REBUILDING: More Pictures and Some Updates

Lori called yesterday and was very excited to report that their temporary housing (mobile home) has been delivered! They won't be able to move into it until next week because of details...you know...electricity, stuff like that. But it is there, within view, and that is a good and exciting thing!

In addition, they were able to get some new furniture! Some was donated (brand new donations, not even used!) by a disaster service. This wasn't the Mennonite Disaster Service - I'm thinking maybe Church of Christ or something like that. Part of it they were able to get through disaster relief vouchers. Anyway, they have the basics now! As nice as a home is, it's even nicer when there's something inside it! She was very excited to know she had a bed and couch and that sort of thing.

It's amazing to me to see what all wonderful donations are made through services like that - and even through the vouchers from various places. Some of the things they've gotten have been because of those kinds of relief efforts. I didn't even know this stuff existed to this degree until now! What a huge blessing!

Here are a few more pictures for you - probably the last of the tornado pictures. Julie sent me her pictures this week, and these are some of the ones she took:

This was taken at the John Deere dealership. As you can see, this one relocated from its place in the "for sale" lineup.

I felt the need to offer further proof that I did participate in real work. :) No, I'm not giving Lori a foot massage. I was helping her pick up debris in the yard. It was around this very area that I found some of Cassie's medals and pins from sports.

I had posted some pictures from Lori's school earlier (I think) - but this one cracked me up because you'll notice the roof is gone but the post it notes on the door survived. Some people from my Sunday School class said we should send this to 3M as proof of a good product!

Right before Julie and I got in the car to head home, Jeff took this picture of us in front of some rubble by the auto body shop. I don't believe it all fell like this - I think this is a scooped up pile. Still shows you the amount of stuff there was to clean!

REBUILDING: More Pictures from My Trip

Here are more of Julie's pictures - These were taken immediately following graduation.

Cassie, Me, and Lori. Yes, Cassie and I have heard we look a lot alike. I find that amusing, since I think she looks a lot like her dad - and he and I are definitely not related.

Cassie, Lori, and Jeff (or Russ, as Lori calls him now...if you missed that post, it came from a Hardees jacket he got after the tornado. It had the name Russ on the front.)

The gang's all there! Well, minus our parents, of course. Julie, Cassie, Lori, Bekah, and Jeff. I especially appreciated the wind's restyling of my hair by the time pictures rolled around.

Bits for Sunday, May 27, 2007

Ahh…a long weekend. I love long weekends. There’s something so beautifully refreshing about knowing you have extra time off work and you don’t even have to dip into the vacation supply to get it.

But then there is always the question of what should be done with this precious surplus of time. On one hand…what a wonderful opportunity to do some of those projects that should be done but just never seem to fit in with the normal daily routine. On the other hand…shouldn’t a holiday be celebrated with something fun?

Usually I make the mistake of trying to do the projects AND the fun – and then I end up needing a vacation day to recover from my holiday.

I spent much of last week contemplating my upcoming long weekend. Here was the mental list I made:

* Make and write thank you notes. Mom, please skip to the next bullet point now…I know you’ll be so embarrassed at this one. I have yet to make and write thank you notes for my birthday gifts from TWO WEEKS ago. This is very unFreelanlike. Let the record show…I was raised better than this. It’s just been too busy a month and I didn’t get it done. Still not done. Maybe tonight.

* Picture duty. I have a couple of picture projects – related to recent tornado trips – that need to be accomplished. Shouldn’t take long to do them…it’s just a matter of sitting down and actually completing the tasks. Still not done. Maybe tonight.

* Scrapbooking. What is a long weekend without a little scrapbooking thrown in? Prior to this weekend, I was behind as far as March. (For those who may not know, that is not good.) As of today I’m caught up to April – so I still need to revisit the dining room table mess just a bit more before all is said and done. I’ve been doing a little bit each day, though, so that’s good!

* Recipe catch-up. One of my birthday gifts for some of my friends this year is giving them a new recipe card each month. May’s card still isn’t done for any of them and May ends THIS WEEK! Maybe tonight? Tonight will never end, apparently.

* Movies. Again – what is a long weekend without some movie watching! It’s a staple treat for the extra time off. CHECK! Watched two movies Friday night – while scrapbooking. Hey, some things have to be multi-tasked in order to be done.

* Marathons. I pulled out the TV Guide first thing this morning to see what channels were carrying marathons tomorrow. That’s one of my favorite things about holidays. I was excited to see that Spike is carrying an all day CSI marathon. I can have my fill of Nick…sigh of happiness. (Of course I’ll have to watch WHILE scrapbooking…)

* Yard work. I lucked out yesterday because I spent most of the day at a wedding. I lucked out today because I don’t do yard work on Sundays. I will wait to see what sort of weather tomorrow delivers. If it’s nice, I have to spend some time mowing the yard and planting flowers. And if it’s really nice, I’ll get to simultaneously work on my tan! (Yes, there is a tan. You have to look carefully to notice it…but it IS there.) Stay tuned for updates!

* Sleep. CHECK! I cuddled up under my fleecy blanket and took a nap this afternoon. It was one of those naps where I slept so hard that when I woke up, I had no idea what day it was. In fact, I woke up, rolled over, looked at the clock, saw that it said 3:15, and thought it was 3:15 MONDAY AFTERNOON! I thought I’d gone to bed tonight and not awakened at all until 3:15. Now I’m good at sleeping in, but usually noon is the latest I stir without an alarm. I was devastated. I thought I’d lost my entire holiday! It took about two minutes for me to realize I’d only taken a Sunday afternoon nap…and probably slept less than two hours at that. Good grief. Even thought I feel good from that nap…I’ll probably sleep in tomorrow too…just so I have my days and nights mixed up in time to return to work.

* Write. Last night as I was cleaning the house (until midnight), I got my first over-the-top writing inspiration in a long time. So I’ve decided I should take full advantage of it while it’s here. This afternoon (after realizing that it’s not really tomorrow afternoon) I’ve been parked at my desk, surrounded by scribbled copies of my book project, proofreading and updating. Have a feeling there’s a few more hours of this ahead too.

So my mental list turned into a marathon of “MUST DO ALL OF IT!” Sigh. Once more…I need a long week instead of a long weekend!

REBUILDING posts

I know my Mom is handing out my blog site to some of you just to read updates on the family, so I thought I would introduce my new format. If you are here to read about the tornado updates and don't want to read my randomness other than that, then starting today, you can look for posts with REBUILDING at the start of the title. Anything else is just my own thing. You're welcome to read any of it, of course, but I am trying to make the tornado related posts a little bit more easily noticed.

By the same token, if you don't want to know about tornados anymore, skip anything with REBUILDING in the title! :)

And of course, anything posted prior to today is still available under its original title - all of it in the archived month of May!

REBUILDING: Updates from Kansas

With the exception of my lotsa picture posts, I've tried not to post too much about Kansas life post-tornado, partly to not overwhelm my blogging buddies and partly because it's not my own news to spill, so I don't want to be giving away everything about someone else's life.

Having said that, I know some of you are reading not to hear my opinions on American Idol, but to get updates on life for my sister and her family, so I thought I would update you on what I know that is probably okay to share.

* Lori, Jeff, and Cassie are looking forward to having a temporary home all by themselves here in the next few days. They've lived in two different homes since the night of the tornado - both times with other people who have opened up guest rooms to house them. They are, of course, very grateful for this blessing and the chance to live in a real house as opposed to a gym shelter, but they are looking forward to having a place of "their own" very soon! God has really paved the way here and provided this housing for them!

* They do also have vehicles to drive. I know I said that Cassie got a car, but they also have their own transportation, so that is good! In addition to the cars they have purchased, they've been given some "loaner" vehicles for the short term, which is nice when driving through nail-infested streets. They can drive the older cars until things are a little bit more cleaned up.

* Speaking of cleaned up - I believe the goal for the main cleaning of the town is June 21st. They're (they being town officials, I guess) have set that as a goal to have the aftermath cleaned up so they can move ahead to the official rebuilding. Lori indicated many properties are already cleaned. She was surprised at how quickly that was happening.

* Prayer Requests:

1. Wisdom and clarity on the insurance work. As far as I know, they are all still working on filling out those never ending forms for the insurance company to itemize what was in their home. There's a lot to remember - and their minds are full right now.

2. Transition to the new home. While it is a great thing to be able to live on their own - there will be a lot of emptiness in the house until they can get a home of "stuff" built up again. Their goal is to be wise in deciding what is a "right now" purchase and what things can wait. I know that they also want to help businesses in town rebuild by purchasing what they can from local companies.

3. Church decisions. I believe they have a decision making meeting in a couple of weeks. Please pray that the congregation will be united in decisions that affect everyone - and that the right choices will be made regarding the rebuilding of both the church and parsonage.

4. Comfort. As life settles back in to whatever "normal" will be, please pray that they will be able to find peace from the anxiety that is sure to creep in. I'm sure that over time, remembering a lost item, a restructuring of finances, a change of scenery, fatigue, and uncertainty (not to mention future bad weather) will bring about some tough times.

They really do appreciate all your prayers!!!

I'm Glad I Kept Watching

Well - I had that rough patch earlier in the season where I threatened to quit watching if Haley kept staying in the competition. But after the results tonight, I was really glad Jessica convinced me to keep watching. It was perhaps one of the most predictable finales, but great results. I was so glad to see Jordin win and I hope this begins a lifetime of amazing music from her. I'd buy her music...and so far I've only got Clay's music. (This is strictly because I've been too lazy to buy Carrie's.)

* Loved Melinda's song with the Winans. She absolutely shone- so in her element there. Good job, Melinda! I hope she goes on to a soaring career too.

* Loved Carrie's performance. I like that song and she has probably the best, purest voice of any of the Idol winners. (With Jordin right behind her of course.) And she is just a stunning young lady.

* Loved the return of Sanjaya's crying fan. Good grief, girlie.

* Loved Simon and Ryan being up for the "best buddies" award - as well as the actual winners. So sad, yet so funny.

* Didn't love Haley's return. (Put that there just for you, Phats.) I could pick her out from a distance just by looking for the shortest skirt.

* Didn't love Bette Middler's performance. Angela was watching with me and told me back in the day, she could sing. I said "Well it apparently is no longer back in the day." And what was up with the flying and flitting? That could have been cut out completely and we could have ended the show on time!

* Didn't love the return of big bird - the old lady in the spandex? Scary enough the first time around. Definitely didn't need to see that again!

* Didn't love the way the whole show seemed to be about everyone but the final two. I loved that they brought back memories from the auditions and past winners from the show...but I wish Jordin and Blake - and perhaps the rest of the top 12 - could have had a little bit more of the attention for this last show.

But with all my loves and didn't loves...I loved the outcome. You go, Miss Jordin!!! You're a good pick all around. And Blake - a classy runner up. I hope you have just as great a career.

The Final Idol Post...Well, Almost

I know I've posted a trillion times today, but how can I NOT post on the last round of Idol?

Here's a shocker for you...I cried. I cried because Blake is sweet and such a performer and I want him to do well...and I know he will.

But I still want Jordin to win. When she finished her final song, I was bawling right alongside her. She's amazing. You go girl.

I loved seeing Phil...and Chris Richardson...and Melinda...and I'll leave it to Phats to guess which one I rolled my eyes at when I caught a little glimpse...

Great job by Daughtry at the end too. He's my reminder that Melinda still has a great chance at a great career. He went home well before his time.

Visiting Kansas...Graduation!

The last thing that Julie and I did before leaving Kansas to fly back to Indiana was attend the high school graduation. It had to be relocated to a tent on the golf course...or rather a series of tents on the golf course. Cassie's boyfriend, Alex, graduated, and Cassie was an usher.

I think Lori said another school district paid for the tent and chair rentals so the school could have a graduation. All the graduates were given an allotment to spend at Maurice's (ushers too!) so they could have new clothes for graduation, and a barbecue was provided following graduation for all the graduates and guests. Each graduate was even given a personal cake - in case previously arranged open house plans couldn't be replaced.

Here is a slide show and brief bio of each of the graduates - as listed in the Wichita Eagle.

And below is Miss Cassie at her ushering post.

Visiting Kansas...New Growth

This is a tree in Jeff and Lori's yard - you can see on the back branch the bark that was stripped away - and then over on the right, you can see brand new leaves budding. Sorry that the one in front is so fuzzy. It was SO BRIGHT outside that I couldn't see my screen enough to know what kind of an image I was getting.

You've probably seen or heard on the news that even longtime Greensburg residents are lost in their own town - without landmarks to let them know where they're walking or driving. By the time we arrived, these makeshift street signs had been put up - replacing the originals that are who knows where by now.

This sign hung outside the high school - symbolizing hope for the future of the Greensburg Rangers!

Visiting Kansas...Work Day!

The day before we left, Julie and I drove over to Greensburg to help as part of the official cleanup crew. We had to sign in with Mennonite Disaster Service - the group that has been doing so much to help my family and the church members. We got to wear little volunteer stickers, got a free t-shirt, and they had snacks and gloves for everyone.

I turned this white piece over and found it was a piece of Cassie's bedroom wall - as is the little blue piece beside it. That's how completely the house was torn apart - the plaster walls were just little bits. We spent the entire morning picking up debris like this - much of it just bits of wall and insulation.

PROOF that I can do manual labor! I still much prefer the kitchen and scrapbooking - but was very happy to have the opportunity to pitch in and help my sister!

Visiting Kansas...Trying to Save Stuff

Here is a photo sleeve that had gotten wet. You can't see it really well, but I'm pointing to chips of glass that were actually underneath the plastic protector. You can also see the water inside the sleeve...obviously this photo didn't make it. I was just amazed that bits of broken glass were lodged inside.

Here is a journal that Mom made for my brother in law as a joke a few years ago. He's been writing in it and I was so excited to see that it made it through the storm. It was pretty wet and some of the ink had bled, but it was completely salvageable!

The yearbooks, on the other hand...didn't fare quite so well. I think one of these was Lori's and the rest were Cassie's. They were attempting to dry and save them. Not sure the final outcome.

Visiting Kansas...Cleanup!

In the evenings - well, any spare time, really - Lori worked on trying to clean up whatever treasures had been salvaged along the way. Nearly everything they found was wet and mud-caked, so cleaning was a big chore. Here she is in the kitchen of the house where they are staying temporarily, washing some of the dishes that survived the great collapse into the basement. Like the shirt? Used to be mine. Fits her 1000 times better. Sometimes you just gotta give up believing you'll ever be THAT little and give away the clothes to someone who actually IS that size. :)

After the washing extravaganza, Lori and Julie joined me in the driveway for the great picture salvage. With the exception of two or three, no complete albums survived the tornado, but some pictures were able to be saved from random sleeves of albums. Julie and I were pulling out the ones that were dry and not mud-smeared.

Here I am working on the picture project. I found some good ones! And what more perfect project for me! Give the scrapper girl some pictures to pilfer through! :)

Visiting Kansas...The Humor

I posted the picture of Lori's yard sale sign that she put out front. Here was another sign I found during my tour - o - town. I thought it was kind of funny. This was at the edge of a pile of bricks that had been the bed and breakfast. In case you can't read the sign clearly, it says "Bring your own bed. Fresh air."

Visiting Kansas...the Storm Shelter

The church basement survived the tornado with relatively little damage (comparatively speaking). It now serves as a functional storm shelter, should another storm show up while people are in the town.

Here is a picture of the concrete slab that was the floor to the upstairs of the church. At the edge of the slab, you can see the makeshift railings that have been put up to aid people in going up and down the cement steps. At the bottom of the picture, you can see the bathroom linoleum still holding strong. (With all due respect to the linoleum-picker-outers...maybe next time the church can upgrade to something else.)

Here is a picture from the hallway of the church basement. You can see that some ceiling tile went the way of all the ceiling tile...and the carpet had to be ripped out because of water damage, but some decorations still survived. Remember the pictures earlier where I pointed out their van that had been parked under the carport of the church, and there was another car there that I didn't recognize? It belonged to someone (or maybe a couple of someones) who took shelter in this basement during the tornado and actually spent the night there - they were discovered the next day during search and rescue.

Visiting Kansas...at the Golf Course

I know, I know. I said I was going to help and then I ended up on a golf course! How'd that happen? The first full day that Julie and I were in Kansas, Cassie's boyfriend - Alex - played in a school golf tournament. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that some golf companies had donated new sets of golf clubs, new golf balls, new hats, and new towels (and shoes, maybe?) to the team so they could finish their season.

Here's Alex (in the red shirt) playing toward the end of the round - we only showed up for the end. Apparently he's pretty good. I know nothing about golf, so I really could not be the judge of that. But I believe what I hear...so he's good.

Cassie and yours truly...proof that I actually visited a golf course. Not one of my finer photos, but hey, still proof that I showed up. (Pink purse, orange shirt...bad combo.)

I don't know how long this will be up, but if you go to KAKE-TV, the ABC affiliate out of Wichita, there are a series of video clips about the tornado, and toward the bottom (at least right now that's where it is) of the list is a clip about the golf team, their season, and the donations they received.

First Class...Right Flight!

I do have pictures from my time in Kansas, and I do have them scanned in...but I have to go to a party, so I'll have to post them later. (Sigh...my busy social life...HA!) ANYWAY, in the post below are some pictures from the big 2-9, and here are some pictures of the flight portions of my trip to Kansas.

Julie (on the left, in case you weren't sure) and I ended up being able to sit together on every flight. On this, our first flight, our seats were supposed to be apart - each of us in the middle of a 3 seat row, one in front of the other. BUT - when I got to my row, some old lady had gotten her seat mixed up and took a young guy's seat. So he, in turn, took mine. SO - the flight attendant just told me to sit across the aisle in one of the two seater seats. NO PROBLEM! By the time the plane door closed, no one had come to sit by me, so Julie asked if she could switch and sit by me. The less than personable attendant waved her over. YAY!!!! We flew coach on this one.

When we arrived at the Memphis airport on Saturday for the last leg of our journey home, we were told we had to check in at the gate for seat assignments...something we found odd, because Julie had arranged all that. The lady handed us our boarding passes and we left to find food (priorities, you know). When the plane began boarding, we realized the seats were FIRST CLASS. Julie insisted that was a mistake, and the lady insisted that it wasn't. So YAY - we got to fly that last one first class!!! My first time ever! (You know...since it was only my second flight round!)

Above - Bekah in first class by the window. Below - Julie in first class by the lovey dovey old couple. He was way older than she, but they held hands the whole time. It was so cute. Also cute was when she tried to open her chip bag and they flew everywhere. We kept our laughing hidden.

Below - apparently in first class, you drink from REAL GLASS glasses. (I know someone is laughing at me right now. HEY. It was my first time, okay?) I had to stick with water (ick to my no pop for a year vow). But water out of a glass glass is very fun. Cheers!

PS - the title of my post comes from a Mark Lowry song called "First Class, Wrong Flight" - in honor of a time he was bumped to first class and then found out he was not on the right plane. At least we were in the right spot!

Birthday Girl!

Christina - this one is for you. Remember my trip to Ivanhoes for my birthday? STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE.

You must try this. It took me three meals to finish it. So worth the fat grams.

My gift from Marie - well, part of my gift from Marie.

This is a book called Beautiful by Beth Redman. Can't wait to read it!

Braeya, of course, thought the bag was for her. She probably thought there was food inside.

What a helper girl. (Eyeroll.)

I've Been Tagged!

Before I got caught up in the busyness of my birthday and my trip to Kansas, I was tagged by Fellow blogger Amy C. I didn't have time to respond to my tag until now...but I'm using my day off work to catch up on everything, so here goes!

The Rules:

1. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

2. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

3. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.

4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are my eight facts!

1. I have ADD for furniture arrangements. It is highly unusual for me to leave a room arranged the same way for very long. I am attempting to break this habit by arranging my master bedroom in such a way that the bed must ALWAYS stay in the same place to fit with something that must hang on a certain wall. I've survived almost a year. We'll see how it goes after that.

2. I'm addicted to cold coffee drinks. I never drank coffee at all until after college when I had to give up Mountain Dew. And I love a good boring cup of coffee...but I also love a fru-fru coffee drink with the ice and the whipped cream and the caramel drizzle....lowfat, of course!

3. I bit my nails until junior high. At that time, my friend Cyndi inspired me with her long nails, and I convinced myself to forfeit my nasty habit. I actually grew my nails out longer than hers! I keep them fairly short now, but it is RARE that you'll see me without nail polish! I love my nails!

4. For my birthday, I received a beach towel to replace one I've been using since SECOND GRADE! I took swimming lessons and Mom promised me a beach towel if, at the end of the lessons, I could swim so many strokes. I did it and got my towel...which I still have AND use. Finally I asked for a replacement. I'm excited about that since tonight is the grand finale party of our Ladies Bible Study, and the hot tub will be open! :D

5. I can't ride amusement park rides. Not even the carousel. They make me dizzy and sick to my stomach. (Keep that comment to yourself, Phats.) My last ride was when I was a kid and I was on some spinny, flippy ride. Couldn't wait to be done and at the end of the ride they gave us a free second round. No more after that.

6. I started stamping in high school. All my friends could either sing or draw, and I had no talent. I was in a craft store one day and saw rubber stamps...and decided that would be my new hobby. It didn't require much talent. Little did I know how out of control it would get. But most of the time, it keeps me out of trouble.

7. I've never been to Florida. Most people have been to Disney at some point in their life - and if not, at least inside the state of Florida. I never have been there. That surprises most people.

8. When I was a kid, I had a chihuahua named Lassie. She was a gift for my birthday when I was about 6, and I loved that dog so much! Lassie was my favorite TV dog, and I didn't care that my Lassie wasn't a collie. Best dog we ever had...and one day she came up missing. We think a bigger animal got her. That was an awful day. I still miss her!

Okay...I tag the following people:

Phats

Cara

Jenna

Lori (of the Hutchins Family)

Christina

Deb

Angela

Jaena

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Some weeks I sit here and try to pick through the corners of my brain to think of even one thing worth writing about…and today I have so many thoughts zooming through, I can’t pin one down long enough to make a coherent bit of anything.

This week, I flew to Kansas to spend a few days with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece. The trip was a good one…if good is an appropriate word to use, considering the circumstances. The things I have to share are rather scattered, so I’ll just make a list of the things that stood out the most from this week. And maybe by the time I come back next week, I’ll have enough of a collected brain to get back to writing like normal.

* The pictures I’d seen, both on the news and from the three rolls of film my Mom and Dad brought back from their trip, adequately prepared me for what I saw in person. It was just bigger in person. The strangest feeling was walking up and down the streets and staring at the rubble and feeling guilty for staring at people’s personal lives. A widespread invasion of privacy.

* The strength of spirit in this town is just amazing. Obviously they hurt, but everywhere you went, there were signs that said things like “Newly installed skylight” or “For Sale: Indoor Pool.” And nearly anyone you talk to, no matter how much they’ve lost, will insist that they are among the fortunate and that so many more are in much worse shape.

* I rode with Lori out to the home of some people who are keeping the belongings they were able to salvage. To see their entire home reduced to less than a quarter of a 2 ½ car garage was a little tough to swallow. It made me want to come home and pack up a big chunk of my house and drive it out to them.

* Even as I sit here writing this, I’m glancing around my own house and feeling the need to start a list of what I have, so that if the need for it should ever arise, I’d have it – because watching them try to remember what was in the house was overwhelming to me. Magnify that by 10,000 and that’s the sense of being overwhelmed that they feel.

* Several times throughout the week, I listened to them remember something else that they’d not seen…and the mix of sadness and resignation became a familiar event by the end of the week.

* I came home with a sense of “I want to be like my big sister.” Right there in the middle of loss, she offered up her borrowed bed to her company, spent some of her money on a birthday gift for me, made it her mission to have meals at home for us – and not off the Red Cross wagon, and even made sure we got free t-shirts for our volunteer efforts. Amazing.

* Speaking of volunteer efforts, I did spend a morning helping with cleanup. I took a picture, as I’m sure many of you are skeptical of my participation in manual labor. It was hard to just pick up trash…I wanted to dig and find a treasure. But most of the treasure finding had passed by the time we arrive. But I did find a couple of Cassie’s sports medals!

* While I was out in that part of Kansas, I was able to spend about an hour visiting with my former pastor’s wife, Naomi. When I’d flown out last fall to watch Cassie play volleyball, Mom and I went to see Fred and Naomi. I’d not seen them – probably since I was in elementary school and they moved on from our church. Less than a month after that visit, Pastor Fred died. I was so glad we’d gotten to see them then, and I was excited to see Naomi again. She and I chatted about life, Fred, and a little bit of everything else.

* I also learned, in non-tornado-related news, that I actually do enjoy flying! I wasn’t sick this time, so the take-off wasn’t nearly so painful. AND – the best perk of the whole trip – on our very last flight, we were upgraded to first class! THAT is the way to go. Ahhh, the leg room, the elbow room, the snacks, and the real glasses! Amazing. Not sure how it happened, but YAY!!!

I’m sure there’s much more that I’m forgetting…but that was the week in a nutshell. Hopefully by next week, my normal brain cells will be back in place and I can once again write something sensible!

The New Normal

Well, I've had a few hours' sleep, anyway, and I think I'm coherent enough to write for real. :)

When Julie and I arrived on Wednesday, we had no idea what we would do while we were out here. As you've seen from the pictures I've posted, Lori and Jeff's house site and the church site are already dozed and cleaned up. There's still debris (or as some person wrote on a work order form, debree) scattered everywhere, but the digging sort of work was done before we arrived. So here's an idea of some of the things we've done and seen since we arrived. These things, I call the new normal.

We helped Lori spend the second half of her voucher at Wal Mart. I learned that the Wal Mart out here doesn't make me nearly so crazy as the one at home. My job was to run the calculator, so it was a lot like my normal grocery shopping adventure. She had a designated amount of money she was allowed to spend, and whatever she didn't spend, she lost. We came within seven cents, I believe. As we walked around and shopped, we also looked for things they used to have in their house so we could write down brand names and replacement value costs for the insurance papers.

Lori and Jeff do have a new (to them) car, and Cassie does too. But because of the mess in town, they're still using the loaner cars when they drive over there. Good thing, too, because the loaner van got a flat tire our first day here. Lori said it's weird to see everyone in new and borrowed cars. This is a town where everyone knew everyone by what they drove, and now nobody is recognizable anymore.

The town businesses had a meeting the other night in which they had to declare whether they were staying, leaving, or unsure. I think Lori indicated most planned to stay and rebuild. The co-op/grain elevator is already rebuilding, since wheat harvest is in a month.

When we drove through town yesterday, new poles had been set up and the electricity guys were up at the top putting up new wires. The water guys were testing water at hydrants. So life is rebuilding, some.

Like I said, we did get to tour their property, and I think we're going back today. I took a picture, which I'll post when I get home, that shows the basement of the church. It is the official storm shelter in town now, because it still has a roof - or rather the church upstairs still had a cement slab floor. I think it has yet to be inspected, but for now, in a flattened town, it's the best they have. The basement is damaged, but it is still there!

While pilfering around the property, I found a single page from a hymnal. It's the song Be Still My Soul. I thought that was pretty appropriate. I took it for my scrapbook.

Yesterday, Julie and I went with Cassie to Dodge City, about 50 miles away, to watch Cassie's boyfriend in a golf tournament. We only watched the last 3 holes, I think, because we didn't go until the end, but he did pretty well! Titlelist (not sure I spelled that right...golf is so not my thing) donated new clubs to the team, since theirs were blown away. I thought that was really nice! Anyway, that was my first and last time on a golf course. Nice experience, but no thank you.

When we came home, we helped Lori work on the cleaning of salvaged treasures. They washed stuffed animals and dishes, and my job was to pull pictures from album sleeves and determine which ones could be saved and which ones could not. I took pictures of all that, too. I'll post them later.

I'm not quite sure what we're doing today, besides going back over to tour/take more pictures. Tomorrow is the rescheduled graduation, and I think we're going before we fly home. I could be wrong.

So that is life here...in the new normal.

Meeting the President

My cousin, Shari, found this picture on the White House website, so I ferreted around this morning and found it too. :) This is a group of the ministers, I believe, praying with the president, the day he visited Greensburg.

The guy in the burgundy jacket on the right is Jeff. I think this is the jacket that he got for free - it's a Hardee's jacket that says "Russ" on the front. So now my sister calls him Russ. She calls him that so much, I'm starting to forget it's not really his name.

Big Week!

It has been a big week! Here are some highlights:

Monday was my birthday...I turned the big 2-9. I had a great day - despite being required to report for duty at work. Actually, work was great. I didn't get any upset phone calls, and the office threw me a little party. My friend Olivia went to lunch with me, and then my parents and my friend Marie took me out for dinner at Ivanhoes. I resigned myself to being an official grown up after I found myself thrilled to finally receive a Swiffer Wet Jet for a gift. :) And socks.

Tuesday I branched out and drove to my sister's house. Note to those who don't know...I despise driving in cities and refused to do it most of the time. But I had a big trip coming up and the easiest way to start it was to spend the night at her house. I survived the drive...and didn't even throw up! It wasn't without its scary moments, but I did it.

While there...I watched the American Idol show. Obviously it's a little late now for a rundown, but I thought Melinda had a rocky start and Jordin had a super night. I thought Blake should have gone home...but I'll get back to that.

Wednesday I did another grown up thing and boarded a plane. Note to those who don't know...my feelings for flying are similar to my feelings for driving in cities. But my sister Julie and I decided we needed to visit Kansas ourselves, and with our work schedules, flying was the only way to go. (And I boarded the plane hoping it would not be my way to go. Or my time.)

The flights were very successful. I learned on this, my second adventure in flying, that flying as a well person is better than flying as a sick person. I didn't mind it nearly as much. We arrived in Kansas about noon and drove to meet my sister and niece for lunch before touring Greensburg.

I was nervous about how I would react to seeing all this in person. I'd heard it was worse than the pictures. But I think my parents, who told me that, underestimated the amount of time I'd spent looking at pictures online and watching the news. I was very prepared for what I saw. Seeing it live is overwhelming in that you can't turn to the right or to the left and get away from it, like you can on TV. It's literally everywhere. But I didn't even cry (close your jaws, those of you who know what a water works girl I am) - and I felt very prepared.

There are great signs of new life in this town. There's pain and hurt...and I won't minimize that, because to do so would be wrong. Life has forever changed and normal is now a very different thing than it used to be. But there are sprigs of hope. I'll blog more about it later.

Lori, Jeff, and Cassie have moved out of the house they initially stayed in and are now staying with a couple in a big old house with lots of character. I really like it. We're staying here with them, and I was able to get online for a bit to try to catch up on life in Bekahland and beyond.

I think I'll be able to get on here again before I go, so maybe I'll be able to put more coherent thoughts down. (I haven't slept well since Friday night, so my brain is gone.)

Just wanted to say hi! OH! And if you want to see what I would have written about American Idol results, had I been able to get online then, go over to Christina's post (she's a link on the side) and read her post. I "amened" it.

More Cleanup Pictures on the MDS Site

My parents' friend, Sharon, has been reading my blog to stay up on life in Kansas, and she emailed me this link that I'd not seen yet (getting lazy in my searching, I guess). Thank you so much, Sharon! And welcome to Bekah's Blog! :)

http://www.mds.mennonite.net/Projects/Greensburg__KS

There are two galleries (one on top of the other) that have many great pictures of different homes, stories, and cleanup efforts in Greensburg. MDS helped clean up so many homes and were/are a huge help to the residents and members of the congregation!

The first several pictures in gallery 2 are of my family - and there are cleanup pictures different from the ones I have posted. (Hey Lori! When you get back to reading this one...nice Trio shirt! Where'd you get it?)

Pictures Have Arrived...and An Update

Good evening! I feel like I just posted 497 posts...but I wanted to try to give you several different angles of things you've not seen on the news, and I wanted to group them together in "stories."

Mom brought over a stack-o-pictures today, and I must compliment her on doing a GREAT job with the photography. She's been known to behead people in photos....

I talked to Lori and Cassie this evening and both seemed in really great spirits. Cassie was able to get a car, which is a huge blessing to her. Being a teenager and stuck at home is really no fun. They hadn't planned on getting one for her just yet but God worked out the perfect opportunity, so they did! Cassie was also very excited to have a hairdryer. Hey, I hear her there. I'd have probably forfeited an underwear rotation for a hairdryer. (I'm KIDDING!)

Lori is going to start helping with some of the volunteer efforts - that's my sister for you! Out of a home and giving of her time anyway. I'm proud of her.

They were able to move into temporary home #2 today, so she spent some time organizing what she does have.

Below are several posts of pictures - hopefully you'll be able to click and enlarge some.

Refuge

This picture looks directly in on the spot where they took refuge. It is a picture taken from the back porch, looking down into the basement. Right behind that center board, you can see a tan oval - it's the toilet seat. Cassie sat there with Midnight in her lap and her parents on either side.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart...

Psalm 91:1-4

Thank you, God, for covering my family with Your wings.

I love You.

The Aftermath...Help Has Arrived

Dad and Cassie took a break to get some lunch during cleanup.

I posted earlier about the "mall" that had been set up so those in need could receive everything from food to clothing to a new drivers license. Here is a picture of the mall.

The Aftermath...Misc.

Several of their belongings ended up caught in pine trees at the edge of their property. I believe this is taken there. The shirt was one of their Super Bowl shirts. My other sister, as I understand it, has already sent replacements.

Lori's sense of humor, ever at work. She put out her yard sale sign.

The Aftermath...of Lori's School

My sister was a teacher's aide in the elementary school. Mom said amazingly enough, this was one of the better looking classrooms. This is her room - she is standing by her desk. She found her box of animal crackers, so she took them, because the tour of town made her hungry. Everything IN her desk was still in it - including her recess whistle.

The hallway leading to her classroom. I walked down this very hall last September when I visited for Cassie's volleyball games. This was a very sad picture for me to see. (Not that other ones weren't...)

The Aftermath...of the Church

This is the church from a bit of a distance. If you look way in the back, you can see the cars that were under the car port. As you can see...literally nothing was left standing. In the front of the picture...the little pile of bricks...is the sign for the church.

This gives another angle to a picture I'd posted a few days ago (that I found on the MDS website). The red is the carpet to the sanctuary - and you can see a few pews in this one.

Amazing the things that survive unscathed...in the cabinet of the fellowship hall...unbroken glass dishes.

Beams to the sanctuary. Mom and Dad said they only found 3 or 4. This boggled my mind. Those dishes weren't broken and it tossed beams like a boomerang.

The Aftermath...of the "Jump"

I hope I can explain this one well enough for you to understand. This first picture was taken from the back porch steps looking down into the basement. If you look to the left, you will see the bathroom where they were hiding during the storm. The pink towel is kind of over the sink area...you can see the cabinets there. To the far left is the shower, and then if you look just under the green towel, you'll see the tan cover of the toilet seat. That's where they all huddled.

Now, if you look to the right side of the picture, you will see planks. the top part of the picture is the top of the stairs that led up from the basement. The bottom part leads to the steps. As you can see (the planks weren't there after the tornado...) they had to jump from the stairs to the steps because the floor that led from one to the other was completely gone. They did this in the dark with only a flashlight.

This is the same thing from the front porch...you can see the carpet ripped off the top two steps , the planks and then behind that white wall to the right is the bathroom. You can see what I think would be the washer and dryer to the left of the stairway. That would mean they fell from directly above.

The Aftermath...of the Cars

In one of the pictures I posted earlier (I'd found it on the MDS website) - I mentioned the cars in the background. I thought the van was my sister's. And it was. Here are the same cars from the front. Clearly, they are totaled. Just to give you an idea...they had been parked under the carport of the church.

And here's a front view of their other two cars in the garage. In front of them...actually not a deep freeze as you might think. (They had one sitting right about there, but they have yet to find it. Found the meat that was in it...by smell.) This was the refrigerator from their kitchen. If you look closely, you can see the drink dispenser on the door. That was a new purchase within the past six or so months.

The Aftermath...of the House

Here are some views of their home itself. I'll do my best to give you some perspective.

This first picture is where part of the upstairs (primarily the kitchen) fell into the basement. You can see the car in the background - and it is up in the garage (or rather, on the slab that once was the garage). All this stuff fell down into the "great room" part of the basement. You can see the kitchen chair...some cabinets...and the ironing board, which I'm guessing fell from the laundry room next to the kitchen. Somewhere it lost its cover.

This is the house from the street level. As you can see...it was truly "gone."

One of the last pictures Mom took before she left. After they were done pilfering, the MDS crew cleaned out the entire basement of all debris. Lori and Cassie are standing where the bathroom had been - where their lives were saved. You can see the bathroom plumbing pipe behind them and the back door stairs above their heads. The two "sticks" in the middle are, I believe, support beams that were in the "great room" of the basement to support the ceiling.

Okay So Maybe I Didn't Make the USA Today, But...

Back on April 18th, I wrote a post about how I was mentioned in the editorial of the Sojourn, which is the campus newspaper. I said it wasn't quite the USA Today, but it was close.

Well, Jeff really did make it into the USA Today - today. You can go here to read the article about yesterday's community church service. In the picture, you can see the backs of some of the ministers. The one in the blue t-shirt that says "Blackburn" is Jeff. He's not quoted in the article, but he is in the picture!

Tornado Update

I promise the pictures do exist. Mom says I should have them by tomorrow, so I'll be able to spend some time posting tomorrow evening.

Meanwhile, the newspaper had a pretty nice article in today's paper. You can find it here. There aren't any pictures with the article, but it does tell the story from Jeff's perspective. I learned a couple of things I'd not heard before, at any rate.

I talked to Lori yesterday and asked how the town meeting went Friday night. She said the mayor announced he already had his building permit and was planning begin reconstruction on his home soon. (Nice symbolism of leadership!) They were able to turn on the lights at the baseball diamond (I think that was the place she said) - so there's at least that much functioning electricity in town. Dillons, the supermarket, announced its intention to rebuild. She said she imagined that meant the Kwik Shop would also be back, because they are under the same ownership. The Kwik Shop is the convenience store. A girl after my own heart, Lori appreciates the need for fountain drinks. :) She also said the kids have been promised a bigger, better school than the one they had before.

In other "nice" news, she told me that the phone company has stopped billing the town effective the night of the tornado. They have also offered to forward original home phone numbers to new, temporary dwellings if people wish to have that done. She explained that typically, the surrounding towns are long distance from each other but have temporarily been switched to local calling to make it easier for family and friends to stay connected in this time. She was able to set up a post office box - free of charge for two months. A big thank you to the phone company and post office for making these services available!

No decisions have been made yet regarding their church. It is still too overwhelming for the congregation. They're focusing on trying to clean up their homes.

I realize that's not a ton of information, but it is what I have for now!