Waves. Grief comes in waves. I’ve been on top of the world the last few months. Feeling good. Feeling strong. Feeling happy. Then…BANG! That car pulled out in front of me. There was no room to stop. The crunch of metal, glass breaking, squealing tires, and the explosion of the airbag keeps haunting me. I see it over and over. I can’t make the results change, no matter how hard I try.
After picking up the car and making a quick stop for groceries, I headed out to the farm. I haven’t been here for more than a few minutes since I left a week ago and was in the accident. I have the best neighbors who stop in to check on the cats and feed them, pick up the mail, and generally make their presence known. Driving home yesterday, there were a few places where the road was down to one lane as they cleared trees downed by the storm and unplugged culverts. When I got out near the farm, the river was only a few feet from crossing the highway. I’ve never seen it so high my entire life. It was pretty impressive. The creek by the house on the farm is flowing smoothly now so the debris has washed out of the culvert by the road.
This is that time of year when Mother Nature can’t seem to make up her mind what season it is. Frosty mornings give way to 70, even 80 degree days which in turn produce heavy thunderstorms and rain. Then, in the blink of an eye, the ground is white in the morning with little yellow daffodils bowing their heads in the morning chill. The fruit trees are blooming already here in the Mid-Ohio Valley…truly a sight to behold when you have suffered through yet another winter.
When I was a tiny tot, my mother had one of those tables on wheels with the seat in the middle that served as my high chair. One afternoon as she cooked dinner, she did not notice I had stood up in it. She turned around and saw me right about the time my brother ran up from behind and shoved the table full force. Mom says the back of my head hit my tailbone and I was out like a light. She did not know how to drive yet so she grabbed me, my brother, and her bag and ran for the city bus. Carrying me over her arm, she gently massaged me till I came to and then ran into the chiropractor’s office. He placed me face down on the table and pinched his fingers up my back till everything popped back into place. She says I took a deep gasp of air, scrunched up my face, and screamed bloody murder and Dr. Zipthorp smiled with pride.
When Mr. Virgo and I lived in southern Colorado on that 4200 acre ranch, we went out with the four-wheelers for a ride out in the back part of the property. We got into something too steep and turned around to head back down. Mr. Virgo was ahead of me quite a ways till he was actually out of my sight. I was coming slowly down the hill wondering where on Earth he was when I rounded a bend and found him standing alongside the road, bent over, hands on his knees, glasses gone, shirt ripped and dirty, gasping for breath. The four-wheeler was no where to be seen. I pulled up and stopped, and my brain had trouble processing that he had been in an accident. Thank God I didn’t see him when he drove off the cliff or when he landed on the log six feet below, or when the four-wheeler came down right on top of him! There are some thing God shields you from. When I finally understood what had happened, I got him on the back of my ATV and drove him down to the nearest cabin, left him with a water bottle and a gun, and high-tailed it down off the mountain to get my SUV. I raced back up to get him, praying in both directions that he would be ok.
Forgive me, my friends…today we’re going to church. If that’s not your thing, that’s cool…just come on back tomorrow. Today we’re preachin'.
My church is growing so fast, we’ve had to add a third worship experience and I decided to attend Saturday night’s service this week. Pastors Justin and Heather Enoch are young, vibrant pastors who bring the gospel to life for me. The praise team is absolutely amazing and uplifting. I love contemporary Christian music. I always leave there absolutely on fire.
If you look at her, she doesn’t look so bad but she is pretty sad. I am sore and tired. Getting bruises here and there including a little darkening around the eyes. My chest is what hurts the most from the airbag and seat belt.
Today we are having an Irish Coffee Wake in memory of Anna, our friend who passed away a couple weeks ago. We shall raise a toast for a brave and athletic woman. I’m staying in town a couple more days. I can get my rental car then. By that time, I’m sure I’ll be well on the mend. Hope you have a beautiful day today! ❤️
I’ve always been a storyteller. I was the kid who sat at the table and listened to all the family stories. I was fascinated by what had happened before I was born because I had an innate sense it had somehow made me…me. I’ve told you all before, my mom always said I had the “gift of gab”. I always thought that meant I was doing something wrong. I was too loud, too talkative, too…much. Now I see it as my gift.
I’ve been playing catch up ever since I got back from my trip to Florida. I finally got the laundry done on Monday. I was in town most of yesterday running errands, getting my hair cut, meeting a friend for dinner. I went to the tractor store and bought a live trap to try to catch this feral kitty to get her fixed. Back in time to feed three hungry cats and take the trash out before I settled in to write and catch up with friends.
Spring is just around the corner. Warm days are ahead. The sunshine is warming the earth and rain is bringing things back to life. I’m always amazed how early the grass greens up here in West Virginia. The green leaves of the spring flowers are up several inches so it won’t be long till splashes of color will dot the landscape. As a matter of fact, there are snowdrops already blooming down along the creek.