.07.17
A normal day. Work, sunshine, walk with Auggie. Exhale. We had a bit of a reprieve with “fall” temps, which really meant no humidity and I love those days as does Auggie! The September sky is always a favorite! After our walk I made some dinner, sat on my couch and watched a Hallmark movie. Which was perfect as I needed a bit of “mindless” time.
09.08.17
On Friday I stopped in for lunch with several of my church friends at the neighborhood pool. Since school was still out, the pool opened up again and their littles all had a swim day. This was a sweet break in my workday and I’m grateful for these friends. I just wish I could have stayed for the afternoon. One friend replied that it was the best kind of “power lunch” and I would definitely agree!
09.09.17
Saturday morning I took a few minutes before heading to a class study group to sit on my porch and read. The weather was still cool and I haven’t had the chance for a slow porch morning which is a favorite, especially as the weather cools down.